But Ying Bokong was quite smug, because once he said that, Hai Chenfeng absolutely could not leak the secret, effectively sealing his mouth shut, ensuring there would be no more embarrassment later. Plus, finding Jun Moxie afterward meant learning profound ultimate skills to perfect his own Seventeen Eagle Transformations—what great fortune!
But would the ill-tempered Jun Moxie be so easily placated?
In truth, Jun Moxie was truly shameless. Not only did he claim the man as his disciple, but he coaxed both of them into the Jun family residence, adding the warning: "My disciple, Young Master Jun Three, has a terrible temper!"
This was clearly setting the stage to extort Ying Bokong! However, the Great Supreme Ying Bokong was entirely unaware of this maneuvering.
He was currently brimming with joy and full of expectation; it was likely that even if he were extorted, this esteemed Supreme Lord would happily comply.
As Ying Bokong marveled at the peerless movement technique of the great master Jun—unrivaled and surpassing all ages—the great master Jun hadn't moved an inch from his spot. Instead, he immediately utilized his surroundings, urgently burrowing underground as if his tail were on fire, plunging to an unknown depth. But one could imagine that if one dug a well there, they likely wouldn't reach him!
It wasn't that Young Master Jun preferred a safer place to break through; it was simply that the moment he finished his last words with Ying Bokong, his Sea of Consciousness erupted into violent turbulence. The Hongjun Tower, which Young Master Jun had temporarily suppressed, suddenly erupted with even richer and purer spiritual energy, surging through his limbs and bones. Under this intense impact, the flow of qi within his meridians completely transformed into an ethereal mist, and simultaneously, the Hongjun Tower shook violently...
There was truly no more time to stall...
Therefore, Jun Moxie didn't even wait for Ying Bokong’s reaction or reply; panicked, he immediately executed the Yin-Yang Escape right in front of him, slipping away like a mole burrowing into the earth. He had no idea that his sudden disappearance caused a cataclysmic shock to one of the Eight Great Supremes, the Eagle God.
Although the Yin-Yang Escape was indeed a supreme divine ability, it was vastly different from what Great Supreme Ying was contemplating. But Great Supreme Ying could never comprehend the subtle intricacies! Having always prided himself on his lightness skill, he firmly believed his own mastery remained unmatched in the world. To witness someone vanish without a trace right before his eyes was an experience of profound shock.
Because of this, he fully believed the words of the masked master and obediently set off to find Jun Moxie. As for seeking guidance from a junior, Great Supreme Ying felt no offense whatsoever; learning respects the accomplished, regardless of age—this was an unchanging, eternal truth!
Ignoring the Great Supreme Ying, the great master Jun, having just settled cross-legged underground, immediately sensed the upheaval in his mind intensifying. Young Master Jun's consciousness ceased resisting the suction of the Hongjun Tower, and in a flash, it detached from his physical self, soaring lightning-fast toward the tower. The gate of the Hongjun Tower opened silently and abruptly.
Standing within the magnificent first level of the tower, four characters inexplicably surfaced in Jun Moxie's mind: “Consciousness Guards the Universe!”
Enlightenment!
It was true enlightenment!
Following the Great Illumination came Consciousness Guards the Universe!
As these words appeared in his mind, the white light before him flickered intensely, and a fragrance, rich and intoxicating, washed over him. The previously illusory staircase on the first level suddenly solidified, and upon the steps, as if summoned from nothing, appeared a door—a solid, ancient door—which was silently and slowly swinging open!
The second level of the Hongjun Tower had finally opened its portal to Jun Moxie!
Young Master Jun felt an indescribable surge of excitement. The first level of the Hongjun Tower had bestowed upon him the Heaven and Earth Creation Art, the most powerful cultivation method of all time, and a divine ability like the Yin-Yang Escape, capable of defying the heavens. Furthermore, it allowed him to move freely between the Xuan and Divine Xuan realms in this world, despite his low cultivation base relative to Jin Xuande, without fear of physical harm!
It was like a three-year-old child possessing a transcendent status and the right to equal dialogue in the presence of adults! He wondered what surprises the second level held in store for him.
Composing himself, Jun Moxie stepped forward. Just as he reached the threshold, he felt a familiar resonance emanating from the second level.
Suddenly, at that very moment, the second level of the tower flashed with chaotic brilliance. Countless diagrams and script characters flew out like a swarm of locusts, spinning rapidly in the air before, like tired birds returning to their nests, they swiftly passed through Jun Moxie's brow and vanished without leaving a trace.
Simultaneously, a series of incantations and several human figure diagrams, clearly marking meridian pathways, materialized in Jun Moxie's mind.
The Heaven and Earth Creation Art officially entered its second stage at that very instant!
“The mind roams the cosmos, the consciousness guards the universe; expel evil and sever delusion, stabilize the divine heart with ice; the soul undergoes nine turns, the core heart stabilizes; the Heavenly Heart is supreme, starting from here on...”
After carefully contemplating the incantation, Jun Moxie felt a quiet excitement welling up; judging by these verses, perhaps this second stage of the divine art was the true beginning of the Heaven and Earth Creation Art!
