Chapter 474 - 84: Taiqing Divine Iron

Inside a temporary Cave Mansion in the Golden Rock Tribe.

Fang Cheng was savoring tea and playing a game of go with his son, Jingxuan.

Jingxuan was naturally quiet and reserved. After cultivating the Infinite Light Buddha Scripture, his Buddha Heart had grown stronger, to the point that even Fang Cheng sometimes found him inscrutable.

The father and son’s game was a form of communication, a way to exchange profound insights over the board.

"Jingyuan has already given me two grandsons. When you go back this time, you should travel the Wilderness for a while, find yourself a partner, and help our Fang Family flourish."

Fang Cheng said unhurriedly as he placed a piece on the board.

After forming a bond with a pair of sisters from the Spirit Moon Sect, Jingyuan’s feelings for them deepened over time. He eventually brought them back to the Primordial Qi Celestial Island, where they gave birth to two healthy baby boys, making Fang Cheng a grandfather.

Fang Cheng was naturally very pleased with this and encouraged his sons to take more wives and concubines to expand the family.

Jingxuan nodded. "I’ll leave it to fate. If I meet someone I fancy, I will certainly bring her home."

There were some things Fang Cheng didn’t hide from Jingxuan. "In my early years," he confessed, "I obtained a Secret Technique that can resist and neutralize the heavenly tribulation of the Tribulation Realm. However, cultivating it requires borrowing the fortune of my descendants. In other words, the more descendants our Fang Family has, and the stronger they are, the more support I will have when I break through to the Tribulation Realm and face my tribulation."

He only had a Life Soul Cultivation at present, yet he spoke of the Tribulation Realm with such certainty. Anyone else who heard him would have surely laughed at his arrogance.

But Jingxuan believed him without a doubt. He nodded solemnly. "I understand."

As they were speaking, Jingyuan walked in excitedly from outside. "Father, we acquired another batch of Profound Gold and Red Copper today. More and more Barbarians are coming to trade."

Profound Gold and Red Copper were rare Refining Treasure Materials. Many Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts were forged from them.

Years ago, in the Earth Palace of the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect, Fang Cheng had found a three-hundred-zhang-tall bronze statue cast from this very metal. He had later discussed it with Elder Yingya, who confirmed that the bronze could be used to refine Tier Four Feather Divine Soldiers, but it would likely be insufficient for Tier Five.

Still, refining a few more Tier Four Feather Divine Soldiers for the Fang Family was a major boon for its long-term development.

Fang Cheng nodded and asked, "Any news on the Taiqing Divine Iron?"

Jingyuan replied, "We have some leads. A total of thirteen tribes have come to trade so far, and many Third-stage Barbarians have heard of Taiqing Divine Iron. They’ll continue to ask around and search for it after they return."

As word of the trade at the Golden Rock Tribe spread, a large number of Barbarians flocked to them, including some from powerful tribes.

There had been a few minor incidents along the way.

Some Third-stage Barbarian masters, upon seeing the provisions of meat Jingyuan offered, were overcome with greed and tried to take them by force. Jingyuan defeated them on the spot, making an example of them to deter the other Barbarian Tribes.

Some time ago, a tribe had offered a type of Profound Iron in exchange for Spiritual Flesh. When Fang Cheng happened to see it, he sensed it was extraordinary. After a thorough appraisal, he determined it was none other than the legendary Taiqing Divine Iron.

A fifth-rank heavenly treasure!

If they could gather this treasure in large quantities, it might even replace the Celestial Demon Remains as the primary refining material for Tier Five Feather Divine Soldiers.

Furthermore, the Secret Technique for refining Talismanic Coins had also begun to spread. Batulu of the Golden Rock Tribe had already instructed his people to start refining the coins, and with initial success, other tribes were quick to follow suit.

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment, then said, "After we finish trading the goods we brought this time, we’ll come back in two years. During this period, have them focus on accumulating Talismanic Coins and Profound Iron Immortal Gold. Tell them to pay special attention to the Taiqing Divine Iron."

"I understand." Jingyuan nodded in agreement. After a pause, he added, "If we can help them eliminate the threat of the Soul Race, the Barbarians are bound to prosper. That would be extremely beneficial for us in the long run."

Fang Cheng smiled faintly. "With our current abilities, we’re far from being able to eradicate the Soul Race. However, it wouldn’t be difficult to help them clear out a few Soul Race strongholds for now."

