Chapter Thirty-Nine: Yin-Yang Spiritual Orifices!

Yang Nan raised his head to gaze at the infinitely raging and tyrannical bolts of lightning still tearing across the horizon, a feeling of deep awe for the majesty of heaven and earth welling up uncontrollably within his heart. Even sages would tremble before the thunder and lightning, let alone Yang Nan, who was merely a Grandmaster at this moment!

Had it not been for the divine transformation character derived from comprehending the Six-Word Secret Mantra this time, Yang Nan would surely have been reduced to flying dust and ashes! The potential outcome was truly terrifying to contemplate!

The extraterrestrial multicolored skyship was already seventy or eighty percent destroyed, and all kinds of magical artifacts had been reduced to nothingness, yet Ni Cai burst into hearty, excited laughter. "A blessing in disguise! Truly a blessing in disguise!"

He raised his head, looking at Yang Nan with a fanatic expression. "Hahaha! The majestic lightning of heaven and earth is fiercely irresistible, yet this brush with death has unexpectedly condensed this extraterrestrial skyship into a Yang-lightning pool! With this lightning pool, our magical power will be boundless and inexhaustible, immortal and indestructible! If we can manage to deploy countless lightning arrays, holding this vessel in our hands, who under heaven could ever withstand it?"

Ten thousand strands of heavenly lightning had transformed the extraterrestrial skyship into an indestructible lightning vessel. Not only had the material of its entire body fused into a seamless whole, but its magical power pool had miraculously escaped destruction. Instead, it had transformed the formless, qualityless lightning into drops of liquid thunder. This magical power pool had turned into a Yang-lightning pool—immortal, indestructible, tangible, and possessing a terrifying, hidden cosmic might. Ni Cai was jumping and shouting by the edge of the Yang-lightning pool, looking completely unhinged with madness!

Such a lightning pool was exceedingly rare, something even immensely powerful immortals and sages might not be able to create. Having unexpectedly acquired such a peerless treasure, how could he not be driven wild with excitement?

With a glowing, radiant face, Ni Cai declared, "A-Nan, give me some time, and I will surely forge an immortal spiritual treasure! A true immortal spiritual treasure!"

Seeing that Ni Cai's long hair had been completely scorched by the lightning, Yang Nan felt a mix of exasperation and amusement as he said, "Brother Ni, the skyship is seventy or eighty percent destroyed. How can it possibly be used now?"

Ni Cai shook his head with an indifferent smile. "Although the various arrays and artifacts are destroyed, the hull itself has been tempered by the power of lightning and has now become a lightning vessel. Lightning is the most unyielding and violent force in the world. With this indestructible lightning vessel, I can forge an immortal-grade magical treasure! What an honor it is to forge an immortal-grade magical treasure using the strength of a Grandmaster!" As he spoke, he shook his head and began to dance around joyfully.

Seeing that Ni Cai showed not a shred of fear, Yang Nan could not help feeling a sense of "the ignorant are fearless." How could ten thousand strands of heavenly lightning be easily endured? A moment ago, the slightest carelessness would have meant mutual destruction. By now, the six characters had already absorbed their fill of lightning and could no longer be used; if the heavenly lightning were to strike again, it would surely mean a cheerful death!

Such an encounter was a matter of destiny, impossible to seek by force! This web of lightning gales was truly not something ordinary mortals could touch!

If the six-character sword intent had not urgently required boundless spiritual power to form a physical entity, Yang Nan would have already departed for the netherworld with a smile!

Happily and eagerly, Ni Cai requested to return to the Landscape Ring to forge the indestructible lightning vessel. Yang Nan immediately gathered him inside. Although the indestructible lightning vessel had suffered a major disaster, the hull was still intact; only the various arrays were destroyed. With a freak of talent like Ni Cai around, repairing the arrays and refining the artifacts was merely a matter of time.

Huang Shan and the demon soldiers left behind in the Landscape Ring had long since been rounded up by the overly excited Ni Cai, and they were now lending a hand to help him repair the indestructible lightning vessel.

Yong'er had also absorbed a considerable amount of lightning power this time, making her form even more solid, and the seven-colored divine light could finally be put to use. Without heaven and earth spiritual treasures, Yong'er's harvest of seven-colored divine light from merely absorbing spiritual qi was pitifully small. This time, she seized the opportunity to refine a large amount of divine light, ensuring that when Yang Nan needed to use it for self-preservation in the future, he wouldn't be caught short.

"Master, these six strange characters have truly formed, but how on earth are you going to recall them into your acupoints?" Yong'er pointed to the six characters flashing with purple light above Yang Nan's head, her little face filled with curiosity.

