"So that's how it is. Listening to your analysis, Senior Sister Mo, it really does seem to be the case. I wonder what Fang Qingxue wants him to do?" An inner disciple hastily expressed agreement.
"This very likely involves conflicts among the true disciples; we cannot meddle in it for the time being."
Senior Sister Mo's gaze was dark and cold: "In the Ascension Sect, to truly gain contact with the core internal power struggles, one must become a true disciple. Without becoming a true disciple, everything is just pointless struggling. Furthermore, if we inner disciples interfere in the struggles of the true disciples, the outcome will certainly not be very good."
"Senior Sister Mo, then is my Spirit Wind Sword just going to be taken away for nothing?" That inner disciple's tone revealed a chilling murderous intent as he spoke.
"Regarding this matter, I will think of a solution for you. A spirit weapon is no small consideration. If placed into the mundane world, you couldn't trade a city with a population of a hundred thousand for it. Naturally, it cannot fall into someone else's hands. For our plan this time to slay that evil entity, the Crown Prince of Pink Flesh, we've practiced the flying sword array long ago. Your Spirit Wind Sword must be used for it to be effective. How could we fall short at the final step?"
As Senior Sister Mo spoke, her gaze gradually calmed down, seemingly having thought of a good idea.
"That's only natural. If we can slay the Crown Prince of Pink Flesh this time, Senior Sister Mo will definitely obtain a Yin Yang Longevity Pill. Upon consuming it, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Divine Ability Mystic Realm to become a true disciple will be just around the corner." An inner disciple smiled.
"Right indeed. Although my cultivation has reached the Physical Realm's Divine Transformation boundary, my spirit is far from reaching perfection. I have not arrived at the stage where I can forget a matter simply by wanting to forget it. If I obtain the Yin Yang Longevity Pill, it can make up for this deficiency. As the physical body advances a step further, the spirit expands, breaking past the limits to open the gate of divine abilities and acquire a divine ability!"
Senior Sister Mo said with solemnity: "As for the matter of the Spirit Wind Sword, I will definitely get it back from Fang Han's hands. Moreover, I also want that demonic artifact on his person along with it! That demonic artifact on him is no small matter. If it can fall into our hands, then our certainty in killing the Crown Prince of Pink Flesh will increase tremendously. Today, all of you cultivate well and adjust your bodies and minds to their peak condition. I am going to a place first."
"Senior Sister Mo, where are you going?"
"Green Flame Peak. The conflict between the two true disciples, Fang Qingxue of Purple Lightning Peak and Jin Shitai of Green Flame Peak, is quite significant. I will go to Green Flame Peak this time to recount the events, and simultaneously borrow a few immortal cranes, so we can reach the Vast Ocean Desert quickly. Otherwise, although we possess some minor Dharma weapons, they are nowhere near as useful as immortal cranes."
Senior Sister Mo stood up.
As it turned out, outer disciples and inner disciples had no qualifications to rear spirit beasts.
Only true disciples who were bestowed a mountain peak could rear spirit beasts. It could be seen as establishing a minor sect within the main sect. True traditions, true disciples: these were disciples capable of opening a lineage and establishing a faction, cultivating their own talents. Their strength within the sect was unimaginably immense, equivalent to a regional feudal lord within a nation.
Only upon becoming a true disciple was one truly a disciple of the Ascension Sect, capable of participating in high-level decisions.
"A spirit weapon is no small matter. That group surrounding Senior Sister Mo will definitely not let the matter rest. Furthermore, the secret of the 'Picture of the Dragon Hiding in the Yellow Springs' on my person has now slightly leaked. What should I do? Leave the Ascension Sect? No. If I had cultivated to the Divine Ability Mystic Realm, leaving the Ascension Sect might be fine, but leaving right now, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to withstand it if just any random person came chasing to kill me."
Outside Ascension Mountain, deep in the continuous stretch of barren mountains, inside a hidden valley, Fang Han held the "Picture of the Dragon Hiding in the Yellow Springs", examining it over and over again.
