Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 434 - 429: Xuan Light God Shield! Divine Defense Bell and Heavenly Fire God Cover!_1
Ma Tianbao was the apple of the Lingbao Sect’s eye, carefully nurtured by the Sect’s upper echelons.
This was the Lingbao Sect’s future!
As long as Ma Tianbao didn’t fall prematurely and grew up smoothly, the Lingbao Sect would witness a revival.
Dare to make a move against Ma Tianbao? The Dark Demon Sect is not far from destruction! Without sufficient strength, you dare to provoke the Lingbao Sect? If you don’t die, who will?
It was believed that soon, news of the Dark Demon Sect’s obliteration would spread.
Jia Ren smoothly returned to the Lingbao Sect, his mind echoing with Ancestor Ji Kong’s shocking and outrageous palm strike. Ancestor Ji Kong’s Ji Kong Palm had reached the Grandmaster Level. With such terrifying power to hit people through the air and shatter space with a single palm, it was incredible.
Yet, Ancestor Ji Kong’s limits are not my own limits. How formidable would the Ji Kong Palm become if it reached the Extraordinary Saint Level?
Upon returning to his Cave, Jia Ren silently increased the time he invested in the Ji Kong Palm. Regrettably, he lacked the innate talent for the Ji Kong Palm. He had shown no signs of mastery despite his efforts to date. Thus, the prospect of quickly raising his Divine Skills’ Proficiency Level was out of the question. He faced the same problem as he did when cultivating the Star God Art.
I have no choice but to use Technique Demon Pills!
Jia Ren could only take the ’shortcut’ by consuming elixirs. Though Technique Demon Pills could indeed help one quickly grasp secret techniques and Divine Skills, their downside was making subsequent progress slow, limiting users to the entry-level. With the Proficiency Panel at his command, Jia Ren’s Proficiency Levels would not remain fixed at the entry-level. However, the efficiency of gaining Proficiency experience dropped significantly. To reach the same Proficiency Level as his other Divine Skills would require even more time.
Jia Ren took out a long-cherished Technique Demon Pill. After swallowing an Extraordinary Saint Level Technique Demon Pill, its medicinal power slowly unfolded in his stomach.
"Ji Kong Palm!"
The technique of the Ji Kong Palm emerged in his mind and was rapidly executed. The obstacles seemed to be swept away by an invisible force, allowing smooth progress. His right palm glowed with a faint black light, causing the space it passed through to tremble. With the force of his palm, a black gap the size of a palm appeared in the Void. An entry-level Ji Kong Palm could only burst forth over a short distance. It couldn’t hit a target over a mountain. A palm strike causing a gap in space was incredibly powerful, something other Divine Skills couldn’t achieve. Jia Ren’s strongest offensive Divine Skill, the Xuan Kill Cha Sword, was also somewhat inferior to the Ji Kong Palm’s might.
Not bad. This will become my trump card in the future.
Once the Ji Kong Palm surpassed the Grandmaster Level, it would definitely be comparable to a truly Great Divine Power, perhaps even stronger.
Truly exciting! I cannot give up on Yama Heavenly Child; I must also raise its Proficiency Level. These are the two strongest Divine Skills at my disposal; of course, I can’t fall behind on them.
Besides, there’s the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art, which can rapidly enhance one’s Cultivation Level. Several Spiritual Treasures were acquired from the Lingbao Sect and couldn’t be devoured. However, there were still four pieces left from the Demon Sect’s Spiritual Treasures. Yet, devouring Spiritual Treasures tainted with demonic aura would result in Spiritual Energy that was also tainted, contaminating one’s own Spiritual Power. The solution was to visit the Pure Spirit Pond, although the Sect contribution required would likely not be a small sum.
Jia Ren finished his cultivation and, as usual, headed towards the Refining Palace. Before he could enter the side hall, Wang Jian found him. "The side hall is of no use to you anymore," Wang Jian said. "Deputy Hall Master Li tried his best to buy you some time; it’s time for you to report to the Hall of Artifice."
The Spirit-level Refiners in the Hall of Artifice were usually bustling about, and it was rare for a newcomer to join and help share the workload. The Vice Hall Master of the Refining Palace had helped to delay for such a long time; he had already done more than could be asked for.
"Thank you, Wang Jian and Deputy Hall Master Li, for your support."
