Chapter 328

Chapter 328: Mystical Mirror Sky Nesting the Caverns

The Haotu Sect has eighteen secret realms. Li Hui ventured deep into the Abyss of Darkness to channel the Primitive Shell Symbol for five hundred heroic souls. In their lifetimes, they were all extraordinary scholars or heroes, drawn by the formation into the abyss, nearly losing their true natures. It was through the call of Buddhist teachings that they regained their senses and voluntarily joined the temple for cultivation.

The Primitive Shell Symbol is different from spirit talismans and treasure talismans; it requires willpower to support its enhancement. After a period of nurturing, it gradually sprouted extraordinary manifestations.

The Six-Armed Arhat could materialize, relying entirely on the power of the Primitive Shell Symbol.

Unbelievably, the Six-Armed Arhat bore a striking resemblance to Li Hui, mirroring his features. It swung its fists into the air, conjuring golden treasure banners to block the arrival of the Ding Fire Black Frost Calamity.

"Crack!" The calamity was too overwhelming; the Spring and Autumn Classic shattered, and the golden treasure banners vanished. The talisman decree Li Hui unleashed, infused with the aura of the mysterious underworld, was also completely destroyed under the terrifying heavenly might.

The remnants of the talisman array flashed and, after a moment’s standoff, turned to ashes.

"Rise!" Li Hui utilized yellow talisman paper and spirit ink, showering a large amount of purple vine powder as a medium, hastily crafting a batch of Green Scale Talismans, activating as many as possible and throwing them into the calamity’s path.

Not enough; far from enough!

In a critical moment, Li Hui had no choice but to call upon the Mirror Lake faction’s precious treasure.

This treasure was a two-foot-long strand of white hair, left behind a thousand years ago by the great ancestor Hongfa of the Mirror Lake faction, specifically intended for future generations to ascend to the All-Manifestation Realm and withstand calamities.

The item had been sealed in the storeroom for nearly two thousand years, and now in Li Hui’s hands, he still chose not to use it for himself but to help the tree demons withstand the heavenly tribulation.

The white hair floated, exuding a deep Taoist essence. As the calamity approached, it behaved like a casual visitor, effortlessly pushing it away.

"Crack, crack, crack…" As strands of white hair broke off and drifted down, the terrifying Ding Fire Black Frost Calamity gradually dissipated, the new wave of calamity struggling to form.

Li Hui breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead to find it soaked with sweat. Fortunately, the ancestor’s relic proved to be powerful, enduring through the ages. If one day he ascended to the All-Manifestation Realm, he too would refrain from using it, walking his own path. Yet, using it at this moment was just right.

Today, to face the calamity, one could say he put everything on the line. While he couldn’t say he was breaking pots to sell scraps, it was close enough.

He watched as the spirit trees swayed and glimmered, while the flowers and plants bloomed simultaneously. Guang Jin appeared to take stock and, frowning, said, "Why are there so few? Out of a hundred monster-conjuring talismans, only twenty-two sprouted into demons."

"That’s not few," Li Hui replied. "Twenty-two fully-fledged demons, while the rest of the spiritual plants gained some fortune, akin to becoming half-demons, with the chance of developing intelligence over time."

"Waiting for that is another story; a thousand years may not even show results." Guang Jin shook his head.

"It’s all right. Once our cultivation improves, we can speed up their transformation. For now, expanding the Mysterious Pearl spirit herb garden tenfold will be more than enough."

"Right!" Guang Jin’s eyes brightened. He had witnessed the wonders of the Seize the Day Talisman; the young master was still a bit away from reaching the Condense Essence Stage, but once he became a Bosa cultivator, even a piece of decayed wood could yield results.

Li Hui took out the Dragon Coiling Cloud Pearl and the Mysterious Pearl, telling Guang Jin, "I once thought of setting up a formation with the Mysterious Water Pearl and the Mysterious Pearl, but after today, it seems that won’t work anymore. Master gifted me this Dragon Coiling Cloud Pearl, offering me a chance to cultivate a small heavenly cave. Even just possessing a few characteristics of a small heavenly cave is incredibly rare for cultivators. We cannot miss this opportunity, as it may never come again. I plan to melt down the other Mysterious Water Pearls; you can decide whether to include this pearl."

