章節 48: Answers and Encounters

Juanxiu has been alone in the tower for years now, determined to master the art of formation under the guidance of Xiannu. Every day, he would wake up early and spend hours practicing the theories and principles of formation. He was fascinated by the intricate details and complexities of this ancient art.

Xiannu Yindao would often appear to him, offering guidance and advice on how to improve his skills. He would show Juanxiu the different formations used by the ancient warriors of the past and explain the different elements and energies that went into each one. Juanxiu would listen intently, soaking in every word that Xiannu said.

Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Juanxiu's progress was slow but steady. He would spend countless hours drawing formations on the ground, experimenting with different combinations of elements and energies. He would test the formations with his own Qi, seeing how they reacted and how much power they could produce.

He even learned a formation that helps in drawing the energy to improve his cultivation speedily. However, it brought little to no effect to his cultivation. Once again, he has been slapped by the reality that he is not a martial prodigy.

One day, Juanxiu sat cross-legged in the center of the Tower, surrounded by an intricate formation he had been painstakingly studying for days. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a familiar pattern.

Juanxiu studied the formation for days, his mind fully engrossed in the intricate details of the structure. He couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity with it. It was as if he had seen it before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Finally, after countless days of scrutinizing the formation, he realized what it was. It was the same formation he had encountered in the Golden Alabaster Town. He couldn't believe it. What were the odds of him finding the same formation in the books of the Tower?

Excited to share his discovery with Xiannu Yindao, he went to seek him out. When he found him, Xiannu immediately recognized the formation.

Xiannu explained that it was a Dungeon formation, one that trapped everyone within its vicinity. Anyone who died inside would nourish the soul of the person who made the formation.

"It is a dangerous formation," he said. "It is said that only the most powerful of cultivators can create such a formation."

Juanxiu nodded," We really did struggle when we were trapped inside. Luckily we survived." he said.

Xiannu paused for a moment before speaking. "I remember a story about a minor god named Vathar. He was a self-proclaimed God of torture. He loved to play with mortals and subject them to all sorts of torment. However, the Gods that belong in the Major Arcana punished him for meddling in an uncivilized realm in the ninth universe. He was then punished."

Juanxiu raised an eyebrow. "What kind of punishment?"

"Since Gods can't really be killed, the only thing they can do is to separate the God's consciousness into several fragments and throw it into different parts of the Universe. This is the most usual way to punish Gods," Xiannu explained.

Juanxiu sat in the center of the Tower, deep in thought as he recounted his encounter with Vathar. "Fragments? Vathar? We actually met him," he said, breaking the silence. "Someone named Gong Jinhai is in possession of a fragment. After collecting life energy, he swallowed the fragment and transformed into this Vathar."

Xiannu raised an eyebrow. "Lucky, you survived," he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

"He's not in the level of a god," Juanxiu continued. "Elder Li said that he was in Emperor stage, a cultivation realm that still belongs in the mortal realm."

"That is to be expected," Xiannu replied. "Since he only absorbed a tiny fraction of the fragment. And I could only guess that the fragment is not properly nourished."

Juanxiu nodded, his mind racing with thoughts of what Vathar's fragment could do in the wrong hands. "But what about the Chaos Striker?" he asked suddenly. "It absorbed or ate the energy of Vathar, and after that, the connection between me and my contracted beast seems to be severed."

Xiannu stroked his chin thoughtfully. "The Chaos Striker could be in a hibernation mode after eating the energy of a God," he mused. "But we must be careful. The power of a God can be unpredictable. Perhaps the Chaos Striker only did that to save you. While the Chaps Striker is knonw for eating even the energy of a World Tree, the energy fo a God could be dangerous,"

Juanxiu sat slumped over in the Tower, his face etched with disappointment. He had been training for what seemed like an eternity, but he still felt weak and powerless compared to the other cultivators in his realm. He took a deep breath and turned to his friend, Xiannu, for guidance.

"Xiannu, there were people who are collecting this fragment in our realm," he said, his voice heavy with despair.

Xiannu's eyes widened in surprise. "Fragment collectors? That reminds me of an old story," he said, settling down beside Juanxiu.

Juanxiu leaned forward, his mind racing with the possibilities of what he might learn. "Tell me more," he urged.

Xiannu began to speak, his voice low and melodious. "Long ago, after the road to the mortal realm and heavenly realm had been severed, in an era known as the Desolate Era, there was a group who did the same."

Juanxiu listened with rapt attention as Xiannu spun his tale. "A mysterious organization known as the Fragment Collectors," he continued. "They have been collecting them for centuries. It is said that they have amassed a great collection of them. But unlike what you said where they are ingesting them, these people are extracting the consciousness of this God and combine it into their cultivation; thus increasing their cultivation by folds."

Juanxiu's eyes widened with wonder and curiosity. "How did they know that those fragments belong to Gods?" he asked.

