Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 684 - 678: Lifespan Reducing Radiance? Forbidden Arts and Spirit Fusion!_1

Chapter 684: Chapter 678: Lifespan Reducing Radiance? Forbidden Arts and Spirit Fusion!_1

Jia Ren returned to the Lingbao Sect to perfect The Seventh Path’s Dusk Treasured Light and The Eighth Path’s Dusk Treasured Light.

The creation concept of the Dusk Treasured Light was to absorb nature’s spiritual energy and create an apocalyptic region, thus restricting an opponent’s Spiritual Power. Ever since the Dusk Treasured Light combined with the Law of Heaven and Earth, its power had escalated, becoming a means to provide a massive supply of nature’s spiritual energy. Not only that, but its draining of all nature’s spiritual energy from the Vast Wave Realm was also its masterpiece.

So far, the Dusk Treasured Light had acquired three kinds of Treasured Light effects: Soul-Extinction Radiance, Spirit-Dissolving Radiance, and Absorptive Spirit Radiance. The choice of new Treasured Lights for The Seventh Path and The Eighth Path would determine its future direction.

Which Treasured Light should be chosen? Lifespan Reducing Radiance?! Not to mention that Lifespan Reducing Radiance mainly draws from Lifespan Trickery Power. If one absorbed such trickery-tainted power into the body, could it even form Divine Skills? One would inevitably be contaminated by the Lifespan Trickery Power. Unlike past experiences with Bizarre Demons’ contamination, once Lifespan Reducing Radiance was refined, this contamination would be persistent, accompanying one for life. Attempting to resolve the contamination with Phoenix Flame and Ashen Flames would only destroy the new Treasured Light completely, rendering one of its Treasured Lights utterly useless. Forcibly using it would come with numerous restrictions, and with the slightest carelessness, I would have to bear the cost of a significant loss in lifespan.

"What a pity!"

Jia Ren felt a pang of regret. If Lifespan Reducing Radiance were successful, it would definitely be a powerful weapon against cultivators. If an enemy fought against me, with my Kun State and Black Tortoise Form, not only would they fail to kill me, but they would also continuously reduce their own lifespan... The effect would be simply too powerful!

However, it ultimately proved unfeasible for a human to refine Lifespan Reducing Radiance, which was centered on Lifespan Trickery Power.

Could I let the Trickery Path Incarnation act as the carrier and cultivate an exclusive Lifespan Reducing Radiance?!

Jia Ren wasn’t stubborn and quickly thought of an alternative.

If it wasn’t feasible for a human body, why not just create a Trickery Path Incarnation? A Trickery Path Incarnation dedicated to cultivating Lifespan Reducing Radiance, aiding me in combat, could achieve a similar effect.

He set aside Lifespan Reducing Radiance and the Trickery Path Incarnation for now to focus on perfecting the Dusk Treasured Light.

Forbidden Magic Radiance? While absorbing Spiritual Power, it forms a prohibition zone where cultivators cannot use their Divine Skills? That’s a good choice. With no nature’s spiritual energy around and Spiritual Power draining at an alarming rate, even if one tried to use escape Divine Skills to flee, they would be unable to execute them due to the Forbidden Magic Radiance’s effect. The power of the Dusk Treasured Light would undergo a qualitative change. Forbidden Magic Radiance could be considered.

There was also a second development direction: to reinforce the power of the Dusk Treasured Light, enhancing its ability to plunder spiritual energy. Such Treasured Lights included Strengthening Spirit Radiance and Merging Spirit Radiance. Strengthening Spirit Radiance would enhance the three existing Treasured Light effects, increasing the speed of absorbing spiritual energy. Merging Spirit Radiance could combine all Treasured Lights into one, and the merged Treasured Light would possess incredible power. Between these two, Jia Ren was more inclined towards Merging Spirit Radiance, as its enhancement effect was superior to that of Strengthening Spirit Radiance.

Thus, the choice was between Forbidden Magic Radiance and Merging Spirit Radiance. I choose... Forbidden Magic Radiance! The Dusk Treasured Light should not become a vassal to the Law of Heaven and Earth; it should have its own development path, not merely compromise. Once the Treasure Light Body Refining Technique breaks its limits, Merging Spirit Radiance could become The Ninth Path, The Tenth Path, or even The Eleventh Path of Treasured Light.

