Chapter 444 - 68: True Flame Sect (II)
A Fourth-rank Magical Artifact, the White Bone Relic!
The White Bone Relic was one of the nine ultimate techniques of the Yinluo Sect. Once refined, it could devour endless skeletons and transform into a Strong Bone Demon of immense power.
Not only that, but this treasure also possessed seven different transformations. Besides the Strong Bone Demon, it could also change into other Magical Artifacts like the White Bone Thunder Mirror, the Seven Kills Sword, the Bone Divine Needle, the Nether Profound Fire Ring, the Bone Trumpet, and the Bone Celestial Crossing Shuttle. During a fight, it was impossible to guard against!
In the process of refining this treasure, Fang Cheng also used up a considerable amount of the Merit Talismanic Coins left in the Master of Ten Thousand Transformations Sect’s treasure vault, which subtly increased the artifact’s power even further.
Normally, without any special circumstances, he could use this treasure as his main weapon and keep the Mountain-Slaying Sword hidden as a trump card.
This White Bone Relic could be considered the treasure in Fang Cheng’s possession that was closest to becoming a Fifth-rank Magical Artifact. If it devoured powerful enough skeletons in the future, and as Fang Cheng’s own strength grew, it was highly likely he could refine it into a Fifth-rank Magical Artifact.
But that was a matter for another time.
After he finished refining the White Bone Relic, Fang Cheng came out of seclusion.
After spending a few carefree days with Wan’Er in Heaven Shepherd City, Qi Huaisan arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion with some good news.
First, with the entire Heaven Shepherd Alliance acting in concert, the remnants of the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect were caught completely off guard and annihilated, utterly exterminated down to the last root.
The Heaven Shepherd Alliance had collected a significant amount of Merit Talismanic Coins, all of which Qi Huaisan brought with him.
Fang Cheng’s power and prestige were now immense. Some Cultivators in the alliance had entertained greedy thoughts about the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect’s legacy, but they were quickly dissuaded by others and pulled back from the brink.
’Setting aside whether the legacy in the hands of the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect disciples was even complete, even if they obtained it, could they become more powerful than the Master of Ten Thousand Transformations Sect himself? Why would they risk offending the Alliance Leader for such a foolish endeavor...’
As far as Fang Cheng was concerned, the matter of the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect was now closed.
The significant boost to physical strength from the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique was indeed tempting, but he had no intention of risking universal condemnation by enslaving other Cultivators to refine Talismanic Coins for him.
He would just have to wait and see; perhaps the right opportunity would present itself in time.
The second piece of good news from Qi Huaisan was that they had collected seeds for two of the spiritual medicines needed to refine the White Tiger Divine Pill.
This was also accomplished with the help of Miaoxiang Tower’s intelligence network, and the results were better than Fang Cheng could have imagined.
Now, only one more spiritual medicine was needed to refine the White Tiger Divine Pill.
Furthermore, Qi Huaisan had also marshaled the power of the Heaven Shepherd Alliance to gather a large quantity of Dao Pattern Spirit Jade and High-tier Profound Iron Immortal Gold, causing the Creation Golden Talisman in Fang Cheng’s sea of consciousness to surge by over two hundred thousand creation points.
It could be said that almost all the Dao Pattern Spirit Jade on the Mu Tianyuan, whether in the hands of Loose Cultivators, Noble Family Cultivators, or in marketplace shops, had now ended up with Fang Cheng.
With his goal achieved, Fang Cheng felt it was time to leave.
A few days later, he and Wan’Er left Heaven Shepherd City and headed toward the True Flame Sect.
...
The azure sky was boundless, dotted with floating clouds.
A streak of silver light flashed across the heavens and vanished in an instant. Even if an ordinary Cultivator noticed it, they would only mistake it for a fleeting illusion.
Only those whose Cultivation had reached the Life Soul realm or higher had any chance of perceiving the silver light’s trajectory.
Within the silver light was the Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle.
Inside the shuttle, Fang Cheng and Wan’Er sat across from each other, sipping tea and playing Go, perfectly relaxed and content.
Back when Fang Cheng had first reached the Life Soul realm, he had traveled the world with Ye Yan and the other women, spending a great deal of time in the Jin Country. He was no stranger to this land.
As one of the five great sects of the Jin Country, the True Flame Sect had never been without a Dharma Cultivator since its founding. Every generation had a Dharma Master presiding over it, maintaining the sect’s fortune.
As a great sect specializing in Artifact Refining, the True Flame Sect monopolized more than half of the Magical Artifact business in the Jin Country, making an immense fortune. The sect’s Cultivators were all proficient in Artifact Refining, and their combat Divine Techniques were endlessly varied. No one dared to underestimate them.
In the northern part of the Jin Country, the True Flame Sect was the undisputed Immortal Dao Giant. Countless noble families and smaller sects had to live at its mercy.
「On this day.」
The Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle flew over the northern part of the Jin Country. As far as the eye could see, the land was a frozen expanse. Majestic, snow-capped mountains rose and fell in endless succession, stretching between heaven and earth.
Atop a snow mountain peak stood an old man with an extraordinary bearing. He wore a Profound Purple Embroidered Daoist Robe, white socks and shoes, and his hair was tied up in a high Daoist bun. He had dark eyebrows and a gaunt, tall frame, and his aura was deep and profound. It was none other than the Supreme Elder of the True Flame Sect, Elder Yingya.
