Chapter 273: Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror

The commotion inside the tent was considerable, but Chen Shihu had isolated it with his Divine Sense, so no one outside was aware.

Lu Bai savored his new Realm post-breakthrough, a flicker of joy in his eyes.

Mid Stage of the Golden Core Realm!

This was a massive leap.

He had been able to break through so rapidly, reaching the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm, not only because of the vast and pure energy within the True Dragon Blood, but also because the blood had widened and reshaped his Meridians.

Furthermore, Lu Bai possessed fourteen Meridians, giving him two more channels than an ordinary person—two great rivers for his power to flow through.

The Alchemy Dao was a crucial watershed for both the Martial Dao and Cultivation.

As the saying goes: “A Golden Core, once consumed, shows my fate is mine, not Heaven’s to command.”

Once one stepped onto the Alchemy Dao, their lifespan could reach four to five hundred years, far exceeding that of a mortal.

Not to mention a host of other abilities, like walking on air and wielding Blood Qi as potent as flame.

In the Innate Realm, a Martial Artist could release True Qi after opening their Meridians, but only for about an inch. The damage was limited, useful only for catching an opponent off guard.

But after stepping onto the Alchemy Dao, the range of projected True Qi became identical to the range of one’s Blood Qi.

For Lu Bai, who had now cultivated his Blood Qi to a range of nine feet, his Sword Qi could also extend nine feet. His kill zone had expanded dramatically!

With a mere thought, the blazing Divine Dragon that had been coiled around him soared into the air. It danced around his body, obeying his will as effortlessly as his own limbs.

‘Is this the Golden Core Phenomenon?’

Lu Bai murmured to himself.

The Golden Core Phenomenon was truly worthy of its reputation as the most powerful technique in the Golden Core Realm.

Lu Bai could feel that this Divine Dragon was a transformation born from condensing his Blood Qi to its absolute limit.

It was the equivalent of constantly refining and compressing his entire supply of Blood Qi to unleash the ultimate power of the Golden Core Realm!

Of course, the successful manifestation of this Golden Core Phenomenon was clearly linked to that wisp of True Dragon Blood.

The form of this True Dragon was identical to the one that had manifested when the Demon Qi erupted from the Ancient Mirror.

This True Dragon had no horns or claws, but its head was ferocious and terrifyingly majestic. It was wreathed in flames, and its wide-open eyes seemed to contain some kind of strange, mighty power.

As Lu Bai willed it, his Blood Qi retracted.

The True Dragon closed its eyes, and its form dissipated. The tent, which had been as bright as day, grew dim again as the night’s darkness returned.

Lu Bai gazed at the Blood Qi Golden Core floating in his Dantian.

At the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm, the core itself had grown from the size of a fingernail to that of a goose egg.

And already, he had cultivated his Blood Qi to a range of nine feet.

If he could cultivate to the Late Stage of Golden Core, or even Golden Core Perfection, his Blood Qi range would surely break the nine-foot limit!

Nine is the ultimate number.

If he could break past nine, he couldn’t imagine what kind of changes would occur.

A thought suddenly occurred to Lu Bai.

‘Just a single wisp of True Dragon Blood helped me step onto the Alchemy Dao and break through to the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm all at once.’

‘If I had a little more, maybe I could quickly reach the Late Stage of Golden Core, or even Golden Core Perfection!’

Lu Bai quickly focused his mind on the Ancient Mirror.

When the True Dragon Heart was pierced, the mirror’s surface had turned completely blood-red, covered in True Dragon Blood.

But now, the mirror’s surface was pristine again, without a single trace of blood.

After three days, the True Dragon Heart had vanished from within the Ancient Mirror.

Not a single drop of True Dragon Blood remained.

‘A pity.’

Lu Bai lamented silently.

But his attention was soon drawn to the Immortal Vine.

Indeed, the True Dragon Heart had vanished, but the Immortal Vine had undergone a dramatic transformation!

The once lifeless, withered vine was gone.

In its place was a vine that was a vibrant, emerald green, brimming with vitality.

Moreover, the vine had sprouted five branches, each a different color—white, cyan, red, yellow, and black—making for a brilliant display.

‘It looks like the Immortal Vine has come back to life.’

Lu Bai took the Immortal Vine out of the Ancient Mirror, examined it for a moment, and then swung it through the air a few times.

Nothing changed.

It was like whipping a tree branch through the air, producing nothing but a few whooshing sounds.

Lu Bai hesitated for a moment before trying to infuse it with his Blood Qi.

