Chapter 457: Divine Realm Method, Blue and White Porcelain Magic

News of Zhao Xing's severe injuries and uncertain fate was partially suppressed. A bounty was placed on Wei Tianchen, the stated reason being his possession of dangerous forbidden items. In Great Zhou, only Ji Si knew about this; everyone else was completely unaware.

Most of Great Zhou's main forces were operating in the Wangliang Star Zone of Langping Dao, alongside the Wuye Army of the Northern River Legion. One of the teams led by Xia Jing encountered an unexpected battle. In the void, a star-continent, tens of thousands of miles long, suddenly drifted out of the void currents. It was covered in flags, permeated with a strong demonic aura, and various crude machines were arranged along its edges. Numerous wolf demons, clad in armor and armed with weapons, stood ready for battle. Their appearance was abrupt; by the time Xia Jing spotted them, they were already very close.

"It's Pang Qi, the Demon King from the Heavenly Demon Nation," Lu Ying said to the person next to him, glancing forward. "He's at the Life-Death Dao Domain realm, leading approximately eighty thousand demons."

"Are there any Great Demon Kings at the Reincarnation Realm?" Xia Jing asked.

"None," Lu Ying replied, shaking his head.

"Kill!" Xia Jing didn't waste words. With a sweep of his hand, countless rays of light illuminated behind him. These rays, like command arrows, shot out, engulfing all soldiers and generals across the entire continent. Great Zhou's unique Blood Qi Battle Formation rapidly took shape at that moment, and a majestic figure, none other than Xia Jing, appeared above the barrier. The array of mechanists only managed to fire the Heavenly Net Cannon three times before having to cease their actions. In this surprise encounter, there wasn't enough time to deploy large-scale Dao soldiers, and the situation quickly escalated into a landing operation.

"Kill!" Long Xiao's sword scabbard unsheathed, and tens of thousands of golden swords formed the Minor Thousand Sword Array. The formation behind him, along with about a thousand sword cultivators, drew their swords simultaneously. The Minor Thousand Sword Array transformed into the Great Thousand Sword Array! The star-continent in space seemed to sprout a sharp greatsword and initiated the attack first.

"Void Wind." Just as Long Xiao moved, Heng Yuan, the Shao Nung Ling behind him, immediately led the Situ Nongs of the Heavenly Timeliness faction to cast a group spell. One by one, green vortexes emerged from the void currents. Some were distributed around the continent's periphery, forming a timely defense line. They absorbed the demonic machinery's attacks into the vortexes, transmitting them into the deeper void.

*Puff, puff, puff...* On the demon race's combat star-continent, there was a group of slender wolf-headed mages, all at the Five Elements Dao Domain realm, responsible for defense barriers. At this moment, each of them vomited blood, suffering backlash as the human sword cultivators breached the first layer of the barrier.

"Roar!" Great Demon King Pang Qi unleashed his Dharma Idol Heaven and Earth. A silver-white wolf head appeared in front of the star-continent and bit down on Long Xiao's azure-golden greatsword. The offensive was immediately halted!

"Void Wind, go!" Heng Yuan cast the spell again. A small portion of the void wind transformed into green dragons, attaching themselves to the Great Thousand Sword Array led by Long Xiao. With the aid of the fierce wind, the azure-golden greatsword immediately accelerated again, continuously breaking through seven layers of the demon army's defensive barriers. The wolf head was pierced, and the golden greatsword broke through all defenses, leaving a deep hole in the demon star-continent. The green barrier, like an atmosphere, had a breach punctured in it, and an azure-golden hole provided a passage for the landing operation.

"Black-armored Army, charge with me!" Xia Jing roared, and the thousand Black-armored soldiers riding giant dragons behind him immediately responded.

"ROAR!!!" The Black-armored Army leaped from the edge of the continent, quickly entering the passage.

In front of Lu Ying, star-mirrors submerged into the ground. On the eastern continent, mechanical mountain peaks suddenly toppled sideways, forming drills shrouded in Yin-Yang energies, and quickly began to glow. Even after doing all this, Lu Ying felt it wasn't secure enough and stomped his foot. A ripple transmitted into the ground.

"Chen Shijie! Impact in three ke [approximately 45 minutes]! Prepare for 'continental sinking'!"

