Heavenly Jewel Change

“Master, what is the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation?” Zhou Weiqing asked curiously as he looked at Long Shiya.

Long Shiya gave a humph and said: “Do you really think my reputation of Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor is just merely about perfect control and fine usage of the various Attribute Heavenly Energies? As long as one’s cultivation level is up there, in order for a Heavenly Jewel Master to gain fine control of Heavenly Energy and their Skills, it is not that difficult. However, my Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts is matchless even today, and that is because of my Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation. Keep your senses full on and keep watch carefully.”

As he spoke, Long Shiya’s body lit up, eleven Alexandrite Cat’s Eye Elemental Jewels floated out, forming a formation with six on top and five below. A six-coloured shield of light rose up, emitting from the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation.

At this moment, Zhou Weiqing was in the Dragon-Tiger Transformation, his senses to the outside extremely intense. Furthermore, Long Shiya did not even attempt to hide what he was doing, and he could instantly sense the sheer changes in the atmospheric Heavenly Energy.

In that instant, Zhou Weiqing had sudden illusion in his heart, as if Long Shiya had become the dictator, the controller of the entire world around. Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness… the six different Attribute Heavenly Energy did not fuse together, instead spinning about in perfect synchrony, arranging themselves around his body like soldiers, ready to listen to his orders and follow them at any time.

Long Shiya’s right hand waved gently, and immediately the six Attribute Heavenly Energies in the air each split out a strand, flying right in front of him before merging into a six coloured knife of light. Behind his back, the now-familiar Heavenly Skill Image of himself appeared.

“The true profound secrets behind the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation is in the words fusion and mixing. Towards those Heavenly Jewel Masters with multiple Attributes, fusion has always been an important lesson to learn. However, for most of them, when going through fusion of multiple Attributes. It would take a massive amount of Heavenly Energy while doing such an unstable task, and more so to maintain it. The more attributes one tried to fuse, the more difficult it would be. However, for my Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, the secret lies in using the formation to undergo any fusion, and not just mere Heavenly Energy control. In this way, the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation actually becomes the vessel which contains and controls the fusion, allowing the fusion without the Attributes clashing.”

As Zhou Weiqing listened to Long Shiya’s explanation, his eyes grew wider in surprise. Such a thing was possible?!

He was no longer the little newbie who had first become a Heavenly Jewel Master those few years ago with Shangguan Bing’er, not knowing anything. Although Long Shiya said it so simply, he instantly understood the sheer audacity and meaning behind those words.

No matter how many Attributes, they would not clash? That meant that even if one tried to fuse as many Attributes, it would still be easy! Furthermore, his Master was using the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation to unleash all the various Fusion Attribute Skills using atmospheric Heavenly Energy, not his own personal Heavenly Energy. Under such a circumstance, even when unleashing an extremely powerful Fusion Skill, it would not take a huge toll on himself, and his sustainability in combat was also terrifying indeed. With the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, he would not need to worry about running out of Heavenly Energy.

From Zhou Weiqing’s eyes, Long Shiya could tell that he already understood what he meant. He continued his explanation: “There are many underlying profound secrets to the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation. Previously, the basic Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts that I taught you can be counted as a beginner’s test… to test your powers of understanding and your temperament. Although you are a little dumb, at least you are very hardworking and willing to exert yourself to learn. Now, you can truly inherit the profound secrets of my Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation.”

“In our world, there are six pivot points. North, South, East, West, Heavens above and the Earth below. As such, the basis of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation is that one must have at least six-Jeweled cultivation level or higher; otherwise the formation cannot be complete. This was the reason why I have never taken a disciple before I met you. A Heavenly Jewel Master with Six Attributes is just too rare. In my entire memory, amongst all the many Heavenly Jewel Masters I have seen, only you and I, Master and Disciple, have that ability.”

“Little Fatty, you will need to listen carefully to all my subsequent words. The most difficult part about learning the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation is in actually forming it, its very base structure. However, once you can actually form it completely, then all Skills will be truly within your reach, and it will just be a matter of practice and familiarizing yourself with them and improving.”

“Master, I have a question.” Right at that moment, Zhou Weiqing asked. “Your Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation will fully control all Heavenly Energy within, and you will be the sole ruler in there. However, that needs the Heavenly Dao Energy as foundation and basis right? I have not reached the Heavenly Dao Energy stage, can I actually unleash the full power of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation? Another question is… if you meet a powerhouse of the same level, what if he purposely disrupts or destroys the Heavenly Energy rhythm or patterns around your Formation?”

Long Shiya looked at Zhou Weiqing with surprise before nodding in satisfaction: “Not bad at all. Just from a quick look, you can already think of such problems, that means you are not stupid after all. Indeed, before you reach the Heavenly Dao Energy stage, the full power of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation is still limited for you.”

“That is because at this stage, even after you have successfully set up the formation, you will still be depending on your own Heavenly Energy for fusing Skills, not the atmospheric Heavenly Energy. However, do not forget that within the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, there will not be any clash in the various attributes due to fusion. As such, you can still be able to have most of the benefits of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, mainly the easier fusion of the powerful skills. Furthermore, you have already reached the Heavenly Xu Stage. Even if you aren’t able to fully manipulate the atmospheric energies, you should already be starting to be able to borrow their powers slightly. More importantly, you have one major factor that would differentiate you from other Heavenly Jewel Masters – your Immortal Deity Technique and those wings that appear during your Dragon-Tiger Transformation. With those, your recovery rate of Heavenly Energy far surpasses any Heavenly Jewel Master of your level, or even above you. Under such a circumstance, the drawback of the current you using the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation is pretty much negated, and I do not foresee any problems.”

