Chapter 2020: True Immortal Realm Heavenly Dao Cultivation Method

Although he didn't know the properties of the object in front of him, he had extensive knowledge of sacred beasts and immortal beasts. Since the stone bore the words "Divine Blood," it was surely connected to the blood of deities. Even the most powerful immortal beasts would likely retreat far away if they encountered it.

This method originated from the Lingyun Sword Pavilion. Inside, even the most formidable immortal beasts dared not approach the Sword God Hall. This was precisely because the words "Sword God," left by the founding patriarch, were inscribed there.

"Alright... I'll go find it now!" The method wasn't difficult. Steward Hu and Elder He exchanged glances, and the former nodded before hurrying off.

He was eager to confirm whether it was indeed a Divine Blood Stone. If it was authentic, he wouldn't dare to auction it off, even if it meant a significant loss. After all, compared to money, life was clearly more important.

In less than half an hour, Steward Hu re-entered with several jade bottles.

"These all contain the blood of Immortal Lord realm beasts..."

Immortal Lord realm beasts were rare, and it was difficult to find one and bring it back, but obtaining small amounts of their blood was not complicated. Immortal beast blood contained immense energy and was highly beneficial for cultivation. As long as one was willing to pay, the Divine Palace made it quite easy to acquire such an item.

"This bottle contains the blood of a Black Tiger Immortal Beast, which can reach the peak of the Immortal Lord realm upon maturity..."

He took a jade bottle and poured a drop of blood towards the stone. Though just a single drop, it contained dense spiritual energy, heavy as gold. As it fell through the air, it pressed down, causing the air to whistle.

Just as the blood was about to land on the stone, it suddenly swerved gently, flying to one side. It seemed to have encountered something it feared, hiding to the side and letting out a whimpering sound.

Steward Hu's face stiffened. If he had harbored any doubts before, now he was seventy to eighty percent convinced. Among the several types of blood he had purchased, that of the Black Tiger Immortal Beast was the most potent; other types would tremble and not dare approach it. Yet now, before even reaching the stone, it behaved like this... This indicated that the stone must be emitting a power that inspired awe! He couldn't imagine what else it could be, other than... a deity.

He then dripped the blood from the remaining jade bottles onto the stone, and all behaved identically, too fearful to approach.

"It truly is a Divine Blood Stone..." All doubt vanished from his mind, and he looked at the young man before him with profound reverence. Without needing any tools, he had recognized its connection to divine blood with a single glance. The young man's discerning eye was terrifyingly powerful.

"This item... do you know when it was acquired and its exact location?" Zhang Xuan said no more, having calmed his excitement, and looked over.

"When I bought it, the person only mentioned the Sea of Star Chasing; they didn't reveal any other details..." Steward Hu shook his head.

"Then... can the person who sold you this stone still be found? I have some questions I'd like to ask!" Zhang Xuan inquired.

"I'll try!" Steward Hu replied, taking out a communication jade token and sending a message. After waiting for a while with no reply, he shook his head helplessly. "He disappeared after selling the stone to me. It seems... he can't be contacted again!"

Zhang Xuan sighed. He had thought he might be able to find the person and ask about the item's precise location to investigate it himself, but now it seemed impossible.

After asking a few more questions and getting no useful leads, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Then... do you know how long ago the person acquired this stone?" he finally asked.

"I bought it nearly a month ago. At the time, he said he had obtained it over a month prior... so, this stone has been in his possession for about two months now!"

"Two months?" Zhang Xuan paused, then clenched his fist again.

Luo Ruoxi had stayed on the Master Teacher Continent for over a year. After her departure, he himself had remained for another three or four months before entering the Firmament. Considering the ten-to-one time ratio between the Firmament and the Master Teacher Continent, one and a half years, or over five hundred days, would equate to just over fifty days in the Firmament. Adding the ten-plus days he had already spent in the Firmament, the total came to exactly two months!

It seemed... this item was very likely connected to her. Of course, to confirm it, he would need to personally visit the so-called Sea of Star Chasing.

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan let out a breath and continued, "Steward Hu, do you have any cultivation techniques for the True Immortal realm here? The more, the better. May I borrow them to look through? I just need a glance; I won't copy them or take them away!" His primary purpose for coming to help identify the treasure was this, as he wanted to go to the Sea of Star Chasing to search for Luo Ruoxi's whereabouts, and his cultivation was extremely important. Only by reaching the True Immortal realm would he have sufficient self-preservation ability.

"True Immortal realm cultivation techniques?" Seeing his request, Steward Hu paused, then nodded. "I do have some of those here, all copies from items sold at auction... If Brother Zhang wishes to see them, I'd be more than happy to oblige!" The young man before him could identify even such obscure items; his appraisal skills were astonishing. If they could win him over to their trading house, they would never make a mistake with any treasure in the future! Thus, as soon as Zhang Xuan asked, he immediately agreed. Furthermore, the other party only wished to look, not copy, which was an easy favor to grant.

