Chapter 1270: Chapter 1270: Innate Top Grade Artifact
The Demon-Encountering Stele is the trial ground for the Ziwei Saint Children.
In the past, the Purple Rose Celestial Emperor used supreme Taoist methods to construct the inner world of the Demon-Encountering Stele and used this world to test the skills of the various Saint Children; then he selected six different Taoist methods from his own to use as rewards.
But later, the Purple Rose Immortal Domain was destroyed.
Thus, the Saint Child trial became sealed in the long river of time, with no one to reopen it.
However, on this day, because of Ning Fan’s arrival, the trial that had been sealed for countless years quietly reopened.
On the Bronze Ancient Ship, Ning Fan whispered some unknown incantation to himself.
This was the incantation taught to him by Duowen Wushuang, used to summon an essential item from the Saint Child trial.
Once the incantation was recited, nothing happened.
Twice, nothing happened.
It was not until the ninth recitation that suddenly a thunderous sound erupted from the sky, followed by a purple lightning bolt striking down.
"Thunder? How can there be thunder over the Nether Dust Sea without any sign?" Shi Gandang, who was steering the ship, was startled by the thunder. Although he could hear the thunder, he was unable to see the lightning, hence he was puzzled.
The only ones present able to see the lightning were Ning Fan and Duo Wen Old Demon.
The lightning descended rapidly, reaching near the Bronze Ancient Ship, then suddenly halted its descent, beginning to violently rotate, forming a black hole-like vortex of lightning power. Vaguely, some object was slowly taking shape within the vortex.
Ning Fan reached out and grabbed a flickering ancient book from the vortex.
"Is this the ’Saint Child Thunder Scripture’ you mentioned..." Ning Fan asked.
"Indeed it is." Duo Wen Old Demon said with a smile.
"This book seems to be directly condensed from the Ziwei Thunder Method. If I were to devour this book, would it enhance my cultivation..." Ning Fan mused.
"You cannot eat it! Eating it is impossible! This book is an essential item for the Saint Child trial. Once damaged, the trial cannot be conducted!" Duo Wen Old Demon was startled by Ning Fan’s curious thought process and repeatedly urged.
"Don’t worry, I was merely speaking offhandedly."
Ning Fan smiled and opened the Saint Child Thunder Scripture.
The book was originally blank, but as Ning Fan opened it, numerous texts appeared instantly.
[Trial-taker’s name, unknown]
[Saint Child sequence, unknown]
[Current score, eleven stars]
[Event One: Found the Immortal Emperor’s letter, obtained the medium to open the trial. Score increased by one star. Current score, one star.]
[Event Two: Did not summon the Saint Child Thunder Scripture in the first instance, violated the trial rules. Score decreased by five stars. Current score, negative four stars.]
[Event Three: Saw through the disguise of the Golden Ancient Ship and killed the Immortal King evil ghost. Score increased by two stars. Current score, negative two stars.]
[Event Four: Welcomed by Shi Gandang and embarked on the correct Bronze Ancient Ship. Score increased by one star. Current score, negative one star.]
[Event Five: Saw through the Vast Sea Lord’s actions. Score increased by two stars. Current score, one star.]
[Destiny Branches: Branch One, follow Vast Sea Lord’s orders, depart with him, and avoid North Pole Dao Fruit Conference conflicts. Score decreased by one to ten stars; Branch Two, ignore Vast Sea Lord’s orders and defeat him. Score increased by one to ten stars; Branch Three, use eloquence to make Vast Sea Lord understand reasoning and withdraw peacefully. Score increased by one to twenty stars; Branch Four, use eloquence to make Vast Sea Lord understand reasoning, reconcile and successfully invite Vast Sea Lord to the North Pole Dao Fruit Conference. Score increased by one to fifty stars.]
[Event Six: Defeated Vast Sea Lord. Score increased by ten stars. Current score, eleven stars.]
"I see, all the events I’ve experienced since finding the Immortal Emperor’s letter are recorded in the Thunder Scripture. Different experiences and choices result in different trial scores. After some increases and decreases, my current score is eleven stars..." Ning Fan contemplated.
"Starting with an eleven-star score, among all the Saint Children, is quite good. But if Immortal Emperor’s goal is to ultimately receive the reward of the Ziwei Taoist Method, these scores are far from sufficient. According to Xiao Hou’er, to obtain the Ziwei Taoist Method at the end of the trial, one needs to achieve at least five hundred stars. Immortal Emperor must strive hard!" Duo Wen Old Demon encouraged.
"Five hundred stars, noted. But there is one thing I do not quite understand. What are these ’destiny branches’ recorded here?" Ning Fan pointed to the four choices of destiny branches in the Thunder Scripture and asked.
"The so-called destiny branches refer to extremely important events for the person played by the Immortal Emperor, enough to affect their lifelong destiny; for the trial-taker, they equally have an impact, with different choices affecting not only the trial-taker’s score but also the subsequent trial direction." Duo Wen answered.
"Enough to affect lifelong destiny? What does that mean?" Ning Fan paid particular attention to this statement from Duo Wen.
Duo Wen just chuckled, not elaborating further, displaying a profound and mysterious expression, seemingly waiting for Ning Fan to ask for explanations before he reluctantly explained.
Unfortunately, Ning Fan did not pursue this question.
Instead, he began to ponder alone.
"Choosing differently during branching events results in different trial scores... To my surprise, when the Vast Sea Lord appeared, my act of defeating him was not the optimal choice, only earning ten stars; using eloquence to make him retreat could earn up to twenty stars; persuading him to accompany us could earn up to fifty stars..."
Ning Fan closed the Thunder Scripture, frowning slightly.
