Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 728 Peak of the Eighth Level, Clearing Supplies (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Inside the secluded cultivation room, Li Yunjing sat cross-legged, with five natal magic treasures floating in front of him.

"Let's start with my own 'Nine Heavens Thunder Pattern Daoist Robe'!"

This garment was damaged in the battle with Fei Zhenrong, and Li Yunjing has not had time to repair it. Now is the perfect time for him to go into seclusion and repair it.

Otherwise, without the protection of this garment, Li Yunjing wouldn't be confident in relying on his "Thunder God Body" to fight those experts head-on.

Meanwhile, rumors about Li Yunjing's breakthrough have caused a huge uproar in the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

"Have you heard? When Vice Sect Leader Li went into seclusion, he activated the Big Dipper!"

"More than that! It is said that when the seven great powers are combined, even Granny Tianji admits that she is inferior!"

"Now our 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' has truly risen to power!"

"Yes! It's unimaginable how talented Vice Sect Leader Li is!"

……

The disciples were abuzz with discussion, while the higher-ups began making secret plans.

Li Yunjing was unaware of the situation outside; he had already devoted himself entirely to refining weapons and repairing his Daoist robe.

Inside the secluded meditation room, the "Samadhi True Fire" burned fiercely, and the "Myriad Paths Glazed Furnace" floated in mid-air, casting flickering light and shadow on Li Yunjing's profile.

He held a wisp of purple-gold lightning between his fingertips and carefully probed into the damaged part of the "Nine Heavens Thunder Pattern Taoist Robe".

That was the scorched hole corroded by Fei Zhenrong's "Mysterious Ice Fiend". The lightning pattern array under the cloth had broken into several pieces, and wisps of cold air remained in the spider web-like cracks.

"laugh……"

The moment the lightning touched the cold air, it immediately emitted a sizzling, burning sound.

Li Yunjing frowned slightly, made a hand seal with his left hand, and drew upon the "original power" in his dantian, which transformed into a wisp of milky white energy that wrapped around the lightning, barely suppressing the backlash of the cold air.

This "Mysterious Ice Fiend" is indeed domineering, managing to remain on the lightning-patterned cloth for so long. If it weren't for his greatly increased control after his breakthrough, he probably wouldn't even have had a chance to repair it.

Li Yunjing did not rush to sew up the hole. Instead, he first put the Taoist robe into the "Ten Thousand Paths Glazed Furnace" and used his divine sense like a fine comb to comb through the thunder patterns in the fabric inch by inch.

This robe is woven from "Nine Heavens Thunder Silkworm Silk," and each thread contains natural thunder power. Ordinary cultivators would find it difficult to even touch it, let alone repair it.

But to Li Yunjing now, these lightning silkworms are like docile little snakes, slowly wriggling under his spiritual power guidance, and beginning to connect with the broken array nodes on their own.

"Something is still missing."

Li Yunjing muttered to himself as he took out a bag of "Star Sand" from his storage ring.

This is the essence he extracted from the fragments of Elder Xingyan's "Star Chart," shimmering with tiny starlight.

He flicked his finger, and the stardust transformed into countless stardust fragments, which entered the "Myriad Paths Glazed Furnace" and were evenly sprinkled on the broken parts of the thunder pattern.

Immediately afterwards, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of his life essence blood. The essence blood fused with stardust and lightning power, and actually condensed into a brand new pattern on his Taoist robe.

That was the "Star Thunder Pattern," a fusion of thunder and stars, more complex and resilient than the original Nine-fold Thunder Pattern, as if the Taoist robe had been coated with a layer of starlight armor.

It took three whole months to repair the core formation of the Taoist robe.

As the last starlight pattern closed, the entire Taoist robe suddenly burst forth with a soft, purplish-gold light.

The fabric at the scorched hole grew on its own, and the Nine Heavens Thunder Silkworm woven and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It eventually blends perfectly with the surrounding fabric, becoming even thicker than before it was damaged.

