"Actually, once we cultivators reach the late stage of the Bitter Sea, we can begin to forge our Divine Runes into various shapes—swords, spears, staves, and so on. This is far more powerful than simply releasing the raw force of the runes."
"Some even craft their runes into strange and unique forms—a book, a painting, a lamp, or a gate. These kinds of Divine Runes can unleash extraordinary and unusual powers."
"There are those with great spirit and determination who hammer their Divine Runes repeatedly, forging them into heavy artifacts like bells, tripods, towers, seals, or furnaces. Such cultivators often walk the path of righteous strength—intimidating and overwhelmingly powerful. But for those with weaker spirit, this path can backfire disastrously."
"It's said that in our Lingxu Dongtian's ancestral sect, the Yaoguang Holy Land, there exists an imperial artifact—the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Ding. Such an artifact weaves together profound Dao patterns and possesses the tremendous power to shatter the lands of the Eastern Wilderness."
Elder Li slowly explained the knowledge about artifacts, and when he mentioned the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Ding, his expression was filled with awe and longing.
"My cultivation time isn't long, and my research into artifacts isn't very deep yet. But if I had to say, I'm somewhat interested in the furnace."
Jiang Xuan spoke up. He seemed to have a special affinity for furnaces. He had once absorbed the Scripture of the Ten Thousand Prisons Smelting Furnace and during his trip to the Great Thunder Sound Temple, he even found an Eight-Trigram Furnace.
"A furnace?"
"Yes. Choosing a furnace as your artifact is a fine choice."
"In the Eastern Wilderness, there is an ancient clan whose imperial weapons are also furnaces."
"The furnace belongs to the category of heavy artifacts and carries special meanings—it can be used to forge weapons and pills, and also to attack. It's a great choice."
"Matching the furnace is the element of fire. The path of the furnace follows the way of fire. Within the Jin Territory, there's a fiery domain where an incredibly fierce flame burns—rumored to be able to burn immortals. It's very mysterious. You should visit it someday."
"There's a type of Eight-Treasure Censer that can intimidate demons and clear disasters. Another is the Tripod Censer, symbolizing the trinity and the origin of all things."
Upon hearing Jiang Xuan's choice of the furnace, several elders shared their own understandings and hopes to offer him some guidance.
The reason Jiang Xuan chose the furnace, besides having obtained an Eight-Trigram Furnace at the Great Thunder Sound Temple, was because after advancing to the Life Spring realm, he sensed the Dao patterns of the treasures inside the Hongmeng Treasure Mirror more clearly.
Among these was a furnace that could refine heaven and earth—the Eight-Trigram Furnace.
"Draw in the fire of the great void, accept the flames of ancient aeons!"
Through his consciousness, Jiang Xuan 'saw' the Dao pattern of the Eight-Trigram Furnace in the treasure mirror—universes flowing into its mouth, transforming into pills or turning to ash.
This furnace definitely surpassed imperial weapons, even surpassing immortal imperial weapons.
The Hongmeng Treasure imprint held countless Dao patterns of divine weapons. This Eight-Trigram Furnace ranked among the very top, with only a few treasures able to rival it.
Jiang Xuan could "copy" and comprehend its Dao pattern—an unparalleled opportunity.
"Good. Since you have chosen the furnace, I will bestow upon you a furnace talisman for protection."
Elder Li and the other elders nodded in agreement. With a grand wave of his hand, a fiery red furnace spun out and floated before Jiang Xuan.
"Jiang Xuan, this furnace is called the Profound Fire Furnace. It is a sentient magic treasure. The elders and I have decided to grant it to you. You can forge your Divine Runes into it. This will greatly aid your cultivation. I hope you will train diligently."
"Thank you, Master and respected elders. I will certainly work harder to bring glory to our Lingxu Dongtian."
Jiang Xuan gratefully accepted the Profound Fire Furnace. As divine power surged, he immediately felt a connection with the furnace, as if it responded to his will like an extension of his own body.
Now he had two furnaces: the Eight-Trigram Furnace and the Profound Fire Furnace—both sentient magic treasures.
Honestly, Jiang Xuan never expected to receive such a reward.
The original path of Ye Fan didn't describe Lingxu Dongtian in such detail, but now that Jiang Xuan was truly there, he felt it was different.
Though he might have to leave Lingxu soon, he deeply appreciated the help he'd received. When he rose to power in the future, he vowed to repay all those who had aided him a hundredfold.
A drop of water shall be returned with a spring!
"Jiang Xuan, after discussing with the elders, we plan to have you replace Elder Wu Qingfeng to teach new disciples the Dao. What do you think?"
Seeing Jiang Xuan put away the Profound Fire Furnace into his Bitter Sea, Elder Li continued.
"It is my duty," Jiang Xuan replied without hesitation.
The Dao Scripture was vast and profound; teaching it would also help Jiang Xuan organize his own learning. Moreover, he was glad to share some of the workload at Lingxu Dongtian.
"Ha! Teaching the Dao comes with corresponding contributions for you as well," Elder Wu Qingfeng chuckled.
