stjorthotic Chapter 33: Jade Decree - Devouring Spirit and Returning to Origin!
Chapter 33: Jade Decree - Devouring Spirit and Returning to Origin!
"Tianyi, this exploration, from beginning to end, was all thanks to your divination guidance and opening of the portal, which gave us this opportunity. In the final battle, if you hadn't used your secret technique to lock down the Thunder-Patterned Python and create a deadly opportunity, even if Captain Yan and I had won, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory, and we might even have perished here."
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan looked at Xuan Tianyi with her cool gaze and shook her head slightly. She paused, then continued:
"These Thunder Spirit Leaves are indeed crucial to me, concerning my path to enlightenment. I'll shamelessly take four leaves, enough to eradicate any hidden injuries. I'll also take two bottles of Thunder Essence Water to help neutralize the medicinal power and stabilize my soul. The rest should be distributed between you and Captain Yan."
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable insistence, clearly indicating his unwillingness to take too much advantage of Xuan Tianyi.
"Haha, good lad! You're straightforward and honest!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Jun's rugged face broke into a hearty smile. He patted Xuan Tianyi's shoulder forcefully, causing Xuan Tianyi's lips to twitch slightly. He then became serious and said...
"However, Xiaoyan is right. Even brothers should keep clear accounts, let alone such a rare treasure. You deserve the most credit for discovering and opening this secret realm and finally slaying this troublesome Thunder-Patterned Python! Without your divination skills and your unpredictable chain technique, we wouldn't even have found the door, let alone share this treasure."
His gaze swept over the spiritual fruit shimmering with lightning, and then he said:
"Furthermore, you possess a rare lightning-type bloodline, making these lightning-type spiritual materials a perfect match for you. If you can make good use of them, they will surely allow your strength to advance by leaps and bounds in a short period of time."
Your increased strength will greatly benefit our entire team's upcoming journey. Perhaps we can even perform more divinations and avoid danger. I, Lao Yan, may be a rough man, but I understand this basic principle.
I'll take a Thunder Spirit Fruit to see if it can make these old bones a bit stronger, and a few bottles of Thunder Elixir Water so that I can quickly restore my star power and temper my sword aura in a critical moment. The rest are all yours!
"Brother Yan, Miss Liu, how can this be...?"
Xuan Tianyi still wanted to decline.
Although he needed the resources, he was unwilling to damage the trust and relationship that had just been established.
"Alright, there's no need to argue about this anymore."
Liu Ruyan interrupted the two, her clear, cold voice carrying a hint of decisiveness.
"Since you are all being so modest, then I will set some rules to strive for fairness."
She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the three treasures, and then spoke clearly and logically:
"Captain Yan, take one Thunder Spirit Leaf to nourish your soul and solidify your Star Sea Realm cultivation foundation; take one Thunder Spirit Fruit to strengthen your physical body and blood, so you may be able to try to break through to the sixth level of the Star Sea Realm; and take three bottles of Thunder Essence Water in case of emergency."
"Tianyi took two Thunder Spirit Leaves. Although they are not needed immediately, they are crucial for nourishing the soul and strengthening the spiritual awareness of any cultivator. In the long run, they will be of great benefit."
"Take three more Thunder Spirit Fruits to help you break through your current Body Tempering Realm bottleneck and solidify your lightning-based foundation; all the remaining Thunder Essence Water is also yours to use for your daily body tempering cultivation, which should make your efforts twice as effective."
"As for the core of this Thunder-Patterned Python, as well as its scales, bones, fangs, and other materials, Captain Yan will collect them and take them back to the city to exchange for merit points, or hand them over to the army's craftsmen for processing. The proceeds will then be distributed as needed, or kept for the team's common use. This distribution takes into account both individual needs and contributions. What do you two think?"
This plan takes into account both Liu Ruyan's urgent need to treat her hidden injuries and Yan Jun's contributions and actual needs as the main force.
This further highlights Xuan Tianyi's enormous contribution and attribute compatibility, while entrusting the team with the valuable but relatively "ordinary" Thunder Python material, which is fair, thoughtful, and comprehensive.
"Fair! Let's do it this way!"
Yan Jun nodded in agreement without hesitation upon hearing this, and grinned.
"Xiao Yan's consideration is thorough. I have no objections!"
He immediately turned his head, his large, bell-like eyes glaring at Xuan Tianyi, who was still about to say something, and waved his large, fan-like hand.
"Kid, refusing any longer is just being coy! If you're a man, just get it over with! Hurry up and put the stuff away, and focus on improving your strength! Who knows what kind of bad schemes those Seven Saints Sect bastards are plotting behind the scenes? I'm counting on you to put in some effort and do a few divinations to avoid bad luck!"
Feeling the sincerity and care in their words, Xuan Tianyi felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He said no more and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting:
"In that case, Tianyi is truly unworthy of such praise. Thank you, Captain Yan, and thank you, Miss Liu!"
With the distribution settled, the three of them didn't linger and each went forward to collect their share.
