Chapter 784 - 416: Tianyan Divine Monarch (Part 2)
Li Mu took a deep breath and retrieved the Soul Nourishing Treasure Tower of the Tianyan Divine Monarch from the storage compartment.
The tower floated in the air, emitting a faint spirit light, containing a mystical power.
"Chirp chirp!"
At this moment, there was movement in Li Mu’s bosom. Xiaobai sensed the fluctuation of soul power and immediately awakened, its eyes glistening as it stared at the treasure tower.
"Little one, don’t act recklessly!"
Li Mu hurriedly stopped Xiaobai, taking out a Soul Absorption Bottle from the Nine Treasures Spirit Pearl and tossed Xiaobai into the Spirit-Taming Treasure Bracelet along with it, fearing it would disturb the other party.
Tianyan Divine Monarch was the first benefactor Li Mu had ever encountered. The Painting Realm Treasure Mansion he gifted not only provided him a safe cultivation space but also served as an important aid on his path to growth. Therefore, Li Mu was quite grateful to him.
Li Mu silently circulated his cultivation technique, channeling a stream of spiritual power into the tower to awaken the slumbering Tianyan Divine Monarch within.
As Li Mu’s spiritual power injected into it, the pagoda’s light gradually became brighter. The ancient artifact patterns flickered as if responding to Li Mu’s call, a powerful aura emanated from the treasure tower, and soon after, a phantom slowly floated out from the tower—the remnant soul of the Tianyan Divine Monarch.
"Senior, long time no see, I hope you’ve been well!" Li Mu smiled slightly, bowing with respect.
"Friend Li, oh no, have you’ve already advanced to the Divinity Transformation stage? Senior is beyond me, we should address each other as fellow Daoists instead!" Tianyan Divine Monarch looked Li Mu up and down carefully, his divine sense circulating over Li Mu, sensing his deep cultivation level now, his tone carrying a hint of obvious surprise and sincere admiration, indicating his suggestion.
Li Mu nodded slightly, indicating acceptance of this change in address.
"Fellow Daoist Li, how long have I been asleep? Has it already been a thousand years?" Tianyan Divine Monarch frowned slightly, looking at Li Mu with a hint of doubt in his eyes as he asked.
Before he fell asleep, Tianyan Divine Monarch had estimated his divine soul state, believing with the help of the Soul Nourishing Treasure Tower, he could last another thousand years. Yet, he didn’t feel the weakness as expected, rather, his divine soul felt quite stable. However, Li Mu’s cultivation at the Divinity Transformation stage couldn’t be faked.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu smiled softly, responding: "Fellow Daoist Tianyan, your slumber hasn’t spanned a thousand years, only about a hundred, not even two hundred!"
"What!" Tianyan Divine Monarch was slightly taken aback, looking at Li Mu incredulously: "You advanced from the Early Stage of Nascent Soul to the Mid-Stage Divinity Transformation in such a short time?"
If memory serves correctly, the last time he met Li Mu, his cultivation was at the Nascent Soul Initial Realm, just a junior cultivator who had crossed the Nascent Soul Thunder Tribulation, moreover, practicing Five Elements Cultivation. Yet, in less than two hundred years, upon meeting again, his cultivation had stepped into Divinity Transformation, and at the Mid-Stage at that, still pursuing Five Elements Cultivation, appearing to have immensely solid foundations.
This speed of cultivation advancement was simply confounding!
Quickly, Tianyan Divine Monarch made a new discovery, he sensed the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion Space in shock, his eyes full of disbelief. He looked around, feeling the dense spiritual qi permeating the space, as if immersed in an entirely new world.
"What is this? Are we in the Treasure Mansion Space?" Tianyan Divine Monarch’s voice held a tinge of astonishment and confusion, clearly disoriented by the sudden change.
"Indeed, the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion fortunately succeeded, promoting to a Tier Eight Grotto Heaven Dao Artifact." Li Mu smiled slightly, indicating.
As Li Mu finished speaking, he waved his hand towards the sky, and the artifact spirit of the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion, a small multicolored flood dragon, responded by emerging. It flipped and danced through the air, its vibrant colors shimmering like a dazzling rainbow.
The appearance of the small flood dragon made the entire Treasure Mansion Space brimming with spiritual liveliness and vitality. It coiled around Li Mu and after encircling him a few times, rested on his head, manifesting an intimate demeanor.