Jia Ren followed Wang Jian back into the Hall of Artifice. Compared to his last entry into the Hall of Artifice, this time it was much busier. Greeting him were not only the Vice Hall Master of the Refining Palace Jia Ren knew, but also two unfamiliar faces. The three wore Golden Taoist Robes, exuding an extremely stern presence. Taoist Robes of the Lingbao Sect were the best way to differentiate status. Those who could wear Golden Robes were at least Void Refining Stage Cultivators.
"Greetings, Hall Master, Vice Hall Masters," Wang Jian saluted the cultivators in Golden Taoist Robes.
The Refining Palace Hall Master? The Refining Palace has one Hall Master and two Vice Hall Masters. I’ve met one Vice Hall Master already. The other two must be the Hall Master and the other Vice Hall Master of the Refining Palace.
"Greetings to the three Hall Masters," Jia Ren hastily bowed, lowering his stance.
"I have seen the Qingling Sword you refined. Your talent is exceptional! It’s a pity you chose the wrong master!" the Hall Master of the Refining Palace said with an unpleasant tone, seeming to have a personal grudge against Ancestor Ji Kong.
"Senior Brother, this kid is no simple character," one of the unfamiliar Vice Hall Masters chimed in, his voice strange.
"The Dark Demon Sect has just been destroyed, and this kid is the instigator," the other unfamiliar Vice Hall Master added, his voice peculiar.
The Dark Demon Sect has been wiped out already? The Lingbao Sect’s efficiency is quite high...
Once Ma Tianbao was involved, the High-Order Cultivators of the Lingbao Sect acted swiftly and decisively. Most people hadn’t yet received the news, and already the Dark Demon Sect had been destroyed. This was unlike the war with the Shimo Sect, where both sides had shown restraint and had not taken high-level action. This was also to prevent either Sect from suffering heavy losses after the war, regardless of the outcome. Moreover, even the victor would achieve a pyrrhic victory, severely weakening the Sect’s strength. The Mysterious Realm wasn’t just home to the Lingbao and Shimo Sects. Should a Sect show weakness, other Sects would surely take advantage of the situation. The Shimo Sect and Lingbao Sect dared not initiate high-level battles lightly.
The Dark Demon Sect was different. Does every Tom, Dick, and Harry dare to cause trouble for the Lingbao Sect? A tiger doesn’t show its might, and you think I’m a sick cat!
Does this matter involve Jia Ren? The gazes directed at him became strange.
Jia Ren understood he couldn’t let this misunderstanding deepen. Otherwise, if such rumors spread within the Sect, he would likely have no peace in the future. "Hall Master, how could I possess such ability? I am just timid and dragged my master into acting. It was my master’s keen insight that saw through the villain’s scheme, allowing him to triumphantly display his divine might..."
He didn’t expect to receive credit and casually shifted the responsibility onto Ancestor Ji Kong. The few present who were unaware of Jia Ren’s ulterior motives thought he wasn’t greedy for merit nor recklessly seeking it, but instead was showing filial piety to his master.
Truly a case of a compassionate teacher and a filial disciple. The three Hall Masters’ perception of him improved considerably. What a pity, such a good disciple aligned with the wrong person.
Guo Ningyuan, the Hall Master of the Refining Palace, looked at Jia Ren and said, "Since you have become a Spirit Treasure Refiner, you should serve the Sect and the Refining Palace. The Sect requires you to refine Spiritual Treasures until the war ends. Are you willing?"
Jia Ren had been informed by Deputy Hall Master Li beforehand and wasn’t surprised. He quickly nodded and said, "I shall follow the Hall Master’s instructions."
"During this special period, to prevent Artifact Refiners from slacking off, there are time limits for refining each Spiritual Treasure. The Sect will provide the refining materials, and you must not embezzle them for personal gain. Any failed Spiritual Treasures must be handed over to the Refining Palace. This is the Epsilon-29 Refinement Chamber. It will be yours to use from now on. Take out your Identity Token!"
Guo Ningyuan raised his hand and cast a spell into Jia Ren’s Identity Token, then nonchalantly waved him away.
One token, granting unimpeded access everywhere... A spell was cast into the Identity Token, granting unhindered access to his Cave and the Hall of Artifice. No need to carry a plethora of Pass Tokens anymore.
