Chapter 444: Slaying Immortal Flying Knife · Disassembly Tutorial

As Yunxiao Xianzi left, supported by Qiongxiao, she was the only truly drunk immortal among the attendees.

On their way out, Qiongxiao kept muttering things like, "Sister used to dance differently," which only added to Li Changshou's anticipation.

A simple dance was just a bit too... lacking in excitement.

Zhao Gongming, on the other hand, decided to stay at Heichi Peak, immediately hitting it off with Bai Ze and treating each other as kindred spirits. It seemed he planned to linger for a while, enjoying the hospitality.

As for the organizer of this gathering, Ling E...

Under the willow tree by Ling Lake, a little immortal in the Tianxian realm was sulking, sprawled out on the ground. Beside her were two thick stone slabs, and she was carving elegant characters with a chisel, erasing a layer each time she finished a pass.

"Stinky senior brother, I went to all that trouble to make you happy, even letting enemies in, and now I'm being punished!Punish, punish, punish—you only know how to punish! Why not punish me with something else?"

Li Changshou couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Preventing the warming of Honghuang starts with reducing steam.

There were still many matters to handle, but everything had to be dealt with one by one.

With Zhao Gongming right there, Li Changshou simply borrowed the Dinghai Shenzhu and brought the large purple-tinged white gourd to Heichi Peak.

Bai Ze frowned and said, "Isn't this Lu Ya's Zhanxian Feidao?That day, when it and the Yao Emperor's seal suddenly vanished, I thought Shengmu Niangniang had taken them."

Zhao Gongming laughed. "I've seen this treasure in action; it's quite powerful. Today, I must congratulate you, old friend, on acquiring such a valuable item."

Li Changshou shook his head and said seriously, "This treasure is a bit strange. I've tried seven or eight methods to refine it, but I still can't control it at will.It feels like this treasure is alive."

Bai Ze muttered quietly, "Which innate spiritual treasure doesn't have its own spirit? You killed its previous owner, so it's only natural if it resents you."

"Oh?"

Li Changshou asked, "Mr. Bai, do you not know the exact origins of this treasure?"

Using a bit of subtle prodding on Bai Ze.

"Let me take a look."

Bai Ze stroked his goatee and paced back and forth by the square table, examining it closely. "Isn't this from that gourd vine?"

Zhao Gongming's eyes lit up. "Oh, it's really from that gourd vine!"

Li Changshou had two question marks on his forehead. Which gourd vine?

Was it trendy now to speak in riddles?

If that was the case, he might as well just chop this gourd open and see if a gourd spirit popped out!

"Could you two explain a bit more clearly?"

"Hahaha!"

Bai Ze and Zhao Gongming exchanged glances and burst out laughing together.

Bai Ze said with a smile, "Finally, there's something the Water God doesn't know."

Zhao Gongming added, "This treasure rarely appears in Honghuang, and it's scarcely mentioned in ancient texts, so it's understandable that you don't know, Changshou.That gourd vine is one of the top ten innate spiritual roots."

Li Changshou laughed. "Oh, so it's that one. I thought you two were about to share some profound insight.Is that the gourd vine the Saint's mother used to scoop and fling mud when creating humans?"

Bai Ze chuckled and scolded, "Are you teasing me on purpose, Water God? Yes, it's exactly that gourd vine."

"Tell me more in detail," Li Changshou said, turning to sit back in his armchair. "I only know that much, so I'll stop joking around with you two."

"This gourd vine once sparked a great war in ancient times..."

Zhao Gongming sighed lightly and began to recount the events of that era.

At that time, the San Qing had not yet attained sainthood, and Daozu was busy comprehending the ultimate mysteries of beheading the three corpses to achieve sainthood.

The era in ancient Honghuang when picking up treasures was easier than eating had entered its final stage.

On the midway slopes of Buzhou Mountain, a perpetual mist that could even disorient a Daluo immortal suddenly glowed with radiant colors one day, signaling the birth of a great treasure.

All the mighty beings rushed there, but by then, the San Qing were among the top experts in Honghuang, supporting one another and possessing numerous treasures, so no one dared to provoke them.

