Chapter 9

  After an unknown period of time, Jin Chan'er slowly woke up, feeling refreshed and comfortable all over. The warm sunlight filled her eyes, peaceful and serene, although the mountains and valleys were covered in red soil and rocks, the forests had disappeared, and there was no sign of birds or beasts, nor any insect tracks. The surroundings were quiet, with not a sound to be heard, yet the gentle breeze blew softly, evoking an endless sense of melancholy. Jin Chan'er suddenly stirred, looking down at herself. She saw that she had somehow transformed into human form, lying naked on the rock, her clothes completely gone!

  "Hey! Where's Jiao? Jiao! Jiao!"

  Jin Chan'er was greatly alarmed in her heart, turned over and got up, hastily stripped off her clothes and went to search in all directions, where was the white and delicate figure!

  "Jiaojiao! Little sister! Little sister! Lit...little sister!" Jin Chan'er's heart sank, and she burst into tears.

  "Jiao jiao ah! Jiao jiao!......"

  Suddenly, she seemed to hear a faint echo. Jin Chan'er hastily recited the incantation, activated her six senses and saw that not far away on the ground, there was a pale green ball-shaped artifact with a faint virtual shadow floating above it. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Jiao Jiao's soul.

  "Jiao Jiao! Good little sister, it's all because of your older sister!"

  Jin Chan'er burst into tears. However, the illusory shadow floated as if it was about to dissipate! She was shocked and lost her color. Hurriedly, she cast a spell to gather the delicate soul into the only surviving magical artifact, the Biyu Xuanbing Ball. This ball was an extraordinary treasure of water attribute, which countered fire in the five elements. It had actually survived the heavenly thunderfire, truly a strange occurrence!

  The soul of Bai Yao's soul was finally at peace. Although Jin Chan'er was still sad in her heart, after all, Yao Yao's body had dissipated, but his soul was still there, which was a blessing in disguise. She quietly thought for a while, then flew up naked and looked around from the clouds. What she saw was unbearable to look at. In this disaster, the area of Wanshou Mountain within a radius of ten thousand miles was completely destroyed, with earth and rocks all turned into a crimson color. The nearby mountains were destroyed, the valleys were flattened, and there was no sign of life in the mountains! The magnitude of the catastrophe could be seen at a glance!

  The scarlet fire dragon split into two, and the larger one swallowed Jin Chan'er in one gulp. The green protective shield and the Tribulation Array only trembled a few times before shattering. The heavenly flames engulfed Jin Chan'er's snake body, causing her to faint. Later, the giant dragon coiled around and gradually merged, transforming into a massive lotus flower hundreds of miles wide. The golden lotus slowly bloomed, and the person inside was Jin Chan'er, lying naked in the lotus, looking like a dewdrop. Then, the golden lotus slowly shrank, condensed, and eventually melted into Jin Chan'er's body, taking seven days to complete.

  The small fire dragon flew towards Bai Yao's fox demon body, its momentum not as fierce as the giant dragon's, but its aura was even more intense. With one strike, the dragon's body emitted billions of purple-gold lightning bolts that struck Bai Yao's fox demon body. In an instant, her hundred-meter-long body ignited, and her flames merged with the fire dragon's as it pounced down. In just a few breaths, the large fox demon's body was reduced to ashes.

  Bai Yao felt something was amiss during the lightning strike and abandoned her physical body, leaving only her soul attached to her primordial spirit. She fled through the heavenly gate on top of her head, carrying the Jade Ice Crystal Ball. However, she didn't get far before being ambushed by the fire dragon, causing significant damage to her primordial spirit. Along with the Jade Ice Crystal Ball, she fell to the ground.

