Origin Spirit

Led by Qin Yi and Zhang Jianlin, Yaoguang met Zhao Siliang, the sect master of the Jiuxiao Branch Sect. Toward Yaoguang's joining, this Great Cultivator—who had achieved Dao Foundation establishment and ignited True Fire—displayed immense enthusiasm. He personally handled a full series of procedures for Yaoguang. In just two days, Yaoguang had formally joined the Nine Cauldrons Sect and assumed office as the First Seat of the Zixiao Flying Sword Institute. *** The following day, accompanied by Zhang Jianlin, Qin Yadong, Lin Sen, and several others, Yaoguang arrived at the Zixiao Flying Sword Institute. As the only flying sword production facility in Longxiang City designated for life-bound flying swords, Qin Yadong and Lin Sen, both high-tier artifact refiners, naturally held nominal positions there. One was a senior advisor, the other an ordinary advisor. When the party arrived at the Zixiao Flying Sword Institute, several senior deacons had already prepared the relevant materials. Among them, Xiang Guangming, the chief deacon, personally introduced the pertinent information of the Zixiao Institute one item at a time. "Counting nominal personnel, the Zixiao Flying Sword Institute currently has sixteen high-tier artifact refiners, eighty-two artifact refiners, and one thousand three hundred and sixty-two apprentices..." "Last year, the Zixiao Institute's orders totaled eighty-four flying swords, bringing in two thousand eight hundred spirit stones. After deducting material costs and various expenses, our net revenue was negative one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four spirit stones..." "The sect's annual allocation is two thousand and eighty spirit stones..." "After deducting hospitality, wear and tear, and other operational overhead, the current balance of spirit stones on the ledger stands at one hundred and three." Xiang Guangming spent more than an hour completing the briefing on the Zixiao Institute's affairs. After he finished, Zhang Jianlin turned to Yaoguang. "The sect master knows your current situation is somewhat difficult, so he specially approved an additional three hundred spirit stones to be credited to the account. He hopes you will perform well over the next four years, guide the Zixiao Institute through this rough patch, and avoid being downgraded." Yaoguang nodded. Under the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Artifact Refining Hall lay various branch institutes that produced numerous dharma artifacts and spirit artifacts, including flying swords, battle armor, and combat implements. Depending on their importance and scale, they were categorized into sect-level key artifact refining institutes directly under the Artifact Refining Hall, branch-sect-level institutes, city-level institutes, and basic-level institutes. As a branch-sect-level artifact refining institute, the Zixiao Institute's annual allocation fluctuated between one thousand five hundred and three thousand spirit stones. This figure... Was roughly on par with the Hundred Refinements Sect's annual revenue. Of course, that was counting the personal income of Zong Lian, a Great Cultivator. Otherwise, the Hundred Refinements Sect's annual profits would at best amount to a few hundred spirit stones. "The Zixiao Institute is in your hands now. Don't carry too heavy a burden, and don't let artifact refining cause you to neglect your cultivation, especially along the path of spirit refining." As Zhang Jianlin spoke, he smiled. "Right now, you are stuck on the path of artifact refining. It might not be that your artifact refining attainments are lacking, but rather that your cultivation realm hasn't kept up. Trust me, once your spirit refining cultivation steps into the realm of high-tier cultivators, refining artifacts will become far more effortless." "May your auspicious words come true," Yaoguang replied with a slight nod. "Alright, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now." As a Great Cultivator of the Divine Path in the Origin Spirit realm, Zhang Jianlin naturally had his own affairs to attend to. Yaoguang asked Qin Yadong to see him off in his stead. As for Zhang Jianlin's advice, he knew it was reasonable. If his realm in the Divine Path could break through to the Origin Spirit stage, artifact refining would indeed become considerably easier. However... "Four hundred and three spirit stones." That was the total amount of spirit stones currently at his disposal. Yet these spirit stones obviously