Glimpsing from one branch, Ning Fan could roughly understand the scoring focus of the Saint Child trial.
This trial for the Saint Child exams is not solely about the trial-taker’s strength; it emphasizes the trial-taker’s decisions and choices when facing events.
Encountering an enemy and merely relying on fight without careful thought, even if the trial-taker possesses extraordinary strength, they cannot achieve the best score.
Only those who make optimal choices in incidents can receive the highest scores, recognized by Purple Rose Celestial Emperor as the most valued Ziwei Saint Child.
"I always feel that this Saint Child trial is quite troublesome, doesn’t really match my behavior style." Ning Fan shook his head.
Suddenly spoke again, asking Duo Wen.
"Duo Wen, do you think, in this world, there really is an optimal choice?"
Duo Wen was startled, unsure why Ning Fan posed this question, thought carefully, and answered cautiously, "Probably there is."
"Is that so." Ning Fan was noncommittal.
Then, with a thought, the Thunder Book transformed into a flash of lightning and flew directly into his divine sense.
This way, he no longer needed to summon or flip through the Thunder Book to consult its contents; he could read directly from within his divine sense, making it more convenient.
Of course, there was another benefit to storing the Saint Child Thunder Book within his divine sense.
Once the Thunder Book entered his divine sense, countless fragmented memories instantly appeared in Ning Fan’s mind.
They were the memory fragments of the person Ning Fan was impersonating at the moment— the Hunkun Sect disciple, Lu Bei.
Those participating in the Saint Child trials needed to impersonate someone to initiate the trial. Gaining insight into the impersonated individual would be advantageous in grasping the trial’s storyline, enabling more precise choices and judgments.
"Hunkun Sect disciple, Lu Bei..." Ning Fan closed his eyes, absorbing the additional memories of Lu Bei within his divine sense.
Fragmented memories began to unfold in his mind like a lantern carousel, slowly playing.
Memory Fragment One:
In an Immortal Kingdom named Nanliang, a foolish boy begged along the streets all day.
The boy did not know how to cry, laugh, or speak, and could not even understand human language.
No one knew where the boy came from, nor could anyone identify who this fool was.
Some nosy bystanders gave the boy a name, "Wooden Head," mocking him as dull as rotten wood.
Memory Fragment Two:
The foolish boy named Wooden Head grew up gradually on food obtained through begging.
One day, the boy suddenly became enlightened, learning to speak and interact with others.
It was only then that the citizens realized that this boy was not a fool, but actually exceptionally intelligent.
Memory Fragment Three:
Within Nanliang, the art of chess was highly esteemed. The Masters there valued chess skill over cultivation practice.
The boy named Wooden Head began to display an astonishing talent for chess.
He mastered the basics of Go merely by studying discarded chess manuals he found by the roadside within just ten days.
Afterward, Wooden Head started engaging in matches with the people around him.
A month later, Wooden Head achieved his first victory in a match.
Six months later, Wooden Head secured his one hundredth victory.
Three years later, within a hundred miles, no chess Master could rival him, raising the people’s interest.
Memory Fragment Four:
As Wooden Head’s reputation grew, even the Nanliang Chess Institute heard of his feats.
The institute dispatched a teacher to play against Wooden Head, to assess his chess skills and talent.
That teacher was a respectable Ninth Grade Chess Master, but was defeated by Wooden Head in the middle of the game.
The teacher was dissatisfied, claiming he lost due to carelessness.
Thus, he challenged Wooden Head to a ten-game match. However, after just six games, he lost all six in succession, concluding the series as a failure.
For a time, Wooden Head’s fame spread throughout Nanliang.
Memory Fragment Five:
Wooden Head, who had gained significant fame, was exceptionally admitted to the Nanliang Chess Institute as a student; He was given the name "Lu Bei" by the institute’s director.
Lu Bei diligently honed his chess skills within the institute.
A year later, Lu Bei ranked among the top ten students.
Three years later, Lu Bei ranked first among the students.
Ten years later, Lu Bei became the youngest Fifth-Grade Chess Master in Nanliang’s history.
Memory Fragment Four:
Due to participation in gambling chess, violating the rules of the Nanliang Chess Institute, Lu Bei was expelled from the institute.
Thus, Lu Bei left the Nanliang Kingdom and began to travel the world.
After decades of wandering, Lu Bei’s chess skills improved even further.
He arrived at the sacred ground of chess players—Qixia Temple, making friends through chess and challenging the temple monks.
The temple monks were no match for Lu Bei, causing a stir among the Hunkun Holy Sect’s many Buddhas.
Thus, the Buddha incarnated to play a hundred matches with Lu Bei, but Lu Bei could not win a single game.
Memory Fragment Five:
Seeking further improvement in chess skills, Lu Bei apprenticed under the Buddha, consequently becoming a disciple of the Hunkun Holy Sect.
However, due to Lu Bei’s obsession with chess and neglect of cultivation, despite possessing ample resources, he only barely reached the Immortal King Realm, unable to make further progress.
Moreover, as Lu Bei was indifferent to world affairs, he lacked deep insight and understanding of human relationships.
Memory Fragment Six:
Lu Bei’s mentor passed away.
In accordance with his master’s last wishes, Lu Bei left the Holy Sect and traveled down the mountain.
Memory Fragment Seven:
Lu Bei received a letter from his friend, Stone Ghost True Person, and decided to attend the North Pole Dao Fruit Conference...
...
Much later.
Ning Fan absorbed all of Lu Bei’s memory fragments.
Although these memory fragments were mostly fragmented and incomplete, they still gave Ning Fan a general understanding of Lu Bei.
