Chapter 691 426: Black Fire Lotus (Part 2)

Duan Rong said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Lu." As he spoke, he picked up two fruits from the plate, handed one to Lu Geng, and took a bite of the other, instantly filling his mouth with juice.

Lu Geng also took a gentle bite and asked, "Junior Brother, how's the research on the Geomancy Map going?"

Duan Rong glanced up and said, "Almost done."

"Junior Brother, I'm a bit curious, why are you researching this thing so diligently?"

Duan Rong, biting the fruit, smiled and said, "What if I say it's a hobby? I just love researching this stuff. Would you believe me?"

Duan Rong's words weren't entirely nonsense. Looking at maps was indeed his hobby. He's loved doing it since he was a child. If there was one subject among all school disciplines that he could describe as both useful and enjoyable, it would be geography.

Lu Geng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this and said, "I believe you! Senior Brother Wu is just like that. He can sit for days researching these things. Otherwise, how do you think that Geomancy Map came about?"

Duan Rong's eyes flickered. It was true; Wu Shidao's Geomancy Map was extremely detailed, even containing some information that was useless for capturing Primordial Beasts, yet Wu Shidao still annotated them conscientiously.

"It seems Senior Brother Wu is a kindred spirit!" sighed Duan Rong. Suddenly remembering something, he looked at Lu Geng and asked, "By the way, Senior Brother Lu, do you also have the keys to the other two vacant Cultivation Chambers?"

Lu Geng gave Duan Rong an odd look and said, "What's up, Junior Brother? Do you not like the Cultivation Chamber I picked for you? Let me tell you, the other two Cultivation Chambers have Divine Statues inside. I specially picked a refreshing one for you."

"No, don't misunderstand, Senior Brother," said Duan Rong. "I saw those four Divine Statues during the test in Deep Valley. I'm a bit curious why our sect has these four statues. What's their purpose?"

Lu Geng laughed awkwardly and said, "Junior Brother, you surely are a thoughtful person!"

Having already practiced the Fetal Concealment Scripture to the Second Layer, Lu Geng naturally knew the purpose of those four Divine Statues. However, since Duan Rong hadn't yet been taught the Fetal Concealment Scripture, it wasn't appropriate for him to reveal more. Even though Duan Rong was so talented that he would likely be taught the Fetal Concealment Scripture sooner or later, conveying this information prematurely would be leaking a secret, which would result in severe punishment. It concerned the sect's core cultivation technique, always dealt with strictly.

Unbeknownst to Lu Geng, Duan Rong only mentioned it because he knew Lu Geng had already practiced the Fetal Concealment Scripture.

Soon enough, Lu Geng handed over the keys to the remaining two Cultivation Chambers to Duan Rong.

Taking the keys, Duan Rong went to the hall behind the first floor of the pavilion and entered the Cultivation Chamber space.

Standing there, he gazed at the two other vacant Cultivation Chambers. One was next to his, and the other was between Wu Shidao and Wang Yue's Cultivation Chambers.

Actually, just with the positioning of those two vacant Cultivation Chambers and the direction of the Statue of the Unmoving Bright King beside him, Duan Rong could roughly determine what kind of Divine Statues were in those two vacant chambers.

He walked slowly to the Stone Gate of one Cultivation Chamber and inserted the key into an eyehole in the beast pattern on the Stone Gate, rotating it with some effort.

Amidst the rustling of falling stone debris, the Stone Gate wobbled open, and Duan Rong entered, lighting the candles on the stone wall with his Flint.

As the dim light filled the Cultivation Chamber, Duan Rong's gaze turned toward a certain corner, where a Divine Statue stood.

The size and structure of this Divine Statue were the same as the Statue of the Unmoving Bright King outside.

These four Divine Statues were originally meant to construct a Mandala for practicing the Fetal Concealment Scripture. For some unknown reason, the Mandala was abandoned and later converted into Cultivation Chambers.

Before entering, Duan Rong had already roughly guessed that the Cultivation Chamber might house the Vajra Yaksha King Statue that occupied the northern position in the Mandala.

However, like the other vacant Cultivation Chamber, it's covered in dust—especially the Divine Statue, on which a thick layer of dust had settled, obscuring its eyes, nose bridge, and some decorations. Duan Rong couldn't quite tell if it was indeed the Vajra Yaksha King Statue.

