Li Xue nearly tumbled from her seat upon hearing those words. What on earth was he talking about? Beside her, Dongfang Jing’s eyes were sparkling. Li Xue could only shake her head; it was impossible to measure the members of the Dongfang family by the standards of normal people.
The others averted their gazes, looking elsewhere, yet their ears were pricked, intently listening to the gossip.
"Daoist Lord, please rest assured. I will certainly take good care of him!" Li Xue replied with a solemn expression. She knew that when dealing with an unreasonable fellow like Mingyuan Daoist, the best way to avoid immediate trouble was to agree to whatever he said.
Mingyuan Daoist was extremely satisfied with Li Xue’s attitude. He then turned to Dongfang Jing and began to give him detailed instructions, covering everything from cultivation and state of mind to daily life and habits. He nagged incessantly for an entire day, leaving no stone unturned. The others had long since found excuses to slip away. Only Dongfang Jing remained, nodding continuously. He felt helpless; he knew that if he didn't let his great-great-grandfather speak his fill, the man would never stop. Everyone felt a deep sense of sympathy for Dongfang Jing, yet they all lacked the loyalty to stay, choosing instead to flee.
The following day, Dongfang Mingyuan left the guest courtyard, disappearing once more to find someone to fight. After this parting, by the time Dongfang Jing saw his great-great-grandfather again, the world would be a vastly different place.
The Great Dharma Assembly finally drew to a close after six months. Li Yuhong ultimately obtained a Spirit Severing Pill, while Bai Ruihua received a top-tier superior-grade magic treasure. Bai Fenghua acquired an array map, which he offered to the Yuxuan Sect. Everyone had gained something, and the outcome was a happy one for all.
Upon returning to Jinming Star, Li Xue began preparing the materials to refine the Five Elements Shuttle. Aside from the Purple Crow Feathers, everything was ready.
The three Purple Orioles—Zifeng, Zihuang, and Ziyu—stood in a row, looking as if they were facing their own execution.
"Pfft!" Yun Xi couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "You three little things, don't be so nervous. She’s not going to pluck all your feathers!"
Li Xue curled her lip. "What must come will come. Only three feathers from each of you. I’m just trimming them short, not plucking you bald. What are you afraid of?"
Zihuang covered her eyes with her wings and whimpered, "Wuwu, it’s going to look so ugly!"
"I'll have Yun Xi attach some false feathers for you. They’ll grow back soon enough," Li Xue added, reaching out her hand.
Zifeng was the most decisive, plucking three tail feathers and placing them in Li Xue’s hand. Ziyu followed, and Zihuang was the last. Once she had the feathers, Li Xue smiled faintly and produced three bottles of high-grade Spirit Beast Pills. "Be good. These spirit pills are for your snacks—consider them a small compensation."
The three Purple Orioles hurriedly took the pills, clutching them to their chests with joy. Zihuang said flatteringly, "I knew Mistress was the best! Mistress is getting prettier and prettier!"
Zifeng snorted. "I wonder who was just crying a moment ago?"
Zihuang ignored him, happily counting her pills. Ziyu bowed her head. "Thank you for the pills, Mistress."
Li Xue waved her hand. "No need for thanks. Since I took your tail feathers, this small compensation is only right."
After soothing the three birds, Li Xue took the materials out of the Dream Realm and went to Yu Nanqing’s refining room.
Bugui Sanren, Yu Nanqing, and Li Lin were already waiting. Yu Nanqing and Li Lin were both incredibly excited. Their master, Bugui Sanren, was about to personally refine a shuttle using high-level materials—materials that possessed a Divine Essence.
Bugui Sanren looked at the Heaven-Extinguishing Wood and the Heaven-Dust Divine Jade, sighing with emotion. "I’ve crossed countless star domains searching for Heaven-Extinguishing Wood. I never expected you, girl, to possess two types of such materials. Do you know what these are used for?"
"Master, what are they for?" Li Lin asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Tribulation-Transcendence treasures!" Bugui Sanren’s eyes shone with brilliance.
"Is Master about to attempt the Tribulation-Transcendence stage?" Yu Nanqing asked.
