The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 523 - 373: Divine Blood Vision

Chapter 523: Chapter 373: Divine Blood Vision

Night.

Li Yi was arranged to stay in an independent room.

The room was spacious and neat, furnished with couches as beds, copper incense burners on each side, diffusing a faint scent. There was also a row of bookshelves nearby laden with many bamboo slips, not unlike the residence of the High Priest Mai Sui from Shoushan Village.

Li Yi picked up a bamboo slip and attempted to read it. However, his educational background was limited, and he couldn’t recognize the script on the bamboo slips at all. Yet, he felt that the calligraphy resembled the inscriptions on Sword Coins, seemingly like ancient pre-Qin characters—just not Small Seal script—but rather a system of writing unto itself. It seemed that if he wanted to learn this script, he would need to start again with formal instruction.

Afterward, he turned his attention to studying the leather armor that Xiu Xiang presented to him previously.

The armor made from the skin of an eight-hundred-year Jiao was no ordinary object, far more formidable than the transcendent metal armor he donned, and for some reason, Li Yi felt as if the leather armor was alive, seemingly like a living creature. It was as if the black Jiao had not perished, and its lost soul lingered within the armor.

Li Yi then tried to infuse his cosmic energy into it.

The silver cosmic energy shone brilliantly, activating the leather armor. The black scales quivered, emitting a crisp sound of clashing scale armor. The entire armor moved subtly, and amidst the faint movements, he seemed to hear the roaring of the Jiao’s lost soul.

"Indeed, it’s like this; this isn’t just about stripping the hide from a Jiao to make the armor. Instead, through some special technique, the power of an eight-hundred-year Jiao has been sealed within the armor. As long as divine power is poured into it, the Jiao’s power can be stimulated," Li Yi thought to himself with inward astonishment.

This is the foundation of the Cultivation World.

On Earth, even capturing a Jiao would not allow for full utilization of its powers.

Li Yi stored the Jiao skin armor into his storage magic artifact and checked the time. He planned to cultivate for a while and, after dawn, say his farewells to Xiu Xiang and leave this place.

This world was perilous, and his current strength did not suit prolonged stays.

He had done his utmost for Jiang Mingtian’s situation. Whether he could be saved or not, it was now up to their fate.

With this thought in mind, Li Yi sat on the couch and began his cultivation practice.

His hands formed a Dharma Seal, still as the Buddha.

White Bone Temple’s Cultivation Method unfurled, and cosmic energy from the surroundings immediately swarmed towards him.

The cosmic energy of this world was not only unpolluted but also exceedingly abundant. Cultivating here did not even require the aid of rare objects, and ever since Li Yi acquired the bloodline of the gods, he found the rate at which he absorbed cosmic energy was astoundingly swift. His body was like a bottomless pit, seemingly never filled no matter how much cosmic energy poured in.

Li Yi was astounded.

Because judging by the speed of his cultivation, his Cultivation Value was no longer merely one thousand one hundred percent, but at least ten thousand percent or more.

However, beyond the Soul Realm, Golden Academy no longer made distinctions based on Cultivation Value, as it only applied to cultivators below the Soul Realm.

Even so, Li Yi could feel his own tremendous transformation.

The fact that he was admitted to Golden Academy wasn’t because he was a genius, but rather because of his practice in Martial Arts, consumption of Elixirs, Cultivation Skills, and various other fortunate opportunities that cumulatively allowed his Cultivation Value to meet the special admissions standard. In reality, putting aside these enhancements, his innate talent could only be considered mediocre.

But now.

Li Yi no longer felt mediocre.

He felt his physical body evolving, his soul growing stronger under the shroud of the silver radiance, and the divine blood within him expanding. At this moment, it wasn’t only his bones that had transformed to silver; even specks of silvery glow were appearing in his blood. Should he continue cultivating like this, he felt that his very blood would transform into silver.

"Incomprehensible."

Li Yi couldn’t fathom this divine transformation, only immersing himself in the sensation of being extraordinary.

As his cultivation continued.

The cosmic energy that surged towards him became more abundant, and as it neared, it was influenced by his bloodline power, turning into dazzling silver radiance. This brilliance coalesced without dispersing, enveloping him, illuminating the entire room, and even casting silver light through the windows to the outside.

At first, these anomalies weren’t noticed.

It wasn’t until the whole mansion’s skies were covered by the silver brilliance that the other people inside the mansion began to take notice.

"That silver glow bears the aura of Divine Blood, and it’s thick, reminiscent of a direct descendant of a god descending upon the world. An astral phenomenon of this nature has not been seen since ancient times; those who manifest such phenomena are no ordinary beings." An experienced old clerk stepped out of his room, looked up towards Li Yi’s rooftop, and after observing for a short while, he exclaimed in admiration.

"Who is residing in that room?" The old clerk then inquired.

A servant replied, "It’s the guest invited by our master today."

"So it’s a distinguished guest," the old clerk nodded.

"The phenomenon is still evolving; I not only sense the aura of Divine Blood but also feel a force of ultimate truth, seemingly a divine doctrine transmitted from another deity. It calms all internal desires, bestowing an unprecedented sense of serenity upon the heart and imparting understanding. It’s as if by comprehending this doctrine, one could transcend all worldly affairs. It is an unprecedented truth and principle."

Following this, another clerk emerged—an even older man with white hair and beard, hunchbacked, leaning on an old wooden cane, yet with eyes as bright as those of a child. At this moment, as he beheld the silver brilliance, his expression showed delight.

Xiu Xiang, as the host, also noticed the changes happening at the mansion.

He stepped out of his room and, with a sense of wonder, looked in that direction before saying cheerfully, "That’s Da Yi’s room; it turns out the one who has manifested the phenomenon tonight is Da Yi."