This Mixed Kun Disciple, Lu Bei, seemed like an unabashed chess fanatic, not very concerned with cultivation; but he didn’t seem to be the noble Chess Master he was portrayed as, because he had been expelled from the Nanliang Chess Institute for betting on chess.
"Is this the kind of person I’m playing..."
"Lu Bei’s strength is mediocre, but his chess skills are indeed quite impressive. Compared to the Ancient Chaos Master’s chess skills, he could probably compete on equal terms..."
Ning Fan had received a memory inheritance from the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor, which included the Grand Emperor’s entire chess skills.
The chess skills of the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor were considered top-notch among cultivators, but they were still slightly inferior to the chess fanatic Lu Bei.
After all, for the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor chess was just an interest, while Lu Bei pursued it all his life. The two were incomparable.
While Ning Fan was absorbing Lu Bei’s memories, Duo Wen Old Demon’s demon body dissipated, turning into a wisp of Demon Light and flying back into the Divine Artefact Fragment.
The reason was that he was now merely a residual soul and could not leave the Artefact Fragment to maintain the dark giant ape for long.
Ning Fan didn’t bother to investigate whether this reason was true or not, because there were more important matters he needed to decide on shortly.
[Event Triggered.]
[Incomplete Event: Deciding the sea route.]
The Saint Child Thunder Scripture housed in Ning Fan’s divine sense suddenly contained new information.
As he puzzled over how to handle this information, Shi Gandang came respectfully holding a sea chart to consult him.
"Senior, further ahead, there are three sea routes leading to the North Pole Dao Fruit Conference. Which route would you like to take? Please make your decision."
Using the sea chart, Shi Gandang marked out the three routes and informed Ning Fan of their advantages and disadvantages.
The first sea route passes through nine Immortal Kingdoms, with relatively little danger but takes a long time — three years to reach the conference.
The second route passes through four Immortal Kingdoms, with more danger, the greatest being passing through the Hai Maiden Demon Nest, but only takes two years.
The third route has no stops and crosses the sea area where the Vast Sea Dragon Palace is located. It’s extremely dangerous but takes only six months.
Regarding the sea route, Ning Fan didn’t make a hasty decision and seriously considered the matter.
At the same time, a destiny branch appeared in the Thunder Scripture.
[Destiny branch appeared: Choosing Route One can yield ten to fifty Star Points, with extra rewards of Nine Kingdoms’ Immortal Power; selecting Route Two can yield five to twenty Star Points, with extra rewards of Hai Maiden Bone Sword; opting for Route Three can yield two to ten Star Points, with extra rewards of a Vast Beast Dao Fruit.]
"Oh? Making a choice this time comes with extra rewards?" Ning Fan said in surprise.
After discussing with Duo Wen, Ning Fan had already learned beforehand that certain special events in the trial would come with extra rewards. He just didn’t expect that merely choosing a sea route would trigger extra rewards.
It seems the choice of sea route isn’t as simple as it appears.
"Duo Wen, what would you choose?" Ning Fan asked casually.
Soon, from the Divine Artefact Fragment that Ning Fan carried, Duo Wen’s answer came back, as if after a thoughtful pause.
"I choose Route Two!" Duo Wen.
"Why?" Ning Fan.
"At first glance, Route One seems the safest with the highest rating, but its disadvantage is it takes the longest. I recall that some Ziwei Saint Heirs triggered similar tasks, they chose the safest, longest option, but then missed many events due to arriving late, resulting in lower scores... As for the Nine Kingdoms’ Immortal Power reward in Route One, it indeed is a good thing. If received, it could dramatically increase mana by a hundred tribulations, but it may slightly affect the foundation..."
"I don’t want anything that affects the foundation." Ning Fan replied.
"Cough cough, are you just looking at whether the extra rewards are bountiful when considering routes?" Duo Wen remarked helplessly, his thoughts slipping out unintentionally, and then realized it was inappropriate, quickly changing his tone, apologizing, "I misspoke, misspoke. Immortal Emperor’s words make sense too, we shouldn’t choose anything that affects our foundation, so Route One is out! We won’t choose it!"
Seeing that Ning Fan didn’t seem to mind his slip of the tongue, Duo Wen sighed in relief and continued analyzing, "Route Three is a bit too urgent. This choice offers low scores and almost certain death. Do you know what the Vast Sea Dragon Palace is? It’s the lair of the Nether Dust Sea’s ruler—home to the Vast Beasts!"
"A drop of Nether Dust Sea water weighs as much as a mountain. The sea contains beasts called Vast Beasts, and anyone attempting to take water from the Nether Dust Sea will be attacked by them. Even attempting to collect a small amount of sea water angers the Vast Beasts, showing how domineering and savage they are. Choosing Route Three immediately grants you a Vast Beast Dao Fruit. You pass through their territory while carrying a Vast Beast Dao Fruit, tsk tsk tsk... You’re likely to provoke the entire Vast Beast Clan’s wrath. The Ziwei Immortal Emperor set this choice perhaps to teach those greedy ones that some things are tempting but fatal to pursue. Nonetheless, aside from everything else, the Vast Beast Dao Fruit is good, even the lowest quality of it can increase your mana by more than two hundred tribulations, and greatly enhances vitality without the side effects of Nine Kingdoms’ Immortal Power..."
"In that case, the Vast Beast Dao Fruit seems quite appealing." Ning Fan seemed intrigued.
"This guy... really only cares about whether the extra reward is valuable..." Duo Wen thought grumpily. This time he learned his lesson and didn’t let his thoughts slip.
"I chose Route Two by using the process of elimination, discarding two worse choices to arrive at the safest answer." Duo Wen concluded.
