Chapter 540: Because You Are Simple-Minded

Chapter 540: Because You Are Simple-Minded

Tracing the characters on the wooden tablet with his fingers, Qi Yuan committed all eight styles of the weapon-refining arts to memory.

"Difficult, very difficult, exceptionally difficult."

Practicing these eight styles of weapon-refining was somewhat challenging for Qi Yuan.

Having lost his cheat-code ability—his eyes' power to see hidden information—he naturally could not straightforwardly adapt and alter these eight styles.

Of course, even blind, his foundation as a great cultivator of the Purple Mansion remained intact; creating his own cultivation techniques was well within his capability.

Yet these eight styles of weapon-refining were different; the grand Dao is simple, and even Qi Yuan found it difficult to modify them for the better.

"It seems this blind woman's identity is far from ordinary."

Qi Yuan speculated in his heart.

In the Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm, even if it were a divine technique of the Yang Spirit level, he could alter it at will after going blind.

"It looks like I can't take any shortcuts; I'll have to learn it the hard way."

Qi Yuan pondered for a moment and decided not to slack off, choosing instead to rely on his own talent to brute-force his way through the eight styles of weapon-refining.

"Introduction to the Metal Style..."

"Introduction to the Wood Style..."

...

"Introduction to the Lightning Style!"

Grinding for fourteen hours, Qi Yuan finally achieved basic mastery in all eight styles of the weapon-refining arts.

After entering the threshold, savoring these eight styles once more brought new insights.

"These eight styles of weapon-refining are indeed an integrated whole; if I want to fuse them, basic mastery probably won't cut it."

For these eight styles of weapon-refining, the levels of mastery were divided into Beginner, Proficient, Master, and Grandmaster.

Only when all reached the Master level would Qi Yuan have the confidence to attempt a fusion.

"The lifelong pursuit of a blind weapon-refiner is to become a divine-grade weapon-refiner, or even an ancestral god-grade weapon-refiner, climbing to greater heights, to become Zhao Gao... pui, pui!"

Being blind was already miserable enough; Qi Yuan had no desire to lose another organ.

"The subsequent cultivation of the weapon-refining arts requires practical application; it is time to ask the blind woman for materials."

There were quite a few materials in his storage artifact, but divine-grade ones were few and far between.

In weapon refining, using good materials naturally allowed for faster improvement.

"The cave entrance on the right... seven hundred meters... is that her residence?"

After a moment's thought, Qi Yuan walked toward the place where the blind woman lived.

The terrain here was highly complex; where he currently stood was a cavern that never saw the light of day, though a shaft of celestial light would pierce through every hundred meters, and the walls of the cave seemed adorned with twinkling, glittering fireflies, exceedingly beautiful.

But Qi Yuan was blind and could see none of this.

"This path is probably rarely trodden; there is a lot of moss."

Covering the seven hundred meters of the path, Qi Yuan walked with utmost caution.

Finally, he halted his steps and called out softly, "Is the blind woman there?"

After a few breaths, a lazy voice drifted over: "I am."

Though Qi Yuan could not see with his eyes, he seemed to envision an elegant woman reclining sideways across the couch, her eyes half-open, looking as though she had not yet fully awakened.

A rustling sound approached, subsequently mingled with the soft splashing of water.

Qi Yuan heard the sound of footsteps treading upon green grass.

"Which style of weapon-refining have you chosen to learn?" the blind woman inquired.

"I've chosen them all, and I've already achieved basic mastery," Qi Yuan said. "It was too difficult; I have never been so slow in practicing any cultivation technique."

Qi Yuan was telling the truth.

When he wasn't blind, no matter how difficult a cultivation method was, he could quickly attain basic mastery and cultivate it rapidly after adapting it.

This time he could not rely on his eyes, depending purely on raw talent.

For Qi Yuan, it was difficult!

A fleeting look of cunning and pride inadvertently surfaced on the blind woman's cool, detached face: "To match the speed of the Sheng Maiden, which single style did you choose?"

"I chose all eight styles, and after a night of hard practice, I have finally gained basic mastery in all of them," Qi Yuan said.

"All eight styles?!"

"Yes." Qi Yuan nodded.

The blind woman fell silent, and only after a few breaths did she say, "It seems you are very diligent and hardworking."

However, she added, "How long did I sleep?"

Living in the Abyss of the Sacred Tree, the blind woman maintained a simple, repetitive routine.

She was either sleeping in her bedroom or sitting on the swing, feeling the cool breeze.

The Abyss of the Sacred Tree was vast, but she did not wander about aimlessly.

Her memory was poor; she would always forget certain things.

Even if she grew familiar with just this one path, she might forget it one day.

Consequently, she chose not to accept new things.

Now that Qi Yuan had mastered the basics of the eight weapon-refining styles, she assumed she had once again slept in a daze for a long time, just as usual.

"One night," Qi Yuan answered truthfully.

"Oh... it is morning now, time to eat."

As the blind woman spoke, the sound of footsteps echoed as she walked inside the house.

After several dozen breaths, she emerged holding a wooden basket.

The basket contained some fruits and a wooden cup.

"Eat breakfast." She handed it to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan picked up a fruit and began to eat; it was crisp, fragrant, and sweet.

It was his first time eating this kind of fruit, and it was remarkably delicious.

A pity he was blind, otherwise he would see what kind of fruit it was and plant a fruit tree himself.

"The materials are here; take them to refine weapons." The blind woman handed over another wooden basket.

"Thank you, I shall return to refine weapons."

The exchange between the two was minimal.

Qi Yuan carried the materials and made his way back.

Listening to the sound of Qi Yuan's retreating footsteps, the blind woman's expression remained as cold and detached as the moon.

