Chapter 596: The 5th Immortal Bone

‘After I return to Black Mountain, there are several matters I need to sort out one by one…’

Within the Tower Temple in the Star Palace Secret Realm, Bai Zichen exhaled slowly, a five-foot-long stream of Sword Qi shooting from his mouth.

Even though it was deliberately slowed and softened to the extreme, it still carved a deep Sword Mark into the floor, stopping only after extending several dozen feet.

If he hadn’t restrained it, the entire Tower Temple would have likely been split in two.

The Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture was the most tyrannical Cultivation Technique he had ever seen. Compared to it, the Nascent Soul Scroll Technique and the other two Divinity Transformation legacies he had comprehended from the divine statue were gentle to an extreme.

As he continued his Cultivation, he found that the Sword Scripture was putting an increasing strain on his physical body.

It was said that the Thunder Skills of the Five Thunders Sect injured the user before the enemy, but the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture was even worse.

If it weren’t for the dual protection of his Five Crystal Glaze Body and Immortal Cave True Bone, his entire body would have long been pierced through by Sword Qi. A single day of Cultivation would require at least seven days of recuperation.

He wondered what method the disciples of the Taibai Sword Sect used to avoid this problem. He could ask Zhuo Xiong about it the next time they met.

The more efficient his Qi Refining became, the more frustrated he felt.

He was constrained by external conditions, unable to push his Cultivation speed to its limit. Moreover, aside from the Sword Scripture, he was making little progress in other areas.

His progress was slow with both the Daoist Classic Cantongqi and the Ice Soul Aurora technique he had obtained from the Sword-Cleansing Grotto Heaven.

As for the Great Dao True Intent, which other Nascent Soul True Monarchs spent the most effort on, he didn’t need to worry about it—or rather, worrying was useless.

The Time Path was mysterious and unfathomable, not something that could be comprehended through ordinary effort. Every bit of progress he made was inextricably linked to the Spring and Autumn Cicada.

He had only achieved his current level of attainment in Time True Intent by twice relying on the Relic of the Spring and Autumn Cicada.

Of course, the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s reputation as one of the Five Great Strange Insects had been around for ages, and it had been studied inside and out by countless people.

Yet, no one had ever been able to comprehend Time True Intent or enter this Great Dao just by possessing the insect’s body.

It could only be said that he had his own innate talent for this path, though he didn’t know if it was related to his Mysterious Holy Body.

Later, he happened to learn the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, a Time-path Great Divine Technique, and had committed himself completely to this path.

However, much like members of the Demon Race who inherited powerful Desolate Beast Bloodlines, his comprehension of the Great Dao was essentially fixed. Acquired effort was useless; it all depended on how much his bloodline had awakened.

Bai Zichen’s situation with the Time Path felt similar.

As time flowed and the years passed, he advanced slowly along the Time Path in sync with them.

In other words, the older he got, the farther he would progress on the Time Path.

If he could live for several thousand years, he might truly reach the legendary state of being accompanied by Time True Intent, where every sword strike aged his opponents.

The Ice Soul Aurora Divine Technique he’d obtained from the Sword-Cleansing Grotto Heaven involved gathering a wisp of the world’s most Ultimate Yin and coldest Qi. When condensed to its limit, this Ice Soul Cold Qi could be transformed into a Tier Three Flying Sword.

With Bai Zichen’s resources, he naturally wouldn’t care for a mere Divine Technique that substituted for a Tier Three Flying Sword, let alone spend great effort cultivating it.

The reason he had dug it out and was studying it seriously, as if it were a great treasure, was because he had thought of another application for this Divine Technique.

He possessed another Divine Light Type Divine Power, similar to Ice Soul Aurora, which could also transform into a Divine Sword upon reaching Perfection.

However, once the Divine Technique was dispelled, the Divine Sword would cease to exist. Unlike Ice Soul Aurora, it couldn’t create a truly permanent Flying Sword.

This was the Great Five Elements Annihilation Divine Light, gifted to him by the Five Elements Sect as a token of their gratitude.

The tier of this Divine Technique was far superior to Ice Soul Aurora. If his theory proved successful, he could obtain at least a Tier Four Five Elements Divine Sword.

He might even be able to dream of a Tier Five Divine Sword.

It was for this reason that he was seriously studying the Ice Soul Aurora, trying to figure out how to merge it with the Great Five Elements Annihilation Divine Light.

After a year of effort, he had basically nothing to show for it, with no effective results whatsoever.

The difficulty was too high; it was akin to modifying a Divine Technique, which was currently beyond his capabilities and vision.

He understood the reasoning, but after spending a year with nothing to show for it, he was still growing a bit impatient.

Fortunately, he would soon be returning to Black Mountain. At that time, he would first deal with the matter of his personal Cultivation Spirit Land. Then, he would hand over the pile of miscellaneous items he had to the Sect. Once everything was processed, the Sect’s overall strength would rise another level.

Most of the items were suitable for Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Core Formation True Men, which perfectly matched the current level of the Qingfeng Sect.

Next, after consulting Senior Brother Ge Cang about the Daoist Classic Cantongqi, he would begin to cultivate in seclusion and break through to the Late-Stage Nascent Soul realm as soon as possible.

Checking the date, he saw it was time for his appointment with the Black Market’s Demon Abyss Workshop.

He left the Star Palace Secret Realm, changed his appearance to that of Li Hansi, and donned a bamboo hat that could block Divine Sense probes before heading to the Black Market once more.

He stated his purpose and presented a black cloth he had received after paying the Spirit Stone deposit. It was covered in mottled, dark bloodstains.

He didn’t know what method the Demon Abyss Workshop used for verification, but soon, a gaunt Cultivator floated out. His eye sockets were deeply sunken and pitch-black, with only two balls of ghost fire burning within.

“We have not failed you, esteemed guest. The Three Immortal Corpse Toad has been acquired. However, the seller does not want Top-Grade Spirit Stones; they specifically asked to trade for a Nascent Soul Pill and Tribulation Crossing Secret Treasures.”

As soon as this person spoke, the sound of grating bones could be heard. A single glance revealed no trace of a living person’s aura; Bai Zichen realized he was looking at a rare Ghost Cultivator.

Judging by the density of the Yin Qi, his power was equivalent to a Late-Stage Core Formation cultivator.

“If you do not have the corresponding treasures, our workshop can pay on your behalf. You would then only need to pay us in Top-Grade Spirit Stones, Senior.”

“These two items—how much do you value them at?”

Bai Zichen’s expression remained unchanged. As a Tier Four Gu Insect, a successfully refined Three Immortal Corpse Toad was equivalent to having a Nascent Soul-level combatant.

It was with this very Gu Insect that the Gu Immortal Race became one of the most distinguished clans in the Southern Border.