Chapter 398 - 258: Vajra Bodhi, Hidden Demonic Qi
Chapter 398: Chapter 258: Vajra Bodhi, Hidden Demonic Qi
The surface of the dull golden wood instantly turned crimson. Plumes of blackish-gray, impure smoke were forcibly expelled, only to be annihilated by the intense heat of the flame.
"This is... Demonic Qi?"
Lin Changheng was horrified, his pupils contracting sharply!
This smoke was no mere impurity. It was dark and gloomy, and as it drifted, it faintly formed twisted, agonized faces, emitting a cold, foul, and corrosive aura!
He never imagined that this piece of Vajra Bodhi Wood, which seemed to be merely clogged with mundane impurities, would actually hide such pure and insidious Demonic Qi!
This could not have formed naturally!
Rather, an expert in Demon Techniques had deliberately infused it with Demonic Qi to pollute and corrode the Spiritual Material’s very essence! Their goal was either to destroy the item or... use it as a vessel to cultivate Demonic Qi for refining some insidious Demonic Treasure!
’If I didn’t have the Red Sky Profound Flame to counteract it, an ordinary Cultivator using Earth Fire for refining would find it impossible to expel this Demonic Qi.’
He immediately tightened his control over the Red Sky Profound Flame. This flame was the embodiment of Supreme Yang, the perfect bane for this kind of sinister Demonic Qi. The dark golden flame flared brilliantly, searing the Vajra Bodhi Wood like a scorching sun melting snow.
HSSSSSS—!
More blackish-gray Demonic Qi was forced out. It twisted and struggled in the air, letting out silent shrieks, but ultimately could not escape being purified and annihilated.
But even as he worked, Lin Changheng found his thoughts drifting to another matter.
Traces of Demonic activity had previously been spotted in the Bixiao Sect’s territory. The sect had eventually moved to suppress and exterminate them, but it seemed it wasn’t a total victory, as quite a few had escaped.
’Could this old Daoist, Wu Jiu, be one of the Demonic leaders who had gone into hiding and later escaped?’
’Or perhaps one of the Demonic leaders fell into his hands, and he killed them for their treasure, taking this Divine Wood for himself?’
...
For the remainder of the refining process, Lin Changheng focused his full attention, meticulously controlling the flame’s temperature and scope.
Refining such a Spiritual Material could not be done with brute force; it required a "slow simmer," burning away the impurities bit by bit without damaging the wood’s structure, especially the thread of the Divine Wood’s innate spiritual essence.
This was a considerable test of both his Heart and Spirit and his Magical Power.
Time passed quietly in the silent Seclusion Room.
Under the constant heat of the Red Sky Profound Flame, the Vajra Bodhi Wood’s volume slowly shrank at a rate imperceptible to the naked eye. Its color, however, gradually shifted from a dull, dark gold to a bright, lustrous gold, and the grain on its surface became increasingly clear and Spiritual, as if it had come alive.
The once muddled and stagnant Wood Spirit Qi grew pure and active, faintly exuding an aura of resilience and permanence.
...
「Seven days later.」
When the last stubborn wisp of blackish-gray Demonic Qi was finally burned away, the Vajra Bodhi Wood in Lin Changheng’s palm had undergone a complete transformation.
’It’s done!’
He dismissed the Red Sky Profound Flame.
The wood had shrunk by about a quarter; with its impurities purged, it had become much denser.
It looked like an Ancient Artifact meticulously polished by a Master. It had a soft, inner luster, and the wood itself had even become semi-translucent. A golden liquid seemed to flow slowly within, emitting an incomparably pure and resilient Wood Spirit Qi!
’This is how it was always meant to be!’
Lin Changheng’s face was merely a little pale. Precisely controlling the Red Sky Profound Flame for seven consecutive days had taken a toll on him, but it was an acceptable cost.
But his eyes were filled with joy.
This joy, however, did not stem from the newly refined Vajra Bodhi Wood; that was merely part of a collaborative task, after all.
In truth, by refining the Vajra Bodhi Wood, he had also gained a certain understanding of Divine Wood. Comparing this knowledge to the "charred" wood fragment he had obtained earlier, he realized the fragment’s quality and wondrous properties actually surpassed those of the Vajra Bodhi Wood.
This meant that the long, fragmented piece of wood in his possession, thick as an infant’s arm, was likely a material that ranked even higher than the Seven Divine Woods!
It was very likely a top-tier Spiritual Material, one that could be used to refine a Magical Treasure!
’How could he not be ecstatic?!’
...
「Three days later.」
Only after adjusting his condition to its absolute peak did Lin Changheng open the door and emerge from seclusion.
