Having understood Ducat’s resolve, Gu Chen immediately administered three Ji Ba Tian Dan pills, remodeling his physique to one suitable for cultivation. Following this, he tossed the Da Chi Tian Lian Huo Jing to Ducat, instructing him to commit the manual to memory. As for Lily, her body had bizarrely transformed into a Xiantian Mu Ti (Innate Wood Physique); there was no need for the Liang Yi Duo Tian Dan whatsoever. While Ducat was suffering diarrhea in the utility room next to the hangar, she was already commencing her practice of the Mu Yuan Jing.

The spiritual energy within the Spirit Gathering Array churned wildly, with Peng Hua and Li Jie grappling for it like two black holes fighting over the spoils. Yet, it was evident that Lily’s rate of plundering the energy was at least ten times that of Peng Hua. The advantage of the Innate Wood Physique, truly, lived up to its legendary reputation.

Gu Chen’s focus settled heavily on Ducat. Ducat was cultivating the Jiu Yang Zhen Gang inherited from his mother’s family—a purely Yang, fire-attribute cultivation method. Theoretically, this meant he could also absorb the vital essence of the Solar True God to enhance his power and cultivation. However, the Jiu Yang Zhen Gang was merely a martial art; even if Ducat perfected it to its highest realm, he would remain unqualified to absorb the immense energy contained within the Primordial Sacred Blood. After all, the gap between a martial artist and a cultivator was like that between an ant and an elephant—simply incomparable.

Thus, Gu Chen’s plan involved dedicating substantial energy to guard Ducat while he absorbed trace amounts of the Primordial Sacred Blood to refine his aptitude, after which he would begin practicing the Da Chi Tian Lian Huo Jing. **After the refinement provided by the Primordial Sacred Blood, Ducat’s cultivation aptitude would naturally leap forward significantly, making future training far smoother and faster.

What stunned Gu Chen speechless, however, was that he had still underestimated Ducat’s innate endowment. Truly worthy of the freak who could lift several tons at the age of three or five. Ducat’s ** physique was extraordinarily robust, not only manifesting in his current immense strength but also in a potential that was utterly shocking. Under Gu Chen’s divine sense probe, Ducat’s ** potential had barely been tapped—less than one percent realized.

The violent energy generated by more than a dozen drops of the Primordial Sacred Blood caused no strain whatsoever on Ducat’s **. His freakishly powerful ** effortlessly absorbed all the energy, in turn unleashing his prodigious potential and boosting his ** strength several times over its original level.

“As expected, geniuses are never lonely! I thought my fortune was excellent, but I never imagined there was another pure freak here! Such a formidable **, electronic control, metal control—is this guy even human?” Gu Chen said enviously, tossing Ducat a mass of Primordial Sacred Blood several cubic meters in size. Shaking his head, he settled down in his own chosen spot.

The Primordial Sacred Blood held no effect on Gu Chen; he cultivated the Tai Yin Zhen Jing. For him, the effect of the Sacred Blood was akin to a jaded commoner seeking a novel thrill by tasting arsenic. Peng Hua and the others were deep in seclusion, striving to advance their power, but Gu Chen also had matters of his own to attend to.

The Tian Qi Ji meticulously documented the arts of refining one’s Life-Bound Magic Artifacts. Furthermore, the refinement methods for these artifacts, devised by the Great Clumsy Hermit (Da Zhuo San Ren), were nothing short of miraculous; these artifacts were meant to accompany Gu Chen for his entire life! They possessed the ability to continuously upgrade their rank as Gu Chen’s cultivation progressed. Provided the forging was done correctly and materials were sufficient, these artifacts could eventually mature into Primordial Supreme Treasures—contingent upon Gu Chen breaking through to the Heaven Scroll of the Tai Yin Zhen Jing and possessing the corresponding power!

Materials were not an issue for Gu Chen; he had plundered ample primordial materials within the subspace. Powerful primordial flames were also readily available; there was nothing superior to the Tai Yin Xuan Yan for forging magic artifacts.

After carefully referencing several unique artifacts detailed in the Tian Qi Ji and taking stock of his own possessions, Gu Chen was overjoyed to find he had enough resources to craft scores of Life-Bound Magic Artifacts that would grow alongside him. However, his personal focus was limited, and with Life-Bound Artifacts, more was not necessarily better—the key was applicability.

After lengthy contemplation, and once all materials were prepared, Gu Chen very respectfully removed the Ruyi Gloves from his hand.

