Chapter Eighteen: The Purple-Crowned Pheasant Spirit

Nine days passed in succession, and at last, the Supreme Golden Body Technique was mastered. As Xu Cheng circulated the energy, his entire body seemed to glow with a layer of golden radiance, as if he were the reincarnation of a Buddha. The icy cavern was no longer a great challenge for him; that day, the martial technique employed by the man in splendid robes could now be resisted by Xu Cheng’s golden body alone, without suffering the slightest harm.

No one had informed him that his punishment was over, so he simply accepted his circumstances. Focusing his mind, he reached out to sense the Myriad Arts Scroll. He had studied countless spells, yet within his own sect, he only knew two rather basic ones; it was hardly appropriate. Gazing into the endless void at the limitless silver-gray runes, he wondered what spell the Myriad Arts Scroll would bestow upon him this time.

Before he could ponder further, a thousand silver-gray talismanic runes appeared, slowly landing in his palm and then turning gold. Above the void, words manifested: “Thousand Eyes Technique—an advanced form of the Heaven’s Eye Spell. A thousand mystical eyes can pierce through myriad secrets of fate; its methods and applications are for the practitioner to explore.”

Then Xu Cheng was expelled from the space of the Myriad Arts Scroll.

To think he had obtained the Thousand Eyes Technique—his fate with ocular arts in the Xuantian Dao Sect was truly uncanny. Yet this spell only required 1,600 talismans; if he focused his full strength, he could master it within four or five days.

In the timeless flow of cultivation, four or five days passed in the blink of an eye. Once the Thousand Eyes Technique was mastered, he found its power impressive. When he experimented, he could conjure a thousand silver eyes behind him, which would then emit silver beams. With his current strength, he could launch this attack three times in succession before his entire body was drained.

“My clever disciple is awake? That old fellow Lingyu claimed he'd keep you locked up for seven or eight years, yet after five or six days, he let you out! Good thing I discovered it early—otherwise, if I'd believed him and kept you locked up for that long, it would’ve been a disaster!” The old immortal Lingxu stroked his beard in satisfaction. Xu Cheng couldn’t help but complain inwardly: if he had discovered it early, shouldn’t he have let me out five or six days ago?

The door to the Frozen Prison Cave had long been opened, and Xu Cheng slipped out. The moment he emerged, several streaks of silver light flashed through Lingxu’s eyes.

“Your spellwork is coming along well, but it’s best to advance to the Unification Realm as soon as possible. Talismans are fundamental and extremely important, but only by reaching the Unification Realm will you glimpse a broader world,” Lingxu said slowly.

Xu Cheng, now possessing nearly ten thousand talismans, was not unwilling to condense them, but there was still the White Bone of the Yellow Springs Technique left to master. At the very least, he wanted to finish learning that spell first.

Returning to Heavenly Peak Cliff felt like coming home. Xu Cheng couldn’t help but cheer inwardly and leapt up and down the cliff—after all, he was still a fourteen-year-old at heart.

“Coo, coo, coo!” The cry of a bird came from not far away.

Looking closely, he saw a bird over three meters long with a purple crown on its head and dusky feathers reminiscent of a peacock. The creature, upon seeing Xu Cheng, shot toward him with astonishing speed.

Instinctively, he activated the Supreme Golden Body Technique, becoming like a golden statue. Yet the bird did not attack; instead, it clung to him and pecked at him incessantly. Was this... affection? Xu Cheng, stunned for a moment, realized what was happening.

“You damned chicken! Who are you clinging to, showing such affection?”

A girl’s voice called out. It was Lianzhen, who apparently recognized what this strange beast really was.

“Lianzhen, it’s me! What’s the story behind this creature?”

Xu Cheng shouted anxiously.

“Oh, Junior Brother Liaowu! Haven’t seen you for days, and your golden spell is quite impressive now,” Lianzhen teased.

“If you don’t tell me what this thing is, I’ll turn it into soup!” Xu Cheng threatened. Though the bird meant no harm, its vigorous “affection” made him doubt whether even his golden body could withstand it.

