Wet viviparity

Chapter 832 A Long Talk, The Sound of Refining Treasures
On my first day in Xinjiang, in the southern part of Xinjiang, there is a village called Tao.

After meeting at Huozhushan, thanks to Jiang Heixiao's arrival with the full strength of his sect to provide assistance, Hong Gu immediately gathered her forces, and all twelve members entered Xinjiang.

This was their first day in Xinjiang, but it was also the first day of the formal battle between the three regions in name only. If the three days of preparation time discussed at the Three Regions Conference were included, then four days had already passed.

The most intense battle took place during the three days of preparation, during which the elite forces of the Yunyu Temple were all lost in one fell swoop, forcing the Yunyu Temple to rely more heavily on other factions and greatly diminishing its own prestige.

On this first day, after entering Xinjiang, Hong Gu did not rush straight to the heart of the enemy as Hei Xiao had predicted. Instead, she set up camp in Tao Village in Nanhuo Xinjiang, looking like she was preparing for a protracted war with Master Lingxu.

"Another celestial observation!"

On the slope outside the village, Pakyu came over carrying a pot of wine and spoke warmly to Black Owl.

"Such celestial changes are hard for anyone to ignore. In addition, the calamity is now disrupting the heavenly order, and the cause is hard to calculate. This makes people even more worried." Black Owl took a pot of wine from the fish and took a big gulp.

Seeing the black owl drinking heartily, the fish chuckled to itself and sat cross-legged on the ground.

"This change in celestial phenomena is very likely related to Master Lingxu's treasure refining. I really don't know what kind of magic treasure it is that requires changing the celestial phenomena to create the conditions for its refining. If he really succeeds in refining the treasure, even the Venerable One will not be able to stop him."

The fish sipped its drink, gazing at the dimness beyond the border of the mountain range. For once, it abandoned its powerful facade and exposed its weakness.

Black Owl could understand Xia Yu's feelings at this moment. He was in charge of coordinating the important matters of the battle in the Southern Fire Frontier from Fireforged Mountain. He didn't expect things to go wrong from the start. He suffered a heavy blow before it even began. The fact that he was not crushed by this pressure was already quite strong.

Black Owl shook the wine jug in his hand and asked, "What is Your Excellency's opinion on this matter?"

Seeing Black Owl's tentative question, Xia Yu chuckled and said frankly, "Now that we've entered Xinjiang, there's no turning back. I can tell you some truths."

In truth, had it not been for the change in celestial phenomena, the Venerable One would not have anticipated that the treasure refined by Master Lingxu was so extraordinary. Currently, the Venerable One is contacting a high-ranking cultivator within Tianteng Mountain, hoping to unite from within and without to stop Master Lingxu from refining the treasure.

"Can this be accomplished?"

Black Owl was very skeptical and spoke entirely from the perspective of Cloud Rain Temple: "As far as I know, a major sect in the Southern Wilderness like Heavenly Mountain should also have some arrangements at Taiping Mountain, and the number of high-ranking members they have recruited is no less than yours."

"Worth a try."

The fish wasn't very confident about the matter, but it didn't look too worried.

"However, you don't need to worry about the outcome of the battle at Juyang Gorge. Our primary task is simply to hold off Luo Ji and You Rongzi. Also, even if Venerable Hong Gu fails in the end, we still have a chance."

"Is there still a chance?"

Black Owl felt that the opportunity mentioned by Peach Fish was related to the variables mentioned by Zen Master Fortune Tiger.

“Our Yunyu Temple has been established in Luoyin Lake since ancient times. Over the course of thousands of years, it has always been regarded as a thorn in the side by Taipingshan. But today, we are able to stand on equal footing with Taipingshan. It’s not that we are without our own foundation.”

"Three Gods and Four Fiends!"

Jiang Heixiao said.

"That's right, the Three Gods and Four Fiends are the foundation, but it's not just the Three Gods and Four Fiends."

Xia Yu pointed to his head with a proud expression, then pointed to himself and said self-deprecatingly, "We middle-level disciples are given great responsibilities, but we are the most useless and least important in this great calamity."

If Master Lingxu thinks that destroying us is equivalent to weakening the foundation of Yunyu Temple, then he is being too naive.

Three to five hundred years later, the temple will have new warriors and new Four Fiends. Nothing will change. But if Master Lingxu dies, even five hundred years from now, there will be no second Master Lingxu on Taiping Mountain.

"I agree with this."

Black Owl raised the wine jug and said.

The atmosphere became even more harmonious when the wine jugs clinked together.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, your suggestion to send the rogue cultivators from Tiannan into Xinjiang is good, it gives us a breather."

At the Three Frontiers Conference, the restrictions on entry and exit from the Three Frontiers apply to Taiping Mountain and Yunyu Temple, as well as the Tiannan Heretical Sects; scattered cultivators and miscellaneous practitioners are not included.

Therefore, in the Southern Fire Frontier, the disciples of the Tianteng Mountain sect, which started out as a scattered sect, were not excluded from the Southern Fire Frontier. This was something that the main body had specifically confirmed with Huo Liezi, so it was a small but significant loophole.

