Word Count: 2,775 Words
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Inside the sealed chamber, Xiao Yan gathered up the Northern Dragon King's corpse. Although the Northern Dragon King was dead, he had not yet been fully refined into a Fire Slave. That process would still require time and certain materials to complete.
He had inherited the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint's legacy, and among that inheritance were both the Nightmare Heavenly Fog and the Refining Sky Ancient Formation. In terms of puppet refinement, the most formidable expert Xiao Yan had encountered in the past was Saint Zhao Hua. Yet compared to the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint, even Saint Zhao Hua fell far short. Refining the sky into slaves... what an overbearing declaration!
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. The thought of soon obtaining an exceptionally powerful puppet left him in an unusually good mood. He did not linger. With a single sweep, Mao Wu whisked away all the medicinal ingredients and materials, and Xiao Yan turned and walked straight out of the chamber.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he spotted Zi Yan. She seemed to sense him at the same instant and turned around.
"You're leaving?" Zi Yan asked, her eyes carrying an unreadable emotion.
"Not yet. I plan to make a trip to the Void Lightning Pool." Xiao Yan smiled and reached out to pinch her delicate little cheek. "My cultivation has already reached peak 5-star Dou Saint, and my Dou Qi has stabilized. It's time to break through to 6-star."
Joy flashed across Zi Yan's face when she heard he was not planning to leave yet. She swatted his hand away and huffed, "All you ever think about is your own breakthrough. You should refine some medicinal pills for me too, you know."
"I know, I know. I'll head to the Void Lightning Pool first and be back soon," Xiao Yan laughed.
He did not stay any longer. After giving a few brief instructions, he flew straight out of Dragon Island and headed toward the Void Lightning Pool.
RUMBLE!
Low, rolling thunder suddenly reverberated through the pitch-black void. In the far distance, silver light blazed brilliantly, and enormous bolts of lightning howled through the darkness like giant dragons gone mad.
'Still just as spectacular as ever. The Void Lightning Pool truly deserves to be called a deadly domain.'
Xiao Yan hovered in midair, his gaze fixed on the vast lightning pool stretching before him. This was the place where he had once tempered his body, discovered the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning, and first met Headmaster Mang Tian Chi.
Back then, Mang Tian Chi had been chased into a wretched scramble by those bizarre black lightning bolts. At the time, Xiao Yan had known only one thing about them: they were terrifying. He had not dared go near them in the slightest.
Now, however, the Black Demon Lightning that had once sent Mang Tian Chi fleeing in utter panic held no fear for him. On the contrary, he intended to harness this very lightning, together with the power of the Refining Sky Ancient Formation, to forge something extraordinary.
Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes. With his current Spiritual Strength, the lightning within the Void Lightning Pool could no longer obstruct him. His spiritual perception swept directly into the boundless sea of lightning and plunged to its deepest depths.
There, a thousand-foot-long golden dragon lay coiled with its eyes shut.
'The lightning power inside its body has already reached a terrifying level. It could break through to 7-star at any moment. Inside the Void Lightning Pool, this Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning is probably already comparable to an ordinary 7-star Dou Saint.' Xiao Yan withdrew his Spiritual Strength, a faint smile of quiet confidence settling on his face.
He was in no hurry. All he had to do was wait for the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning to begin gathering a spirit and attempt the breakthrough on its own.
His dark eyes lingered on the wildly surging sea of lightning for a moment longer. Then Xiao Yan smiled lightly and flew in.
In the past, entering the Void Lightning Pool had required extreme caution. He had lived in constant fear of provoking a bombardment from countless bolts at once. Now, however, he moved through this fearsome and bizarre region with remarkable composure, unhurried and completely at ease. The enormous lightning bolts flashing all around him would abruptly halt while still dozens of feet away and then swerve aside as though startled. From that not especially imposing body, they instinctively sensed something terrifying.
He did not pause along the way. He summoned the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame to envelop himself and shot straight toward the deepest reaches of the Void Lightning Pool. Wrapped in that flame, he seemed to merge into the lightning pool itself, as though he had become a bolt of lightning.
The lightning here seemed to regard him as one of its own.
The Void Lightning Pool was incomparably vast, but at Xiao Yan's speed, he reached the deeper region in less than ten minutes.
The surroundings suddenly dimmed as he arrived. He lifted his gaze and looked ahead, where clusters of black lightning as thick as pillars writhed slowly through the gloom like dark dragons stirring from sleep. At the sight of that dense mass of Black Demon Lightning, Xiao Yan slowly let out a breath, and a trace of delight rose to his face.
