Wet viviparity

Chapter 742 Scroll Tortoise, Fixed Light Banner
The so-called practice of the "Way of Change" aims at the concept of change.

'Change' means to change one's spirit; 'Easy' means to change one's form.

Those who can change and adapt will be listed among the immortals; those who cannot change and adapt will not escape death. Those who practice change and adaptability are said to constantly contemplate the "Way of the Five Elements and Four Directions," also known as the Nine Changes.

The "five" in the "Five-Four Way" of this "One Step of Transformation" refers to the transformation of Qi, blood, essence, pulse, and marrow, while the "four" refers to the transformation of bones, tendons, hair, and form.

The process of a demon refining its form to attain enlightenment involves three steps: illusion, metamorphosis, and transformation. The transformation step is the final step in attaining enlightenment. If we consider the Taoist method of refining Qi and alchemy, it corresponds to the step of refining emptiness and returning to spirit.

The Yi Sui is the fifth of the nine Yi, and also the last step in the first five changes of the May Fourth Way.

In other words, this Yi Sui is equivalent to the perfected fifth realm of the Fetal Spirit under the Refining Emptiness and Returning to the Spirit. With such high cultivation and his own remarkable background, Ma Ling had the confidence to use Zi Ding Mountain as the venue for his divine manifestation.

If Black Owl possessed such skill, he would certainly act even more ostentatiously than Ma Ling.

Of course, only an old demon like Ma Ling, who was just one step away from becoming a demon immortal, could make amends for his mistakes after committing them, thus demonstrating the greatness of this merit and allowing him to advance further in the Longevity Palace.

However, there is still a difficulty in achieving this goal.

This Shuhan Residence is an ancient spiritual treasure, and it was once used as a pill-making chamber by the old star lord for a period of time.

It is worth mentioning that although the ancient scriptures in Yanshou Palace do not have a specific record of this period, in the ancient period when years were not recorded, this time when it was used as a elixir chamber must have lasted for at least a hundred or a thousand years.

In other words, the medicinal materials sealed here are likely unique to the ancient environment.

The only problem here is that this spiritual palace is not enough to cause trouble for Ma Ling, because Black Owl's acquisition of this spiritual palace can be entirely attributed to his fate.

Therefore, he needs to take a risk and cause a great sensation at Ziding Mountain. This is also the reason why he used his true form's Treasure Rat for the first time in many years to temporarily seal away Ma Ling's secret plan to spy on him.

What happened next should not be known to Ma Ling.

Apart from Zipo Peak, there are no other extraordinary treasures within Ziding Mountain.

However, there are a few special magical treasures that the old star lord does not usually use. They were obtained during his travels or given as gifts by fellow immortals. Because they are of special spiritual nature or have unorthodox uses, or because they will be used in the future, the old star lord casually sealed them away in a secret place in the mountains.

Over the years, even those in the Longevity Palace may not know all the details; only the Old Star Lord and a very few old friends know.

He was able to know this because Xiao Shou Gu was a close attendant of Bai He Tong Zi. She often heard Tong Zi mention the old Star Lord's past, and she recorded these past events one by one and sent them to Yan Xu Mountain. Therefore, Hei Xiao was able to know a little about the several hidden treasures deep in Zi Ding Mountain.

It can be said that recommending Xiao Shougu was absolutely the wisest decision the patriarch made.

Because these old stories about the old star god cannot be predicted, Xiao Shou Gu is definitely risking huge consequences by privately passing them on.

Among these magical treasures, there is one extraordinary treasure that seems to be of great importance. If this treasure is disturbed, it will surely bring great disaster to Ma Ling.

The treasure was named "Purple Hemp Light-Stabilizing Banner". The reason it could be made was due to a Purple Hemp Immortal Herb that had caused great chaos in Baoguang Prefecture during the Great Xia Dynasty.

This purple hemp fairy herb grows in the far east of the East Pole. After consuming it, one can develop a divine eye.

