104: Taihe Furnace Thunderfire Death

Late at night.

The starry sky stretched across the firmament.

Inside a side room of the Scripture Library Branch, this was Yu Xuzi's current residence.

In his hand, he held a Jade Slip.

“A Brief History of the Taihe Sect”

Though it was but a small scroll, it contained all the miscellaneous historical anecdotes of the Taihe Sect that Yu Xuzi had collected from the outer Sect over the past three months, compiled and edited into one.

It totaled over five hundred thousand words!

After all, with eight hundred years of history and the presence of True Monarch Taihe, the Taihe Sect's development was flourishing, producing many Immortal Masters and prodigies; their various deeds were as vast as the sea.

“This time, there should be no problem!”

Yu Xuzi's Divine Soul phantom appeared inside the bronze pavilion, placing the phantom of the Jade Slip onto the jade platform.

The familiar voice rang out once more.

“Recorded: One copy of ‘Collective—Fate Record: A Brief History of the Taihe Sect (Part 1).’”

“Recording Evaluation: Substantially authentic, minor flaws, pure intent, personally involved, contains a minuscule true meaning of fate, touches upon the essence of Legacy.”

“Following precedent, selecting an Opportunity.”

“Bestowing reward!”

The Jade Slip phantom vanished, and in its place, three items appeared.

The first was a collection of cultivation insights.

Named: [Discourse of the Young Lord of Astral Yang on the Taihe Precious Light]

This was True Monarch Taihe's insight upon breaking through to the third tier, condensing the prototype of a Dharma Idol, and earning the title of Young Lord.

The second was an incomplete Cultivation Technique.

Named: [Purple Void Universal Starry True One Heavenly Scripture] / Qi Refining Chapter, Dao Foundation Chapter, Mystic Fetus Chapter / Severely Incomplete

Without a doubt, this was a sixth-tier Heavenly Scripture technique, and its creator was at least a sixth-tier Dao-Integration True Immortal!

The third was an incomplete Divine Ability technique.

Named: [Taihe Furnace].

Likewise, it only contained the first three layers and was severely incomplete.

Yu Xuzi had seen the name of this Divine Ability before, in that overview of the Shanhai Major Thousand Worlds' cultivation realm.

It was recorded as one of the thirty-six divine abilities of the Daoist schools across the heavens, divided into nine layers, which could be practiced by anyone from a first-tier Qi Refining minor cultivator to an eighth-tier Taiyi powerhouse.

This Divine Ability possessed no offensive or defensive capabilities; its sole purpose was the refining of Magical Artifacts and Magic Treasures.

By condensing a substance called “taihe precious light,” it allowed low-tier Magical Artifacts to fuse with one another, eventually refining them into higher-level Magical Artifacts.

Even Magic Treasures, Spirit Treasures, Immortal Treasures, and so on... For example, if Yu Xuzi cultivated it to the third layer, he could fuse a large number of Second-tier Magical Artifacts to forcibly create a third-tier Magic Treasure!

“This Divine Ability has come at just the right time!”

A look of joy appeared on Yu Xuzi's face.

He had been worrying about the lack of use for the large number of Second-tier Magical Artifacts in his possession; this Divine Ability seemed practically tailor-made for him.

“However, why have I never heard that the Taihe Sect possesses this Divine Ability?”

Yu Xuzi pondered in silence, his brow slightly furrowed.

It was true that the Taihe Sect excelled in Artifact Refining, but from what he currently knew, there was no information regarding the existence of the Taihe Furnace Divine Ability.

Even if this Divine Ability could only be practiced by the core high-level members of the Sect, the number of Dao Foundation Stage Disciples in the Taihe Sect was not small—likely reaching over a thousand.

With so many people, it should have been impossible for not a single shred of news to leak out.

“Could it be that only those at the Mystic Fetus Realm or above can practice it?”

“Or perhaps True Monarch Taihe is the only one who knows it, and it has never been passed down?”

Yu Xuzi felt that the second possibility was more likely.

After all, the Taihe Sect had a Legacy of eight hundred years, and with True Monarch Taihe presiding over it, the number of Xuantai True Person Elders born within the Sect was not small, with some even having perished outside.

Yet, news of the Taihe Furnace had never been exposed in the entire Cangmang Realm. With such good secrecy, it was more likely that True Monarch Taihe practiced it alone and never leaked it.