Jia Ren had a plan. The next step was to perfect his choice by merging all four Treasured Lights—the three existing ones plus Forbidden Magic Radiance—into one, and then refining a corresponding Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure. This was tantamount to creating a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure from scratch, no easy feat. However, he had performed a similar operation before; the Final Law Treasure Mirror had been crafted using this method. Re-conceiving other types of Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures would take considerable time; he only needed to add prohibition-class Heavenly Spirit Material and Inscriptions to the existing foundation of the Dusk Treasured Light. Prohibition-class Heavenly Treasure Patterns were not hard to find, as the Lingbao Sect had plenty of existing examples to choose from. Having recently found more than eighty pieces of Heavenly Spirit Material in the Vast Wave Realm, he had an abundant supply of materials. Once the new Refining Technique was perfected, he could begin Artifact Refining.

Jia Ren frequented the Refining Palace, seeking the collective wisdom of the Heaven-reaching Refiners. If others were willing to help, why reinvent the wheel in isolation? Although the Refining Level of the Lingbao Sect’s Heaven-reaching Refiners was not as high as his own, they were well-versed in the way of Artifact Refining and had valuable insights. The clash of different knowledge and thought processes often facilitated breakthroughs. When the Heaven-reaching Refiners saw Jia Ren take the initiative to approach them, they were overjoyed and immediately put aside their current work. The discussions regarding the Prohibition Treasure Mirror became heated, and the exchange was greatly beneficial to everyone.

「One month later」

Jia Ren returned, filled with new insights into the Refining Technique. He entered seclusion to focus on Artifact Refining!

The Heaven-Earth Melting Furnace reappeared, used for both Alchemy and Artifact Refining. This refining session was unlike past ones, as the Heaven-reaching Refiners stood at a distance to observe and learn. Jia Ren’s status had changed; there was no longer any need to hide his skills. Refining in public was a way to guide the Artifact Refiners of the Lingbao Sect and to repay them for assisting in perfecting the Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure-level Prohibition Treasure Mirror.

"Heaven-Earth Melting Furnace!"

The Heaven-Earth Melting Furnace quickly condensed in the sky.

"Bring forth the fire!"

The Southern Ming Separation Fire appeared, settling beneath the Heaven-Earth Melting Furnace and burning vigorously, fueled by nature’s spiritual energy. Jia Ren had previously attempted Alchemy and Artifact Refining with the Phoenix Flame, the Southern Ming Separation Fire, and the Ashen Flames, and he now had a clear answer in his heart. The Ashen Flames were the most powerful—being a composite-type flame—though slightly less stable. The Phoenix Flame could not compare to the Southern Ming Separation Fire. This was the conclusion he had reached after numerous attempts.

As the Southern Ming Separation Fire ignited, countless white flames crawled over the body of the furnace. Jia Ren took out the Heavenly Spirit Material, the Absolute Law Inkstone, and threw it into the furnace first. The Absolute Law Inkstone was notoriously difficult to refine. It had always strongly resisted Spiritual Power, Spells, Divine Skills, and Strange Fire, yet under the Southern Ming Separation Fire, it only lasted for the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea. Pure black liquid continuously diminished as tens of thousands of white flame needles wove through the inky liquid. Vast quantities of impurities vanished, and any dross within the material that could affect Artifact Refining was completely incinerated.

Myriad gazes, complex and indescribable, were fixed upon him. They indeed wanted to learn... but the problem was, they couldn’t. Not to mention they didn’t have the Southern Ming Separation Fire, being able to control a hundred flow needle filaments with the Treasure Refining Method already qualified one as a master. Those who could control a thousand such needles were few and far between. Simultaneously manipulating tens of thousands of these flowing needle filaments was a realm they could never reach in their lifetimes; they could only look up in awe. Artifact Refining became Jia Ren’s solo performance, leaving the Heaven-reaching Refiners present utterly awestruck. Their eyes had learned it, but their hands could not perform.

「Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.」

The Heaven-Earth Melting Furnace finally extinguished its fire, dissolving into pure Spiritual Energy that dispersed into the world. At this point, the Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure was finally refined! Jia Ren’s Artifact Refining skills had become increasingly proficient. Combined with the Vermilion Bird’s Southern Ming Separation Fire, which had reached its growth phase, he had managed to compress the time needed to refine a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure to a mere ten years.

