Zhang Chen understood the implied meaning in the other party’s words. He meant that with the growth of the Heaven-Reaching Jianmu, a will would gradually be born within it, making it difficult for Zhang Chen to refine it.
"This world has suffered an unknown calamity, gradually moving towards the End of the Dharma and deathly silence. If you possess the self-sufficiency of the Heaven-Reaching Jianmu, even when the heavens and earth collapse and laws shatter, you can survive." The voice of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon was full of solemnity.
"You seem very unwilling for me to die." Zhang Chen turned to look at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"Once the End of the Dharma is complete and the extraordinary laws of heaven and earth disappear, I will also vanish from this world, returning to the mundane. If you can still maintain transcendence and hold extraordinary power, I will also be preserved, and there will be an extra glimmer of hope." The voice of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon was full of solemnity:
"Zhang Chen, your enemy is not those visible opponents but the ever-decaying heaven and earth itself."
Zhang Chen and the Great Freedom Celestial Demon looked at each other, and after a long time, Zhang Chen let out a gentle sigh: "You’ve convinced me with your nonsense!"
He then drew out the Heaven-Reaching Jianmu and the Ascension Pool from the Ba Snake Space, extracting the Jianmu seedling from the pool. The seedling resembled a jade sculpture, flawless and without any impurities, engraved with natural patterns, and flickering with rich Innate Qi. This caused the grass and trees surrounding Zhang Chen to begin transforming, intending to evolve into spirit monsters, already starting to capture the sun and moon essence between heaven and earth.
The Heaven-Reaching Jianmu seedling had grown to two meters high, entirely jade green and flawless, with its roots pure white, resembling the most perfect mutton fat jade, swaying in the wind.
As Zhang Chen stared at the seedling, he hesitated for a moment. The next moment, his Primordial Spirit emerged and rushed towards the Jianmu, merging directly into it.
Then the Jianmu seedling swayed in the darkness, emitting faint light. After three hours, the seedling continually shrank, eventually disappearing into thin air, and Zhang Chen’s Primordial Spirit reappeared in the scene.
"I have temporarily left my Primordial Spirit imprint on the Jianmu seedling. To completely refine it will take several years." Zhang Chen’s Primordial Spirit returned to his physical body, and as it did, he opened his eyes and spoke to the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"This is an Innate Spirit Root, and moreover, the king among such roots. Even in just its budding state, refining it is no easy task. That you managed to initially embed your spiritual imprint within three hours, achieving preliminary manipulation, is already quite commendable." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon, for once, refrained from arguing with Zhang Chen and offered a word of praise instead.
"It’s a pity that with the Jianmu seedling refined into my Primordial Spirit, the rate at which the Ascension Pool produces liquid has slowed, delaying the transformation of my Immortal Body." Zhang Chen remarked.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon gazed at Zhang Chen, his expression conflicted, and finally said, "The Ba Snake Space is within your body; the Jianmu seedling can even traverse world barriers. Let it root from your Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, piercing into the Ba Snake Space within, and fall into your Ascension Pool. Shouldn’t be difficult, right?"
Zhang Chen looked surprised: "Is that possible?"
With a thought in his heart, the Jianmu roots at his Forehead Ancestral Acupoint gently vibrated. Then, within Zhang Chen’s Ba Snake Space, there was a distortion, and a pure white root extended from the void, probing into the Ba Snake Space. The Innate Qi captured by the Jianmu infused into the Ascension Pool, and Innate Liquid was again produced.
"What a fortuitous creation! The mysteries of nature are indeed endless, although I wonder if I can directly perform time acceleration within the Ancestral Acupoint, without having to extract the Jianmu seedling each time, saving much hassle." Thoughts swirled in Zhang Chen’s mind.
As the Jianmu seedling continued to grow, repeatedly taking it out and performing time acceleration, the disturbances it caused would also grow larger.
With a thought, Time Power descended within the Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, directly affecting the Jianmu seedling, which then underwent mysterious changes.
"It’s a pity, my Primordial Spirit is immune to Time Power, otherwise I could take the opportunity to complete the sacrificial refining of the Jianmu seedling." Zhang Chen’s eyes revealed a hint of regret.
As Zhang Chen refined the Jianmu seedling, he noticed changes in himself; every inch of his skin seemed to possess mysterious power, inhaling and exhaling the sun and moon Xuanji between heaven and earth. His previously fatigued Primordial Spirit was rejuvenated under the nourishment of Innate Qi.
"The time for me to comprehend the Law of Heaven and Earth has lengthened, though I don’t know by how much." Zhang Chen was overjoyed, directly performing Primordial Spirit Emergence to perceive the Law of Heaven and Earth. As his Primordial Spirit gazed at the Five Elements Law of the world, the filaments representing the Law of the Five Elements of heaven and earth vibrated. A frequency like that of a radio was transmitting information to Zhang Chen. However, the data stream was so complex and obscure that for Zhang Chen to understand and remember it was nearly impossible.