“So the names of the Taihe Sect and True Monarch Taihe originated from this.”

“And this sixth-tier Heavenly Scripture is also different from the Taihe Sect's inherited scripture. I wonder if it was renamed, or if it's the same situation as the Taihe Furnace.”

“This True Monarch Taihe hides things quite deeply.”

Yu Xuzi was becoming more and more interested in this person.

Truly a Child of Destiny!

Who knows how many secrets he hides in the shadows; even now, having become one of the giants of the Cangmang Realm, he still keeps them tightly under wraps.

“I've collected enough information from the outer Sect; it's time to find an Opportunity to go to the inner Sect.”

...The next morning.

Yu Xuzi found an excuse, claiming he needed to go out for experiential training, abandoned his Sect mission of guarding the Scripture Library Branch, and walked out of the Taihe Mountain Range.

A month later.

June of the 22nd year of the lunar calendar.

By the time Yu Xuzi returned, his cultivation had reached the Early Dao Foundation Stage.

At the summit of Diecui Peak, inside a magnificent hall.

Venerable Heguang, the vice peak master with a Mid Dao Foundation Realm cultivation, looked in surprise at the figure standing below with hands clasped in greeting.

“You've broken through to the Dao Foundation Stage?”

“Yes, Peak Master. This Junior Brother went out for a month and had some chance gains. By a stroke of luck and surviving a narrow escape, I barely managed to condense an ordinary Dao Foundation. It can be considered extremely fortunate.”

Venerable Heguang clicked his tongue in wonder. “Your luck is indeed good. You've only been in the Sect for a few months and have already successfully broken through. Furthermore, the timing is excellent.”

“Oh?”

Yu Xuzi looked up in confusion. “May I ask Senior Brother, what do you mean by the timing being excellent?”

Hearing this, Venerable Heguang sighed, and a hint of indignation couldn't help but appear on his face.

“Since Junior Brother Qiu, you have already broken through to the Dao Foundation Stage, you are now considered a Core Disciple of our Sect. There's no harm in telling you beforehand.”

“The news was just received yesterday and hasn't spread yet.”

“Are you aware of Lei Huo Mountain, a hundred thousand miles away?”

Yu Xuzi nodded. “I've heard a little about it. Although it was established by Loose Cultivators, I heard it is also a subordinate force of our Taihe Sect.”

“Correct. However, the two Immortal Masters of Lei Huo Mountain... perished just a few days ago.”

“Dead???”

Yu Xuzi was stunned. “Who did it?”

“Who else could it be? Naturally, it was Venerable Huixing of Xuan Yin Palace.”

“Wasn't it last year—”

“It was precisely because of that incident last year. Although our Sect's Junior Martial Uncle Ming Lou saved them, who would have thought that Venerable Huixing would disregard all martial ethics and launch another sneak attack a few days ago, cleanly and efficiently eliminating the two Immortal Masters of Lei Huo.”

Yu Xuzi was speechless.

“Ah, this—”

So that was how it was.

It seemed the original Formation Plate for Lei Huo Mountain's defense had been snatched away by him?

If one were to consider it, without a powerful defensive Formation to guard them, The Two Sages of Lei Huo really might have been ambushed and suddenly killed by the lurking Venerable Huixing... The Two Sages of Lei Huo died a miserable death.

“Since our Sect's Junior Martial Uncle Ming Lou protected The Two Sages of Lei Huo last year, doesn't Venerable Huixing's action this time amount to a slap in the face for Junior Martial Uncle Ming Lou?”

Venerable Heguang said with a cold laugh, “Far more than that!”

“This is a slap in the face for my Taihe Sect!”

“You must know that Lei Huo Mountain was a subordinate force of our Taihe Sect. Now, not only is Junior Martial Uncle Ming Lou extremely infuriated, but the vast majority of other Junior Martial Uncles and fellow Disciples in the Sect are as well. They are currently discussing how to retaliate!”

“I expect there will be no shortage of conflict between the two Sects from now on.”

Yu Xuzi nodded in agreement.

“That's why I said, Junior Brother Qiu, you broke through at just the right time. Any later, once the conflict between the two Sects begins, these tens of thousands of Outer Sect Disciples might have to head to the battlefield.”

In a conflict between the two great overlords of the Xuan Yin Continent, Qi Refining Disciples are nothing more than cannon fodder.

Even Dao Foundation Stage Disciples aren't much better off.