Only then did Yang Nan realize that these six ancient characters had become like spiritual entities. Although they obeyed his commands, they were vastly different from magical weapons; without a physical weapon body to anchor them, they possessed no true supernatural abilities and could not be recalled into his acupoints no matter what.

"Yong'er, let these six characters temporarily rest within your colored-light world. Perhaps once I find a weapon body, I will be able to forge them into soul-swords." Yang Nan looked at the small copper coin hanging before his chest and suddenly came up with an idea. These six characters had been transformed from the Three-Origin Divine Sword Grand Scripture; every two characters formed a specific type of magical sword. As long as he had a weapon body, he would certainly be able to forge soul-swords!

***

Yong'er nodded. Taking back the six characters did not require much effort for her; her colored-light world could house spiritual entities, and since these six characters were merely manifestations of lightning power, storing them away was not difficult.

Though the experience had been perilous, Yang Nan's harvest was immense. The black serpent magical weapon had used the lightning to take form, elevating itself to middle-grade holy rank. Within its dark, malevolent aura, it now harbored a trace of dark-lightning breath—blending gentleness with a hint of Yang energy, making it extraordinarily unique.

Yang Nan had unexpectedly unlocked a new acupoint. The middle-origin acupoint was now brimming with extreme Yang energy, and the tiny thunder-pearl possessed boundless magical power, seemingly no less formidable than the Yin-corrosion magical weapon. Raising his hand, Yang Nan discovered that the Azure Dragon phantom on his wrist had vanished, replaced instead by a symbol of lightning!

The upper-origin, middle-origin, and lower-origin acupoints had all taken shape, which meant he had taken a massive stride toward the realm of the Venerable!

Six acupoints connected meant the magical power of a Venerable; nine acupoints linked meant the realm of a Weapon Sage!

A single bombardment from the lightning web had brought such miraculous fortune, leaving Yang Nan both startled and overjoyed!

However, the fact that his water-attribute magical power had suddenly turned into lightning-attribute magical power was a bizarre phenomenon that truly baffled comprehension!

*Possessing both Yin and Yang phantoms? What kind of logic is this?* Yang Nan was dumbfounded, completely at a loss for this condition, before a sudden realization dawned upon him: *Does this mean that from now on, my Indestructible Yin-Yang Wheel can not only cultivate the Indestructible Yin-Wheel, but also concurrently cultivate the Indestructible Yang-Wheel?*

At this thought, Yang Nan's mouth widened, unable to close again. He couldn't help recalling the might of his master, Bu Xu, wielding the Indestructible Yin-Yang Sword on that day, shattering the forces of six Grandmasters with a single stroke!

If he could cultivate the Indestructible Yin-Yang Wheel to a profound realm, what Grandmasters under heaven would there be to fear?

*To think that while hiding within the weapon body, the lightning-gale prime force tore through both my physical body and my soul, yet it bestowed upon me an innate lightning power! Relying on this lightning power, I can astonishingly achieve a dharma-form unprecedented by any of my predecessors—the Indestructible Yin-Yang Dharma-Form!*

Joy surged wildly within Yang Nan's heart. Only now did he realize that his greatest harvest within the lightning web was not the indestructible lightning vessel, nor Yong'er's seven-colored divine light, but this tiny thunder-pearl!

A tiny thunder-pearl could forge a wondrous phenomenon unprecedented through the ages, and furthermore allow him to cultivate the complete technique of the Indestructible Yin-Yang Wheel without relying on his master. Such a monumental benefit was something he wouldn't trade even for an innate spiritual treasure!

Cultivating the Indestructible Yin-Yang Wheel to its peak would allow one to achieve the Indestructible Saintly Body, which was true longevity!

However, such an encounter could never be replicated. The six characters could no longer absorb lightning power, and Yang Nan neither had the ability to create a new six-word secret mantra to block the vast majority of the lightning, nor could he endure the mortal peril of being struck by heavenly lightning countless times over. Furthermore, he lacked another Azure Dragon magical power to exchange for the lightning-gale prime force!

In that bizarre moment when he was on the verge of being pulverized, Yang Nan felt as though he had absorbed even Yong'er's divine light and the black serpent's malevolent aura straight into his flesh and bones!

If not for his unyielding will at the time, any single bolt of lightning would have blasted him into dust!

To try it again, with even the slightest distraction, the only outcome would be soul-destruction and death!

***

Such an encounter could only be the product of numerous coincidences. Reflecting on it now, Yang Nan realized just how horrifying the consequences would have been had there been even the slightest misstep! Had it not been for the newly forged six ancient characters, his only escape would have been fleeing into Yong'er's small copper coin to become a wandering ghost!

