Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: The Conspiracy (Part One)

This is another grand formation within the White Emperor Glazed Tripod, known as the "Mirage Formation," designed to mask the shape of the Royal Tripod. After all, this is the Heaven-Piercing Pavilion of the Central Immortal Island; practicing inside would certainly attract unwanted attention. Activating the formation to conceal the tripod's form is now a necessity.

Jiang Feng is certain that Hai Yue likely has some sort of surveillance talisman within this great hall. Now that the "Mirage Formation" is deployed, any such talisman would only see clouds of mist, nothing more.

The White Emperor Glazed Tripod is a supreme treasure, forged with the lifelong dedication and painstaking efforts of the legendary White Emperor. Among its nine hundred and ninety-nine formations, each serves a specific purpose. Jiang Feng has only just begun to grasp some of the methods and secrets behind these formations.

At the very least, he has mastered the "Five-Fire Divine Thunder Formation," the "Spatial Displacement Formation," and the "Mirage Formation." He has begun to put them into practice and utilize them, while the rest remain to be explored.

To fully master this supreme treasure, to play it with such proficiency that it becomes second nature and works like magic, requires immense Nether Power and a great deal of time. The experience gained from utilizing these formations will also be a significant asset for his future breakthrough to the True Nether Realm—a vital accumulation of strength.

Some of the formations are beyond his current ability to activate with his Nether Power, which is equivalent to the ninth level of the Void Nether Realm. However, for the purpose of tempering his body, he only needs a fraction of their functionality, which requires little to no Nether Power.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*

Jiang Feng’s palm surged with "Wood Sovereign Nether Power," sweeping out in all directions. The medicinal herbs stored in the large crystal vats were lifted by his Nether Power, dancing through the air before crumbling into fine powders that drifted into his sleeves, eventually entering the White Emperor Glazed Tripod within his Mountains and Rivers Bottle.

After absorbing the herbs, the house-sized White Emperor Glazed Tripod flew out of the bottle and settled in the center of the refined copper hall.

Fortunately, this copper hall was grand and spacious; otherwise, it could not have contained this royal cauldron. This was why the Lord of Nameless Island never brought this great tripod along on his travels—it was simply too cumbersome. He also lacked the luxury of Jiang Feng’s Mountains and Rivers Bottle, a Daoist artifact that contains its own internal space for storing vast quantities of items.

Once the herbs were drawn into the tripod, Jiang Feng leaped inside as well.

"Ten Thousand Waters and A Thousand Mountains!"

Duan Xingyun’s Nether Power split into seven strands, flying into seven "sentient" jellyfish. These jellyfish resisted violently, but they were no match for a master of the Nether Arts realm. They burst in succession, and seven crystalline water veils flew around Duan Xingyun, transforming into water ribbons that swirled through the air.

Having finished this, he, too, leaped into the cauldron.

"Pulverize the Herbs!"

Jiang Feng paid no heed to Duan Xingyun’s practice. As the massive amount of herbs flew into the tripod, they were positioned before a screen. A beam of light shot out from the screen, and any herb it touched was instantly shattered into the finest medicinal powder.

This was a small "Pulverization Formation." Once infused with Nether Power, it could grind herbs, ores, and even metal into dust. The pulverizing demonic light emitted is a variation of the Demonic Path Nether Art, the "Great Pulverization Demonic Technique." Using it to crush herbs now proved to be perfectly fitting.

Moreover, this light could also be used against enemies.

This small demonic formation is not found in ordinary cauldrons. Standard cauldrons rely solely on True Fire, which must first melt hard ores, resulting in a loss of medicinal properties during the heating process.

By using the "Pulverization Formation," not a single bit of medicinal efficacy is lost or altered, ensuring maximum utility. This is the brilliance of the Five Prisons Cauldron.

The mastery lies in the details.

"Refinement Formation! Extract the Essence!"

Seeing the vast amount of pulverized medicine, Jiang Feng did not hesitate. He channeled his Nether Power to activate another small formation.

A whirlwind erupted from the screen, sweeping up the medicinal powder and spinning it incessantly. When the rotation reached its peak, an intense flame shot out from the screen, instantly melting the powder into a stream of energy.

Richly colored "medicinal vapors" swirled in the air, leaving behind piles of medicinal dregs on the ground.

"Excellent! The refinement is so fast! It saves me so much effort." Jiang Feng was overjoyed to see the "Refinement Formation" separate the dregs and extract the purest medicinal essence in an instant.

The most critical step in alchemy is refining the herbs and discarding the dregs. Ordinary cauldrons require boiling, which is incredibly time-consuming and prone to failure if the heat is not perfectly controlled. Often, refining a batch of herbs takes days and nights of sleepless labor—seven days and seven nights is the minimum, sometimes even forty-nine or eighty-one days.

