Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Some critical point went wrong, the Immortal Spirit trembled, and all artifacts shattered; exploding in mid-air and turning into raging torrents of backlash.

“Hm!?”

The white-robed elder frowned, the power of a Mahayana Immortal surged, quelling this backlash.

In the end, the smoke dissipated, all laws turned to ashes, and only a medium-grade Immortal Artifact remained, sparkling in the emptiness.

“Failed again!”

“How many times is this now?”

“Where exactly did it go wrong?”

“The fusion of all laws, the governance over countless artifacts?”

“The mutual generation of the Five Elements, the mutual control of Yin and Yang?”

“Could it be that the magic artifacts cannot bear the power of a medium-grade Immortal Spirit, and instead, I should use Spiritual Artifacts or Magical Treasures as components for the Battle Armor?”

“Magical Treasures with Spiritual Energy have stronger spirits, greater power, but are also harder to control. As Heavenly Craftsmen of merely the fifth rank, wanting to forcibly create a sixth-rank Battle Armor is indeed too difficult.”

“Let alone a sixth-rank Battle Armor, even the fifth rank is not perfected, riddled with flaws. It needs to be polished further; we cannot rush the process.”

“Hmph, with the millennium deadline approaching, the Monster Nation and Demon Abyss are bound to start a war again. If these Heavenly Mechanics Methods cannot advance to the sixth rank, they will be utterly useless. By then, how can my Western Extreme Heavenly Palace achieve an unexpected victory?”

“Sigh…”

Apart from the central, white-robed elder overseeing everything, there were others around, observing. Seeing the destruction of myriad artifacts and the failure of the Battle Armor Mech combination, they all furrowed their brows with faces clouded over.

Each of the Four Auxiliary Imperial Lords, each in charge of their duties, among them the west represents killing. White Tiger generates metal; therefore, the Western Extreme Auxiliary Court is in charge of conquest and warfare, and consequently, they are highly passionate about various martial arts.

So much so that after witnessing the Heavenly Mechanics Methods, the Seven Lords of the Western Extreme marveled like never before and invested enormous manpower and resources to study them. They hoped to advance to the sixth or even seventh rank to face the forthcoming war amongst Immortal Gods.

However, such techniques are too against the heavens, and even with the power of the Western Court, after a thousand years, they have barely managed to theorize up to the fifth rank, which isn’t even perfected. The sixth rank is unattainable, the seventh rank even more so.

A mere fifth rank technique, despite its extraordinary power, can hardly affect the bigger picture.

A thousand years of research, countless resources invested, to only achieve these results, truly disheartening.

The white-robed elder saw this but did not speak further, simply commanding coldly, “Immediately refine a new batch of magic artifacts!”

“This…”

The crowd exchanged looks, confused and uncertain. Tentatively, they asked, “Does the Star Lord perhaps see some clue?”

“Just refine them, and prepare some extra!”

Without giving further explanation, the white-robed elder left having dropped those words.

Seeing this, everyone was helpless and could only pass down the order.

“Issue the command to all workshops, to refine one billion magic artifacts within three months, without any mistakes!”

“Yes!”

…

“Within three months, one billion magic artifacts?”

“It looks like another failure.”

“Sigh.”

“Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“Hmph!”

Within a Refinement Workshop, in front of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, people heard the command, reacting in various ways.

An elder, silent without a word, skillfully stirred up mana and fed it into the Eight Trigrams Furnace to boost the flames.

The inferno raged, materials added one by one, and magic artifacts were forged by the flames, yet no joy could be seen in the elder’s eyes, only weariness and disdain.

How many years has it been, enduring days like these? How many years?

Lin Jing couldn’t recall; years of laborious toil, day in and day out, made the progression of timean indistinct blur.

Not just time, but many things in his memory were growing obscure and distant.

Academy, teachers, friends, and relatives, partners and confidants…

Every event, every person, has become hazy in his memory, seeming so far away.

The only clarity is the present, the cold and harsh reality.

No wonder so many people preferred to resist until death rather than live as slaves.

And him, why did he not choose death? Was he truly that clinging to life?

Or was he holding on to that last shred of hope, unwilling to give up on the slim chance of the impossible?

Lin Jing couldn’t explain it. Just watching the furnace fire, within the fierce and dancing flames, it seemed a figure appeared, one from memories, familiar yet strange.

That was, that was…

“Jing’er!”

A soft utterance, unexpectedly hearing it brought him back to reality, making him stand rigid; it was difficult, shocked, incredulous. He turned his head toward the source of the voice.

Turning to look back, following the voice, he saw a familiar figure, a figure unchanged after a thousand years of separation, standing silently.

“Teacher, Master?”

In an instant of astonishment, followed by a blur, Lin Jing stood in place, gazing fixedly at the person before him.

Not just him, other elders inside the Refinement Workshop felt the same.

“Taoist Master?”

“How, how is this possible?”

Astonishment, shock, disbelief, quickly turned into hot tears that blurred everything in front of their eyes.

“Who says tears are ever lightly shed, unless the heart is truly touched.”

“Master!!!”

“Taoist Master!!!”

Several elders, kneeling on the ground, wept inconsolably.

“Hmm!?”

Such actions immediately drew attention, and several Return to Void cultivators looked back, only to see that a man had appeared in the workshop at some unknown time.

A young man in green robes they had never seen before!

“Who are you?”

“What are you all doing?”

The cultivators were startled, looking at the man and the kneeling, crying elders, a sudden unease rising in their hearts.

The man said nothing, simply extended his hand to help the elders up: “It is I who have arrived late!”