The reason for his joy was that Xiu Xiang had proven his own judgment correct.

In the eyes of other Merchant Masters, Da Yi might look lean and impoverished, weak despite possessing Divine Blood and thus of little use, but for Xiu Xiang, Da Yi was a rare gem indeed. The emergence of the phenomenon tonight was the best proof.

Knowing he could recognize a treasure, how could he not be delighted?

Overwhelmed with joy, Xiu Xiang, accompanied by his servants, hurriedly headed towards the guest room.

"Merchant Master."

"Merchant Master."

Soon, the guests staying at the residence were all paying their respects to Xiu Xiang.

"Nanshan Bo, how do you assess this matter?" Xiu Xiang asked with a smile the white-haired, hunchbacked old man.

The elder known as Nanshan Bo stroked his beard and chuckled, "Divine Blood phenomenon, brimming with vitality and even a trace of the ultimate Dao; in the future, he may well become a ruler of a region."

"A ruler of a region? How splendid." Delight was evident on Xiu Xiang’s face.

Being a ruler of a region is high praise. In ancient times, it was akin to suggesting that Li Yi might one day become a feudal lord. In a world where gods exist, the significance of becoming such a lord is self-evident. And Nanshan Bo, as a highly learned and experienced elder, wasn’t offering this evaluation as mere flattery, but as a serious and sincere appraisal.

Thus, the words of Nanshan Bo carried considerable authority.

However, Li Yi’s cultivation was still ongoing, with cosmic energy continuously pouring in from the vicinity. The silver radiance illuminated the half-sky as if a bright lamp in the dark night lit up a corner of the city. Other inhabitants of Beihuai City also witnessed this scene, similarly sensing the aura of Divine Blood.

And when the influx of cosmic energy reached its limit, within that silver glow, a faint outline of a colossal human figure emerged.

That silhouette was like a giant Buddha descending to the world, sitting cross-legged on the Lotus Platform, forming a Dharma Seal with his hands, eyes lowered and looking serene—as if preaching Dharma, enlightening viewers, yet upon a closer look, the Buddha was not there, and the figure vanished, leaving only a skeletal structure, sinister yet terrifying.

It seemed that to witness the Buddha, one must be undistracted. If one insisted on observing, not only would the Buddha’s image disappear, but a skeleton would remain.

"What is this phenomenon... what did you all see?" Xiu Xiang was once again astonished; this was a scene he had never encountered since becoming a Merchant Master.

"Merchant Master, I saw a terrifying skeleton," an elderly guest spoke up.

"No, I saw a deity seated atop the Lotus Platform," in the pure eyes of Nanshan Bo, reminiscent of a baby, he saw the Buddha, but not the skeleton. However, as there were no Buddhas in this world, he mistook the Buddha for a deity.

When Xiu Xiang looked again, all he saw was the skeleton and not the deity, he questioned, "Nanshan Bo, why do we see different things?"

"Different hearts see differently; this is the very essence of the ultimate Dao," Nanshan Bo said with an air of emotion, "This person bearing Divine Blood, even amidst the phenomenon, has revealed principles of the ultimate Dao. It shows he has grasped its essence. My earlier appraisal may have been too conservative; this person could be a regional deity."

A regional deity?

Xiu Xiang was filled with disbelief; could it be that Da Yi might become a god in the future?

If so, that would indeed be extraordinary.

However, seeing how serious Nanshan Bo appeared, Xiu Xiang felt a surge of excitement. If he could befriend a future regional deity, it would be worth more than a hundred years of being a Merchant Master.

Afterward, Xiu Xiang calmed down. He knew that Da Yi was still weak and would need financial support to continue progressing.

Yet as a Merchant Master with substantial family wealth, was this not an opportunity granted by the heavens?

With that thought, Xiu Xiang’s gaze became even more resolute.

The phenomena brought about by Li Yi’s cultivation truly lasted the entire night, only dissipating the next day.

And after one night had passed.

Early the next morning, many residents of Beihuai City came to visit Merchant Master Xiu Xiang, wishing to know where he had found a warrior with Divine Blood and why such a phenomenon had occurred.

Xiu Xiang sought Nanshan Bo’s advice.

Nanshan Bo said, "When the tiger and rhinoceros are freed from their cages and the jade turtle is broken in its box, whose fault is it?"

Understanding the allusion, Xiu Xiang decided to close his doors to visitors and reduce interactions with acquaintances. He kept a low profile to avoid the mistake of letting the tiger and rhinoceros escape from their cages, or the jade to be broken in its box.

After all, there were many other Merchant Masters wealthier than him. If they recognized the valuable asset that was Da Yi, he would end up with nothing.

Yet Xiu Xiang was still uneasy and continued to ask, "Nanshan Bo, how can I secure a promise from Da Yi? Would offering a beautiful concubine work?"

Nanshan Bo shook his head.

"How about rare and exotic treasures?" Xiu Xiang pressed on.

Nanshan Bo shook his head again.

"What if it’s Kunwu’s Artifact?" Xiu Xiang, unwilling to give up, asked once more.

Sighing, Nanshan Bo responded, "One who has comprehended such a Dao cannot be swayed by beauty, nor can wealth change their determination. A Divine Weapon may earn Da Yi’s gratitude, but it’s difficult to secure a promise."

"Nanshan Bo, is there a way? Please, enlighten me," Xiu Xiang said.

"Solving his problems may be a viable approach," Nanshan Bo pondered for a moment and then replied.

Xiu Xiang looked thoughtful upon hearing this.

At present, Da Yi had no troubles. How could he resolve any problems for him?

Previously, he had thought about helping Da Yi rescue his friend who had been sold off, but that endeavor had not been successful, and he ended up losing face instead.

After much thought, Xiu Xiang could only let out a helpless sigh.