Chapter 517 - 515: Searching for the Heavenly Destiny True Stone

"Indeed. Huzi will surely reach the Saint Venerable Realm within ten years," another elder said, pleased.

Heavenly Destiny True Stones with Four Dao Celestial Essence or more would choose their own masters. The process had no particularly strict conditions or standardized rules. Generally, the more talented a cultivator, the more stones would acknowledge them. However, this was merely a general rule and not an absolute one.

Heavenly Destiny True Stones possessed a spirit of their own. This was especially true for those with Four Dao Celestial Essence and above, which were even more discerning in choosing a master who could let them shine their brightest.

Seeing his disciple, Huzi, hesitating between three Heavenly Destiny True Stones, unsure of which to choose, the master advised him, "Huzi, pick the one with the Flying Spring Celestial Essence. Though it’s a Five Dao Celestial Essence stone and not as good as the Six Dao one, its essence is exceptionally suited for your Life Technique. That Flying Spring Celestial Essence, in particular, will be a perfect match for you."

Any knowledgeable cultivator, especially a master, wouldn’t blindly have their disciple choose the stone with the most Celestial Essences. Instead, they would guide them to the most suitable one.

For a cultivator, only the most suitable Heavenly Destiny True Stone could bring out the full extent of their power.

Following his master’s advice, the young cultivator chose the Heavenly Destiny True Stone with the Flying Spring Celestial Essence. Once he made his choice, the other two stones, despite having acknowledged him, stopped pulsing and returned to their original positions.

A cultivator could only have one Lifebound True Artifact, and thus they could only choose one Heavenly Destiny True Stone. Even if multiple stones acknowledged a cultivator simultaneously, they had to pick just one.

Once a choice was made, the other Heavenly Destiny True Stones would no longer acknowledge that person, nor could they be taken.

Furthermore, if a cultivator who already possessed a Lifebound True Artifact chose a new Heavenly Destiny True Stone, they had a limited time to abandon their original artifact. If they failed to do so, the newly chosen stone would fly away and escape, refusing to remain with them.

Of course, this only applied to Grand Form Level and Gods Level Heavenly Destiny True Stones. Spirit Level stones, which were below Four Dao Celestial Essence, were exempt. A cultivator could take as many of those as they wished.

This was why the treasure vaults of the Great Teaching Territories were mostly filled with Spirit Level stones. Cultivators who wanted better Heavenly Destiny True Stones had to venture out and find them on their own.

Divine Dragon Mountain was incredibly lively. Many had come to try their luck, including cultivators who already possessed a Lifebound True Artifact. After all, who wouldn’t want to replace their current artifact if they could find a better, more suitable Heavenly Destiny True Stone?

Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu lingered at the foot of the mountain, looking particularly out of place. Everyone else who arrived rushed straight for the mountainside, but the two of them stayed at the bottom, picking through the numerous Heavenly Destiny True Stones. Their actions drew sideways glances from many other cultivators.

Everyone knew the stones at the foot of the mountain weren’t worth the time. They were all below Four Dao Celestial Essence. Nobody wanted to linger there, especially since the stones were guarded by Gold-Eating Insects. It simply wasn’t worth risking one’s life for such mediocre treasures.

"Heh, I bet that Li fellow is afraid of making a fool of himself. He doesn’t dare go up the mountainside because he’s scared his talent is so poor that not a single Heavenly Destiny True Stone will acknowledge him. He’s probably terrified of being ridiculed, so he’s just staying down here at the bottom." A young Ghost Race cultivator, who had always harbored hatred for Li Qiye, couldn’t resist a sarcastic jibe upon seeing him dawdling at the base of the mountain.

"Oh? And you’re a genius, are you?" a Human Race expert immediately shot back. "What incredible achievements have you accomplished, O great genius? Do tell us all. Young Master Li might be the pride of our Human Race, but let’s say for a moment his talent isn’t exactly Heaven-defying. Even so, for him, slaughtering Ghost Race ’geniuses’ is as easy as butchering pigs and dogs. He even wiped out a million of your kind with a single hand."

"You—!" The Ghost Race cultivator became instantly furious, glaring daggers at the human expert.

But the human expert was from a Great Sect and felt no fear. He met the ghost’s glare with a cold sneer of his own. "What’s the matter? Unconvinced? If you’re so tough, why don’t you go have a match with Young Master Li? As you said, our Human Race’s Young Master Li’s talent isn’t all that great. So I imagine a ’genius’ of the Ghost Race such as yourself could surely defeat our Human Race’s Young Master Li in three or five moves. Go on, I invite you, ’genius brother,’ to challenge our Human Race’s Young Master Li."

The Ghost Race cultivator’s face flushed red with rage, but in the end, he backed down. He might hate Li Qiye and see the Human Race as nothing but ants, finding Li Qiye an utter eyesore, but challenge him? He truly didn’t have the guts. Li Qiye was a man who dared to slaughter even a Saint Venerable; what chance would he have?

While others didn’t mock Li Qiye as openly as the ghost cultivator, many were still puzzled. Why was Li Qiye lingering at the foot of the mountain for so long?

’What are they up to?’ more discerning cultivators wondered. Even those from the Ghost Race didn’t dare to underestimate Li Qiye, especially since he was accompanied by a genius like Lan Yunzhu. The two of them were certainly not fools.

