Chapter 59: The Realm Within the Gourd

Before Hua Xin and Jin Yun faced the demon, they had sent a boy to inform the inn. Being free from his Qi Refinement practice, Old Daoist Danhuo had nothing better to do and followed. Seeing the Saber-Toothed Drake, though capable, was no match for them, he merely watched. Unexpectedly, Five Yin Patriarch emerged so suddenly and moved incredibly fast. Before Danhuo could react, the Patriarch had snatched ten juniors and returned to the lake bottom! Danhuo bitterly regretted it. Shrinking his body, he turned into a small flame that emitted no heat and darted into the lake!

The ten youths were effortlessly captured by Five Yin Patriarch and pulled into the Demon Refining Gourd. Mu Yuan felt the world spin. The surroundings instantly changed into countless floating orbs of light, like millions of stars in the night sky. As he turned, the view transformed into mountains, rivers, vast wilderness, yellow deserts, grasslands, endless seas… The scenery shifted continuously, making it hard to step forward and causing great confusion.

“I don’t even know what this magic treasure is. I should never have gotten involved in this mess!” Mu Yuan murmured inwardly, full of regret but helpless. He was about to move when the space around him twisted violently. An immense tearing force assaulted him. Every pore in his body opened wide, and his Primordial Qi streamed out uncontrollably. Mu Yuan was stunned. He had reached perfection in the Qi Refining Third Layer! His body’s acupoints were exceptionally refined, his vital essence was firmly contained within, and his Dharma Body was perfected! Yet it was being shaken so easily!

Ignoring all else, Mu Yuan released his six Coldwood Sword Pills. They transformed into a swirling ring of white-and-jade light, forming a shield around him. Having swallowed the ten youths, Five Yin Patriarch had no intention to process them specifically, leaving the Demon Refining Gourd’s nature to wear them down. Mu Yuan used the Longevity Sword to stabilize his foundation and employed the Sword Pills for protection. His Tide Flow constant shifting of Qi, paired with the unending Longevity Art, finally managed to protect him.

The Demon Refining Gourd was an ancient artifact, containing unimaginable, incalculably vast spiritual energy. Though seized through Soul Seizure by Five Yin Patriarch, and thus not fully controllable, it still had an owner. Mu Yuan circulated his heart method but could absorb none of the Gourd’s energy. He worried that constantly depleting his own strength was unsustainable; he needed a plan!

Helpless yet relieved to have a defense, Mu Yuan pressed on inside the Gourd. Even as the scenery shifted endlessly, moving was better than waiting passively to die.

The Demon Refining Gourd was originally forged by an ancient deity to eliminate the excessive violent, ferocious energy between heaven and earth, refining demons, beasts, and fiends. It contained countless vicious beings. Mu Yuan walked briefly before encountering a spotted tiger leaping from the forest. Its savage eyes glowed fiercely, radiating malice. It charged at Mu Yuan with gale-like force!

Such a tiger was once a mighty demonic being capable of resisting gods and demons in ancient times. Trapped here, its energy and Divine Abilities were slowly eroded away over time, forcing it back into its original form. After many years without prey, seeing Mu Yuan excited it terribly! Claws, fangs, and a whip-like tail slashed relentlessly!

Mu Yuan wasn’t impressed. The tiger’s original intelligence had been erased too. The Gourd was made to grind down ferocity, not kill. Mu Yuan immediately released the Brilliant Salvation Curse. With a brief flash, the fearsome tiger was sucked dry into a shriveled husk – even its marrow and blood gone! The sight made Mu Yuan gasp.

“This is no Buddhist great curse! It’s downright evil!” Six Talismanic Seals flew back to Mu Yuan’s hand. Their strange red glow intensified, forming a shifting, flickering tiger’s face.

Mu Yuan didn’t know this Brilliant Salvation Curse combined the pinnacle of Buddhist and demonic arts. It required daily purification with Buddhist compassionate spells to neutralize its extremes. His own Longevity Art and Tidal Flow were created by a great demon sage, who had suppressed the curse’s inherent Buddhist nature, causing unpredictable changes!

The founder of the Five Elements Path was a peerless talent among demons, surpassing even the founder of the Great Sun Divine Sect. His power reached the heavens. Merging these paths, without Mu Yuan having the orthodox Great Sun Divine Sect heart method, meant using this mix to refine the Brilliant Salvation Curse was unstable. Now it overflowed with sinister Qi, yet its power was immense!

Seeing the six seals swirling in his hand, Mu Yuan had a thought. He dispersed one of them, infused it with Tide True Qi, and reformed it. A new Talismanic Seal took shape – jet-black, glistening like a water droplet, constantly changing. Mu Yuan sighed and recalled all six seals.

The six seals sank back into his Dantian, bobbing in the vast lake of Zhenqi like rolling agates. Mu Yuan set his mind straight and continued.

