Chapter 385 - 383: Great Mighty Dragon Seal

Chapter 385: Chapter 383: Great Mighty Dragon Seal

The Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture was a Cultivation Technique created by a senior Cultivator who was fortunate enough to witness a Fire Dragon’s true form in the Immortal Garden.

That was a True Dragon from the Upper Realm, not something the motley Dragon Beasts in the Human World, which merely carried the bloodline of the Dragon Race, could compare to.

At the very least, they had to be Void Refining True Dragons to be called Immortal Beasts.

Therefore, the ultimate goal of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture was to transform one’s body into a Fire Dragon, getting as close as possible in physical form to a True Dragon of the Upper Realm.

A true Fire Dragon spewed Pure Yang Celestial Fire, which was Supreme Yang and Firm. In the Human World, almost nothing could withstand its scorching heat.

The Cultivator who created the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture had once personally witnessed a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure endure the Pure Yang Celestial Fire for forty-five minutes.

Its Treasure Light began to scatter and its Forbidden seals shattered. Even the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure itself was melted into a pool of Spiritual Liquid, reverting to its original Spiritual Materials.

Of course, this was also because the Fire Dragon itself was immensely powerful. The Pure Yang Celestial Fire alone certainly couldn’t achieve such an effect.

Limited by that Cultivator’s perspective, the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture only had nine levels with no continuation, and the flame it ultimately refined was downgraded to Pure Yang True Fire.

Bai Zichen didn’t know what aspect of the Holy Beast Aura had stimulated the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, causing the Cultivation Technique to undergo such an abrupt change.

It was just like how, for so many years, the Fish Dragon Sect had never figured out why a mere wisp of Holy Beast Essence Blood aura could turn the Wood God Skill into a Spirit Plant Technique capable of turning the rotten into the miraculous.

Only the Wood God Skill in this state could serve as one of the three components of the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword.

’Could it be the influence of the Cyan Dragon Aura, causing the Cultivation Technique to advance? It seems the time I need to reach the Peak of Late-Stage Core Formation has shortened slightly.’

Move when it’s time to move, stop when it’s time to stop, never missing the right moment.

Time never repeats; every moment must be accounted for.

The former was the Pill Discussion Bai Zichen had formulated before his Core Formation, inspired by the Spring and Autumn Cicada.

The latter was the insight he gained in the century after his Core Formation, from wielding the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword and hearing the Sound of the Great Dao after Ge Cang’s Tribulation Crossing. It was an addendum to his Pill Discussion before he reached Core Formation Perfection.

Before the Nascent Soul realm, the Pill Discussion would solidify, and his path on the Great Dao would not change again.

After the strange phenomenon with the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, the time needed to cultivate to the Peak of Late-Stage Core Formation had decreased by an imperceptible nine days.

If he hadn’t been diligently striving on the Time Path, with his Pill Discussion centered around it, he truly wouldn’t have noticed this subtle change.

’Could it be that the Cultivation Technique’s efficiency in refining nature’s spiritual energy has increased? If this effect can stack through repetition, I might reach Core Formation Perfection several years earlier...’

Bai Zichen’s heart pounded in his chest. This was far more delightful to him than the mutation of any other Magic or Divine Techniques.

’No, there’s another possibility. My Fire Spiritual Root’s aptitude has improved again, bringing me one step closer to an Inferior Celestial Spiritual Root.’

With each level advanced in the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, a Cultivator’s Fire Spiritual Root aptitude would improve, all the way up to the ninth level of the Cultivation Technique.

An Acquired Inferior Celestial Fire Spiritual Root could achieve half the effect of a true Fire Element Celestial Spiritual Root.

’Before the Cultivation Technique reaches Perfection, the enhanced Spiritual Root aptitude only applies to the cultivation of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture. Only upon reaching the final level can the Spiritual Root aptitude be fixed, allowing it to take effect with all Fire Element Techniques, Magic, and Divine Techniques... Otherwise, I could simply find a Tier Three Fire Magic and cultivate it for a moment to clearly determine whether the Cultivation Technique has grown stronger or my Spiritual Root has improved.’

This mystery could only be unraveled after Bai Zichen reached the Nascent Soul realm.

But regardless of the reason, it was a good thing for him.

He repeated the process, continuing to use the Secret Technique to stimulate the Holy Beast Aura within the Crystal Stone and empower himself.

