Chapter 175: Chapter 172: My Name, Meng Daoyi
This was an underwater grotto, carved out by someone long ago. It was ancient, and it was impossible to tell who had created it. A mysterious aura permeated every corner.
At the center of the grotto was a massive Crystal Stone, shimmering with five-colored light.
"Life Source Stone."
A Life Source Stone was a type of Heavenly and Earthly Treasure that could seal a person within it.
Once sealed inside, a person’s lifespan would not increase in the slightest, completely isolating them from the passage of time.
For example, if an infant were sealed inside, they would not age at all, even after a thousand years.
What startled Ning Jiang was that the Life Source Stone was already split in two. There was an empty space in the center, a clear sign that something had once been sealed inside.
Upon closer inspection, he saw the impression of an infant!
’If I’m not mistaken, the person originally sealed in here must have been me.’
A glint appeared in Ning Jiang’s eyes. The aura of the Life Source Stone was very familiar; the moment he entered, he had felt this stone resonating with his very life force.
With his vast knowledge, he understood at once that the person sealed inside had been him as an infant.
’How interesting. It seems my origins are anything but simple,’ Ning Jiang mused.
Life Source Stones were exceedingly precious. One had to be at least at the Celestial Martial Realm to even be qualified to handle such a wondrous object.
Someone had gone to the trouble of carving out a grotto beneath the Qingjiang River and sealing him here as an infant, seemingly to hide from something.
Clearly, the origin of this body held a great secret.
’I was sealed for a full one hundred years!’
After carefully observing the Life Source Stone, Ning Jiang came to a startling conclusion.
Every year, a lifeline ring would form on the surface of a Life Source Stone, much like the growth rings of a tree.
This particular Life Source Stone had a full one hundred lifeline rings, meaning he had been sealed for a century since he was an infant.
He was a man from a century ago.
"Huh?"
Ning Jiang let out a soft sound of surprise. Beneath the shattered Life Source Stone, he discovered a Jade Token.
Picking up the Jade Token, Ning Jiang saw two words written on it—Meng Daoyi!
’Meng Daoyi... is this my original name?’
’This name is quite profound. The Great Dao is fifty, the heavens divine forty-nine, and one escapes. This is the "Dao Yi," the "One of the Dao"!’
With his knowledge, Ning Jiang instantly understood the meaning behind the name "Daoyi."
In the saying, "The Great Dao is fifty, the heavens divine forty-nine, and one escapes," the "one" also represents a sliver of hope.
At the same time, this "one" also represents variables and uncertainty.
To be named "Daoyi" held a profound, hidden meaning!
’This Jade Token is no simple object.’
Ning Jiang’s eyes shone. From within the Jade Token, he could faintly feel a pull.
It was as if, through some unseen force, the Jade Token was trying to lead him somewhere.
What surprised him even more was that the entire Jade Token was covered in dense, writhing runes that looked like tiny tadpoles.
’A type of sealing technique!’
Ning Jiang recognized it as a sealing technique used to seal information within the Jade Token.
’Unfortunately, my cultivation is insufficient. I’ll probably have to wait until I reach the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm before I can break some of these seals and access the information.’
Ning Jiang guessed that the information sealed within the Jade Token was most likely related to his origins.
However, the power of the seal was too strong for him to break right now. It was clear that the person who had placed the seal wanted him to be strong enough before learning about his past.
This was likely a form of protection.
Putting away the Jade Token, Ning Jiang continued to inspect the grotto.
’Huh? An array!’
On the floor of the spacious grotto was an inscribed array with such complex patterns that even an Array Grandmaster would get a headache just looking at it.
But Ning Jiang recognized the array’s purpose in a single glance.
’A Teleportation Array.’
It was a type of Teleportation Array, capable of sending someone to another location.
Unfortunately, the array had been deliberately half-destroyed, as if something had happened that left no other choice.
’With my abilities, I could repair this array. The most troublesome part of repairing such an array, however, is gathering the necessary Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.’
Ning Jiang shook his head, giving up on the idea of repairing the array for now.
’It seems I’ll have to find materials to repair the array in the future. Then I can come back and see where this Teleportation Array leads.’
Repairing the array required certain Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.
And after the repairs, activating the array would require Spiritual Qi, as it needed energy to function.
Right now, Ning Jiang was dirt poor. As the saying goes, you can’t make bricks without straw.
He could only wait until he had the necessary resources before returning to this place.
Next, Ning Jiang meticulously inspected the grotto one more time. In its deepest part stood a thirty-foot-long black stone stele.
Carved on the stele were patterns depicting numerous magnificent palaces.
This stele seemed to be pointing the way to a certain place.
’This is a Magical Treasure!’
Ning Jiang was slightly startled. This stele was far from simple; he suspected it was a Magical Treasure.
’I’ll just put it away for now.’
After placing the stele into his Storage Ring, Ning Jiang turned his gaze to a frigid pool within the grotto.
A biting cold aura emanated from the pool.
’So this pool must be what caused the Ice Python to transform and evolve.’
After summoning his Great Sun Dharma Body, Ning Jiang leaped into the frigid pool.
The pool was not very deep, only a few hundred feet.
’The Taiyin Divine Crystal! I’ve found it!’
At the bottom lay a black, crystal-clear stone.
