Chapter 136: Heir of the Eternal Art
Chapter 136: Heir of the Eternal Art
Dumped carelessly in this boundless great desert by the Monster Saint, Mu Yuan felt momentarily helpless. It seemed the only way out was to trudge slowly!
Upon hearing Mu Yuan’s words, Lin Fangjing abandoned her initial thought of returning to the mountain sect. Her journey down the mountain was meant for training, but she hadn’t expected such events so soon. Not only was she nourished by the Thunderbolt Power of the Great Thunder Divine Tree, but she also gained a branch of the divine tree. This would greatly benefit her future cultivation of the Thunder Method! The tumultuous events at Kunlun had certainly broadened her horizons.
Neither had a clear plan, nor were they in a hurry to fly out of the desert. The world was vast; any place was suitable for cultivation. So they were content to take their time, choosing a direction and plodding through the sand, one heavy step after another.
This place was located north of Kunlun, called the Takeda Desert. It stretched for over a thousand miles, a rare expanse of desolate land.
Westward lay territories of foreign barbarian tribes, rarely trodden by travelers. The prosperous lands of the Central Divine Land were divided among the four kingdoms: Tiandu, Heavenly Firmament, Heavenly Dragon, and the Kingdom of the Sky. Major cultivation sects were also concentrated within these realms. Though the Buddhist Sect thrived in the Heavenly Firmament Kingdom, Kunlun — the foremost sect of the Daoist Sect — resided precisely within Heavenly Firmament!
The desert sun was scorching during the day. Any ordinary person exposed to it would have their bodily fluids evaporated within hours, dying parched! Nights, however, were bitterly cold. Water instantly turned to ice, the frigid wind cut like knives, turning the desert into an ice cellar!
Such extremes, switching between ice and fire within a single place between day and night, offered significant benefits for both cultivators here.
Especially for Mu Yuan. During the day, he swallowed fire essence to refine Great Sun True Qi. At night, he absorbed icy cold air to nurture Tide True Qi. In this barren wasteland, devoid of even a blade of grass, the Longevity Art was set aside!
After two days of travel in the desert, both reaped considerable gains! Though Lin Fangjing couldn’t draw upon Thunderbolt Power here, her will was tempered, her Spiritual Sense purified. The Golden Core in her Dantian became increasingly vibrant, refining impurities, enhancing purity, and deepening her cultivation.
Back within the Primordial Chaos Golden Chalice, the Monster Saint had gifted them several “Seven-Orifice Linglong Pills”. Though some living creatures existed in the desert, they hid deep underground. Neither cultivator had the mind for meat, so they subsisted on these pills. Each pill consumed cleared their minds, sharpened their senses to the shifts of Primordial Qi in heaven and earth. The elemental energies within the pills were fully absorbed, earning their praise for Kunlun’s alchemy!
Snakes and insects were uncommon in the desert, but the few that appeared were vicious and formidable.
Mu Yuan flicked away a mottled serpent, feeling inexplicably bored. Over two days, inevitably, some reptiles emerged, seeking prey.
Unlike snakes elsewhere with smooth, glossy scales, desert serpents were covered in dense, slate-grey scales like dragons or flood dragons. Occasionally exposed skin was grey and dull, resembling thick callouses protecting the moisture within.
“So boring. These sand snakes — their flesh is gritty like sand and tasteless!” Mu Yuan complained. Red light flashed on his hand as he summoned Great Sun True Fire, incinerating the snake into ash scattered by the wind!
“Huh!”
Lin Fangjing found Mu Yuan’s restless motions dull. Lifting her gaze, she spotted a blazing crimson light beam stretching from earth to heaven far ahead, faintly connected to the blazing sun itself, impossibly dazzling!
“Is someone trying to absorb solar essence to refine Qi under such intense sun exposure? Aren’t they afraid the sun’s fire will burn them to ashes?”
Mu Yuan saw it too, scoffing dismissively.
Cultivating the Great Sun Divine Fire Art, he dared only absorb solar essence at dawn or dusk to refine his fire Qi. Noon, with its peak intensity? He didn’t know if the person ahead was ignorant or just recklessly bold!
“I’ll go take a look!”
Bored yet curious, Mu Yuan signaled to Lin Fangjing. He concealed his form and flew stealthily toward the light.
The crimson light beam wasn’t far, only about ten miles off. Sand dunes obscured the view, but their sharp Spiritual Sense detected fiery Qi fluctuations, revealing it upon closer look.
Lin Fangjing smiled wryly. Naturally avoiding trouble, she felt she couldn’t leave Mu Yuan alone. If the adept ahead was powerful and ill-tempered, initiating a fight could leave Mu Yuan worse off!
Their time together suggested a shared fate, the bond forged in hardship indeed unique.
Drawing near, they discovered a bald monk, half-buried in yellow sands, draped in a fiery kasaya shimmering with iridescent light. Countless mantras danced upon it, channeling solar essence!
The power of Taiyang True Fire was drawn down from the Nine Heavens — a slender hair-like thread, yet not directly absorbed by the monk. Instead, it circled endlessly within his kasaya, about nine-tenths absorbed by the robe! The remaining tenth was purified by the kasaya to remove its scorching intensity before the monk absorbed it.
As the solar essence and True Fire energy rippled, the surrounding sands shifted like waves, spreading outward for about a hundred feet around the monk. A massive, brilliant halo like the sun formed, pulsing dramatically around him, an imposing sight!