Then, he circulated his Cultivation Technique to absorb the power within.

After about ten days, he clearly felt a limit. Pushing any further would cause unpredictable changes to his physical body.

Only then did he apply a Forbidden seal to the Holy Beast Essence Blood Crystal Stone and put it away. A cyan fluorescent glow filled his eyes, and a three-foot beam of pure light shot from them, sweeping around erratically.

Several hours later, the strange phenomenon in his eyes slowly faded.

He activated the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, and the phantom Flood Dragon behind him grew several dozen feet taller. Its draconic body was majestic and awe-inspiring.

It could even be said that it was no longer a Flood Dragon, but could be called a Fire Dragon.

It had towering horns on its head, five claws on its feet, and Dragon Scales covering its body.

Beneath its neck were two light-colored Reverse Scales, each the size of a palm, on which ancient, blocky characters faintly flickered.

If he didn’t focus on them, two majestic characters would dance in the corner of his eye.

But when he tried to look closely, the two characters on the Reverse Scales would vanish without a trace, impossible to find.

"Great Mighty Dragon Seal!"

Bai Zichen murmured to himself. Dragon and Phoenix Talisman—it was a script even more ancient than the Flower Bird Talisman, the divine writing of the Ancient Demon Race.

It was the script used by the legendary True Dragons and Divine Phoenixes, and every single character was steeped in a bloodline power that transcended time.

Only those of the Demon Race with the purest bloodlines and most outstanding aptitudes of dragon or phoenix descent could awaken one or two of these characters upon becoming a Tier Five Great Demon.

This was supplementary information he had come across while reviewing the records of the Flower Bird Talisman.

Great Mighty Dragon Seal, Great Virtue Phoenix Seal.

No ordinary vessel could bear them. Speaking characters from these two scripts without Tier Four strength would cause one’s body to be torn apart by their violent power.

All the Top Tier Secret Techniques of True Dragons and Divine Phoenixes were cast using these two divine scripts and possessed Earth-Shattering might.

The Fire Flood Dragon manifested by his Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture was actually in the process of forming the Great Mighty Dragon Seal. The shock of this revelation was no less than someone comprehending a Five Elements True Intent from basic Five Elements Magic and setting foot on the smooth path of the Great Dao.

For now, he didn’t know the function of these two semi-formed characters of the Great Mighty Dragon Seal, nor was it clear if they were permanent or would gradually fade over time.

But one thing was certain: after he reached the Nascent Soul realm and cultivated the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture to Perfection, if he once again managed to absorb the Holy Beast Essence Blood aura, it would bring him immense benefits. It would by no means become a useless Cultivation Technique that served no purpose after the Early-Stage Nascent Soul realm, just waiting to be replaced.

Right now, the most direct effect was that the time needed to cultivate to the Peak of Late-Stage Core Formation had been shortened by three years.

’It’s a pity I don’t have enough Thunder Sound Bamboo on hand. Otherwise, I would definitely use this opportunity to integrate the insights on Sword Refinement I gained from observing the ceremony and see if I can raise my Sword Refining Skill to the next level.’

Bai Zichen glanced at the Celestial Thunder Wall with some regret. In all this time, not a single Sacred Sound Bamboo had successfully mutated.

He only had the one stalk of Thunder Sound Bamboo he’d prepared earlier in his storage bag, so there was no point in starting Sword Refinement.

Returning to the Observatory Pavilion on Flame Mountain, he took time away from his Qi Refining to systematically organize his understanding of his Sword Dao.

The peak duel between Tang Fei and Xiangg Ji had moved him deeply. He had many ideas he wanted to pour out, or perhaps realize within his own Swordsmanship.

The first three months were a period of explosive inspiration, where all sorts of thoughts collided in his mind, striking sparks of Sword Dao.

The middle three months were for settling and accumulating, turning those countless inspirations into a concrete understanding of the Sword Dao.

It could be said that in these three months, his comprehension of the True Enlightenment Sword Technique had deepened by another layer.

With his current knowledge and experience, he was even qualified to create his own Swordsmanship and have it selected for inclusion in the True Enlightenment Sword Technique.

The final three months were spent constantly overturning the various ideas and epiphanies from the previous six months, returning to the essence of the Sword Dao itself.