They stood at the forefront, and when the treasure emerged, they reaped the greatest benefits.

It was an innate spiritual root, a gourd vine, bearing seven gourds.

Taiqing acted first, selecting and picking the first purple-gold gourd. He looked a bit disappointed, shook his head, and left.

That became the purple-gold gourd, now used in Yuxu Palace to hold nine-turn golden pills.

Yuanshi Tianzun took the purple-black gourd, also showing disappointment before turning and leaving.

Tongtian Jiaozhu took the purple-yellow gourd and laughed, saying it was good for holding wine, clearly signaling to others not to fight over it—it wasn't anything special.

Once the three great figures had taken their shares and departed, the other mighty beings used their divine powers to seize the remaining four gourds based on their own abilities.

Nuwa obtained the purple-green gourd; the unfortunate Hongyun Laozu got the purple-red one; the purple-green gourd vanished during the struggle; and Yao Emperor Donghuang Taiyi claimed the purple-white gourd.

The very one now before them.

Zhanxian Feidao was undoubtedly an innate spiritual treasure, but Lu Ya had not fully unleashed its power before.

Zhao Gongming reached out with his left hand, trying to grasp the gourd's mouth.

Li Changshou warned, "Be careful," but Zhao Gongming's hand retracted before it even touched, a thin blood mark appearing on his fingertip.

Bai Ze pondered for a moment, habitually calculating with his fingers, but soon gave up and lowered his hand. After carefully recalling, he said:

"This gourd is quite peculiar.I once calculated the powers of the seven-colored gourds in ancient times. Apparently, the purple-white one contains incredibly sharp innate sword energy that can sever the primordial spirits of all things between heaven and earth, but the gourd itself can't be controlled.

It's like that rumored purple-black gourd with chaotic energy—we've never seen a saint use it or give it to a disciple."

Li Changshou asked in confusion, "Then how could Lu Ya use it?"

Bai Ze shook his head and reached toward the gourd's mouth, feeling the sharp aura inside. A blood mark appeared on his fingertip as well.

And so, the three of them paced around this large gourd in the simple wooden hut beside the magnificent kitchen palace where Bai Ze lived.

At Zhao Gongming's insistence, Li Changshou began attempting to refine the large gourd to see what happened...

However, from basic communication with the treasure, to activating its restrictions with immortal power, and even the superstitious method of blood recognition, Li Changshou tried them all.

The Zhanxian Gourd showed no reaction whatsoever, and he couldn't even sense any spirituality in it.

Zhao Gongming suggested, "Why not just give it a try? Maybe it's related to that incantation."

Li Changshou and Bai Ze exchanged glances. Although Zhao Gongming's idea lacked sophistication, it was worth attempting.

So, a paper effigy held a long-necked sheep that had become pessimistic, depressed, and hopeless, setting it up as a simple target.

Li Changshou used immortal power to hold the Zhanxian Gourd at a distance, and the six Dinghai Shenzhu flew over to form a simple protective helmet for him.

He called out lightly, "Please, treasure, turn around!"

Nothing happened.

"Let me try," Bai Ze volunteered, taking the large gourd and aiming its mouth at the target.

He released his aura, chatted casually with the Zhanxian Gourd about family matters and connections, then said:

"Please, treasure, turn around!"

The large gourd remained silent, with no response.

"I'll give it a go," Zhao Gongming said, taking the gourd. The Dinghai Shenzhu orbited around him, and his righteous aura enveloped his sturdy body!

Holding up the gourd and aiming at the target ahead, Zhao Gongming's voice turned deep and authoritative as he shouted:

"Please! Treasure, turn around!"

Silence...

He tried again: "Treasure, please turn around!"

Even more silence...

"Treasure! Please turn around just once!"

It was almost too awkward to watch.

Suddenly, a small wisp of white mist emerged from the gourd's mouth, and within the mist, a flash of white light shot toward Zhao Gongming's neck.

