After returning from the Small Cold Realm, Zhang Yan did not waste any time and picked up the "Nine Numbers True Scripture" again. Based on his own comprehension, combined with the insights of many predecessors, he finally clarified his thoughts and roughly understood how to use this scripture to derive cultivation techniques and transform into the Miao Dao.
This scripture cannot be used arbitrarily during practice; it requires consuming a large amount of Elixir Evil. The longer the derivation process lasts, the more Elixir Evil it consumes.
Many cultivators, when halfway through the derivation, are forced to interrupt due to insufficient Elixir Evil. They must adjust their breathing and recover their Primordial Qi before starting over, making all their prior efforts futile.
This has driven many to greatly shorten the derivation time, but as a result, the outcome often falls far short of their expectations and deviates significantly from what they hope to achieve.
Zhang Yan gained considerable insights from his experiences in the Small Cold Realm, but most were focused on how to resolve this particular problem.
For example, taking Essence Assistance Elixir beforehand, lighting Beneficial Spirit Fragrance, or seeking assistance from fellow disciples—methods abound, strange and varied, and they gave him much inspiration.
However, of all these considerations, Zhang Yan was perhaps the least concerned.
Having achieved first-class Elixir Formation, Zhang Yan’s accumulation of Elixir Evil was the deepest among his peers. No one could surpass him, enabling him to extend the derivation time to the maximum, granting him a significant advantage over others.
Still, he naturally hoped the duration of derivation could be as long as possible, so he did not disregard the myriad methods uncovered by predecessors. Before formally employing the Dharma technique, he meticulously made various preparations.
He mused to himself, "Among the Five Elements True Light that I cultivate, Fire, Wood, and Gold remain insufficiently developed and must be set aside. For now, I should focus on deriving the Dharma technique for Water Element True Light first."
The "Five Directions and Five Elements Tai Xuan True Light" comprises five distinct cultivation techniques. Although they share a common origin, they must be cultivated separately, so Zhang Yan needed to derive them individually as well.
Among the True Lights of Fire, Wood, and Gold, he had only lightly practiced Wood Element True Light and hadn’t yet reached a minor accomplishment, so it did not count as successful cultivation and could be temporarily set aside. As for Gold and Fire True Lights, due to his lack of Five Elements Essence Qi, he had not yet begun cultivation, leaving him no foundation for derivation.
Although the "Nine Numbers True Scripture" is mysterious and wondrous, the principle that "The Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets the myriad things" means that the foundational "One" must first exist. Only with this as a base can derivation proceed layer by layer; it cannot be conjured from thin air.
Among the Five Elements True Light, Water Element True Light was the Dharma technique he had cultivated for the longest time. Therefore, he decided to first derive the spell for this Dao Technique. Once successful, he would proceed to derive Earth Element True Light, and with sufficient progress, it might even be possible to sequentially derive all the Five Elements True Light.
When all preparations were thorough, he first reviewed the details he needed to consider one last time in his mind. Ensuring nothing had been overlooked, he lit the Beneficial Spirit Fragrance, retrieved an elixir pill from his sleeve and swallowed it, then picked up the Broken Jade. As his heart and spirit stirred, he immersed himself within.
This was his first entry into the Broken Jade after completing his Elixir Formation. When his spirit plunged inward, the avatar within the jade abruptly opened its eyes and sat upright. At that moment, he felt a few sparks of golden light flashing above the crown of his head, as if layers of talismanic script lingered before his eyes, rotating restlessly, endlessly transforming.
Having encountered such phenomena before, he was unsurprised. Stirring his spirit, his gaze flashed slightly as he studied the Erosion Text back and forth. After a moment, he fixed his focus on one of the characters.
He pondered silently for a while and suddenly exclaimed, "This character must be ’明’ [Clarity, Illumination]!" Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
At these words, a sound like a golden drum echoed in his ears. His body lightly shuddered, as if an acupoint barrier had been opened. His heart and spirit instantly felt washed clean, completely clear and connected inside and out.
The avatar that had been rigid and lifeless suddenly became animated, vibrant, and full of life. Knowledge surged inexplicably within his mind, as though it had been inherently known all along.
Raising his head to look around, Zhang Yan saw that besides the Little Pot Mirror, the Broken Jade had reflected all the objects from his quiet room into its interior, nearly indistinguishable from the real realm.
He smiled faintly and had a sudden thought. The surrounding scenery immediately faded, and he found himself seated atop a towering mountain peak at the junction of the two realms, Beiming Continent and East Splendor Continent.
His spiritual mind moved once more, and the scene transformed again. A cold and solitary stone platform of green rock materialized—it was now within his cave mansion on Spiritual Paper Island.