A silver light flickered on the horizon, and in the blink of an eye, the Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle appeared above the snowy mountain, hovering motionlessly.
Then, with a flash of silver, the figures of Fang Cheng and Wan’Er appeared.
Elder Yingya bowed deeply and said, "This old Daoist respectfully welcomes Fellow Daoist Fang’s arrival."
"There is no need for such formalities, Fellow Daoist Ying." Fang Cheng gave a faint smile and descended from the Escape Light with Wan’Er, landing before Elder Yingya.
A frigid wind howled across the snow-covered mountain. Wan’Er stood beside Fang Cheng, her fair, delicate face pure and serene. She had the temperament of a secluded orchid in a quiet valley. The hem of her simple, elegant dress swayed gently in the wind, accentuating the outline of her slender, well-proportioned legs.
Elder Yingya smiled and nodded a greeting to Wan’Er. Then, with a wave of his hand, a golden light shot out and instantly transformed into a magnificent cloud carriage, supported by a seven-colored glowing mist, making for an impressive sight.
"Fellow Daoist Fang, please board the carriage," Elder Yingya invited.
Fang Cheng and Wan’Er boarded the cloud carriage and followed Elder Yingya toward the True Flame Sect.
The location of the True Flame Sect’s main gate was a wondrous sight in itself. It was protected by a Fifth-rank Mountain Protection Array, making it nearly impossible for ordinary Cultivators to enter.
Even Elder Yingya had to abide by the rules set down by the True Flame Sect’s patriarchs and could not enter and exit as he pleased.
After the cloud carriage had flown for a short while, the terrain ahead suddenly flattened out, revealing a perilous, towering cliff.
The cliff face was over thirty thousand feet high, smooth as if cut, and connected to the high mountains on its left and right, spanning a width of about a thousand feet. At its base was a stone gate of immense size. The stone was as black as ink, yet warm, solid, and lustrous like jade. It was covered in ancient patterns, giving it an even more majestic and imposing air.
On the lintel above the stone gate, three words were carved in ancient red seal script: "True Flame Sect." The calligraphy was powerful and soul-stirring.
The Cultivators guarding the gate saw Yingya and respectfully opened the stone gate, allowing the cloud carriage to fly slowly inside.
Beyond the gate was a gorge with icy cliffs and stone walls, all of uniform width and exceptionally neat.
After traveling for ten li, there was another massive stone gate.
This continued, with a new gate appearing every ten li, until they had passed through nine gates in total, a new gate appearing every ten li, completing the passage.
This was the only entrance to the True Flame Sect. Even a Supreme Elder and Dharma Master like Yingya had to pass through this way.
After passing through the ninth gate, the view suddenly opened up to reveal a wondrous landscape. On all four sides were great mountains soaring into the clouds, encircling the area like a city wall.
Outside, frozen clouds pressed low, a dreary cold mist hung in the air, and for tens of thousands of li, the land was a sunless expanse of ice and snow. But here, it was as warm as spring!
Looking at the mountains around them, their upper halves were covered in glittering white snow. Below the waist of the mountains, however, the vegetation was lush and verdant, with towering trees full of life.
Upon the flat land encircled by the majestic snowy mountains stood many more peaks and ridges. The tallest were only a few thousand feet high, but each was spiritually wondrous, elegantly shaped, and exquisitely beautiful.
The mountains were carved with deep valleys and exquisite grottoes, interwoven with clear streams and cascading waterfalls. Pavilions, Immortal Pavilions, and golden-roofed palaces were scattered picturesquely among them, set against a backdrop of countless vibrant and Exquisite Flowers and Grasses, creating the very picture of an Immortal Family’s domain.
This was the home of the True Flame Sect.
A dense wave of Spiritual Qi washed over them. Legend had it that several Tier Four Spiritual Veins and an enormous Fire Acupoint lay beneath the ground here, creating the unique scenery before them.
The entire sect was enveloped by a Fifth-rank Array. Looking up, the sky was exceptionally high and clear, the weather was sunny and pleasant, and the air was refreshing. There was not the slightest trace of the array’s restrictions to be seen.
The cloud carriage continued onward, finally arriving at a beautiful, elegant mountain peak.
"Fellow Daoist Fang, this peak is called Spirit Rock Peak. It is where this old Daoist cultivates. From now on, you may treat this place as your own," Elder Yingya said with a smile.
He was already aware of the news that Fang Cheng had killed the Master of Ten Thousand Transformations Sect.
In an extremely short period, Fang Cheng had uprooted the remnants of the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect and slaughtered every last one of them.
Now, in this world, only Fang Cheng knew how to control the Soul-Devouring Spell that bound him.
Elder Yingya was old and cunning; he naturally understood how to curry favor with others.
This caused the "inexperienced" Wan’Er to cry out in alarm in her heart again and again, but she dared not let any of her feelings show on her face.
Fang Cheng’s main purpose in coming this time was to repair the Dragon Head Feather Divine Soldiers. He also wanted to see what kind of foundation the True Flame Sect possessed.
In the future, he might need to borrow the sect’s power to refine the Tier Five Feather Divine Soldiers.
...