Chapter 311: Chapter 231: The Golden Robe Is Donned, the Hongshui Dharma Assembly Opens

At Changming Celestial Lake, the sky was as clear as glass, with a crisp wind and not a cloud in sight.

From within the Spiritual Truth Abode, Jiang Yi slowly opened his eyes. A brilliant gleam of Essence, like a burst of fireworks, shot out for hundreds of feet before vanishing into the clouds.

The golden Dao Lotus rooted in his Inner Mansion trembled lightly. The Foundation Establishment Pill, which had hung high like a Great Sun, had vanished, transforming into an ocean of pure energy that surged and washed over the lotus again and again.

’The Dao Foundation is complete.’

Jiang Yi lowered his gaze, summoned the Celestial Book, and inquired about his Merit.

With a flash of golden light, the answer surfaced in his mind. As expected: a Great Perfection of twelve-tenths.

’A casual gift from the Grandmaster has saved me decades of bitter work.’

He mused to himself that without that Foundation Establishment Pill—a treasure rarely seen in any era—the single step of refining his Dao Foundation after achieving Gang Sha Unity would have taken ages.

It seemed as if Grandmaster Mingxuan had washed his hands of him after sending him back to the Innate Sect, but in reality, he had already paved the way for him. Whether Jiang Yi could walk that path was up to his own abilities.

Such a method of tutelage was truly in the style of the [Demon Dao].

Jiang Yi’s Divine Sense stirred, and he became aware that five days had passed in a flash. The Hongshui Dharma Assembly was about to convene.

He immediately leaped into the air, a brilliant streak of rainbow light shooting out from the Spiritual Truth Abode and crossing the sky. In an instant, he arrived at the main hall of Changming Celestial Lake.

"Array Spirit, where are you?"

Jiang Yi called out, his hands clasped behind his back.

The array spirit, Chang Jing, who had the appearance of a middle-aged scholar, suddenly materialized and bowed with the utmost respect.

"I am here, at the Daoist’s command."

Jiang Yi gave him a quick scan and discovered that Chang Jing’s aura had skyrocketed, reaching the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer.

Array spirits cannot practice Cultivation on their own; the level of their Merit is entirely dependent on the tier of the Array. For Chang Jing to have made such "progress," it must be because the vast lands of Changming Celestial Lake were gradually being reclaimed, increasing the number of array nodes.

Jiang Yi felt a flicker of satisfaction. It seemed the Cat Master hadn’t been idle lately, having shed their former gluttonous and lazy nature.

He asked in a low voice,

"Is Miss Xiaoqiao still in the ’Hall of Myriad Phenomena’?"

"In reply to the Daoist, Miss Xiaoqiao was reading in the archives of the Hall of Myriad Phenomena a few days ago. She has now gone to Liuwu Mountain in the southeast."

Jiang Yi nodded slightly. Qiao Yu carried a Token that allowed her to come and go from Changming Celestial Lake as she pleased, with no exception for even its most dangerous forbidden zones.

Liuwu Mountain was one such place, said to be connected to an ancient land and not to be entered lightly.

On the map of Changming Celestial Lake, it was specially marked in red ink with the annotation of four words: "Foundation Establishment Third Layer."

This meant that only a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer was qualified to explore it.

’Miss Xiaoqiao must have gone to Liuwu Mountain alone to test her Daoist Techniques.’

Jiang Yi once again summoned his Profound Light. Unleashing the Divine Fire Grand Escape, he shot toward Liuwu Mountain with imposing momentum.

...

...

Liuwu Mountain was located on the periphery of Changming Celestial Lake. It was no spiritually rich paradise; the energies here were impure and chaotic, like a vat of murky water.

Jiang Yi broke through the thick clouds and hovered in mid-air. Bing Fire radiated from his body, its golden flames rolling like boiling water to burn away the viscous, Dense Qi that tried to cling to him.

He brought two fingers together, and a flicker of Ding Fire, like a candle’s flame, illuminated the area for miles around. The landscape became as clear as the lines on his palm.

As Jiang Yi’s mastery of fire techniques deepened, his applications of the Bing and Ding Fire grew ever more versatile.

In the heavens, Ding Fire is the host of stars; on the earth, it is the flame in a lamp. It can evoke profound contemplation or illuminate the land for thousands of miles.

A moment later, the figure of a young woman in green robes emerged.

At the moment, however, Qiao Yu looked rather disheveled. Her hair was a mess as she rode a ball of golden energy in rapid flight, looking at a glance like a blinding sphere of light tumbling across the sky.

’Did Miss Xiaoqiao run into a powerful enemy?’

Jiang Yi’s eyebrow twitched. Qiao Yu was a "Daoist Level" prodigy from an [Sword Dao] Ancestral Sect, a "monster" who had reforged her way through the Foundation Establishment Realm several times.

In Magical Combat within the same Realm, none of the many Daoists from the eight ruling sects of the Nanzhan Continent—save for a few True Monarchs who had long ago secured a Golden Position—would dare claim they could definitively best her.

A thought flashed through his mind, and his right hand closed around the last protective Talisman gifted to him by Lady Xuan’nv. It was a hidden ace, ready to be used if the situation demanded it.

’If even Miss Xiaoqiao, with her Foundation Establishment Cultivation, can’t withstand this, then I likely can’t rescue her either.’

After weighing his options, Jiang Yi decided to use the Taixuan Nüqing Zhenlü Talisman.

"I’m only taking a bit of power from faith and offerings! Must you be so petty?"

But before Jiang Yi could play the hero saving the beauty, Qiao Yu abruptly halted. With a flick of her wrist, she formed a hand seal. Her Sword Pill whirled, splitting into thirty-two golden rays that instantly slashed out behind her.

’This is... her Innate Daoist Technique!’

Jiang Yi’s eyes gleamed. This sword strike from Miss Xiaoqiao was a hundred times more ferocious than during their previous Magical Combat.

The thirty-two dazzling golden rays rained down like a sudden squall. The sky above Liuwu Mountain seemed to be sliced open, the light of the attack leaving long trails like shooting stars. Only a moment later did the faint hum of the sword arrive.

Jiang Yi saw it clearly. The golden rays were bitingly cold, imbued with the essence of wind-blades and frost-swords, and they carried the clangor of a heavy cavalry charge.

It was unmistakably [Geng Metal]!

’"To hold dominion over slaughter and preside over the tides of war. Miss Xiaoqiao is using Geng Metal to cultivate the ’Taibai’ aspect."’

Jiang Yi’s insight was sharp and his Dao Wisdom profound. He had long since mastered the inner and outer workings of the Five Elements and could tell at a glance that the killing power of this sword strike was exceptionally potent.

TSSSK!

The very air was torn, space itself sliced open. A single line of sword light shot out for dozens of miles, cleaving Liuwu Mountain right down the middle.

"Stealing this deity’s thousand years of accumulated faith... AAGH!"

Jiang Yi heard a thunderous roar and caught a glimpse of a majestic deity with seven or eight divine halos suspended behind its head.

Its form flickered in and out of existence—it had three heads and six arms, wore a ritual crown, and wielded a Magical Treasure. It stood tall enough to prop up the heavens, and it seemed about to force open a gateway and charge through.

But Qiao Yu’s sword strike brutally forced it back!

"You steal the faith of living beings, so you could say I’m just robbing the rich to help the poor."

Qiao Yu’s face was a little pale. The sword strike had clearly taken a heavy toll, but she still managed a light laugh.