He walked over slowly and stood by the Divine Statue in the corner. Disregarding the dirt on the statue's surface, he pressed his palm against it and thought, "Read the Artifact Spirit!"

Subsequently, a set of data appeared before Duan Rong's eyes.

It was indeed the Vajra Yaksha King!

Artifact: Vajra Yaksha Bright King Stone Statue

Artifact Spirit Tier: Tier Ten

Devouring Requirements: Host's Spiritual Power Level 10 (met)

Devouring Effect: Thirteen Layers of Fetal Concealment (incomplete), Fourteenth Layer of Fetal Concealment (incomplete), Fifteenth Layer of Fetal Concealment (incomplete)

"Devour!"

As Duan Rong whispered in his heart, the data panel in front of him shattered and disappeared. Then, inexplicably, some dust fell off the statue.

Duan Rong was startled, taking a few steps back, looking at the Divine Statue in amazement. The expression of the Vajra Yaksha King Divine Statue was one of ferocious anger, hideous and grotesque. Now that some dust had fallen off, its true form was more visible, making Duan Rong's heart race.

He had never known that when devouring an Artifact Spirit, the Artifact could react!? Otherwise, why would the statue's dust suddenly fall?

In this sealed chamber, there could be no wind! The only explanation was that Spiritual Power or something like a Divine Soul could produce a slight effect on the material world, too subtle to notice, which Duan Rong never realized.

If that statue hadn't been in an enclosed space for countless years, collecting a thick layer of dust, it would have only lost a little dust at that moment.

It was as if, at the very moment of Duan Rong's devouring, the statue lightly trembled.

Staring blankly at the Divine Statue in front of him, Duan Rong's heart felt increasingly eerie.

The Divine Statue still displayed its hideous and grotesque form, and now this strange incident occurred; if someone of a timid nature were present, they might have been scared to their wits' end.

Watching for a while and confirming the Divine Statue showed no abnormalities, Duan Rong's heart eased a bit. This phenomenon could only be studied slowly in the future. He extinguished the candlelight and left that Cultivation Chamber.

As the Stone Gate slowly closed behind him, Duan Rong let out a long sigh. In his previous life, he had seen many horror films; that moment just now genuinely unsettled him.

Having calmed slightly, Duan Rong thought that perhaps the phenomenon was a certain reaction when separating the Artifact Spirit from its host.

Although the Artifact Spirit was a manifestation on the level of a Divine Soul, when extracted, the physical Artifact itself underwent a minute change at that moment.

After all, an Artifact Spirit is a spirit!

They stem from the human Divine Soul's imprint upon the Artifact, forming a kind of Divine Soul presence without producing a will of its own.

Wait!

Not producing one doesn't mean it won't!

Perhaps the highest Artifact Spirits do possess intelligence and autonomous will, evolving into some kind of biological entity.

If that happened, wouldn't Duan Rong's devouring be akin to consuming a living spirit body?

Although Duan Rong's heart was somewhat uneasy, he couldn't abandon the Thirteen Layers, Fourteenth Layer, and Fifteenth Layer of the Fetal Concealment.

After suppressing the unease in his heart, he entered another vacant Cultivation Chamber, quickly devoured the Artifact Spirit of the Divine Statue there, and hurried out as its dust showered down.

Standing there, Duan Rong glanced at the Stone Gate of Fan Hongjiao's Cultivation Chamber. Just one more Divine Statue left, but since Fan Hongjiao wasn't in the chamber, he'd have to find another opportunity later.

Duan Rong then left the Cultivation Chamber and returned to his room in the pavilion, ordering some food and drinks and eating to his heart's content.

After satiating himself, he lay down on his bed.

Before entering the Dark Forest on his own, he intended to adjust his state of mind first, at least get a good night's sleep to replenish his energy adequately.

Duan Rong slept until the next day, waking up around mid-morning. Stretching, he felt a clarity in his mind, indicating that the Artifact Spirits he devoured from the two Divine Statues yesterday had been digested and absorbed.

Though he had collected the Artifact Spirits from three Divine Statues, the three layers of the Fetal Concealment in his mind were still a quarter incomplete.

However, Duan Rong didn't have much time to dwell on this. He needed to prepare, as he would soon head down to the Dark Forest.