The majesty of heaven and earth truly could not be underestimated. Rumor had it that above the nine firmaments lay nine layers of barriers; to ascend, one had to undergo nine layers of trials. If an ascending immortal's magical power lacked purity even slightly, they would be reduced to flying dust and ashes. Therefore, at the time of ascension, one had to make thorough preparations and exercise extreme caution.

After passing through this trial, what difficulty under heaven could possibly remain in Yang Nan's eyes?

Regaining his composure, Yang Nan stood upon the peak of Azure Mystery Mountain, overlooking the vast and boundless world, his heart brimming with ambition. Gazing at the ten thousand streaks of lightning dancing across the sky, he could not help shouting aloud, "My ambition—is longevity!"

This cry echoed far and wide across the mountains. The deer and elks in the forests were startled, tigers and oxen stampeded, and the entire mountain reverberated with the word... "Longevity."

Overwhelmed by emotion, Yang Nan had abruptly shouted out the aspiration of his lifetime. Snapping back to his senses, he felt a sudden sense of awkwardness. Fortunately, there was no one else on the summit, otherwise he would have made himself a laughingstock. At present, he was only a second-grade Grandmaster. Although he possessed two Yin-system magical pearls and the lightning-pearl possessed immense power, he was still a hundred thousand miles away from the realm of longevity. If a Venerable or a Sage had heard such arrogant shouting, wouldn't they have laughed their stomachs burst?

Descending from the peak, Yang Nan headed toward Qi Peak. Within the courtyard of Qi Peak's academy, Grandmaster Guifu was holding a cinnabar brush, writing amidst burning incense. As Yang Nan stepped into the courtyard without a single drop of rain staining his clothes, Grandmaster Guifu noticed that Yang Nan's bearing today was vastly different from before. His spirit was settled and his mind concentrated like a mountain, his divine light and aura as robust as the mountains after a rain, exuding a surging vitality!

He could not help praising with a chuckle, "Heh, A-Nan, after months of contemplation, you have indeed made great progress! No wonder you dared to shout the word 'longevity' right at the summit!"

Yang Nan's shout had truly resonated across the entire mountain. With an awkward smile, he said, "This junior was merely being impetuous; please, Grandmaster, do not laugh at me. Standing at the mountain peak overlooking heaven and earth, witnessing the majesty of heavenly lightning and the beauty of rivers and mountains, I simply forgot myself and cried out."

Grandmaster Guifu put down his cinnabar brush, nodded, and smiled. "The Confucian path seeks only to save the world; after death, one may also become a deity. If righteousness is undying, the soul remains—though dead, one still lives. The Daoist path seeks only longevity; though it possesses the heart to save the world, it treats it merely as a tempering in the mortal dust. Your aspiration for longevity is also the proper path; there is no need to feel embarrassed."

Yang Nan chuckled and steered the conversation. "What character is the Grandmaster writing today? I observed that the six characters on the ancient cliff are extraordinary; I wonder which immortal sage penned them."

Grandmaster Guifu shook his head. "I do not know either. According to the ancient records of the academy, a thousand years ago, a Daoist sat in silent meditation beneath this mountain through wind, snow, and hail for several decades without moving. Then, one day, he wrote down six characters. Every stroke was like the work of ghosts and gods, striking fear into the hearts of all who beheld them. Once the Daoist finished writing, he looked up to the heavens, laughed heartily, and departed, leaving no trace of his origin. Yet these six characters became the guardian spiritual treasure of Azure Mystery Mountain. Whenever any demons, ghosts, or evil spirits enter the mountain, the six characters hum aloud, transforming into countless divine weapons to slay demons and vanquish devils—truly formidable!"

Yang Nan had long known the wondrous and divine nature of these six characters, so he found it unsurprising. The lethal edge and killing intent of these six characters were fused entirely with the mountain itself. With only wild beasts and no malevolent spirits roaming the mountain, the potency of these six characters was evident! If any demons or ghosts dared to come, they would simply be courting death!

Choosing not to mention his encounter amidst the lightning of the nine firmaments, he remarked, "Since that Daoist transformed words into weapon forms, he must have been a member of my Weapon Sect, though I know not which lineage he hailed from. It truly fills one with reverence."

Grandmaster Guifu laughed heartily. "Mortals possess a lifespan of merely a hundred years, and the affairs of the ancients can no longer be verified; there is no need to delve too deeply. A-Nan, you too have studied calligraphy under the old master since childhood. Why not write a few characters yourself, to be hung in the lecture hall as a memento from a mountain resident? In days to come, future generations will know that within the Confucian school, a grandmaster of the Weapon Sect was also born!"