At this moment, the Heaven-Reaching Jianmu seedling within his Primordial Spirit emitted subtle fluctuations, as if it transformed into a super processor, unexpectedly enhancing Zhang Chen’s Primordial Spirit power, making it faster to solve, analyze, deduce, and memorize the rhythm transmitted by the laws.
Time gradually passed, and after a full hour, Zhang Chen’s Primordial Spirit reached the limit.
With the comprehension of the Law of Heaven and Earth concluding, Zhang Chen’s Primordial Spirit returned to his body. When he opened his eyes, they revealed a touch of shock: "It’s simply unbelievable."
"What did you expect? That’s an Innate Spirit Root, and one of the top-tier Innate Spirit Roots at that. You’ve refined it into your Primordial Spirit, and although you can’t immediately become an Innate Divine, you now possess Innate Talent." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon boasted, "Boy, you’re still inexperienced! You should heed the old master’s advice!"
Zhang Chen cast an unimpressed glance at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, ignoring the old guy, instead closing his eyes to take out his Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, beginning the sacrificial refining of the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror.
The Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror seemed to perceive Zhang Chen’s changes, emanating a hum, expressing an indescribable longing, continuously leaping in Zhang Chen’s hand.
"Huh?" Zhang Chen looked at the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, a hint of surprise appearing in his gaze.
"It must be your Innate Qi within attracting the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror. If you extract a trace of Innate Primordial Qi to nurture the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, it would be a great nourishment for it, and its Innate Restriction would be repaired, quickening the sacrificial refining speed in the future." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon said, "In the future, you’ll become an attractor of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures in this world, likely rendering all Innate Spiritual Treasures unable to move upon seeing you, automatically recognizing you as their master."
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Zhang Chen asked in astonishment.
"Do you misunderstand the term ’Innate’? The so-called Innate Era is the era most suited to Innate Spirits, with Innate Qi being the most suitable gas for Innate Spirits to exist, including Innate Spiritual Treasures. Innate Qi is the greatest supplement for various Innate Spirits. In the Postnatal Era, even up to the current End of the Dharma, the living environment of Innate Spirits has changed, all Innate are struggling to survive." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon sighed gently, a tone filled with sentiment.
Zhang Chen glanced at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, didn’t respond but immediately infused a wisp of Innate Qi into the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror. Sure enough, the next moment saw the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror’s divine light flowing, emitting joyful humming, expressing goodwill to Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen stroked the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, after refining it for a while, he took out the Ascension Pool and Alchemy Furnace respectively to refine them. After each had a strand of Innate Qi injected into them, ancient mysterious runes lit up on both treasures, seemingly hinting at ancient Qi Mechanisms flowing, with various mysterious powers distorting in the surroundings, being infused into the treasures, simultaneously arousing two mysterious messages in Zhang Chen’s mind.
"What fine treasures! Who would have thought there’d be such intricacies within them, I’ve indeed only scratched the surface of these treasures." Zhang Chen sensed the information stream transmitted by the Innate Restrictions within the two treasures revealing the key to utilizing Innate Qi to trigger the treasures’ wonders.
"Not bad! Not bad!" Zhang Chen didn’t neglect but similarly infused a wisp of Innate Qi into the Golden Scissors, then ended his day’s cultivation, pondering future paths within his tent.
"Now that the Primordial Spirit is complete, the next step is to comprehend the Law of Heaven and Earth, temper the physical body, reinforce it to an incredible degree, and then overcome the three disasters and tribulations. Yet, I don’t have the chant for tempering the physique!" Zhang Chen blinked: "Where should I find the chant for body refinement? My Powerful Warrior Moving Mountain Technique is the precursor to the Nine Revolutions Profound Skill. I wonder if I have a chance to find this legendary Nine Revolutions Profound Skill and use it to temper my physique and ultimately surpass the tribulation."
Zhang Chen harbors two ideas, the first being to search for the continuation of the Nine Revolutions Profound Skill, the second is to venture further into the Yellow Heaven Dao to seek ongoing cultivation chants.
"How should I proceed with cultivation next?" Zhang Chen inquired of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon shook his head: "I don’t remember!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen was skeptical: "I say, are you truly forgetful or just feigning?" Zhang Chen queried.
"Of course truly forgetful! If I remembered, why wouldn’t I inform you? You being stronger benefits me as well." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon replied.
Upon his words, Zhang Chen stroked his chin: "Well, for now, I’ll trust you. Later, I’ll seize opportunities to seek other Immortal Dao Techniques. Now, even if lacking follow-up cultivation techniques, I can still comprehend the Law of Heaven and Earth, albeit with limited efficiency and effectiveness. Past cultivators’ chants were developed from nothing, now that I can perceive the Law of Heaven and Earth, surely I can achieve it too."