The Eight-Nine Arcane Art

Silvermoon shook his head with a laugh. “It’s not that I’m impressive. It’s that on Mount Innerheart, only a handful of people have trained in the Arcane Art. A bit of deduction was all it took to guess it was you, little junior apprentice-brother.”

Ji Ning nodded. The Eight-Nine Arcane Art was kept in the Three Realms Palace. Only direct disciples or those who had received the Patriarch’s permission could learn it.

“If you had transformed into someone else, I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell,” Silvermoon said with a smile. “The Seventy-Two Transformations changes the body, the soul’s aura, and even the visible karma of merit and sin. It is truly a remarkable divine ability of transformation.”

Ji Ning nodded.

For instance, if he transformed into a rock, his three-foot golden light of karmic merit would be completely concealed. If he transformed into a villain, he could fully manifest a bloody light of karmic sin.

“Back in the Primordial Pangu World, there was once an ancient great demon who relied on these Seventy-Two Transformations to impersonate a Buddhist佛陀. He paraded around for several thousand years before he was discovered,” Silvermoon said with a laugh. “Now that you’ve begun the Eight-Nine Arcane Art and laid its foundation, the Seventy-Two Transformations alone are a first-rate method for escape and concealment.”

“But it’s still just a technique for evasion and deception,” Silvermoon continued. “When you are truly trapped in a deadly situation, you must rely on your combat strength. Little junior apprentice-brother, you are currently at the early Void stage, yet your power rivals that of an ordinary Celestial Immortal. But even a slightly stronger Celestial Immortal could probably handle you, or even slay you.”

“I understand,” Ji Ning said.

He knew it well. Unless he was lucky enough to encounter a very weak Celestial Immortal, his current level of strength was only enough to be arrogant against those beneath the Celestial Immortal level.

“Which is exactly why I came to you, senior apprentice-brother, to ask for your help,” Ji Ning said with a smile.

“Help?” Silvermoon waved his feather fan leisurely. “Speak. What is it?”

“Your junior apprentice-brother’s strength is still too weak. In the Three Realms, or even in a single major world, a random Celestial Immortal might be able to kill me. So I want to train the Eight-Nine Arcane Art to the third cycle first,” Ji Ning said.

Silvermoon’s eyes widened. “Training the Eight-Nine Arcane Art consumes a terrifying amount of treasures! Even I, after endless years, have only reached the sixth cycle. Are you asking me to give you treasures for free? That won’t do!”

Training the Eight-Nine Arcane Art required an immense amount of resources.

Even a Daofather would feel the sting. Even a great demon like Silvermoon, an Empyrean God, had only trained it to the sixth cycle. In theory, at his stage, he could have reached the ninth cycle, but he simply didn’t have that many treasures.

“Of course, I’m not asking you to just give them to me,” Ji Ning quickly said. “I obtained some Immortal-ranked treasures when I descended to the lower realms. I wanted to trade them with you for some Immortal-ranked elixirs!”

“Immortal-ranked treasures in exchange for Immortal-ranked elixirs?” Silvermoon nodded slowly.

Immortal-ranked elixirs referred to Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs, Pure Yang supreme elixirs, and Grand Luo supreme elixirs.

“That’s more like it,” Silvermoon finally nodded. “Show me all the Immortal-ranked treasures you have. I, your senior apprentice-brother, will certainly not let you suffer a loss… When it comes to trading Immortal-ranked treasures for elixirs, I won’t take advantage of you.”

Ji Ning smiled and waved his hand.

Whoosh.

A collection of Immortal-ranked treasures appeared around them, hovering in the air. They were the spoils of war from this recent descent, from killing the various demon kings and evil patriarchs. Ji Ning even included the Immortal-grade flying sword the Grand Xia Emperor had once bestowed upon him.

“Let me take a look.” Silvermoon immediately released his divine power, quickly refining these treasures.

Divine power was not supposed to be able to use magic treasures. However, once one transcended the tribulation and became an Empyrean God, their divine power became wondrous, capable of refining and using any treasure. The Chaos-born Empyrean Gods and Chaos True Gods of the primordial era had all been able to use treasures with ease. It was only the weaker innate Fiendgods and ordinary Fiendgods who had created their own Fiendgod weapons.