Teaching new disciples was crucial for the future of Lingxu Dongtian's young cultivators. The teacher must have a deep understanding of the Dao.
If one taught incorrectly, it could mislead disciples and harm the growth of Lingxu Dongtian.
By entrusting him with this task, the Master and elders clearly believed in his ability.
How could he betray their trust, especially since they treated him so well?
Thinking this, Jiang Xuan summoned divine light and flew back to his residence. What he needed to do next was to consolidate his cultivation.
After reaching the Life Spring realm, his spirit and body grew especially strong. Even if he cultivated nonstop for an entire day and night, he wouldn't feel the slightest fatigue. This allowed him to cultivate even more diligently, sometimes for whole nights.
At dawn the next day, Jiang Xuan ended his cultivation and flew toward the Dao Teaching Cliff.
The so-called Dao Teaching Cliff, as the name implies, was a place for teaching the Dao to new disciples.
The cliff was not tall—only about a hundred meters. Any higher and it would be too difficult for new disciples to climb.
Early morning was the best time for cultivation, so the teaching sessions were scheduled then.
Many new disciples who had not yet opened their Bitter Sea or were still at the early stage of the Bitter Sea came here to listen.
Some disciples who had already opened their Bitter Sea and formed several Divine Runes, often high-ranking among their peers, also came occasionally to listen to the elders explain profound techniques.
The disciples saw a beam of divine light cutting through the void. Immediately, they straightened their posture and prepared to listen attentively to the elder's teaching.
Jiang Xuan slowly floated down to the cliff's edge and sat cross-legged.
"Who is that?"
"Isn't that Elder Wu?"
"But he looks so young… Is he at the Life Spring realm? Or beyond it?"
"Is he going to teach us?"
The disciples were shocked and puzzled to see Jiang Xuan seated at the cliff where Elder Wu usually gave his teachings.
Still, they knew Jiang Xuan was the instructor for today's session. Such substitutions were not uncommon—when one elder was occupied, another would step in temporarily.
"Quiet! Elder Wu has other arrangements. From now on, I will be the one teaching. My name is Jiang Xuan," Jiang Xuan announced.
Below, Li Xiaoman, Wang Ziwen, Lin Jia, Zhou Yi, and the others exchanged glances, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Is that really Jiang Xuan?"
"Incredible!"
They had only been disciples for a month, still grappling with the Dao Scripture, uncertain when they might open their Bitter Sea. Yet this former classmate had already reached the Life Spring realm—and was qualified to teach disciples the Dao Scripture. It was simply astonishing.
Lin Jia and Li Xiaoman, known in university not just for their beauty but for their academic excellence—Li Xiaoman had even studied abroad—had always prided themselves on their learning ability. Yet now, they understood less than a tenth of the Dao Scripture, and still had a long way to go before opening their Bitter Sea. Meanwhile, this former classmate was already at Life Spring.
It was almost surreal.
Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged atop the cliff, beginning to expound on the opening lines of the Dao Scripture.
"The Dao is like a well that is used but never exhausted..."
"An abyss, it seems the ancestor of all things..."
Teaching others the Dao was also a method of self-reflection and filling one's own gaps. As Jiang Xuan spoke, his own understanding of the scripture deepened.
"There is something undifferentiated and yet complete, born before heaven and earth. Silent and solitary, it stands alone and does not change, circulating everywhere without exhaustion. It may be regarded as the mother of heaven and earth. I do not know its name; I call it Dao, and for lack of a better term, I call it Great."
The depth of Jiang Xuan's explanation grew, captivating the disciples completely.
The teaching session lasted only a single morning hour, for even elders and Jiang Xuan himself needed time for their own cultivation—it was impossible to speak indefinitely.
After the hour passed, Jiang Xuan summoned divine light and flew away.
"Haha, Senior Brother Jiang's explanation of the Dao Scripture was so clear and easy to understand—I get it all now! I'll definitely open my Bitter Sea when I return," one disciple exclaimed joyfully.
"So Divine Runes can be used like this? I was so rigid before," another disciple who had formed several Divine Runes pondered thoughtfully.
"Senior Brother Jiang's teaching feels even better than the elder's. If only we could hear him teach every day!" said a disciple who still had a long way to go before opening the Bitter Sea, yearning to absorb more wisdom.
Whether disciples of deeper cultivation or those just beginning, whether they had opened their Bitter Sea or not, all expressed profound respect and admiration for Jiang Xuan.
In the back rows, the twenty-six former classmates and the foreigner Kaide remained in stunned silence.
They had just listened to Jiang Xuan's explanation of the Dao Scripture. This single hour's teaching surpassed the understanding they had gained in the previous month, accelerating their comprehension by leaps and bounds. Some even felt Jiang Xuan's explanation was clearer than Elder Wu's.
"Ah, if only we had known Jiang Xuan was extraordinary earlier."
"This old classmate of ours might very well become an immortal."
"It's a pity we didn't communicate with Jiang Xuan more back when we were studying together," some lamented.
As the disciples dispersed, the classmates still felt it unbelievable—witnessing the success of someone familiar was far more shocking than hearing about a stranger's achievements.