114. Blood Arts of Barnachea
It is past midnight and Clay exited the library or Pagoda as everyone calls it. When he was handed the book, he was not surprised it was related to the ancient and long lost Barnachea Legacy.
The book has 150 pages but only ten of them contains the original passage of Barnachea transcripts and at the back of ten pages are its translation. The rest of the pages were written by predecessors who have tried researching on the method. While he is disappointed the book did not include information about controlling Dao Powers, he was still satisfied with the contents.
The original 10 pages were a portion of Barnachean Blood Arts referencing to their methods of pill refinement for their rite of passage. The very same ritual he had already read about back at Rising Cloud Sect but only this time, more detailed especially in the refinement process.
Their pill concoction is quite unique but shares the same principle on his concoction method. Clay has an ability to see and connect with the Gathering Formation at the center of the pill during coagulation process but the Barnacheans used their Blood, infused it with Dao then create the most intricate and smallest of inscription at the center of the pill to replace the natural and existing Formation at the center to trigger an attraction similar to the natural pill coagulation process.
The reason it took him time in the library is because he has to memorize the different inscription patterns the Barnacheans have used. He finds it hard to believe that such ancient tribe has such profound knowledge.
He had always boasted his perfect flame control but reading about people who can do the same and probably even better based on their ability to draw those blood patterns during pill refinement is just brilliant and inspiring.
During his encounter with the human Alchemist back at Xu Fan city when he was trying to join the competition, he was advised that that the issue was his Essence Flame. However he has doubts as he had personally experienced it himself. It is true the coagulation process was almost impossible but when he imbued his flame with Dao Powers, the pill began to form but he just don’t know how to control it leading all his experiments to all fail.
Clay was glad he did not go to the 3rd floor earlier otherwise he will not have sufficient points to exchange for such profound knowledge. The book mentions that even if one has the lowest level of Essence Flames, as long as one understood the Path of Fire Dao, anyone can concoct any pills he wants and this fact supports his theory.
The biggest question here is, if Dao can be inherited or passed down by imitating the Barnachean Blood Arts, then why is it that he has yet to encounter someone with the slightest Dao Comprehension? Every place he has gone, with the exception of Swordsman Darwus, he had always activated his Godly Eyes and not a single one has that blue mist underneath their souls. Even his master doesn’t have it. If those Sword Masters within Muinaar Royalty can manifest Sword Dao, why can’t they learn this Blood Arts and concoct pill and distribute it to every one?
Some of the passages did mention about tests conducted by previous outstanding Alchemists and all of them failed but those Alchemists did not mention if they have the same Dao Comprehension.
“Just how special and elusive is Dao that for 40 thousand years, even with such glaring clues, no one has managed to revive this Barnachean Legacy.”
*Sigh
Clay hopes to be able to read the other parts of the book.
He continued walking and when he reached his residence, he took a deep breath. Either Dao really is mysteriously elusive or someone did not want to spread the practice and kept the practice to themselves. Maybe and probably has something to do with politics and power play which really is not his concern.
He had already achieved his objective which is re-growing back his limb. Based on what his master has told him about lying low for ten years, he will use that time to repay the sect, get stronger and maybe figure out more about Alchemy but essentially, he will find a place to settle down and live an ordinary life.
While he is still in the sect, he decided to acquire more points and read the remaining parts of the Barnachea Blood Arts. At least his biggest question has been partially answered for now.
Initially, he wanted to learn about parting with his Essence Flame or learn any arts that would help him evolve his Flame but after reading the book, at least he now has some idea how Dao Power works.
When he entered the house, Clay found a note on the table.
“I have prepared soup for you as part of your welcoming but this is the last time. Also, don’t go near second brother’s residence. His name is Ogur. He is currently preparing to breakthrough to Core Formation and lighting tribulation may start any time soon. – Fara”
What a good little sister.
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Clay ran to the kitchen and saw a pot. It looks like it had been prepared for dinner and has already gotten cold.
Clay heated the pot and sat on down while thinking about the different inscription patters he saw earlier. He plans on experimenting with them later.
“Wait what?”
Clay looked at the note again.
“Lighting tribulation for Core Formation?”
During his life at Gar Wahger planet, Lightning Tribulation only happens if a cultivator is breaking through to Nascent Soul.
“Did Fara make a mistake?”
*Blok
*Blok
Clay looked at the boiling pot. It was a long day and nothing beats a homemade soup by yours truly beautiful elf sister who treats him like a human. Clay scooped some and placed it on his bowl. He is still thinking about the inscriptions.
Meanwhile, not far from Clay residence, Ogur the second disciple stepped out of his residence and walked towards the top of the hill where Master Numar was waiting and had prepared an area and a protective Formation to assist Ogur during his breakthrough.