Liu Ruyan carefully wrapped the four leaves with the most shimmering light and the clearest lightning patterns from the Thunder Spirit Flower with her star power, put them into a cold jade box that she had prepared in advance, and sealed it with a special method to prevent the spiritual energy from being lost.
Then, she took two jade bottles and poured the viscous, silvery-purple thunder liquid into the mutton-fat jade bottle she carried with her.
After doing all this, she nodded slightly to Yan Jun and Xuan Tianyi, then gracefully walked to a relatively flat and dry bluestone not far away and sat down cross-legged.
Before even treating the shallow wound on his shoulder, he eagerly took out a purple-blue Thunder Spirit Leaf from the jade box and put it in his mouth.
The leaf entered my mouth without being chewed, and it transformed into a strange torrent of coolness with a tingling sensation, flowing down my throat and instantly rushing straight to my mind!
"Um……"
Liu Ruyan couldn't help but let out a soft groan, her delicate body trembled slightly, and a look of pain flashed across her beautiful face, her brows furrowing.
The nourishment and cleansing of the soul by the essence of thunder is not entirely painless.
But then, the pain was replaced by a long-suppressed sense of relief and liberation.
The deep-seated wounds to her soul that had plagued her for years were being gradually soothed, repaired, and strengthened under the nourishment of this supremely yang and powerful yet vibrant thunderous soul energy.
She swiftly formed a profound hand seal on her knees, and a hazy starlight and moonlight emanated from her body, slowly merging with the thunder essence that had merged into her sea of consciousness.
Her aura, like a dormant volcano, was brewing an astonishing transformation beneath its seemingly calm surface, gradually becoming serene and profound, as if resonating with the surrounding celestial and stellar energy.
Clearly, she was already eager to immerse herself in deep cultivation and healing.
Yan Jun watched as Liu Ruyan quickly entered a meditative state and her breathing became steady, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.
This mysterious military doctor, Liu, is highly skilled and has an extraordinary background, but his cultivation has stagnated due to a hidden injury. Now that he has this opportunity, if he can recover, he will undoubtedly be a great help to the team.
He withdrew his gaze, turned to Xuan Tianyi, and lowered his voice:
"Kid, you should hurry up and refine it too. The star energy here is abundant, especially the lightning-attribute star energy, making it an excellent place for your cultivation. I'll guard it for you, so you can recover quickly in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
Xuan Tianyi nodded and carefully put away his two Thunder Spirit Leaves and three heavy Thunder Spirit Fruits, which seemed to have silver-purple thunder dragons swimming inside.
He did not immediately begin refining and cultivating, but instead first sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness.
Previously, after killing the Thunder Pattern Python at the fourth level of the Star Sea Realm, the system notified that he had gained 2500 Life Source Points. Adding the 2 points remaining after opening the Secret Realm Portal, his points now reached 2502.
"It's time to unlock another trump card," Xuan Tianyi thought to himself.
Whether it was the binding and suppression of the "Diamond Chains" or the mystery of "Cause and Effect Destiny" before, he deeply felt the power and wonder of the jade token transformed from the hexagrams of the I Ching.
In this perilous world, every bit of strength brings a greater guarantee of survival.
"System, consuming Life Points to unlock a new Jade Token of Hexagram Texts!"
[Command confirmed. Sufficient host life points detected. Consuming 2000 life points, initiating search for modifiable hexagram texts... Searching... Modification deduction in progress...]
[Modification complete!]
[Unlocked successfully!]
Suddenly, a brilliant light shone brightly within his sea of consciousness!
Golden patterns, imbued with the profound principles of heaven and earth, appeared out of thin air, intertwining to form a vast, illusory Bagua array, which began to slowly rotate.
The sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines, with all sorts of hexagram symbols and line texts flashing and flowing rapidly within them, finally all the light and shadow suddenly converge inward and freeze!
It transformed into a brand new jade token, radiating mysterious energy, and quietly floated beside the "Thunder Seed Jade Token" and the "Diamond Chain" jade token.
A vast and strange flow of information, accompanied by a rudimentary understanding of certain laws of space and energy, surged into Xuan Tianyi's mind.
[Modified Spell: Jade Decree - Soul Devouring Return to Origin]
[Source: Hexagram 63 (Biting Through), line 5. The text reads: "Biting through dried meat, one obtains gold; perseverance brings danger, but no blame." The commentary says: "Perseverance brings danger but no blame, because it is appropriate."]
[Interpretation of the hexagram: Gnawing on tough, coarse meat yields precious gold; adhering to the right path, though perilous in the process, ultimately avoids disaster. It symbolizes perseverance, discarding the dross and retaining the essence, and ultimately achieving something.]
[Modified Highlights: Taking the imagery of "continuous nibbling," "slow and careful chewing," and "refining the essence," this technique downplays the intention of active attack, transforming it into a constant, passive absorption aura. With the core principle of "obtaining gold from dried flesh," it treats the mixed stellar energy of heaven and earth, the dissipated blood and energy of enemies, and even foreign energies invading the body as "dried flesh." Through this technique, it slowly and continuously "nibbles" and refines these elements, discarding the dross and extracting the essence, ultimately purifying and transforming them into usable vital energy and spiritual power—like constantly and silently tempering and strengthening oneself.]
