Chapter 14: Five Fires and Seven Birds Flap Twice

  "Take the remaining crystal stones, Master wants you to set up another Spirit Gathering Array." Yun Zhongzi said.

  "Why, Master? Haven't we already set up a Spirit Gathering Array?" Sun Ming asked in puzzlement.

  "The body of the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan is extremely costly in terms of true yuan power, and it must be successfully refined at once. With your current cultivation level, refining this fan is not guaranteed to succeed. However, last night, I sensed two familiar fluctuations of true yuan power outside the Five Elements Maze Array. I took a risk and observed from the periphery of the array, and found that it was Ling Xing and Ling Yu, who should be looking for you." said Yun Zhongzi.

  "You are now only in the later stages of fusion, although it seems like you're just one step away from the Golden Elixir stage. However, the Golden Elixir stage is a watershed for cultivators, and only when you reach that stage can you possibly unleash part of the power of the Heaven's Seal and the Five Fires Seven Birds Fan. Otherwise, with your current True Yuan strength, using the Heaven's Seal would exhaust your energy in one hit. Ling Xing and Ling Yu are both in the later stages of the Golden Elixir, so even if you could kill one person, you wouldn't be able to handle the other. Therefore, you must refine the Five Fires Seven Birds Fan now, and hope for a breakthrough." Cloud Ancestor said.

  "The reason I'm having you set up another Spirit Gathering Array is that the refinement of these Five Fire Seven Fowl Fans consumes a tremendous amount of True Yuan energy. The effect of this array is to gather all the spiritual energy within the cave into its range. My Jade Void's Mystic Heaven Jade Void function automatically absorbs and replenishes surrounding spiritual energy when my True Yuan energy is depleted, and the higher the density of the spiritual energy, the faster it replenishes. Do you understand, Master?" Cloud Middle Child said.

  "I understand, Master." Sun Ming said.

  "Qian south, Kun north, Li east, Kan west, Dui southeast, Zhen northeast, Xun southwest, Gen northwest, Zhen east, Dui west, Li south, Kan north, Qian northwest, Kun southwest, Gen northeast, Xun southeast." Every time Yún Zhōngzǐ recites a position, Sūn Míng places a crystal stone there.

  "Master, slow down, I'm still not very clear about this eight trigrams direction." said Sun Mingdao.

  Sun Ming muttered to himself as he carefully placed the spirit stones, and without waiting for Yun Zhongzi's instructions, he inputted his true yuan force into a spirit stone located at the center of the formation.

  "Master, if I continue to cultivate here, I estimate that it won't take too long for me to form a Yuan Ying," Sun Ming said, staring blankly at the dense spiritual energy that was visible to the naked eye.

  "Foolish disciple, the density of spiritual energy in this array is not even half that of the Yu Xu Palace back then. Let it shock you to such an extent." Yun Zhongzi laughed and said.

  "It seems that I'm still inexperienced and naive. Perhaps the places where Ling Xing and Ling Yu cultivate have a density of spiritual energy that's not inferior to this." said Sun Ming Dao.

  "It's impossible, you know that the spiritual energy of my Kunlun Jade Void Palace was personally arranged by Yuan Shi Tian Zun, gathering the spiritual energy of the Kunlun Mountains to form it. Now, outside this cave is an ordinary spirit-gathering array, while inside is a spirit-gathering array improved by Master based on the Eight Trigrams of the Early Heaven. According to my guess, the density of the spiritual energy here has already surpassed that of your Qiling Sect's spiritual vein. Even if Ling Xing and Ling Yu have exceptional innate talents, they won't be able to cultivate in the spiritual vein of your sect." Yun Zhongzi comforted Sun Mingdao.

  "Alright, one day you will surpass both of them. Moreover, my disciple Cloud's goal is to become an immortal and a saint. Are you ready? Let us begin." said Yun Zhongzi.

  Sun Ming sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, a dense spiritual energy quickly entering his body through his pores, and Sun Ming couldn't help but hum a sound of comfort.

  "Let's get started, take out all the materials in the Suzumiya ring." said Kumokawa Serika.

