Void Refining

Yaoguang was unfamiliar with the other members of the Penglai Immortal Sect. Yet Dao Lord Penglai had helped him—even if the Dao Lord had done so merely for amusement, placing an idle chess piece. Therefore, if Demon King Tuntian's matter could be dealt with, he would naturally lend a hand. However, even to repay assistance that could barely be considered a favor, that did not mean he had to risk his own life. As for Demon King Tuntian, it all depended on Leng Qingqiu's efficiency. If she was fast, perhaps before he ever needed to step in, this deputy sect master of the Penglai Immortal Sect would resolve it directly. If she was slow... Once he achieved Void Refining, he wouldn't mind making a trip out to hunt down this demon king. Regardless of the outcome, he would not put himself in danger. He firmly believed that with the passage of time, the value represented by Dao Lord Penglai's casual assistance would only grow greater and greater. *** Ten days later, Lu Li finally delivered the materials Yaoguang had spent one billion contribution points to exchange for. Handing the materials to Yaoguang, the Void Piercing expert urged him once more, "True Monarch Yaoguang, you really ought to consider it carefully. A Dao artifact... is worth taking a risk. Moreover, with your strength, I believe that as long as you remain on utmost alert, even if an ambush strikes suddenly, you have sufficient means to hold out for several breaths." Yaoguang did not take the bait, only asking with a smile, "Has the bounty for Demon King Tuntian been posted yet?" "It has," Lu Li nodded. "The contribution point bounty for that lightning-fast demon king is one billion—five hundred million for itself plus an extra five hundred million. Among the other demon kings, the one skilled in concealment is worth seven hundred million, the one adept at reconnaissance is six hundred million, and the others each reach five hundred million." "In other words, if Demon King Tuntian's squad has eight Void Piercing demon kings, that's worth 4.8 billion?! That's almost the value of a Dao artifact," Yaoguang said with a laugh. "Indeed," Lu Li smiled faintly. "If I weren't in the crucial phase of Dao planting myself, even I would want to scout the outer sea and try my luck." Yaoguang did not pursue the topic. After exchanging polite pleasantries, he piloted the warship away from Biyou Immortal Market. "Hall Master, what should we do next...?" Qi Sha cupped his hands and asked for instructions. "Many have received a great deal of Pure Yang Great Pills and need time to advance their cultivation. So, let us operate in the waters between the inner and deep seas, hunting monsters to earn some extra income. Once their cultivation reaches a milestone, we will decide on our next move," Yaoguang said. Qi Sha nodded and quickly passed down the orders. Yaoguang returned to his lounge quarters. The cultivation environment on the warship was naturally inferior to Nine Cauldrons Peak. However, Yaoguang's primary task now was to condense the Dao seed for the Dao technique Void Flicker, which didn't strictly require an exceptionally tranquil environment. After setting up several basic formations in the lounge, he promptly focused his mind inside his grotto-heaven. 'My initial first choice was the Grand Dao of the Void. This grotto-heaven was originally laid out according to Dao seeds related to the Void Dao. With minor adjustments, it will have the ideal environment for planting a Void Dao seed,' Yaoguang pondered. Having made up his mind long ago, he did not hesitate. The myriad profundities of the Void Flicker Dao technique flowed continuously. His resonance with the Grand Dao of the Void when casting this technique, the operation of grotto-heaven power stirring void ripples, the true spirit's control over grotto-heaven power—all these transformations condensed completely. In the end, the entire grotto-heaven shifted, adjusting into the optimal shape for unleashing the Void Flicker Dao technique. Simultaneously, his own true spirit, essence, energy, spirit, and all his grotto-heaven power coalesced into an orb of light. This was the Dao seed of the Void Flicker Dao technique. The Dao seed possessed nearly the highest authority over his true spirit, essence, energy, spirit, and grotto-heaven power. It was like text copied in advance: when typing, one simply needed to paste it, rather than entering it character by character in the original manner. This naturally drove the execution speed of Void Flicker to the absolute limit. *** As Yaoguang planted his Dao, Qi Sha, as a Void Piercing powerhouse, vaguely sensed something as well. The power of the void around the warship... seemed to have become extraordinarily active. And the source of this activity was precisely the direction where Yaoguang was secluded in cultivation. Such a change... "He finished Dao planting? It must be the Dao of the Void." The Void Piercing expert realized. Immediately afterward, his pupils contracted slightly: "To think it was... this effortless? Is it due to a void-type special constitution? Or has his own comprehension of the Grand Dao of the Void reached a level where planting a Void Dao seed comes easily?!" Dao planting was by no means an easy feat. In this process, a cultivator had to reshape their grotto-heaven, molding it into the form most suited to house their chosen Grand Dao. Although Yaoguang had chosen the Grand Dao of the Void, which was the least difficult and most commonly chosen, for many Void Piercing experts, the difficulty of this process was second only to ascending to the Void Piercing Realm. Some Void Piercing cultivators even disrupted the structural balance of their grotto-heaven during reshaping, leading to its collapse. For Yaoguang to complete Dao planting as easily as eating or drinking water... was simply unbelievable. "The Dao seed is planted. Next is carefully balancing the relationship between the Dao seed and the grotto-heaven until they are fully integrated, turning the seed into the grotto-heaven's foundation and nurturing it in return..." Qi Sha murmured. Both he and Lu