“Master!”

Lin Jing finally came to his senses, looked at Xu Yang, and then around him, repeating, “This place…”

“Is no place to linger!”

Xu Yang smiled, took over the conversation, and then with a sweep of his sleeve, took in the few individuals.

“You!!!”

Seeing this, the others awoke as well, hurriedly moved to act, but felt as though their bodies were weighed down, as if struck by a paralysis curse spell, immovable as if mountains were suppressing them.

What’s going on?

What’s going on!

The onlookers were indescribably terrified, while Xu Yang remained silent, swept them all up with a move of his sleeve, including various items, materials, magic artifacts, and cauldron furnaces from the refinement workshop, leaving not a single trace behind.

The Western Extreme Auxiliary Court, in charge of warfare and battles, were famous throughout the Heavenly Court and beyond for their battle formations, killing techniques, and weaponry artifact skills.

Within the Auxiliary Court, there were seven palaces corresponding to the seven lodgings of the Western Extreme, and beneath them, thousands of refinement workshops for forging soldier’s armor and crafting magic artifacts, supplying the entire Heavenly Court’s palaces and departments, arming billions of heavenly soldiers and generals.

One can only imagine the resources required.

Just this one refinement workshop contained large amounts of Mysterious Iron Refined Gold and artifact spirit materials.

Xu Yang had no hesitation, with a sweep his robes, he took everything, along with the people.

Then, turning on his heel, he concealed himself and hurried to other locations.

Time was pressing, and the task was important, he had no time for reunions or to dwell on feelings.

He had infiltrated this place just to save the Wandao School’s academy monks imprisoned in various parts of the Heavenly Court before the affair of the Wandao School arose, so as not to be controlled by others.

Besides that, he intended to take a bit more as interest and stir things up again, to test the waters and see how heated things could get.

…

Xu Yang traversed the void, weaving through, sweeping up every person and thing in the Heavenly Court, leaving nothing behind.

It was the time of the great assembly, and aside from the Calamity Immortals who were in deep cultivation, all Star Lords and Immortal Lords of the various palaces and departments were attending the assembly in Lingxiao Hall. The remaining were insignificant, unable to pose any obstacle, and could be restrained with a simple binding spell.

In this manner, Xu Yang swept through every place in the Heavenly Court, rescuing all the Wandao Academy monks, then he headed toward the Seven Palaces of the White Tiger.

In the Western Extreme Auxiliary Court, there were Seven Palaces below it, corresponding to the seven lodgings of the Western Extreme.

The principal among the seven lodgings was wood, named Kui, known as the White Tiger killing star and titled the Heavenly Armory.

Looking at the White Tiger Palace gate, Xu Yang smiled, waved his sleeve, and sent out a streak of Supreme Purity Radiance, opening the palace’s restrictions.

Next, Xu Yang stepped inside, arriving at the treasure storehouse, where he saw numerous battle armors, magical treasures, array devices on display, not a single spiritual treasure in sight. The least valuable were low-grade immortal artifacts, and there were even several superior immortal treasures, worthy of the Western Extreme Imperial Palace treasury.

Xu Yang didn’t say another word, swept his hand, and let out the Five Colors Divine Light, breaking all the restrictions, leaving the treasures empty.

If anyone else were committing this act of theft, Xu Yang might have had some reservations.

But for the Western Extreme Auxiliary Court, the chief culprit behind the scheming against the Wandao School, considering what they had done to the academy monks and their plotting against the World of Dao and Law, these items were merely interest.

The Five Colors Divine Light swept through, breaking various restrictions, taking away treasures piece by piece, as smoothly as moving clouds and flowing water.

Until…

“Bang!!!”

The Divine Light moved, touching a superior immortal artifact, its restrictions not yet broken, and the artifact trembled.

“Hmm!?”

“Who dares to intrude upon my palace!”

A thunderous roar reverberated through the Western Extreme, shocking the Heavenly Palace.

Supreme Purity Radiance, Gengjin’s sharp rays, like a rainbow piercing through the sun, burst forth from within the White Tiger Palace.

Xu Yang’s expression remained unchanged, and he made a sweeping motion with his hand, pointing out with his fingers as if holding a sword, colliding with the Supreme Purity Radiance.

“Bang!!!”

The two streaks of radiance, like swords clashing, let out a loud noise that shook the Heavenly Palace and Emperor’s Court.

“Rumble!”

The Lingxiao Hall too was struck and began to sway slightly.

“Hmm!?”

The Jade Emperor’s gaze sharpened, and he rose in surprise and anger, “What is this commotion?”

“This is…”

“The Western Extreme?”

Several Immortal Lords below him, as well as numerous Star Lords, were also frowning deeply, turning to look towards the west.

Even the Great Mercy Bodhisattva seated to the side knitted his brows and opened up her wise vision to peer afar.

All the immortals looked on, peering across the void, only to see that in the direction of the Western Extreme, the Supreme Purity Radiance shone brightly from within the Imperial Palace of the Auxiliary Court, and ferocious sword Qi threatened the heavens.

Indeed, two streaks of sword light were clashing in a resonant clangor—one filled with intent to kill, and the other majestic in sword energy.

It was certainly…

“The Heavenly Wound Sword?”

“The Lord of the White Tiger Star?”

“What’s happening?”

“Who’s clashing with him?”

“Could it be…”

The group of immortals frowned in surprise and uncertainty.

Only the Jade Emperor, outraged, stood up abruptly, “Which demon dares to barge into the Heavenly Court uninvited, and where is the Dipper Department Star Official?”