  After the last thunderclap, the primordial energy of heaven and earth within a radius of ten thousand miles was fully condensed into a five-colored aura, which rushed towards Jin Chan'er's naked jade body. The firelight in the sky dissipated, and the colorful clouds reappeared, exceptionally beautiful. The aurora also gathered like a giant lotus, with colors that dazzled the eyes. It enveloped Jin Chan'er, lifting her up into the air. On the lotus, spiritual light moved swiftly, invading Jin Chan'er's jade body. Later, the aurora grew thicker. Finally, only the five-colored lotus was visible, and the delicate jade body was no longer seen. After the light and aura completely entered her body and disappeared from view, the sky once again turned a deep blue, without flames or aurora, only the profound natural blue sky, as if nothing had happened at all. However, several days had already passed by then.

  This time through the calamity, nine deaths and one life. However, Jin Chan'er finally transformed into a human body, bidding farewell to her beast form! Moreover, her cultivation method was greatly accomplished, and after another calamity, she could ascend to the realm of flying immortals!

  Jin Chan'er stood naked in mid-air for a long time, suddenly her body disappeared, and she actually hid her tracks and went to her own cave.

  Jin Chan'er and Bai Yao's cave mansion is located in a deep and unfathomable cave on the top of Wanshou Mountain. The entrance to the cave is guarded by a powerful array, which makes it impossible for those with low spiritual power to see it. Even those with high spiritual power dare not look at it lightly due to its precision and mighty power. On the stone tablet near the left side of the cave entrance, it is written "Small World of All Laws", with ancient and simple characters that have an ancient flavor. The horizontal stone above the cave entrance is inscribed with the words "Ten Thousand Laws". The surrounding area of the cave mansion is surrounded by silver-colored mysterious ice, which stands upright like bamboo shoots, some hanging upside down on the cliff, others standing tall on the top of the peak, shining brightly like a jade box. The entire mountain peak is quiet and serene, like a young girl's dreamlike realm. There are also strange flowers scattered around, flashing and sparkling, with early morning mist showing five-colored light, and late afternoon clouds displaying hundreds of colorful shadows, vague and intertwined, as if it were a crystal paradise.

  Jin Chan'er directly entered the cave mansion, seeing all the forbidden and broken law arrays as if they were nothing. However, in her 80th tribulation before, entering and exiting the cave mansion was not so easy! It seems that this time through the tribulation, her magical powers and divine consciousness have both risen to a higher level!

  The practice room of Jin Chan'er was about several dozen feet wide and over ten feet high, with gold and silver pillars and a white jade platform. The top was made of blue jade, inlaid with bright pearls, resembling the starry sky. In the center of the white jade throne, rare treasures were embedded, emitting a flowing light that was crystal clear. Above it, a spherical object was suspended in mid-air, emitting soft and gentle rays of light, making the room as bright as daylight! At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared on the altar, and it was Jin Chan'er. She quickly took out an object from the bag on the altar table, which was dark in color but flashed with colorful lights, and it was the legendary Huálóng wood. This wood had the ability to gather spiritual energy and refine one's mind and spirit. Practicing with it would greatly increase one's speed. It was a must-have treasure for practitioners, and she treasured it dearly! She then took out the Biyu Xuanbing ball, which contained the delicate soul of Jiaojiao, and placed it on top, temporarily protecting her soul from dispersing.

  Three years later, Jin Chan'er found a Taoist fairy book in the cave library called "Anhun Shu" or "Soul-Calming Technique".

  He carefully studied and comprehended the immortal art of the Ancestral Soul Great Array. He then entered the Treasure Pavilion of Purple Gold within the cave mansion, retrieved a number of celestial materials and spiritual ingredients, and proceeded to set up an array on the altar in his meditation chamber to nurture the delicate soul.

  Another three years and the grand formation will be complete. All of this is because Jiao Jiao's physical body was destroyed, her primordial spirit had nothing to rely on, although she had the Huálóng tree to nourish her body and temporarily preserve her soul from scattering, but as time went on, without the nourishment of a physical body, her primordial spirit would be like a tree without roots, water without a source, even if it didn't disperse, it would still be lifeless, and with the loss of her physical body, the six senses would disappear. Then the six consciousnesses would be completely lost, the six spirits would all disappear! The soul would have nothing to attach itself to, the primordial spirit would inevitably collapse and perish, and afterwards everything would dissipate like smoke and clouds, and in this world there would no longer be such a person!