"Understood," Chen Shijie's voice echoed from underground. As the voice reverberated, rocks on the side of the continent's eastern part detached, revealing a layer of dark metallic mountain peaks.

"Damn it, they actually used eight corner peaks from Diejie Mountain as a star-continent fortress. Did we run into Great Zhou's main force?" Upon seeing the dark, inverted mountain peaks extending deep into the void, Pang Qi immediately realized that this encounter was between forces of vastly different scales. Apart from this Great Zhou army, no one in the Northern River Legion could integrate Diejie Mountain into a star-continent base.

"Breakout!" Pang Qi immediately decided to abandon this small star-continent base. Numerous Dao Domain realm beings gave up their hold on the star-continent base, withdrew their dojos, and began boarding realm boats to escape for their lives.

"They're running already? The wolf race is truly cunning." Xia Jing chuckled as he saw seven or eight realm boats taking off from the western side of the demon star-continent.

"Pursue! Don't let them escape!"

"The wealth on their commander is the real prize!"

Half a month later, in a shattered star belt.

*Thud!*

The massive corpse of a silver-white Celestial Wolf crashed heavily into an asteroid. Seeing Pang Qi slain, Xia Jing glanced at Ye Yukong, who was missing half a hand.

"Done. All armies, report casualties."

At this moment, Long Xiao flew onto the asteroid, his expression somewhat anxious. "Xia Jing, have you seen Aotian and the others?"

"No, wasn't Aotian with you?" Xia Jing wondered. Ocelot Aotian, Cang Ni Xiaotian, and Illusionary Spirit Sheep Huantian were all fighting alongside Long Xiao.

"They're gone!" Long Xiao's face fell instantly. "It's over! If something happens, how will I explain it to Zhao Xing?"

"Don't worry," Xia Jing comforted. "They might just be cleaning up the battlefield somewhere. They're only at the third realm of Origin; where could they go?"

"Woof woof!"

"Meow!"

In the Heavenly Demon Nation, in ancient times, the ancestral gods of demon races, such as those from the Heavenly Demon Nation, Cangyue Demon Nation, Myriad River Demon Nation, and Star Devouring Demon Nation, all aligned their Daos with the Great Dao of the Profound Spirit Star Domain, establishing a rule of 'reception'. Whenever a beast broke through to the Ascension, Origin, or Dao Domain realms, a void passage would appear, guiding them to the territories of various demon nations. Currently, the effect of this guidance has weakened. By the time a spirit beast from human territories attempts to break through to the Dao Domain realm, they can no longer be guided.

At this moment, near a grayish-yellow realm star in the Wangliang Star Zone of Langping Dao.

*Swish, swish, swish~*

Three figures were chasing each other among the shattered stars when they suddenly entered an area where the spiritual energy index sharply increased.

"Meow?" One of the creatures, a large cat with nimble limbs, black-golden fur, and a metallic sheen, stopped and let out a curious meow.

"Woof woof?" Beside it, a large dog engulfed in red fiery aura and a small sheep with pink fur also stopped.

*Om!* Suddenly, three pillars of spiritual light materialized from the void. The spiritual energy condensed to an extreme, even beginning to liquefy, simultaneously fixing the ocelot, Cang Ni, and the Illusionary Spirit Sheep in place. The three pet beasts began to break through involuntarily. The next moment, the pillars of light extended from the depths of the void and landed on the steps of a dark-red palace. The ethereal figures of the three pet beasts immediately blurred.

From within the dark-red palace emerged a black goat, its curved horns appearing to hold the moon and the sun. Observing the ethereal figures within the three light pillars, it couldn't help but pause in astonishment. "How strange."

"What exactly was that Karmic War that occurred among the humans? I participated, so why have I received three pet beasts?" This Reincarnation Emperor-level black goat couldn't help but fall into deep thought. A moment later, it gained some insight. "It seems I only got some scraps. I have no idea what those human powerhouses were truly fighting over."

"Well, these three little ones are demons nonetheless. I'll take them back to the Demon God Palace for now."

In Scholar City, after Zuo Qiyu handed Zhao Xing over to the attending scholars, he planned to find a place to rest. However, he quickly changed his mind and turned to Feng Chen again, saying, "Wait, when will Scholar Bowei appear?"

