Chapter 492: Divine Artifact, Divine Arrival

As Zhao Xing looked at the nine bone spurs of the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle, three silver runes immediately emerged from three of them and flowed into his sea of consciousness.

"One of the driving methods for the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle, the Nine Marshes God technique, is far more complex than what I've comprehended in the previous five layers," Zhao Xing noted, immediately focusing. "It not only involves magical power, spiritual will, true spirit, and Dharma body, but surprisingly also includes the cultivation methods and techniques of the Temporal Sect."

"Only then can the Heaven-Changing Dharma Domain, which integrates internal and external forces, be formed. Once the Heaven-Changing Dharma Domain is born, it can unleash one-third of the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle's power."

"If all three methods are fully comprehended, and then the nine divine needles are refined and implanted into the Dharma body's foundation, one can transform into three forms: the 'Nine Marshes God,' 'Rock Star God,' and 'Puluo God.'"

"All three are divine realms?!"

Zhao Xing was somewhat shocked. The Houbian technique truly could lead to divinity. However, this also required mastery of all three techniques and activation of all nine divine needles to truly utilize the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle. Simply using the Nine Marshes God technique would only allow driving three core needles. If all nine bone spurs were not active, then after transformation, whether it was the Nine Marshes God, Puluo God, or Rock Star God, the practitioner would only be in the demigod realm.

"But it doesn't say how I'm supposed to cultivate this," Zhao Xing wondered, voicing his question to Venerable Bai Han.

"Does your era not have Temporal Sect cultivation methods that lead to divinity?" Venerable Bai Han countered.

"No," Zhao Xing shook his head.

"How do you cast the Houbian technique without Temporal magical power?" Venerable Bai Han seemed surprised.

"Times are changing. In my era, the Houbian technique can be supported by the magical power of the other two sects, and I cultivate all three."

"Cultivate all three? No, even if possible, the power of your Houbian technique couldn't reach this level," Venerable Bai Han frowned. According to the ancient cultivators' classifications, the Temporal, Terrestrial, and Intrinsic sects saw their differences further widen after breaking through to the Samsara Realm. Even the most basic magical power cultivation chapters were divided into different schools. Temporal magical power, Terrestrial magical power, and Intrinsic magical power could amplify spells of their respective schools. Conversely, if a spell was cast using a different type of magical power, its effectiveness would be greatly reduced, or the spell might not even be cast at all, potentially leading to a backlash.

"This junior hasn't actually reached the Samsara Realm in the Way of Temporal, but I did have some unique experiences." In the Spirit Void Origin Realm, Zhao Xing had used the Rain Immortal Festival ritual to break through to the Origin and achieve the Dao Domain realm, using various Temporal spells to replace the Zhoutian cultivation, thus balancing his cultivation of the three sects. Subsequently, when he broke through to the Samsara Realm, only the Intrinsic and Terrestrial sects progressed; from the Temporal sect's perspective, Zhao Xing was still merely in the Dao Domain realm. However, Fan Qianrou's Heart Sealing technique and the Seven-Colored Magical Power chapter had replaced Temporal magical power. Therefore, even without Temporal magical power, Zhao Xing's Azure Flower magical power was a panacea, still allowing him to balance the Grand Dao of the three sects and continue progressing.

"Your Temporal Grand Dao isn't in the Samsara Realm, yet you've reached this point. It seems your experiences are indeed unique," Venerable Bai Han's eyes gleamed. "I do possess Temporal cultivation methods, but hearing your explanation, even my methods wouldn't compare to your fortune. You may continue to comprehend the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle according to your original plan."

Zhao Xing understood. Venerable Bai Han's era also lacked powerful Temporal cultivation methods. What he knew couldn't even compare to Fan Qianrou, the God of Medicine's Heart Sealing technique, a universal magical power cultivation secret art. However, he did provide guidance: Zhao Xing could refer to his previous cultivation plan, meaning he should continue to use Azure Flower, Red Lotus, and Azure Sea magical power as the Houbian foundation to support the complete version of the Nine Marshes God technique.

"It seems Venerable Bai Han hasn't fully mastered the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle either," Zhao Xing mused. If he had, Venerable Bai Han wouldn't have asked such a question, nor would he have worried about some Sword Dao Venerable disrupting the inheritance.