"You haven’t mentioned why the Hai Maiden Bone Sword is precious." Ning Fan reminded.
"The Hai Maiden Bone Sword is very good, it’s an extremely powerful Innate Superior Treasure. Given your cultivation, wielding this sword allows you to easily slay an Immortal Emperor." Duo Wen.
"Easily slay an Immortal Emperor? That’s less practical than a Vast Beast Dao Fruit..." Ning Fan naturally didn’t lack in such grade treasures.
Thus, he inclined to choose Route Three.
"Uh, Immortal Emperor, you’re not really going to choose Route Three, are you? That’s unwise, unwise. Although the Saint Child Trial doesn’t result in actual death, dying in the trial terminates it. Such an important decision as a sea route should not be taken lightly..." Duo Wen grew anxious and started to persuade.
Just then, another voice joined the conversation.
"Brother Ning, trust your instincts! This Palace also thinks Route Three is best!" Ant Lord’s voice suddenly sounded.
"Saint, Saint-like wisdom? How come you have the voice of a Saint speaking!" Duo Wen was deeply shocked, as with his abilities, how could he not recognize it was a Saint speaking.
Even though the Ant Lord is just a Saint’s residual soul, it is still... a genuine Saint!
"Hmm? Can you hear her voice?" Ning Fan was surprised, then understanding dawned on him.
Duowen’s demon form is that of a Six-Eared Macaque, so hearing the Ant Lord’s voice may be due to the innate divine skills of a Six-Eared Macaque.
"Uh, I can hear a bit, and that’s because this Saint senior did not intentionally hide it from me... Uh no no no, the little monkey misspoke, the little monkey heard nothing, Immortal Emperor, please don’t overthink." Duowen hurriedly changed his words, fearing his eavesdropping might anger Ning Fan, repeatedly denying it.
But would Ning Fan believe this change of words?
Ning Fan simply didn’t bother to pay attention to this old demon who was accustomed to hiding his skills, and instead began talking with the Ant Lord.
"Weren’t you not particularly interested in my affairs recently? Why suddenly talk to me now?" Ning Fan knew that. The Ant Lord has been periodically possessing Ji Fuyao lately, rarely asking about his matters.
It happened to speak at this time.
"Because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the skies of the Real Realms... even if what can be seen here is false, I still want to borrow your heart spirit to gaze at them a few more times." The Ant Lord sighed sorrowfully.
She didn’t make excuses to give perfunctory answers but spoke truthfully; after all, she and Ning Fan shared the same mind, and lying held no meaning.
Her tone was rarely so desolate, leaving Ning Fan somewhat moved.
In his heart, he thought that even though this ant might not be a good character, she still knows how to miss her homeland.
"Hmph! You’re belittling my palace, I can hear all of it." The Ant Lord snorted softly.
"Sorry."
"Listening to my palace is not wrong, choose the Third Route! It’s just passing through the Vast Sea Dragon Palace, and even if you face attacks, with your skills, there’s no need to worry about your safety. The dangers of the Vast Beast are in their physical defenses that can withstand the pressure of the Nether Sea. Even ordinary Saints have a hard time killing them, but the Vast Beasts can’t really kill Saints either. Yet, the weaknesses of the Cang Clan are evident as well; their low spirit awareness is akin to wild beasts; lack strong attack methods, only use low-damage methods like sea turmoil and consuming, so there’s no need to fear them!" The Ant Lord spoke arrogantly. In her Saint’s eyes, the Vast Beast Clan is not impressive.
"Great minds indeed think alike. After careful consideration, I agree that the Third Route is the best." Ning Fan said.
"You’re speaking nonsense! You are actually only interested in the reward of the Vast Beast Dao Fruit..." Duowen commented helplessly, resigning himself to Ning Fan’s choice of the Third Route.
If Ning Fan cannot really overcome those Vast Beasts...
Sigh, then he has no choice but to bleed a little, and teach Ning Fan some secret techniques to repel the Vast Beasts...
Sensing the decreasing tension within the Divine Artefact Fragment, Ning Fan squinted slightly, showing a "just as expected" expression.
The fellow indeed has ways to deal with the Vast Beasts and is not afraid of the Third Route.
Without pressure, this fellow won’t bring out his valuable items...
Thus, against Shi Gandang’s countless dissuasions, Ning Fan chose the Third Route.
"Senior, are you really taking the Third Route? Ah well... although the Third Route has drawbacks, it does have its advantages; at least a pursuer like the Vast Sea Lord wouldn’t dare chase us along the Third Route, so let’s follow senior’s decision."
As a result, Shi Gandang steered the Bronze Ancient Ship, proceeding along the Third Route.
Then the messages from the Thunder Book began updating.
[Event Seven: Chose the Third Route. Earned a score, two stars. Current score, thirteen stars.]
Choosing the Third Route can earn a score of two to ten stars, but it’s not guaranteed to get ten stars, rather it requires examining the reason behind Ning Fan’s choice to judge its rationality and allocate points accordingly.
Clearly, Ning Fan’s reasoning wasn’t rational at all.
Choosing the most dangerous path just for a Vast Beast Dao Fruit, obviously the Saint’s trial does not recognize Ning Fan’s decision.
Hence, Ning Fan received the lowest score—two stars.
Receiving the lowest score, Ning Fan naturally couldn’t be pleased, but fortunately between heaven and earth, suddenly a ray of lightning descended from the sky and transformed into a fruit with unique patterns, landing in Ning Fan’s hand.
It was the additional reward for the Third Route—the Vast Beast Dao Fruit!