Feng Chen replied, "The Great Elder said he would emerge from seclusion in three days. He'll first administer the initial phase of ancient treatment to Zhao Xing to extend his survival time."

"Oh," Zuo Qiyu responded, "May I observe from the side?"

"This—" Feng Chen paused, surprised.

Zuo Qiyu explained, "He is, after all, a genius from my Primal Realm, and the Hill of Antiquity strongly insists on ensuring his safety."

"It's not that we don't trust Scholar City, but we just want to reassure those who care about him."

Feng Chen nodded in understanding. "I can comprehend that, but I'll need to ask Scholar Bowei first."

"Alright, I'll await your news."

Zuo Qiyu's change of mind wasn't due to a sudden pang of conscience; it was purely because Zhao Xing had protested to Lord Lushan. He didn't want a secret treatment. At the very least, there needed to be an observer present. Frankly, Zhao Xing, deep down, didn't trust that Bowei, the Great Elder, was genuinely kind-hearted. This man had taken in a group of exiled scholars from Scholar City as his subordinates and secretly employed a number of demonic scholars to do his bidding. How could he be at ease entrusting his main body to such a person without someone watching? At Zhao Xing's strong insistence, Lord Lushan agreed to the request. Consequently, Zuo Qiyu followed Feng Chen into a high tower within Scholar City to wait.

Three days later, good news arrived.

"Zhao Xing, Bowei has agreed to let Zuo Qiyu oversee the entire process."

"Your main body is now about to be placed into the Ten Cold Ice Coffin."

"Scholar City's attitude is very accommodating; I think you're overthinking it."

Emperor Lushan pointed at the image on the star-mirror. At that moment, Feng Chen had dispatched people to carry the ice coffin, and they, along with Zuo Qiyu, had arrived in a world of ice and snow. Snowflakes filled the air all around, making it appear incredibly cold. In this white world, a corridor of ice crystals appeared, extending towards a towering ice mountain.

"What's happening to my replica body?" Zhao Xing saw his replica body continuously shrinking, and many worm-like reddish patterns appeared on his face. His replica body was enlarging and cracking, and the resulting wounds were dry. At the same time, his fragmented soul also felt a searing pain. Before the Scarecrow Art completely tore apart the soul, Zhao Xing's fragmented soul would still be affected by the soul core.

"Zuo Qiyu conveyed Scholar City's assessment; they said your soul is decaying."

"Your Dharma body is losing soul control and reverting to its original form."

"The Ten Cold Ice Coffin is a natural divine artifact. Although its power has diminished over countless eons, it can suppress the True Spirit Heavenly Poison within you, buying more time for treatment."

"How much time can it buy?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Feng Chen said it can probably be extended to approximately three hundred years," Lord Lushan replied. "If it's not resolved within three hundred years, then there's truly no hope."

Three hundred years? Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. In his previous life, he remembered that the martial artist also had this approximate limit. That Qi Sect martial artist was at the Reincarnation Emperor level, while he was only at the Life-Death Dao Domain realm. Under the True Spirit Heavenly Poison, all were equal. Even with the Ten Cold Ice Coffin, it could at most delay it by 300 years.

"If the True Spirit Heavenly Poison is this terrifying, I wonder what the extent of the Desolate God Poison sealed by Fan Qianrou is." Thinking about it now, the Seven-Star Coffer taken by the ancient physician was indeed very dangerous. "Wei Tianchen didn't obtain the 'Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art,' and I don't know if he'll be able to open the deepest layer of the Seven-Star Coffer," Zhao Xing mused to himself.

Now that his life could be extended by three hundred years, he had the presence of mind to think about other matters. For example, obtaining the 'Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art' from the Seven-Star Coffer.

"Is this the secret art to open the innermost layer of the Seven-Star Coffer?" Zhao Xing began to study it carefully. The truth was not as he had imagined. The Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art did not seem to be a secret art for opening, but rather a secret art for solidifying seals!

"How ingenious!" Zhao Xing's fragmented soul, comprehending the Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art, immediately exclaimed in admiration. "This is actually a Dharma Body strengthening secret art!"

"Right, Fan Qianrou sealed it at the cost of her life; how could she possibly provide a method to unseal it?"