The prerequisite for driving the artifact was to fully comprehend the complete "Nine Marshes God" technique. The second point was to cast the "Nine Marshes God" technique, resonate with the three needles, and master the "Heaven-Changing Dharma Domain." If all three Houbian secret arts were mastered, it would be the "Heaven-Changing Divine Domain." Of course, Venerable Bai Han's current test only required Zhao Xing to master one-third of it.

"The complete Nine Marshes God." Zhao Xing's separated souls began to comprehend the three silver runes. Within his sea of consciousness, ninety-six separated souls meticulously analyzed the three silver runes one by one. Since he had already comprehended the three Nine Marshes Divine Dao diagrams in the fifth layer, this complete version was merely an advancement and didn't require starting comprehension from scratch. With his system panel, Zhao Xing either couldn't learn something at all, or once he did, it was simply a matter of spending time on trial and error.

At one moment, Zhao Xing's body trembled, and he suddenly saw an illusion. From the silver runes, he saw a colossal creature spanning between heaven and earth. Chaotic mist permeated its body, causing the surrounding space-time to constantly collapse and reconstruct, and countless suns, moons, and stars revolved with its breathing. At the feet of the colossal creature were three tiny beings, similar in form to the giant, though "tiny" was relative to the giant.

"So that's how it is," Zhao Xing realized. "The Nine Marshes God is a naturally born deity."

"The three Dao diagrams I saw on the fifth floating island were not actually the true Nine Marshes God, but its three closest descendants."

"It seems Venerable Bai Han didn't create those life Dao diagrams purely through his own efforts. Instead, he first obtained the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle, and then used it as a guide to capture descendants with the Nine Marshes God bloodline."

Zhao Xing glanced at his panel.Houbian Technique: Nine Marshes GodDescription: The Nine Marshes God is a naturally born deity. The divine artifact 'Heaven-Changing Divine Needle' (three of its components) and the 'Nine Marshes Houbian Technique' were created based on its life structure and that of its descendants, comprising a total of nine layers.Current Progress: Layer Three (3000/10000)

This was undoubtedly a divine-grade technique, as its progress cap had previously been one thousand, but now it had become ten thousand, just like the Heart Sealing technique.

"Cultivating to the third layer allows me to control three of the artifacts, which meets Venerable Bai Han's requirements." Although Zhao Xing hadn't cast it yet, he already knew that if he were to do so again, his transformed body wouldn't have horns, but would take the form of the three descendants. Of course, to truly transform into the Nine Marshes God, he would need to cultivate it to the ninth layer and then refine all nine artifacts.

"Even if I can now control three artifacts, I can only transform into a descendant of the Nine Marshes God. After transformation, I would manifest as three Nine Marshes descendants, in the demigod realm, possessing three powerful innate secret arts."

Based on his internal biological clock, Zhao Xing estimated that the first step of comprehension had taken approximately 500 years. However, Venerable Bai Han had said that the time flow in the sixth layer was different from the previous five. Five hundred years inside would only translate to 10 years outside.

"Next is the second step: using the third layer of the Nine Marshes Houbian technique to drive the three artifacts."

The moment Zhao Xing looked up, a look of anticipation appeared in Venerable Bai Han's eyes. "Comprehended it in 500 years and starting the second step, attempting to drive the artifact? What a prodigy!"

An azure flower halo appeared around Zhao Xing, interweaving with the silver light emanating from the divine needles, gradually condensing into a phantom encircled by nine marsh patterns. As the runes merged, the nine marsh patterns resonated with the silver light of the divine needles. Three of the Heaven-Changing Divine Needles began to vibrate violently, then rapidly shrunk. The other six also became somewhat smaller, but nowhere near as much as the three designated ones. The marsh patterns encircled the artifacts, causing them to shrink in spirals, and the three bone spurs in the starry sky had already halved in size.

Just then, however, Zhao Xing felt a stinging pain in his mind, and he had a faint sense of unease.

"Why did you stop?" Venerable Bai Han asked.

"Senior, it's the same problem: my magical power is insufficient to drive the three artifacts. I can't form the Heaven-Changing Dharma Domain and refine them into my body," Zhao Xing said with some regret. "My foundation is too shallow. In terms of Temporal Grand Dao cultivation, I'm only in the Life-Death Dao Domain realm, and that unique experience can't support me in driving such powerful artifacts."

Venerable Bai Han nodded, about to wave his hand, but Zhao Xing spoke again. "However, this junior has an idea that might be worth trying."

"Tell me about it."