Bugui Sanren shook his head. "One doesn't need such rare materials just to break through to the Tribulation-Transcendence stage. These are for the magic treasures Loose Immortals use to survive their ten-thousand-year tribulations!"
At this, Li Xue and the other two were stunned. It turned out that Bugui Sanren had been searching for Heaven-Extinguishing Wood to refine an Immortal Artifact.
"Your Martial Grand-Uncle is a Fourth-Tribulation Loose Immortal. In another thousand years, he must face his fifth tribulation. Everyone in our sect above the Spirit Severing stage has been out searching for materials. Fortunately, I found some. Girl, after I finish refining this shuttle for you, it will be time for me to leave," Bugui Sanren said.
"Senior, do you think the Heaven-Dust Divine Jade will be useful?" Li Xue asked.
Bugui Sanren shook his head. "For materials of this divine grade, having one attribute is enough. Your shuttle is of the Five Elements, so naturally, you can use a few more types. If not for the ancient refining methods I possess, even I wouldn't dare attempt this."
With a flash of light in his eyes, Bugui Sanren spoke no more. He began picking up the various materials, using the ancient methods to condense and refine them. He placed them into the melt one by one in a specific order until a cluster of five-colored radiance appeared in his hand.
Bugui Sanren drew the Five Elements Shuttle into his other hand, scorching it with Samadhi True Fire before striking the five-colored radiance into it. As the shuttle floated in the air, Bugui Sanren’s hands moved like flying shadows, casting one hand seal after another. According to the ancient refining method, there were a total of three thousand five hundred seals. Even with Bugui Sanren’s cultivation at the peak of the late Spirit Severing stage, he was only just able to complete them all.
Yu Nanqing and Li Lin watched with wide eyes, not missing a single moment as they carefully sensed the changes in each seal. During the process, Li Lin followed Bugui Sanren’s instructions, feeding him high-grade Spirit-Replenishing Pills every hour. Otherwise, Bugui Sanren’s spiritual power would have run dry. It was clear just how difficult it was to refine divine materials.
Ten days later, the five-colored radiance on the shuttle grew even more intense. With a sharp *hiss*, a faint white mist rose from the shuttle. It was finally complete.
As Li Xue held the now high-grade shuttle, the feeling of it being intrinsically linked to her was palpable. With a thought, the shuttle erupted with brilliant light, filling the entire refining room with five-colored rays.
"Hehe, girl, you’re in luck now. With the effects of the Divine Essence, I’m afraid even a Spirit Severing cultivator would have to spend quite some effort to break your Five Elements Illusion-Killing Array!" A few hints of excitement flashed across Bugui Sanren’s ashen face, but then he sighed. "A pity. If my Martial Grand-Uncle had refined this, it would be absolutely unbreakable by anyone below the level of a Loose Immortal. My power and skill are limited."
"Senior, I am already very satisfied with this!" Li Xue said respectfully.
"Mhm. In the future, when you go to the Fangyuan Star Domain, I will certainly ask my Martial Grand-Uncle to help you re-temper it. Its power will be even greater then," Bugui Sanren said. He then went into seclusion to recover his strength. Tempering high-level materials had consumed eighty percent of his spiritual power. Once he recovered, his spiritual power would be even more refined. Upon returning to the Fangyuan Star Domain, he could enter seclusion to strike for the Tribulation-Transcendence stage. Having also found the Heaven-Extinguishing Wood, everything was going his way, and he was in an excellent mood.
Li Xue returned to her cave dwelling to re-cultivate the shuttle. The high-grade Five Elements Shuttle’s Illusion-Killing Array now possessed the characteristics of Divine Essence. Trapping a cultivator a realm higher than herself would be easily achievable. Combined with a sneak attack from the Ice Soul Divine Needles, she would surely hit her mark every time. *Hehe, even if I encounter a Nascent Soul cultivator now, I have nothing to fear,* Li Xue thought with a devious inner smile.
"Mother, shall we go test it?" Li Lin saw the shimmering light of the newly refined Five Elements Shuttle.
"Alright, let’s go to outer space!" Li Xue said, summoning the Thunder Cloud Boat and flying toward the starry sky.
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 142 | The Divine Shuttle's Upgrade | Novela.app | Novela.app