Though the scenery in the Demon Refining Gourd changed rapidly and the space seemed impossibly vast, patterns existed. Mu Yuan, unable to discern them, opted for the simple strategy of walking forward. More wild beasts appeared in his path, all stripped of their Magical Power. Following the same method, Mu Yuan used the seals to drain them one by one.

Initially quiet in his Zhenqi, the seals, upon absorbing numerous energy essences, began actively supplementing the Zhenqi Mu Yuan used to command his Sword Pills! This unexpected boon delighted him.

Among the six seals, one was formed from Tide True Qi, unpredictable in nature. The other five stemmed from Longevity Qi, possessing a sense of endless vitality. Realizing this variation, Mu Yuan immediately dispersed another seal and reformed it using Dragon King’s Dynamic Force. The completed seal crackled with lightning and flashed purple, starkly different the others. Together, the six seals pulsed with chaotic light, a dazzling sight!

Though King Dragon’s Dynamic Force was now mingled with Longevity True Qi, Mu Yuan could still separate and manipulate them. Seeing the distinct character of seals condensed from three different magical methods ignited a thought: “If I obtained another three methods someday and formed three more seals? How wondrous that would be!”

He knew it was merely a fantasy. The Tidal Flow inheritance was passed onto a single heir. If the Slovenly Daoist truly had had a disciple back then, these methods would never have been passed to Mu Yuan. Obtaining Golden, Fire, and Earth arts naturally wouldn’t be so simple!

As if invoked by his thoughts, Mu Yuan heard a slightly joyful voice while pondering this: “Friend Bing Chengzi! It’s wonderful to see you here!”

Mu Yuan nearly forgot that made-up title. Looking up, he saw Xiao Tianyu. His confusion instantly vanished, replaced by pleasant surprise! Meeting an acquaintance in this strange place felt good. Noticing Xiao Tianyu looked rather ragged and his aura much weaker, Mu Yuan realized that without his Sword Pills, he’d likely be in worse shape.

Seeing Mu Yuan appear untouched, unlike himself, Xiao Tianyu felt doubtful. He’d thought Mu Yuan’s cultivation, though decent, inferior to Hua Xin or Yuan Jue, relying only on bizarre tricks and seals. Yet now Mu Yuan traversed this bizarre realm unimpeded! Suspicion arose.

Ignoring these thoughts, Xiao Tianyu’s usually aloof face broke into a trace of relief. He quickly asked, “Friend, do you have a way to preserve your Primordial Qi?”

Mu Yuan offered a faint, bitter smile. His current solution was born of desperation and surprisingly effective, but likely unsuitable for Xiao Tianyu. Still, he explained it. Xiao Tianyu shook his head glumly, “I tried shielding myself with my Flying Sword. It was useless.”

Mu Yuan figured the Longevity Sword was key. Even if he shielded Xiao Tianyu with his Coldwood Sword Pills, without the sword stabilizing his foundation, it would be futile. He tried it anyway. As expected, it failed. They gave up.

“Our main concern now is escaping. Our opponent’s power is unimaginable. Our cultivation alone can’t matter here,” Xiao Tianyu said bleakly.

Mu Yuan nodded. The pair wandered aimlessly through the shifting world, directionless. They couldn’t cultivate. Soon, thoughts of the future stirred irritation.

Xiao Tianyu simmered with despair. Mu Yuan, however, recalled Old Daoist Danhuo outside. If Hua Xin and Jin Yun failed to return, Danhuo might investigate and find this place! Hope lingered, though he didn’t know Danhuo was already outside, desperately seeking a way to rescue them.

With nothing to do and escape seeming impossible, Mu Yuan’s thoughts turned to the “Forge Furnace Art.” This Xiao Tianyu seemed highly skilled, perhaps already at the Condensing Evil Energy stage. Though difficult, a slow probe into his details seemed possible. Mu Yuan struck up a conversation.

Together yet silent, Xiao Tianyu welcomed the distraction. His despair lessened slightly. Sharing details became natural amid the desolation. When Mu Yuan inquired about cultivation, Xiao Tianyu responded, “I’ve only recently reached Condensing Evil Energy. I left my master half a year ago after mastering the third layer. Since then, I’ve sought evil energy and celestial force to refine the Primordial Spirit. My master believes I must travel the world, experience the flow of events and life’s changes, hoping I achieve Elixir Formation along the way!”

“So Xiao Tianyu likely already possesses the Elixir Formation heart method for the Forge Furnace Art!” Mu Yuan’s heart leapt with joy. He’d feared Xiao Tianyu, like himself, received training step-by-step based on progress. Discovering otherwise delighted him! Plans to obtain this Art began forming.

Heart methods were priceless treasures, rarely shared freely. Trickery or force would probably be needed. But careful strategy was vital. Xiao Tianyu’s Magical Power was considerable. Though weakened here, he surely hid trump cards or life-saving treasures. A dying counterattack would be calamitous!