Chapter 515 - 30: This Is a Good Thing

Inside Yongchang Hall, Fang Cheng wore a look of gratification.

He said to Jingyuan and Jingxuan, "With this, the Fang Family’s plan to refine the Feather Divine Soldiers can officially begin."

Upon hearing this, Jingyuan’s face lit up with excitement.

For years, he had wielded the Tier Four Feather Divine Soldiers inherited from Fang Cheng. With them, he was nearly invincible, roaming the East Cyan Domain and the Wilderness with few who could match him.

If they could refine the even more formidable Tier Five Feather Divine Soldiers, he would truly stand at the pinnacle of this world, comparable to the ancient, legendary clans.

Jingxuan, however, said pensively, "Father, although we have now gathered all the Taiqing Divine Iron, according to the method you previously told us, there are still two crucial steps to refining the Tier Five Feather Divine Soldiers."

"First is to open a Thunder Pool. Second is to refine the Supreme Nine Heavens Jade Pure Great Brahman Purple Star Xuan Du Jade Talisman. The former requires gathering five Dharma Cultivators to set up the Profound City Five Spirits Grand Array, while the latter requires refining a Fifth-grade Talisman... which is even more difficult."

Fang Cheng smiled and spoke slowly. "There’s no rush. First, let Daoist Friend Yingya and the others from the True Flame Sect begin refining the shells of the Feather Divine Soldiers. Jingxuan, you’ve spent years in arduous cultivation of the Array Dao and Talismans. Why don’t you first try refining a Fourth-rank Xudu Jade Talisman?"

"As for the final Profound City Five Spirits Grand Array and the Fifth-grade Talisman, I have my own plans."

Jingxuan nodded and said seriously, "Understood."

Fang Cheng looked outside Yongchang Hall and, with a flick of his finger, shot out a beam of sword light.

The sword light pierced the air and vanished in an instant.

Not long after, Cang Wuya walked in with a plump, fair-skinned child dressed in brocade robes.

It was none other than Fang Wu Xie, the transformed Sealed Demon Insect.

"Greetings, Master."

Seeing Fang Cheng, Jingyuan, and Jingxuan seated in the hall, Cang Wuya hurriedly bowed in salute.

The child’s gaze swept over Jingyuan and Jingxuan. He gave them a slight nod, then finally looked at Fang Cheng and bowed, asking, "What are your orders, Master?"

Fang Cheng sized up the child and asked, "You’ve been with Cang Wuya these past few years. Have you made any progress?"

The child, with his red lips and white teeth, carried himself just like an adult. Hearing the question, he clasped his hands and replied, "Reporting to Master, Senior Brother Cang has treated me extremely well. He has passed on his life’s knowledge to me, and I have benefited greatly."

Fang Cheng chuckled. "In that case, you will follow my two sons from now on. They are going to refine a treasure for me, and you can assist them."

The child smiled softly. "Rest assured, Master. I will certainly serve the two Young Masters well."

Fang Cheng nodded, then instructed Jingyuan, "Yuan’Er, remember to continue helping me search for Dao Pattern Spirit Jade."

Jingyuan quickly agreed.

"I must continue my secluded cultivation. You all may go and attend to your tasks."

After arranging everything, Fang Cheng began to cultivate once more.

Jingyuan and the others then withdrew from Yongchang Hall.

...

Although Cang Wuya was a "veteran" of the Fang Family, he didn’t dare put on airs in front of Jingyuan and Jingxuan. Seeing there was nothing for him to do, he took his leave and returned to his own Pocket World Spiritual Building to enjoy his comforts.

Jingyuan and Jingxuan led Fang Wu Xie to an octagonal pavilion on Primordial Qi Celestial Island to discuss matters.

Jingyuan said in a low voice, "Brother Xuan, how about we act separately? I will take some men to the True Flame Sect immediately and ask Senior Yingya to begin smelting the Taiqing Divine Iron and forging the shells for the Feather Divine Soldiers. You can focus on finding a way to refine that Mystic City Jade Talisman."

Jingxuan nodded. "The refinement method for the Mystic City Jade Talisman is complex and profound, but with enough time, I can learn it. The problem is that the required materials are difficult to find."

Jingyuan, who hadn’t delved deeply into the way of Talismans, asked curiously, "What materials are they? As long as they’re for sale, I will buy them for you."

Jingxuan explained, "I have long studied this Mystic City Jade Talisman. Its profound complexity is comparable to a fifth-grade legacy technique, and its power is rarely seen in this world. To refine it, one needs the hide of a Kui Ox for the ’paper’ and the blood of a Nine-headed Gu Snake for the ’ink’..."

Jingyuan frowned upon hearing this. "Both of the strange beasts you mention are ancient vicious beasts. I’ve heard of them, but only in legends and anecdotes; I have no concrete leads. As for the Kui Ox Hide and the blood of a Gu Snake, I’ll have to have someone investigate."

