Chapter 0948: Sunset’s Dusk Vs Dao Raising
Ning Cheng’s spiritual consciousness was simply too powerful. Therefore, with the addition of his essence blood, the refining speed accelerated to a breakneck pace. As a result, Ning Cheng refined the first layer of restrictions covering the small pill furnace in just an incense stick worth of time.
Suddenly, a message appeared in Ning Cheng’s consciousness.
“Heaven and earth’s sacred cauldron, the formless pill vessel, suited to be named neither[1]!”
Ning Cheng stared at the small pill furnace in his hand in some amazement. Ning Cheng was a Dao Sculpting Pill Deity and a reasonably accomplished artificing master who could craft medium-grade spirit artefacts.
Ning Cheng already knew that this pill furnace was named ‘No Furnace’[2]. However, in all the time he had been refining pills and artefacts, he had never heard of a furnace that could refine both pills and artefacts.
Generally speaking, a furnace for refining pills and a furnace for refining artefacts were two completely different furnaces. Not only were the formations inscribed on the furnaces different, but even the means of using the two were also quite different.
It was because of this that Ning Cheng felt amazed. One had to know, he had never used an artefact furnace and controlled the crafting process solely using his spirit sense.
Ordinary cultivators who didn’t have a strong spirit sense might not be able to do this, but to Ning Cheng, it wasn’t much of a problem. Disregarding the low price, his spirit artefacts could sell so well in the Grand Essence Ruins, primarily because he didn’t use an artefact furnace to craft them.
Artefacts crafted without using an artefact furnace had a bit more combat strength than those refined using an artefact furnace. Moreover, once someone took control of the artefact, one would find it easier to use it as the natural heaven and earth treasures. Something not available when crafting using an artefact furnace. This was mainly because artefact furnaces created finished products, while not using one created an almost-finished product. The cultivators could then customise and finish it according to their own needs and adjust it accordingly. This wasn’t available for those crafted from artefact furnaces.
One could find other cultivators who could craft artefacts without an artefact furnace, but most could only craft low-level artefacts. Plus, they also wouldn’t have such perfect control as Ning Cheng.
No Furnace could craft artefacts and refine pills, but Ning Cheng didn’t feel any trace of artefact refinement in the furnace. In other words, this furnace hadn’t been really used for crafting weapons. Instead, it should have been used as a pill furnace all along.
Ning Cheng didn’t delve into it any further. But just as he raised his hand to put away the pill furnace, a flame as bright as snow appeared within Ning Cheng’s spirit sense. This flame had hidden itself in another corner of the furnace; Ning Cheng hadn’t noticed it till now because he hadn’t fully refined the furnace yet.
Feeling a slightly familiar aura from it, Ning Cheng instantly understood that this pill flame was the same one that had formed the pillars of fire before. This flame currently lacked a master’s control but wanted to use those pillars of fire to scare off the people coveting it. However, it backfired and caused more people to come and grab it.
But now, this white flame had almost run out of residual energy. And could only hide in the corner of the pill furnace.
Ning Cheng couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. This kind of pill flame that possessed a dao rhythm and even rudimentary sentience was the primary thing that he lacked the most. He didn’t hesitate to extend his spirit sense and quickly cover this white flame.
Ning Cheng had enough experience in refining flames because of the Celestial River. Moreover, the Celestial River Flame had followed him since it was just a spark, making Ning Cheng very skilled at controlling fire.
This white flame had already run out of energy, so Ning Cheng only had to spend a few minutes to bind it to him. Then, after another half an incense stick worth of time, Ning Cheng put the flame back on top of the small pill furnace. He had already learned the name of this white flame, but it wasn’t the one with the word ‘snow’ in it. Rather, it was called ‘Nameless[3]’.
The Nameless flame matched the name ‘No Furnace’ furnace. As for the pill sage who left these two things behind, he definitely was an eccentric fellow with eccentric tastes.
As soon as Ning Cheng raised his hand, the large pill furnace above his head flew straight off the ground. In an instant, it turned into a shadow and disappeared into Ning Cheng’s hand.
The moment Ning Cheng collected the pill furnace and pill flame, the many cultivators who wanted to grab it from the inside suddenly appeared in the huge pit and surrounded Ning Cheng.
Ning Cheng shook his head. Looks like I still have a soft heart. If replaced with another person, he would have definitely finished all the cultivators in the pill furnace.
However, Ning Cheng didn’t care. Even if he had the power to silence them, it wouldn’t matter. There were still many cultivators who hadn’t entered the furnace. Besides, he still had Yan Ji on his back, which meant he naturally couldn’t silence the cultivators inside the furnace.
