Chapter 510: Chapter 464: Taking Stock of the Gains
The scent of osmanthus filled the air, it was dusk.
Lu Nanzhi went to the Eastern Immortal Alliance to check the correspondence, while Jiang Yuebai set up an array and then dived into the Lotus Platform Cave Heaven, finally able to calm down and take stock of the losses and gains from this time.
As for the losses, Jiang Yuebai looked at the now barren spiritual field, the empty warehouse, and the phoenix tree with only its branches left, and then looked at her right hand, where the bracelet was gone, leaving only the transparent, colorless, and inconspicuous storage ring.
The ring was also empty, with not much left inside.
Furthermore, in the Condensing Light Mirror, the Ice Amor Beetle that had painstakingly manifested into form was gone, and the two divine thoughts born from the "Divine Soul Birth Thought Technique" had also merged into Zhur Jiuyou’s Sea of Consciousness along with Yuchen.
The divine thoughts couldn’t be separated, and Yuchen would never emerge again.
The losses were quite apparent!
After all, she was not a Refining Void Cultivator. Typically, only when reaching the Void Refinement Realm do cultivators possess the ability to split their primordial spirit and refine an outer body incarnation. This is also an unconventional method for Void Refinement Cultivators to advance toward the Body Integration Realm, a means to cut away their own illusions.
They would cast all their indelible desires to the split primordial spirit, using heavenly materials and earthly treasures to refine an outer body incarnation.
Some, with a tougher stance, would even directly sever the outer body incarnation, a substantial sacrifice but one that could allow further advancement.
This time, she stumbled into it, using Yuchen as the core, incorporating her two divine thoughts and the contract runes used to control spiritual pets, forming a pseudo primordial spirit, and refining Zhur Jiuyou’s body into an outer body incarnation.
In this, Yuchen played a significant role. Jiang Yuebai sometimes wondered whether there’s some unknown reason because Yuchen and Little Green were both acquired from the Yinfeng Creek of the Heavenly Interence Sect. Little Green is special, and Yuchen is very special too.
Was it due to the blood feud of Ye Shiming and the hundred thousand soldiers spanning a millennium, or because of the Wuwei Mountain Man, Lin Jingyue?
When the time comes for her to successfully form a Nascent Soul and leave the Green Dragon Realm, Jiang Yuebai plans to seek out the traces of Wuwei Mountain Man, to verify some matters and also fulfill the promise made to Ye Shiming in the past, resolving this grievance.
Jiang Yuebai eliminated distracting thoughts and continued to focus on Zhur Jiuyou’s outer body incarnation. Currently, the capabilities and cultivational realm of this outer body incarnation were even stronger than her original body. Zhur Jiuyou’s original cultivation realm was quite high, though she didn’t know exactly how high, but since she hasn’t ascended to the Immortal Realm and was still in the Upper Realm, it indicated that it wasn’t beyond the Mahayana.
With this outer body incarnation, there were no bottlenecks or tribulations necessary. Its physical strength and personal power far exceeded Jiang Yuebai’s current level.
She could only explore how strong it was in future battles, as she couldn’t test it against a Mahayana Immortal Monarch like smashing a brick.
Due to the cultivation technique, this outer body incarnation could harness any force between Heaven and Earth, be it spiritual energy, Yin Qi, or demonic Qi, and if it were Chaos Qi, her power would be even greater.
However, there’s a but, namely that the pseudo primordial spirit caused Zhur Jiuyou’s body to be constrained by her original cultivation, able to match her at best, and only breaking through one small realm at full power; beyond that, the pseudo primordial spirit would be unable to bear it.
Moreover, even though it was her outer body incarnation, completely under her control, due to Yuchen’s presence, Jiang Yuebai could feel that the incarnation’s personality and preferences slightly differed from her own.
The personality seemed akin to Yuchen, favoring tranquility and solitude, a preference for cold environments, and even relishing in icy things.
Hence, whenever she was Zhur Jiuyou and saw Lu Nanzhi surrounded by cold air, she couldn’t help but want to go closer.
Currently, Yuchen was still in the center of Zhur Jiuyou’s Sea of Consciousness, enveloped by a layer of golden light with a Nine Dragon Totem, sleeping, and its original blue light was gradually turning to gold.
Jiang Yuebai felt that Yuchen wasn’t just a simple Ice Armor Beetle King; it was either inherently unusual or had undergone postnatal mutation over the years, consuming numerous things while following her.
Jiang Yuebai lacked Zhur Jiuyou’s memories, taking over her body seemed harmless at present, but she harbored faint worries recalling the scenes and sounds during their divine soul intertwining.
She did not see the man’s appearance, only remembered his voice; if she inadvertently encountered those old monsters known by Zhur Jiuyou in the future, conflict might become unavoidable.
"Zhur Jiuyou’s presence is well concealed, and as long as Chaos Qi is not used, it won’t be discovered. A mask could be refined to carry around," she contemplated.
After mulling things over, Jiang Yuebai looked toward the Heaven-Swallowing Cauldron at the small courtyard’s entrance and went over, kicking it.
"Rotten cauldron, I’ll deal with you later!"
The Heaven-Swallowing Cauldron’s situation was complicated. She later tried using the phoenix tree’s branches, throwing about a dozen in without seeing any more Chaos Qi being expelled by the cauldron.
She had thought back then, had she known that branches could sate the cauldron, she wouldn’t have discarded so many things into it. Now it seemed that although the phoenix tree’s branches were potent, vast resources were still needed to accumulate enough to refine Chaos Qi.
The emphasis lies in quantity and variety.
