Chapter Five: The Vanished Aura of Mortal Transformation

That bluish metallic substance was actually known as Star Divine Metal, one of the nine supreme metals revered for forging artifacts. Li Ruoyu continued reading, and when he came upon the description of the sealed vial, he drew in a sharp breath of astonishment. It turned out that the vial did not contain any pill or other object, but rather a gas—the Primordial Mother Qi, Xuanhuang Qi. Xuanhuang Qi was a rarity scarcely seen in ten thousand years, a gas birthed at the genesis of heaven and earth. It was also known by another name—the extinct Mortal-Shedding Qi.

Within the minor realm of Mortal-Shedding, practitioners needed to absorb all manner of extraordinary gases to alter their constitution, rendering themselves more wondrous and divine. Mortal-Shedding was the foundation of cultivation; in ancient times, there were mighty predecessors who forsook all other realms, focusing solely on refining the Dust Realm, thereby transforming themselves into beings of immense mystery and strength.

Li Ruoyu then read the introduction of the “Frostlight Sword,” which was the weapon of Demon Daozi, forged from Deep Frost Eternal Metal—yet another supreme metal among the nine. Li Ruoyu thought to himself that Demon Daozi’s fortune was truly terrifying. Finally, he saw the description of the stone bead: it originated from beyond the domain, known as the World-Destroying Pearl. Its appearance had sparked fierce competition among foreign masters, yet only a scant passage documented its existence. Thankfully, when Li Ruoyu first acquired the pearl, he believed it to be a useless trinket and refrained from telling Fat Pan. The existence of the World-Destroying Pearl must never be revealed to anyone, Li Ruoyu resolved silently.

After perusing Demon Daozi’s profile, Li Ruoyu picked up another book, titled “Scripture of Transcending Demons,” the cultivation method practiced by Demon Daozi. Its core principle was to first become a demon oneself, then transcend one’s own being. Upon finishing the scripture, Li Ruoyu felt deeply shaken; Demon Daozi was indeed a formidable figure from three millennia past, and the power of this method was evident from its very doctrine.

Li Ruoyu recalled that after Demon Daozi slew the Grand Evil Lord, what became of his treasures? As a sinister overlord, Demon Daozi would not have left behind the Evil Lord’s relics. Li Ruoyu thought of the pile of miscellaneous items and quickly sought them out, indeed finding a Sumeru Mustard Seed among them.

Li Ruoyu did not examine the Evil Lord’s relics. Though only ten years old, he had been reading and learning under Li Zhiheng since the age of five, growing increasingly precocious. He understood the importance of discretion; the Evil Lord was the one who had seized the World-Destroying Pearl. Should anyone learn of his possessions, disaster would surely follow.

Li Ruoyu took out the vial containing Xuanhuang Qi and began reading “Common Knowledge of the Cultivation World.” In the Mortal-Shedding realm, most people subsisted on clouds and spiritual air. If one encountered special gases, such as the dual forces of Yin and Yang or variant energies of the Five Elements, one had to endure their violent impact upon absorption. Failure to withstand this would mean facing mortal peril.

Li Ruoyu then brought out four “Scarlet Flame Fruits,” uncorked the vial, inhaled the Xuanhuang Qi, and hurriedly ate one fruit. As expected, the surge of Xuanhuang Qi struck him—every inch of his body felt as though it were being sliced by blades; the pain was not confined to flesh, but seemed to reach his soul as well. “Agony to the marrow” could barely describe his state. The reason variant gases were revered as sacred in Mortal-Shedding was precisely because, unlike mundane spiritual air, they induced violent transformation and evolution in living beings.

At last, after three hours, the assault of Xuanhuang Qi subsided, and Li Ruoyu had consumed all four Scarlet Flame Fruits. He lay collapsed on his bed, his entire body coated in scabs formed from shed blood, interspersed with tiny fragments of bone and traces of marrow. At this moment, Li Ruoyu was utterly exhausted, unable to move a single limb.

The next morning, after cleansing himself, Li Ruoyu clearly sensed a change—his body was suffused with divine energy, which surged forth unbidden. This was the extraordinary nature of the Mortal-Shedding realm. Once divine energy flowed spontaneously, it could be woven into Chains of Order. Attaining the ability to weave Chains of Order was the mark of approaching the Fetal Transformation realm. There were many methods of weaving these chains, such as the Supreme Single Chain Method or the Nine Chains Ultimate Method.

The techniques for weaving Chains of Order were available in the Scripture Repository of the Eternal Nine Sect, free to disciples in the Dust Refinement realm. Li Ruoyu remembered that the “Scripture of Transcending Demons” described an ultimate Supreme Single Chain Method, perfectly suited to him. This method surpassed countless top-tier order-weaving techniques, condensing all one’s Chains of Order into a single chain, and at the moment of its formation, fusing a supreme artifact metal into it. By harnessing the power of heaven and earth in that instant, the metal was melded into the chain, transforming it into a Divine Chain of Order. The nine supreme metals were the ultimate materials for forging artifacts, and melting them was beyond ordinary means. Yet this method ingeniously used the power of creation to fuse such ultimate materials into the order chain.

Over ten days, Li Ruoyu condensed his Chains of Order into one. At the crucial moment, he gathered his spirit and will to their utmost, and cast the Star Divine Metal into the chain. Under the chain’s embrace, the Star Divine Metal dissolved rapidly, transforming into points of light that merged with the order chain.

Now, the Divine Chain of Order radiated a blue glow, distinct from ordinary chains—the hue of Star Divine Metal, wondrous and unique. Li Ruoyu absorbed the chain into his body, stabilized his cultivation, and ventured to a secluded spot to test its power. He unleashed the chain upon a boulder a yard tall; the Divine Chain of Order split it in two like a divine axe. Li Ruoyu was stunned by its immense power—far exceeding what “Common Knowledge of the Cultivation World” described. But remembering the Star Divine Metal, he understood.

Having tested the chain’s might, Li Ruoyu went to find Wang Bo, informing him that the “Frostlight Sword” was forged from Deep Frost Eternal Metal and cautioning him to be extremely careful. Anything involving the nine supreme metals would inevitably arouse greed.

In the following two months, Li Ruoyu continued to evolve the Divine Chain of Order. By then, he could shape it at will, transforming it into various forms and objects, such as bells and cauldrons—heavy artifacts. Li Ruoyu recalled when he first arrived at the Eternal Nine Sect, he had seen the gray-robed elder Xu Changheng wielding a giant bell as a weapon. Heavy artifacts always possessed far greater power than ordinary objects, though it wasn’t absolute; swords and blades also had many legendary items. The strength of an artifact depended on both the materials used and the method of forging, with many influences such as location and age.