"And by using her seven exquisite hearts to seal the Desolate God Poison, solidifying the seal is equivalent to strengthening her Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart."

"Naturally, it should be a Dharma Body strengthening secret art!"

Zhao Xing was extremely excited. A secret art left behind by a Divine Realm expert would definitely bring divine benefits! Physicians, of course, also followed the path of magic, and this Dharma Body strengthening secret art was precisely what he needed.

"If it were a martial artist's Golden Body secret art, I genuinely couldn't cultivate it right now, because the Taiyi Scarecrow replica isn't a true flesh-and-blood body after all."

"Even if my main body recovers, it would only be for reference."

"However, this is a Dharma Body cultivation. It doesn't involve excavating the potential of flesh and blood deities; essentially, it's an application of 'mana.'"

After several months of comprehension, Zhao Xing gained some preliminary understanding. "This current replica body of mine is a Taiyi replica used by Zuo Qiyu. In terms of material grade, it's not much different from the one I destroyed."

"It's just that the structure is a bit different."

Having cultivated the same Scarecrow Dao, Zhao Xing's fragmented soul could reside within the Taiyi Scarecrow body. However, to truly control it, he still needed to make some adjustments to its properties. Over the next few months, Zhao Xing devoted himself to transforming the scarecrow body into his own form until he had complete control. After achieving full control, he began studying the Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art.

*Whoosh~*

As Zhao Xing began to access the memories of the Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art and formally started cultivating, his fragmented soul seemed to arrive in another dimension. A flash of white light appeared, then began to separate into seven colors, like seven great rivers continuously branching out.

"Is the first step of the Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art to master this 'Seven-Colored Mana'?"

"It's too profound. I feel even monochromatic mana contains infinite Dao principles: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Time, Space, Light, Darkness, Death, Life—it seems to encompass everything."

"Is this a divine realm's ultimate technique?"

"Divine power truly is beyond human reach."

Zhao Xing's heart could not settle. At this moment, his feeling was akin to a mortal seeing the magnificent grandeur of the universe clearly for the first time—unable to comprehend, but utterly awestruck.

"Calm down!" Zhao Xing took a deep breath, suppressing his inner excitement. He emerged from his state of shock and looked up at the star-mirror again, realizing that two and a half years had already passed. "The techniques left by Divine Realm experts are too profound. I only indulged for a moment, and so much time has passed. If I were to completely immerse myself, it might not be a good thing."

Dao techniques that are too profound consume mental energy during comprehension, easily leading to exhaustion and death. His fragmented soul's power was not strong to begin with; facing this secret art, Zhao Xing had to be cautious. Fan Qianrou's secret art also involved Karmic Dao principles, which he couldn't even describe, let alone articulate. If something happened to his fragmented soul, others might not even find the cause.

"Seven-colored mana contains myriad Dao principles. I cannot comprehend it haphazardly; I must find a method." The Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art left by Fan Qianrou inherently assumed the discoverer would also be a Divine Realm expert. Therefore, there was no analysis or instruction; it was simply delivered as a complete package. If one were a Divine Realm expert, they would naturally understand and learn it with ease, using it to strengthen her last exquisite heart. It completely disregarded the possibility that the recipient was only at the Life-Death Dao Domain realm.

"From myriad Dao principles, I shall take but one ladle!"

"Thanks to the cultivation from the Ancient Luo River, I am most proficient in the Dao of Life!"

"I should use a singular Dao of Life to comprehend this secret art."

"If comprehending Fan Qianrou's Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art is akin to solving a great problem, then I choose to solve it using the Great Dao of Life."

"Through this, I will understand all of her secret arts."

Having determined his direction, Zhao Xing calmed his mind and began to ponder once more.

He discarded all external perceptions, retaining only his perception of the Great Dao of Life, and once again immersed himself in comprehension. White divine power shimmered like light. After fixing itself before his eyes, it began to separate into seven colors again. The seven-colored mana, like a mighty flood, surged apart, and soon Zhao Xing's vision became a world of mana. When he opened his eyes once more, Zhao Xing found that another two and a half years had passed in the outside world. At this point, more scholars appeared next to the Ten Cold Ice Coffin, seemingly pointing at his main body and studying treatment plans.