“You don’t recognize your own chicken? If it hadn’t stolen and eaten Uncle Lingyu’s golden elixir, it wouldn’t have grown so big so fast!” Lianzhen counted on her fingers.

So this was the chicken he’d brought up the mountain? And now it had grown this much?

When the purple-crowned rooster heard Xu Cheng’s threat of turning it into soup, it angrily retreated a few steps, then flapped its wings so forcefully that Xu Cheng, despite his golden body’s increased weight—tenfold heavier—was nearly toppled by the gust. After flapping, the rooster hid behind Lianzhen, apparently sulking.

“Could it be... that it’s gained sentience?” Xu Cheng wondered aloud at the rooster’s clever behavior. Lianzhen nodded in confirmation.

“Since you’ve mastered such a formidable spell, why not let me test my sword against you?” With the rooster no longer in the way, Lianzhen prepared to spar, summoning thousands of golden sword energies that shot toward Xu Cheng without waiting for his agreement.

Eager to test the defensive power of his Supreme Golden Body, Xu Cheng braced himself to withstand the flying swords. Sparks flew as the blades struck him, but he remained unscathed.

“What a formidable defensive spell!” Lianzhen exclaimed, then unleashed her ultimate move: “Sword Dance of Heaven and Earth!”

Razor-sharp sword scars ripped through the void, no longer mere displays but brimming with lethal intent. Still, Xu Cheng chose to endure them head-on, focusing his mind and pushing the Supreme Golden Body to its limits, until his entire being radiated a faint golden light.

Each sword mark moved excruciatingly slowly, yet Xu Cheng felt he could not evade them. As the first sword scar grazed his body, it left a shallow mark, followed by a second, then a third.

After withstanding dozens of these, Xu Cheng was covered in cuts—none too serious, but his robes were shredded to rags.

“I’m done! It’s no fun if you don’t use any other spells to defend!” Lianzhen huffed and ran off.

Once the Supreme Golden Body faded, blood began to ooze from Xu Cheng’s wounds; clearly, the spell had its flaws.

In such a sorry state, if he didn’t treat his wounds, he might bleed to death.

He simply cast the Rebirth Severance Technique. His body crumbled to ashes like shards of porcelain, and then a completely uninjured Xu Cheng emerged. By now, his true energy was completely depleted. Pulling his tattered garments around himself to cover the essentials, he fetched a new set of white Daoist robes from the clothing stores before sitting to meditate—not only to restore his energy, but also to properly digest the two new spells he’d learned.

The next day, Xu Cheng attended morning lessons as usual, then sat in meditation. Strangely, he did not see Lian, perhaps because Uncle Lingyu had confined him to his room for intense cultivation.

At dusk, standing atop the mountain as the last rays of sunlight bathed him, Xu Cheng felt utterly at ease.

“Is the evening glow beautiful, junior brother?” Lianzhen’s voice sounded—she had a penchant for appearing out of nowhere, and Xu Cheng was used to it.

“It is beautiful,” Xu Cheng nodded.

“In cultivation, one must balance effort and relaxation. If you keep pushing without pause, you’re like a bowstring stretched too tight—it will snap! So, tomorrow, why not come down the mountain with me and carry out a task?”

So, it seemed, she wanted him to join her on a mission.

“What kind of task?” he asked casually.

“To descend the mountain and slay demons!” Lianzhen announced, overflowing with murderous intent.

“Why don’t you two take me along?” a sudden voice interrupted—not Xu Cheng’s, nor Lianzhen’s. Looking around, they saw no one. It startled them both, and they searched for some time.

“Ha! I knew you wouldn’t be able to find me!” The stone beneath Xu Cheng suddenly shifted, and in a blink, transformed into a human figure. It was the always-missing Lian.

“That’s some spell!” Xu Cheng was genuinely astonished. After so many days in seclusion, Lian had mastered something truly wondrous.

“Of course—it’s the Art of Infinite Transformation!” Lian declared proudly, and in the next instant, transformed into a beautiful young woman.