He was not on Purple Lightning Peak right now, but rather had Crane Fairy carry him on her back and fly out again. They flew a full several thousand miles away from Ascension Mountain to a nameless barren mountain before descending.
As for Crane Fairy, after reciting some incantations and the specific cultivation method for the "Primal Spirit Art," he had deceived her into leaving with just a few words. Now was the time to study the "Picture of the Dragon Hiding in the Yellow Springs."
This picture scroll of the Yellow Springs Great Emperor from the legends was now being carried on Fang Han's person, making him feel it was a hot potato that burned his hands. Throwing it away was absolutely impossible, yet not throwing it away seemed deeply unsafe right now.
At this time, within the quietly flowing Yellow Springs river on the picture, besides the streak of "Heavenly Wolf Seven Baleful Smokes" absorbed last time, there indeed lay a flying sword. This flying sword had no hilt; it was just a strip of pure iron ice crystal. Its surface was carved with countless pictographic characters representing continuous streams of wind. These wind-shaped characters formed a text, a grand array diagram, revolving unceasingly exactly like the rising and setting of the sun, eternally without end.
Fang Han, having recently studied "Various Worlds" diligently, possessed some knowledge regarding Dharma treasures.
The wind-shaped characters on this "Spirit Wind Sword" were Dharma power, and the text was the grand array. It was precisely because Dharma power condensed into a grand array that this sword could possess miraculous power.
"How can I take it out? Furthermore, even if I take it out, I cannot perform blood-drop refinement once more on a spirit weapon that has already undergone blood-drop refinement by someone else. Unless I have an expert of the Divine Ability Mystic Realm utilize their own powerful Dharma power to erase the original master's blood spirit."
Fang Han stroked the picture scroll; the Picture of the Dragon Hiding in the Yellow Springs was still just an ordinary-looking painting.
He knew that even if he extracted the "Spirit Wind Sword," unless he begged Fang Qingxue to use her divine ability and Dharma power to erase the "blood spirit" inside it, he couldn't perform blood-drop refinement himself.
This was because whenever a Dharma weapon or spirit weapon was just freshly taken out of the furnace, having been refined by true fire, the Dharma power contained within it was exceedingly pure, lacking any thoughts—it was merely a cluster of pristine power. Whoever dripped their own fresh blood onto it would be able to control this power.
"I should practice the Primal Spirit Art first!"
After pondering for a long time, Fang Han ultimately decided to first cultivate the "Primal Spirit Art" he had just obtained from the mouth of "Crane Fairy."
He sat down cross-legged, pressing one hand on the precise center of his head top at the "Heavenly Gate Acupoint." He adjusted his entire spirit, placing it all inside the Heavenly Gate Acupoint on top of his head.
"He who desires immortality cultivates the Heavenly Gate!"
Gradually, following the spiritual training method of the Primal Spirit Art, he first visualized the Heavenly Gate Acupoint as a dark world.
This visualization represented that his understanding of the brain was a state of darkness.
Following that, he visualized the blood, bone marrow, internal organs, and muscle membranes of his entire body transforming into a pure white color, becoming vital energy and essence as white as crane feathers, gradually ascending and arriving deep within his Heavenly Gate Acupoint.
The meaning this represented was utilizing the body's essence energy to disperse the darkness around the brain, coming to know oneself.
The connotation of the visualization was extremely profound.
Amidst this visualization, Fang Han distinctively felt his body seemingly being hollowed out step by step. The body's qi, blood, and vital essence all transformed into bright light, going to illuminate the brain.
His body felt somewhat empty and weak.
Exercising the spirit and cultivating the divine potential of the brain required a powerful physique as support. He finally understood this principle.
Fortunately, his body was several times more robust than an ordinary expert in the Divine Bravery realm. Specifically, because the medicinal power of the Nine Orifices Golden Pill was inside his bone marrow, his essence energy was even stronger.
