Chapter 56: Innate Talent

Chapter 56: Innate Talent

The Fourth World was shrouded in darkness.

Luo Hongyan stood in the center of the scattered Profound Yin stones on the fifth floor of the Divine Spirit Pagoda. She had changed her clothes, and her slender figure was now adorned in an intricately designed dress.

The Profound Yin stones glowed faintly, blanketing her skin in a snow-like radiance and making her appear like an exquisite white lotus.

Her eyes gleamed inquisitively and her gaze lingered in the direction where Pang Jian had vanished. Knitting her brows, she murmured to herself, "Have I finally breached that greedy boy's defenses?"

With a smirk, she sought out Ning Yao in Ning Yao's sea of consciousness.

"Did you see that? That kid always takes my side. I've used your body to gain his approval just by altering the way I approach and interact with him."

In the quiet and vast expanse of Ning Yao's sea of consciousness, Luo Hongyan was breathtakingly captivating. Adorned in a vibrant red dress, she could enchant the hearts and minds of all who beheld her.

Having absorbed some Profound Yin energy from the Profound Yin stones, Luo Hongyan's ethereal form had solidified significantly, and the veins under her skin became more distinct.

Only those with an ethereal form like Luo Hongyan could use the energy in the Profound Yin stones to wash away the impurities in their souls.

Meanwhile, Ning Yao was trapped within her own sea of consciousness and had to watch the proud Luo Hongyan show off. She had to admit that the evil woman was truly stunning, a beauty the likes of which she had never seen before in the mortal realm.

Luo Hongyan had only become prettier after absorbing Profound Yin energy, and Ning Yao could not help but feel ashamed of her inferiority.

If this was Luo Hongyan's true appearance in her original body, her beauty would have brought kingdoms to their knees.

Even the revered beauty of Shangguan Qin seemed utterly insignificant in the face of the evil woman before her. She was not even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.

The more Ning Yao looked at Luo Hongyan, the lower her self-confidence dropped. Therefore, she turned away and responded coldly, "When Pang Jian and I explored the first bone of the Celestial Phoenix, I saw a piece of cracked gray rock in his bamboo basket. It was a stone containing both spiritual power and Profound Yin energy."

Luo Hongyan hesitated before asking, "Are you saying he knows I'm using the Profound Yin stones to refine my ethereal form?"

"I think so. Remember, he's been here multiple times. He destroyed the soul array and fractured it into Profound Yin stones. Now that you've absorbed the Profound Yin energy from the Profound Yin stones, they've all turned into normal stones. He might've noticed something."

Ning Yao had observed the battle through her own eyes and had been reflecting on her behavior. She had to admit that she had been short-sighted.

Although Pang Jian had yet to embark on the path of cultivation and was just a normal hunter at the time, he still had many redeeming qualities.

Furthermore, she failed to notice Pang Jian's mysterious nature.

"He knew that I could use the Profound Yin stones to cultivate so he conceded them to me? Hehe, he truly does care about me." Luo Hongyan chuckled as she activated her cultivation methods amidst the pile of Profound Yin stones.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

From the outside, cold strands of Profound Yin energy rushed toward "Ning Yao's" brows, vanishing into Ning Yao's sea of consciousness where Luo Hongyan absorbed it.

The radiant light within each Profound Yin stone was extinguished one by one.

***

Night descended, and everything was engulfed in profound silence.

Atop the small hill, dozens of zhang[1] away from the white pagoda, Pang Jian and Zhou Qingchen sat together by a bonfire. They conversed over the rations previously prepared by the members of the He Clan.

Zhou Qingchen retrieved several strong liquor jars from his spatial bracelet and gave one jar to Pang Jian.

Pang Jian slipped the bamboo basket off his back and threw aside his Dragonwood Spear. He took the jar of strong liquor and knitted his brows.

Four meridians had not been his limit. His spiritual sea had actually retained some spiritual power. However, he had stopped opening more meridians in order to swiftly destroy the soul array and conserve his strength for the subsequent battle with Dong Tianze.

"I've heard that cultivation prodigies from the upper world, with the help of their mysterious cultivation methods, can also open up multiple meridians just after reaching the Meridian Opening Realm," Han Duping said dreamily, gazing at the pitch-black sky. "The upper world I am referring to here is not the Third World."

***

At the bottom of Central Lake Island, a portion of one of the thick stone pillars' base had been excavated, forming a small cave large enough for someone to take shelter in.

The cave was located on the sole of the black turtle's foot.

The severely wounded Dong Tianze lay curled up in the cave. The eye-catching Celestial Phoenix Imprint shone brightly from between his brows.

Gasping for air, he used the blood essence of the black turtle to heal the wounds caused by the Dragonwood Spear.

Dong Tianze's incredibly tenacious vitality and astonishing self-healing abilities allowed him to slowly heal his wounds.

However, his consciousness teetered on the blink of collapse from the exhaustion caused by the Spirit Devils' self-immolation.

With his cultivation realm, he could not restore his extreme mental fatigue through cultivating and could only remedy it through deep and prolonged sleep.

Dong Tianze eventually drifted into a deep slumber. Meanwhile, the Celestial Phoenix Imprint on his forehead continued to glow brightly in the dark cave.

In his sleep, he sensed the presence of his master.

His master had previously bestowed upon him a thread of power. He sensed that his master was far away in the upper world, observing him through a divine artifact.

Dong Tianze's mind trembled.

As the essence of the Celestial Phoenix formed and fused into his heart, he underwent a rare and formidable tribulation.

If he could not overcome this great tribulation, he would end up like Ouyang Duanhai, heart devoured by the essence of the Celestial Phoenix and turned into a mindless puppet.

After enduring the great tribulation, the essence of the Celestial Phoenix moved from his heart to his sea of consciousness, merging with his soul to become an imprint.

As the sacred imprint of the Celestial Phoenix formed, Dong Tianze let out a long sigh of relief. He now had a master.

His master was a mysterious and omnipotent existence. Residing in the upper world, his master wielded an artifact capable of determining the life and death of the Divine Guards of the Celestial Phoenix.

At this moment, his master used the artifact to observe him from the upper world.

Enduring the pain in his body, he kneeled, bowing his head down in the small cave, hoping to show his master his sincere humility and devotion.

He could sense his master's vast, majestic aura and unparalleled dignity and understood that he had to continuously demonstrate his abilities and loyalty to garner even fleeting attention from his master.

The reason for his existence was to one day answer his master's call and protect him in the upper world.

He had earned his master's favor and received a thread of power to sustain his life because his master held a special affection for the spiritually barren and desolate Solitary Mountain Range.

Previously, Dong Qianfeng, my foster father, saved my life. This time, it's my master.

Unaware of the distortion inflicted upon his soul by the imprint of the Celestial Phoenix, Dong Tianze quietly reaffirmed his conviction. His thoughts were solely dedicated to how he could earn his master's trust and win his favor in the days to come.

In Dong Tianze's heart, his master's authority and glory surpassed everything, even his own life.

Protecting their master was the lifelong goal of every Divine Guard.

1. zhang(丈) is a traditional Chinese unit of length, equivalent to 10 feet or 3.3 meters. ☜