Li Yunjing picked up the Taoist robe and shook it. The robe moved on its own without any wind, and he put it on. The star and lightning patterns were faintly visible under the fabric, resonating with the lightning power within his body.

He could clearly feel that the defensive power of this Taoist robe had increased by at least 50%, and it also had the added effect of "attracting stars and avoiding lightning".

When attacked by the power of stars, the Star Thunder Pattern can automatically draw upon the celestial constellations to deflect the force, so it is no longer afraid of being backlashed by divine powers of the same attribute.

"good."

After carefully examining them, Li Yunjing nodded in satisfaction and turned his gaze to the other magical treasures floating beside him.

Now, his cultivation has greatly increased, and his spiritual power has improved significantly, radiating outwards for 140 miles, comparable to a cultivator at the fourth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

As for his physical body, it has also been elevated to a level comparable to the sixth level of the Nascent Soul realm due to the fusion of the power of the stars.

In addition, due to the sheer amount of magical power he possessed, months of weapon forging left no trace of fatigue on his body.

The dragon patterns on the "Five Dragon Wheels" have faded considerably, and the surface of the "Yin Yang Treasure Mirror" is covered with fine scratches. These are all traces left from the battle with Chu Xinghe and Fei Zhenrong.

For the next five years, he devoted all his energy to the ritual.

Using thunder as fire and stars as medium, the seven great powers are gradually integrated into the magic weapon.

Each dragon pattern on the "Five Dragon Wheels" was coated with star and lightning patterns, giving the power of the five elements it spewed out a more domineering and thunderous quality.

The "Yin-Yang Treasure Mirror" is nourished with the power of the source of life, repairing the mirror surface while making the black and white rays more condensed and increasing their power by 30%.

Even the unassuming "Star Essence Bottle" was infused with some of the essence of Xuanbing Sha, enabling it to store both stellar power and icy power, making it a dual-purpose auxiliary magic weapon for both offense and defense.

All his magical artifacts had been reforged.

The days in seclusion were tedious yet fulfilling.

When he finished reforging the blade of his last magical artifact, the "Boundary-Breaking Sword," giving it a star-like sharpness, the leaves of the sycamore trees outside the window had already fallen and grown back.

On this day, Li Yunjing woke up from his meditation and habitually looked inward at his dantian. He discovered that next to the eighth lightning pattern on the surface of his golden core, a ninth lightning pattern was faintly condensing.

He was slightly taken aback, then realized what was happening.

The past five and a half years of accumulation and repair, seemingly without any deliberate attempt to break through to higher realms, have allowed magical power to naturally accumulate to a critical point in the process of integrating the seven great powers and refining numerous magical treasures.

"It's a pleasant surprise."

He chuckled softly, not in a hurry to break through, but instead got up and began to check his supplies.

Li Yunjing: First Deputy Sect Leader of the Shenxiao Dao Sect, Hall Master of the White Tiger Hall, Black Tortoise Hall, Azure Dragon Hall, and Vermilion Bird Hall, Deputy Palace Master of the Seven Star Palace, and Owner of the Star Moon Trading Company.

[Cultivation Level: Peak of the Eighth Level of the Golden Core Realm]

[Spiritual Roots: Heavenly Grade Five Elements Spiritual Root, Heavenly Grade Thunder Spiritual Root]

[Divine Body: Thunder Divine Body (Sixth Level of Nascent Soul Realm)]

[Divine Sense: Spiritual Manifestation (Radiating over 140 miles) Comparable to the Fourth Level of the Nascent Soul Realm]

[Magic Power: All seven powers are at the Nascent Soul stage, with the power of thunder being virtually inexhaustible.]

