Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 283 Playing with the Moon
Holding a black ring, Gao Wu unleashed the Mysterious Dragon Divine Form.

A long black dragon coiled and danced above his head, with black horns, black eyes, black scales, and black claws. Its slender body had elegant lines, yet it also had a mysterious and unfathomable quality.

With the nourishment of golden elixir and jade paste, as well as the meat of an eighth-level exotic beast, and the unique source energy environment of Yingzhou, Gao Wu was able to condense twenty acupoints in a very short time.

Under normal circumstances, even if he has 25 points of root potential, it would take him one or two years, or even longer, to condense so many acupoints.

The twenty newly formed acupoints almost all correspond to the Xuanlong Dao, which has greatly improved his progress in the Xuanlong Dao.

The initial formation of the Xuanlong Divine Image has been achieved, reaching the realm where the divine image transforms from the ethereal into the tangible.

At this point, Gao Wu was finally able to try to activate the Xuanlong Ring.

The Xuanlong Ring is like the framework of a room. The Xuanlong Divine Image is both the key to open it and the Xuanlong Ring needs to be maintained and decorated in order to form a truly complete, enclosed, and independent space.

As the black dragon image entered the ring, Gao Wu could sense it expanding within the ring, instantly creating a two-cubic-meter space.

The whole process is actually quite simple. It's like setting up a frame and inflating the Xuanlong Divine Image like a balloon inside the ring frame. The image then naturally forms a closed space along the ring frame.

He only needs to maintain the Xuanlong Divine Form to preserve this space.

Gao Wu tried putting a stone into the newly opened space in the ring. Well, all he had to do was control the divine image to open the space entrance, and putting things in was as convenient as putting them in a cabinet.

The pebble, which had been soaked and polished in the lake for an unknown amount of time, was placed steadily in the ring's storage space without any abnormalities.

As far as he felt it was concerned, maintaining this space with his divine form wasn't strenuous. With his 25 points of mental strength, he could maintain it for a whole day without sleeping.

The real problem is that the ring cannot be removed from his hand, and he must maintain a relatively focused state to keep the Xuanlong Divine Image stable.

He's fine under normal circumstances, but it's hard to say what will happen if he uses the ring to carry Qin Jiuyue through the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls.

He had a relatively easy time passing through the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls before, but now that his Martial Dao Divine Intent realm has improved, it's hard to say what the situation will be.

If we really go all out, we won't have the energy to maintain the Xuanlong Divine Form.

Thinking of this, Gao Wu deliberately withdrew his spiritual power. Without his spiritual power to maintain it, the Xuanlong Divine Image in the ring only lasted for a few seconds before slowly disintegrating and collapsing. The pebble placed inside also collapsed and disappeared along with the Xuanlong Divine Image.

In the blink of an eye, the pebble disappeared without a trace.

Gao Wu frowned. If Qin Jiuyue were inside the ring, even if he were an eighth-level Martial Saint, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand the enormous destructive power of the spatial collapse.

He could only take it a step further and allow the Xuanlong Divine Image to exist independently outside the ring. This way, he wouldn't need to be distracted by controlling the Xuanlong Divine Image, and the space inside the ring could be kept stable for one or two hours.

Qin Jiuyue, who had been watching silently from the side, nodded approvingly: "You've made rapid progress. Your source power is strong enough now, but your understanding of the Xuanlong Divine Form is still insufficient, and you can't make the Xuanlong Divine Form travel independently."

Gao Wu didn't speak. It was easy to cultivate source power with the golden elixir, and it wasn't difficult to condense acupoints, but these things didn't help him much in visualizing the Xuanlong Divine Image.

Qin Jiuyue understood Gao Wu's concerns and said, "The Yuanlong and Xuanlong paths are indeed extremely profound; I have never studied them before."

"Over the decades, my Dragon Form Fist has become stable and well-formed. Although the Yuanlong and Xuanlong Fist are at a higher level, their core principles conflict with the Dragon Form Fist in many ways."

His father founded the Nine Dragons Limitless Path, which is related to the Dragon Image Fist. However, the two most important paths within it, Yuanlong and Xuanlong, are in great conflict with the Dragon Image Fist.

He had immersed himself in the Dragon Form Fist for decades, and his martial arts essence was incredibly refined. The more refined he was, the more serious his conflicts with Yuanlong and Xuanlong became.

If he had enough time, Qin Jiuyue could adjust gradually. However, he couldn't possibly comprehend the Xuanlong Dao within a month. Therefore, he couldn't offer guidance to Gao Wu in this area.

Qin Jiuyue said, "Fortunately, Dragon Image Fist and Nine Dragons Limitless Path still have many things in common. Your martial arts level is not high enough right now, so focusing on the Profound Dragon Path would be too biased. It would be better to cultivate all nine dragons at the same time and verify each other. This way, you can make a more stable progress in your martial arts."