*You have comprehended the 'Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art' and gained 1 point of proficiency.**Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art: Mana Chapter**Progress: 1/???*

His fragmented soul, naturally able to see the panel, examined the record and couldn't help but reveal a slight smile. "Good, the direction is correct."

"Although the seven-colored mana eventually spread throughout the world again, leaving me with no way to proceed, and my mental energy consumption increased, this isn't a problem with the direction. It's because my fragmented soul is too weak."

The soul power of his fragmented soul was, of course, not as strong as his main body's. Although the quality was the same, the quantity was too small. "At first, I could still comprehend using the Great Dao of Life, but my fragmented soul couldn't bear it and quickly fell into confusion." The confused state of comprehension meant that he seemed to grasp a lot of information, but in reality, it was completely disorganized and useless. In short, he spent time but wasted it. Furthermore, a question mark appeared next to the proficiency cap, indicating that this spell's level was too high, and its limits were also too high. The progress bar also represented the approximate time to learn a spell, and according to the current situation, 1 proficiency point took five years. At Zhao Xing's lifespan, he probably wouldn't learn it even by the time he died.

"If I don't solve this problem, I probably won't ever be able to master it," Zhao Xing mused. He quickly thought of three methods. "First, consume soul-enhancing treasures, such as the Soul Spirit Fruit from the Primal Realm, which can serve as a consumption supplement."

"Second, continue cultivating the 'Reincarnation' secret art given by Qing Yuzi to enhance the resilience of my fragmented soul. This might allow me to persevere longer."

"Third, willpower techniques. I was dazzled by the myriad Dao principles, which is also a test of willpower. Improving mental fortitude reduces mental energy consumption, naturally allowing me to persevere longer."

After much consideration, Zhao Xing ultimately discarded the second option. This was because Scholar City had already begun his treatment, and cultivating the 'Reincarnation' secret art might have unknown effects on his main body. After all, the True Spirit Heavenly Poison in his main body inherently involved the soul. Even if he was wary of Bowei and didn't want him to know that a fragmented soul remained outside, he shouldn't cause unnecessary trouble for them; his life still depended on their rescue. Besides, Lord Lushan and Emperor Wudu might not agree to his reckless actions anyway.

"It's only natural for you to want Soul Spirit Fruits; there's nothing to say about replenishing soul power for your fragmented soul to maintain stability."

"But why do you want to cultivate willpower abilities?" Lord Lushan asked, puzzled. "Now that you finally have a chance at life, don't act recklessly."

Zhao Xing explained for a long time, but Lord Lushan wouldn't agree. Helpless, he had to play his trump card. "Uncle-master, this poison I've contracted is so rare that Scholar City has only had one case before, and the hope of success is very slim."

"If I cannot be saved in three hundred years, I might completely disappear."

"The Ten Cold Ice Coffin is now affecting my fragmented soul, causing my thoughts to become somewhat sluggish. I don't want to live these three hundred years in a daze."

"Uncle-master, in the last moments of my life, I wish to write more legal theories, striving to complete 'The Treatise on the Manifestation of Dao in the Changing World,' and make a small contribution to the Hill of Antiquity—"

"The Mesozoic Origin of Diejie Mountain" and "Zhao's Eight Earth Transformation Methods" were all theories from "The Treatise on the Manifestation of Dao in the Changing World." Lord Lushan naturally understood Zhao Xing's intentions. However, turning legal theories into published works and getting them archived was a long process. Originally, Zhao Xing had hoped to complete it, but now—

Zhao Xing's words almost brought tears to Lord Lushan's eyes. What a promising talent! Even facing death, he still thought of writing theories on earth transformations to shine for the Hill of Antiquity. Yet now, Wei Tianchen had reduced him to this state! Seeing Zhao Xing's frail appearance, Lord Lushan's hatred for the ancient medical lineage was so profound it could not be washed away even by all the oceans. With reddened eyes, he said, "Alright, Uncle-master agrees. Whatever you need, I will find it for you."

"However, you must not speak of death again. Great Elder Bowei of Scholar City, his wisdom surpasses that of scholars throughout history; you definitely have a chance to live!"

"Yes," Zhao Xing respectfully bowed. "This disciple will strive to live."

