419 - Senior Sister Is on Top

As she spoke, her expression gradually grew puzzled. Wind Fei also pondered deeply, but before long, his eyes sparkled with inspiration. "How could there be none? Have you forgotten the crimson iron from before? It too used the world as its furnace. We can do the same this time. Remember, repairing isn't quite like forging; it's more akin to fusing pills. You just need to find a divine object capable of harnessing the power of the artifact." Chapter 239 "Using the world as the furnace, and aided by the art of pill fusion." The so-called pill fusion involves merging the power of two pills to form a new one ultimately. This isn't a particularly advanced technique; most who can craft high-level pills can use it. Some naturally gifted individuals can grasp the essence of pill fusion right at the outset. Unlike regular pill crafting, which extracts essence and discards the residue, pill fusion simply requires a suitable medium to harmonize the potency of the two pills, and the fusion can be deemed successful. However, success alone isn't enough; the key lies in the quality of the fusion. The same pills, when fused by different people, yield varying results. Thus, while the technique is easy to learn, mastering it to achieve precision is challenging. Many shops in the cultivator's world offer custom pill fusion services, making pill fusion masters highly sought after, their status second only to alchemists. Tang Muxi kept pondering about pill fusion after returning, carefully mulling over her master's words, and faintly sensing some truth in them. Although the Phantom Demon Seal was split into three, the ghostly power hadn't dissipated and still held the potential to tear apart space. The three fragments, being from the same origin, would save the effort of harmonizing if fused together. The next step, then, was finding a "medium." To withstand the power of a divine artifact and serve as a conduit for repair, she could only think of two things. One was the ever-changing divine tree Rwoid. The other was her own blood. The Rwoid was powerful, able to endure the divine soul of the Chiruma and withstand the blood meridians of the celestial entity Miao Nu. It was an ideal material. Her blood, having once completed the fragments, could also perfectly fuse with the Phantom Demon Seal, making it equally suitable. However, the prior ritual involving her blood had left Tang Muxi with significant psychological scars. After thorough consideration, she decided to try using the Rwoid first. Tang Muxi arrived at the Vault of Heaven. Previously, she had been too preoccupied with healing and hadn't examined it closely. Now observing it carefully, she found the Rwoid's radiance increasingly brilliant, as dazzling as a sea of stars stretching endlessly. The foliage was lush, and the buds plentiful, no longer exhibiting the lifeless state as before. Lost in thought momentarily, she silently apologized and then stepped forward, invoking her spirit blade to cut off a small branch. She intended to leave immediately but unexpectedly awakened the slumbering Chiruma. The few days apart had enhanced the Chiruma's vitality. Its body, infused with blood essence and nurtured by the divine wood, was gradually developing scales and flesh. As its divine beast aura intensified, it became increasingly hard to overlook. Tang Muxi was surprised and, as she touched its wings, she smiled, "You've been doing well these days; you now truly resemble a divine beast." The Chiruma briefly showed shyness, hesitant to respond to her praise as its gaze fell on the severed branch in her hand. It asked in doubt, "Is someone injured again?" Tang Muxi shook her head, explaining the matter of repairing the divine artifact. After listening, the Chiruma pondered and then pointed at the severed wood with its tail, asking, "May I have this?" Tang Muxi was taken aback. Though she didn’t know what it intended, she trusted her friend and handed it over without hesitating too much. Unexpectedly, the Chiruma swallowed the branch whole, and moments later, a piece of wood, identical in size but significantly strengthened by the divine beast's blood, emerged from its body. Unlike the previous branch, this segment, now nourished by the divine beast’s blood, held much greater power. Seeing the abrupt loss in the Chiruma's body, Tang Muxi quickly responded, exclaiming, “No, no, you must take it back.” The Chiruma shook its head, "It's alright. I just ingested a segment and after a few days of absorption, my body will regenerate. Now, this divine wood, having been nurtured by my blood, though not as potent as the celestial blood, is nonetheless beneficial. Repairing a divine artifact is a near-impossible feat; stronger power might reduce obstacles. Consider this a repayment for the divine soul’s life-saving grace." These words were sincere and earnest, leaving Tang Muxi with no grounds to refuse or waste her friend's goodwill. She hugged it briefly and accepted the branch, "Thank you." * Leaving the Vault of Heaven, Tang Muxi headed straight to the pinnacle of Forest Abyss Mountain. This was the closest place to the heavens in the entire East Domain, making it a prime location for merging the divine artifact. But that wasn't the only reason for choosing it. Ten thousand years ago, during the formation of the ancient domains, spirits, demons, humans, and divines coexisted here. Forest Abyss Mountain was the last place for the Heaven’s Way to repair. Once the order of the sun and moon cycle was restored, dividing day and night, it became the only place retaining celestial essence. Over millennia, the celestial essence had nearly vanished but traces still lingered. As Tang Muxi stepped onto the mountain peak, even before taking out the Phantom Demon Seal fragments, she saw a blood-red figure standing in the misty clouds. Around her waist hung a pitch-black demonic blade. With her hands behind her back, she gazed at the distant landscape with a serene expression, her aura of slaughter and demonism overwhelming. For a moment, it seemed as if the "Demon" had re-emerged. Tang Muxi was stunned, suppressing her internal unrest. She hastened forward, her voice brimming with surprise, “Jade, why are you here?” She hadn’t told anyone about the crafting location. Jade turned around, smiling, “Using the world as a furnace and the last time you fused the crimson iron was atop the Grand Firmament Peak. Besides here, where else could match that height? The Phantom Demon Seal is infused with ghostly demonic power. I fear the Devil Emperor and Ghost Emperor might plot something, so I came to check.” Moreover, there was another reason Jade didn’t disclose. Ever since her sister planned to repair the ghostly seal, the peculiar demonic aura within her only grew more chaotic. Anxious and sensitive, it felt as if something was about to happen. Jade was extremely uneasy, wishing to stop her sister. But she understood; her sister was the Divine Empress, the will of the heavens incarnate, destined to quell turmoil. With the entire cultivation world plunged into chaos, her sister would never miss the opportunity to end it all. But was this truly an opportunity? Why, when Mu Zhu last attacked the Vermilion Bird Aspect, did the Ghost Emperor deplete his primordial spirit to cross the void and reclaim the Phantom Demon Seal fragment from him? Now, after Yun Yuchen’s death in battle, with them utterly exhausted and powerless to resist, why had the Ghost Emperor not appeared, allowing them to take the fragments seemingly without intent?