"Please, Senior, lift the suppression of this Dharma realm so I can cast the Intrinsic Sect's World Projection. The Heaven-Changing Dharma Domain requires internal and external integration. I already possess all external conditions, but I lack a Seasonal Realm Token. Perhaps I can use my inner world to support it. Please provide protection, Senior."

"Oh?" A flicker of interest appeared in Venerable Bai Han's eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Zhao Xing explained, "Temporal cultivation methods generate Seasonal Realm Tokens, which can control the cosmic four seasons' evolution within a realm. In the Houbian technique, it forms the foundation for the inner heaven-and-earth environment required. My inner world inherently possesses environmental regulation, so perhaps it can achieve the integration of internal and external forces."

Venerable Bai Han sighed, "The development of your era's cultivation system is far more advanced than my own. It's astonishing how many points of convergence exist among the three sects."

"Very well, go ahead and try," Venerable Bai Han waved his hand, altering the rules of the Dharma realm.

Zhao Xing found he could open his inner world.

"I will protect you. If there's any danger, you must not force it, otherwise your Dharma body will disintegrate and your true spirit will perish. It would be a great pity to fall at this step," Venerable Bai Han said.

"Understood," Zhao Xing nodded.

After releasing the constraints on his inner world, Zhao Xing spent a long time attempting something else. However, he wasn't trying to refine the artifacts or master the Heaven-Changing Dharma Domain. Instead, within his inner world, he was constantly trying to subdue the 'Soul Devouring Grass'.

"Faster, faster! It'll be too late if he notices."

Zhao Xing's true spirit continuously invaded the true spirit of the Soul Devouring Grass. However, the Soul Devouring Grass's true spirit, like a mischievous child, constantly leaped and struggled, resisting. As a legendary-grade military unit, it simply refused to be trained by Zhao Xing. After all, Zhao Xing was currently only a Lord-level true spirit, having not yet endured a single true spirit tribulation, while it was a naturally powerful Soul Devouring Grass. It was far stronger than Zhao Xing's true spirit. If it weren't for the suppression of the Primordial Dao Pagoda, it would have long since killed Zhao Xing.

"What do I do?" Zhao Xing, with bloodshot eyes, stood anxiously beside the primordial ocean in his inner world. "Once Venerable Bai Han detects something amiss, he'll likely act immediately. To deal with him, I must completely subdue the Soul Devouring Grass, then use the power of the World-Opening Divine Stone to make it reach its peak. A peak Soul Devouring Grass, comparable to a human demigod, might be able to escape Venerable Bai Han's clutches."

When his brain produced a third jolt of pain, Zhao Xing finally discovered the anomaly. He clearly saw the 'truth' around him. He wasn't standing on a green jade slab at all; he was lying on a stone platform. Nine flesh nails had been hammered into his Dharma body's forehead, abdomen, chest, and limbs. In that instant of clarity, he saw Venerable Bai Han's true form. Bai Han lay on an adjacent stone platform, his physical body completely withered, hair gone, flesh and skin constantly writhing, and also impaled by nine flesh nails. Above Venerable Bai Han's shriveled body appeared the phantom of a large, entirely black dog. The dog bared its fangs, and a polar star floated above its head. Dark clouds gathered, as if a 'Heavenly Dog Devouring the Sun' event was about to occur.

The surrounding environment had also transformed into a cave dwelling. Countless specimens were submerged in crystal vessels, including not only humans but also various races Zhao Xing had seen in the lower five layers, such as dragons originating from the Xuanhuang Realm.

Venerable Bai Han displayed many skills on his panel. Two of them particularly caught Zhao Xing's attention. First was the Heart-Corroding Demonic Seed. Second was the Heavenly Dog Demonic Spirit. The former could seize control of another's Dharma body, while the latter could devour the opponent's true spirit. When combined, they could completely inherit the target's knowledge, cultivation talent, and comprehension.

"Venerable Bai Han couldn't master the Heaven-Changing Divine Needle artifact himself, but he used this inheritance trial to filter out me, who possesses the strongest comprehension talent."

"Once I learned it, he would immediately possess me."

"Planting a Dao to possess another — this is definitely a technique of the Demonic Administrator!" Zhao Xing knew he had encountered a true Demonic Administrator overlord. Venerable Bai Han was also proficient in medical arts, keeping him tightly under control. If it hadn't been for the sudden stinging pain in his mind, he would still be unknowingly trapped in the illusion. He had thought he was receiving an inheritance and a divine artifact. If he hadn't known the truth, everything he did would have been for Venerable Bai Han's benefit.

Zhao Xing had been able