Alchemy is thus a grueling task, consuming both time and energy.

The "Refinement Formation" within the White Emperor Glazed Tripod accomplishes this in an instant, saving him immense time and energy. Had Jiang Feng used his own artifact-grade cauldron, it would have taken him at least three months to refine this vast quantity of herbs, all while treading carefully to avoid the slightest error.

This highlights the significance of a high-quality cauldron in one's cultivation.

As the massive amount of herbs turned into billowing medicinal vapor, Jiang Feng shook his body, shedding his clothes to reveal a perfect physique. Although Duan Xingyun was also practicing in the cauldron, the space was partitioned by screens into individual chambers, shielding him from view.

"Flame-Tempering the Body! Infusing the Medicinal Vapor!"

Once stripped, Jiang Feng drove the surging medicinal vapors—derived from herbs like the Greater Yin Earth-Dragon Worm and the Millennium Golden-Silver Pangolin—into his pores through his Nether Power. In an instant, his body seemed to grow two feet taller.

Then, the Five-Fire Divine Thunder Formation was activated. This time, the flames were not violent; instead, gentle strands of orange-red light wrapped around him like a silk garment of fire.

This flame is called "Soft Fire," another wondrous aspect of the Five-Fire Formation.

Though not violent, the fire caused Jiang Feng intense pain as it wrapped around him. He could hear the sizzling sound of his own skin being scorched.

This "Soft Fire" was gentle yet lethal, but fortunately, Jiang Feng was protected by his Nether Power. Upon contact with the flame, the medicinal vapor covering his pores underwent an immediate transformation.

Under the influence of the gentle fire, the potent medicinal energy gradually merged into his skin, flesh, bones, and internal organs, turning his blood into a unique, dark-golden hue—neither quite earth nor metal, but imbued with the fragrance of the soil.

The herbs he had exchanged from the Heaven-Piercing Pavilion were all spiritual treasures grown from the essence of the earth. Now, fully refined and integrated into his body along with his immense vitality, Jiang Feng’s physical form began to undergo a metamorphosis, advancing toward a higher level.

He clearly felt his body changing. Without hesitation, he feverishly followed the techniques of physical tempering, circulating his blood, altering the rhythm of his internal organs, and adjusting his bodily secretions. He was stabilizing his entire form into a more resilient state. The film beneath his skin grew stronger, and his explosive power, blood circulation pressure, and heart rate were all elevated once more.

At the same time, Jiang Feng felt as if he were standing on a vast, open plain, with the earth beneath him stretching infinitely into the void. He felt himself to be the center, with roots growing from his feet like a great tree, anchoring him deep into the soil, immovable by any force.

"So that’s it, so that’s it! Earth is at the center; Earth gives birth to trees, Earth holds water, Earth grows minerals, and deep within Earth lies molten fire. Earth encompasses all things."

A sudden realization surged from his heart. Jiang Feng’s spirit felt incomparably clear. He felt his feet become the roots of a great tree, constantly absorbing the nutrients of the earth. With every breath, spiritual energy flowed into his mind, merging with his spirit to become Nether Power.

*Crack, crack...*

His Nether Power continued to increase, and his body grew stronger with every step. The vitality generated by his body caused his "Wood Sovereign Nether Power" to undergo a metamorphosis, becoming more refined. Strands of the Wood Sovereign Nether Power seemed to be crystallizing!

Previously, his physical training had conflicted with his "Wood Sovereign Nether Power," forcing him to endure the agony of potential Qi deviation every time he practiced. But now, he had grasped the meaning of Earth! As his spirit changed, so did his Nether Power. He broke through a barrier, and from this point on, he would no longer fear Qi deviation.

Trees, after all, grow upon the earth.

Practicing the "physical body" was meant to provide energy for the "Wood Sovereign Nether Power." The two complemented each other; how could they possibly conflict?

"I have finally grasped the true essence of the earth. From now on, the Wood Sovereign Nether Power nourishes the body, while the physical body provides energy to the Wood Sovereign Nether Power, assisting in cultivation. The two are mutually reinforcing!"

Jiang Feng felt his Wood Sovereign Nether Power constantly "crystallizing," knowing this meant his Nether Power had reached a state of saturation and was progressing toward a higher level.

By all logic, it should have taken him several more years to reach this level of saturation. But now, with his body refined and his energies harmonized, he had saved himself years of grueling labor.

Although he had not broken through to a new level, his Nether Power was perfected and far more potent. Jiang Feng felt that his overall strength had increased significantly.