Mysterious mirror hanging high

Chapter 984 Similar in form but not in spirit

"Fellow Daoist Bai Yuan is truly lucky. The first Blood Amber he obtained contained a legacy. It's a very auspicious sign."

Qiu Xu laughed and said, "I'm sure our trip to the Demon Refining Realm will be very fruitful!"

Jing Yu's lips twitched, and she thought to herself, "Of course, my luck is good!"

At this moment, deep within his dantian, on the back of the Xuan Mirror, three life beads—two gold and one purple—were shining brightly.

They are: the golden immortal item [Avoiding Misfortune and Seeking Good Fortune], the golden immortal item [Breaking Through and Building Up], and the purple spiritual item [Nine Lives of a Tanuki].

Although all of Jing Yu's Qi cultivation methods were sealed under the influence of the rules of the Demon Refining Realm, he still inlaid these three Destiny Stones before entering this realm for the sake of safety.

Sure enough, he was no longer able to remove the life beads from the [Mysterious Destiny Plate], but the effects of the three life beads remained!

The Demon Refining Realm can seal Qi Refining cultivation, but it cannot seal the effects of destiny!

The unique nature of the [Great Way of Destiny] is clearly highlighted at this moment.

His good fortune in seeking good luck and avoiding misfortune allowed him to successfully access a demon clan's inheritance, which was somewhat expected.

Jing Yu casually tossed the Blood Amber to Niu Dahang and said indifferently, "This cultivation method is not suitable for me. You two brothers can see which one of you wants to try it out and comprehend it on your own."

Niu Dahang accepted the blood amber, his heart filled with excitement: "A Celestial Immortal's Legacy!"

"Sir, you are truly generous, casually tossing away a demon clan inheritance that points directly to the Celestial Immortal realm! If such an inheritance were put up at any auction, it would probably be fought over by elephant clan cultivators at the Cave Heaven Realm and Mahayana Realm!"

Niu Dahang thought to himself with a sense of satisfaction, then pressed his forehead to the paper and read the technique aloud. But after a moment, his face fell.

"Alas... After all, it is the Elephant Clan's technique. The size difference between the Ox Clan and the Elephant Clan is too great... In addition, the content is really obscure. I, Old Ox, am of mediocre talent and I am afraid I will not be able to master it."

It then handed the blood amber to Ma Zoutian, only to see the horse roll its eyes: "You, a body cultivator who practices both magic and physical cultivation, can't even master the basics, so what great achievements can I, a cultivator of the soul, possibly make?"

Niu Dahang gave Ma Zoutian a wink. The two brothers had known each other for years and were already in perfect sync. Ma Zoutian instantly understood Niu Dahang's meaning and thought to himself:

"Hehe, Brother Niu is right. This Demon Refining Realm is vast and boundless, and fused beasts of various races are everywhere. If there is the Elephant Clan's heritage, then naturally there will be the Bull Clan's and Horse Clan's heritage as well. So why rush it?"

Then Ma Zoutian passed the blood amber in his hand to Guo Tingshu, saying, "Master Guo, why don't you also try to comprehend it? At the very least, you can learn from the strengths of many schools of thought, and who knows, you might be able to make connections and gain some benefit for your cultivation."

Guo Tingshu looked hesitant as he accepted the blood amber. He lacked confidence and said awkwardly, "Sigh, my comprehension is not as good as yours. What kind of achievement can I possibly make?"

At first, he frowned slightly, his focused expression carrying the usual hesitation and uncertainty, as if he were just "looking" at something routine.

However, after only a few breaths, the hesitation on his face receded like the tide, replaced by a strange gleam that grew brighter and brighter, and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards uncontrollably.

"Haha, interesting."

He suddenly burst into a silly laugh, which sounded rather abrupt in the jungle, drawing surprised glances from Niu Dahang and Ma Zoutian.