[Spirit Stones: 2000 top-grade spirit stones, 400 million high-grade spirit stones]

【丹药：“万毒夺命丹”20枚、“九霄雷元丹”3枚、“紫府凝元丹”2枚，“玄元聚灵丹”10、“九转玄阴丹”30，“天罗大还丹”3枚，“紫霄丹”1枚】

[Talismans: 16 Exorcism Talismans, 15 Protection Talismans, 7 Escape Talismans, 5 Five Elements Divine Thunder Talismans, 12 Six Ding Six Jia Talismans, 4th-Tier Low-Grade Jade Brush and Mountain and River Grinding Stone, 1 Substitute Death Talisman]

[Formations: Fourth-tier low-grade "Immortal Clouds and Misty Clouds Formation", Quasi-Immortal Formation "Nine Heavens Clouds and Thunder Formation", "Six Ding Six Jia Twelve Star Palaces Grand Formation", "Seven Star Dao Canon"]

[Magic Items: Tier 4 Low-grade "Yin Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword", "Swift Wind Boots", "Five Dragon Wheels", "Heavenly Thunder Emperor Seal", "Five Poison Divine Needles", "Ten Thousand Poison Banner", "Ten Thousand Paths Glazed Furnace"; Tier 5 Mid-grade "Yin Yang Treasure Mirror", Tier 5 Low-grade "Purple Gold Gourd", Tier 4 Supreme-grade "Myriad Manifestations Lotus Lamp", Tier 4 Low-grade "Heavenly Net", Tier 4 Supreme-grade "Reverse Scale Inner Armor", Mysterious Thunder Origin "Thunder Mace", Tier 4 Mid-grade "Mysterious Heaven Compass", "Dragon and Phoenix Yin Yang Heavenly Secret Pendant", "Star Essence Bottle", Tier 5 "Ancient Bronze Bell"; Tier 4 High-grade "Nine Heavens Thunder Pattern Daoist Robe", Tier 3 Supreme-grade "Sky Patrol Ship", Ancient Incomplete Immortal Artifact "Tortoise Shell", Tier 4 Supreme-grade "Water Virtue Pearl", Tier 5 Mid-grade "Boundary-Breaking Sword"]

[Cultivation Techniques: Shenxiao Dao, Dao of Sacrifice, Dao of Death, Fourth-Order Tianjue Poison Scripture, Fifth-Order Yin Yang He Dao Scripture, Fifth-Order Xingyun Secret Scripture, Xuan Yin Zhen Jie, Baihu Zhen Jing, Xuanwu Zhen Jing, Qinglong Zhen Jing, Zhuque Zhen Jing, Xuan Shui Zhen Jie, Fifth-Order Longhuang Jing, Fifth-Order Xuanbing Zhen Jing, Jiuyou Huangquan Zhen Jing]

[Spells: Five Elements Divine Fist, Thunder Tribulation Divine Fist, Star Technique, Three Heads and Six Arms Great Divine Power, Samadhi True Fire, "Creation Divine Eye"]

Materials: "Source of Life", Tier 4 Supreme "Mysterious Gold Divine Marrow Crystal Core", Tier 4 "Agarwood Liquid", "Heavenly Amber Gold", "Ten Thousand Year Jade Marrow", 3 Tier 4 "Dao Seed Beads"

[Puppets: 31 mid-grade Tier 3 "Puppet Mechanical Beasts"]

[Tokens: Seven Star Token, Divine Firmament Token, White Tiger Token, Black Tortoise Token, Vermilion Bird Token, Azure Dragon Token, Meteor Token]

[Secondary Positions: Fourth-Tier Intermediate Talisman Crafting Grandmaster, Fourth-Tier Intermediate Array Formation Grandmaster, Fourth-Tier Intermediate Weapon Refining Grandmaster, Third-Tier Peak Puppet Master, Fourth-Tier Lower Alchemy Grandmaster, Third-Tier Upper Heavenly Mystery Grandmaster]

[Industries: Qiwu Mountain Villa, Chaos Palace, Xingyue Trading Company]

[Spirit Beast: Little Yellow Peregrine Falcon (Peak of the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment)]

[Spiritual Plants: Blood Bodhi Tree, Five-Colored Flower]

[Captured: Xuan Yin Zhenjun, a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Transformation Realm; Xie Wuyi, a Golden Core Realm expert]

"Sigh... All resources are used up, there's almost nothing left."