Gradually, the dark world inside the Heavenly Gate Acupoint was illuminated by this burst of white-light essence energy, slowly dispersing the darkness. In the distant depths of that darkness, Fang Han vaguely saw a simple, heavy stone gate emerge. It looked neither round nor round, neither square nor square. The texture on the great gate was full, round, and fine, forming lines exactly like the ravines of a brain.
The very appearance of the entire brain was actually a gate of divine abilities.
"This is the Gate of Divine Abilities! Smashing open this Gate of Divine Abilities will allow one to see the Divine Ability Mystic Realm!" Fang Han thought in his heart. He did his utmost to wield his spirit, visualizing his qi and blood into white light, illuminating the Heavenly Gate mindscape.
However, no matter how much he illuminated it, the black fog inside that Heavenly Gate mindscape grew more and more abundant. He could not even see the "Gate of Divine Abilities" clearly, let alone open this mysteriously unfathomable great gate in his mindscape.
Huff, huff! Huff, huff!
Eventually, feeling his spirit exceptionally exhausted and wanting to sleep, Fang Han hastily woke himself up. All the visualizations dissipated from his mindscape.
"So weak! No wonder people suffering from lovesickness waste away day by day. Spiritual expenditure is even more intense than physical expenditure."
After exercising the Primal Spirit Art, Fang Han felt his spirit listless. Only after resting for a good while did he recover.
But upon this recovery, he felt his ears were sharp and his eyes clear; his mind became much more agile. He seemed capable of visualizing the appearance of the brain right inside his head.
"Let's drip a drop of fresh blood and test it out. Anyway, this place is a barren mountain and wild ridge, so there's no fear of this picture producing any anomalies."
Having achieved minor success in cultivating the Primal Spirit Art, though Fang Han was still far from reaching the Spirit Communication realm, he had gained a general understanding of human spirit and physical body.
Ha!
Biting down hard to pierce his finger, fresh blood instantly dripped out. Drop by drop, it flowed right onto the "Picture of the Dragon Hiding in the Yellow Springs."
A bizarre event occurred.
This picture scroll actually absorbed Fang Han's fresh blood mouthful by mouthful, exactly like cotton wool. Fang Han distinctly saw waves faintly rippling in the Yellow Springs river upon the picture.
At the exact same time, his mind suddenly felt a sensation of being connected by blood and flesh to this picture scroll.
All of a sudden, Fang Han felt a wisp of his spirit fall into the Yellow Springs river of the picture. All four directions were surging, rolling waves, an expanse of earthy yellow. As his spirit swam in the river, he immediately saw the "Spirit Wind Sword" inside the river.
Thereupon, using his spirit, Fang Han grabbed right toward it.
Puchi!
With a flash of brilliant light, this Spirit Wind Sword actually flew completely out from the Yellow Springs river inside the picture scroll, landing into Fang Han's hand. It cut Fang Han's palm open again, causing fresh blood to seep in. Instantly, another sensation of being connected by blood and flesh was transmitted right into his heart.
"This Spirit Wind Sword, has it undergone blood-drop refinement by me? Impossible. Having undergone blood-drop refinement by someone else, it should require an expert of the Divine Ability Mystic Realm to erase the blood spirit. Could it be, could it be that this Picture of the Dragon Hiding in the Yellow Springs, aside from absorbing the Dharma treasures of others, also possesses an efficacy in obliterating the imprints of blood spirits? If that is the case, I have struck it rich!"
As Fang Han thought this in his heart, his spirit stirred; puchi!
The grand array inside the Spirit Wind Sword revolved. A gale of swift wind galloped completely outward, sword light circling, cleanly slicing right through the middle of a small tree thick as a bowl entirely a thousand paces away from him.
An ecstasy of wild joy instantly arose in Fang Han's heart!
Originally, in Daoist teachings, the saying went 'He who desires immortality cultivates Kunlun', with Kunlun referring to the top of the head. However, in the world of Eternal Life, this was not Earth, and there was no Kunlun. Therefore, the two words 'Heavenly Gate' were used in its place.