“Mm.” After inspecting them, Silvermoon said, “Three top-grade Immortal-ranked treasures, nineteen high-grade Immortal-ranked treasures, twenty-one mid-grade Immortal-ranked treasures, and sixteen low-grade Immortal-ranked treasures.”

Silvermoon was counting by individual items. For example, the six curved blades of the Firewing Demon King counted as six items. That was why the total was so high.

“Little junior apprentice-brother, this is far too little.” Silvermoon looked at Ji Ning helplessly. “Even if I’m generous and take a loss myself, I can at most exchange this for sixty Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs. To train to the third cycle, even if you use only Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs, you’ll need at least one hundred.”

Ji Ning felt helpless as well.

He had kept only one low-grade Immortal-ranked flying sword for Qingqing, and the Immortal-ranked treasures from the aquatic palace for Uncle White. He used the Thousandbull Sword and the Plowshare Heaven Sword Formation himself. He had taken out all his other Immortal-ranked treasures. Now, when he executed the Three Heads, Six Arms technique, if he didn’t use the Plowshare Heaven Sword Formation, he couldn’t even produce three Immortal-ranked flying swords!

“Tell you what.” Silvermoon flipped his hand, producing a slip of paper. “Write on this that today you borrow forty Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs. Within ten thousand years, you must return one hundred Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs to me. If you fail to repay within ten thousand years, I will take the most important treasure on your person as compensation!”

Silvermoon shook his fan, looking at Ji Ning with a beaming smile.

Ji Ning felt helpless.

He had long heard of the infamous reputation of his senior apprentice-brother Silvermoon. The disciples of the Mt. Innerheart lineage secretly called him the ‘Silvermoon Archdemon’ because, despite being an Empyrean God, he would squeeze even the ordinary disciples of Mt. Innerheart.

“Fine.” Ji Ning lowered his head.

“Hurry up and write.” Silvermoon said with a beaming smile. “That immortal sword you used to demonstrate your sword art the last time was quite good. It even had the power of a Pure Yang-ranked treasure. That single sword alone is worth nearly one hundred Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs. I’m confident that within ten thousand years, you should be able to acquire an even better treasure.”

Ji Ning immediately wrote out an IOU.

Between fellow disciples, an IOU was enough. Everyone valued their face.

“Good. Here you go!” Silvermoon flipped his hand and produced a white jade bottle, handing it to Ji Ning. “These are all Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs, produced by the Tushita Palace. They contain extremely pure elemental energy and are very suitable for training the Eight-Nine Arcane Art.”

In an instant, Ji Ning had become poor and was even indebted to his senior apprentice-brother Silvermoon for one hundred Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs. But he was willing. His current level of strength wasn’t even enough to graduate from his master’s tutelage. After all, even a slightly stronger Celestial Immortal might be able to destroy him.

The Eight-Nine Arcane Art.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged on the Netherwater Jade bed. He took the jade bottle, poured out an elixir. The elixir was a pale white jade color, with a faint fragrance that made him salivate.

This Immortal-ranked supreme elixir, if an ordinary Zifu Disciple or Wanxiang Adept ate it, they probably wouldn’t be able to refine it. It would cause their Violet Palace to explode! The elemental energy contained within was so pure it rivaled a Celestial Immortal’s own magic power. This kind of elixir was used by reincarnated Immortals to rapidly advance to a high level, or by Celestial Immortals in life-or-death combat to instantly replenish their expended magic power. It could also be used when refining ‘innate spirit treasures’ when one lacked sufficient power.

“Hua, hua, hua.”

Each Immortal-ranked supreme elixir was worth a high-grade Immortal-ranked treasure.

Ji Ning swallowed one in a single gulp.

Immediately, he began circulating the Eight-Nine Arcane Art’s method. The Eight-Nine Arcane Art method was to refine the body into an indestructible magic treasure! To refine it into a treasure required a massive amount of energy. The Immortal-ranked supreme elixirs were used to replenish this expended energy. As for ordinary Primordial Liquid, its absorption was far too slow and simply couldn’t fuel the Eight-Nine Arcane Art.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz…”

Ji Ning’s entire body began a fundamental transformation. His bones, muscles, skin, hair… every part of him underwent a rapid change.