The Sword Dao Xiangg Ji walked was akin to Entering the Dao through emotion. His Slaughter True Intent perfectly matched the nature of a Flying Sword as a weapon of slaughter, but it was a path Bai Zichen could not learn.

Tang Fei’s Sword Dao, by contrast, was the more traditional and orthodox path, and also the most common one among Sword Cultivators.

From the unstoppable, incomparably sharp mastery of One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, to the vast and majestic momentum of Sword Light Division.

Witnessing the duel of such a Sword Dao Powerhouse up close—especially for a Cultivator like Bai Zichen, who possessed considerable Sword Dao Talent—led to immediate and significant progress.

He felt as if he was on the verge of an epiphany, separated from the realm of One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws by nothing more than a sheet of paper.

It was just a matter of when he could break through that final, thin layer.

’True knowledge comes from practice. If I had a Sword Cultivator of comparable cultivation as an opponent, I might be able to comprehend the realm of One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws after a single duel.’

Bai Zichen had this thought for only a moment before he dismissed it himself.

’No, that won’t work. Someone at the same cultivation level couldn’t possibly be my opponent; they likely couldn’t even withstand a single strike... But against a Nascent Soul True Monarch, there’s a fundamental difference in power. Unless I use the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, it would be difficult to harm them with just a Flying Sword.’

Take a Sword Cultivator who was also at Late-Stage Core Formation and had reached the same Refining Sword into Silk Sword Realm.

Even if Bai Zichen forsook his Moon Xuan Sword and used the Thunder Sound Sword instead, his advantage in Sword-Controlling True Essence would naturally put him in an invincible position.

He couldn’t just downgrade again and use a Tier Two Flying Sword to fight, could he? That would be completely meaningless.

When the opponent’s Sword Light struck, a Tier Two Flying Sword would simply break, failing to provide any real practice for his Swordsmanship.

A pair like Tang Fei and Xiangg Ji, who were evenly matched in cultivation and strength and could grow and improve together until a gap appeared in the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul realm, was already exceptionally rare in the Cultivation Realm.

Two people who seem evenly matched in the early stages will quickly grow apart under the flow of the River of Time due to various factors.

If the difference in strength becomes too great, they are no longer worthy of being called nemeses, let alone promoting each other’s growth.

’Without a suitable Sword Cultivator as an opponent, perhaps I can find a special one for myself...’

Bai Zichen shook a small bronze bell inside the Observatory Pavilion and used Sound Transmission to give his orders.

Half a day later, a disciple cautiously ascended to the top floor of the Observatory Pavilion, holding a rolled-up map.

He presented the map, kowtowed three times, and tiptoed back the way he came.

A moment later, Bai Zichen opened his eyes, reached out, and pulled the map from outside into his hand. Unfurling it revealed the entire Black Mountain Range.

All the Spirit Veins occupied by the Qingfeng Sect were marked with turquoise dots.

Of course, only Tier Three Spirit Veins were marked this way. The countless lower-level Spirit Veins couldn’t possibly all be drawn on the map as turquoise dots.

Even more conspicuous were over a dozen bright red dots. A light touch with a finger would cause a crimson glow to flash, projecting the image of a Demon Beast and a large block of text.

This was the image of the Tier Three Demon Beast represented by the red dot, along with its description.

The Qingfeng Sect’s exploration of the Black Mountain Range in the last decade had yielded as many gains as the previous century.

The main reason, naturally, was that the Tier Four Cyan Simurgh had been killed and the core Tier Four Spirit Vein of Black Mountain, Flame Valley, had been occupied. This greatly increased the survival rate of the Spirit Beast Hall’s Wind Chasing Secret Agents in the core regions.

When they encountered powerful Demon Beasts, they could flee toward Flame Mountain. Even Tier Three Demon Kings would stop far away, not daring to pursue.

Additionally, the Tier Three Peak Black Flood Dragon had been slain by Bai Zichen, and the White Ape, which had embarked on the path to Tier Four Transformation, had left Black Mountain to seek its kin. As a result, the number of top-tier Demon Beasts in the Black Mountain Range had decreased significantly.

The tangible result of this was that the Sect’s distribution map of Tier Three Demon Beasts had become much clearer.

It was no longer the ambiguous descriptions of the past, where they had to guess the whereabouts of a Tier Three Demon Beast based on a few footprints and a couple of feathers.