These Ruyi Gloves had aided and saved Gu Chen countless times; he held deep affection for the artifact. Yet, judging by both the forging technique and the materials used, the Ruyi Gloves could no longer hold Gu Chen’s interest. He intended to keep this exotic treasure as a keepsake, a memento of the trials he had endured, to remind and caution himself against becoming blinded by his current strength and influence.

With a slight flick of his finger, the Ruyi Gloves reverted to their true form: a droplet of liquid mercury. Gu Chen carefully stored it inside his robes. Then, he pulled out a stack of materials from his brocade pouch.

The Xiao Qian Kun Jin Nang (Lesser Heaven and Earth Pouch) had also lost most of its significance for the current Gu Chen. Its capacity now seemed insufficient, and its offensive power barely matched a casual strike from his Fei Pu Xiu (Flying Waterfall Sleeves). Therefore, replacing the pouch was mandatory.

The Tian Qi Ji described a treasure called the “Three Thousand Worlds Great and Small Green Lotus Ring.” Its concept was derived from the Buddhist notion of three thousand worlds within a mustard seed. The ring contained an astonishingly wondrous space; as long as the master’s power was sufficient, its capacity approached infinity. If the master could ascend to the level of a Primordial True Master—a Hongmeng-grade ancient immortal—the ring could even evolve space, forming a true world capable of nurturing life.

Simultaneously, the offensive power of this ring was no small matter. Utilizing the force of an entire world, whether for striking or restraining an opponent, would be exceptionally devastating.

The creation of the Da Xiao San Qian Qing Lian Jie required various heavenly materials and earthly treasures, which were undoubtedly precious and vast in quantity. Fortunately, Gu Chen’s recent fortuitous encounter within the subspace had provided him with enough. The most critical component, however, required a Green Lotus imbued with the Buddhist Xumi Jiezhi (Mustard Seed) divine ability, which would grant the small ring the marvelous power to cleave open the void.

Gu Chen did not possess such a Green Lotus. Yet, luck was on his side: the Great Clumsy Hermit had once assisted several eminent Buddhist masters in forging numerous Buddhist implements. These masters, being exceedingly generous, gifted the Hermit an entire pond of Buddhist Green Lotuses, further blessing them with various Buddhist divine abilities—the perfect raw material for crafting the Green Lotus Ring. This pond of lotuses lay deep within the Azure Dragon Palace cluster, east of the Hall of Heavenly Works. Having already assimilated the Hall, with a mere thought, a Green Lotus, its flower platter nearly three feet wide, emerged slowly from Gu Chen’s mouth. Immediately, the hangar was enveloped in a fragrant mist, reminiscent of an immortal realm.

The Tai Yin Xuan Yan erupted, and countless pre-selected primordial-grade materials were cast into the pale, icy flames. The impurities within all the materials were condensed by the Tai Yin Xuan Yan and shed as ice crystals; only the purest essence remained, floating in Gu Chen’s palm. He refined the mountain-like pile of primordial materials until it shrank to the size of a fist, emitting a brilliance too intense to look upon directly.

Array patterns and spirit talismans were inscribed one after another into this dense mass of matter. Since this was not a forging method he created himself, Gu Chen simply followed the diagrams recorded in the Tian Qi Ji, making the refinement process quite effortless. As he inscribed the final talisman onto the already forming Green Lotus Ring, Gu Chen hastily expelled a drop of his vital essence and sprayed it onto the Green Lotus, causing it to dissolve into a continuous stream of ethereal green mist that merged into the ring.

Instantly, thousands of phantom lotus petals swirled and danced around the small, exquisite green ring. Melodious celestial music drifted from within the ring as a perfectly clear, sky-blue ring finally rested squarely in Gu Chen’s palm. Given Gu Chen’s current cultivation level, the aura emanating from the Green Lotus Ring registered merely as that of an ordinary spiritual artifact, drawing no attention whatsoever.

His divine sense penetrated the ring, revealing that the space inside was at least ten times larger than that of the Xiao Qian Kun Jin Nang. Gu Chen smiled in satisfaction.

He quickly transferred every item from the pouch into the Green Lotus Ring and slipped the ring onto his finger. This was the advantage of a Life-Bound Artifact: the Green Lotus Ring adhered to his finger as if it were an extension of his own body. At the merest thought, the object moved—that sense of spiritual connectivity was something none of his other treasures currently possessed.

Glancing at the Xiao Qian Kun Jin Nang, Gu Chen nonchalantly prepared to incinerate it using the Tai Yin Xuan Yan, as he felt no particular attachment to the pouch.

However, after a moment’s thought, Gu Chen decided to keep it. Though useless to him now, it would be excellent for gifting favors. Even if not gifted, auctioning it off seemed a viable option. How much would a smuggler like Boluopulu be willing to pay for such a treasure capable of storing massive quantities of supplies? Boluopulu was clearly not a wealthy smuggler, but the Star Alliance held countless rich individuals.

