Free Web NovelChapter 283: Chapter 54: Life Soul-level Mechanical Armor
「In the Quiet Chamber.」
Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on the Jade Couch and summoned the Immortal Binding Rope. A rope shimmering with golden light appeared, coiled in a ball, and hovered silently in the air.
He then took out the Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads, drew out a single strand, and first used his Magical Power to refine it, making the thread change size at his will.
Then, channeling his Magical Power, he made the thread swell to the thickness of a bowl’s rim. He then used his Magical Power as a brush to inscribe Ancient Runes upon it.
This was the profound secret at the heart of the Immortal Binding Rope.
When these profound Ancient Runes were arranged in specific formations and combined with the Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads, they produced astonishing transformations, granting the rope many Divine Techniques such as breaking restraints, binding, and sealing.
Now that Fang Cheng’s Cultivation had greatly improved, his Magical Power was so abundant that it rivaled that of Late-stage Life Talisman Cultivators, allowing him to refine the Magical Artifact with much more ease.
In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he had finished refining one strand. Then, he slowly integrated the finished thread into the Immortal Binding Rope.
Repeating this process, he slowly but surely raised the grade of the Immortal Binding Rope.
Time slipped by. His supply of Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads dwindled, while the golden light emanating from the Immortal Binding Rope grew more intense with each passing day.
「A dozen or so days later.」
The sound of a Jade Chime came from outside the Quiet Chamber.
Hearing the sound, Fang Cheng stopped his work. With a wave of his sleeve, he opened the restrictive wards on the Quiet Chamber, rose, and walked out.
Hua Yutang stood gracefully outside the door. She offered him a radiant smile and said, "Junior Brother, focusing solely on ascetic cultivation must be terribly dull. Why not take a few days off and try the delicacies of the Celestial Traveling Marketplace?"
Fang Cheng readily agreed. "A break sounds nice."
Hua Yutang led him to the main hall, where an Eight Immortals table was already laden with all kinds of Spiritual Cuisine. The dishes were perfect in color, aroma, and flavor, and a dense wave of Spiritual Qi washed over him, telling him at a glance that this was no ordinary meal.
"This is the Eighteen Treasures of Spiritual Cuisine from the Star-picking Tower. I guarantee you’ll eat your fill today, Junior Brother." After Fang Cheng took a seat, Hua Yutang personally poured him a cup of Spirit Wine, her voice filled with confidence.
"This spread of Spiritual Cuisine couldn’t have been cheap. You’ve spent too much, Senior Sister!" Fang Cheng remarked.
He then glanced around the room and saw the Cyan Bird Cang Wuya perched on a curio shelf. A jade slip floated before it. The bird’s eyes were closed as it used its Divine Sense to peruse the slip’s contents, looking utterly engrossed.
"It’s only a few Spirit Stones. I may not be as wealthy as you, Junior Brother, but I’m not short ten thousand or so Spirit Stones." Hua Yutang gave him a gentle smile, sat down beside him, and joined him for the meal.
After they had eaten for a while and Hua Yutang had urged him to drink a few more cups, she finally broached the main topic. Blushing, she said, "Junior Brother, a few days ago in the Immortal Pavilion, I came across a Dual Cultivation Secret Method. It is said to have the miraculous effect of helping one break through a Cultivation bottleneck... and it does so without harming the male cultivator’s Cultivation Body or Magical Power. Would you... be willing to help me try it?"
Fang Cheng was surprised. "I’ve only ever heard of Dual Cultivation Secret Methods that help increase one’s Magical Cultivation. I’ve never heard of one that can help someone break through a bottleneck. If this method truly works, I will certainly do everything I can to help you break through, Senior Sister."
Hua Yutang lowered her gaze and said softly, "We’ll only know if it works after we’ve tried."
Fang Cheng’s interest was piqued as well. He immediately went with Hua Yutang to the bathing chamber, and after they had bathed, they began their attempt.
Upon trying it, he found that it was completely different from any other Secret Technique he had ever cultivated. It was an unprecedented and novel experience, a blissful pleasure that was impossible to describe in words.
Meanwhile, Hua Yutang discovered that the very barrier that had held her Cultivation Realm stagnant for so long was actually showing signs of loosening.
’Cang Wuya didn’t lie to me!’
She was overjoyed, filled with an unparalleled sense of excitement. She could finally see a glimmer of hope for breaking through to the Mid-Life Talisman Stage!
Between the Profound Fire Pill, Dual Cultivation with Fang Cheng, and natural treasures like the Qian Ling Fruit, her breakthrough to the Mid-Life Talisman Stage now seemed just around the corner.
...
Within the Pocket World Spiritual Building, the celestial phenomena mirrored the outside world.
As night fell, the Celestial Traveling Immortal Pavilion grew hazy in the darkness. The Great Sun Talisman transformed into a bright, clear moon, casting down a cold, silent luminescence.
Upon the Immortal Mountain, hundreds of Cave Mansions gleamed with dazzling light, emitting thousands of auspicious rays. The Floating Cloud Immortal Residences circling the mountain were even more brilliant, each glowing with its own radiance, illuminating the void and making it look like a legendary Immortal Realm.
The marketplace at night seemed even livelier than it was during the day.
On the eastern side of the Immortal Mountain, a mass of pitch-black fog silently billowed into existence. It gradually churned and expanded until it covered an area of several acres, hovering in the void.
Unsuspecting individuals who curiously swept their Divine Sense over the black fog found it vanishing without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
After their Dual Cultivation session, Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang stepped out of the pavilion to admire the night scenery and noticed the mass of black fog.
After asking Cang Wuya, they learned they had chanced upon the Celestial Traveling Immortal Pavilion’s monthly Ghost Market.
The black fog was a manifestation of a Tier Three Treasure belonging to the master of the Immortal Pavilion. It could greatly obscure and suppress a Cultivator’s Divine Sense. Even if Life Soul Realm cultivators were to enter, their Divine Sense would be confined to a three-foot radius around them.
Thanks to this, it had become the largest black market in the Eastern Wilderness. Many transactions that could not see the light of day were completed here.
One simply needed to use a Concealing Breath Talisman to hide their presence, slip into the black fog, and they could then buy and sell goods or trade information.
As a spy from the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts planted within the Rakshasa Sect, Cang Wuya was naturally familiar with the place. He mentioned that he had once controlled a Human Race Sensing Cultivator and brought them into the Ghost Market to take care of some business.
After saying a few words to Hua Yutang, Fang Cheng activated a Concealing Breath Talisman, concealed his presence, and flew toward the black fog alone.
The moment he entered the black fog, he felt his Power of Divine Sense being heavily suppressed and obscured. It could only extend about a foot from his body before being blocked by an invisible force, unable to advance even an inch further.
Within the black fog was a stone platform, roughly a li in circumference. A dark red pearl hovered above it, emitting a bleak, blood-red light that illuminated the platform below.