With this Black Demon Lightning to temper the Northern Dragon King's body, together with the wondrous power of the Refining Sky Ancient Formation, he would definitely be able to forge an incomparably powerful puppet, one that might even restore something close to the Northern Dragon King's former strength.
If that truly came to pass, then even against a 6-star Dou Saint, a single puppet would be enough to fight!
'This spot will do. It's not too far from the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning, but not so close that it'll notice me.'
Xiao Yan stopped within the region of Black Demon Lightning and studied the clusters of black thunder before him. He waved a hand, and the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame flew out at once, splitting into nine silver dragons that wove together into a sealed space lock, isolating all aura and preventing any leakage.
Then he formed a hand seal and spread both palms flat. The Refining Sky Ancient Formation materialized above them. This time, however, it was extremely small, utterly incomparable to the tens-of-thousands-foot formation he had unleashed over Northern Dragon Island not long ago.
More importantly, the upper and lower formations were different colors, one black and one white. The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame served as the core of one, while Mao Wu presided over the other.
Although Mao Wu was not the true body of the Nihility Devouring Flame, it was still a Heaven Seed Flame. To simultaneously use both the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and the Nihility Devouring Flame's Heaven Seed to construct the Refining Sky Ancient Formation was something even the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint himself could not have done.
One could only imagine how powerful this formation would be.
"Let's begin."
BOOM!
The black and white formations floated before him. Xiao Yan tossed the Northern Dragon King's corpse into the Refining Sky Ancient Formation, followed by Xing Tian, the puppet he had refined long ago, along with a large pile of assorted materials.
He did not intend to use the Northern Dragon King as a puppet warrior. Instead, he was going to use the Northern Dragon King's body to reforge Xing Tian entirely.
At the center of the upper black formation, Mao Wu suddenly opened its mouth and inhaled sharply. A bolt of Black Demon Lightning over ten feet thick was drawn in like a giant python, then blasted down from the formation and struck the Northern Dragon King's corpse below. As the Black Demon Lightning hammered down, the white formation beneath began to revolve as well. Countless slender white beams poured out from the array, continuously wearing down and refining the Northern Dragon King's body.
Mao Wu ravenously absorbed Black Demon Lightning to temper the Northern Dragon King's flesh, while Little Yi controlled the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and the Refining Sky Ancient Formation, grinding and melting without pause.
Ring after ring of black lightning coiled madly around the body, crackling and flashing. Strange, piercing sounds rang out one after another, especially harsh in the otherwise silent depths of the lightning pool. Fortunately, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame's sealed lightning space ensured none of it spread outward.
Xiao Yan watched intently as the Northern Dragon King's body, wreathed in snapping black arcs, began to melt. Before long, the energy refined into a molten, metal-like state started fusing with Xing Tian under the power of the Refining Sky Ancient Formation. A moment later, joy rose in his eyes. He could clearly feel that after raging through Xing Tian's body for a time, the Northern Dragon King's energy was finally beginning to merge with it, that violent power seeping little by little into Xing Tian's muscles, bones, and skin.
'Truly worthy of the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint, who once dominated an era so thoroughly that even the Dou God Clans dared not provoke him. His peerless formation really can refine the sky into slaves. That is no empty boast.'
The more Xiao Yan mastered the Refining Sky Ancient Formation, the more it surprised him. It truly could refine all things. The Purifying Lotus Demon Saint had not exaggerated in the slightest when he spoke of refining the sky into slaves. This formation could temper anything.
Soon, under the dual refinement of the Refining Sky Ancient Formation and the two Heavenly Flames, Xing Tian's already dark body grew even deeper in color, almost black to the point of heaviness. Its tightly packed muscles radiated a palpable sense of brute power, and a terrifying strength was already beginning to surge faintly from within.
'The results are promising.'
Once the formation began operating smoothly, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes to wait and set about refining the Red Lotus Karmic Flame in the meantime.
Fusing all of the Northern Dragon King's power into Xing Tian and forging a brand-new version of the puppet would still take time. Besides, the Northern Dragon King was not his only material. He also had Huang Tian's corpse.
Nalan Yanran, that tireless little errand runner, had gone back and forth several times already. Not only had she delivered the medicinal ingredients and materials Xiao Yan needed, she had also brought Huang Tian's corpse along with them.
If Huang Tian's body were refined and fused into Xing Tian as well, the puppet would come to possess a kind of artificial Dragon Phoenix body. Puppets could not use Dou Qi or Dou Techniques, but physical strength alone would make it terrifying.
Huang Tian was not a true Ancient Heaven Phoenix, but he had still been a late 5-star Dou Saint of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe. As for his soul, Hun Mie Sheng had already claimed that. Xiao Yan got no share of it.