"Mr. Lin..."
Wu Jiu, the old Daoist who had been meditating and waiting outside, heard the sound and instantly flashed over.
His face held a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. "How did the refining go?"
Lin Changheng flipped his hand over, and a bright golden piece of Spirit Wood appeared, resting in his palm. "Fortunately, I have not failed you."
"Excellent, excellent!"
Wu Jiu’s eyes lit up, his attention completely captivated as he subconsciously reached out to take it.
At this, however, Lin Changheng slightly withdrew his hand, pulling it back.
Wu Jiu’s gaze immediately shot to Lin Changheng, only to see a faint, unreadable smile on the other’s face... one that was tinged with a playful look.
"My mistake, my mistake. This old Daoist was forgetful. Please, Mr. Lin, don’t take offense."
The scruffy old Daoist suddenly remembered, apologizing profusely. His lips began to move as he started to transmit the technique via voice projection.
Only then did Lin Changheng smile, satisfied. He began to carefully receive and ponder the information.
’Not bad.’
The technique the old Daoist transmitted was indeed a Secret Technique called Smell the Wind and Distinguish Spirits.
Furthermore, based on deductions from his Fifth Layer of Enhanced Enlightenment, Lin Changheng determined the technique should be flawless. With the Daoist Oath as a safeguard, there was nothing to worry about.
So, Lin Changheng returned the fully refined Vajra Bodhi Wood to its rightful owner.
Then, he asked with some curiosity, "Mr. Wu, are you planning to leave?"
"Indeed."
By now, Wu Jiu had finished inspecting the Spirit Wood. A satisfied smile spread across his face. "I will be leaving in the near future."
"I myself am quite fond of this wood," Lin Changheng said. "Since you are leaving, Fellow Daoist, I wonder if you might be willing to reveal a thing or two about where you acquired it?"
Lin Changheng asked with a calculated smile as he escorted Wu Jiu out.
"Hahaha, your forthright and honorable character is still fresh in my mind, Fellow Daoist. And since our collaboration was so pleasant, this old Daoist is not an ungrateful man... That being the case, and seeing as I’m about to leave, I’ll share some details with you. Perhaps you’ll get a chance to acquire one for yourself."
After a moment of contemplation, Wu Jiu actually stopped in his tracks and began to speak.
"In that case, I must thank you, Mr. Wu."
Lin Changheng had only asked as a way to indirectly probe the item’s origin and confirm the old Daoist’s identity. He was quite surprised that the man had agreed so readily.
"Hahaha, think nothing of it. I wonder, Mr. Lin, have you heard about the campaign to exterminate the Demonic Cultivators?"
Wu Jiu got straight to the point.
"I’ve heard a little."
Lin Changheng’s heart stirred, and he nodded.
Wu Jiu then proceeded to explain in great detail.
It turned out that he really had obtained his Vajra Bodhi Wood from a Demonic Cultivator.
It was a Demon Cultivator at Late Stage Foundation Establishment who had escaped the Bixiao Sect’s encirclement and suppression. Wu Jiu had run into him, and his keen senses had instantly detected the faint traces of Demonic Qi on the man, allowing him to recognize his identity.
Before the other party could act on his ill intentions, Wu Jiu launched a preemptive strike and killed him.
And that was how he obtained this Divine Wood!
Furthermore, the Demon Cultivator’s mind was protected by a Restriction that locked away key information, but Wu Jiu still managed to piece together a few important details from the fragmented memories.
This item was being used to refine a Demonic Sacred Artifact and was currently in the Demonic Qi infusion stage.
It was divided into four pieces.
Four Demon Cultivator leaders each held one.
Wu Jiu added with a smile that if Mr. Lin wanted to obtain a piece of Vajra Bodhi Wood, he could start by looking for the remaining Demon Cultivators in hiding.
...
"Thank you for the information, Mr. Wu."
Now with a basic understanding of the situation, Lin Changheng cupped his hands in thanks.
"Hahaha, what’s more, I can point you in a direction, Mr. Lin. To the west. That was another piece of information I managed to obtain."
Wu Jiu chuckled. Having said his piece, he took his leave.
"Until we meet again."
Lin Changheng saw him out of the cave abode.
"Until we meet again!"
Wu Jiu raised his gourd and took a swig. With a wave of his hand, his figure shot upward, vanishing with a Void Escape.
’That escape speed!’
Lin Changheng’s eyes narrowed. ’It seems the old Daoist was also hiding his true Cultivation. No wonder he could kill a Demon Cultivator at Late Stage Foundation Establishment.’