“The merchant’s maxim is profit maximization. Even from a handful of sand, one must try to squeeze out the oil!” Gu Chen weighed the pouch and tucked it into his inner coat.

With the storage artifact settled, the most crucial next step was crafting a set of wide robes and sleeves capable of fully unleashing the power of the Fei Pu Xiu. Refining personal vestments utilized techniques far different from those of ordinary mortals for cultivators. The Tian Qi Ji detailed the Tai Yin Fa Pao (Great Yin Robe), constructed from various purely Yin-attributed primordial materials, which offered powerful amplification to the Yin Qi that Gu Chen excelled in wielding.

The Tai Yin Fa Pao set consisted of six pieces: inner garment, middle garment, outer robe, lining socks, cloud boots, and silk sash, all condensed from pure Yin-attributed materials. Since Yin Qi is dense and adhesive, the Tai Yin Fa Pao inherited this quality, resulting in a seamless, integrated garment, truly achieving a state of flawless construction. Using the Tai Yin Xuan Yan, which Gu Chen specialized in, to forge the robe would further increase its power intrinsically.

Pure Yin-attributed materials were easy to acquire; Gu Chen possessed sufficient stock. However, the core ingredient for refining the Tai Yin Fa Pao required a drop of Primordial True Water of the Great Yin, necessary to refine the pure Yin essence from all materials into the world’s strongest, coldest Qi: the Primordial Yin Qi.

Gu Chen had not gathered the Primordial True Water of the Great Yin during the subspace tempest, but the Great Clumsy Hermit had left behind the vast Hall of Heavenly Works. The amount of True Water stored there, while not inexhaustible, was a mass about the size of a human head—enough for Gu Chen to forge nearly a thousand sets of the Tai Yin Fa Pao.

Gu Chen successfully refined the robes without incident. The garment set was pure white, but staring at it too long would cause the color to gradually darken, eventually appearing like a pitch-black void capable of drawing in not just the gaze, but the soul as well—much like how clear water is colorless, yet the vortex within white waves appears inky black. To better utilize the Fei Pu Xiu, Gu Chen intentionally oversized the sleeves of the Tai Yin Fa Pao. He tucked his hands into his waist, and the sleeves nearly touched the ground, moving without any wind, while moisture rose around him, granting him the bearing of an immortal.

The power of the Fu Yao Fan (Soaring Demon Fan) was considerable, but it was not a Life-Bound Artifact. Gu Chen’s current power made wielding it feel somewhat strained, lacking true command. Yet, he rather liked the bearing of a scholar with feathered fan and silk scarf; a handy fan was undoubtedly an excellent prop for making an impression.

Most importantly, it seemed Fu Ya Ming favored Gu Chen’s look...

After a period of contemplation, Gu Chen browsed through the tens of thousands of peculiar fans recorded in the Tian Qi Ji and finally chose to forge the “Five Waters Dragon Whisker Fan” as his Life-Bound Artifact.

The Wu Shui Long Xu Shan, as its name suggested, was crafted from materials sourced from a divine dragon. Inscribed with the secret mantra of the Great Yin, a single wave could summon five types of rare spiritual waters, both primordial and acquired, to destroy enemies. Moreover, it housed countless bolts of True Thunder of the Great Yin to injure foes, making it an exceedingly venomous artifact, excelling at corrupting physical bodies and dissolving opponents’ magic items.

The Great Clumsy Hermit had left behind numerous materials in the Hall of Heavenly Works. Combined with the primordial materials Gu Chen had collected himself, the Wu Shui Long Xu Shan was forged quickly.

While crafting this feather fan, Gu Chen had an inspiration: he replaced the Great Clumsy Hermit’s Great Yin Secret Mantra with the Yin Talisman techniques recorded in the Tai Yin Zhen Jing. The cultivation of the True Monarch of the Great Yin was infinitely superior to the Great Clumsy Hermit’s; the difference between his Yin Talisman techniques and the Hermit’s mantra was incalculable. The final Wu Shui Long Xu Shan was milky white and semi-transparent. The dragon whiskers, sourced from the divine dragon, had been refined into thin, light feather-like vanes that felt weightless, yet a single sweep unleashed immense power.

The more he forged, the more adept Gu Chen became; the subsequent magic artifacts were crafted with increasing ease.

