Chapter 404
Secluded Cultivation, System Notification
Wu Tian rode the clouds all the way and soon arrived at Yaochi.
Inside the Jade Pool Palace, everything had been cleaned up, and a faint fragrance still lingered in the air.
The Queen Mother sat regally on her cloud bed.
Today she wore a bright red brocade robe, embroidered with golden phoenix patterns, looking dignified and luxurious. Her long, black hair was pulled up high and secured with a red-gold phoenix hairpin, with a few strands falling beside her ears, swaying gently with her breath.
That elegant and noble face still held that aloof and dignified demeanor, his eyes filled with coldness and indifference, as if he didn't care about anything in the world.
But when her gaze fell on Wu Tian, a very faint ripple flashed across the depths of her bright eyes.
"You've settled your little lover." Her voice was clear and cold.
Wu Tian sat down in the guest seat without answering. He glanced at her and smiled, "You look even more radiant than usual dressed like this."
Jin's mother remained expressionless, merely glancing at him indifferently.
"Grumpy."
She raised her hand and took two jade boxes from beside her.
The two jade boxes were vastly different in size. One was about seven feet long and one foot wide, its entire surface crystal clear, faintly radiating a precious light. The other was only the size of a palm, entirely crimson, with countless fine, ever-changing incantations engraved on its surface.
The Golden Mother placed the two jade boxes in front of her and looked up at Wu Tian.
"The broken branch of the Immortal Peach and the Ten-Thousand-Year Immortal Peach are both here."
She opened the long box first.
The first thing you see is a broken branch.
Unlike the previous section, this broken branch was about seven feet long and as thick as a baby's arm. It was a pale gold color, with countless ancient patterns flowing across its surface. Within these patterns, a faint Daoist light emanated, and its boundless vitality was even more intense than that of the previous section.
"This broken branch was taken from a side branch of the main trunk of the ancient peach tree," the Golden Mother said calmly. "It's even better than the one I gave you before."
Wu Tian reached out and gently touched the broken branch. It was warm to the touch, and a warm current flowed into his body through his palm. Within that warm current, there was a mysterious Daoist rhythm circulating, which created a strange resonance with the magical power within his body.
nice one.
He withdrew his hand and looked at the crimson jade box.
The mother opened the box lid.
Inside the box, a peach lay quietly.
The peach was only the size of an infant's fist, and its entire body was purplish-gold. Countless fine incantations were written on the peach, layer upon layer, densely packed, each containing indescribable Taoist charm.
Within the incantation, nine-colored rays of light flowed, sometimes as red as fire, sometimes as green as jade, sometimes as golden as gold, sometimes as deep as blue... The nine colors rotated endlessly, and with each rotation, a faint circle of Dao light spread out from the peach's body.
Most astonishingly, a faint golden light flickered within the heart of the peach. Within that golden light, it seemed as if a world was being created and destroyed, or as if it were a nebula composed of countless stars, exuding a vast and profound aura.
Wu Tian's pupils contracted slightly.
This ancient peach was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
"The Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Peaches contain unparalleled creation within." The Golden Mother's voice echoed in the hall. "Their true function is not to increase magical power, but to help people deduce the Great Dao."
She looked at Wu Tian with a solemn gaze.
"If a being who has reached the pinnacle of immortality were to consume this item, they would be able to take another half step beyond the pinnacle of their own Great Dao and embark on the path of the Golden Immortal. Even a half-step Golden Immortal who consumes this item can advance their cultivation further. It may even be of some benefit to a powerful Golden Immortal."
"It is a truly supreme treasure."
Wu Tian stared at the peach, his heart trembling.
The value of this item far exceeded his expectations.
The Golden Mother closed the two jade boxes and pushed them in front of Wu Tian.
"I've retrieved both of these treasures for you, but how you use them is up to me."
"Now you will cultivate with me the Xingtian Guardian God, using this broken branch of the ancient peach tree as the foundation of the Xingtian Golden Spear. Once you have completed the cultivation, it will resonate with my Xingtian Shield, and the two will complement each other."
She paused, then continued, "As for this ten-thousand-year-old peach... if you consume this treasure to cultivate the Xingtian Golden Spear, and with the help of the peach's broken branch, you will surely be able to cultivate it to perfection in a short time."
Wu Tian looked up at her and couldn't help but laugh, "You've arranged everything so clearly for me."
"If that's the case, then these two treasures were actually used on yourself, so not a single bit was wasted."
"That's quite a scheme!"
"Don't try to act innocent after getting all the benefits." Jin's mother glanced at him. "You didn't miss out on any of the advantages either, in fact... humph..."