Quick as a flash, Zhao Gongming used his Qiankun divine ability to dodge, but the light still sheared off a section of his beard and sped off toward the horizon, striking the Heichi Peak array and making it glow.

"Hey! I knew it!"

Zhao Gongming glared, and the Dinghai Shenzhu shot forward, surrounding the Zhanxian Gourd completely.

He pulled out a golden whip, ready to smash the darn gourd, but fortunately, Li Changshou and Bai Ze rushed over and held him back.

"Take it easy, big brother!"

"Daoist friend Gongming, Daoist friend Gongming, it's not worth getting angry over a treasure."

Finally, they managed to calm Zhao Gongming down. The three immortals now faced this innate spiritual treasure gourd, all at a loss.

There was an inevitable sense of frustration, like entering a treasure mountain but leaving empty-handed.

"Let's just destroy it," Li Changshou said calmly. "If this thing can't be used by us, better to get rid of it and avoid future trouble."

Zhao Gongming nodded in agreement. "You're right, destroy it. Changgeng, you don't lack for treasures anyway."

Li Changshou thought to himself: Lacking? Oh, I'm definitely lacking!

Bai Ze winked at Li Changshou, asking if he was just bluffing to scare the gourd or really planning to destroy it; Li Changshou, however, nodded solemnly, his intent to kill clear.

"Isn't this a waste of a heavenly treasure..."

Bai Ze stroked his goatee. "How about we think on it for half a day, see if we can fully understand this spiritual treasure, and then find a way to handle it properly?"

"That would be too dangerous," Li Changshou said. "This treasure specifically harms primordial spirits and is quite formidable."

"In that case..."

Zhao Gongming thought for a moment, then slapped his palm and declared, "I'll use the Dinghai Shenzhu at full power—Changgeng, you try again!"

So, moments later, above a lake outside Duxian Sect.

The twenty-four Dinghai Shenzhu shimmered with light, surrounded by swirling mist. Li Changshou and Bai Ze sat behind Zhao Gongming, while Zhao Gongming sat behind Li Changshou's paper effigy.

The paper effigy frowned and slowly reached its left hand toward the gourd's mouth.

Li Changshou had tried this before, and the paper effigy's result had been disastrous—its head was gone.

But this time was different.

The paper effigy's left hand, wrapped in immortal power, approached the gourd's mouth, and the power began to tremble—that was the invisible, faint sword energy repelling it.

As the hand drew closer, a small cloud of mist emerged.

Right then! Beams of water-blue light struck the mist, as if twenty-four small worlds were suppressing it, pinning the mist directly above the gourd's mouth!

It was like frozen flowing water.

The paper effigy's hand grasped the 'stopper' at the gourd's mouth and gently pulled it out.

Li Changshou and Bai Ze tensed up, while Zhao Gongming held his hands in sword fingers, the twenty-four Dinghai Shenzhu glowing brightly.

But nothing burst from the gourd's mouth—it was eerily quiet...

Bai Ze furrowed his brow, about to step forward, but Li Changshou gestured for him to stop.

Li Changshou took out a paper kite from his sleeve and let it fly over the gourd's mouth—the kite remained unharmed.

"There seem to be some fine marks inside," Zhao Gongming suddenly said, "on the inner side of the mouth, extending downward."

"Don't rush; let the paper effigy handle it."

Li Changshou said steadily, guiding the paper effigy closer. This time, there was no attack from the gourd.

It seemed the earlier small cloud of mist was just the gourd's 'self-defense mechanism.'

For safety, the twenty-four Dinghai Shenzhu pressed down, fully securing the gourd.

Li Changshou focused his mind on the paper effigy and began to carefully examine the gourd's internal structure, his immortal sense probing through layer after layer of mist.

The inside of this gourd was like a small thousand worlds.

From the outside, it looked completely normal, like other innate spiritual treasures, formed by the heavens and possessing immense power.

But upon closer inspection, Li Changshou detected a hint of 'unnaturalness'...

"This innate spiritual treasure has been refined by someone else."

Li Changshou suddenly spoke. "In ancient times, did the demon clan have anyone skilled in refining treasures like this?To tamper with an innate spiritual treasure, it must be no ordinary being."