The Heavenly Heart is supreme, starting from here on!
Starting from the heart—only then had he embarked on the correct path.
He stood motionless at the entrance to the second level!
Young Master Jun was completely oblivious that his physical body, deep underground, was simultaneously undergoing a staggering, earth-shattering transformation!
Besides the massive influx of spiritual energy from the Hongjun Tower constantly washing over his meridians, an immense amount of gathered world spiritual energy—centered on the Baihui point on his crown and the Yongquan point on his soles—was pouring in madly. His body's meridians contracted and expanded in waves. His surrounding clothes, naturally unable to withstand this violent spiritual influx, had long since turned to dust, not a shred remaining.
On the surface of Young Master Jun’s skin, countless tiny pores erupted, continuously weeping a dark, purplish-black fluid...
The qi flow within his meridians surged violently, like great waves clearing the air, so powerful that the whooshing sound of the flow could be heard. Jun Moxie was completely unaware that his physical body was undergoing this profound cleansing and tempering, as his consciousness was deep within his Sea of Consciousness, contemplating another, crucially important matter.
The phrase 'the soul undergoes nine turns, the core heart stabilizes' appeared in the second-stage incantation; while the first stage had a similar eight characters: 'the soul undergoes nine refinements, never falling to the Yellow Springs!'
The first two stages of the Heaven and Earth Creation Art both featured the number ‘Nine’! Nine is the extreme of numbers—what did this signify?
It couldn't be merely a coincidence, could it?!
Jun Moxie's mind rapidly reviewed every event that had transpired since his transmigration. After careful tallying, Jun Moxie was astounded to realize that since obtaining the Heaven and Earth Creation Art, the mutations and changes to the technique had occurred exactly nine times!
Not one more, not one less!
The first time must have been when he first obtained the Hongjun Tower, when his body lost control and his soul unexpectedly transmigrated into this other world; the ninth time was precisely the activation of the Hongjun Tower’s second level.
Indeed, nine refinements of the soul!
No wonder he hadn't descended into the Yellow Springs after death—it was because of this! ‘The soul undergoes nine refinements, never falling to the Yellow Springs!’ It was all because of this thing...
He couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. It seemed this second stage of the divine art would also require undergoing the so-called "nine turns" before advancing to the third level! The Heaven and Earth Creation Art truly lived up to its reputation as the most powerful technique across all ages; even its method of cultivation was likely the most arduous known to history!
Thinking of this, Jun Moxie smiled slightly, suddenly feeling a profound tranquility, as if his state of mind had also elevated significantly. Within this stillness, his consciousness floated soundlessly into the second level of the Hongjun Tower!
It was still a vast room, but it was no longer empty.
In the center sat a three-legged alchemical furnace, beneath which a cluster of five-colored flames danced, burning steadily.
On a nearby protrusion lay something resembling a book, bound in golden leather, yet devoid of any golden sheen.
On the body of the furnace were three ancient seal characters: Creation Furnace!
The moment Jun Moxie clearly registered these three characters, they vanished abruptly, an intensely bizarre occurrence!
Even the daring Young Master Killer Jun was startled!
Jun Moxie couldn't help but examine this miraculous furnace again, finally taking two more steps closer. It seemed as if some unseen voice was beckoning him forward, an inexplicable force compelling him toward the furnace!
This mysterious force was not irresistible, but rather, Young Master Jun was unwilling to resist it, much like he would never wish to reject his closest companion...
As he drew near, the five-colored flame beneath the furnace suddenly shot out with a whoosh, instantly enveloping Jun Moxie's conscious soul in its grip. For a moment, Young Master Jun felt as if all the tortures of the eighteen layers of hell were being inflicted upon him simultaneously, yet his consciousness remained exceptionally clear, the pain reaching an absolute extreme, or perhaps, having already surpassed it...
Jun Moxie's physical body in the outside world had stopped expelling the foul juices. Simultaneously as his core consciousness was being incinerated by the five-colored flames, his flesh body did not escape; it too was enveloped by a mass of five-colored fire, burning fiercely!
On the ground, the existing acres of red maple forest instantly withered and desiccated, along with all other vegetation, even the most heat-resistant and resilient blades of grass. All of them, at the same instant, turned into dry matter devoid of all moisture!
Several plumes of mist suddenly rose from the ground, then swiftly dissipated into nothingness—this was the instantaneous evaporation of all water sources within a radius of several li!
For thousands of years thereafter, in a location not far from the outskirts of Tianxiang City, a place gained the name the "Dead Zone"! This zone was not only devoid of any living creature but not even a single blade of grass would grow, an awe-inspiring sight! Even if floodwaters rushed through, once the water receded, the land remained utterly parched; digging several zhang deep yielded no trace of moisture...
Jun Moxie’s fair and robust physical body tumbled within the five-colored flames. Slowly, slowly, the flames began to subside, and astonishingly, Jun Moxie emerged completely unharmed!
Suddenly, with a whoosh, Jun Moxie’s body vanished from the earth. At the very same moment, his body—his true self—entered the second level of the Hongjun Tower for the very first time!