Chapter 624: The Secret of the Soldier Character

Chapter 628: The Soldier Secret

A divine moon hung in the sky, bright and clear. Its watery moonlight cascaded down, enveloping the mountain range in a thin, ethereal veil, making it appear serene and hazy.

On the stone wall, there weren't many weapon imprints, and the carvings were crude. But now, they were vastly different. As moonlight showered down, the area became peaceful, and the weapon imprints glowed and flowed.

"It's different now; it's like turning decay into wonder..." Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise, his eyes fixed on the wall without blinking.

The crude carvings had transformed into the essence of the Great Dao. Each mark resembled a true dragon, a Kunpeng, a Qilin, or a divine Phoenix, possessing an indescribable mystique.

With the moon at its zenith, divine splendor flowed down like water. All the imprints on the stone wall seemed to come alive, their carvings shifting, completely unlike what was seen moments before.

An ancient aura washed over him, carrying a sense of antiquity and grandeur. Daoist imprints shimmered, and an ethereal divine sound resonated.

Ye Fan's heart trembled. He could hardly believe it—what was originally a set of crude weapon illustrations had been completely transformed, turning everything upside down.

He saw a large tripod, a round cauldron with three legs and two ears, symbolizing "Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three," representing the tangible traces of the Dao. He saw a grand bell, unique in all creation, symbolizing time and eternity. He beheld an ancient pagoda, divided into nine layers, representing the nine heavens, signifying boundless space.

Other weapons like mirrors, furnaces, spears, halberds, and staffs also appeared one by one, each representing a mysterious law, with their own unique world evolutions, profound and intricate.

Ye Fan was captivated, his mind unable to pull away. He became completely immersed, vaguely hearing someone chanting sutras from beyond this realm, reaching directly into his sea of consciousness.

He opened his mind, his spiritual consciousness becoming peaceful as he slowly comprehended and observed carefully, as if listening to the Great Dao of Creation. He was utterly engrossed, his eyes filled with ancient armaments.

Yet, when he tried to grasp it, it felt elusive and distant, always out of reach, as if close at hand yet also at the ends of the earth.

The tripod, bell, pagoda, spear, halberd, and other weapons rotated, and the wall carvings shimmered, as if transforming into a jade tablet, gradually becoming crystal clear, inhaling and exhaling moonlight.

Ye Fan stood motionless before the stone wall, oblivious to himself and his surroundings. At his glabella, the radiant golden lake pulsed, and a small golden figure stepped out, hovering before his forehead.

The small golden figure was identical to Ye Fan. It stared at the stone carvings, its entire body shimmering with Dao patterns, imprints of the Dao that held an ineffable charm.

At this moment, the tripod, bell, pagoda, furnace, mirror, spear, halberd, and all others began to rotate, then reassembled, only to decompose and form a single character: "Soldier"!

The moment this character appeared, the heavens, earth, and stars all stirred. Ye Fan felt his eardrums buzz as a grand celestial sound descended from beyond this realm, deafening him.

Each character was like a blade, each phrase like a halberd, striking at the soul. Ordinary people could not endure it; it could shatter hearts and cleave through the sea of consciousness.

Ye Fan's spiritual consciousness, represented by the golden figure, had undergone more than a dozen Heavenly Tribulations, absorbing divine lightning, and had long been tempered. Thus, it was able to withstand the onslaught.

Nevertheless, he was still greatly impacted, as if an eternal immortal weapon was suppressing him, causing immense shock and almost making him roar skyward.

"The Soldier Secret!"

Enduring the pain of the weapon's edge pressing against him, threatening to shatter him, Ye Fan couldn't help but cry out in surprise. It was something he had sought tirelessly, exhausting all means, searching every inch of the main peak, yet it remained elusive.

Ultimately, he never expected to find the Soldier Secret of the Nine Secrets on the stone wall of the back mountain. It was an inexpressible joy, like finding the true scripture after thinking there was no path left.

The Soldier Secret was very different from the preceding secrets. Like an astonishing immortal weapon, every character targeted the mind and soul, shaking the cultivator's spirit, and the scripture was very long.

