Yu Ci paid no mind to the anxiety and fear among the members of the Sun Light Sect. He replicated the process from when he had killed the Snake-like Monk and his two companions: striking once with precision and then retreating swiftly.
Originally, his plan had been more complex, but when he saw on the Divine Map that the two stewards were fiercely arguing, he realized it was an excellent opportunity and immediately revised his plan, decisively making his move.
Everything went as expected. The two stewards, blinded by rage, were no match for Yu Ci, who had observed them for a long time and prepared his strike carefully. How could they not be defeated?
Seizing the Soul Searching Mirror was purely for his own safety. Compared to the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, this thing was practically useless. However, he did take Steward Liu’s storage ring, as something inside it piqued his interest.
That was the “One Breath, Three Calls” technique that Steward Liu had used multiple times.
Steward Liu’s storage ring, like the one Yu Ci had previously taken from Hu Ke, was protected by a layer of restriction. However, by now, Yu Ci had developed a method to counter it.
The key to breaking the restriction lay in the sword intent he had been comprehending more deeply each day.
This gift from the immortal Ye Bin was proving to be increasingly valuable. Yu Ci studied its principles daily, and his swordsmanship naturally improved. Furthermore, since the exploration of sword intent inevitably led to the mastery of soul-related skills, he had also ventured into the domain of spiritual power.
The soul has a structure of three layers: the Yuan Spirit, Hidden Consciousness, and Manifest Consciousness. As the soul grows stronger, the innermost yuan spirit emits “spirit intent,” which penetrates through the layers of hidden and manifest consciousness to exert its influence.
Under the influence of sword intent, his soul was nurtured and refined, with deep, transformative changes occurring from within. As a result, the spirit intent that his yuan spirit projected outward also began to change. And as everyone knew, when inspecting and unlocking a storage ring, it was spirit intent, derived from spiritual awareness and spiritual thought, that was used.
Given this, it was only natural that Yu Ci found a way to break the restriction on the storage ring.
At this moment, as he manipulated his spirit intent, it was no longer the crude method of “swinging a hammer” as before, but a controlled and delicate process. Now, his spirit intent was like a “scraper,” carefully shaving away the restriction on the storage ring layer by layer.
The restriction on the storage ring was not particularly sophisticated and was limited in sensitivity. Yu Ci exploited this flaw, using his spirit intent scraper to peel away the outer layers of the restriction without triggering the core mechanism, slowly but surely dismantling it.
It was a clumsy method, but few in the world could match Yu Ci, who had been influenced by Ye Bin’s sword intent and successfully embarked on the path of meticulous spirit manipulation from the beginning. Although his control was still relatively simple, it was already quite precise. With this slow and steady approach, even the restriction could do nothing to resist.
Of course, what seemed clumsy was actually extremely swift. Even though Yu Ci was being cautious and meticulous, after thousands upon thousands of strokes with his spirit intent, only half a quarter of an hour had passed. With a faint “click,” the restriction on the storage ring was broken.
However, when he severed the final triggering mechanism, there was still a minor mishap. A thin crack appeared on the storage ring, and the storage space inside became unstable. Yu Ci quickly retrieved the items inside. He discarded the miscellaneous items and set aside the pills and magical tools. What interested him the most were a few jade slips.
Among Steward Liu’s jade slips, there were records of notes, names, and scattered cultivation insights, none of which held much value for Yu Ci. Only one contained a complete technique, the very one Yu Ci had been eager to learn—the “One Breath, Three Calls” technique.
After quickly scanning the contents of the jade slip, Yu Ci realized that the technique wasn’t particularly difficult. In fact, it was merely a slightly more complex skill that anyone with the proper cultivation level could use. In the cultivation world, techniques like this were known as “applied methods.”
“Applied methods” didn’t help improve one’s cultivation and could even distract and disperse one’s focus, thus hindering progress. Therefore, they were also referred to as “miscellaneous arts.” Even with Yu Ci’s limited cultivation knowledge, he knew that practicing too many “miscellaneous arts” was unwise. It was better to choose only the most suitable ones to practice.
Now, Yu Ci felt like he had found a solution: If the “One Breath Three Calls” technique worked on the Soul Searching Mirror, how would it fare against the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror?
“If I apply the ‘One Breath Three Calls’ to the treasure mirror…”
Generally speaking, there are two approaches to refining in the cultivation world: one is “one tool, one method.” This means setting and adjusting the refining techniques according to the actual conditions of the magical tool or treasure. This method is highly targeted, allowing rapid progress in refining specific magical tools or treasures. However, the same refining technique cannot be applied to other magical tools, and doing so could even cause damage. The refining method Yu Ci obtained for the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror belonged to this category.
The second approach is “one method for a thousand tools.” This means refining any magical tool or treasure using the same method. This idea originated from talisman prohibitions, using layers of prohibitions to coordinate communication between the magical tool and the cultivator’s spirit and energy.
The most famous method here is the “Heavenly Celestials and Earthly Fiends” refining technique created by the ancient Earth Immortal master, Ha Shiyi.
After tens of thousands of years of development, each generation has improved upon it, and it has now become the mainstream refining method in the cultivation world, forming a vast and profound system.