After inspecting the numerous empty storage treasures, Li Yunjing shook his head.

Currently, he is still lacking two secondary professions: puppetry and divination.

Improving it is an urgent matter.

After inquiring about the outside world, Yu Yunyi replied that things had been relatively peaceful in recent years, with nothing particularly major happening.

As for the infighting among the various parties?

This is all normal.

The Shenxiao Dao Sect also lost several True Persons and dozens of Golden Core Realm Elders, not to mention the many other cultivators.

Although this saddened him, it was all within reason. It couldn't be that only the people of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" killed others, while others didn't kill the people of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect," could it?

The Kingdom of Youyue is generally peaceful, but undercurrents are surging and troubles never cease.

The "East China Sea Alliance" also engages in small to medium-sized wars every few months.

As for the "Ming Dynasty" itself, the "Northern Emperor Faction" had won over some smaller sects and families, who continued to quell the barbarian tribes.

The hidden experts far away on the "Luofu Continent" remained silent, awaiting orders from their sect to launch an attack on the "Xuanbing Palace"!
Li Yunjing traced the communication talisman with his fingertip and finally sent the order to the sect's treasury.

Looking at the list of replies from the treasure vault above, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

He used his own billions of mid-grade spirit stones and 30 billion low-grade spirit stones to obtain puppet materials for a total of ten "storage rings".

From the third-tier "Mysterious Iron Essence" to the fourth-tier "Nether River Sinking Wood," and even the "Soul Crystal Jade" used to refine the puppet's core, more than thirty sets were prepared.

Soon, Li Yunjing issued an order, instructing the Supreme Elder guarding the treasury to send him what he needed. As for refusing to give it to him?

Li Yunjing was already considered the regent of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

No one objected to his orders!
Moreover, Li Yunjing didn't take it for nothing; he donated much of his assets to the sect.

This isn't a transaction, it's a gift!
As one of the core members of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect", Li Yunjing was not a subordinate of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect", but one of its masters.

He owns a portion of the wealth of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect"!
It's just that Li Yunjing is rich and doesn't need to take advantage of the sect for nothing.

In fact, like Li Yunjing, some of the Supreme Elders would also donate some unused supplies to the sect on a regular basis.

All cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and above are masters of their own homes. Everyone hopes their home will get better and better, rather than using their status to empty their home.

A faint golden ripple spread across the barrier of "Qiwu Mountain Villa," and an old man in a gray robe slowly walked out, the character "Ku" embroidered on his sleeve gleaming in the sunlight.

He is Elder Xuan Chen, who is in charge of the treasure trove of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect". His cultivation has reached the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage. He usually lives a secluded life, and even the sect leader needs to notify him three days in advance if he wants to see him.

"Vice Sect Leader Li."

Elder Xuan Chen bowed to Li Yunjing, who stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, his tone calm but his respect unmistakable.

He held ten jet-black storage rings in his hands, their surfaces engraved with intricate spirit-locking arrays, clearly special containers for storing valuable materials.

When Li Yunjing's gaze fell on the ring, his brow twitched slightly.

With his current spiritual sense, he was unable to penetrate the spirit-locking array to explore its interior.

Elder Xuan Chen is indeed cautious; he even treats the handover of materials with such solemnity.

"I am grateful that Elder Xuan Chen would make the trip in person."

Li Yunjing waved his hand, and storage magic treasures appeared out of thin air on the stone table in the courtyard. Almost all of them were "treasure pouches", and a few were "storage bracelets".

Clearly, Li Yunjing has too many storage treasures, so many that he doesn't even want such precious items anymore.

"These are the spirit stones I've acquired in recent years, intended to replenish the sect's reserves."

Li Yunjing said with a smile.

Elder Xuan Chen opened a "treasure pouch" and saw that it was filled with mid-grade spirit stones. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Such a feat is something that probably no one in the entire "Shenxiao Dao Sect" could produce.

