Chapter 18: The Changes in the Fang Tian Bao Yin
Chapter 18: The Changes in the Fang Tian Bao Yin
In the morning, Cheng Lingyu walked out of the mine, staring into the distance. He felt as though the entire world had changed from before.
Everything within his sight appeared clearer—a transformation caused by cultivating the Magic Eyes, granting him new perceptions of all things.
Upon reaching Luoyang Ridge, Cheng Lingyu circled the area and prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, Chi Mei’er appeared without warning.
“You came. I have good news. The force affecting the item I’ve been seeking had recently weakened a bit.”
Chi Mei’er smiled, her breathtaking beauty making Cheng Lingyu’s eyes glaze over. He hastily averted his gaze.
“Congratulations, Miss Mei’er. May you claim it soon.”
Chi Mei’er tilted her head, grinning. “You’ve changed. There’s a trace of the power of seduction around you. Did you learn some peculiar technique?”
Cheng Lingyu stiffened, startled by her sharp observation.
“Miss Mei’er is truly perceptive. I’ve indeed practiced a new technique—please don’t laugh at me for this.”
He struggled to stay calm, unwilling to expose more details.
Having cultivated the Mystic Fire Sacred Eyes, Chi Mei’er’s insight surpassed ordinary people. No matter how Cheng Lingyu tried to hide it, he couldn’t escape her scrutiny.
“A touch of mischief suits you. Keep improving. Later, I’ll be cultivating underground. Visit me occasionally.”
With a graceful spin, she vanished into a wisp of light. Cheng Lingyu smiled faintly before departing.
At the Cheng estate, Family Head Cheng Feng sat in the main hall, listening to a report.
“Our investigation confirms Chi Mei’er is indeed the Chi family’s young mistress from Scarlet Blood Valley. Her family knows of her presence in Shiyang Town but sent no escorts.”
Cheng Feng asked, “What of her sect’s origins?”
“Her sect remains a mystery. Even the Chi family knows little, only that it’s a massive sect with a storied past.”
Cheng Feng frowned, pondering briefly before drafting a letter to dispatch.
Returning home, Cheng Lingyu found his father Cheng Yun sitting alone in the small courtyard, his expression tinged with sorrow.
“Father, what troubles you?”
Cheng Yun sighed. “Your eighteenth birthday approaches.”
Cheng Lingyu’s face paled—his birthday marked his mother’s death anniversary.
“You’re thinking of Mother again. Tell me more about her.”
He’d asked before, but Cheng Yun always refused.
“I’ll tell you when you turn eighteen.”
Cheng Yun’s voice carried hidden anguish. Understanding, Cheng Lingyu retreated to his room to cultivate.
After merging more active metal sources, their concentration in his body had risen sharply. He needed to spread them fully through his cells and blood for optimal effects.
Two methods could hasten this fusion:
First, tempering his Physical Body with Thousand Layers of Snow.
Second, natural integration via the Dreamless Technique.
The former method was more effective but took longer, while the latter worked much faster.
Time remained Cheng Lingyu’s greatest constraint. He decided to keep using the Dreamless Technique for merging the remaining six Mine Sources until all nine active metal sources became one. Only then would he apply Thousand Layers of Snow for perfect refinement.
His current priority was advancing the Magic Eyes’ cultivation, specifically completing the initial phase of the First Realm of Insight.
Cheng Lingyu believed the essence of this realm lay in perceiving minute details – observing not just surfaces, but penetrating to the core of matter. Though his enhanced vision now spotted individual hairs miles away, he still couldn’t discern their microscopic structures. True “insight” required seeing beyond appearances, a skill far beyond his current beginner level.
After linking thirty-six meridian points and seven hundred twenty acupuncture points, Cheng Lingyu spent two days strengthening these pathways. His efforts paid off as the once-fragile channels grew resilient, while his perceptive abilities sharpened noticeably.
When the Dreamless Technique automatically activated during his deep sleep, Cheng Lingyu’s cultivation progressed several times faster. After twenty-four hours, he awoke to find Cheng Yun waiting outside his chamber.