As the Refining Sky Ancient Formation continued to revolve, Mao Wu drew in endless streams of Black Demon Lightning with frenzied intensity. The entire region twisted into a gigantic vortex, absorbing wave after wave of black lightning.
…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Time passed bit by bit. Xiao Yan had already been there for roughly half a month.
In the depths of the lightning pool, resounding thunder boomed without end. One bolt of Black Demon Lightning after another surged into the Refining Sky Ancient Formation like giant dragons charging forward without fear of death.
Xiao Yan clicked his tongue in admiration as he watched from outside the formation's perimeter. He was in an exceptionally good mood. After refining both the Northern Dragon King's and Huang Tian's physical bodies and reforging Xing Tian completely, the puppet's bodily strength had already surpassed his own.
That terrifying physical might was somewhat beyond even his expectations. In terms of raw fleshly power, Xing Tian would probably rank behind only Zi Yan and Cai Lin. An artificial Dragon Phoenix body!
After so many rounds of enhancement followed by further tempering from the Refining Sky Ancient Formation, Xing Tian's body had naturally become horrifyingly powerful. Even after absorbing so much Black Demon Lightning, it showed not the slightest sign of reaching its limit.
Only a puppet like this could be called a true masterpiece. Compared to it, the Sky Demon Puppet from the Dou Saint ruins where he had obtained the Great Heaven Creation Palm was nothing but a heap of broken junk. No wonder it had only been fit to guard the gate.
When refining puppets, the body was the most critical element. Once the process was complete, a puppet could not use Dou Qi and had to rely entirely on its fleshly strength. But materials as powerful as the Northern Dragon King's and Huang Tian's bodies were the kind one could stumble across?
'At this rate, Xing Tian should be able to rise to the 6-star Dou Saint level within another half month. Even so, this Black Demon Lightning is starting to feel a little insufficient.'
Still, Xiao Yan was not anxious. He was waiting for the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning.
Another half month passed.
Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, and a streak of crimson flame flashed through them.
He felt a touch of helplessness. His strength was now simply too great. After running the Flame Mantra for a full month in a place overflowing with such violent energy and refining the Red Lotus Karmic Flame along the way, all he had managed was to make his Dou Qi somewhat denser and strengthen his body by a fraction. The barrier at peak 5-star Dou Saint remained stubbornly unbroken.
The gap in energy between Dou Saint stages was simply too vast.
And this Black Demon Lightning... was too weak!
His gaze swept over to Xing Tian. The puppet's body now looked as though it had been coated in black crystal, gleaming with a mysterious luster. A faint, dangerous aura spread slowly from it, one so unsettling that even Xiao Yan felt a trace of caution.
Strange patterns had appeared across its body as well. From a distance, they resembled a giant dragon and a giant phoenix coiling around Xing Tian from head to toe.
'Tsk tsk. After fusing the Northern Dragon King and Huang Tian, these two overlords among magical beasts, this puppet would probably count as a rare perfect masterpiece even in the age of the ancient Dou Gods.'
Xiao Yan reached out and lightly touched Xing Tian's arm. The sensation beneath his fingertips told him clearly enough. Under that skin lurked a peerless ferocious beast. Once it erupted, its power would be indescribably terrifying.
Only one word could describe such a puppet:
Perfect.
As for just how strong it truly was... in the past, Xiao Yan had always tested a newly finished puppet the same way: he would have it punch him once.
This time, he did not!
'Xing Tian has reached its limit. Black Demon Lightning alone can no longer improve it. My body has also started developing resistance to the energy here, so continuing to cultivate would only see efficiency plummet.' He frowned slightly. 'That Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning still hasn't begun gathering a spirit and breaking through?'
He was genuinely puzzled. He was already finished over here, so why hadn't that thing started?!
I'm still waiting for you to fail your spirit-gathering and die so I can pick over the remains!
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the entire Void Lightning Pool suddenly shook with violent force!
'It's here!'
Xiao Yan's heart leapt, and delight surged through him. The Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning had finally reached the point where it could no longer hold back. It was about to gather a spirit and break through!
He immediately pulled on the Soul Robe. Spiritual Strength wrapped tightly around his body while the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame surged outward, allowing him to blend into the surrounding sea of lightning like a bolt of thunder itself and avoid detection by the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning.
Xiao Yan came to an abrupt halt and peered quietly from within the lightning sea. A trace of shock flickered in his dark eyes as he gazed toward the center of it all.
There, a giant dragon shone with brilliant golden radiance, as though its entire body had been cast from pure gold. It lay coiled in the heart of the lightning sea, and golden lightning sprayed wildly from the surface of its body.