With a jarring clatter, the pitch-black Heavenly Calculation Bead fell to the ground, rolling a distance. Wherever it passed, large areas of the ground were scorched black by the Sky Demon Fire. Yet, without its master, the fire was rapidly diminishing. In no time, the high temperature dropped and the Heavenly Calculation Bead came to a halt, lifeless and heavy.
From the moment the Heavenly Calculation Bead fell, Xuan Huang's thoughts seemed somewhat frozen. Only after the bead's reaction subsided did he utter, "This treasure... is not bad."
Then, he fell silent, lost in thought. At this moment, Yu Ci had no leisure to pay attention to him, for trouble was upon them again.
He could feel a violent reaction taking place within the Divine Bronze Mirror. It was a tremendous force from the depths of the mirror, like a starving beast roaring at the food hanging at its mouth.
He wished that the "beast's" food was the red light that had just been swallowed up, which was a Sky Demon after all. Unfortunately, the impure Sky Demon was torn apart as soon as it entered, by the power contained within the Divine Bronze Mirror, becoming one of the stimuli that awakened this "beast".
Another stimulus was the sentence of Heart Technique that suddenly surged into Yu Ci while he was manipulating the Treasure Mirror. The Heart Technique was perfectly in line with the actuality of the Yin Spirit Controlling the Mirror. Yu Ci, following the methods within, mobilized the Divine Intention True Sha. With a bit of effort, the operation of the Divine Bronze Mirror became more fluent, like a whirlpool spinning faster and faster. By the end, Yu Ci didn't need to urge it, and it already emitted a strong suction force on its own, leaving the Sky Demon powerless and sucked into the mirror.
However, when the two stimuli combined, their momentum was like pouring oil on a fire. Yu Ci's Yin Spirit, which had been driving the Treasure Mirror, vibrated violently. He was startled to find that the astonishing whirlpool deep within the Divine Bronze Mirror was out of control, instantly transforming into a Gluttonous Giant Beast, ready to devour everything it touched.
Yu Ci's Yin Spirit was naturally the closest target. If it got its hands on him, his soul would scatter.
Fortunately, Yu Ci had a firm will and the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form to stabilize his Divine Soul. The Aura connection formed from his decade-long companionship with the Treasure Mirror came into play. The standoff was immediately eased, and Yu Ci found the time to think.
"That's it, it's the 'Infinite Void Divine Illumination Scripture'!"
The cause of the problem wasn't complicated, and Yu Ci quickly found the root of the issue. That half-baked sentence was a fragment from the 'Infinite Void Divine Illumination Scripture'. When Yu Ci first observed its mysteries, he was invaded by the Illusionary Appearance and had to stop abruptly. But after all, he had a vague impression etched deep in his Sea of Consciousness. When his mind was clear, those unconscious imprints surfaced, and he understood.
The "Infinite Void Divine Illumination Scripture" is the source of control over the Divine Bronze Mirror. What could be more suitable to activate the Treasure Mirror than the mystical incantation within it? Alas, the difference in their foundations makes it possible for the power of the Treasure Mirror to be unleashed, but not retracted, thus inviting this trouble.
When Yu Ci realized the key point, the situation had escalated to a critical juncture.
The magic of the Divine Bronze Mirror was triggered. Although it no longer posed a threat to Yu Ci, its rebellious response was unprecedented. Yu Ci tightly gripped the Divine Bronze Mirror. This old friend seemed extremely "excited," pulsating rapidly and subtly, radiating an intense heat comparable to the previous Sky Demon Fire. The palms of Yu Ci's hands felt as if they were being burnt, the pain piercing his heart, yet he held on, refusing to let go.
He could discard the mirror, but he had a strong feeling that if he did so, he would never be able to control this Treasure Mirror again, even if they spent another hundred years together!
"Old pal, don't be so temperamental... Damn it, are you rebelling?!"
Yu Ci tried all means, threats and temptations, but the stubborn response of the Divine Bronze Mirror only slightly slowed down from the beginning. It was unknown when he would be able to fully control it.
At this moment, the previously still Heavenly Calculation Bead on the ground suddenly jumped. The long-extinguished Sky Demon Fire reignited with a bang, burning the void, and forcibly opened a crack, trying to seep into it.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Yu Ci, already annoyed, saw this and was enraged. The so-called "uncontainable anger" had the power of "explosion." He had been trying to control it, but now, when he let his emotions out, it was in line with the law of ebb and flow. Stimulated by his intention, the Divine Bronze Mirror vibrated with a hum, and a green light burst out, hitting the Heavenly Calculation Bead, sending it flying dozens of feet away, extinguishing all the Demon Fire.
With this move, the heat radiated by the Divine Bronze Mirror suddenly decreased. As Yu Ci was stunned, the afterglow of the green light followed the just-opened Void Rift and went in.
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The green light flashed and disappeared. The other side of the void sent back a shock wave, and the Star Track Sword Realm behind it lit up with stars, and the sound of Sword Energy echoed for miles, gaining momentum. Even a fool could sense the connection.
"Stealing chicken without losing rice, thief, your day has come!"
Xuan Huang was awakened by Yu Ci's change and seeing the situation, his mind was uplifted. He wished he could laugh out loud to celebrate.
Yu Ci exhaled lightly and slowly released his hand. His palm was already scorched red, but it was only a superficial wound, which had no effect on the joy in his heart.
The "beast" deep within the Treasure Mirror had ceased its aggression. The Divine Bronze Mirror no longer trembled but floated steadily in the void, controlled by Yu Ci's Yin Spirit, radiating light, rotating like a wheel. The strange power within it expanded and contracted according to the law, clearer and more understandable than ever in the decade since he acquired it.