“You’ve gained color in your cheeks. There’s something… magnetic about you now.”
Cheng Yun nodded approvingly. Though still months shy of eighteen, his son carried himself with new confidence – an unexpected side effect of Magic Eyes cultivation that imbued his gaze with faint magical allure.
“Any disturbances at the estate?”
“Quiet as ever.”
“Good. I’ll inspect the mining area.”
At Luoyang Ridge, Chi Mei’er materialized upon sensing his approach. “Growing into your power, I see.” Her sharp eyes missed nothing of his progress.
“You honor me, Miss Mei’er. Any developments here?”
“Nothing worth noting.”
Using Chi Mei’er’s authority, Cheng Lingyu efficiently relocated miners to secure active metal sources and search for the fourth black Stone Pearl. The operation concluded smoothly within hours.
Returning to Luoyang Ridge that evening, he received unexpected news. “The suppression force weakened again today – for exactly one hour.”
Cheng Lingyu’s mind raced. The four immovable black Stone Pearls he’d encountered each bore mountain-like weight. Could some external strength be containing them? If true, then Chi Mei’er’s objective, the Stone Pearls, and the Fang Tian Bao Yin must share deeper connections.
Chi Mei’er once said the thing she sought was a red feather that sealed some powerful being.
If this sealed being was indeed the black Stone Pearl, then according to Cheng Lingyu’s knowledge, there should be nine black Stone Pearls total. Four had already been merged into the Fang Tian Bao Yin.
The Fang Tian Bao Yin originated from the extreme forbidden ground. The nine black Stone Pearls formed a circular pattern around this forbidden ground, proving some inherent connection between them.
This meant Chi Mei’er’s red feather and the Cheng family’s forbidden ground must share an extraordinary relationship.
All this remained Cheng Lingyu’s private theory needing proof, so he told no one.
Chi Mei’er didn’t suspect anything. After brief conversation, they separated.
Returning home, Cheng Lingyu retrieved the Fang Tian Bao Yin in secret. Though it had merged with the fourth black Stone Pearl today, an unexpected change occurred.
The cube-shaped Fang Tian Bao Yin originally had six clear surfaces, but now one face showed an intricate formation pattern.
Countless fine lines formed this pattern from within, projecting onto the surface like a painting or mystical mark.
Though Cheng Lingyu had sharp eyesight, staring at it drained his mental energy, making him feel trapped and helpless.
The deeper he looked, the more exhausted he became – clear proof his cultivation level remained too low to comprehend such mysteries.
Realizing this, Cheng Lingyu shut his eyes and cut off his mental connection.
After storing the Fang Tian Bao Yin, he contemplated his next steps. He needed to merge the remaining five active metal sources to obtain more black Stone Pearls.
Over ten days, Cheng Lingyu entered the mining area thrice. Each time he fused an active metal source, found a black Stone Pearl, and merged it into the artifact.
Every merger coincided with reduced pressure on the red feather, as confirmed by Chi Mei’er during his urgent trips to Luoyang Ridge.
This pattern made Cheng Lingyu cautious. Within five days, he absorbed the last two active metal sources and added the final Stone Pearls to the Fang Tian Bao Yin.
When the ninth Stone Pearl merged, six formation patterns appeared on the cube’s surfaces – each uniquely complex yet forming a unified whole.
Sadly, Cheng Lingyu’s cultivation level still barred him from understanding these secrets.
Suddenly, a strange vibration from Luoyang Ridge’s depths jolted Cheng Lingyu awake miles away. The Fang Tian Bao Yin trembled faintly, sensing something.
Rushing back, he found Chi Mei’er already there, her beautiful face glowing with excitement.
“Did you obtain it?”
She smiled wordlessly. A blood-red feather materialized on her jade-white hand, bearing a rainbow eye pattern that shimmered with divine mystery.
Though exquisite, the two-inch feather made Cheng Lingyu’s body tense as choking pressure enveloped him.