“As for your second question, I can answer you very simply. Unless my opponent is able to kill me off with a single powerful blow, otherwise the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation will not be so easily broken. The key of the matter is that with the pivotal points of the Formation being formed with the six Elemental Jewels is Heavenly Dao[1. 天道, as I translated literally to Heavenly Dao here for the type of energy, also means natural law or the will of heaven], and how can the Heavenly Dao be so easily disrupted by humans? Even if the Heavenly Energy that the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation controls is influenced by outside factors, once I draw them into the Formation, it will automatically harmonize them once more. I have spent seventy long years labouring on my Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, and all of those problems you mentioned and more, I have considered them and tested or accounted for them.”

Zhou Weiqing’s eyes were filled with respect. Seventy years of hard work. It was just a simple line when spoken, but once could just imagine the sheer difficulty of the task, and he was once again filled with heartfelt respect for his teacher.

Long Shiya gave a faint sigh and said: “Regrettably, I did not manage to break through the Heavenly King Stage before the age of thirty; otherwise I would have the chance to break through the Heavenly Shen Stage, and be able to form the Dual Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation that I have theorized for a while now. That Old Monster Xue would then be just a joke in front of me. Who knows… perhaps I would even have the chance to break through to the Heavenly Transformation Stage.”

“Heavenly Transformation? What is that?” Zhou Weiqing asked curiously.

Long Shiya explained: “Heavenly Transformation… that is a higher stage than even the Heavenly Shen Stage. Legend speaks of it, that it once existed. If one can break through past the twelve stages of the Heavenly Jewels, breaking past the maximum Heavenly Shen stage… then it is possible to produce a thirteenth Power Jewel. With that, one would have the power to control the heavens. Of course, whether or not this Heavenly Transformation truly exists is not known to living humans, and even in the oldest of records, they do not have any details.”

Zhou Weiqing nodded. At most, he had some interest upon hearing about the Heavenly Transformation, not any obsession. After all, his current cultivation level was just too far away to even think about such things now.

“Master, in that case, since your Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation is so powerful… even if you have not reached the Heavenly Shen Stage cultivation stage, with the aid of it, your Six Attributes and the Max Heavenly Emperor stage, are you still not able to win that Heavenly Snow Mountain Lord?”

Long Shiya’s brow furrowed, clearly remembering some bad memories. With a bitter smile, he said: “How could it be so easy? Do you really think the Heavenly Shen Stage is that easily reached? Although our Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation can be said to be extremely profound and great, but it is not invincible, with its own faults. Little Fatty, you must remember that in this world, things are fair. If you want to go against the heavens, you will need to pay the price.”

“For our Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, there are two main weaknesses. Firstly, power. The greatest power that the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation can unleash will always be limited by maximum of the user’s own personal strength. That is to say, even if I am the one using the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts, the offensive strength of it will be limited to the maximum Heavenly Emperor stage. No matter what, it will never reach the Heavenly God Tier stage. Of course, that is not considering Consolidated Equipment, as well as the Set bonuses on top of that… with all that there is still room for growth. However, just depending on the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, with your current cultivation level, you will still at most be able to wield power of the Six Jeweled cultivation level. However, with that offensive power, the amount of Heavenly Energy you will need to use is extremely minimal, and our Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts have always been famed for our sustainability in combat.”

“The second limitation of the formation lies in the Skills. Once you use the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, you will not be able to use the Skills you have Stored in your Elemental Jewels. Unless you terminate the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, otherwise you will only be able to use your simulated Skills.”

“The reason is simple. The Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation allows us to ignore the restraints of fusing all our six Attributes of Heavenly Energy, but it can’t make use of the different Skills to come up with the same effect.”

Only then did Zhou Weiqing realise that what Long Shiya had previously said was just so true. In this world, there was no such thing as truly going against the rules of heavens. The Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation would allow him to gain much, but at the same time he would have to lose something. It would be up to him to weigh the advantages and disadvantages, as well as how to use each to his maximum benefit.

Long Shiya looked at Zhou Weiqing’s slightly disappointed look, and he clapped him on the shoulders encouragingly, saying: “Little Fatty. You are different for me. Perhaps… the heights that I have never reached, you will be able to reach them in the future.”

“Ahh?” Zhou Weiqing looked at his master, puzzled.

Long Shiya nodded at him and said: “Although you also have Six Elemental Attributes like myself, but amongst your six Attributes, you have two of the Saint Attributes, the Demonic and Time Attributes. You know very clearly how much more powerful these two Attributes are… and how they truly live up to their names as Saint Attributes. As such, no matter your Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts or Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Formation, your offensive power will reach a greater height than myself. I estimate you will be able to go beyond your current cultivation level. Furthermore, you also have the Dragon-Tiger Transformation that I do not have… due to the fact that you did not have the Fire Attribute element, the Solidified Dragon Spirit has instead spent all of its energy reconstructing and improving your body.”