She snorted coldly, "Enough nonsense. Time is of the essence, and we can't afford to waste any more time. In a month, I want you to have fully mastered the Xingtian Golden Spear."
She stood up, her crimson brocade robe fluttering gently with her movement, the hem trailing on the ground like a flowing flame. She walked up to Wu Tian, looking down at him.
“I will cultivate with you, and at the same time activate the Xing Tian Guardian Deity to guide your practice of this method, making your practice of this method smoother.”
Wu Tian looked at her and suddenly grinned.
"Dual cultivation? Is it the kind I imagine?"
Jinmu's expression stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. "Stop talking nonsense. I was talking about cultivating the Great Dao together."
Wu Tian laughed heartily, not caring at all, and deliberately shook his head, saying, "What a pity, what a pity!"
Jinmu gave a soft hum, turned around, and left Wu Tian with a graceful back view. The bright red brocade robe outlined her voluptuous and graceful figure, with a slender waist and a round, pert bottom. Every step she took exuded a natural rhythm.
"Come with me."
Her voice came from ahead, clear and steady.
Wu Tian put away the two jade boxes, stood up, and followed her deeper into the Jade Pool Palace.
……
Deep within the Jade Pool Palace lies a hidden chamber.
The secret chamber was small, no more than three zhang in circumference. Its four walls were made of solid white jade, covered with densely engraved incantations. The incantations flowed and emitted a faint glow, illuminating the entire chamber.
In the center of the secret chamber, there is a three-foot-high jade platform.
Around the jade platform are nine bronze pillars, each engraved with intricate array patterns, with faint flashes of lightning and fire flowing within them.
The Golden Mother walked to the Jade Platform and turned around.
There were only the two of them in the secret room.
Incantations flowed across the four white jade walls, lightning flickered on the bronze pillars, and a mysterious aura permeated the air.
Jin Mu looked at Wu Tian and remained silent for a moment. "Sit," she said, gesturing to the jade platform.
Wu Tian didn't stand on ceremony, flipped himself onto the jade platform, and sat cross-legged.
Jin's mother sat down opposite him, the two no more than three feet apart. Her face appeared exceptionally fair in the golden light, and the coldness and majesty between her brows and eyes seemed to soften at this moment.
“The guardian deity Xingtian does not follow the path of punishing on behalf of Heaven, but rather the art of Xingtian that defies fate.” She spoke, her voice steady and clear.
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, so there will always be heroes who defy heaven, overthrow the superiors, attack the heavens, and change the world."
Wu Tian listened quietly.
“In ancient myths and legends, there was an incomparably terrifying being who opened up this path, named Xing Tian.” The Golden Mother’s gaze became profound. “It was this person who opened up the Xing Tian lineage, who, with the body of a mere immortal, went against the tide to attack the superiors, and killed a Golden Immortal, thus becoming famous throughout the world.”
"A Golden Immortal?" Wu Tian raised an eyebrow.
“Indeed.” The Golden Mother nodded. “That Golden Immortal is extremely ancient. He was revered as an emperor in the ancient mythological era. No deity could possibly contend with him. Xing Tian was able to defy the heavens with his divine body by relying on the Xing Tian Golden Spear and the Xing Tian Shield.”
Wu Tian seemed to understand something upon hearing this. No wonder the Queen Mother of Yaochi was so determined to cultivate into the Guardian God Xing Tian. If she could truly have the ability to attack Golden Immortals, it would be worth paying any price.
The Golden Mother paused for a moment, then continued, "The Guardian God Xingtian is divided into two parts. The Xingtian Shield is mainly for defense; the Xingtian Golden Spear is mainly for offense. Only when the shield and spear are combined can they unleash their greatest power."
She raised her right hand, and a golden light suddenly shone from her palm. The golden light condensed and did not dissipate, transforming into a short golden halberd about the length of a little finger. The blade was sharp and exuded a chilling aura of killing intent.
Immediately afterwards, she flipped her left hand, and a golden round shield the size of a palm appeared in her palm. The shield was filled with golden light, and there were countless ancient patterns on its surface, with the faint shadow of an ancient tree appearing among the patterns.
“My Xingtian Shield is based on the ancient peach tree.” The Golden Mother put away the golden halberd and the round shield. “If you forge the Xingtian Golden Halberd with peach tree branches, you can make the Xingtian Shield and the Xingtian Golden Halberd resonate with each other and complement each other.”
She looked at Wu Tian with a solemn gaze.
"I will first teach you the cultivation method of Xingtian Golden Spear." Her voice was calm and clear.