Gao Wu thought about it and realized that this made sense. He had been focusing on cultivating the Xuanlong Dao for some time, and his path was inevitably becoming narrower and narrower.

The Nine Dragons Limitless Path is a complex and complete martial art. If he only cultivates the Profound Dragon Path, it's like practicing boxing but only focusing on punches. Regardless of footwork or leg techniques, no matter how much he cultivates, his upper limit will be very low.

"My senior uncle's words have enlightened me. That's exactly the point," Gao Wu said with delight.

"There are still two level-eight fish-dragon gold essences left, enough for you to use. No need to rush."

Qin Jiuyue said, "Now that we've figured things out, let's start from the beginning and look at the Hidden Dragon Path first."

"The hidden dragon lies in the abyss, signifying the concealment of life force while awaiting its opportunity. Just like the withered roots of plants buried deep in the soil, waiting for the harsh winter to pass and the spring rain to nourish them, the hidden life force bursts forth, and the grass sprouts break through the soil..."

He sighed, "My decision to incorporate the Hidden Dragon Path into the Azure Dragon Fist was somewhat presumptuous."

"Although the Azure Dragon is said to have hidden vitality, it does not have the divine will to conceal its traces and wait for the right moment. Compared to the other nine paths, even if the Hidden Dragon is weak, this kind of deep concealment and forbearance has infinite possibilities and incomparably powerful strength."

Qin Jiuyue said earnestly, "The mysterious and unknown have a great charm that surpasses everything we know."

"Just like when we look up at the starry sky and wonder what those stars that shone a hundred billion years ago were, this unknown is more attractive and more fascinating than everything we know."

Gao Wu nodded repeatedly. The first profound method he cultivated was the Hidden Dragon Path, which he used to condense the acupoint between his eyebrows.

He would fall asleep each day using the method of "the dragon should not be used" to rest and recuperate.

He thought he had already achieved a high level of expertise in the Hidden Dragon Path, but after listening to Qin Jiuyue's explanation, he realized that his understanding was too superficial.

Even on a purely theoretical level, he did not truly understand the Hidden Dragon Path.

Qin Jiuyue said very seriously, "The Nine Dragons are boundless, with the Primordial Dragon and the Mysterious Dragon pointing directly to time and space, naturally reaching the highest level of profundity. However, the Hidden Dragon is the foundation among the Nine Dragons. In my opinion, it is of paramount importance."

"Your achievements on the path of the Hidden Dragon will determine your potential."

Qin Jiuyue said, "Over the next ten days, I will work with you to thoroughly understand the Nine Dragons Path from beginning to end. Then we will make adjustments based on the specific circumstances."

Gao Wu nodded vigorously.

With a martial arts master specifically assisting him in his cultivation, what else could he say but to cooperate wholeheartedly?

In the following days, Gao Wu consumed several hundred kilograms of gold elixir from another level-eight fish-dragon.

This fish-dragon can control flames, which is somewhat similar to the fiery divine light of his Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra, but there are also great differences.

Flames themselves are actually a form of source energy transformation; they are both the fish-dragon's special ability and its secret technique.

According to Qin Jiuyue, the Divine Dragon of the Divine Dragon Path is said to be elusive, half-hidden and half-revealed, possessing unfathomable supernatural powers, and secretly capable of controlling water and fire. It is also said that the Heavenly Dragon resides in the highest heavens, being the most majestic and sacred, and thus capable of controlling wind and thunder.

The Nine Dragons Limitless Path already contains these changes within it. It all depends on which cultivation path and which change the cultivator chooses.

Gao Wu originally thought that the wind and the Xuanlong were related and had gained some understanding of it. After hearing Qin Jiuyue's explanation, he felt that it made a lot of sense.

The two are not contradictory. Xuanlong is related to wind, but Xuanlong is not suitable to control wind. On the contrary, the changes in Tianlongdao contain changes in wind and thunder, but he was too low-level to see it.

The second level-eight fish-dragon's golden elixir was used up in five days. Gao Wu did not open any new acupoints; he only used the golden elixir to continuously strengthen his physical body, consolidate his acupoints, and condense his martial arts divine intent.

In five days, he mastered all five paths of cultivation: Hidden Dragon, Azure Dragon, Divine Dragon, Heavenly Dragon, and Soaring Dragon.

With Qin Jiuyue's help, he completely understood the relationship between the five dragon paths and truly comprehended the inner meaning of the five dragon paths.

The third level eight dragonfish possesses a spiritual imprint within its golden nectar, granting it the supernatural ability to control ice.

Judging from the Five Gates Divine Incantation, Water Control corresponds to the Xuanwu Divine Gang Incantation.

In reality, it is completely different. The Xuanwu Divine Qi Curse does not directly control water, but rather draws upon the immeasurable and powerful force of the Northern Darkness.