  Wu Jinsha, Xingchen Jin, Huo Sha, Taiyi Jinjing, Xuansican... One by one, the materials were taken out. Sun Ming couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions in his heart. These were all things he had obtained in Cangxugou, where his dream of cultivating the truth had begun. They were the result of his hard work, every day exhausting his meager true yuan power, only to repeat the process again and again. And now, they were going to be used up. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. After calming down, Sun Ming released the purple Hongmeng Purple Flame. This time, there was no one in front of him, and Sun Ming didn't hide it either. The purple Hongmeng Purple Flame seemed to like this state, burning and jumping wildly, looking particularly enchanting.

  "First melt down these materials and separate out the Xuan Can silk." Yun Zhongzi said.

  "Master, this silkworm silk has all turned into silkworm cocoons. Look at that, is that silk?" Sun Ming said with extreme depression, holding a piece of stone.

  "This Xuan Can silk is extremely precious, although it was condensed from waste materials and has taken on this shape, but in a moment you can pull out the silk." Yun Zhongzi said.

  "Pulling silk? Emotional alchemy is like cooking, pulling silk, haha." Sun Ming heard Yun Zhongzi say with a smile.

  "Alright, you refine the Wujinsha, Xingchenjin, Huosha and Taiyijin essence into one." Yun Zhongzi said.

  Sun Ming, continuously using his spiritual fire to melt these materials, said gloomily

  "Master, it's been five days already. The Wujinsha and Xingchenjin have just melted, and there's still Huisha and Taiyijin essence left. How much longer will this take?"

  "Disciple, be content with what you have. These four materials - Wujinsha, Xingchenjin, Huosha and Taiyijinjing - cannot be refined by the spiritual fire of a cultivator who has not reached the Nascent Soul stage. Your current speed is already quite fast." said Yun Zhongzi.

  "Ah, it seems I'm being too greedy." Sun Ming said with a gloomy tone, and then threw another Pili Dan into his mouth.

  "Master, what's next?" Sun Ming asked, looking at the liquid in front of him in the spiritual fire ten days later.

  "Alright, don't be impatient, Disciple. The first step of refinement can also be considered complete." Yun Zhongzi said.

  "It's been so long and it's just the first stage." Sun Ming said with a mixture of tears and laughter.

  "Alright, next you need to set up the formation using these seven fans. Each fan has an array on it - Tiānxuān, Tiānxiù, Tiānpí, Tiānquán, Yùhéng, Kāiyáng and Yáoguāng - arranged according to the number of the Big Dipper. Although this realm doesn't have the seven stars of the Big Dipper, the grand way they represent should still be applicable." said Yun Zhongzi.

  "After refining these seven fan bones, you still need to pull out the silk from this Xuan Can Stone, and use the Xuan Can silk to weave a fan based on these seven fan bones. Then, use the Void Fire, Stone Fire, Wood Fire, Samadhi Fire, and Human Fire to refine it. Only then can this Five Fires Seven Birds Fan be considered half completed."

  Sun Ming heard this and only said one sentence

  "Master, I hate you."

  It's spring again, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye. Let's take a look back at Sun Ming, the weaving girl. At this moment, Sun Ming has a face full of resentment, having finally finished weaving this fan. He can't help but feel extremely depressed, thinking that this weaving business is really not something he, as a cultivator, should be doing. Even when he was an ordinary person in the past, it was still a very shameful thing for a big man to weave.

  "Master, I've finished it. As per your instructions, I have woven the images of those seven spiritual birds on this fabric." Sun Ming said to Yun Zhongzi with a hint of annoyance.

  "Alright, get ready. You're about to undergo the transformation of the Five Elements. It must be completed in one go, without any interruptions. If you fail, it will all be for nothing." Yun Zhongzi said solemnly.

  "Alright, got it." After Sun Ming refined the seven fan bones, his cultivation was still in the late stage of fusion, but he felt that he was only one step away from achieving the Golden Elixir, and his confidence greatly increased.

  See next chapter, Golden Elixir outside of Five Fires Seven Fowl Fan