She raised her right hand, and a golden light shone from the tip of her index finger. Within that golden light, countless intricate runes condensed and faded, like a miniature star. She touched her fingertip to Wu Tian's brow.
Wu Tian did not dodge.
The instant the golden light entered his brow, countless profound methods flooded into his mind. They were not words, not language, but complete images.
At the same time, his consciousness fell into the picture, as if he had returned to that desolate and ancient era.
That was a battlefield.
Heaven and earth shattered, the sun and moon lost their light. Scattered bones littered the earth, and stars teetered precariously in the sky. The air was thick with a suffocating aura of slaughter, each breath feeling like swallowing a blade.
Then, he saw that figure.
It was a colossal giant, its head severed long ago, blood gushing from its neck cavity, turning into a rain of crimson. At the severed neck, its nipples served as eyes, its navel as a mouth; on that face, reconstructed from flesh and blood, there was no anger, no pain, only a chilling ferocity and resolute determination.
His left hand gripped a massive shield, its surface scarred and wounded, each mark silently recounting a tragic past. His right hand held a halberd, its blade gleaming with a chilling light, as if even the heavens themselves could be cleaved in two by its sharp edge.
He has no head, yet he is taller than any being with a head.
He lost his head, yet he continued to fight.
The headless giant roared to the sky, the sound not coming from his throat, but from the depths of his soul, deep, powerful, and filled with endless killing intent and unyielding spirit.
"war!"
That single word was like a thousand thunderclaps exploding between heaven and earth. The sound pierced through the barriers of time and space, penetrated Wu Tian's soul, and stirred up a storm in the depths of his mind.
The giant swung his halberd and cleaved it towards the sky.
That single strike was simple and unadorned, without any sophisticated techniques or variations; it possessed only the purest and most primal power, charging forward relentlessly, with no turning back.
Wherever the blade passed, the void was torn apart like cloth, revealing a bottomless rift. Within the rift, chaos surged, and earth, water, fire, and wind rushed out, as if even the chaos at the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth was about to be awakened anew by this single strike.
The heavens trembled.
The sun and moon trembled.
The stars in the sky seemed to teeter on the brink of collapse, as if they might be shaken down at any moment by the aftershocks of that single strike.
The headless giant swung his halberd once more. One strike after another, each more ferocious than the last. His blood stained the earth red, but his fighting spirit pierced the heavens.
Each strike of the spear carries a chilling, soul-shaking will.
If the heavens want to oppress me, I will cleave them in two.
If the earth wants to bury me, I will trample it to pieces.
If the gods and Buddhas try to stop me, I will kill them all.
Even in death, the will to fight will not be extinguished. Even with a severed head, the desire to kill will not change.
It was something that transcended life and death, success and failure, and even the Great Dao itself; it was the most precious legacy left to the world by the ancient war god Xing Tian.
It is not a method, nor a supernatural power, but the inheritance of will.
The resolute determination to do something even when it is known to be impossible.
Even if it means death and the annihilation of one's soul, one must still fight against heaven and earth with madness.
Even if their heads are cut off, their limbs are severed, and their souls are crushed, they will still bite the heavens with their last breath.
Wu Tian's mind was violently shaken.
Throughout his cultivation, he had witnessed countless supernatural powers and spells, and met countless powerful figures, but he had never experienced anything like this before. It was a tremor that ignited from the depths of his soul, an impulse that made his blood boil and his fighting spirit surge.
The image of that headless giant was imprinted on his mind, impossible to erase. That indomitable fighting spirit burned like a raging fire in his soul, as if it would set him on fire.
The image disappeared.
Wu Tian suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils still filled with lingering shock and disbelief. A fine layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing became heavy.
Jin's mother looked at him quietly, without saying a word.
After a long while, Wu Tiancai slowly calmed down. He raised his head, looked at Jin's mother, and his voice was a little hoarse.
"What a fine Xingtian Dao... You actually cultivate such a method?"
He sensed something was off. Jin Mu had never displayed such a frenzied fighting spirit before. She had even kept the Xing Tian Shield, which she had already mastered, hidden away, as if afraid of being discovered.
“You are not my true enemy, otherwise I would have risked everything to chop off your head back then.”
Jinmu shook her head and said no more. "What you just saw was the true essence of the Xingtian lineage, that fighting spirit that defies the heavens and never gives up. The cultivation method of Xingtian Golden Spear is important, but without the will of Xingtian, one can only obtain its form, not its spirit."
While listening to Jin Mu's voice, Wu Tian's mind was already focused on the system panel. (End of Chapter)