’Perhaps it’s like the old saying goes: "There is only the most suitable Heavenly Destiny True Stone, not the most powerful." For some, the number of Celestial Essences doesn’t matter; what’s important is the fit. Remember the Ancient Nether Era? Bu Zhan Immortal Emperor’s Step Battle Halberd was refined from a stone with only one Celestial Essence. But just think about it! Back then, Bu Zhan Immortal Emperor fought with every step, laughing proudly over the Nine Heavens. The Step Battle Halberd in his hand made the Ten Thousand Realms grow dim. In the face of his Step Battle Halberd, countless Immortal Emperor True Artifacts and Invincible Weapons all paled in comparison.’

"That makes sense, but maybe that only applies to those monstrous geniuses." Not everyone agreed with this theory. An elder cultivator stroked his chin and said, "Personally, I think the more Celestial Essences, the better. I’d love to get my hands on a Nine Dao Celestial Essence stone. Just imagine the power of a Gods Celestial Essence! It would be like the gods themselves descending."

"Not necessarily," another important figure countered. "Even if you obtained a Nine Dao Celestial Essence stone that contained a Gods Celestial Essence, do you think you have the strength to wield it? Without cultivating an Emperor Technique, you’d likely be unable to activate a Divine Technique of that caliber. In other words, in your hands, a Gods Celestial Essence would be useless."

"That’s not a given," the old cultivator retorted, unconvinced. "How would I know I can’t wield a Gods Celestial Essence if I never try?"

And so, the two elder cultivators began to argue over the theory.

In truth, this debate over the nature of Heavenly Destiny True Stones was a perennial one. Some championed the idea of "most suitable, not most powerful," while others vehemently disagreed.

Meanwhile, Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu had been searching at the foot of the mountain for a long time. Li Qiye hadn’t found a suitable stone for Lan Yunzhu, but he had picked out a few for himself.

"This one’s not bad either," Li Qiye remarked, his eyes landing on a Heavenly Destiny True Stone that resembled green jasper. He bent down and picked it up.

BZZZZ! The moment Li Qiye picked up the stone, a Gold-Eating Insect shot out from the ground and flew toward him. The insect was fast, but Li Qiye was faster. Before it could get close, he caught it between two fingers. CRUNCH! He crushed the Gold-Eating Insect to death.

"What kind of physique are you cultivating?" Lan Yunzhu asked, glancing at Li Qiye after he effortlessly crushed the Gold-Eating Insect. Others might not have known, but she was certain Li Qiye was practicing an Immortal Body Technique. Still, his Immortal Body gave off a strange feeling, and she couldn’t quite discern which one it was.

Of course, Lan Yunzhu would never have dreamed that Li Qiye was cultivating *two* Immortal Body Techniques. Such a thing was considered absolutely impossible, so the thought never even crossed her mind.

"Well now, you’ll find out eventually," Li Qiye said with a grin, putting away the Heavenly Destiny True Stone he had selected.

"Do you really think those stones can be used for Celestial Essence Integration?" Lan Yunzhu asked. She had seen Li Qiye pick out several very peculiar Heavenly Destiny True Stones and knew what he was planning.

"It won’t necessarily be for me," Li Qiye said, shaking his head. "I’m not necessarily suited for Celestial Essence Integration. But if I find the right person, there’s a great chance. I might even be able to create a miracle."

Lan Yunzhu said no more. To the rest of the world, Celestial Essence Integration was nothing more than a theoretical concept. In fact, many cultivators had never even heard of it.

Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu had looked through nearly every Heavenly Destiny True Stone at the foot of the mountain, but they still hadn’t found one suitable for her.

"Forget it. Let’s head up the mountain and take a look." Li Qiye looked up at Divine Dragon Mountain, his eyes narrowed. "You used the River of Fate Celestial Return for your Dao Foundation Establishment. As far as I know, there’s a Heavenly Destiny True Stone on this mountain that would be perfect for someone like you, who solely cultivates a Heavenly Destiny Secret Skill. I think that stone would be an absolute match... I just don’t know if it’s still there."

"What? You knew there was a stone up there that was suitable for me and you didn’t tell me? You made me waste all this time foolishly helping you search down here!" Upon hearing his words, Lan Yunzhu glared fiercely at Li Qiye.

"Whoa there, little miss, mind your composure. You’re the Fairy of the Qianli River, aren’t you? Everyone knows you’re a great, otherworldly beauty, a proper lady. Acting like a shrew like this... aren’t you worried about damaging that reputation?" Li Qiye said with a teasing smile, looking at her ferocious expression.

"You—!" Lan Yunzhu was so angry she could have spat blood. She ground her teeth. "You blockhead! One day, I swear, I’ll teach you a lesson!"

Li Qiye paid her threat no mind at all. He leisurely replied, "Little miss, I was just trying to do you a favor, to help you save face. Finding a suitable stone down here would have been for the best. What if I had told you about the one on the mountain, you went up there, and then failed to earn its acknowledgment? Wouldn’t that have been a huge embarrassment? Everyone knows you’re a genius, a Fairy. Wouldn’t your reputation suffer if you couldn’t even win over a single rock?"