"So this is the Vast Beast Dao Fruit, one that can increase mana by over two hundred tribulations..." Ning Fan nodded with satisfaction.
Then.
He swallowed the Vast Beast Dao Fruit whole!
"No, you can’t! That’s a Vast Beast Dao Fruit, you can’t consume it directly, even ordinary Saints wouldn’t dare... Uhh, why haven’t you exploded from the Vast Beast Dao Fruit?" Duowen was shocked!
Eating the Vast Beast Dao Fruit raw, is this still human?
What exactly is this kid...
In just half a day, Ning Fan refined the Vast Beast Dao Fruit’s tremendous energy!
Mana surged by two hundred and seventy tribulations!
More than Duowen’s expected increase of around two hundred tribulations, due to Ning Fan’s more optimal absorption.
Blood vitality also surged considerably!
What’s also improved significantly is the rain cultivations!
Perhaps since the Vast Beast Clan resides in the Nether Dust Sea, possessing boundless water element power, their Dao Fruit significantly enhances water cultivations.
If assessed by the Rain Dragon, Ning Fan’s rain cultivations enabled him to control rain dragons from nine before, now increased to the tenth dragon!
The result, which Ning Fan felt greatly satisfied!
It turns out he didn’t choose wrong in selecting the Third Route!
"This kid’s refining speed is certainly frightening..." Duowen increasingly felt Ning Fan was unfathomable.
Despite this, Duowen still doubted Ning Fan could smoothly traverse the Third Route.
In a blink, several months passed by.
Perhaps it was indeed due to choosing the third route that, after the assault of the Vast Sea Lord, the Bronze Ancient Ship had not faced any attacks, and everything was smooth sailing for several months.
The flow of time within the trial was not equivalent to outside; even though several months had passed in the trial, only a small amount of time had elapsed outside.
Of course, that’s not the main point.
The crux is that on this day, the Bronze Ancient Ship finally sailed into the sea area where the Vast Sea Dragon Palace was located.
Shi Gandang, who was in charge of steering the ship, dared not breathe a single breath, fearing he might disturb the Vast Beasts underwater.
"Pray to the Ancestor Stone for protection! Protect us so these Vast Beasts do not notice ships passing through..." Shi Gandang silently prayed in his heart.
Unfortunately, the Ancestor Stone did not protect him.
Almost after he sailed the ship into this sea area, the previously silent Nether Dust Sea suddenly showed waves.
No, those were not waves!
It was some creature stirring up the sea waves underwater!
Damn it! These Vast Beasts have noticed the ship passing through!
"What should we do next? Yes, throw the offerings, toss the passage money into the sea, if we’re lucky, perhaps we can calm these Vast Beasts’ wrath..." Shi Gandang had an idea, and took out the prepared sea offerings from his storage pouch, throwing them into the sea one by one.
But, useless!
The waves became even more tumultuous!
Those sea offerings had no effect at all!
Despite his rich sailing experience, at this moment, Shi Gandang also felt despair.
"Senior, let’s run! Right, immediately turn the ship around, sail out of this sea area, if we’re lucky, maybe we can..." Shi Gandang wanted to suggest something to Ning Fan.
However, everything was too late.
In an instant, the sky suddenly turned dark, as if a boundless huge shadow was cast from beneath the heavens.
Shi Gandang looked up in fright and saw a scene that almost made him faint.
The previously empty sea surface suddenly had numerous gigantic shadows closing in from all directions.
It was the Vast Beasts, gathering from all directions, leaving no retreat route!
Each shadow was as huge as a pillar supporting the sky!
Heavy sounds, like whale chants, rang out from all directions, shaking Shi Gandang’s eardrums to the verge of breaking.
"Fifty heads? A hundred heads? No, countless! Just how many Vast Beasts are attacking! How is this possible! Even when attacking passing ships, the Vast Beast clan wouldn’t move in such numbers; there must be something that angered this clan!"
What could be the reason!
Shi Gandang really wanted to know, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure out that Ning Fan had casually picked a Vast Beast Dao Fruit and had already swallowed and refined it.
Anyone who had killed or eaten a Vast Beast would have a unique water aura on them, detected only by the Vast Beast clan.
The unconcealed Cang aura on Ning Fan was proof that he had either killed or eaten the Cang!
Roar roar roar roar roar—
Countless angry roars echoed from all directions, locking their killing intent on Ning Fan.
Almost as soon as the roars sounded, some Vast Beasts began to raise sea waves ten thousand feet high, aiming to sink the Bronze Ancient Ship directly into this eternally silent sea.
The ten thousand feet sea waves fell, their heavy momentum twisting and deforming the space.
These were no ordinary sea waves!
These were the waves of the Nether Dust Sea!
A drop of sea water from the Nether Dust Sea was as heavy as a mountain, and the ten thousand feet sea waves could easily crush an Immortal Emperor!
This surging force was no inferior to the power of water flooding a realm, just differing in scale and kill range.
"Can’t hold on, will die, will die..." Just as Shi Gandang was in despair, suddenly a treasure light shot up into the sky.
It was Ning Fan who secretly invoked the Water-Flooding Realm Bottle.
"Come to think of it, I haven’t used the Water-Flooding Bottle in ages..." Ning Fan was somewhat curious, wanting to see how the Water-Flooding Bottle could withstand the ten thousand feet sea waves of the Nether Dust Sea.
After all, the Water-Flooding Bottle was crafted using the sea water from the Nether Dust Sea as the raw material.
Inside the bottle, boundless water from the Nether Dust Sea was sealed.
The scale of the water inside the bottle, though far less than the real Nether Dust Sea, far exceeded the ten thousand feet waves before them.