From the embers of the Heaven-Earth Melting Furnace, a pitch-black, lightless mirror emerged, seeming to swallow all sight. The surrounding nature’s spiritual energy seemed drawn towards the mirror, continuously flowing into it. The Artifact Refiners present felt the area rapidly becoming a Soul-Extinction zone as the Spiritual Power within their bodies was uncontrollably drained away. Some instinctively tried to use Divine Skills to stop the Spiritual Power from leaving their bodies, but their attempts repeatedly failed, leaving them horrified. Is this the effect of the Prohibition Treasure Mirror?!

From this point on, the Lingbao Sect’s legacy included one more Heaven-reaching Refining Method!

It’s time to undergo the tribulation!

Jia Ren put away the Prohibition Treasure Mirror, which was still wreaking havoc on the Lingbao Sect and the Artifact Refiners, and looked up at the sky. The Breath of Stars Barrier did not block his sight. He could vaguely sense heaven and earth resonating, as if a tribulation for the Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure was about to form. He transformed into a streak of Escape Light, carrying the treasure as he flew out of the Lingbao Sect.

Without the Breath of Stars Barrier to impede it, tribulation clouds quickly formed, strands of lightning dancing within them. This wasn’t Jia Ren’s first time facing a Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure Tribulation. With a shake of his body, he transformed into the Thunder Roc Form. The Thunder Roc inherently possessed the talent to control lightning, capable of absorbing the full force of the Heavenly Tribulation—the method that maximized benefits. Lightning descended, and Jia Ren, as usual, interfered with the Heavenly Tribulation. If the Mysterious Realm possessed a world will, it would surely be enraged; this habitual offender had struck again! Lightning power and tribulation qi converged with astonishing speed. The tribulation clouds became three times denser than before, and the affected area expanded tenfold. It was like the rage of heaven and earth, a terrifying pressure that made breathing difficult.

Success!

Seeing the Heavenly Tribulation surge, Jia Ren didn’t hesitate. With a flap of his Thunder Roc wings, he soared into the tribulation clouds, where countless cyan-blue bolts of lightning danced around him without causing the slightest harm. With his great beak agape, he began to devour the lightning power. Countless bolts of lightning surged into his body, commencing a new round of Body Refinement. In mere moments, the Thunder Roc had drained the tribulation clouds dry. Sunlight pierced through the shattered clouds, falling upon the earth. Numerous arcs of lightning danced continuously over the Thunder Roc’s body; not a single strand of lightning could escape. The tribulation power coursed through his body, activating its hidden potential and increasing his internal vitality. His Immortal Physique was enhanced once again, and the speed at which he could regenerate limbs significantly increased.

The Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, the Prohibition Treasure Mirror, passed its Heavenly Tribulation and gained sentience. Jia Ren returned with this treasure.

"Thank you, Grand Elder, for your guidance on Artifact Refining!"

The Heaven-reaching Refiners thanked Jia Ren one after another. His methods of refining and material handling were vastly different from those traditionally used in the Lingbao Sect. His techniques were more outstanding than the traditional methods passed down in the Lingbao Sect, and watching his Artifact Refining had been extremely beneficial. At the very least, the time it would take for the Heaven-reaching Refiners present to refine Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures would now be shortened. For this reason alone, coming to observe the Grand Elder’s Artifact Refining had been well worth their time.

Jia Ren addressed questions from several Heaven-reaching Refiners, not stingy in sharing his knowledge.

「By the time he finished, it was deep into the night.」

The Prohibition Treasure Mirror was incorporated into the Demon-Sealing Pagoda System, becoming a treasure that could constantly grow stronger. The Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower provided Sacrificial Fire to help this treasure grow stronger. When the Forbidden Magic Radiance reached Mahayana Level Perfection, it would be time to cultivate The Seventh Path’s Dusk Treasured Light.

Jia Ren returned to his residence and communicated with the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower with his thoughts. The long-accumulated Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power flowed into his body continuously, rapidly transforming into his Cultivation Level. His Cultivation Level progressed slowly, bit by bit. His cultivation progress increased by less than ten percent.

At this rate, even with the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower aiding my cultivation, it will still take one hundred and fifty years to reach Combined Body Perfection.