"Vice Sect Leader Li is quite generous."

Without hesitation, he put away all the "treasure pouches" and pushed ten "storage rings" in front of Li Yunjing. "The puppet materials you want are all inside. The Soul Crystal Jade is protected with 'Cold Moon Stone,' and the Styx River Submerged Wood is soaked in 'Nine Nether Spring Water' to keep it fresh."

Li Yunjing brushed his fingertips across the ring, and after injecting his divine sense into the exclusive mark, the spirit-locking array broke instantly.

More than thirty Soul Crystal Jade pieces emitted a soft white light in the ring space, while the Styx River Sinking Wood was wrapped in a thin layer of black mist, which felt cool to the touch.

He nodded in satisfaction: "Thank you for your trouble, Elder."

"It's my duty."

Elder Xuan Chen suddenly changed the subject, "But why does the Vice Sect Leader need so many fourth-tier materials at once? Could it be that he's going to refine some powerful puppet?"

"Just a brief attempt."

Li Yunjing didn't elaborate, but instead asked, "Does the treasure vault contain 'Heavenly Secret Stones'? I'd like to improve my Heavenly Secret Technique."

"I do have a fifth-tier Heavenly Secret Stone, but..."

Elder Xuan Chen frowned slightly: "That was prepared by Granny Tianji for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."

“I will exchange it for the ‘Mysterious Gold Divine Marrow Crystal Core’.”

Li Yunjing took out a fist-sized crystal core. As the golden light flowed, there was a faint metallic clanging sound. "I think you must know the value of this. In addition, I have a fourth-order celestial magic treasure here, which I will also use for the transaction."

That treasure was none other than the "Azure Jade Pendant"!
Li Yunjing has possessed this fourth-tier magic weapon for many years, but he has never used it, nor has he had the time to uncover the secrets behind it.

Over time, Li Yunjing's interest in this item waned.

Trading it with Granny Tianji would be a good option.

Elder Xuan Chen's pupils contracted.

The "Mysterious Gold Divine Marrow Crystal Core" is a top-grade fourth-tier material, and its benefits to Nascent Soul cultivators far surpass those of the "Heavenly Secret Stone".

With his level of cultivation, he could naturally tell that this "Azure Jade Pendant" was a valuable item.

"Alright! I agree. I'll take the 'Azure Jade Pendant,' and as for Granny Tianji, I'll compensate her with other treasures!"

He pondered for a moment, then took out a gray stone covered with cracks from his pocket: "This is the fifth-order 'Heavenly Secret Stone'. Although it is incomplete, it is enough to deduce the fourth-order 'Heavenly Secret Technique'."

At this point, Elder Xuan Chen looked at Li Yunjing with curiosity.

He naturally knew the purpose behind what Li Yunjing wanted. Didn't this mean that Li Yunjing had profound expertise in all six deputy positions?

Is that human being?
Many exceptional geniuses dedicate their entire lives to reaching the level of a grandmaster on a single path.

Li Yunjing, however, is ambitious and wants to break through to the Grandmaster realm through all six paths.
Thinking of this, Elder Xuan Chen was speechless.

Comparing people with others will lead to death, and comparing goods with goods will lead to throwing away!
With his talent, he met countless extraordinary people throughout his life, but he never felt inferior to them.

Now that I've seen Li Yunjing, even someone as proud and arrogant as him is convinced.

It's simply incomparable!
There is no way!

There is no way!

The two are worlds apart in terms of talent; they are absolutely incomparable.

Li Yunjing took the "Heavenly Secret Stone," and a faint fluctuation emanated from his fingertips, a unique tactile sensation characteristic of the power of heavenly secrets.

He pushed the crystal core and jade pendant over, saying, "Thank you, Elder Xuan Chen."

“I have seen everything that Vice Sect Leader Li has done for the sect over the years.”

Elder Xuan Chen put away the two items and gave him a deep look: "If you need anything from the treasure vault, don't hesitate to ask."

Having said that, he transformed into a streak of gray light and vanished into the horizon.