In the treasure light, the Water-Flooding Bottle unleashed immense suction, instantly absorbing the ten thousand feet waves into the bottle.
Roar roar roar roar roar—
The Vast Beasts grew even angrier.
With low intelligence, the Vast Beasts didn’t have many attack methods, and upon seeing the ineffective attack of the ten thousand feet waves, they raised even more, higher waves.
One hundred thousand feet waves!
A million feet waves!
Ten million feet waves!
The overwhelming power of the waves was already immense enough to suppress a Quasi-Saint.
Unfortunately, it still couldn’t withstand the Water-Flooding Realm Bottle.
The endless seawater was drawn into the Flooded Bottle.
However, the water drawn in was all illusions created by the Purple Tinge Taoist Method, not the true Nether Dust Sea water. Thus, even if boundless seawater was absorbed, the scale of seawater inside the Flooded Bottle did not increase.
So, where did the false seawater go?
Upon entering the Flooded Bottle, the false seawater was immediately broken down into countless Water Essence Forces, attempting to escape the bottle and return to the illusory world of the Saint Heir’s trial.
Yet, they couldn’t escape!
The Flooded Bottle welcomed all, devouring and refining every bit of Water Essence Force that entered it!
With every gulp of Water Essence Force it devoured, the aura of the Flooded Bottle’s magical treasure grew, and the dark injuries it had once sustained diminished bit by bit.
As the quantity of devoured Water Essence Force increased, the oceanic patterns on the Flooded Bottle began to proliferate, its radiance becoming more and more resplendent, dazzling like a water-blue sun.
"This brat’s magical treasure... Could it be advancing!? But how is that possible? A settled magical treasure is extremely difficult to upgrade through external reinforcement unless special methods are used. But this kid clearly didn’t use any method, merely by devouring the Nether Dust Sea water, the treasure showed signs of upgrading... I see, I understand now! This bottle has been an unfinished product from the very beginning!" Duo Wen’s mind raced, gradually revealing some clues.
"The designer of this bottle is undoubtedly a genius; just the feat of successfully using Nether Dust Sea water as a material to craft this bottle is an unprecedented idea. Unfortunately, the person was too weak, likely not surpassing the limits of an Immortal Emperor, and could not control the Nether Dust Sea water, thus, unable to complete the bottle thoroughly. In reality, this bottle is nothing but an unfinished work!"
"Yet now, this bottle is here, absorbing the vast Water Essence Force of the Nether Dust Sea!"
"If it absorbed real Nether Dust Sea water, it wouldn’t exhibit a magical treasure aura increase; however, it happened to absorb the sea water simulated by the Purple Rose Celestial Emperor using his Taoist method. In such absorption, it was like the Purple Rose Celestial Emperor nurturing the bottle with his own Taoist method, simulating the Nether Dust Sea water!"
"The creator of the bottle couldn’t complete it; but if the Purple Rose Celestial Emperor ’personally’ acted to finish the bottle, it would be a cinch!"
It was naturally impossible for the Purple Rose Celestial Emperor to be kind enough to help Ning Fan refine his magical treasure.
Yet, the illusory Nether Dust Sea water arranged by the Purple Rose Celestial Emperor had the same effect!
"How fortuitous for this kid! By chance, he stumbled upon gaining something for the Flooded Bottle!" Duo Wen was envious beyond measure.
The Ant Lord also saw through the reason for the Flooded Bottle’s advancement.
As well as Ning Fan!
Ning Fan was caught somewhat off guard.
His original intention in using the Flooded Bottle against these Vast Beasts was to test whether the Flooded Bottle had a restraining effect on them.
Yet unexpectedly, there was an unintended harvest!
"I never knew that the Water-Flooding Realm Bottle crafted by Emperor Shuiyan was only an unfinished piece!"
"But this makes everything reasonable. Back in the day, Emperor Shuiyan crafted the Water-Flooding Realm Bottle while only at the Second Step; clearly, there were suspicious points. Just the volume and weight of the seawater in the bottle would be beyond the control of a single Immortal Emperor. To refine such a magnitude of seawater into a small bottle, even with the help of ancient devil spirits from the Devil Pool, it would still be incredibly challenging. But if he only made a semi-finished Flooded Bottle back then, everything could be barely explained..."
Ning Fan couldn’t help but laugh.
Who wouldn’t be pleased with such a fortuitous event occurring out of nowhere?
"The previous Water-Flooding Realm Bottle was at best akin to an Innate Mid-grade, but now..."
As the brilliance of the Flooded Bottle continued to intensify, its magical treasure aura was already no weaker than a genuine Innate Superior Treasure and still climbing!
Seeing the continuous growth of the Flooded Bottle, Ning Fan felt genuinely happy.
"Could this treasure be aiming to break right through to Supreme Innate?" Even the Ant Lord felt a twinge of envy.
After all, the vast majority of Saints wield Top-Grade Innate Treasures, but even Saints wouldn’t possess too many Top-Grade Innate Treasures.
Below Heaven-Opening, Supreme Innate is the strongest!
Calling a Supreme Innate a Saint’s device is certainly fitting!
"Senior thinks too much; this treasure cannot break through to the Supreme Innate realm in one go." Duo Wen was speaking to the Ant Lord.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" The Ant Lord asked. Despite being a junior, the Ant Lord did not despise Duo Wen. Her thoughts were in tune with Ning Fan’s, naturally understanding the myriad hidden tactics of the Duo Wen Old Demon.
"Although the power of this treasure is continuously rising, it is unstructured and autonomous, lacking the guidance of a sufficiently ranked artifact refiner. It’s as difficult for the treasure to break through to the Supreme Innate on its own will as for an ancient great cultivator to break through to the Saint Realm during sleep..." Duo Wen answered.
