Chapter Thirty-Eight: Refinement Complete

Dao Sansheng put away his incantation, the flames vanished, and the surface of the gourd was shrouded in a veil of black mist, obscuring it from sight. Rising to his feet, Dao Sansheng hurriedly thanked Chao Xiong, promising to return the favor and repay him for the elixirs. Chao Xiong merely smiled without saying a word. Having gone three days without rest, Chao Xiong hastened back to recuperate.

Dao Sansheng, too, felt fatigued after refining the gourd for so long. He had just advanced to the fourth level of Qi Condensation, not only stabilizing his cultivation but also reaching the mid-stage. Lying on his bed, he intended to enjoy a proper rest, utterly exhausted. He slept straight through until dawn, and upon awakening, found the gourd in the room unchanged; the black mist had not diminished but grown even thicker.

He went to the dining hall to eat, for he had not tasted food in ages, relying solely on Fasting Pills for sustenance. Now, bereft of flavor, he decided to indulge in real food, having already reported to the sect. Once the gourd was fully refined, he planned to depart for Kunling County.

During these days, Dao Sansheng had not ventured out, while outside rumors raged like a storm. All sorts of tales circulated, painting his background with mythic grandeur: some claimed he was the secret child of an elder, others the relative of the sect master, or entrusted to Elder Guo as a scion of a renowned family from the mainland.

Dao Sansheng was oblivious to all this. He alone made his way to the dining hall, used Chao Xiong’s meal card, got his food, and sat down. As soon as he did, those nearby hurried away, as if avoiding a plague. Undisturbed, Dao Sansheng continued eating. The food in the dining hall was especially delicious today—perhaps because he had relied on Fasting Pills for so long. He quickly finished the meal, savoring the taste, and thought to bring some for Chao Xiong.

With that thought, he went over to get a meal for Chao Xiong. Only then did he realize that even the staff serving food greeted him with cheerful faces. After getting the meal, he left. Behind him, the dining hall was abuzz, everyone discussing the latest rumors.

In the back sat Young Master Liu, muttering to himself, “Let you live a few more days. When you die on your mission, no one will even bury you.” With a cold smile, he finished his thought.

Returning, Dao Sansheng handed Chao Xiong the food and returned his meal card, then sat cross-legged before the gourd, watching it intently to see what use it would have once fully refined.

Thus he watched, and several more days passed. By now, the gourd had been refined for seven days, and Dao Sansheng had already missed the schedule he reported to the sect by a day.

Staring at the gourd, Dao Sansheng scratched his head in frustration. He was no match for the ice corpse, and defeating it required the advice of the skull, who was busy refining the gourd. If he continued waiting, the elders of the sect would not tolerate it—indeed, they had already sent someone to urge him on.

“Is Dao Junior inside? The Grand Elder asked me to deliver a message.” Hearing the call from outside, Dao Sansheng knew what it was about: someone sent to ask when he would depart.

Opening the door, he saw a familiar face—the captain of the law enforcement team, the youth in pale blue robes. Their eyes met; a flicker of impatience crossed the blue-robed youth’s gaze, and he handed over a letter without a word.

Turning away, the blue-robed youth departed. Dao Sansheng stared at the blank envelope, puzzled as to who had sent it. Closing the door, he opened the envelope and found the signature below—Xue’er.

The letter was written on a pristine sheet of white paper, filled with dense script. At the beginning, she expressed how much she missed Dao Sansheng. She went on to say that her master had mentioned the annual Trade Conference of the cultivation world was about to begin, when people from all realms would gather in Zixian City of Zixian County. She urged Dao Sansheng to attend, as his sister might also be there.

Reading the letter, Dao Sansheng was filled with joy, hoping to see his sister then. He had expected bad news—a message from the Grand Elder urging him to leave—but it turned out to be good news, and he realized his guess had been wrong.

Dao Sansheng treasured the envelope, keeping it close to his person. Once the messenger departed, he returned to watching his gourd.

As the sun set, darkness gradually deepened. Dao Sansheng, having stared for so long, was growing weary. Just then, the black mist around the gourd slowly receded, revealing its shape.

Feeling sleepy, Dao Sansheng rubbed his eyes to wake himself, confirming he was not mistaken—the black mist had indeed diminished.

At last, there was movement; the refining was nearly complete. He watched without daring to blink, as the black mist faded further with each passing moment.

Now the gourd was clearly visible, night deepening and the hour approaching midnight. With the moon moving across the sky, the time finally reached the early hours.

Suddenly, a powerful force erupted from within the gourd, pulling at everything in the room. Items on the tables shook violently, some falling to the floor.

The spiritual energy within a hundred miles was swept away. From outside Duantian Valley, the valley entrance appeared as a gaping maw, terrifyingly absorbing all surrounding spiritual energy. In mere moments, the transformation occurred.

The moon hung high in the sky, and from its light, a black streak shot forth, racing toward Duantian Valley. It soared through the air, pierced the formation, and entered the gourd’s mouth. The spectacle lasted only ten minutes.

Then a broad beam of moonlight shone over the entire Duantian Valley, vanishing after a few seconds. Disciples, whether asleep or cultivating, emerged from their quarters, sensing that a rare treasure had appeared nearby. All gazed toward the mountain range behind the sect.

In the rear mountains of Zixian Palace, the old Daoist was observing the stars. Seeing the black aura flying from the moon toward the mainland, he frowned.

“It seems disaster will alter the fate of the continent. Whether it brings fortune or calamity, I cannot say.”

Dao Sansheng had not expected so much commotion from the gourd, and now he anxiously watched the window, fearful of being discovered.

But the gourd paid no heed, continuing to transform. After absorbing the moonlight and the black beam, it returned to its normal appearance, unchanged from before.

A moment later, a ring of three-colored light surrounded the gourd, forming a halo that encircled it, making it even more mysterious and beautiful. Yet the colored light soon faded, revealing the gourd’s true form: the same size, still yellow, but with a ring of three-colored markings around the mouth, adorning it elegantly.

After all this time spent refining, it seemed all he had done was add a colorful ring to the gourd, wasting vast resources and effort. Dao Sansheng gazed at the result, dissatisfied.

Yet he had no choice but to accept it. The skull was nowhere to be seen; logically, it should have appeared by now and would not have run away. Dao Sansheng hurriedly checked the contract he had made with the skull—it had vanished, leaving no trace.

This creature was utterly unreliable; his own carelessness was to blame for trusting it to help refine the gourd. Its escape was trivial, but now, how could he face the ice corpse? If he went now, he would simply be courting death—or worse, handing over his head.