Jia Ren said his farewells and entered the Epsilon-29 Refinement Chamber. His Identity Token transmitted information, mostly guides on Artifact Refining and how to use the Spirit Speech Formation. In the Hall of Artifice, materials were summoned with the Spirit Speech Formation, indicative of the Lingbao Sect’s preference for convenience.
"Newcomers only need to refine Spiritual Treasures; each has a time limit. The refining of Spiritual Treasures is time-limited." The voice of the Hall Master of the Refining Palace from within the Identity Token listed in detail the time allocated for crafting a single Spiritual Treasure. The refining time for the Qingling Sword was five years. For new Spirit Treasure Refiners, this was extended to seven years, giving them time to learn and research the Spiritual Treasure.
Isn’t this something I can do easily? That means four years of free time? This is assuming fire control and material refinement are managed at the Grandmaster’s limit. If I go all out, I could shorten the time to under two and a half years.
Jia Ren formed the hand seals for the Spirit Speech Formation, then called out, "Spirit Treasure Refining Technique!"
The Lingbao Sect’s treatment of Spirit-level Refiners was generous. The Sect provided a general version of the Spirit Treasure Refining Technique for all Spirit-level Refiners to learn at no cost. The Spirit Treasure Refining Technique he had obtained from Wei Chi Gong was a personal version, which was, in reality, inferior to the one openly provided by the Sect.
Jia Ren didn’t intend to refine the Qingling Sword. Instead, he looked for a standard defensive Spiritual Treasure to refine, thereby enhancing the Proficiency Level of corresponding Magical Treasures. This was preparatory work for new Magical Treasures. Besides his Life-bound Magic Treasures, his other Magical Treasures had been crafted previously with lesser skill and materials than he possessed now. The Xuan Gui Shield and the Purple Thunder Exorcising Sword could both be upgraded to Spiritual Treasures, but their potential was less than that of items made with newly refined materials. They would be used to enhance the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art and then be replaced by new Spiritual Treasures. Only his Life-bound Magic Treasures—the Mountain and Sea Pearl and the Demon-Sealing Tower—would remain unchanged. Their matching accessories, such as the Heavenly Fire Nether Lamp, could be considered for the path of Ancient Treasures to enhance their might.
"Xuan Light God Shield!"
"Divine Defense Bell!"
"Moonlit Night Shawl!"
"Royal Void Robe!"
"Heavenly Fire God Cover!"
"..."
One by one, specialized Defensive Lingbao appeared, a multitude of options dazzling to behold. There were far too many methods for refining Spiritual Treasures, and the number of defensive ones surpassed his knowledge. Beyond their defensive effects, each possessed unique features.
The Xuan Light God Shield could be stacked to form a defensive shield array, a rare standard-issue Spiritual Treasure. A minimum of nine shields were needed for the basic refinement, with a maximum of eighty-one shields.
If one had the capital, refining eighty-one Xuan Light God Shields into an array wouldn’t be a problem. At that level, it would be considered the strongest Defensive Lingbao, second only to a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure. Refining just one Xuan Light God Shield would drain a cultivator’s resources, let alone eighty-one? Better to just forget about it! It’s unknown if the Lingbao Sect has enough Spiritual Materials to support such extravagance. Wanting to refine the Xuan Light God Shield, the required Spiritual Materials are a headache.
The Divine Defense Bell was a Spiritual Treasure with both offensive and defensive capabilities. Its retaliatory bell sounds were capable of shaking a target’s Divine Soul.
An additional effect that targets the Divine Soul? This revealed the extraordinary nature of the Divine Defense Bell. In a battle where situations changed in the blink of an eye, an enemy’s brief lapse in concentration could determine life or death.
The Moonlit Night Shawl was a Taoist Robe for female cultivators, imbued with the Moon Escape Technique, offering strong life-preserving capabilities.
The Royal Void Robe was a Taoist Robe for male cultivators, possessing the ability to turn reality into the Void. When its Spiritual Treasure effect was active, attacks within the robe’s tolerance threshold would be absorbed.
The Heavenly Fire God Cover was a replica of the ancient Immortal Treasure, the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover. It had a dragon-shaped awakened spirit; when the wearer was attacked, the enemy would be struck by a Heavenly Fire dragon.
Each Defensive Lingbao was exquisite, making it difficult to choose between them.