When this herb unexpectedly appeared, it caused a great uproar. Even some spirit officials of the Thunder Department and several star lords of the Dipper Department disregarded the rules and repeatedly intervened in secret. In the end, an old star lord who lived in seclusion silently deduced the mystery, observing from the sidelines and skillfully guiding the herb, causing it to dissipate and be refined into a magical treasure. When unfolded, this treasure is only a small piece of thin gauze, but with a sway in the wind, it instantly transforms into a hundred-foot-long radiance of divine light that can stabilize the body. It is crystal clear, with a chilling aura, and can ward off all kinds of true fire, demonic flames, and evil poisons. It can also transform into a purple hemp rope to bind the primordial spirit and specifically counter unorthodox demons.

When not in use, it is stored away as a cluster of cold stars in the "Frost-Repelling Pool" where the Pool Turtle Lord resides.

Without much hesitation, Black Owl leaped up and sat atop the Tengshe Qi Po Bao Xiang, forming hand seals and chanting incantations to communicate with the spiritual entities within "Shu Han Ju" and convey his primordial spirit's thoughts.

Once the spirit within the spiritual abode had withdrawn its thoughts, Black Owl exhaled from its nostrils, the two energies intertwining and combining to form a shape resembling a thin vine basket. Then, with its right hand pointing the basket into the air, it shouted, "Condensing emptiness and returning to truth, a mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru!"

Instantly, the entire spirit palace trembled in response.

Light streamed across the four walls of the crystal ice, and the vermilion veins resembled red snakes returning to their nests; the hundreds of icicles hanging from the dome all shrank back in unison, and the cold smoke and icy light condensed into pearls and jade, which tinkled and fell into the void.

The gnarled beams and pillars of the Shuhan Residence gradually blurred, and the eighteen columns of sweet dew in the Hunming Pool suddenly emitted a brilliant light, making the entire building's outline transparent like a glass lampshade.

Three sharp clangs were heard, like the resounding of an ice string, and the spiritual palace collapsed in response—the palace gate solidified into a plaque no bigger than an inch; the ice wall folded into a cicada wing-like ice silk; the iron couch shrank to the size of a chess piece. In just three breaths, the entire building shrank into a delicate palace the size of a fist.

Suddenly, the two air baskets generated a suction force, causing the spirit in the air to spin around and gently land at the bottom of the baskets.

"go!"

Black Owl smiled at the spirit in the basket and said, "Let's go visit Lord Tan Turtle. This old turtle is honest and easy to fool. We need to lure him away first, so as not to implicate good people."

Following my memory, I bypassed several cave entrances that spewed forth miasma and spiritual energy, and arrived at a place on the shady side of the mountain.

The air here is bitterly cold, and the mountain walls are covered with a thick, glistening frost. A deep pool lies quietly at the bottom of the valley, its water as black as ink, from which a chilling aura emanates, freezing the air and forming countless tiny ice crystals suspended in the air.

Ice pillars stand tall along the edge of the pool, their shapes bizarre; this is indeed the Bihan Pool.

Black Owl, carrying a small basket in his arm, held his breath and concentrated, trying to sense the location of the Pool Turtle King, when suddenly a deafening yawn was heard, causing ice shards to fall in a flurry.

Following the sound, a colossal figure emerged from behind the largest icicle by the pool—its shell as black as ink, covered with fine frost patterns, its neck as thick as a pillar, and its enormous, wrinkled, sleepy-eyed head. It was none other than the Pool Turtle, who resided in this pool.

Tan Guijun slowly raised his eyelids, his turbid giant eyes sweeping over the black owl, but he did not speak. Instead, he knelt down in front of a stone table by the pool.

The stone table was not large, as it was set according to human size, and it seemed rather small in front of Tan Guijun.

Tan Guijun stretched out his thick neck, pressed it against the stone table, and squinted his old eyes, looking somewhat comical in the hazy, icy mist.

A purple-tipped brush floated up from the table, drawn by the spirit of the Pool Turtle Lord. It focused intently on sketching in an open scroll of the "True Water Measurement Jade Book," chanting incantations: "On the third day of the seventh month, the Divine General Miming will hold a small banquet to draw one hundred bushels of true water..."

His expression was focused and meticulous, like a model of a celestial palace.

"He started handling official business as soon as he woke up. This old turtle is really something else."

Black Owl thought to himself, picked up the basket, and descended with the majestic aura of the Teng Snake, striding towards the stone table.

(End of this chapter)