Although it's a loophole, once a rogue cultivator enters, it's difficult for them to leave.

Black Owl said, "Random cultivators are ultimately a disorganized mess, unlikely to produce outstanding talents. Those few were handpicked by me from the deep forests of the old ravines in the mountains, and some even came from Dragon Bay in the East Sea, having heard of their reputation. They all endured countless hardships to reach the fourth realm. My original intention was to give them a little test before making them the backbone of the sect. Right now, your sect is facing difficulties, so I can only use them temporarily. Don't let them all go to waste."

"No, no."

The fish was deeply moved, knowing that Black Owl was telling the truth.

Although those few rogue cultivators were of mediocre skill in his eyes, the demonic forms they obtained by studying the "Secret Record of Transformation and Mystery" could make up for many shortcomings in combat and were already quite useful in the present moment.

"Alas, if it weren't for the limitations on cultivation levels in each of the three regions, my Yunyu Temple would have at least sent a few high-level rogue cultivators of the fifth realm here. We could have worn that Master Lingxu down with our time."

Black Owl smiled and pointed at the fish, knowing that the other party was joking, so he cooperated and said: "You think that rogue cultivators are really like radishes and cabbages? Among rogue cultivators, being able to cultivate to the fourth realm is already a skill, and being able to cultivate to the fifth realm is the most skillful of all."

"If it weren't for the current calamity spreading throughout the land, who would bother with such matters if their nature were merely stirred up with a little anger?"

"Fellow Daoist, aren't you getting involved too?"

"Hehe, so that's what you were waiting for me to say earlier."

As Black Owl spoke, he stood up, put his hands behind his back, and pondered for a moment before saying, "For me, the struggle for immortality has always been a matter of days and nights. This time, I have come to help with all my might, which is a gamble. If your Cloud and Rain Temple succeeds in this matter, my Little Stone Holy Sect will also have a place in Tiannan."

"In this way, once I achieve enlightenment and attain the rank of Earth Immortal, my Little Stone Sacred Teachings can spread among the people, making my future great achievements as an Earth Immortal much less of an obstacle."

"I see."

Xia Yu clapped his hands and said, "Earth Immortals, weary of dwelling on the three islands, spread their teachings to the mortal world. They have merit in the Dao and perform good deeds in the mortal world. When their merit and good deeds are fulfilled, they receive the Heavenly Book and return to their grotto heaven. This is what is meant by Heavenly Immortal. Fellow Daoist Jiang is indeed a man of great ambition and a true Daoist."

With a crackling sound, the firewood on the slope burst open, scattering sparks everywhere. A long shadow appeared there, saying in a low voice, "Since you have the leisure to chat and laugh, you won't be a burden to me when we attack Juyang Gorge in the future."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, You Rongzi is no match for me."

"good!"

Changying laughed.

Under the dim light of dawn, in the center of the low-lying, cauldron-like cave, a pure white lotus pedestal floated in the air, its petals shimmering with a faint light, untouched by dust.

On the lotus platform, Ji Ming sat cross-legged, his face serene, holding a slender object in his palm—the handle of the Yin-Yang Ruyi Scepter. He lightly tapped the cloud patterns on the handle with his knuckles, sensing the Yin-Yang interplay contained within.

"The time has come, and the fire in the furnace is ready."

On the lotus, Ji Ming murmured, his voice drifting down from the lotus platform and clearly reaching the ears of everyone below.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Ming slightly raised his wrist and gently tossed the curved cloud handle. The handle traced a path that seemed slow but was actually swift, precisely plunging into the mouth of the huge, blood-red, steaming furnace below.

As soon as the object was placed in the furnace, the top of the furnace was immediately sealed shut, tightly locking in the surging flames inside and the spiritual energy for refining treasures born under the obscure celestial phenomena.

"Refining treasures."

Ji Ming's voice remained calm, echoing clearly in the silent depths of the cave.

"Refine a treasure!"

Beneath the lotus platform, Wen Daoyu and Shande Gongshu Si, who were standing on either side, responded solemnly almost simultaneously.

Wen Daoyu held the pagoda in his jade hand, his body surrounded by bright light; Shu Sixu stood in mid-air, his eyes shining brightly. The voices of the man and the demon, one deep and the other clear and melodious, were like the sound of a great bell and a jade chime ringing out together, instantly breaking the silence at the bottom of the cave and spreading far and wide.

"Refining Treasures!!"

The clamor had not subsided, as if a fuse had been lit.

Those who had been standing around the cave, including Xu Yanzi, Moyazi, Dingyuanzi, and other Taiping Mountain True Men and Daoist protectors, who were already impatient, shouted in unison.

The sound waves converged into a mighty torrent, drawn by the array mechanism above Juyang Gorge, soaring into the sky from between the cliffs, carrying the sound of metal and stone and the awe-inspiring power of the orthodox cultivators, like rolling thunder passing through.

"Refining treasures!!!"

This final sound was no longer human speech, but rather the interweaving of countless echoes between the mountains.

(End of this chapter)