Jingyuan immediately understood. If the Barbarians lost their natural enemy, they probably wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.

...

「Ten days later.」

Deep in the desert, high in the sky.

A massive, mountain-sized, irregular crystal floated in the air as if it were weightless.

Upon closer inspection, one would find that the crystal was a cluster of countless hexagonal prisms, radiating a rainbow-colored light under the harsh sun.

Countless white, rainbow-like figures darted in and out of the crystal. These were the Soul Race, and among them were auras comparable to those of Human Race masters at the Dharma Realm.

A hundred li away, a silver light flashed, and the Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle slowly materialized.

Inside the shuttle, Jingyuan pointed ahead. "This is the largest Soul Nest within a hundred-thousand-li radius of the Golden Rock Tribe."

Fang Cheng grunted in acknowledgment. "You two wait here. I’ll be right back."

With that, his figure flickered, and he was outside the shuttle.

The next moment, a flash of lightning split the sky, and a hundred-zhang-tall Feather Divine Soldier appeared. Fang Cheng entered the Divine Soldier, which instantly transformed into a streak of Thunderous Sword Aura and shot forward.

The entire sky brightened as a brilliant beam of sword light cleaved it in two. The massive Soul Nest slowly split apart.

Countless white, rainbow-like figures flew out from within, chasing after the beam of sword light.

The sword light dissipated, revealing the Feather Divine Soldier’s original form. It stood proudly in the void, crackling with arcs of lightning.

The Feather Divine Soldier extended a massive hand, and a pitch-black Great Banner materialized in its palm.

The banner’s surface was embroidered with countless ghostly sigils. A bone-chilling wave of yin energy surged forth, blanketing the sky.

It was a Fourth-rank Magical Artifact, the Netherworld Banner!

Fang Cheng activated the Netherworld Banner. A ghostly mist roiled on its surface, and thousands of Yin Souls with dense, heavy auras flew out silently, swooping toward the surrounding Soul Race members.

Jingyuan and Jingxuan stood inside the Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle, their expressions growing solemn as they watched the distant sky fill with an entanglement of ghostly mist, arcs of lightning, and endless white rainbows.

Sitting inside the Feather Divine Soldier, Fang Cheng activated the Infinite Light Buddha Heart Method. Within his sea of consciousness, a giant Buddha as majestic as a mountain slowly materialized.

This giant Buddha seemed to be the origin of all Dharma Buddhas in the world, a symbol of the Great Dao itself. The Buddha Light behind it condensed into countless rings that spun slowly.

Any members of the Soul Race that tried to invade his sea of consciousness were instantly purified by the Buddha Light and absorbed into the rings of light behind the giant Buddha.

Calm and unhurried, Fang Cheng leisurely activated the Netherworld Banner, engaging the Soul Race in magical combat with methodical precision.

Two fourth-rank members of the Soul Race were locked in a silent yet ferocious struggle with the Netherworld Banner’s main soul.

The Soul Race members radiated a scorching heat, a stark contrast to the ghostly, eerie cold of the Yin Souls.

The two forces, one yin and one yang, faintly formed a massive yin-yang symbol in the sky as they fought, creating a profoundly mystical sight.

Several hours later, the Netherworld Banner, having devoured a vast number of Soul Race members, experienced a sudden surge in power. Its countless ghostly sigils flickered erratically as it completely suppressed the two fourth-rank Soul Race members. Then, a tide of ghostly mist rolled in, completely engulfing them.

An hour later, the commotion within the ghostly mist finally ceased.

The mist then dissipated, and the Feather Divine Soldier emerged.

The scattered remnants of the Soul Race fled in all directions, disappearing in an instant.

A moment later, Fang Cheng returned to the Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle, and they departed gracefully.

The Barbarian Tribes in this desert did not yet know that they were about to usher in several decades of peace and stability.

The low-rank supplies Fang Cheng had brought this time were basically depleted. From now on, he would let Jingyuan and Jingxuan handle the trade between the two worlds on a regular basis.

The three of them did not linger. They soon found a secluded spot, activated the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass, and broke through the dimensional barrier to depart.

Meanwhile, legends of "celestials" descending to the Lower Realm gradually began to spread outward from the desert.

With the threat of the Soul Race gone, the dozen or so nearby Barbarian Tribes rapidly grew in strength, becoming the envy of countless other Barbarians.

These dozen or so tribes joined forces to build a magnificent Divine Hall on Golden Rock Peak, where they would await the return of the "celestials."

...