The main peak wasn't majestic, merely a few hundred meters taller than the other smaller mountains. Ancient trees swayed in the back mountain, moonlight flowed, and it was very peaceful. The occasional cry of a night bird made it seem even more tranquil.

In Ye Fan's ears, thunder boomed; each character exploded like a clap of thunder, yet the outside world remained perfectly calm, with no one aware of any of this.

Before his glabella, the small golden figure sat cross-legged, a Bodhi seed hovering above its head, trailing threads of Dao light, connecting it with the character "Soldier."

He didn't know how much time had passed before he awoke from this wondrous state. The divine moon was bright and gentle, and the back mountain was pristine white, as if countless divine feathers were scattered there.

"This is the Soldier Secret!"

Compared to this, techniques like Halberd Manipulation and Weapon Control were mere trivialities, amounting to nothing. This was the true holy art of weapon control, providing the ultimate exposition on how to command "implements."

"If I master this secret, even if enemies possess King's Divine Weapons, or even Inherited Saint Armaments, I might be able to seize them!"

Ye Fan's heart trembled. Such invincible armaments, if one possessed even one, could allow them to traverse the world unhindered, almost invincible. Yet, the Soldier Secret could counter them, allowing one to seize Saint Armaments barehanded.

It could be imagined that if one's cultivation was strong enough, reaching a certain realm, they could even seize Extreme Dao Imperial Armaments. This was utterly terrifying, making one tremble.

"This secret is too terrifying. Even immortal sacred lands or eternal divine dynasties, possessing the weapons of ancient Great Emperors, might not be truly invincible in this world."

Ye Fan marveled. If a Saint mastered the Soldier Secret, they might genuinely be able to seize an Extreme Dao Imperial Armament!

Weapons are a cultivator's greatest reliance, capable of infinitely boosting combat power. However, with the emergence of the Soldier Secret, it was a nightmare for many, threatening to break the existing balance.

"The Nine Secrets, each one is so heaven-defying. No wonder they suffered heavenly jealousy, were split apart, and had their inheritances broken."

Once this secret was mastered, every grain of sand and every stone in the heavens and earth could become a weapon. Even the enemy's own weapons could be made to serve oneself, truly wondrous beyond words.

Ye Fan found it hard to calm down. The Soldier Secret was too formidable; he had to master it, as it would offer endless wondrous uses in the future.

However, this secret was extremely difficult to cultivate, with stringent conditions. To control all weapons, one must first control one weapon, cultivating one's own immortal weapon as the foundation.

After comprehending it, Ye Fan was astonished. Forging his own unique immortal weapon was similar to his previous philosophy of "one artifact breaking all techniques," but it was far more intricate.

The unique immortal weapon was the foundation of the Soldier Secret, the cultivator's sole Dao-proving artifact, known as the "Ancestor of Weapons"!

"Starting with forging my own weapon..." Ye Fan was excited. With the Soldier Secret in hand, he could better refine his Dao-proving artifact, the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron.

He had only comprehended for a moment, yet he already perceived the terrifying nature of King's Divine Weapons and Inherited Saint Armaments. These were living weapons, which, in a sense, were extensions of their wielder's life.

As for Extreme Dao Imperial Armaments, they were already defying heaven, contending with it for creation. Their mysteries were ineffable and invoked heavenly jealousy; only by evolving to that level could one truly comprehend them.

Ye Fan silently meditated on the Soldier Secret. It was vast and profound, encompassing everything from forging weapons to nurturing them, and finally controlling them. It provided extremely detailed instructions from a weapon's birth to its usage.

"Refining my cauldron with the Soldier Secret can make it reach perfection!"

The back mountain was quiet, with no one disturbing him. He didn't know how much time had passed, but when Ye Fan looked up, the bright moon had shifted, the stone wall had dimmed, and the weapon diagram had vanished.

Ye Fan had been at Qin Gate for two full years, and now he had finally obtained the Nine Secrets he sought. Speaking of which, he had to thank Princess Yueling; it was due to a fortunate coincidence, otherwise, who knew when he would have found it.

"The Qin Gate Master's lineage is indeed descended from the Cai clan. They possess the Divine Measuring Art and the Soldier Secret—they are incredibly powerful! What other inheritances do they have?!"