Moreover, although Ning Cheng had successfully stepped into the Dao Confirming Realm, the dao rhythm around him had already stabilised. A sign of an expert. In addition, Ning Cheng had also shown mercy by not killing all the cultivators in the pill furnace. Therefore, the cultivators that came out of the pill furnace surrounded Ning Cheng but didn’t make any other moves.
Ning Cheng unhurriedly took out another medicinal pill and sent it into Yan Ji’s mouth before sweeping a glance at the crowd surrounding him. A moment later, he spoke up in a calm tone, “If you all don’t open up a path, I’ll take it as if you intend to make a move against me.”
Several Dao Sculpting and below Dao Sculpting cultivators hesitated a bit before slowly backing off after hearing Ning Cheng’s words. A moment later, a Dao Raising Holy Emperor also started to back away.
In the end, only seven people didn’t move and blocked Ning Cheng’s path. Among these seven, there were also two Dao Raising Holy Emperors.
“Leave your pill furnace and pill flame, and I can let you live.” A st.u.r.dy-looking early-stage Dao Raising Holy Emperor swept a glance at Yan Ji behind Ning Cheng and spoke up with an indifferent tone.
Ning Cheng didn’t reply to his words but stared coldly at the remaining five Dao Sculpting Holy Emperors still surrounding him. “Are you surrounding me to send me to my death, or are you here to just lick the soles of others’ feet?”
When these five Dao Sculpting cultivators heard Ning Cheng’s ridicule, anger suddenly appeared on their faces. Those who could become Dao Sculpting experts were naturally not idiots. They understood Ning Cheng’s words clearly; that is, even if you helped the two Dao Raising Holy Emperors kill me, you wouldn’t get a thing. Moreover, you would also offend the two Dao Raising Holy Emperors if you dared to steal ‘their’ treasures.
In case these two Dao Raising Holy Emperors can’t kill me, do you really think you can stop me?
Even if the two Dao Raising Holy Emperors could kill Ning Cheng. These five Dao Sculpting Holy Emperors understood at least one truth. That is, they wouldn’t get even a shred of benefit in surrounding Ning Cheng. Instead, they would only be offending the two Dao Raising Holy Emperors.
As the first Dao Sculpting Holy Emperor retreated, the remaining four also retreated after a moment of hesitation. Everyone wanted good things. But they could only do so if they were sure of success. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be grabbing treasures if they went up to compete but rather prove themselves as idiots.
“Having a mouth that can talk, huh. But unfortunately, I still won’t let you go just like that. Let me advise you to drop the idea of running away before it’s too late.” After the five Dao Sculpting cultivators retreated, the other white-faced Dao Raising Holy Emperor stepped forward, blocking Ning Cheng’s path.
Ning Cheng simply raised his hand, and a medium-grade spirit spear appeared above his head. He coldly looked at the two Dao Raising Holy Emperors trying to stop him and said, “I have no intention of leaving at all. But, facing those who want to rob me, I can’t feel at ease until I kill you……”
“Die…..” The early-stage Dao Raising Holy Emperor raised his hand and brought out a black-coloured bridge. The moment this bridge appeared, it immediately crossed through s.p.a.ce and trapped Ning Cheng in a deadlock.
As for the other white-faced Dao Raising Holy Emperor, he simply took a step aside, revealing a plundering array that he had set up. He didn’t even bother to make a move. All he had to do was block Ning Cheng’s path so that Ning Cheng couldn’t escape. Plus, he couldn’t afford the loss of face if word got out that two Dao Raising Holy Emperors had teamed up against an early-stage Dao Sculpting cultivator.
As the Dao Raising Holy Emperor’s domain pressed down furiously, it locked the s.p.a.ce around Ning Cheng. The killing intent in it even disintegrated the soil around Ning Cheng’s feet. A moment later, except for the narrow spot under Ning Cheng’s feet, the surrounding area had turned into a semi-circular pit.
This early-stage Dao Raising cultivator wanted to suppress Ning Cheng’s movements using his momentum and then slaughter him.
A Dao Raising Holy Emperor could indeed do this if facing any other Dao Sculpting cultivator. Unfortunately, the one he was facing wasn’t an ordinary Dao Sculpting cultivator.
When Ning Cheng saw the black bridge appearing before him, he couldn’t help but muse to himself. ‘Daring to play with bridges in front of me?’ It’s just that he was concerned that his Seven Bridges hadn’t yet been completed and that this strength was still too weak to control it fully. Otherwise, his First Bridge of Coping could have quickly finished off these two Dao Raising Holy Emperors. But even under such a situation, he could use the First Bridge of Coping to suppress that bridge-wielding person to death.
Unfortunately, he didn’t want to use the Bridge of Coping here, not with so many people around. But so what?