A biting cold aura radiated from it, so frigid that even an Innate Limit Strong Person would be frozen into an ice sculpture in its presence.
His guess had been correct; there was indeed a Taiyin Divine Crystal down here.
’This trip has been a massive haul.’
Ning Jiang was thoroughly satisfied. He had obtained the body of a Spirit Realm Ice Python, discovered clues about his origins, and, to top it all off, found the Taiyin Divine Crystal.
’Now I just need to wait for the day of the solar eclipse to cultivate the Sun and Moon Divine Eye.’
What was a solar eclipse?
Simply put, a solar eclipse was when the moon and sun overlapped, with the moon blocking the sun, making it look as if the sun were being devoured.
The conditions for cultivating the Sun and Moon Divine Techniques were incredibly strict. Not only did one need to find the Yin Yang Divine Crystal, but one also had to wait for the sun and moon to overlap to even begin.
The right time, the right place, and the right materials—not one could be missing.
The more powerful the Cultivation Technique, the more troublesome it was to practice.
The Sun and Moon Divine Eye was a terrifying Divine Technique with a monumental origin, always ranked among the top for its offensive power. When cultivated to its peak, the user’s eyes could even transform into a real sun and moon after their death.
’By my calculations, a solar eclipse will occur in as little as half a year, or three years at the most.’
Ning Jiang’s eyes were filled with anticipation.
A solar eclipse was a rare spectacle, seldom seen throughout history. Sometimes, tens of thousands of years could pass without one.
But as a Venerable who had cultivated the Myriad Stars Flying Immortal Technique in his past life, it was a simple matter for Ning Jiang to calculate the movements of the stars.
According to his calculations, the astronomical marvel of a solar eclipse would occur within half a year to three years.
Of course, he couldn’t calculate the exact day. After all, his current cultivation was too low, and he hadn’t yet begun practicing the Myriad Stars Flying Immortal Technique again.
’Time to go.’
Ning Jiang passed through the light barrier and left the grotto.
After swimming through the several-thousand-foot-long tunnel, he returned to the Qingjiang River.
ROAR.
The Ice Python he had subdued whimpered and drew near, full of fear.
A Demon Beast of its realm possessed considerable intelligence. Seeing that a Spirit Realm Demon Beast had died at Ning Jiang’s hands, its fear of him intensified.
"Go on, eat."
Ning Jiang tossed out half of the dead Ice Python’s corpse.
The Ice Python’s corpse had already transformed into a Spirit Body, its flesh and blood containing immense energy. For a Demon Beast, consuming it would be incredibly nourishing.
"Use the Demon Technique I gave you to refine the energy within its flesh and blood, understand?" Ning Jiang instructed.
Simply eating it would waste most of the energy.
It was like a person eating an ox; they wouldn’t just automatically possess the ox’s strength.
But if there was a way to refine the ox’s strength and make it their own, that was a different matter entirely.
ROAR.
The Ice Python nodded its enormous head, indicating that it understood.
With that, Ning Jiang left the area and returned to the boat.
...
’This Ice Python’s spinal column could be used to refine a few Magical Treasures.’
Back on the boat, Ning Jiang began to consider the matter of Artifact Refining.
He had extracted the Ice Python’s spinal column. To be precise, it should be called a Spirit Bone. In terms of hardness, it far surpassed any Top Grade Treasure Artifact.
A strike from a Top Grade Treasure Artifact would barely leave a scratch on it.
’If I use this Spirit Bone for refining, the resulting weapon’s Level will be that of a Spiritual Artifact.’
The weapons used by Martial Artists in Cyan Cloud Country were all Treasure Artifacts.
A tier higher than Treasure Artifacts were Spiritual Artifacts.
Generally, only Spirit Realm Powerhouses could possess Spiritual Artifacts.
’What should I refine it into?’
Ning Jiang pondered. The Spirit Bone was over a thousand feet long; he could actually break it into several pieces and refine multiple Magical Treasures.
But doing so would destroy its integrity.
’I’ll refine it into a sword!’
Ning Jiang made his decision.
He would maintain the Spirit Bone’s integrity and refine the entire thing into a single sword.
This was an incredibly difficult, almost insurmountable task.
One had to understand, refining a thousand-foot-long Spirit Bone into a single sword was a feat that even the most outstanding Artifact Refiner in Cyan Cloud Country would find impossible.
Only someone like Ning Jiang, a Venerable with countless methods at his disposal, had a chance.
’To refine this Spirit Bone, I first need to set up a Flame Array. Then, I can use the full power of the array for the refining process.’
The Spirit Bone was simply too massive; the method to refine it would have to be equally unconventional.
He then sent out several orders, tasking Lu Changsheng and others with finding the key materials needed to set up the Flame Array.
He now controlled Pill King Valley, a Top Level power. Once set in motion, its resources were overwhelming.
In less than two days, all the array materials he needed were gathered.
Furthermore, one of the required materials was proactively offered up by a First-Class Noble House, the Chen Family, as soon as they heard what he needed.
With his current prestige, forget about mere array materials; if he so much as wanted a woman, countless women from across Cyan Cloud Country would rush to throw themselves at him.
「August 3rd.」
In a valley, Ning Jiang finished setting up the Flame Array. A towering inferno roared to life.
He officially began the Artifact Refining!
