The Dragon Bone Life Orifice had not yet birthed any divine powers, but controlling the skeleton was an innate instinct. According to legend, even the Bone Shrinking Technique was merely a crude imitation of this innate bone-controlling ability. Cultivating such techniques was not only agonizing but could also deform and damage the bones, making it hardly worth the cost. In comparison, the natural bone control granted by the life orifice was a world apart.
Nonetheless, with the immense foundation of the Dragon Bone Life Orifice, it constantly drew in the essence of heaven and earth. Dao Rhythms fused into the space within the life orifice, turning it into a forge of the Great Dao. It wouldn't be long before it began to gestate powerful divine abilities.
"Among the five core life orifices, the Dragon Nest Life Orifice and the Dragon Bone Life Orifice have both been opened. It's not wise to open any others just yet. I must let my body adapt to the changes—perhaps wait until the Dragon Bone Life Orifice births a divine ability."
"Back in Xuanhuang Town, Huang Lao, Master Lu, and Jia Xu are overseeing things. There shouldn't be any issues. This time, I obtained a good amount of dragon hide, which is perfect for crafting a treasure I've had in mind for a while."
Yi Tianxing opened his eyes, a look of joy on his face.
With a wave of his hand, several items appeared before him.
One of them was a piece of true dragon hide—incredibly tough, impervious to blades and weapons, and infused with true dragon energy. It was a top-tier material for refining treasures. If not for encountering those traveling merchants, obtaining such a treasure at this time would've been impossible—he wouldn't even have gotten a glimpse of it.
Another item was a true dragon bone.
And not just one—several bones from ferocious beasts began to appear, all collected from the recent beast tide. These were the most refined parts of the slain beasts' remains.
"With the true dragon bone as the core and fused with bones of myriad beasts, I should be able to forge a bone staff of incredible quality."
One by one, the bone materials were sent into the Heavenly Fire Furnace. As it activated, scorching flames began tempering the unyielding materials, melting them into bone essence liquid. Any impurities were incinerated without mercy—nothing remained but the purest essence.
This refinement process took several hours.
Once all the bones had melted down, Yi Tianxing shouted, "Unite!"
With that command, all the bone essences merged, forming a radiant, multicolored liquid mass. The different components blended into a swirl of dazzling lights like a legendary gem.
"Condense!"
The liquid bone shot out of the furnace, stretching rapidly under Yi Tianxing's mental control. In an instant, it solidified into a long rod—about 2.45 meters in length. Once formed, its vibrant colors faded, replaced by faint bone patterns etched into its surface.
"True dragon hide!"
The dragon hide was immediately tossed into the furnace. Half an hour later, a strip of banner cloth emerged, which collided with the bone staff and hung upon it—merging to form a long banner.
As it fluttered, the roars of beasts and the cries of dragons seemed to echo from within.
"Hah!"
Yi Tianxing's fingers moved swiftly, forming arcane seals and tracing mystical patterns in the air. These symbols materialized into runes, which he then engraved onto the banner—imbuing it with restrictions.
To refine a magical treasure, one must infuse it with restrictions—essentially inscribed runes that form formation arrays. These restrictions gave the treasure its abilities and power.
Most restrictions had been meticulously researched by generations of cultivators. They were suited to forge magical artifacts and divine weapons—each restriction a product of enormous time and effort.
The very first restriction embedded into a treasure is the fundamental restriction, determining the artifact's nature and potential. Subsequent refining serves to strengthen and evolve this core. Each enhancement usually required true essence and rare materials, but artifact refiners had their own special method—the legendary Heavenly Cloud Restrictions.
These restrictions were split into the Seventy-Two Earthly Cloud Restrictions and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Cloud Restrictions.
Once the first core restriction was embedded, the item became a magical artifact. With further refining, this restriction could evolve—just like raising a pig by feeding it until it grew strong. In this analogy, the Heavenly Cloud Restrictions were the best feed available.
For magical artifacts, the Earthly Cloud Restrictions were used to temper and advance them. For spiritual treasures, one had to employ the Heavenly Cloud Restrictions instead.
This was different from inborn treasures, which were born of heaven and earth, and carried innate divine restrictions. However, even these treasures could be refined using Heavenly Cloud Restrictions.
This banner he had forged was called the Myriad Sigil Banner (万符幡).
It was the favorite magical treasure among symbol cultivators—those who cultivated the Way of Sigils.
Don't underestimate these sigil masters. Their combat power could be immense. Sigils were their deadliest weapon. Upon choosing this path, most would refine a specialized sigil tool.
The function of a sigil tool was to store and amplify sigils, unlocking their full potential.
The most well-known types of sigil tools were: sigil books, sigil towers, sigil orbs, and sigil banners.
Their power, though classified as magical artifacts, was fundamentally tied to the cultivator's sigil expertise. The stronger one's mastery of sigils, the more powerful the tools and sigils became.
These sigil tools could nurture the sigils, subtly enhancing their grade and even allowing them to evolve.
The refinement of sigil tools wasn't complex. In fact, it was perhaps the easiest type of magical artifact to refine.
Sigil tools had only one restriction: the Heavenly Infinity Sigil Treasure Restriction (诸天无极云符宝禁). It had only one function—to accept and nurture all types of sigils, even creating a sigil space within.
There were different grades: Ten-Sigil Banner, Hundred-Sigil Banner, Thousand-Sigil Banner, and Myriad Sigil Banner. With each level, the destructive power increased dramatically. Top-tier sigil cultivators were terrifying—capable of devastation that defied description.
But sigil cultivators burned through resources.
The sigils within were consumables—once used, they vanished.
Moreover, these tools only accepted sigils crafted with the user's own blood essence—known as blood sigils. Sigils created by others wouldn't be accepted and would be repelled.
Even mass-printed sigils produced by universal machines were useless—they lacked the necessary blood resonance.
This made such treasures even more energy-intensive—but also more potent.
Blood sigils, being connected to the user's life force, could unleash their full might—like wielding one's own limbs.
The Heavenly Infinity Sigil Treasure Restriction wasn't complicated. Yi Tianxing formed seal after seal, infusing each one into the banner. As they accumulated, a strange spiritual radiance enveloped it, and cloud-like mist began to swirl around it.
Whoosh!
As the final rune entered, countless sigils burst forth, weaving together into a perfect sigil formation—naturally formed and infused with Dao Rhythms. A cloudy halo surrounded the banner, then vanished a few breaths later.
"It's done. The Myriad Sigil Banner, made of the bones of ten thousand beasts, a true dragon bone, and true dragon hide—it should have incredible potential. This will be my signature sigil treasure. I wonder how far its power will go."
Yi Tianxing beamed at the banner before him.
He then took out a sigil and moved it toward the banner, intending to inscribe and store it inside.
But a strange phenomenon occurred.
A misty layer of clouds emerged from the banner, blocking the sigil from entering—as though a peculiar force was rejecting it.
"Just as I thought."
He shook his head without forcing it.
Placing the Myriad Sigil Banner to the side, he retrieved a sigil inkstone, a stack of fine sigil paper made from beast hide, and his Jade Brush, which was already merged with the Primordial Heavenly Emperor Tower.
Since ordinary sigils couldn't be accepted, he'd draw one himself.
"A blood sigil is essentially drawn with one's own blood mixed into the ink. This allows a natural connection between sigil and user. However, without preservation methods, this link fades quickly—making it no better than regular sigils."
He sliced his wrist, letting blood drip.
Blending it into the inkstone, he ground the ink—tinged with a faint crimson glow. The inkstone itself was made from the blood of a fierce beast.