The Xuanwu Divine Qi Mantra at its perfect level generates divine qi that protects the body, making his physical body incredibly strong and his divine power inexhaustible. It also grants him the ability to shatter all external demonic forces.

The supernatural ability of the fish-dragon to control the ice was incorporated into the Divine Dragon Path by Gao Wu, taking its alternation between water and fire.

In the following days, Gao Wu, with Qin Jiuyue's help, rebuilt Yinglong Path and Zhulong Path.

Yinglong Dao is a pure path of slaughter, almost identical to Yinglong Fist. The difference lies in the fact that Yinglong Dao can condense the divine intent of annihilation, capable of destroying all tangible and intangible beings.

Gao Wu didn't quite understand this at first. Did a secret technique specifically for combat really need to be so vicious?

It wasn't until Qin Jiuyue explained that this was preparation made by his father for the slaying of the god that Gao Wu finally understood.

The Yinglong Dao and the White Tiger Divine Weapon Incantation share similarities, both carrying the connotation of annihilating all life. Once Gao Wuming grasped the true essence of the Yinglong Dao, practicing it became much easier.

The Candle Dragon Dao teaches about Yin and Yang, emptiness and fullness. Although it is somewhat profound, Gao Wu has gained a lot of insight into it.

With Qin Jiuyue's guidance, he quickly sorted out his thoughts on the Candle Dragon Path.

With progress made in the Seven Dragons Path, and through mutual reference and verification, Gao Wu can see even more changes when he looks back at the Profound Dragon Path.

The Yuanlong Dao teaches that time flows, and everything begins with the beginning and ends with the end.

However, the Nine Dragons are boundless, each with its own path, so how can they be unified?

It was early August, and the new moon was rising in the evening, with stars filling the sky.

Gao Wu sat on a rock near the shore, watching the low-level fish and dragons swimming around in the dark lake, his heart filled with anxiety.

Song Mingyue sat beside him. He and Song Mingyue had discussed these issues before, but the secret techniques they practiced were vastly different. Even Qin Jiuyue couldn't give him any guidance, let alone Song Mingyue.

"Senior brother?" Chao Fengying skipped over and called out bravely.

"What?" Gao Wu looked at Chao Fengying with amusement.

"Why do you look so worried, Senior Brother?" Chao Fengying asked cautiously in a low voice.

These past few days, she's noticed something's off about Gao Wu. Even though he's training with his senior brother Qin every day and is consuming level eight golden elixir, his senior brother always has a stern face, which is clearly not right.

She couldn't hold back any longer today, so she took advantage of some free time to come and find out what was going on.

"Sigh, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Gao Wu sighed, "I always think about saving the universe, but the burden is too heavy, making it hard to breathe..."

"Senior brother, you can definitely do it!" Chao Fengying clenched her little fist to encourage Gao Wu.

"What if it doesn't work?" Gao Wu asked casually.

Chao Fengying thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "Senior brother has done his best and has a clear conscience. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. The universe will be destroyed without senior brother, so this universe is too useless. Let it be destroyed..."

"Won't you blame your senior brother?" Gao Wu asked.

“It’s not like Senior Brother did anything wrong, so why blame him?” Chao Fengying shook her head. “Since it concerns everyone’s life and death, everyone should work together. How can we rely on Senior Brother alone!”

"Well said." Gao Wu was somewhat moved. He stood up and patted Chao Fengying's head. His junior sister's words put his anxiety at ease.

Indeed, he had done his best. If things didn't work out, that was simply a matter of fate...

Gao Wu felt as if he had been relieved of an invisible burden, and his whole body felt relaxed. The Nine Dragons Divine Image that had been suppressed in his spiritual world also naturally stretched out.

The nine dragons coiled together, requiring no high-level martial arts to control them, naturally merging into a single black celestial dragon that raised its head and roared...

The dragon's roar was silent, yet it caused all thirty-six acupoints on Gao Wu's body to resonate together...

Chao Fengying and Song Mingyue both noticed the unusual phenomenon on Gao Wu's body, and their eyes revealed surprise and delight.

A black dragon soared into the sky above Gao Wu's head, gracefully dancing under the new moon.

Chu Shenxiu, Yuan Cheng, Pei Jidao, Yan Qiushui, and Wei Yue were all resting when they sensed a powerful surge of energy. They all came out of their tents and saw the black dragon dancing in the moonlight.

Above the deep, dark starry sky, the black dragon occupied half of the night sky, casually playing with the crescent moon.

A group of young geniuses all wore solemn expressions. Such a powerful divine presence, with its mere divine will and aura, was already making it hard for them to breathe.

Hai Wuji, who was grilling fish, slapped his thigh upon seeing this and exclaimed, "It's done!"

Qin Jiuyue didn't say anything, but simply raised his wine gourd and silently took a big gulp of wine...

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(End of this chapter)