"Isn’t Ning Fan’s artifact refining skill enough to lead this bottle to successfully ascend? You should know, this kid even refined the Merit Umbrella, leading the treasure bottle to enter Supreme Innate shouldn’t be hard, right?" The Ant Lord frowned, seemingly displeased with anyone belittling Ning Fan’s abilities.
She and Ning Fan are of one mind; belittling Ning Fan is akin to belittling her!
"Refine the Merit Umbrella? This kid actually has such capability?" Duo Wen was surprised for a moment but maintained a pessimistic view, "Even if he can refine the Merit Umbrella, it still wouldn’t be enough to accomplish this. The difficulty is over ten times greater than refining the Merit Umbrella."
"If this palace’s saint were to assist him, would it be enough? Although I am not a specialized artifact refiner, I do have a considerable understanding of the artifact refining path." The Ant Lord coldly retorted.
"Forgive me for being blunt, even with Senior’s assistance, it still wouldn’t be enough. If Junior’s speculation is correct, Senior also assisted Ning Fan in refining the Merit Umbrella, right? Although Senior understands how to refine the Merit Umbrella, you may not understand the upgrading direction of this bottle. Although this bottle is an unfinished product, its final form was certainly designed very early. Unless you are the designer of this bottle, no one can know what the predetermined upgrading direction of this bottle looks like. Unless..." Duo Wen’s words trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
"Unless what?" asked the Ant Lord.
"Unless a higher-ranked artifact refiner is present to guide, can the upgrading direction of the bottle be correctly led without knowing the original design intent." Duo Wen sighed.
Though envious of Ning Fan’s luck, witnessing the formation of a Supreme Innate Treasure would indeed be a blessing.
If possible, he too wished to witness this miraculous event in person.
Unfortunately...
In this barren Zidou Illusion Realm, where would one find an even higher-ranked artifact refiner?
What does higher rank entail?
To ascertain the upgrading path of a Supreme Innate Treasure without knowing its design intention would require someone of higher rank!
Higher than Supreme Innate!
Only a Heaven-Opening Grade Artifact Refiner’s personal presence can possibly accomplish this task!
But, where in the Purple Mountain Dou Sea can you find such a remarkable figure!
A Heaven-Opening Grade Artifact Refiner is esteemed enough to be a guest of honor for any Reverse Saint, are they found just anywhere?
Finding such an Artifact Refiner is one challenge, but even if found, their status makes it impossible for you to request their assistance.
Even a noble Reverse Saint must treat them with great respect to gain their help, so what could you offer to persuade them... It’s not possible, it’s not possible.
"More regretfully, this treasure here has absorbed too much Water Essence Force, getting very close to breaking through to a Supreme Innate, nearly molded, only to deviate in the wrong direction, missing the Supreme Innate chance. Previously, this treasure was an incomplete work; after today, it becomes a finished piece. No more chances to mold, no more chances to upgrade. Even if such a grade of Artifact Refiner is found later, it’s too late..." Duowen sighed repeatedly.
"How frustrating..." Ant Lord gritted her silver teeth. She was unhappy, very unhappy.
Ning Fan was just a step away from gaining an astronomical opportunity, yet it slipped away right before him.
Though Ning Fan was the one losing the opportunity, she and Ning Fan were linked heart to heart, and the feeling was as if she was losing her own opportunity.
"So, you just need to find a Heaven-Opening Grade Artifact Refiner for help?" Ning Fan suddenly chimed in.
Neither Ant Lord nor Duowen had hidden their conversation from him, so naturally, he heard everything clearly.
Initially, he thought the Flooded Bottle would break through to a Supreme Innate, and he was delighted, of course.
Yet, immediately, Duowen’s words were like cold water poured over his head, waking him up.
Indeed, breaking through to a Supreme Innate Magical Treasure isn’t easy... Ning Fan knows very well that his Artifact Refining Technique isn’t enough for this.
Surely, he could converse with the Flooded Bottle, but even the Flooded Bottle itself doesn’t know how to break through to Supreme Innate, what use is the dialogue then?
"If it cannot break through, then I must give up..." Although Ning Fan is stubborn, he’s never obsessed with external items like magical treasures or divine skills.
If it were possible, he would gladly take the advantage of obtaining a Supreme Innate Magical Treasure for free.
If it’s not doable, he can let go calmly, after all... this Saint Heir trial still has plenty of benefits to be gained, no need to hang himself on one tree.
Since it’s a windfall, the Flooded Bottle reaching near Supreme Innate is already commendable.
The issue lies in.
Ning Fan can easily let this go.
But the Flooded Bottle, involved in this, cannot.
At that moment, Ning Fan heard the Flooded Bottle sobbing. The Flooded Bottle was grieving, regretting, feeling remorse.
As an incomplete work, the Flooded Bottle has waited for its completion for far too long.
It yearned to become a complete work, it was thrilled here, at this moment, there was a chance to make itself whole.
Yet ultimately, this joy was replaced with disappointment. It couldn’t break through, couldn’t surpass its Magical Treasure ranking by itself, it needed an Artifact Refiner’s help.
But no one could help it.
Its master, Ning Fan, wanted to help it too, but due to his refining technique limitations, he couldn’t do much...
[Wah Wah...] was the increasingly intense sound of crying from the Flooded Bottle.
[Swoosh Swoosh...] was in the Flooded Bottle’s world, it was raining, but it’s not rain; rather, it’s its tears.
"Enough, stop crying!" Ning Fan frowned tightly.