"It’s like my Lotus Platform, specialized in handling trash. At least it provides me with a Pocket Small World, while you, rotten cauldron, only intake!"
Jiang Yuebai went before the Dragon Suppressing Coffin, which was made of a special material with a truly immune-to-all-techniques feel.
Back then, during the scramble for the Dragon Suppressing Coffin among the Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, she remained unscathed while hiding inside, even the Nine-Headed Flood Dragon couldn’t deal with the coffin.
Jiang Yuebai estimated that the coffin’s strength might even withstand the spells of Divinity Transformation and Void Refinement cultivators, a life-saving artifact.
"In the future, if I encounter overpowering enemies, I could hide in the coffin and maneuver it to escape. Perfect! I wonder if this coffin’s top can withstand the Heavenly Tribulation?"
Jiang Yuebai pondered and decided to give it a try.
Besides these things, Jiang Yuebai also gained two cultivation techniques, "Chaos Nirvana Skill" and "Dragon God Transformation."
She had already achieved the first layer of "Chaos Nirvana Skill," refining essence and qi transformation; all her spiritual energy and demon energy were transformed by Chaos Qi.
Chaos Qi encompasses all; it can evolve into everything and destroy everything, unbound by the laws of heaven and earth. It is indeed powerful, but finding enough Chaos Qi to continue cultivation is too difficult for Jiang Yuebai.
This issue can only be resolved slowly; for now, she will cultivate using the original techniques to progress further. Once she gathers enough Chaos Qi, she will resume the "Chaos Nirvana Skill" to strengthen her existing cultivation.
"Dragon God Transformation" must also commence; those six red fragmented bones on her are still a mystery. Jiang Yuebai suspects they might either be the dragon bones of the Candle Dragon or the bones of Zhur Jiuyou.
If it’s the former, perhaps it can be used for cultivating the first layer of the "Dragon God Transformation." However, she currently has no clue how to verify this and needs to find records about the Candle Dragon to match the characteristics.
The matter of forming the Nascent Soul requires heading to Ao Juan’s territory to seek her protection.
Still missing is a technique for refining the spirit; once enough Chaos Qi is accumulated, she will consider it during the refining essence and qi transformation stage. She can first assess how much stronger her divine soul needs to be.
Of the Five Ghosts, only the Long-Haired Water Ghost remains, which Little Green withholds from her. The Earth Evil Slaughter Bag still needs the Long-Haired Water Ghost for refining, and the Incense Fire Qi within the Imperial Decree Golden Book must be used to continue enhancing the dharma body strength of the Long-Haired Water Ghost.
"I must find time to have a good talk with Little Green. Just because Jixiang has a family, it doesn’t mean the ghost should have a competitive spirit. Ghosts can’t have offspring!"
Jiang Yuebai turned her attention to Zhur Jiuyou; using outer body incarnation is different from controlling avatars with her divine thought.
When the avatar doesn’t have divine thought injected, it remains a dead object, unaware and motionless.
In contrast, the outer body incarnation is another self, capable of freely acting, thinking, and learning like her main body without needing to send over her divine thought.
This time, she lost two strands of divine thought, temporarily unable to synchronize controlling the puppet avatar and White Vine Avatar.
The Crane Feather Avatar isn’t significantly affected; it originally relied on the Crane Spirit from the Taihe Umbrella, allowing for continued use.
"Soul-Shaking Stone, I must put effort into finding a few more strands of divine thought."
She currently doesn’t even have a cauldron for alchemy and artifact refining. Glancing at her remaining spirit stones, Jiang Yuebai’s face turned greener than Little Green’s.
The small Zhur Jiuyou, holding her self-formed Mystic Ice Stick, expressionless, gnawed at it as she approached Jiang Yuebai, golden eyes meeting dark eyes.
Jiang Yuebai smacked her lips, "You really resemble a golden-eyed cat. For distinction, henceforth, I am Jiang Yuebai, and you are Bai Jiuyou."
"Whatever, you can call me Bai Fanchuan too."
Bai Jiuyou nonchalantly waved her hand and walked over to the Heaven-Swallowing Cauldron.
The original size of the cauldron towered over Bai Jiuyou, even when she stood on tiptoes, she couldn’t reach the rim.
Biting down on the Mystic Ice Stick, Bai Jiuyou lifted her little skirt with both hands and jumped onto the cauldron’s edge. Looking down from above, her gaze was imposing, remarkably akin to Jiang Yuebai’s main body.
"After consuming all those things, you better spit something out for me, or I’ll bury you so you can never eat again!"
Crunch!
Bai Jiuyou bit through the Mystic Ice forcefully, exuding a menacing aura.
The lid of the Heaven-Swallowing Cauldron instantly flew open, the gray vortex inside reversed, and three black lights shot out, landing heavily on the distant open ground.
Boom!
The earth shook, dust filling the air.
Jiang Yuebai and Bai Jiuyou turned simultaneously, their expressions of surprise identical.
Before them, as grand as a mountain, wasn’t it the remnants of the Nine-Headed Flood Dragon, still steaming and remarkably fresh?
The other two black lights, one black, one white, rotated in the air like Tai Chi—unharmonious yet perfectly integrated, emitting gentle and concentrated spiritual energy and demonic energy, respectively.
The spiritual vein pulse beneath the ruins of Black Demon Mountain!
Jiang Yuebai glanced back at the Heaven-Swallowing Cauldron, "You surely know how to please me; you know exactly what I lack."
Bai Jiuyou sucked on the Ice Stick and addressed the Nine-Headed Flood Dragon’s remains, "Quick, collect the flood dragon blood and flesh, muscles, and bones while it’s fresh. Maybe we can extract some Nine Dragon Essence Blood."