  The materials needed for the grand array were extraordinary, but firstly, the two of them had a natural fondness for searching for treasures, and after collecting for tens of thousands of years, the variety and quantity were not to be underestimated. Secondly, with Jin Chan'er's abilities, what could she not obtain? Therefore, the grand array was completed in just three short years. Jin Chan'er sealed the Biyu Xuanbing ball, which had been nurtured by the Huálóng tree and contained Jiaojiao's soul, into the grand array and activated it. At that time, Jiaojiao's soul had already weakened significantly.

  From then on, Jin Chan'er closed the door to diligently cultivate and solidify her Dharma body, Yuanshen and Shishen realm after her 80th tribulation. In her spare time from cultivation, she would play soothing melodies on the Guqin to nurture her delicate heart.

  Another eight hundred years passed, and Jin Chan'er's skills had made great progress. However, every time she looked at the delicate Yuanshen, she felt a deep sense of unease in her heart. Although her Yuanshen was solid, it didn't move forward even an inch, but her physical body had perished, losing all six senses and six consciousnesses, with no way to continue. Moreover, her six spirits were gradually declining, and her form was slowly disappearing. If the six consciousnesses and spirit were gone, then the memories from before would not exist, and even if the Yuanshen still existed, it would be as if there was no more delicate Yuanshen - what would happen then?

  Jin Chan'er thought about it again and again, and finally decided to leave the pass.

  That day, Jin Chan'er again played the mysterious heavenly music that calmed the mind, and said to Jiao Jiao:

  "Jiao Jiao, sister is incompetent, after all, learning has its limitations, cannot save you completely. I have decided to go out of the pass, travel through this realm, must find a wonderful method, to rescue you from hanging upside down."

  Jiaojiao said with a knowing smile:

  "Sister, do not worry. The heavens and earth revolve, cycling through birth and death, I will disappear but must reappear. Moreover, all things have a beginning and an end, even if I perish, what is there to lament? Our cultivation is also against the heavens, which means we are bound to suffer heavenly punishment, it's only natural. Sister, your own cultivation has already reached the realm of ascension to immortality, you must diligently cultivate the Taoist laws!"

  "Jiao Jiao, although it's like that, but since you've escaped and come out again, are you still you? My mind is made up, don't try to persuade me."

  The singing stopped and the people got up.

  Jin Chan'er gazed at the Biyu Xuanbing orb in the formation, her expression turning gloomy.

  "Goodbye, I'm leaving!"

  It suddenly turned into a red rainbow and flashed away. When it reappeared, Jin Chan'er was already 100 miles away.

  One month later, in the trading market of the Daoist sect "Shangqingmen", a female cultivator wearing ordinary Daoist attire was bidding on an earth-attribute talisman "Earth Attack Talisman" at a relatively large stall. The talisman was a type that could be used by cultivators who had reached the Refining Body stage, and it allowed them to attack their enemies with earth-based magic. Although the female cultivator was dressed in ordinary attire, she couldn't hide her extraordinary beauty. A male cultivator stared at her foolishly as she purchased the talisman at a very low price, forgetting to bid against her! The talisman was worth only 1,000 silver taels, but normally it would be impossible to buy it for less than 1,500 taels. Silver was easy to come by, but talismans were hard to find, as they required high-level Daoist magic to create. Even great masters couldn't make them easily, and few people could craft them. As a result, low-ranking cultivators often fought over talismans. When the female cultivator obtained the talisman, the male cultivator finally came back to his senses, but he only felt that such a beautiful cultivator deserved the price, and he gave up on bidding again. The shopkeeper also bowed his head and explained the uses of the talisman to the female cultivator in a soft voice, with a flattering expression. The male cultivator sighed and left the shop reluctantly. He had been eyeing this Earth Attack Talisman for a long time, and he had finally saved up enough silver, only to have it snatched away by someone else. And the shopkeeper had clearly accepted his bid first! What was even more infuriating was that he had forgotten to bid against her! He walked away with his head hung low in regret. Not far from the shop, a sweet voice suddenly called out...