“Master, I’m ready.”
“Good. Just calm down and remember that the first step of conquering this tribulation is to conquer your fear.”
“Thank you Master for your wisdom.”
Ogur walked towards the center of the platform and sit on a meditative position then placed a Core Formation Breakthrough Pill into his mouth.
Ripples of energy started to build up around Ogur as he tried connecting the Qi Nodes to become a full pledge Core Formation expert.
Even though it is nighttime and hard to see the skies, dark and thick clouds started forming miles and miles above the hill.
*Boom
Streaks of lightning caused a deafening thunder. In the past, cultivators would watch and observe when someone is ascending but having witnessed too much, cultivators installed Isolation and Protective Formations around their residences to avoid being disturbed.
Like a typhoon, those dark clouds circled and covered the moon and charged up waiting for Ogur to break through.
Meanwhile, since it is night time and no one is really looking into the sky, unbeknownst to everyone, a second set of dark clouds has formed and it is thicker and three times bigger than Ogur’s tribulations. If seen outside the sect, people would suspect that two cultivators are simultaneously undergoing their tribulation.
“Descend for me!” Ogur shouted.
Having just broken through to the next realm opened his eyes. He levitated and bravely looked at the descending thick bolt of lightning.
Before the lightning could hit him, Ogur had already reinforced and strengthened his fist.
*Zzk
*Boom!
The lightning tribulation was split creating multiple lightning bolts but before these bolts could land any damage around the hill, the protective Formation Master Numar had set up activated erecting a barrier to contain those bolts. Ogur had successfully defended himself against the first strike.
Meanwhile, unknown to everybody, when Ogur defended himself against the streak of lightning, that same exact moment of explosion, the second lighting tribulation clouds near Ogur’s tribulation released an even more dangerous and thicker tribulation and its target is not Ogur but Clay’s residence.
Earlier, Clay was eating and since he can’t wait to practice the blood patterns from the Barnachean Blood Arts, he pricked the tip of his index finger and tried forming one. While he was thinking if he can make it smaller, he had an inspiration and thought about just infusing Dao Powers into the Gathering Formation at the center of the pill instead of creating the blood pattern.
In the heat of the moment, Clay summoned his cauldron and to not exhaust himself, he decided to concoct the pill inside the cauldron. He summoned a set of ingredients for Qi Enhancement Pill for a test. Since he can barely shape his Dao Powers, he separated a small drop of the herb essences to allow the central Formation of the Pill to form then crudely force his Dao to take a shape the same size of the drop he separated then reinforced the Formation with a thin strand of Qi to start the coagulation process. The idea is similar to the Barnachean Blood Arts but instead of reshaping his blood and placing it at the center of the pill, he will instead reinforce the center with his Dao.
The pill was forming just fine and he could feel his own Dao is being preserved in the pill however as the pill is nearing its completion, Clay felt a slight spatial distortion coming from the pill. There is this ominous feeling he can’t just get rid of and it is reminding him of that time he got sucked into a spatial tear.
Although he cannot feel where the threat is coming from, he covered his entire body with Dao Powers as a precaution while waiting for the pill to solidify.
After a few more minutes when the refinement has been completed, he was about to open the cauldron to see what he has concocted when suddenly, a silver bolt of lightning as thick as a thigh came crushing down the roof and into the cauldron. With opened eyes, the bolt of lightning descended in front of him then into the cauldron.
*Zzk
*Boom!
People knew how destructive lightning is but does not really know how dangerous it is as they would only witness a streak of light above the clouds. Sure the thunder may sound horrifying but witnessing a lightning up-close is a different experience. Clay had no time to react nor even blink as he saw that bolt of lightning passed before his very eyes and destroyed the pill.
Clay had just witnessed the most terrifying visible force in his entire lifetimes. In a blink of an eye, the explosion destroyed the cauldron the spread its explosive powers throughout the entire residence. Clay was thrown a few meters away. Thanks to his Dao Powers he was unscathed.
*Thud
*Thud
He could feel and hear his heart beating from surprise but having experienced multiple life and death situations, he got up and composed himself and looked towards the sky. Immediately right after, he did not feel any more threats but streak of lightning continued to pour towards their hill but not on his residence anymore.
*Pant
*Pant
Clay deactivated his Dao when he felt two Nascent Souls approaching. Two faint divine senses passed through his body.
“What happened?”
It is dark and Clay can only see two floating silhouettes. Even though he has yet to understand what truly happened, he still kowtowed with his fist and respectfully answered.
“Even this junior is confused. I was just eating soup and out of nowhere, a thick bolt of lightning struck my residence. I think there is something wrong with my senior brother’s tribulation.”
“Get down the mountain for now.”
Clay bowed and swiftly ran away from the area.