The spear above Ning Cheng’s head moved slightly, and untraceable dao rhythms started to spread out. Then, suddenly, following a bizarre trajectory, the spear shot out.
Spirit technique: Law Break, shatter the laws…….
The originally still-coalescing black bridge, with still-increasing momentum, quickly began to weaken once Ning Cheng’s spear shot out. Not only did the black bridge weaken in strength, but even the momentum pressing down on Ning Cheng had also grown thinner. It felt as if the majestic killing intent within it had been washed away by water, turning it even weaker.
The st.u.r.dy early-stage Dao Raising cultivator felt the laws around him loosen. s.p.a.ce originally under his control also started to turn illusory. It felt as if he would lose control at any moment. The Dao Raising Holy Emperor felt startled at this development. He immediately started stimulating more of his spirit essence and spiritual consciousness.
Ning Cheng didn’t even wait for the other party to regain control of the s.p.a.ce around him. The next instant, his spear manifested several spear patterns and swept out; Sunset’s Dusk.
If one said Ning Cheng’s spirit technique before he shaped his dao was only in form and not in spirit. Then, after Ning Cheng shaped his dao, his Sunset’s Twilight had also evolved from just a surface-level law-infused spirit technique it had been back then. It had now become an actual law-related spirit technique.
Ning Cheng’s Law Break couldn’t shatter the laws right now, but it could still weaken and throw the surrounding laws into chaos.
Under these chaotic laws, the strength of this early-stage Dao Raising cultivator’s spirit technique had instantly decreased. At the same time, Ning Cheng’s spear rolled out a new dao rhythm, and a huge round blood-like setting sun appeared before this Dao Raising Holy Emperor’s eyes. Just underneath this setting sun was an endless ocean of lingering emotions.
Ning Cheng’s Law Break had already affected this Dao Raising Holy Emperor. Therefore, facing this setting sun and the ocean beneath it, he actually thought about stepping into it.
No, this isn’t real, but an illusion. The Dao Raising cultivator instantly came to his senses and roared. The long black bridge suddenly stopped dissolving and transformed into a cascade of blades.
The terrifying cascade of blades then came together into waves of blade shadows and blasted towards Ning Cheng. However, before these waves could reach Ning Cheng, the sharp killing intent within the blades had already cut b.l.o.o.d.y marks on Ning Cheng’s body. From this, one could tell that once these blades reached Ning Cheng, even if Ning Cheng was a strong body refiner with a Starry Sky Body, the blades would still shred him to pieces.
But would Ning Cheng allow the opponent’s blades to lock him in place? Or even shred him to pieces afterwards? Before these blades could even reach his body, his spear cut through s.p.a.ce, appearing right in front of the Dao Raising Holy Emperor’s glabella.
s.p.a.cial crossing. This Dao Raising Holy Emperor himself controlled a s.p.a.cial spirit technique. So, naturally, he realised that what Ning Cheng used was a s.p.a.cial crossing. It’s just that under Law Break, his s.p.a.cial spirit technique couldn’t even stop Ning Cheng’s s.p.a.cial spirit technique for even half a moment.
However, the Dao Raising Holy Emperor gave a cold snort, and the countless blades no longer rushed towards Ning Cheng. Instead, they rushed back towards him. But just when he was about to turn them into a huge blade shield, he felt everything around him suddenly stop.
His blades had stopped, s.p.a.ce stopped flowing, and even time stopped as well……
No, he could still see Ning Cheng’s spear moving towards him. This thought had just risen in his mind when the spear landed on his glabella.
The sunset looked breathtaking at this moment, especially the moment before dusk. It was his last beautiful sight. But as the waning sun grew brighter and brighter, infinite longing for life suddenly welled up in his heart to live again. Unfortunately, it couldn’t help him.
As Ning Cheng’s spear pa.s.sed through the Dao Raising Holy Emperor’s glabella, he didn’t even move as blood trickled down from his opponent’s brow. He had once again gained a new epiphany. This was the actual spirit technique related to the Laws of Time. That’s right. Sunset’s Dusk was a technique that could theoretically stretch out a moment in time to infinity. However, with his understanding of the Laws of Time, he could only cause a momentary pause in time.
Fortunately, all he had to do was to pierce his spear into the opponent’s brow during that momentary lull in time.
[1] The character here can be translated to neither/not/no and is the same character from the name ‘No Furnace’.
[2] The characters can also be interpreted as ‘Not A Furnace’ when translated into English, but it purely depends on the context.
[3] It could be the No. 1 flame ‘Nameless’ mentioned in the earlier chapters as they both use the same characters, but Old Five doesn’t explain it.