Li Yunjing looked at the "storage ring" and "heavenly stone" in his hand, and a smile appeared on his lips.

With these materials, breakthroughs in puppetry and celestial techniques are just around the corner.

He turned and went back to the secluded cultivation room. The moment the stone door closed, ten storage rings floated up together, and countless puppet materials slowly rotated in the light of the "Myriad Paths Glazed Furnace".

"That's quite straightforward."

He chuckled softly, quite satisfied with the quality of the materials.

He didn't act immediately, but instead took out a yellowed ancient book from his storage ring, "The Art of Creation: The Puppet Chapter".

This was obtained by him when he killed a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in his early years. It contained the puppet-making methods from the third to the fifth tier, but many key parts were unclear.

Previously, his cultivation level was insufficient, making it difficult for his divine sense to analyze the text. Now, however, his spiritual power is comparable to that of a fourth-level Nascent Soul cultivator, and the blurry words on the pages are gradually becoming clear, revealing lines of profound runes.

"I see... The key to a fourth-order puppet lies in the resonance between the 'spirit core' and the 'divine runes'."

Li Yunjing's fingertip touched the "Mother-Child Puppet Array" diagram on the page, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Third-tier puppets rely on arrays for propulsion, while fourth-tier puppets must incorporate "Soul Crystal Jade," using spirit stones as energy sources and divine runes as their network, in order to possess the rudimentary form of intelligence capable of autonomous combat.

He took out a piece of "Styx wood" the size of a human head. This wood was as black as ink, yet as light as a feather, making it an excellent material for crafting puppet bodies.

Holding the "Boundary-Breaking Sword" in his left hand and drawing upon a wisp of lightning in his right, the starlight on the sword mingled with the power of lightning, creating intricate patterns on the driftwood.

This is the "Big Dipper Spirit Locking Pattern," which incorporates elements from the "Seven Star Daoist Canon." It can firmly lock the spiritual power within the puppet's body, preventing it from dissipating.

It took three months to sculpt the body.

As the final strike landed, a black puppet the size of a normal person took shape. The puppet's joints were inlaid with black iron essence, and its chest had grooves where top-grade spirit stones were placed.

Li Yunjing looked at the puppet's empty eye sockets, flicked his finger, and threw two "Soul Crystal Jade" into them.

"Om..."

The moment the "Soul Crystal Jade" came into contact with the "Big Dipper Spirit Locking Pattern," it immediately emitted a soft white light, and two points of eerie blue light appeared in the puppet's eye sockets.

But before Li Yunjing could be happy, the puppet suddenly began to tremble violently, its joints making a cracking sound, and the soul crystal jade on its chest was covered with a layer of grayish color.

"Failed."

Li Yunjing frowned and examined the artifact, discovering that the energy of the "Soul Crystal Jade" was too violent, exceeding the carrying capacity of the "Big Dipper Spirit Locking Pattern".

He pondered for a moment, then took out a drop of "Life Source" from the "Star Essence Bottle" and dripped it onto the puppet's joints.

The "life force" instantly spread throughout the body, perfectly neutralizing the violence of the "soul crystal jade" and gradually calming the puppet's trembling.

"It seems I need to add a 'Spirit Suppression Rune'."

He re-polished the "Soul Crystal Jade," engraving patterns that incorporated the Frost Road onto the surface of the jade core.

This time, when the Soul Crystal Jade was embedded in the puppet's chest, the two patterns fit together perfectly. The dark blue light in the puppet's eyes became stable and lively, and it could even turn its head slightly to look at Li Yunjing.

"Try moving around."

Li Yunjing activated his divine sense and issued a simple command.

The puppet stiffly raised its arm and took a step. Although its movements were slightly slow, it was several times more agile than a third-tier puppet.

What surprised him even more was that when he activated the power of lightning, the "Soul Crystal Jade" on the puppet's chest could absorb the lightning power in sync, condensing a one-inch-long bolt of lightning on its fist.

(End of this chapter)