Ye Fan did not leave. He always felt that Qin Gate held many secrets. Even Emperor Qing, who lived ten thousand years ago, had taken action against them, so he truly wondered what hidden truths lay there.

It had to be said that Qin Gate's main peak was a pure land. If one avoided listening to the Great Dao of the Grand Elder Master and others, there was no need to worry about being converted, making it very suitable for cultivation.

Afterward, Ye Fan cultivated while paying attention, discovering that Princess Yueling would change mountains periodically, but always around the main peak, never too far.

Soon after, he noticed the ailing old man also wandering, not near Qin Gate, but frequently deep within the Million Mountains, often appearing before various lakes.

Ye Fan was surprised to find that the ailing old man was searching for the Immortal Transformation Pond. Whenever he encountered an ancient tablet with such carvings, he would jump into the lake and search for a while.

Whether the Immortal Transformation Pond truly existed was hard to confirm; it held ancient immortal secrets. Moreover, the world claimed that Emperor Qing was born there, adding a layer of mystery to it.

"Within these endless mountain ranges, there are dozens, even hundreds, of Immortal Transformation Ponds marked by tablets. Who knows which one is real, or perhaps they are all fake. What is he trying to do?"

Throughout history, countless powerful individuals had come seeking it, but none could confirm which was the true immortal lake, always returning disappointed.

"Brother, what exactly are you looking for?" One day, Ye Fan finally couldn't hold back and asked the ailing old man.

The old man was unfathomable; Ye Fan couldn't discern his depth. Previously, he had advised Ye Fan that the main peak held the Divine Measuring Art, and going there would likely lead to misfortune.

"I'm searching for an immortal destiny, but alas... it's something one might encounter but cannot seek. It seems I have no hope," the ailing old man sighed softly.

"Immortal Transformation Pond... what kind of immortal destiny does it hold?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.

"Do you know why Emperor Qing was able to attain the Dao and become an Emperor in the Post-Archaic Era, astonishing throughout history and becoming the first in a hundred thousand years?"

"Is it related to the immortal pond?"

"Initially, it was very much related. He was born in the Immortal Transformation Pond and received immense benefits."

The ailing old man was very mysterious, knowing many unknown secrets. His words left Ye Fan dumbfounded.

"That was an immortal pond, and Heaven knows what treasures it nurtured. Emperor Qing was a green lotus, and when he first came into being, he rooted himself in the mud beneath the lake water, growing upon a piece of green copper."

"What?!" Ye Fan was startled; he immediately thought of the green copper block inside his body.

Legend had it that Emperor Qing had seized it from the Central Lands before his demise, causing an immense uproar that shook all five great regions and led to great chaos.

"The Immortal Transformation Pond is a true immortal pond. From ancient times until now, it has contained infinite divine materials, and even some immortal treasures are immersed within it."

According to the ailing old man, the green copper was an immortal treasure, though merely a fragment. It could contend with heaven and earth for creation, and perhaps there were more fragments in the immortal pond.

"The Cai clan had a great opportunity; someone from their clan also entered the Immortal Transformation Pond before..." the ailing old man stated.

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat, sensing that the secret of Emperor Qing destroying the Cai clan was about to be revealed. The mists from thirty thousand years ago were about to be dispersed, and the origin of this immortal pond was terrifying.

The ailing old man sighed lightly, not continuing but instead talking about other secrets. He said, "Who stands at the peak of the immortal road? Upon seeing the peerless one, all paths become void. Over a hundred thousand years ago, that Great Emperor wanted to forge an Imperial Bell using an immortal treasure, and he also visited the Immortal Transformation Pond."

"The materials for the Bell of Wu Shi were taken from the Immortal Transformation Pond?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.

The ailing old man nodded, saying, "It was a piece of immortal treasure submerged in the immortal pond."

Ye Fan was truly astonished that there was such a hidden story behind the forging of the Bell of Wu Shi, and that Great Emperor Wu Shi had actually visited the Immortal Transformation Pond. It seemed this ancient pond was truly extraordinary.

"Two thousand years ago, an extraterrestrial visitor riding a green ox also entered the Immortal Transformation Pond. Shortly after, a monk who called himself Sakyamuni also entered."

"What?!" Ye Fan shot to his feet. (To be continued)