The Immortal Vine still didn’t react.

After trying for a good while, Lu Bai still couldn’t find anything strange about the Immortal Vine.

‘It’s alive, yet it’s also not.’

‘I’ll set it aside for now.’

Lu Bai returned the Immortal Vine to the Ancient Mirror and let his mind sink into it.

[Mirror Master: Lu Bai]

[Realm: Mid Stage of Golden Core Realm]

[Cultivation Techniques: Bone Supreme Profound Scripture·Ultimate White Tiger Stance·Ultimate Dragon Elephant Suppression·Ultimate Eight Desolates Returning to the Origin Scripture·Ultimate Nine Netherworld·Heaven (Repairable) Fiery Sun Technique·Earth]

[Martial Techniques: Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist·Ultimate (Perfection) Red Bright Celestial Patrol·Ultimate (Perfection) Soaring Technique·Ultimate (Perfection)]

[Secret Techniques: Eye of Illusion; Ghost Commanding Order; Silent Shock; Bone Regeneration; Dragon Elephant Suppression Stele; Nether Candle; Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror]

The information displayed on the Ancient Mirror had changed in a few places.

“Huh?”

A strange look appeared on Lu Bai’s face.

The other changes were unremarkable, but there was a new entry in the Secret Techniques section.

Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror.

‘What the hell is this?’

He had never learned this Secret Technique. It sounded more like a Magical Treasure.

Lu Bai thought back for a long time but couldn’t recall the origin of this Secret Technique. It seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

Most of the Secret Techniques he had mastered were derived from cultivating Ultimate Skills.

Only the appearance of the Nether Candle had been strange, originating from the Ghost Bride.

This Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror hadn’t been there before he went into seclusion.

‘What else happened during this seclusion, besides my breakthrough?’

‘Demon-revealing… demon-revealing…’

A thought struck Lu Bai, and he came to a tentative conclusion.

After the Immortal Vine pierced the True Dragon Heart, a large amount of Demon Qi had been released.

But this Demon Qi was quickly devoured by the Ancient Mirror, disappearing without a trace.

This Secret Technique, the Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror, might have been born from the Ancient Mirror after being stimulated by that Demon Qi.

At this thought, Lu Bai grew even more curious about the Ancient Mirror’s origin.

‘What is the origin of this mirror? What secrets are hidden in its depths? It seems to contain a world of its own, occasionally generating Cultivation Techniques and even Secret Techniques.’

It was a pity the Ghost Bride was asleep, leaving him with no one to ask.

After pondering for a while with no new insights, Lu Bai set the matter aside and turned his attention to studying the newly derived Secret Technique.

‘Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror… it sounds a lot like a Demon-Revealing Mirror…’

The Demon-Revealing Mirror was a relatively famous Magical Treasure in the Cultivation Realm. After certain Demon Beasts attained the Dao, they could hide their true forms and appear as humans, making them difficult to identify.

But when a Demon-Revealing Mirror was unleashed, it could expose the Demon Beast’s true form.

The Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror was likely a similar kind of Secret Technique.

The only problem was that the Secret Technique came with no Mantra Heart Method, so Lu Bai had no idea how to activate it.

He tried to activate it with Blood Qi, and even with the small wisp of Magical Power in his Dantian, but he couldn’t unleash the Secret Technique.

Lu Bai frowned inwardly.

‘Gaining a new Secret Technique is, of course, a good thing.’

‘But it’s frustrating to have a new Secret Technique and be unable to use it.’

Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Lu Bai.

‘Since it’s called the Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror, maybe the power source isn’t Blood Qi or Magical Power, but Demon Qi!’

At this realization, Lu Bai quickly reached out for the residual True Dragon Demon Qi within the Ancient Mirror and silently chanted, ‘Demon-Revealing Treasure Mirror.’

The True Dragon Demon Qi seemed to be drawn by some unknown force. It quickly condensed within the Ancient Mirror and was then activated in a strange manner, manifesting in Lu Bai’s hand.

An illusory Copper Mirror appeared in Lu Bai’s palm. Its surface was radiant, and its back was engraved with countless intricate patterns that seemed to pulse with a powerful energy.

Just then, Chen Shihu pushed aside the tent flap and walked inside.

His eyes fell upon Lu Bai, who was fiddling with the Copper Mirror in his hand.

The Copper Mirror happened to be pointed at Chen Shihu, and an invisible beam of light fell upon him.

“HISS!”

Instantly, Chen Shihu felt the hairs on his body stand on end, a tingling numbness spreading across his scalp!