"Thank you, Steward!" Seeing his agreement, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the stone nearby. "This Divine Blood Stone involves deities, so it's best not to auction it, Steward. Find a special formation to seal it away, and by no means let any information about it leak! If I later learn the precise method for refining or using it, I will inform you in detail."

"Thank you for your trouble, Brother Zhang..." Steward Hu nodded profusely. In truth, he had already decided this without Zhang Xuan needing to say anything. He wouldn't dare leak a single detail about something involving deities, not even if he had ten times the courage. Although his cultivation had reached the Half-step Immortal Lord realm, compared to the experts of the Divine Palace, he was vastly inferior, not even in the same league. Most importantly, even if the Divine Palace didn't intervene, experts from the six great sects would surely come if they learned the news. As a mere merchant, he certainly couldn't contend with them. Rather than invite trouble, it was better to suppress the information and say nothing at all.

After arranging for someone to put away the Divine Blood Stone, Steward Hu led Zhang Xuan to a room.

Indeed, the room was filled with countless books, densely packed. While not as numerous as those in the Elder Hall, there were still a great many.

"Only seventy-odd books..." Zhang Xuan quickly absorbed them into his mind, then shook his head again. There were many books, but only seventy-odd pertained to the True Immortal realm. Even with over six hundred books already collected, there were still seven remaining flaws. Adding seventy more probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Correct!" With a low exclamation, the library shook, and these seventy-odd books merged with the previous six hundred-plus volumes he had collected. He picked up a book with little hope, glanced at it, and his eyes involuntarily lit up. All seven of the remaining flaws had been filled! The Heavenly Dao cultivation technique for the True Immortal realm in his hand was now perfectly complete, without a single loophole!

"This..." Zhang Xuan found it hard to believe. He had thought that if these seventy-odd books could fill even one or two flaws, it would be good. How had they managed to complete all of them? He quickly reviewed the seventy-odd books he had just absorbed in his mind and instantly understood.

Although the books collected from the auction house were not as powerful as those from the Sword Pavilion, many were rare and unusual techniques. These utilized unorthodox methods, not following the conventional path of cultivation. This was precisely why they commanded high prices and were sought after by many cultivators. The six hundred-plus books from the Sword Pavilion leaned towards orthodoxy, while these seventy-odd books took an unconventional approach. The two complemented each other, and thus, the Heavenly Dao cultivation technique was fully formed.

"Brother Zhang, which type of books would you like to see? I can retrieve them for you..." Steward Hu said with a smile.

"I've already finished looking, thank you!" Zhang Xuan cupped his fist.

"Finished?" Steward Hu was stunned. They had just entered, and the young man had merely swept his gaze over the books before him... It was so fast! "Are you sure you came to... oh, no, to read books? Must it be this quick?"

"I merely had some cultivation difficulties that I couldn't resolve, and I came here hoping to find some books to help me understand them indirectly... After seeing your books, I realized they weren't suitable for me. Rather than reading them and confusing my thoughts, it's better not to read them at all!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

"That's... true. Many of my cultivation techniques differ significantly from the orthodox methods of the Sword Pavilion." Hearing this explanation, Steward Hu nodded. In cultivation, it wasn't a case of the more one learned, the better. Taking on too much could lead to superficial understanding. Many cultivators who read too widely often found themselves unable to distinguish truth from falsehood, ultimately leading to qi deviation.

"Brother Zhang, I owe you greatly for identifying the Divine Blood Stone and helping me avert a disaster. This is just a small token of my appreciation; please don't refuse..." Upon leaving the room, Steward Hu offered a bag of Divine Coins, appearing to contain hundreds. Spending such a large sum in one go was clearly an investment to win Zhang Xuan over.

"You're too kind, Steward. I was merely completing a task..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand, not accepting the coins. "A gentleman values wealth, but obtains it through his own means." He wasn't interested in such a small amount of Divine Coins. Of course, his main reason was not wanting to be too deeply involved with the other party.

"I'll take my leave now. See you if fate allows!" Declining the other party's warm invitation, Zhang Xuan turned and left the trading house.

His purpose for coming here was to find cultivation techniques and complete the Heavenly Dao cultivation technique for the True Immortal realm. Now that it was done, it was time to go back and find Bai Ruanqing, and simultaneously improve his cultivation as quickly as possible! Once he reached the peak of the True Immortal realm, with the help of the Parasol Robe Sword, he could even contend with peak Immortal Lord experts. Then, he wouldn't have to worry when he went to the Sea of Star Chasing to search for Luo Ruoxi's whereabouts.

Only after leaving the trading house did he realize that the sky outside had completely darkened. The moon hung aloft, and stars seemed poised to fall, while the surroundings were calm and quiet. As he walked along the street towards the Divine Palace, after only a few steps, his pupils suddenly constricted. "Who's there?" He spun around quickly, then saw the previously flat street warp. All the buildings seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by an open wilderness, and then, several figures abruptly appeared before him.