[Spell Effect: Passive and permanent, requiring no active activation; it operates slowly and continuously. It automatically absorbs and refines celestial and stellar energy, dissipated blood and qi, fragments of remnant souls, and even some invading foreign true qi, chaotic consciousness, and malevolent poisons within a certain range around the host, transforming them into pure essence, blood, and spiritual power to nourish the host's body and soul. The conversion efficiency is positively correlated with the host's cultivation level and depth of understanding of the *I Ching* and the true meaning of its hexagrams. It also possesses a certain degree of purification, suppression, and transformation effect on invading foreign energies.]
"Soul Devouring and Returning to Origin... Passively absorbing, transforming, and nourishing oneself?"
Xuan Tianyi carefully comprehended the mysteries of "Devouring Spirit and Returning to Origin," slowly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance appearing in them.
At this moment, as the spell was activated and passively operated, his body seemed to transform into a miniature, invisible vortex, which began to slowly but continuously draw in and devour the lightning-attribute star energy particles that permeated the surrounding air and were exceptionally active and concentrated due to the lightning pool and the previous battle.
Even the faint essence of blood and qi that was slowly emanating from the gradually cooling corpse of the Thunder-Patterned Python, which was imperceptible to ordinary people, was quietly attracted by this invisible force of absorption and absorbed into its body bit by bit.
The energy that was devoured, whether it was pure lightning-attribute star energy or the essence of demonic beasts' blood and qi, was enveloped and refined by a mysterious power the moment it entered his body.
The violence and impurities were removed, and it transformed into wisps of warm and pure air, like a gentle stream, automatically flowing into his parched meridians, tired muscles, and even his aching sea of consciousness, quietly nourishing and repairing them.
Although the efficiency of this passive absorption and transformation is far less rapid than that of actively cultivating techniques, its advantage lies in its constant and subtle influence, as natural as breathing.
Its effects are even more pronounced after battle or in places with abundant energy.
Over time, the effects on cultivation level, foundation consolidation, and even recovery ability will be terrifying!
What's even more remarkable is its accompanying "purification" effect, which undoubtedly serves as a powerful talisman against various insidious tactics and attacks from foreign true energy that may be encountered in the future.
"This is simply a protective divine skill that every cultivator dreams of! Especially in this world of scarce resources and fraught with danger, its value is immeasurable!"
Xuan Tianyi was invigorated; those 2000 points of life essence were well spent!
Over time, his cultivation speed, recovery ability, and adaptability to harsh environments will far surpass those of his peers, and he may even be able to challenge opponents of higher levels!
His gaze involuntarily fell once again on the pool of silver lightning magma, which was still crackling with electricity and raging with energy.
A crazy and audacious idea surged into my mind uncontrollably.
Ordinary cultivators, even those who practice lightning-based techniques, must be extremely careful when facing such violent lightning magma born from the natural world. They must use their own star power or blood energy as a guide to extract and refine it bit by bit. If they are not careful, they may be backfired by the violent lightning power and have their meridians damaged.
Even he had only dared to absorb the dissipated lightning spirit energy at the edge of the pool before.
But he's different now!
Having mastered the "Mysterious Thunder Guiding Technique," he has already grasped the true meaning of the vitality of spring thunder and has even integrated it into his spear technique, transforming it into the Wind and Thunder Spear Intent!
Possessing the Thunder Seed Jade Token, his affinity for the power of thunder far surpasses that of ordinary people!
Now, we have acquired the "Spirit Devouring Return to Origin," which can devour, refine, and transform alien energy!
And the spirit of the Thunder-Patterned Python protects my body!
Perhaps... we could try a more radical and efficient approach?
Fortune favors the bold!
"Brother Yan..."
Xuan Tianyi looked at Yan Jun, who was vigilantly patrolling the edge of the open space, wary of attracting other demonic beasts or dangers, and said,
"This Thunder Pool is of great benefit to my cultivation, and I need to use this precious place to try to break through my current bottleneck."
Yan Jun turned around and saw the burning gaze he was giving Lei Chi. Recalling the scene of Liu Ruyan consuming the Thunder Spirit Leaf earlier, he was taken aback and instinctively advised:
"What are you trying to do, kid? This lightning magma is incredibly violent, containing extremely domineering lightning power. It shouldn't be touched lightly, let alone... Wait! You!"
Before he could finish speaking, a resolute glint flashed in Xuan Tianyi's eyes, and under Yan Jun's stunned gaze, he leaped into the air—
Pfft!
Water splashed and sparks flew everywhere.
Xuan Tianyi's figure disappeared directly into the pool of silver lightning that was still churning with blinding arcs of electricity and radiating a terrifying and destructive aura!
"Tianyi! Are you crazy! Come out here!"