Li were currently at this stage. This step demanded exceptionally high Dao comprehension. The standard requirement was said to be cultivating a Dao technique to minor accomplishment. Only with minor accomplishment in a Dao technique could the Dao seed thoroughly merge with the grotto-heaven and bestow its feedback upon it. Beyond that... "Once the Dao seed gives its feedback and the grotto-heaven is reinforced by the power of the Great Dao, growing even sturdier, one can take the next step—Void Refining." Yearning showed in Qi Sha's eyes. "Refining the void, expanding the grotto-heaven, elevating its matter, energy, and Dao charm while allowing the Dao seed to absorb void power and grow rapidly. The two complement each other, advancing hand in hand until one day, both the grotto-heaven and the Dao technique achieve major accomplishment. Then, driving the Dao technique with grotto-heaven power to shatter the void... that will be the true Void Shattering realm..." From Void Piercing to Void Refining, and Void Refining to Void Shattering—as long as one's talent wasn't too poor and one didn't actively court death, cultivators who reached Void Piercing could theoretically step into the Void Shattering realm. But... Much like how studying diligently would allow a student to enter university, the actual chance of a child going from primary school all the way to university was less than ten percent. All kinds of factors and accidents left many Void Piercing cultivators unable to step into the Void Shattering realm for their entire lives. Setting aside accidents, for all Void Piercing experts, the Void Piercing Realm was actually more troublesome than Void Refining. This was because Void Piercing focused heavily on comprehension, deepening one's grasp of the Great Dao. Void Refining, on the other hand, was about enhancing the quality of the grotto-heaven and accelerating the Dao seed's growth. Although it still demanded a degree of Dao comprehension, Void Piercing to Void Refining required both initiating and mastering a Dao technique to minor accomplishment, whereas going from Void Refining to Void Shattering merely required advancing from minor to major accomplishment, cutting the conceptual difficulty in half. The remaining accumulation of grotto-heaven quality... was simply a matter of burning resources. And resources... Qi Sha looked toward Yaoguang's lounge. Yaoguang had already displayed four Dao artifacts. What's more, for this contribution point exchange, he hadn't chosen cultivation supplies like Void Dao Pills, high-grade astral cores, or world stones, but materials for forging Dao artifacts... An astonishing conjecture surfaced in Qi Sha's mind. Though he suppressed it almost immediately, if it were true... During the Void Refining stage, Yaoguang would probably never face a shortage of resources. With no worries over resources... Wouldn't reaching Void Shattering be purely a matter of time?! At that thought, Qi Sha's body swayed slightly. 'Impossible. With such extraordinary cultivation talent, he couldn't possibly possess comparable mastery in artifact forging... His Dao artifacts were either obtained from some monumental inheritance, acquiring several at once...' No sooner had the thought emerged than reason refuted it. Yaoguang's Dao artifacts matched his Dao techniques far too well. Calling them tailor-made was no exaggeration. Which meant... 'Behind him stands a supreme figure capable of forging Dao artifacts, giving him full backing,' Qi Sha thought. But a moment later, he gave a bitter smile. Was there any practical difference between having the full support of a supreme figure who could forge Dao artifacts and being an Artifact Saint himself? At the very least, when it came to acquiring resources in the Void Refining stage, he wouldn't face any difficulties. In other words... For Yaoguang, the question was no longer whether he could achieve Void Refining within a hundred years, but whether he could reach the Void Shattering realm within that time. "Hoo!" Qi Sha exhaled powerlessly. Void Shattering within a century! Could there really be such a genius in this world? He thought of his own situation... He had considered himself a heaven-sent prodigy, performing brilliantly as a true disciple. Yet out of arrogance, confident he could shatter all obstacles and climb to the pinnacle, he ended up... Dispatched to the Battle Hall, languishing there for centuries. Now over a thousand years old, he wasn't even at Void Refining. This was the price he had paid for his pride. And above all... Did a supposed prodigy like him truly have any right to be arrogant before Yaoguang? The man before him had hopes of reaching Void Shattering within a hundred years! What reason did Qi Sha have to be proud? In the Void Piercing Realm, his natural talent still had some use, but at Void Refining... Without status, position, or power, where would cultivation resources come from? In the future, would he ever reach Void Shattering and glimpse the majestic glory of a Dao Lord uniting with the Dao? For a moment, Qi Sha's gaze drifted back toward Yaoguang's lounge. Perhaps... It was time to chart a way out for himself. *** Yaoguang had no idea what was passing through Qi Sha's mind. All his time and energy were poured into integrating the Void Dao seed with his grotto-heaven. Time passed swiftly as he cultivated. Relying on his realm of comprehension, which had already reached the "Void Shattering" level, the integration of his Dao seed and grotto-heaven progressed by leaps and bounds. With every passing moment, their harmony deepened. As their alignment grew, the boundary between grotto-heaven power and void power began to blur. When this boundary blurred to a certain point... The barrier suddenly shattered. Yaoguang reached out his hand, and grotto-heaven power swirled around his palm, transforming directly into void power. Immediately after, he swept his left hand across the air, causing void ripples to flash, which were instantly refined into grotto-heaven power. Between the two, there was no longer any separation. This hallmark... "Void Refining."