"Uh? This is a huge blessing!" Guang Jin quickly agreed. "What are you saying, Master? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! To fully harness the thirty-six Celestial Virtues, the Mysterious Water Pearls must be complete for no deficiencies; the Mysterious Pearl has vast space, making it easier to establish a cave."

"Great!" Li Hui nodded, sending the Yin-Yang Nine Heads into the spiritual fields.

"After merging the Dragon Coiling Cloud Pearl, we have twenty-two hours to prepare; first, we need to mine the veins."

What followed was a monumental undertaking. The little crab Xie Xuan entered the Mysterious Pearl, marveling at everything, while Yao’er recruited it to help, starting to summon clouds and rain, transforming the cloud formations.

Two days later, faint ripples appeared on the surface of the Mirror Lake.

At the bottom of the lake, all formations that compressed space halted.

The ground cracked with numerous fissures, gashes, and ravines appeared as chains formed by cloud energy pulled toward the Water Moon Palace, causing patches of spiritual soil and fields to vanish.

At this moment, Li Hui entered the Mysterious Pearl for the first time. He had no time to admire the vibrant spiritual plants and hurriedly connected the Dragon Coiling Cloud Pearl with the many Mysterious Water Pearls and the severed spiritual fields.

Lakes, small mountains, hills, canyons—all needed to be formed; various terrains were stretched, widened, and elevated.

This experience was incredibly rare and would deepen his understanding of all things in heaven and earth.

The Mysterious Pearl was voraciously devouring the Water Moon Mirror Sky, causing a series of changes. The sky transformed from pale to blue, with waves of white clouds appearing. The ancient golden crow’s eye floated in the air, illuminating everything and creating a serene feeling.

Li Hui spared no expense, using the finest talisman paper and talisman ink in his collection to create talismans for unique spiritual plants. He also took out over a dozen treasures that would aid the growth of spiritual plants and handed them to Yao’er for distribution.

The recently transcended little demon trees had already moved into the Mysterious Pearl; being still juvenile, they lacked inheritance and tended to be mischievous, requiring time for proper guidance and training.

Yao’er, Guang Jin, and Xie Xuan had their work cut out for them. Teaching these newly born little demons was no easy task, especially since they also had to manage Ao Chonglin and Ao Chongguang strictly; otherwise, they could cause damage to the spirit herb garden.

Now it should be called the Mystical Mirror Sky. Originally only six hectares, it had expanded ninetyfold to five hundred hectares. To fill it completely would require introducing a large number of Spiritual Seeds. Although some had been collected previously, it was far from sufficient.

Li Hui waved his hand, releasing the Long-browed Fiery Monkey to find its own place among the mountains and forests. He then waved again, releasing thirty-six thousand Enamel Dragon Crystals, allowing them to absorb spiritual energy before sinking into the spiritual fields.

"Group them in clusters of a hundred and see if we can build a dragon vein or spirit vein. Even a small dragon vein can help the spiritual plants flourish."

The Yin-Yang Nine Heads signaled, and the Dragon Coiling Cloud Pearl began to draw on the Miao Jade veins of the Water Moon Mirror Sky. With the spiritual energy reserves of this vein, nurturing five hundred hectares of spiritual plants would be impossible; raising fifty hectares would be impressive. The reason for extending so far was to prepare for future endeavors.

Spiritual plants demand significantly more spiritual energy than spiritual rice, but with proper management, Miao Jade could be continuously harvested.

Ultimately, Li Hui’s goal was still to earn more Miao Jade.

In addition to continuing to collect Mixed-colored Miao Jade, he also sought rare medium-grade Miao Jade and even the scarce high-grade Miao Jade, necessitating large-scale transactions to meet his needs. Otherwise, his cultivation would stagnate.

There was also a shortcut: entering ancient marvels and ruins.

According to records, the remaining spiritual energy in such places was mostly extinct. While it might not be enough for others to cultivate their methods, it was sufficient to enhance potential for the treasure cabinet.

With all matters addressed, Li Hui quietly observed the sect’s situation while diligently cultivating.