From this point forward, Yu Ci knew that his mastery over the Divine Bronze Mirror had ascended to a new level. His previous efforts, pouring all his energy into unlocking the "Mechanism" as if chancing upon a stroke of luck, were now a thing of the past.
"With the Treasure Mirror in hand, what do I have to fear from the ghosts and demons of the world?"
Yu Ci's spirit soared. Even when faced with the current peril, he was much more at ease. Confirming that the Pan Emperor's Three Swords on the ground had been utterly destroyed, Yu Ci turned to Xuan Huang for advice, intending to attempt entering the Star Track Sword Realm again.
Xuan Huang, more excited than him, urged, "Don't rush, don't rush. Don't forget to take the Primordial Formless Sword. It's one of Miss Hao Dian's favorite swords. In the past, those Thief Monks shattered the Six Realms of Rebirth and sucked Miss Hao Dian into the Eternal Abyss. Little did they know that she could still wield this sword, slaying two Ancient Buddhas, and left the sword in this world..."
As he spoke, Xuan Huang's voice trailed off into melancholy. Yu Ci nodded, not saying a word. Guided by a faint perception, he found the location of the Primordial Formless Sword. Xuan Huang instructed him how to retrieve it and didn't forget to collect the mutated Heavenly Calculation Bead. Still unsatisfied, he urged:
"Most of the items on the Pan Emperor's Three Swords must be from my Sword Garden Legacy. We can't let these treasures fall into the hands of outsiders. Hurry and search!"
Yu Ci shook his head, but complied, delivering a final blow that extinguished their lives.
Next was the Star Track Sword Realm.
To the naked eye, at the end of the Lifeless Deathless Garden was a delicately painted wall with a Moon Gate. Walking through it would lead to a different world. However, before reaching this wall, one must overcome the obstruction of the Star Track Sword Realm. To others, it might be a burden, but for Yu Ci, armed with the authority granted by Xuan Huang, all he needed was time. As long as he was undisturbed, that would be enough.
Half an hour after defeating the Pan Emperor's Three Swords, Yu Ci had crossed the boundary of the Lifeless Deathless Garden, reaching the central region of Guixu (usually interpreted as a bottomless valley in the sea), and continued to advance deeper.
The vastness here exceeded imagination, much larger than what Yu Ci had estimated in the Lifeless Deathless Garden. Looking up, the endless starry sky was still in sight, but the stars here were much denser. This was due to the eight massive Void Rifts scattered across the sky. "Massive" here meant that one could directly gaze at the starlight of another world beyond the rift with naked eyes!
Thus, under this unique sky, the stars overlapped in layers. How could the void above not be dense?
When Yu Ci grasped the principle behind it, his face stiffened a bit. With a mere glance, the largest Void Rift here... well, perhaps it's more appropriate to call it a gap, its diameter already exceeded five miles. Not to mention humans, even if you packed up the buildings scattered within Guixu, which usually refers to a bottomless valley in the sea, they could all fit in.
The other gaps, with diameters ranging from one mile to several hundred feet, were arranged in a ring around the largest one. The shortest distance between them was just a few dozen feet, relative to the diameter of the gap itself, it was so minute it could be ignored.
"Won't they interfere with each other?"
"Of course they would, but when the Thunderbolt-Free Great Immortals cleaved the void, they specifically solidified it, so there usually aren't any problems. Hmm, it's been five thousand years since I last came here, and the 'Endless Gap' in the middle has expanded quite a bit..."
Yu Ci was speechless. Seeing this, he understood why Xuan Huang insisted on him keeping it a secret from his fellow disciples. Such a thing, if unstable, could swallow a part of the Cultivation World, which was not an unusual occurrence.
Apart from this, there was not much difference inside and outside the Star Track Sword Realm, except that the air was thinner and the distribution of the Void Rifts was denser, but not to the extent that it hindered movement.
However, Yu Ci didn't feel very well as he walked.
"How did the mirror do that?" Along the way, Xuan Huang couldn't help but ask this question over and over again.
The Sky Demon offered by the Pan Emperor's Three Swords might not be so pure, but it was a fierce creature capable of controlling Sky Demon Fire and resisting damage from weapons. Who would have thought that as soon as the Divine Bronze Mirror appeared, it directly took this fierce creature in. The process was so simple that it almost shocked Xuan Huang's chin off—if it had a chin.
It's not about how powerful this ability is. If Xuan Huang was at its peak, it would have a myriad of ways to toy with and destroy the Sky Demon. It was just extremely curious. The Divine Bronze Mirror in Yu Ci's hand seemed a bit different from the one in the legends? The Divine Bronze Mirror known to Xuan Huang was one of the three great sacrificial vessels of the Primordial Demon Sect, its primary function was to communicate with the Limitless Vacuum God and borrow divine power on a large scale. It was said to be able to illuminate the entire world, penetrating people's hearts. Aside from this, there were only bizarre descriptions that were hard to believe.
Such a Divine Bronze Mirror seemed more like a noble sitting high in the hall, which made Xuan Huang feel somewhat displeased and unconvinced.
Unfortunately, Yu Ci had no interest in being a referee. He just felt that since entering the Star Track Sword Realm, Xuan Huang's confidence was a bit too much.
"As long as the Primordial Spirit merges with the sword, nothing is impossible."
Of course, this was not boasting, but the confidence nurtured by the countless lives that fell under the blade of the Black-Yellow Ferocious Sword since the day it was forged.
Everything seemed to be back on track, but when Yu Ci arrived at the so-called "Heavenly Dome Sword Pool" according to its guidance, Xuan Huang suddenly fell silent.
...