Xiannu paused for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. "Perhaps they stumbled upon an old book of the Fragment Collectors," he suggested.

Juanxiu couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew that there were many powerful cultivators out there, but the idea of someone collecting fragments of gods and using them to increase their own power was beyond his comprehension.

"But isn't that incredibly dangerous?" he asked, his mind racing with questions. "What happens if they absorb too much of the god's consciousness?"

"It's said that if they take too much, their own consciousness will be consumed by that of the god's," Xiannu replied gravely. "Their mind will be lost, and they will become nothing more than a vessel for the god's will."

Juanxiu shuddered at the thought. The idea of losing one's own consciousness and becoming a puppet for a god was a terrifying prospect. Plus, he has already seen how Vathar became an immense threat to them.

"What can we do to stop them?" he asked, determined to prevent such a thing from happening.

"You must tread carefully," Xiannu warned. "Moreover, if the God was able to reach a particular cultivation realm, he will be able to specifically identify the energy coming from you. By that time, it will not be difficult for them to connect you to one of the treasures."

...

As Juanxiu and Xiannu continued to discuss the Fragment Collectors, Liu Peng was deep in training with the Sky Piercing Palm. He stood alone in a vast, open field, surrounded by towering mountains and a clear blue sky overhead.

Liu Peng took a deep breath and began to focus his energy on his palms, feeling the energy flow through his veins and into his hands. He started to move his hands in a circular motion, feeling the power of the Sky Piercing Palm as he performed the first stage of the technique: the "Fierce Dragon Awakens."

As he continued to practice, Liu Peng moved on to the second stage, known as "Rising Sun Breaks the Clouds." In this stage, he focused on unleashing the full force of his palms, directing his energy upwards towards the sky.

Finally, Liu Peng reached the third and most advanced stage of the Sky Piercing Palm: "Heavenly Thunderbolt Descends." In this stage, he called forth the power of the heavens, channeling the energy of lightning into his palms and unleashing it in a devastating burst of power.

As Liu Peng practiced the Sky Piercing Palm, he felt his body becoming stronger and more powerful with each passing day. He knew that mastering this technique would be the key to unlocking his true potential as a warrior.

And so he continued to train, day after day, pushing himself to the limit and striving to reach ever greater heights of power and mastery. With the Sky Piercing Palm by his side, there was nothing that Liu Peng could not accomplish.

Liu Peng was deep in his training with the Sky Piercing Palm, his mind focused on the intricate movements of the technique. Sweat dripped down his face as he moved his body with the precision of a master. Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes caught his attention. He turned to see a massive creature emerging from the foliage, its eyes fixed intently on him.

As the creature drew closer, Liu Peng could see that it was a Titanium Knuckles Gorilla, a creature he had only ever heard of in legends. The Gorilla's massive frame was covered in shimmering, metallic fur, and its knuckles were adorned with a material that was the dream of every blacksmith. Liu Peng's heart raced as he realized the potential opportunity before him.

But as he reached out to touch the gorilla, his hand passed through the creature's body like a phantom. Liu Peng was stunned. In this realm, everything was like an illusion, a mere reflection of reality. The covering of the gorilla's hand was still firmly in place, and Liu Peng knew he would never be able to take advantage of this once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity.

Disappointed, Liu Peng turned back to his training, but the majestic creature stayed with him. It is as if it is watching his every move. Days passed by and this creature remained intently observing him.

Suddenly, Liu Peng was caught off guard as the gorilla charged towards him. He quickly raised his arms in a defensive stance, his Sky Piercing Palm technique ready to strike. The gorilla's titanium knuckles slammed into Liu Peng's arms, causing a loud clang to reverberate throughout the place

He was flabbergasted, he thought that everything in this realm was just imagination. How come it's knuckles can come in contact with him?

Liu Peng gritted his teeth, feeling the force of the impact resonate through his entire body. He knew he couldn't let his guard down, especially against an opponent as powerful as this gorilla.

As the creature attacked again, Liu Peng ducked and dodged, using his martial arts training to evade its heavy blows. But the gorilla was relentless, its attacks becoming faster and more ferocious with each passing moment.

Liu Peng knew he had to fight back. He struck the gorilla's exposed weak points, trying to find an opening in its armor. But the gorilla was quick to recover, its movements fluid and graceful despite its massive size.

Despite his best efforts, Liu Peng was slowly losing ground. He could feel his arms growing numb from the constant barrage of blows. But he refused to give up, determined to prove his worth against this legendary creature.

"You may be strong," Liu Peng shouted, "but I won't back down! I am a blacksmith, and I will use everything I have to defeat you!"

The gorilla roared in response, its eyes gleaming with primal fury. But Liu Peng refused to back down. He continued to fight with all his might, but he knew that the animal is simply toying with him.