Lord Lushan became Zhao Xing's procurer. When Zhao Xing asked for Soul Spirit Fruits, he directly transplanted a hundred peak-stage Soul Spirit Trees from Emperor Wudu to Crystal Island. They were planted within the space on Crystal Island where Zhao Xing's fragmented soul recuperated. When Zhao Xing requested willpower divine abilities, he immediately brought over many precious willpower secret arts, copied from the treasuries of the Hill of Antiquity, Primal Realm, Origin Heavenly Palace, and Reincarnation Divine Hall. Given the state of Zhao Xing's fragmented soul, every secret art Lord Lushan selected was meticulously chosen; they might not be the strongest, but they were definitely the most suitable for Zhao Xing's current needs. A dignified Reincarnation Emperor being so considerate filled Zhao Xing with gratitude. After surviving, he resolved to repay Lord Lushan's kindness. However, for now, he couldn't genuinely study legal theories; instead, he needed to decipher the Seven Apertures Heart Sealing Art. His intuition told Zhao Xing that comprehending this secret art was far more important.

The cultivation speed of his fragmented soul began to increase slightly in the fifth year, and in the eighth year, Zhao Xing gained his second proficiency point. The unlimited replenishment from Soul Spirit Fruits only slightly accelerated Zhao Xing's progress with this divine art. However, in the thirtieth year, Zhao Xing had a new breakthrough.

"My mental fortitude, tempered by various techniques, has reached the peak of the first tier. This is a top-tier level for someone just entering the Reincarnation Realm."

"A Life-Death Dao Domain realm practitioner, possessing mana of 10 realms and first-tier mental fortitude."

"Aside from my soul not having transformed to the True Spirit level and not cultivating reincarnation methods, I'm almost no different from an ordinary Reincarnation Realm practitioner," Zhao Xing mused to himself. "However, facing this divine art, it's still not enough."

"If my mental fortitude reaches the peak of the second tier, or even the third tier, my cultivation speed will significantly increase."

"If my main body were intact, there would be many ways to accelerate the advancement of my mental fortitude, but for now, I can't rush it."

Zhao Xing realized that to learn the divine art, the stronger his mental fortitude, the better. But at this moment, his mental fortitude's breakthrough speed was already quite fast, so Zhao Xing calmed his mind and no longer wished for more.

In the fifty-fifth year, Great Elder Bowei of Scholar City finally appeared before the Ten Cold Ice Coffin. This was his first appearance, returning from the Eighth Dharma Realm. It also meant that the treatment of Zhao Xing's main body had entered a crucial stage.

"Primal Emissary," Bowei said, looking at Zuo Qiyu, who was overseeing the process.

"Great Elder," Zuo Qiyu bowed to Bowei. Although Bowei was younger than him, five years prior, Bowei had already announced his ability to enter the Eighth Dharma Realm! This meant Bowei had become the first Great Scholar in nearly a hundred epochs of the new generation to be able to enter the Eighth Dharma Realm. Such a Great Elder could be considered a demigod, holding a status equal to that of a demigod!

"The preliminary preparations for Zhao Xing's treatment are complete. Next, I will bring him into the Eighth Dharma Realm." Bowei's smile was gentle and inviting, radiating a strong sense of approachability. "It won't be convenient for the Emissary to enter the Eighth Dharma Realm; please understand."

"Great Elder, please proceed."

Zuo Qiyu had no reason to object. The Eighth Dharma Realm was the core stronghold of Scholar City, always exclusive to Great Elders. Bringing Zhao Xing in was already an exception made by Scholar City. They had come to ask Scholar City for help; how could they make any more impolite requests?

"Very well, then please, Emissary, proceed to the residence to rest. If there is good news, I will have someone notify you immediately."

"Emissary, please," Feng Chen guided Zuo Qiyu.

With this, the star-mirror surveillance ended. Once Zuo Qiyu departed, Bowei glanced at Zhao Xing in the Ten Cold Ice Coffin, waved his hand, and vanished from the spot along with the ice coffin. From that year onwards, Zhao Xing could no longer observe his main body's condition. For a month or two, he fell into an inexplicable dread. This was because Bowei opening the Eighth Dharma Realm was a sign of the Scholars' Divine Descent Stage One beginning. He wasn't sure if he had been chosen by Bowei and forced to participate. A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, and an inexplicable anxiety made it almost impossible for him to cultivate for two months, keeping him constantly restless. It wasn't until two months later that Zhao Xing accidentally heard news about Ji Si, learning that he had entered the 'Realm of Causality' to cultivate and had become a formal disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion. This closed state of anxiety then slightly eased.