Bai Ze pondered and said, "The demon clan had countless experts in refining treasures back then, and with the supreme treasure Donghuang Bell suppressing the demon court, plus the use of Hetu and Luoshu for calculations, dissecting an innate spiritual treasure wouldn't be difficult."

Zhao Gongming muttered, "Why dissect an innate spiritual treasure? Was the demon court already that wealthy and powerful back then?If only I'd met you earlier, Changgeng, I definitely would've swung by the Solar Palace on my way and lounged around a bit!"

"If it were a usable innate spiritual treasure, no one would bother dissecting it," Li Changshou analyzed. "But if it couldn't be used, it was just sitting there uselessly, so why not refine it anew?"

Zhao Gongming nodded with a smile, and Li Changshou seemed to notice something else, adding:

"You two, step back a bit."

Immediately, Bai Ze, Zhao Gongming, and what might be Li Changshou's true body all retreated a couple of steps.

The paper effigy, as if discovering something, slowly extended a finger into the gourd's mouth, with water-blue light blazing around it as the Dinghai Shenzhu unleashed their full power.

The paper effigy's movement paused, then slowly withdrew the finger.

The upper half of the purple-white gourd suddenly showed fine, orderly cracks. The once flawless gourd split open with a snap.

This explosion made Li Changshou's heart skip a beat, and Bai Ze's mouth twitched.

After the gourd burst, small pieces of 'wooden components' floated around it, like a ring of dust around a star—all enveloped by immortal power.

Now, the full form of the Zhanxian Feidao was revealed before them.

The lower half of the gourd was filled with pale white energy, containing a strand of innate sword energy—that was the source of the Zhanxian Feidao's power.

This strand of sword energy was sealed under layers of intricate restrictions, above which sat a black-and-red intertwined light sphere, and below that, a golden cage the size of a palm.

If enlarged, the cage resembled a golden palace, with only a single stone pillar inside, suppressing a pale white figure.

This figure, whether alive or dead, seemed to sense outsiders peering in and suddenly looked up, glaring angrily outward!

Its features matched exactly the face that appeared in the mist when Lu Ya used the Zhanxian Feidao.

Bai Ze cried out in shock:

"The essence of a great witch! Da Yi's essence!"

Li Changshou was a bit puzzled and exchanged a glance with Zhao Gongming, both at a loss for words.

"So that's what the Zhanxian Feidao is," Zhao Gongming shook his head and sighed. "No wonder it's so powerful, even interrupting Changgeng's thunder escape.By enslaving the essence of the ancient great witch Da Yi and using the gourd's original innate sword energy as the arrow, it's no surprise...

Never mind the cruelty, just conceiving such a treasure means the demon court had some formidable figures back then."

Li Changshou frowned and said, "You two, we now face two problems."

Bai Ze asked, "What do you mean?"

Li Changshou explained, "The first is whether we can communicate with Da Yi and use the Zhanxian Feidao. If not, we can just destroy the restrictions.The second problem...Mr. Bai, are you sure you can put it back together?"

"Though it's difficult, it's worth a try... Wait, no!"

Bai Ze glared. "You're the one who wanted to take it apart, so why make me put it back? I'm a strategist, not some master craftsman!"

Li Changshou laughed. "Look at us three—my old brother here has rough hands, and I'm not skilled in refining treasures or artifacts. That leaves you, Mr. Bai, with your vast knowledge and expertise in all fields, so naturally, it's up to you."

"Sigh," Bai Ze shook his head and began stroking his goatee, pondering how to reassemble the thousands of pieces of the gourd's upper half.

Li Changshou, meanwhile, started thinking about that golden palace cage.

If the Zhanxian Feidao could be his to use, that would be ideal, and the key likely lay with Da Yi's essence in the golden palace.

Da Yi...

And Heng'e?

On the moon, beneath the innate spiritual root laurel tree, in the serene and chilly Guanghan Palace.

A graceful figure leaned against the railing, gazing out at the vast Buzhou land, lost in thought.