Chapter 18: Star Decree Stone
When the previous Huang Xue was still alive, besides being a peak cultivator, he was also famed as an Essence Alchemist --one who was in possession of an Ancient-class Essence flame!
The probability of finding such a class of essence flame was less than one percent, with the requirements to assimilate with it being even more strict. After all, primordial-class Essence Flames were considered to be nonexistent, as those were Flames of Origin --the mother and sources of flames.
Therefore, Huang Xue was quite surprised when this piece of memory about the previous host’s other profession was fused and known to him. It was because of this, that Huang Xue had decided to immediately start his plan that encompassed the arts of refinement. With the ability to refine and create various things, the possibility was naturally endless!
Moreover, the previous host was not a low leveled Essence Alchemist either, which made things much easier for Huang Xue. Compared to Array Spiritualists, where it is heavily focused on one’s mental ability rather than body, Huang Xue was able to easily lay formations even in a completely fresh body. In other words, the previous host was not an Array Spiritualist, but with Huang Xue’s memory integrated with the body, he was able to use such exquisite art.
But an Essence Alchemist required Essence Flames and a strong constitution to refine things. And the body must be adapted to the flames in order for Huang Xue to exhibit his arts. Otherwise, it would easy for him to lose control over the flames, regardless of the depth of Huang Xue’s knowledge! And it was fortunate that this body’s owner was a high level Alchemist, making the process relatively easier for Huang Xue.
In the world of Alchemists, there obviously exists ranks. Simply by the different class of Essence Flames, it could already be inferred that the skill sets and quality of Essence Alchemists would vary. They are similarly assorted into four ranks, like that of their Essence Flame. Their status can be revealed by the color of cloak they wear, as follows:
Azure cloak, Black cloak, Gold Cloak, and Prism cloak.
Status wise, for Essence Alchemists, an Azure Cloaked Alchemist was comparable to a Rank 3 Array Spiritualist’s fame; a Black cloak to a Rank 6 Spiritualist, a Gold cloak to a Rank 9 Spiritualist; and a Prism Cloak was equivalent to a legendary Rank 12 Array Spiritualist!
This instant status promotion was also one of the major reasons normal alchemists and cultivators would seek out Essence Flames...the prestige and ability brought about from becoming a simple Azure-cloaked alchemist was already enough to allow one to live a life full of luxury if one chose to!
While the first three colors of cloaks could be given upon completing certain tests and obtaining the level of essence flames, a prism-colored cloak was said to be only possibly created by the actual alchemist themselves. If one actually possessed a Primordial-class essence flames, the abnormality of such fires could actually produce additional unique properties to whatever pills or items one creates! And a reflective, rainbow-like radiance was one of such typical appearances that a Prism Cloaked Alchemist could concoct in their finished products.
On the other hand, there are alchemists without essence flame. However, these people can only be considered as ‘doctors’ as they are able to treat common illnesses and make low level pills using furnaces. High creation of pills and artifacts are out of their reach. Thus, they are only allowed to wear Brown cloaks, until they manage to come across a fortuitous opportunity and assimilate with an Essence Flame...
As Huang Xue burned and controlled his Essence Flame, the ingredients inside the black ball of inferno began to merge and consolidate. A vague appearance of stone-like object began to become apparent.
This process, which was inching closer to two hours, was now about to be completed. If Huang Xue had a powerful furnace to use, then the process may have been cut down. However, to get such a furnace, the time it would take may be too long. And the furnace that the previous host had used could only be considered ‘decent’, but was not that very useful in the current Huang Xue’s eyes.
Huang Xue was soon about to finish creating his desired item!
*Bzzt!*
…*Poosh!*
A weird, soft explosion sound resonated from within the inferno, as Huang Xue’s black flames slowly dispersed, revealing a smooth gray colored stone. Hovering peacefully in the air, the stone was oval shaped and looked to be around 25 millimeters in size. If not for the strange aura surrounding this thing, anyone may have mistaken it as just another stone on the road.
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Huang Xue had a satisfied smile on his face, as he slightly used his right hand to beckon over the stone. Looking at the fine stone in his hand, Huang Xue felt that all his hard work up in creating this thing had been well spent.
“Finally...with this Star Decree Stone, I will be able to locate some truly promising disciples!” Huang Xue thought with anticipation.
The item that Huang Xue had wanted to create from his first list was precisely this ‘Star Decree Stone’. On this plane, Huang Xue knew that the chance of them finding such an artifact was exceedingly thin. That was because this special stone had the unique ability of being able to seek out one’s potential!
It was one of the popular items in the Jade Heaven Land, where deities would it to find suitable disciples to nourish. In the higher planes, this item had another name: ‘The Fortune Stone’. It was considered a Heaven-grade, due to its powerful singular purpose but lack of other life-saving abilities.
However, as rare as it was, Huang Xue knew the formulas of creating such a stone. With his study in the Dao of Fortune and Dao of Alchemy, Huang Xue naturally would have examined countless artifacts that exhibited such unique properties as the Star Decree Stone. And over time, as he mastered the Daos, Huang Xue came to understand the origin of such creations, and even the means to recreate them!