"There's certainly an extreme fear between life and death!" Recalling his state of mind over those two months, Zhao Xing couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "Those two months were indeed a form of mental cultivation, and I'm not as fearless of death as I imagined."

It's easy to see others clearly, but difficult to see oneself. After experiencing the disconnection from his main body and the fear of the unknown, Zhao Xing's state of mind broke through once more, reaching the second tier. From the sixtieth year onwards, his cultivation accelerated further. By this time, the seven-colored mana no longer caused his fragmented soul to become disoriented. He would receive a proportional return for the time and effort he invested. In the one hundredth year, Zhao Xing's mental fortitude advanced from the early second tier to the middle second tier. By comprehending the seven-colored mana through the Dao of Life, his proficiency had accumulated to 39 points. In the two hundred ninth year, his mental fortitude advanced from the middle second tier to the peak of the second tier! At this point, his proficiency had reached 100 points.

The moment proficiency reached 100 points, Zhao Xing's fragmented soul suddenly trembled. The colors of the entire world faded, leaving only azure mana blossoming in the sky. Zhao Xing opened his eyes in delight, looking towards the qi sea within his scarecrow body. A wisp of azure-flowered mana swirled, blossoming like a flower.

"It's finally done!"

There was only a single wisp of azure-flowered mana, yet it domineeringly expelled the original mana within Zhao Xing's scarecrow body. It felt as if it would either be assimilated or destroyed.

"Convert!" Zhao Xing immediately consumed a Soul Spirit Fruit, enhancing his control over mana, and simultaneously began converting the mana within his body into azure-flowered mana.

*Boom!*

The vast ordinary mana, swirling around the azure-flowered mana, was completely converted within just a few breaths. Zhao Xing couldn't help but be stunned.

"My Taiyi replica body has half of my main body's mana value. Five realms' worth of mana was used to convert into azure-flowered mana, and it only formed two wisps?"

What did this imply? If Zhao Xing's five realms of mana were used in a battle against an experienced Reincarnation Realm expert, they would last for ten days to half a month before running out. If the conversion was considered a single spell cast, using it to transform into azure-flowered mana depleted everything within just a few breaths!

"The technique left by Fan Qianrou truly lives up to its name as a divine art. If my Dharma body were entirely filled with azure-flowered mana, wouldn't my mana density rival that of an Emperor-level expert?"

As it turned out, Zhao Xing was overthinking. After replenishing spiritual energy and converting it into ordinary mana, he couldn't convert it again because his fragmented soul couldn't control more mana. However, Zhao Xing wasn't disappointed.

"This isn't a problem with the secret art; it's my problem!"

"My fragmented soul's soul power is ultimately too weak, and my willpower is too weak, so I cannot control a third wisp."

"Right, let's test its power."

Zhao Xing's recuperation space lacked combat power testing equipment, but the injured body of the Taiyi Scarecrow was essentially a test dummy. He removed a rib from the replica body, the material of which was also of a top-grade Origin Divine Weapon level.

*Swish!*

Zhao Xing tossed the rib, then used ordinary mana to cast the Five Finger Mountain. The rib was unharmed, only deforming under pressure. It was normal for top-grade Origin Divine Weapon materials to be indestructible by Dao Domain realm practitioners; even Lord-level Reincarnation Realm experts would find it difficult to destroy without stronger tools.

The second time, Zhao Xing used a wisp of azure-flowered mana.

*Boom!*

Before the Five Finger Mountain fully descended, the rib shattered into pieces, ultimately crumbling into powder!

*Hiss!* Zhao Xing couldn't help but gasp. "Using the same Five Finger Mountain, azure-flowered mana can easily crush top-grade Origin Divine Weapon material?"

"I've only grasped the bare surface of one of the seven-colored manas. What if I master all of them?"

"Wei Tianchen, you truly did well by capturing me! You, you, you!!!"