In addition to the Green Lotus Ring, the Tai Yin Fa Pao, and the Wu Shui Long Xu Shan, Gu Chen crafted three “Great Yin Thorns” for himself, equivalent in effect to the Zan Xing Mang, which he tucked into his hair. These three thorns were also of the extreme Yin attribute. Once unleashed, they conjured towering waves carrying vast icebergs that swept forth. Even heroes with iron bones and bronze skulls caught within these icebergs and blocks condensed from Yin Qi would be crushed into pulp.

Magic artifacts are valued for quality over quantity. With these four Life-Bound Artifacts, Gu Chen was equipped for both offense and defense—it was more than enough. Should any unforeseen event require a large arsenal of artifacts, he still possessed the Qilin Seal at his waist and the countless immortal artifacts left by the Great Clumsy Hermit, sufficient to handle any situation. Combined with the Haotian Tower in his spiritual sea, the Profound Pearl of the Great Yin in his dantian, and the External Incarnation currently being nurtured near his Soul Pearl, once Gu Chen had enough time to mature, who in the world could stand against him?

His cultivation technique was a Hongmeng-grade scripture, the most supreme among the Three Realms and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. His artifacts were all wondrous, evolving Life-Bound Artifacts or Primordial Supreme Treasures. His own aptitude was the absolute pinnacle—the Innate Physique. All Gu Chen lacked now was time!

“Heh.”

Gu Chen felt an expansive clarity in his chest, a sense of unburdened ease regarding all worldly affairs. He opened his eyes, two beams of white light shooting far into the distance. He felt his vital essence surging within, making his bones and sinews crackle with power. A cool breeze rose beneath his arms, and his entire body felt buoyant, on the verge of soaring into the sky.

Having consecutively forged four Life-Bound Artifacts, all from primordial materials, Gu Chen had expended a vast amount of vital essence. When his essence ran low, the immense Hongmeng Aura stored within his body’s cells erupted, continuously replenishing his dantian. Absorbed by the Profound Pearl of the Great Yin, this aura was then converted into the Profound Astral Force of the Great Yin, circulating throughout his body. In this way, even while forging artifacts, Gu Chen was also cultivating.

Especially after the successful refinement of these four artifacts, a feeling of soaring, unrestrained pride—the vastness of heaven and earth holding no opposing forces—spontaneously arose within Gu Chen. A wisp of spiritual thought stirred in his spiritual sea, and his realm experienced a dramatic ascent.

Furthermore, the cultivation insights gained from the several dozen golden stars acquired previously coalesced into a single, brilliant pearl, hanging high above his spiritual platform. Gu Chen felt his entire body become transparent, as if infinite radiance streamed from every pore, as if all myriad changes of heaven and earth were subject to his command alone.

The various incantations of the Human Scroll of the Tai Yin Zhen Jing slowly flowed through his mind. Numerous cells within Gu Chen’s body simultaneously released vast quantities of Hongmeng Aura.

At this precise moment, Gu Chen’s essence, vigor, and spirit had all reached a certain peak state. He rose naturally, and five streams of colored light suddenly shot up from above his head. With a crackling sound, Gu Chen felt dozens of heavenly thunders strike down in succession, shaking his body violently. The enormous amount of Hongmeng Aura within his body poured into the Profound Pearl of the Great Yin, instantly converting into his own vital essence.

Like bamboo shoots in a spring night, Gu Chen’s cultivation soared straight up: Nascent Soul Initial Stage, Nascent Soul Middle Stage, Nascent Soul Late Stage. He kept breaking through, his internal vital essence undergoing miraculous transformations, rapidly advancing to the absolute peak limit of the Soul Transformation Stage.

It seemed Gu Chen was about to break through to the Void Realm smoothly. However, his body suddenly trembled. Under the scan of his divine sense, a shackle, seemingly existing since antiquity, firmly bound his surging, turbulent vital essence, abruptly halting his rapid advancement.

Crack, crack, crack. Fine slivers of ice formed on Gu Chen’s surface. With a slight movement, countless ice shards fell away. He waved a wide sleeve, blowing the fragments far away. Shuang Chen’s eyes flashed with divine light, and he nodded thoughtfully.

“Inconceivable. This Tai Yin Zhen Jing is truly the staircase to the Great Dao!” Walking a few circles on the ground with his hands behind his back, Gu Chen chuckled with satisfaction: “Truly wondrous beyond words, truly marvelous! This method, this method, is genuinely unparalleled.”

The sudden appearance of the shackle within his body had allowed Gu Chen to glimpse a sliver of the profound mystery of the Tai Yin Zhen Jing. This unexpected discovery excited Gu Chen so much that he nearly jumped up.

The Tai Yin Zhen Jing was undeniably the supreme treasure for any cultivator! (To be continued)