If his previous bones and muscles had been a block of tofu, then by the time the first Immortal-ranked supreme elixir was completely consumed, his bones and muscles had reached the level of rock.

Of course, his divine body had already been quite strong before. One could imagine the massive improvement the Eight-Nine Arcane Art brought.

“The first cycle is complete!”

Ji Ning could feel the tremendous strengthening of his divine body. One Immortal-ranked supreme elixir had allowed him to train his body to the first cycle, making him immensely powerful.

“Clang.” Ji Ning formed a sword-finger with his hand and suddenly slashed it across his arm. A streak of sword-light passed by, leaving only a faint white mark.

“My body can now rival a Heaven-ranked treasure. Even if I stood there and let a Loose Immortal hit me, I wouldn’t be harmed. And this is only the first cycle.”

“This Eight-Nine Arcane Art is far superior to the technique of that Nine Deaths Realperson from the Immortal Fortunes Assembly. He had also made his body like a treasure… but it seems worlds apart from the Eight-Nine Arcane Art.” Ji Ning didn’t think too much about it. The Eight-Nine Arcane Art required at the very least a Primal-level Fiendgod body to even begin cultivating it. That Nine Deaths Realperson, who was just a Wanxiang Adept at the time, couldn’t have cultivated it even if the technique was placed right in front of him.

“The second one.” Ji Ning didn’t hesitate. He continued to swallow.

One Immortal-ranked supreme elixir after another, their incredibly pure elemental energy turning into streams of air that were absorbed by every part of Ji Ning’s body. His body was like a sponge, frantically devouring the power of the Immortal-ranked elixirs. Then, his body began a series of fundamental transformations, as if a sword were being tempered and hammered a thousand times.

“Number eleven.” As Ji Ning was refining the eleventh Immortal-ranked supreme elixir, the second cycle of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art was also completed.

Immortal-ranked elixirs continued to be consumed.

Ji Ning’s body continued to skyrocket in strength, becoming more and more resilient. “Clang, clang, clang…” During the training process, roaring sounds emanated from within Ji Ning’s body. Some of his muscles collided with each other, like two great mountains smashing together. The expansion of his heart was like an entire ocean shaking.

Ji Ning knew that this was a form of tempering!

Ordinary magic treasures were tempered using external forces like fire. However, the tempering of the body with the Eight-Nine Arcane Art occurred from within. Every internal organ, organ, even the skin and hair, were constantly being tempered. A single strand of Ji Ning’s hair could not be severed, even by a Loose Immortal striking it wildly.

“Boom…”

A sound like a great explosion rang out from within Ji Ning’s body. His muscles roared, his bones roared, his organs roared… The roar even had a hint of beautiful musical rhythm.

Ji Ning’s skin faintly glowed with a black light. His entire person resembled a terrifying magic treasure. Then, the black light faded, returning him to a normal appearance. His skin was fair and delicate, showing no sign of its incredible toughness.

“Ha ha ha! The third cycle is finally complete!” Ji Ning was overjoyed. He flipped his hand and produced the Thousandbull Sword. “Let’s test its power.”

“Slash!”

The Thousandbull Sword transformed into a dragon of black sword-light, its aura overwhelming as it directly chopped down onto his own left arm. It didn’t even leave a white mark.

“Starseizing Hand!” Ji Ning exploded with full power, making the sword-strike even more terrifying.

“Bang!”

A great roar echoed through the quiet room, but even so, his left arm didn’t even show a trace of a white mark.

“With the third cycle complete, my divine body rivals an Immortal-ranked treasure. Even going all-out, I can’t even leave a mark. Even a Celestial Immortal would probably just stare dumbfoundedly at me. No wonder it’s the number one divine ability in the Three Realms below the True God level.” Ji Ning felt incredibly satisfied. “Second Primordial! Plowshare Heaven Sword Formation! Attack!”

In front of him, a black-robed Ji Ning appeared. He directly controlled the Plowshare Heaven Sword Formation, and nine streaks of sword-light screamed through the air, stabbing directly towards the main body of Ji Ning’s chest!