  "Big brother, I'm calling you!"

  That man turned his head back, but it was that heavenly beauty girl. He looked around in surprise, and there was no one else beside him.

  "Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?"

  "Oh, it's me! Does junior sister have something on her mind?"

  The man whispered in a slightly tense tone.

  "I see Brother Shi staring at the Earth Attack Immortal Symbol, but does he really want it?"

  "Oh, this? Mine? No, my junior sister has already bought it, so it's hers. How could I, a male cultivator, possibly..."

  "Wow, brother is really generous! However, I cultivate water attribute skills, this earth attack symbol is not very handy for me. If brother has a water attribute talisman or enough silver coins, I can also transfer it."

  "This is really true!"

  The man was overjoyed.

  "Is that so? Are you teasing me, senior brother?"

  The woman smiled and gazed at him tenderly. The man's face turned red, and he stammered:

  "I only have a mediocre water attribute talisman, just one fog talisman, I don't know if my junior sister can... um, can... but there are over a thousand silver coins."

  "Misty token? Well, never mind, give me this token and add six hundred taels of silver, how about that?"

  The woman thought for a moment.

  "In that case, my junior sister would be at a disadvantage! This Misty Symbol of mine is worth no more than 400 to 500 taels of silver!"

  "Master is indeed very honest! In that case, you should add some more silver, after all, I only bought this token for a thousand taels of silver, it wouldn't be good to make too much profit from Master's money!"

  The man was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

  "Never mind, senior brother, maybe I'll still be bothering you in the future, don't refuse me then!"

  "This is natural, how could I be a person who burns bridges after crossing them?"

  The female cultivator received the Misty Fog Symbol and silver coins, while the male cultivator obtained the Earth Attack Symbol.

  "What's your surname, junior sister? Which ancestral gate are you from?"

  "I am Jin Chan'er, I recently joined the Jade True Person's sect to cultivate. Where is my senior brother?"

  "My name is Wu Changcai, I'm in charge of the library. If you want to read any classics, come find me."

  "Oh, Master Wu is in charge, I'm so sorry. In a few days, I'll go to the Library Tower to play with Master. I've never been to the Library Tower before. From afar, it looks magnificent!"

  "Sister, you don't know that our sect's library is also one of the best among the ancient continent's immortal cultivation sects. The sheer number of books often leaves first-time visitors speechless!"

  "Oh, Master Wu, what kind of book would require such a large number of buildings to store?"

  "Skillful methods and classic texts, casting soldiers and repairing equipment, refining elixirs and preparing medicines, cultivating secret realms, cultivating heart achievements, what array methods and Dao, method arrays and techniques, cultivating spirit and refining consciousness should all be present."

  "I'll see you again someday."

  After that, the girl named Jin Chan'er bid farewell and left. Wu Changcai didn't leave until he saw her figure disappear into the alleys. He had no idea that Jin Chan'er had been eyeing him for a long time, intentionally setting up this trap to lure him in. Jin Chan'er wanted to find a good way to rescue Jiao Jiao, so she went to the library to search for it. There was no other way besides this! If she left secretly, she would be afraid of revealing her tracks, which would be inconvenient. Firstly, the library's formation was not weak, and secondly, there were three or five powerful cultivators studying the classics. Now that Wu Changcai had fallen into the trap, Jin Chan'er would naturally seize this opportunity.

  As she turned the corner, Jin Chan'er opened her six senses and saw that Wu Changcai had gone off in high spirits. She also smiled and went to stroll around the market set up by the cultivators at the Upper Clear Gate. The various shops were of different sizes, selling things that were useful for cultivators as well as ordinary objects. The method of transaction was no different from that of ordinary people in the mortal world. They used gold and silver to trade, and could also exchange goods for what they needed, similar to a pawnshop in the mortal world.