Jingxuan said, "As for the Nine-headed Gu Snake, I heard that a third-tier colony of them used to live deep within the Earth Abyss of the Yinluo Sect. But now that Yinluo Island has sunk and the Earth Abyss has been destroyed, the Nine-headed Gu Snake is considered extinct."

"The Kui Ox is even more of a chance encounter, something you can’t actively seek out. The weakest among them are at least Tier Four, and some even reach Tier Five. Even if we were to encounter one, I’m afraid hunting it would be exceptionally difficult."

"For now, it seems we can only take it slow. Fortunately, Father is in secluded cultivation and won’t be coming out any time soon, which gives us plenty of time."

At that moment, the child interjected, "Young Masters, I have something to say."

Jingyuan, unable to gauge the child’s true depth, said with great interest, "Please speak, Junior Brother."

The child was heard chuckling. "Why not leave the matter of the Kui Ox and the Nine-headed Gu Snake to me?"

"Oh? Do you have a way, Junior Brother?" Jingyuan asked, surprised.

The child replied, "Last year, while traveling with Senior Brother Cang, I happened to encounter a Kui Ox."

Jingyuan was overjoyed and asked, "What was that Kui Ox’s strength?"

The child thought for a moment. "I didn’t get a close look at the time, but it should be late-stage Tier Four or Tier Four Peak. Still a ways off from Tier Five."

’What an arrogant tone for a child...’

Jingyuan and Jingxuan exchanged a glance. The former mused, "If it’s at that level of strength, even if Brother Xuan and I join forces with just our two sets of Tier Four Feather Divine Soldiers, I’m afraid we might not be able to take it down. A Kui Ox is not comparable to an ordinary vicious beast..."

The child waved his hand. "Young Master Yuan, do not worry about this matter. I will handle it properly. You two just need to wait."

With that said, his small body flew out of the octagonal pavilion and sped away from Primordial Qi Celestial Island.

The two brothers in the pavilion watched the child’s departing Escape Light, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Jingyuan laughed. "I heard Father brought this beast back from the Mingxiao Domain. Its aura is unfathomably deep and hard to read. I’d estimate it’s at mid-to-late Tier Four."

Jingxuan said flatly, "If it were an ordinary vicious beast, I doubt Father would have brought it back at all. However, this beast was only recently born, so it probably can’t handle such a great responsibility. You should head to the True Flame Sect first. We still need to plan carefully regarding the Mystic City Jade Talisman."

The two brothers discussed things for a while longer before parting ways.

「Several days later.」

Jingyuan was just about to leave Primordial Qi Celestial Island for the True Flame Sect in the Jin Country of the East Cyan Domain when a flash of Demonic Light streaked across the sky, and the child casually returned.

"Young Master Yuan, I’ve found the Kui Ox. The Nine-headed Gu Snake will take a little more time."

As the child spoke, he handed Jingyuan a pale golden bubble about a foot in size.

Jingyuan took a closer look and saw a blinding flash of Thunder Light within the bubble. Even with his Cultivation, he couldn’t see clearly what was inside.

"This is...?"

Seeing his reaction, the child chuckled and tapped the golden bubble lightly.

The golden bubble immediately floated up, growing larger and larger until, in the blink of an eye, it was a thousand zhang wide, hovering in the sky above Primordial Qi Celestial Island.

Inside the bubble was an endless expanse of magnificent, violent Thunder Light.

A terrifying, hair-raising might of thunder emanated from it.

A single-footed giant beast, its body glowing like the sun and moon, slowly revealed itself from within the bubble!

It had the shape of an ox, but with no horns on its head, and its entire body was a shade of azure-gray.

It was the legendary Kui Ox!

This Kui Ox was wreathed in crackling lightning and carried an arrogant air of looking down upon the world, yet it was trapped within a tremendously huge, pale golden bubble, making it seem extremely agitated.

Tier Four Peak!

Jingyuan faintly sensed and deduced the Kui Ox’s rank, and he couldn’t help but be startled.

The way he looked at the child now was completely different.

Meanwhile, the Fang Family Members on the island were also alarmed. Jingxuan emerged from his Cave Mansion and looked up at the sky, his face also filled with astonishment.

ROAR!

Inside the massive bubble, the Kui Ox threw its head back and roared, unleashing a deafening thunderclap.

A blinding bolt of Thunder Light struck fiercely against the pale golden bubble.

Yet, only ripples spread across the thin bubble’s surface; it remained completely undamaged.

The child extended his small hand and made a grasping motion in the air. The pale golden bubble instantly shrank countless times, becoming palm-sized as it fell from the sky.

He handed the bubble to Jingyuan and said, "This beast has been sealed by me. I will now go find a Gu Snake."

With that, he hurriedly tore through the void and departed once more.

Jingyuan held the pale golden bubble in his hand. It felt as light as a feather, yet the Kui Ox’s aura within it, though weakened countless times, still fiercely assaulted his Divine Sense.

He gave Jingxuan a wry smile. "This Magical Beast that Father took in... I’m afraid it’s not as simple as either of us thought..."

Jingxuan stared at the golden bubble, silent for a moment, before uttering three words: "This is good."

...