Tianyan Divine Monarch watched this scene unfold before him, a gleam of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
Earlier, the artifact spirit of the Treasure Mansion was a small azure snake. Now, it not only escalated to a flood dragon but its foundation also underwent a complete transformation, completing the Five Elements, and elevated its origins to a new level. The artifact spirit of a dao artifact being so spirited and lively meant the quality of this dao artifact had reached an extremely high level.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you’ve truly given me quite a surprise!" Tianyan Divine Monarch gazed at Li Mu’s young face, exclaiming once more: "The Painting Realm Treasure Mansion actually managed to promote to a Tier Eight Grotto Heaven Dao Artifact, and the artifact spirit so robust and sprightly, filled with spiritual energy, this is exceedingly rare indeed!"
Li Mu chuckled, gratefully saying: "This is also thanks to your generous gift back then, otherwise, I couldn’t have brought the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion to its current level."
Upon hearing this, Tianyan Divine Monarch’s heart skipped a beat, as if touched upon a sensitive nerve. Immediately reminded of something, his expression turned tense, and his voice carried a slight tremor: "Fellow Daoist Li, today you specifically awakened me, could it be, could it be, you’ve found the Reversing Death Spirit Grass?"
Li Mu smiled gently, then kindly said: "Fellow Daoist Tianyan, you guessed right, the reason for awakening you today is to fulfill the Dao Heart Oath we made together in the past."
With these words, Li Mu’s divine sense delved into the Nine Treasures Spirit Pearl, retrieving a white jade box and respectfully presenting it before the Tianyan Divine Monarch.
Seeing the jade territory, Tianyan Divine Monarch’s eyes widened, his gaze fixated on the jade box. In his soul body state, he could clearly sense the powerful and mysterious soul power emanating from the jade box, the unique aura of the Reversing Death Spirit Grass.
Seeing that the Tianyan Divine Monarch found it inconvenient to directly accept it, Li Mu opened the lid of the jade box for him, revealing the cherished Reversing Death Spirit Grass inside.
Within the jade box, a powdery purple plant was displayed, a delicate purple flower blossoming at its tip, emitting a faint glow with a mysterious aura. The entire spirit grass was surrounded by Yin Spirit Qi, exuding powerful Divine Soul power - the Reversing Death Spirit Grass.
Tianyan Divine Monarch displayed an obsessed smile, looking at Li Mu with joy unspeakable gratitude: "The legendary Reversing Death Spirit Grass, Fellow Daoist Li, your profound favor is eternally remembered by Tianyan!"
Upon hearing this, Li Mu smiled softly, waving it off and said: "Fellow Daoist Tianyan, you are too courteous. You bestowed upon me the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion back then, and now I’ve found the Reversing Death Spirit Grass, so this fulfills a wish in my heart. Between you and me, there is no need for thanks."
Tianyan Divine Monarch locked eyes with Li Mu, shared a knowing smile, and then employed his artifact spirit, using the power of the soul to retrieve the Reversing Death Spirit Grass into the Soul Nourishing Treasure Tower.
"Fellow Daoist Li, I am planning to go into closed-door meditation for a while, to refine this herb and be reborn!" Tianyan Divine Monarch looked at Li Mu, expressing with urgency as well as a tinge of nervous tremor: "Fellow Daoist Li, if I have need of anything in this process, I will rely on your assistance."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Li, but this matter is something I alone must handle! If I can refine this herb, I shall embark on a path of the Ghost Immortal afterward, but this path is bound to be fraught with solitude and difficulty. If I am careless, I fear I may perish and fade away..." Tianyan Divine Monarch looked at Li Mu and sighed.
He then quickly realized something, his expression shifting to apprehensive, and with a slight tremor in his voice, he explained as if imparting his last will: "This is a jade scroll that records the core inheritance of the original Tianyan, as well as his instructions before he left on matters concerning an ancient secret realm."
Li Mu nodded, accepted the jade scroll, looked at Tianyan Divine Monarch, and said earnestly: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Tianyan for the invaluable gift, I will study it diligently."
Tianyan Divine Monarch nodded, showing a reassuring smile, he took a deep breath, turned, and flew into the Soul Nourishing Treasure Tower, preparing to begin the refining of the Reversing Death Spirit Grass, to be reborn anew.
Li Mu looked at the Soul Nourishing Treasure Tower, hovering mid-air, and felt as though the bond that restricted the Dao Heart oath had not completely dissipated, likely it would remain until Tianyan Divine Monarch was fully restored.
He quietly stored the Soul Nourishing Treasure Tower into the Nine Treasures Spirit Pearl, shifting his focus onto the purple jade scroll in his hand.