could not be spent on him alone... With that in mind, he turned his gaze to Xiang Guangming nearby. "How many models of the 'Zixiao' are we currently producing?" "Six models in total: speed-focused, lethality-focused, stability-focused, aesthetic-focused..." "Wait, aesthetic-focused? Someone actually dares use an aesthetic-focused flying sword as their life-bound flying sword?" "Er... yes..." Xiang Guangming lowered his voice slightly. "Furthermore, of last year's eighty-four flying sword orders, eighteen were aesthetic models, making it the second best-selling model..." Yaoguang was left somewhat speechless. Only after a good while did he ask, "Where are the data files on the flying swords?" "Right here." Xiang Guangming brought out a box containing over a dozen jade talismans. Yaoguang nodded. "Go attend to your duties first." "Understood." Xiang Guangming nodded, then promptly asked, "First Seat, do you have someone in mind for your personal assistant, or do you have any specific requirements?" "I already have arrangements," Yaoguang said. "Understood." Xiang Guangming showed no surprise. For a high-tier cultivator and a quasi-Grandmaster of Artifact Refining, having trusted followers close at hand was completely normal. Not long after Xiang Guangming left, Qin Yadong and Lin Sen returned. Qin Yadong presented a jade box. "That the energy-saving issues of the Xianying 60 could be smoothly overcome was all thanks to you, First Seat Yaoguang. Please accept this small token of appreciation." Yaoguang swept his divine mind across it. Inside were a neat hundred spirit stones. This was by no means a small sum. "It just so happens that I am rather short on spirit stones. Thank you," Yaoguang said. "This is what you rightfully earned, First Seat Yaoguang," Qin Yadong said with a smile. He then continued, "Though it might be somewhat presumptuous... the Xianying Artifact Refining Institute is extremely pleased with your optimization plan. Moreover... First Seat An Zhe wishes to invite you to join the refinement and development of the Xianying 60. I wonder if you might be able to spare some time?" "Of course," Yaoguang replied with a faint smile. "Wonderful! I will contact First Seat An Zhe right away so we can convene a meeting in the Virtual Spirit Realm." Qin Yadong was all smiles. Yaoguang was similarly pleased. His painstaking efforts on the Xianying 60 had not been in vain; the payoff was finally arriving. Although the Xianying 50 had performed mediocrely on the market, its name recognition was substantial. The 60 series exhibited significant improvements across all performance parameters compared to the 50. At the very least, achieving Cangwu's advanced standards in energy consumption was something worth touting loudly. If the propulsion, balance, and stabilization systems could be further perfected... At an equal level of functionality and price, cultivators of the Nine Cauldrons Sect would undoubtedly choose flying swords produced internally rather than purchasing items from external sects. When that time came, sales of the Xianying 60 would definitely be substantial. Sales naturally translated to reputation. With that reputation established, when the new model of the Zixiao was launched in the future, its order volume surely would not remain confined to a mere double digit. Shortly after, with Qin Yadong's introduction, Yaoguang held discussions with the First Seat of the Xianying Institute within the Virtual Spirit Realm. Several hours later, An Zhe transmitted the detailed technical specifications of the Xianying 60. Yaoguang went to his dedicated office area and projected the Xianying 60 onto a workbench inscribed with numerous formation patterns. "An eighth-tier dharma artifact—optimizing it shouldn't be difficult at all." Yaoguang smiled faintly. If he dedicated significant effort to optimization, elevating the flying sword's performance to the scope of a ninth-tier flying sword would pose no problem. Acquiring ninth-tier quality at an eighth-tier price, combined with the fact that it was produced by the Nine Cauldrons Sect itself... "Wouldn't the reputation be made right there?" Smiling, he sank his consciousness into his spiritual world. Within that spiritual world, three branches flourished with dense foliage. Among them, the most eye-catching was naturally the Martial Path branch, followed by the Divine Path and Artifact Refining branches. "Lately, progress on the Martial Path has ground almost completely to a halt. To this day, it