Guo Tingshu abruptly removed the blood amber from his forehead and casually shoved it back to Ma Zoutian beside him. He seemed still immersed in the impact of the cultivation technique, and began to dance around excitedly.

He slightly bent his knees, lowered his body, and assumed a somewhat clumsy yet powerful stance, while muttering incantations:

"The elephant stands as firm as a mountain, its strength originating from the earth... Hmm, that makes sense!"

Immediately afterwards, he stretched out one arm, his five fingers loosely clenched, and his arm actually began to swing and circle wildly, just like a soft elephant trunk. At first, it was a little awkward, but soon it brought with it a "whoosh" sound of wind breaking through the air.

His left foot wasn't idle either, mimicking the action of a giant elephant raising its hoof and stomping the ground, clumsily but with a serious air as it lightly stepped on the ground, raising a little dust.

"Hey! The elephant swings its trunk! Ha! The giant foot suppresses the prison!"

Guo Tingshu became more and more engrossed in his practice, completely immersed in his own world. He swung his arms more and more vigorously, as if he had truly transformed into a humanoid elephant, practicing the secret technique he had just "comprehended" in the open space.

However, to onlookers, while the movements did resemble the figures to some extent, they always exuded an indescribable sense of absurdity and incongruity, especially when paired with his face, which sometimes seemed to suddenly realize something and sometimes to exert himself with great effort, making it appear even more strange.

Qiu Xu watched Guo Tingshu's focused rehearsal quietly, his eyes calm and undisturbed, but a faint, almost imperceptible hint of disdain flashed deep within.

He waited until Guo Tingshu had swung the "elephant trunk" a few more times, his breathing becoming slightly heavy, before slowly taking half a step forward and speaking in a gentle voice:

"Fellow Daoist Guo."

Guo Tingshu paused, turned around, his face still flushed with excitement, his eyes filled with a seeking light: "Fellow Daoist Qiu, do you think I... have I grasped the basics?"

Qiu Xu smiled slightly, a smile that maintained just the right balance of politeness and friendliness. He nodded gently, his tone calm and his words carefully chosen:

"Fellow Daoist Guo is indeed... exceptionally intelligent. To be able to imitate several moves of the [Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force] so well in such a short time shows that you have put your heart into it."

He paused briefly before continuing gently, "However, the essence of the Elephant Clan's techniques, especially these secret transmissions that directly point to the path of celestial immortality, often lies not in the simulation of muscles, bones, and skin, but in the profound, majestic, and all-encompassing aura deep within the bloodline, as well as the unique power that resonates with heaven and earth. From the very beginning, this technique was deeply imprinted with the original aura and understanding of the Great Dao of that Elephant Clan predecessor."

His words remained polite, even carrying a hint of goodwill in guiding younger generations: "Fellow Daoist Guo, in terms of human cultivation, bloodline, physique, and even understanding of [internal strength], there is an innate gap between you and the Elephant Clan."

"Our lifespan is precious, fellow cultivator. It would be better for you to spend your time on what you are good at."

Upon hearing this, Jing Yu also shook her head, sighing inwardly, "Guo Tingshu's comprehension is indeed lacking."

Guo Tingshu's moves just now were similar in form but not in spirit, completely unrelated to the core essence of the [Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force]. This technique was not the [Yin Yang Scripture] tailor-made for him. Qiu Xu was right; it was simply not suitable for Guo Tingshu.

Guo Tingshu seemed to hear Jing Yu's thoughts, his face flushed, and he stammered, "I... I just thought the images in this technique were fun, so I casually imitated them a few times. I didn't mean to put in any effort to learn it..."

Upon hearing this, Jing Yu laughed and said, "It's alright. Anyway, we're just idling around. There might not be any cultivation techniques suitable for humans in this Demon Refining Realm. If I get any other inheritances in the future, I'll show them to you. You can try to imitate them and practice them. Maybe you can even expend more energy and refine more Blood Amber. When you leave this realm and get feedback on your cultivation, it won't be a wasted trip."