But out of all the items that Huang Xue had in mind, this Star Decree Stone was the only one that he had confidence in making, based on the current resources in this Earthly Land.
And the reason for him to make such an item? It was obviously for Huang Xue to locate disciples or destined ones with great potentials!
“If I were to find disciples with enormous potentials and raise them well...I would then have another set of protection against myself should I lose to the Sealing Heart Hex... If not, then this could still be counted as a positive merit to my Karma and hopefully aid me through the next few years. I may even be able to break through, if everything goes accordingly as well…” Huang Xue thought as he looked at the stone in his head. This stone was the first step he would take towards returning to the Jade Heaven Land!
In all the major Lands, perhaps only extremely few people would be like Huang Xue, seeking out and training students to their peak not in order to fight others, but to fight against himself! If others were to learn of this and were not informed of the background situation, they would no doubt label Huang Xue as a madman.
Unfortunately, such stone could only be used to predict locations of cultivators and mortals, but not on items. Otherwise, Huang Xue would’ve also used the Star Decree Stone to find the other precious ingredients for his cultivation pill!
Without hesitation, Huang Xue injected a large amount of Qi energy directly into the stone as it came to life with a mysterious green glow. To activate the Star Decree Stone, one would have to put in a large portion of one’s Qi. The stone would then take those Qi energy, and seek out others who have the potential to achieve such Qi level one day. In other words, the potential of the people whom Huang Xue may seek out with the stone will, at minimum, be able to reach the peak of the Immortal Sovereign Realm!
And most importantly, the predicted person, if fully matured, would possess the ability to contend against himself in this Earthly Land in the future!
After many times of usage, Huang Xue had found that the potentials sought out by the Star Decree Stone were often not limited to just the level of the user’s energy. Meaning, there’s always a high growth potential, allowing those disciples to surely surpass their master one day! And this was the best scenario that Huang Xue wanted.
Should he one day get consumed by the Sealing Heart Hex a thousand years from now, his destined one would be able to hopefully prevent the Earthly Land from entirely falling into chaos. That was why Huang Xue had also decided that upon predicting his destined ones, he would go seek them out to carefully nurture them! Only this way, could they have the absolute chance of reaching their apex potential.
As the Star Decree Stone operated, no one in the Godly Supreme Hall noticed the night stars above them glowing much brightly than before. They flickering on and off, and at one point, even three small shooting stars shot briefly across the sky!
Huang Xue closed his eyes, before scenes of different places intruded his mind. Bright glowing dots appeared during each scene. These dots represented the number of destined figures at that location. This was the working of the Star Decree Stone, which possessed a hint of the Dao of Fortune that Huang Xue had ‘conveyed’ into the stone when he was making it. By using the stone, the locations and people were imprinted into the activator’s mind.
The flashes of scenes only lasted for a few moments before fading. As Huang Xue slowly opened his eyes, the originally glowing stone had already disappeared, leaving an ordinary-looking oval stone.
Huang Xue furrowed his black eyebrows as he whispered with a bit of surprise:
“Six...Ocean Sect?
Huang Xue did not recognize the Six Ocean Sect at all from his memory. But what made him surprise was not because he did not know it, but rather because the number of bright dots he saw in his mind...numbered up to three!
When using the Star Decree Stone in the past, there was usually only one figure due to the fact that only powerful beings would use such fortune-telling method. The number of people who were destined and had potential similar to those strong beings were naturally scarce. Having a single dot appear was already quite fortunate.
Any more dots than that had never appeared when divining using this method because it was almost impossible for more than one person who fits the criteria listed by the searcher.
But other than this Six Ocean Sect, Huang Xue saw two other places in which he was familiar with; or better yet, it was the ‘previous mortal him’ who was familiar with.
There was the ‘Hidden Ghost Valley’, a scene that was filled with hollow trees, dark swamps, and various evil entities.
As for the third place, it was rich grass covered land with bright sun and vast mountain ranges. Huang Xue had recognized this place as the ‘Hundred Gods Wilderness’...and it was a location within the Xun Empire!
Surprisingly, there were no destined ones to be found within the Three Absolute Grand Sects! But then again, no matter how much geniuses are gathered, it did not guarantee that each one of them would be able to reach the Immortal Sovereign realm. And even if a few manages to do so, in the end, if they have no destiny with Huang Xue they are equally useless in the latter’s eyes. This “destiny” part may been what barred many geniuses from those grand sects from appearing within the Star Decree Stone’s fortune. Fate and destiny are not something one can obtain, but can only hope for; at least, extremely few have ever accomplished the former desire .
Upon engraving these locations within his soul, Huang Xue closed his eyes as he went into meditation. He would now wait until tomorrow before inquiring things over with Yue Jing, especially about the Six Ocean Sect.
Outside, the night had reached its peak, enveloping the dreaming world. A crack of light managed to struggle its way out of sleep, as it slowly grew brighter and brighter...