The so-called “Heavenly Celestials and Earthly Fiends” refers to an entire set of refining techniques represented by the Heavenly Celestial refining method and the Earthly Fiend refining method. The former requires the stacking of thirty-six layers of talismans, while the latter requires seventy-two layers. Neither is superior, but each has its strengths. When combined, they can be used to refine almost any magical tool. Legend has it that when the one hundred and eight layers of the Heavenly Celestials and Earthly Fiends techniques are perfectly combined, they can turn an ordinary magical tool into a treasure capable of moving mountains and filling seas. When applied to an already existing treasure, the power becomes even more unimaginable.
The advantage of this refining method is, of course, its adaptability and vast development potential. However, it also has its drawbacks. The first is that it consumes a lot of time and energy. Since this method is considered a “miscellaneous technique,” it doesn’t improve cultivation but instead wastes valuable time. Secondly, it lacks stability. Due to differences in controlling the layered talismans, the same ten layers of prohibitions could drastically increase the power of one magical tool, while another might remain mediocre or experience unpredictable changes, making it difficult to control. It is not as straightforward as the “one tool, one method,” where the connection between the heart and the tool enhances each other from the beginning.
Both “one tool, one method” and “one method for a thousand tools” have their advantages and limitations. Thus, in practice, cultivators in this realm often mix and match the two. In fact, they are subtly interconnected. The most representative example is the one hundred and eight layers of the “Heavenly Celestials and Earthly Fiends” technique, which has almost become the standard in the cultivation world. People often go to great lengths to convert the refining techniques of a “one tool, one method” into the equivalent number of talisman layers to better understand and control them.
Returning to the “One Breath Three Calls” technique.
The “One Breath Three Calls” method is based on the “Heavenly Celestials and Earthly Fiends” refining technique. Its core theory is to regulate blood and Qi through postnatal breathing, using this process to refine the spirit and energy within the body, forming what is called “flying essence,” which is then sprayed onto the item being refined to forcibly increase its refinement level.
For example, if a magical tool is refined to the eighth layer, using the “One Breath Three Calls” method can temporarily raise it to the tenth layer, greatly increasing its power. However, the consumption is enormous. Repeated use can deplete the spirit and energy, which is secondary to the significant risk of damaging the fundamental spirit. Extreme caution is necessary, and using it too often on the same magical tool can lower its original refinement level and even cause damage to the tool.
In fact, the principle behind this miscellaneous technique is not complicated and even somewhat crude, which is likely the reason for its severe side effects.
Yu Ci mastered this technique without much effort. He had to be cautious with the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror since it hadn’t been refined by him yet. So, he tentatively used it on the Pure Yang Talisman Sword. Unexpectedly, after three breaths, the innate Qi stored in the sword was ignited by the blasts, almost breaking through the seals, causing him to nearly lose a perfectly good sword for nothing.
He quickly dispersed the remnants of the spell, realizing that while the power of the Pure Yang Talisman Sword was significant, it was still at the level of a magical tool, lacking the potential to sustain the activation of the “One Breath Three Calls” technique, which was why issues arose. However, it seemed that the “One Breath Three Calls” technique did indeed have an effect.
After exhaling three breaths, one-third of Yu Ci’s vital energy was depleted, and even his spirit felt weakened. He did not attempt to continue. Instead, he used the Divine Map to check the movements of Huang Tai and the others, seeing that they were indeed retreating. He then closed his eyes and began meditating to recover as quickly as possible.
Holding the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, the innate Qi within his body surged and fluctuated, continuously circulating with vibrant energy. Yu Ci was already accustomed to combining his rituals with cultivation, treating it as though he had gained another meridian pathway. Under the guidance of his divine intent, the vital energy moved back and forth, purging impurities from his True Qi within the mirror while also enhancing his cultivation.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky within the clouds was dim, indicating that it was likely evening.
He glanced at the Divine Map. As expected, above Sky Rift Valley, the setting sun was about to sink, casting the thousands of mountains in a blood-red hue, creating a spectacular view. This sight reminded Yu Ci of Jin Huan’s Great Radiant Sun Technique. However, unlike the mighty power of the sect master, Huang Tai and his group had yet to escape the range of the Divine Map and were still struggling within Sky Rift Valley, battling the fierce birds and beasts that appeared relentlessly.
Yu Ci grinned, no longer paying them any mind, and continued scanning the Divine Map for nearby targets. The reality was that he was hungry!
But at this moment, the Divine Map encountered a problem.
At first, the image on the map seemed to flicker violently, and Yu Ci thought it was an illusion. But when the second flicker occurred, followed by a distorted ripple surging from the dark region below, he was genuinely startled.
Yu Ci was positioned roughly at a depth of thirty li, with less than ten li separating him from the dark region below.
At this time, the Divine Map looked like a painting being devoured by flames. The “tongues of fire” were twisted, and the area they affected encompassed nearly half of the map. Wherever they passed, nothing remained. The mapped area was being consumed in large chunks, and for a moment, Yu Ci even thought the Divine Map might be ruined.
In fact, the reach of these “tongues of fire” had already exceeded normal limits, almost burning fiercely “beneath his feet.” The scene below was fragmented, and when his thoughts shifted to it, the world below seemed on the verge of collapse, a truly terrifying sight.
Yu Ci stood up—what on earth was happening below?
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