“A monk from the Great Sun Divine Sect. His cultivation of Great Sun True Fire is impressively high!” Mu Yuan clicked his tongue in admiration.
Having practiced Great Sun Divine Fire Art, Mu Yuan could gauge the other’s strength. It was far purer than his own. However, in an actual fight, Mu Yuan wasn’t afraid. That kasaya, likely an excellent Magical Artifact, effortlessly digested the fierce solar energy through its inscribed formations — truly impressive!
“Wonder how it compares to the Nine Dragons Blazing Fire Pearl? Still, it shouldn’t surpass it. The Pearl is Zhishan Monk’s personal artifact, immensely powerful. This monk seems junior both in status and cultivation. His relic surely can’t match Zhishan’s!”
Witnessing this, Mu Yuan pondered unleashing his Great Sun Fire Curse to absorb solar essence too. As he considered retreating, a streak of light pierced the sky from afar, darting through the air. Mu Yuan paused his movements, deciding to stay and observe.
Unnoticed, Lin Fangjing had stealthily joined him, blending her faint illusory light into Mu Yuan’s Zhenqi, making them both visible to each other.
Mu Yuan was slightly shocked. He hadn’t fathomed how Lin Fangjing located him while he was hidden. He didn’t ask, though, keeping his gaze on the approaching figure.
This newcomer’s speed surpassed even Mu Yuan’s Water Restriction Escape Sword technique by multiples, fast as lightning! Landing soundlessly, they revealed a graceful maiden — fair complexion, delicate features, an exceptionally gleaming Flying Sword shrinking beside her before vanishing into the sheer sleeve of her robe.
“Bai Zhaoyun! Miss has come again, and this time, she will defeat you!” Her voice was clear and resonant, like jade beads clicking against porcelain, incredibly pleasing to the ear.
The crimson mist faded, revealing an exceptionally handsome young monk — star-like brows and eyes, radiating purity like moonlight. He exuded an ethereal elegance, more like a refined nobleman than a stern ascetic!
“Miss Xing overstates things. Bai Zhaoyun is no more; now there’s only Monk Yuan Kong. Why cling to victory and defeat?” The monk’s voice was clear and soothing, like a breeze carrying moonlight.
Miss Xing bit her pearly teeth lightly, lovely eyes flashing with annoyance. “Miss cares nothing for your Buddhist preachings or vain boasts. You promised if I bested you, you would renounce your vows, join me, and stay together! Enough talk, taste my sword!”
Her fingertips danced like butterflies. A pure, long humming sound filled the air as a dazzling white radiance burst forth from her whole being. The gleaming pocket-sized Flying Sword shot from her sleeve, expanding instantly into a stone sword over ten feet long and several inches thick! Like a comet streaking across the sky, the sword shot skywards before hurtling brutally downward!
“It’s the Falling Light Breaker!”
Mu Yuan’s heart pounded wildly. The technique Miss Xing unleashed was unmistakably the supreme sword art of the Eternal Art from within the Five Elements Path!
Stuck at the peak Refining Righteous Energy stage, he desperately sought the Metal Path Heart Art. Originally planning to infiltrate Clear Water Palace seeking True Lord Liuguang, the current heir of the Eternal Art, he found no opening. But now, amidst unexpected events, he beheld this supreme Metal Path swordsmanship!
Among the Five Elements, Metal was the most aggressive and harsh. Talk of water and fire being merciless and powerful? Compared to Metal Path alone, they paled in sheer lethality. The Metal path may lack overwhelming dominance, but its speed defied belief. It excelled at breaking defenses, its killing intent unmatched!
Facing Miss Xing’s fiercely sharp sword radiance, Yuan Kong flicked a finger. Fiery scarlet Zhenqi shot out. Patterns flared wildly on his kasaya; intricate, spiderweb-like light currents raced intensely over it, exploding from his fingertip. It formed into a winged fiery serpent! It twisted its body, spewing venomous breath, colliding angrily against the stone sword in mid-air! Blocks, parries, dispersals – shockwaves boomed instantly as fierce radiance wildly danced!
“Haha…” Miss Xing’s laughter rippled through the air, gauzy sleeves flying. Fingers pinched seals fiercely as blazing white light surged violently from her entire form. The Geng Metal Qi diffused in heaven and earth gathered rapidly, converging onto the stone sword! The blade grew ever sharper. Forceful, decisive – wind thundered, lightning howled! Her imposing aura steadily suppressed Yuan Kong’s!
Though Yuan Kong cultivated Great Sun Divine Fire Art, he fought utterly calm. The fiery serpents writhing through the air, immense but unhurried, emerged from his changing kasaya. They focused solely on stalwart defense, blocking relentlessly without seeking offense.
Miss Xing’s stone sword darted like lightning bolts! Meteoric glints shot everywhere, shrieking piercingly as it cut through the air. Every collision with atmosphere produced crackling explosions like clustered thunderbolts!
Yet, Yuan Kong’s control over Great Sun True Fire followed a path not of fury, but of incredible resilience! The flame snakes breathed out, weaving into myriads of threads! Layers upon layers intertwined densely, like a silkworm spinning its cocoon continuously! Inside, outside, left, right… the sky filled completely with crimson light threads! Huge at first, slowly compressing inward, gradually trapping Miss Xing’s stone sword within a shrinking space!
“He forms swords from flames!”
Seeing Yuan Kong concentrate Great Sun True Fire into countless threads to bind his foe, Mu Yuan gasped again in utter astonishment. Never imagining this foe’s skill could reach such terrifying heights!