Having grown attached to the Flooded Bottle, its crying stirred Ning Fan’s stubbornness.
"Isn’t it just a wish to break through to Supreme Innate!"
"I’ll help you then!"
Ning Fan said this to the Flooded Bottle.
Of course, Duowen also heard these words.
Though he didn’t believe Ning Fan could help the Flooded Bottle.
Life’s helplessness teaches some lessons only after running into a wall.
"Or perhaps, this child plans to use his life as a sacrifice, risking himself to gain a sliver of chance for this bottle’s advancement?" Duowen evidently mused, thinking about those frenzied Artifact Refiners sacrificing themselves, jumping into the flames as offerings.
He shook his head afterward.
He didn’t think Ning Fan would go mad enough to sacrifice his life for a magical treasure.
Hence, this is doomed to be an unachievable task.
[Sob sob, Master, stop comforting Bottly already. Your good intentions are appreciated, but you can’t help me; I’ve accepted my fate...] The more complete the Flooded Bottle becomes, the higher its spiritual nature, even giving itself the name Bottly.
Yet precisely because its spiritual nature increased, it felt even more sadness.
"Don’t worry, I’ve found you the needed Artifact Refiner, isn’t it just a Heaven-Opening Grade Refiner? I know where there is one! But I don’t guarantee she’ll help you succeed once she arrives. Yet if you don’t give it a try, I presume you won’t be reconciled!" Ning Fan said earnestly.
...
At the same time.
Ning Fan, cross-legged beside the Demon-Encountering Stele, suddenly stood up.
Controlled by Ning Fan, his physical form closed its eyes, body shook slightly, disappearing without a trace.
In the next instant, Ning Fan’s figure appeared in the North Pole Seventh Palace, inside the Partridge Head Palace.
At that moment in the Partridge Head Palace, Five-Grains Emperor sat upright as if a student, listening to someone lecture.
The one responsible for teaching the class was the young girl named Chi Yi.
Chi Yi was teaching mechanical techniques. Due to the earnest request of the Five-Grains Emperor, she reluctantly agreed to teach this class.
She had tried her best to make it as easy as possible, but unfortunately, the Five-Grains Emperor still found it utterly confusing. Even Shu Jun, the one most knowledgeable about mechanical techniques among them, listened with a bewildered expression, as if hearing gobbledygook.
No way, they simply couldn’t understand!
The disparity between their levels was too great! They weren’t on the same tier at all!
The knowledge involved in these mechanical techniques had already surpassed their common understanding!
Clearly, they recognized every word Chi Yi said, but when strung together...
What the hell!
Who am I?
Where am I?
What on earth is she talking about?
While the Five-Grains Emperor was painfully questioning life, Ning Fan suddenly appeared.
Upon seeing this, the Five-Grains Emperor dared not remain seated, and respectfully stood to greet Ning Fan.
But Ning Fan didn’t waste words with them.
He hurriedly said, "I have an urgent matter, borrowing your teacher for a moment."
Then, without waiting for the Five-Grains Emperor to respond, he directly picked up Chi Yi and vanished without a trace.
"???", an utterly bewildered Five-Grains Emperor.
"!!!", a gradually comprehending Five-Grains Emperor.
"Ah, how long has Senior Ning been holding back, to be so impatient!"
"Clearly, class was almost over in just a little while..."
"Never mind, what’s the difference between finishing class early or late? We couldn’t understand what the teacher was saying anyway."
"Guess... how does Senior Ning plan to ’borrow’ the teacher?"
"Haha, no comment, no comment..."
...
Chi Yi, who was being carried, also had a bewildered look.
She had lost too many memories, and being suddenly picked up left her uneasy and unsure of how to respond.
"Master, I..." Chi Yi’s face remained expressionless, but there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"What’s wrong?" Ning Fan.
"I’m not ready yet..." Chi Yi.
"???" Ning Fan.
"But if this is the master’s will... Chi Yi will try her best. Although my memories are broken, I remember this is my first time, so I hope the master will be compassionate."
"..." Ning Fan.
...
Much time had passed since the attack of the Vast Beasts.
The Vast Beasts’ successive waves of attacks hadn’t harmed the Flooded Bottle in the slightest.
Seeing this, even with their low intelligence, the Vast Beasts knew this kind of attack wouldn’t work and planned to switch to other means.
At this moment.
Beside Ning Fan on the Bronze Ancient Ship, a phantom shadow suddenly appeared out of nowhere — of course, this shadow wasn’t visible to Shi Gandang or the Vast Beasts.
Ning Fan had forcibly brought a thread of Chi Yi’s Heart Spirit into his Saint Heir trial!
"Here...?" Chi Yi felt a bit troubled, although she couldn’t quite grasp the situation, she bit her lip and undid the first jade button on her neckline.
But Ning Fan quickly grabbed her hand and refastened her button with a head full of black lines.
"Don’t misunderstand. I brought you here not for those activities," Ning Fan said helplessly.
Upon hearing this, Chi Yi paused, realizing she misunderstood Ning Fan’s intentions.
She then nodded, squatted down, pursed her lips, and started to undo Ning Fan’s waistband.
So, he wanted to do it orally?
Though unfamiliar, if this was the master’s intention... she would try her best.
"No, it’s not for that... Speaking of which, why did you remember all these random things despite losing your memory..." After much effort, Ning Fan finally clarified the situation to Chi Yi.
"The master brought me here only for this magical treasure?" Chi Yi blinked, looking at the Flooded Bottle in the sky with its treasure light continuously ascending. Just one glance, and it seemed as though she saw into the soul of the Flooded Bottle.
So it was just for this minor task?
She thought it would require this and that, one way or another...