remains at 81% of the second form, the Sky Star..." Falling Star, Sky Star, Primary Star. These three forms represented three levels of potential. It was just like ordinary Foundation Establishment, Dao Foundation establishment, and Immortal Foundation establishment in the qi refining system. The outside world categorized Star Lords into five tiers: early-stage Falling Stars capable of synchronizing with astral force fields were the first tier; mid-stage Falling Stars who nurtured their own astral force fields were the second tier; late-stage Star Lords who forged a stellar god-fiend body were the third tier. Moving further upward... Star Lords who possessed Sky Star potential and achieved a god-fiend body belonged to the fourth tier, while those with Primary Star potential who forged a god-fiend body reached the fifth tier. Foundation Establishment worked the same way. Refining true essence, condensing an inner core, and igniting True Fire. These represented the three levels of cultivation within Foundation Establishment. Yet only those who established an Immortal Foundation and ignited True Fire counted as fifth tier. "Establishing a Dao Foundation allows one to use the internal True Fire to ignite the inner core, which resembles a liquid planet, triggering nuclear fusion... and pushing toward the Golden Core realm... For ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, this step offers no chance of survival, and even for those who established a Dao Foundation, it is a narrow brush with death, nine out of ten perishing." Yaoguang's thoughts drifted. "It is said that back then, more than ninety percent of Golden Core cultivators were sacrificed, and the path of the Great Sun Golden Core was paved with the blood of countless forebears before the assault of the Moon Demon Empire could finally be repelled..." He had not grown a qi refining branch, so he naturally could not walk the qi refining path... Yet since the Martial Path branch existed, he would first see that road to its very end. However... "Five hundred and three spirit stones, but most of them don't belong to me. Judging by the nutrients currently contained within the Merchant branch, let alone the Martial Path branch, even the Artifact Refining branch cannot break through. In that case..." Yaoguang focused his gaze onto the Divine Path branch. The next instant... The branch grew rapidly! Its progress steadily climbed toward 100%, and then... It blossomed and bore fruit. Almost the moment the Divine Path branch flowered, bore fruit, and surged into the level representing the Origin Spirit realm, Yaoguang's divine mind surged. It began to coalesce spontaneously, seeming on the verge of condensing into an ethereal phantom. Yet... The divine mind of the sixth layer of spirit refining was simply too frail after all. Before the Origin Spirit phantom could fully materialize, it ran out of steam and had no choice but to disperse. This abnormality, however, stirred Yaoguang's heart. "As expected... in the Divine Path system, the realm matters more than raw power..." He had a premonition that as long as he elevated his divine mind to the seventh layer of spirit refining, he would be able to condense an Origin Spirit ahead of time. Although his Origin Spirit would be extraordinarily weak due to the frailty of his divine mind, its perception range likely extending only a dozen li around him, still... Every single profound wonder proper to an Origin Spirit would be entirely intact. "The Divine Path..." Yaoguang sighed softly. He could not allow the Divine Path to usurp the primary role. With the insights Leng Tianfeng had shared previously, he was intimately familiar with the various marvels of the Origin Spirit. After digesting them briefly, he turned his gaze toward the Dao Fruit that had condensed upon breaking through the ninth tier of the Divine Path. "The previous Dao Fruit was Soul Splitting, which granted me the foundation for dual cultivation. I hope this one will upgrade Soul Splitting," Yaoguang mused. Yet he also knew such an expectation was somewhat unrealistic. Dual cultivation was not so simple. In fact, it did not defy his expectations. The new Dao Fruit was... "God King?" Sensing it briefly, Yaoguang was immediately astonished. His divine mind could resonate with the divine mind, divine sense, and spirit intent of other cultivators, allowing him to command them like soldiers and unite everyone's divine mind, divine sense, and spirit intent into a single cohesive whole.