Chapter 3021 — The Scrolls in the Box

For every little box he opened meant a rise in Wei Zhao's power, and each time he would gain a mightier skill.

The wooden box opened, yet within lay no divine weapon or legendary blade. He had guessed as much beforehand—such a tiny box could never hold a divine arm—but even so, Wei Zhao could not help feeling disappointed.

After all, those words at the third stone gate had set him dreaming of winning a heaven-tier divine weapon.

As before, four neatly folded silk scrolls lay quietly inside the box, and the sight of them gave Wei Zhao a pleasant sense of familiarity.

The second wooden box he had obtained earlier had also held three such silk scrolls. Only this time, apart from the third-layer cultivation method of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, which was surely there, what else might the box contain?

Without hesitation, Wei Zhao reached out and took up the first silk scroll, opening it carefully.

The five characters "Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art," written in seal script, leaped into Wei Zhao's eyes. He had seen that same script twice before, on the silk scrolls bearing the first and second layers of the art. As expected, this one contained the oral formula for the third layer of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art.

In no way did it surprise Wei Zhao that beneath the title of the method was a line of small characters: "Third Tier—Transformation into a Butterfly." Just as with the second-layer formula, what followed this subtitle was not the main text but another line of annotation, set in a larger font than the subtitle itself.

"The first-tier method is like a silkworm spinning its thread, advancing step by step. The second tier is like a white crane spreading its wings for flight, a transformation of the constitution. The third tier is like breaking free of the cocoon and becoming a butterfly, a transformation of strength. To cultivate the third tier, one must first perform meridian enhancement. The third stone gate can accomplish the first step; the second step requires the gathering of herbs, which, once ingested, will complete the meridian enhancement."

"Remember: before the meridian enhancement is complete, on no account attempt to cultivate!"

These two lines of annotation reminded Wei Zhao of the body-refining of the second layer. Back then he had been so impatient to refine his body that he had secretly altered the ingredients listed in the body-refining formula, and the deviation had nearly cost him his life.

This time Wei Zhao had learned his lesson. He resolved to follow the box's method exactly for the meridian enhancement, and never again to tamper with a single herb.

If his guess was right, one of the three remaining silk scrolls held the method for meridian enhancement. As for what the other two contained, Wei Zhao did not yet know—but this was the one thing that gladdened him: this time there was one scroll more than last time, which meant one more benefit.

Wei Zhao set down the third-layer formula and drew out the second silk scroll, laid neatly alongside it in the little box. He opened it carefully and began to read.

Four large characters met Wei Zhao's eyes: "Meridian Enhancement Formula." As expected, it too was a formula, similar to the body-refining formula of last time, though the herbs it listed were entirely different.

Beneath "Meridian Enhancement Formula" there were four more large characters: "The Art of Forging Heaven-Tier Divine Weapons."

At the sight of these words Wei Zhao was thrown into a fever of excitement. He could not be bothered to study the meridian enhancement formula first; instead he fixed all his attention upon "The Art of Forging Heaven-Tier Divine Weapons."

Was this not the heaven-tier divine weapon of his own that he had always wanted? So the Xuanyuan Cave Dwelling did not provide a heaven-tier divine weapon outright—it left Wei Zhao to forge one himself!

At that thought Wei Zhao hurried on reading, and saw that beneath the words "The Art of Forging Heaven-Tier Divine Weapons" a line of small characters read: "The intermediate volume of the forging art; the condensation of the jade pendant is the elementary volume. Only when one is proficient in condensing the jade pendant's space may one attempt to forge a heaven-tier divine weapon."

Reading this, Wei Zhao could not hold back a curse. My heavens! What a trap! He could not even condense the jade pendant's space yet—where was he supposed to go to forge a divine weapon? He could not even wield and control the forging fire with any proficiency, could he?

"Elder Jiao, why do I feel as though I can hardly keep pace?" Wei Zhao asked, somewhat vexed. "I've already opened the third stone gate, and I still haven't even refined the jade pendant's space. Isn't that far too slow?"

"Not slow at all!" Jiao Yazi said. "Who told you to reach the second-layer grand completion of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art so swiftly? With Wang Xinyan helping you cultivate, and the five-element inheritances aiding you, you reached the second-layer grand completion ahead of time—so far ahead that your forging fire is not yet proficiently condensed. Once you have thoroughly mastered the second-layer grand completion, all will be well."

"Grand completion can still be mastered?" Wei Zhao asked, startled.

"Grand completion only means your method has reached the grand-completion level. But though your method has reached that level, you cannot yet bring out the full efficacy of that level. That is what I mean!" Jiao Yazi explained. "For example, a cultivator's strength may reach the grand completion of the late heaven-tier peak, but if he vaulted up through the ranks all at once, then even though his strength has stabilized, he cannot yet command it or draw out its utmost. Do you take my meaning?"

"I understand. You mean I leveled up too fast, so I haven't mastered it properly." Wei Zhao nodded, having grasped Jiao Yazi's point.

This set Wei Zhao's mind much at ease, and he read on. Compared with the meridian enhancement formula before, he was far more interested in forging his own heaven-tier divine weapon.

Yet as he read on, his face at once took on a look of helplessness and anguish—for the materials listed here were still largely rare and wondrous substances whose names Wei Zhao had never even heard.

Refined steel and dark iron, black dark iron, colored steel, black charcoal stone, pure yellow jade, blue crystal powder, the blood of the Five Baleful Dragon—the materials far outnumbered those for condensing the jade pendant of before! And apart from colored steel, pure yellow jade, and blue crystal powder, which Wei Zhao had seen, he had never laid eyes on any of the others... And when he came to the very last material, he nearly spat blood.

The blood of the Five Baleful Dragon? He might as well be killed outright! Where on earth was he to get the blood of the Five Baleful Dragon? That Five Baleful Dragon was fearsome beyond measure—a single claw had flung Wei Zhao into the valley. Unless that fiendish thing inside the jade pendant went forth in person to demand it, there might be some chance of obtaining it. For Wei Zhao to go and ask the Five Baleful Dragon for such a thing was nothing short of courting death!

(Summoning ***. The current count of *** is 160. From now on, every additional 30 votes earns one extra chapter! No upper limit!) (To be continued.)