She stood there for a long time, then walked away.

As usual, she followed the same straight line between two points, heading toward the swing.

The swing that Qi Yuan had once broken was now restored to its former state, exactly as before.

The blind girl, accustomed to the sight, sat down on the swing without surprise.

A gentle breeze blew, her skirt fluttering, her bare feet cool and cold.

On her fair face, a trace of loneliness emerged.

She had sat on this swing countless times, sometimes for what felt like centuries.

“Can I… have eyes?”

Suddenly, she covered her eyes, her face twisting in pain.

“I… don’t want his eyes!”

“Never!”

…

Time passed.

Boom!

An explosion rang out, leaving Qi Yuan covered in dust and grime.

“Failed again. Is forging a divine artifact… really this difficult?”

Lately, he had been focused on artifact forging.

The blind artifact master’s talent was immense, and combined with Qi Yuan’s own, reaching the divine level should have been easy.

But he underestimated how much blindness affected forging.

Though he was a divine weapon master, blindness didn’t hinder walking or eating, but forging was a delicate craft.

For instance, even blind now, he could easily perform intricate surgery on a patient back on Blue Star.

But forging, especially divine artifacts, was far more precise and complex.

His current situation was like a blind surgeon operating on a patient.

“Failed?” A crisp voice came, and a graceful figure stood not far away.

“Yeah, failed.” Qi Yuan spread his hands. “Without eyes, forging is too hard.”

This role was proving difficult.

Qi Yuan still had to work hard to cultivate.

In this game, his goal was to become a Yin God.

As a Yin God, he naturally needed to master rules, understand all things, and create heaven and earth.

Hmm… that sounded a bit like the third level of Yang God.

But that was just the third level of Yang God copying Qi Yuan!

After all, he had set his path as a Yin God before even hearing the name of the third level of Yang God.

At the very least… he had to become a god of creation. To create a world, one must understand all things.

The blind artifact master was also a part of all things.

“Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body—these are the five roots of man. Lose one, and the five are incomplete; lose all five, and you lose everything,” the blind girl said calmly.

Her body exuded a faint fragrance of special petals, light and sweet without being cloying, pleasant to the senses and refreshing.

“If I lose all five, wouldn’t I become a stone?” Qi Yuan said casually.

“You lack one thing. Without it, even without eyes, you could still forge.”

“What do I lack?”

“You lack a heart’s eye.”

“Huh?” Qi Yuan was taken aback.

Was that an insult?

Did she really think he was some gentle, rule-abiding man?

If she kept this up, madam, don’t turn around—I might actually be your husband!

After all, with two blind people, if something happened without a sound, who would know who was who?

Of course, Qi Yuan was just thinking nonsense. Though she called him heartless, he wasn’t that petty, nor would he stoop to harming her or himself.

This “heart’s eye” might mean something different from what he understood—probably something like a celestial eye.

“See the world with your heart, feel the world, and you’ll find… it might be different from what your eyes show you.

Your eyes can deceive you, but your heart cannot,” the blind girl said.

“My eyes won’t deceive me,” Qi Yuan replied lazily.

As he spoke, he kept his distance from her.

The fragrance on her was so pleasant that he couldn’t help but take a few more breaths.

He had to keep his distance—she was a married woman, someone else’s wife.

A man and a woman alone together, if things got out of hand, it would be too immoral.

“Do you want to open your heart’s eye?” the blind girl asked.

“I have a heart’s eye… but I can try opening it. How?” Qi Yuan asked.

Now that his forging had hit a bottleneck, he needed to find another way.

“Follow me.”

The blind girl said this and tiptoed out.

She rarely came to the cave where Qi Yuan lived.

Even when she did, her memories were hazy, and she might forget, so she wasn’t familiar with it.

After about half an hour, the blind girl stopped.

“Look up at the sky.”

Qi Yuan raised his head and looked up.

The black and red in his vision seemed to gain a faint glimmer of light.

Like a glowing grain of rice.

“This is the exit of the Divine Tree Abyss. From here, you can reach the Divine Tree Chasm.

Observe this spot every day. If you’re lucky, perhaps in a few hundred years, you’ll awaken your heart’s eye.”

“Alright, then I’ll try to gain an extra heart’s eye,” Qi Yuan replied.

“I’ll live here from now on,” Qi Yuan decided, settling in to forge.

Day and night he watched the exit in the sky, waiting for when he might awaken the Mind's Eye.

As time passed day by day, Qi Yuan's Eight Gates Artifact Refining Technique had all become mastery.

Yet, regarding the awakening of the Mind's Eye, his progress remained painfully slow.

"It's too far away—I can't even see that grain of light. Should I build a ladder to climb up?"

Qi Yuan pondered in his heart.

He estimated that being too far away would make comprehending the Mind's Eye very slow.

What if he built a ladder?

Not only could he comprehend the Mind's Eye, but he could also build a path to leave the Divine Wood Abyss and head to the Divine Wood Chasm.

He couldn't stay in the Divine Wood Abyss forever, could he?

...

A palace built of white jade and colored glaze, hidden within the clouds and mist.

"Feng Ti."

A ethereal voice came through.

A man in a phoenix robe appeared, with handsome features, a cold expression, and a sword strapped to his back.

"I pay homage to the Ruoxi Myth."

Feng Ti performed a salute, his expression still cold.

"The Mandate of Heaven has reappeared in the Green Mountain Realm. Go and slay it swiftly," the Ruoxi Myth spoke.

"Very well."

"Take the Nine Lives with you," the Ruoxi Myth commanded again.

A flicker of pride emerged in Feng Ti's eyes: "My original form is the Yin God Phoenix Ape, ranked among the top three in the current era for the Five Steps of Heaven-Treading. A mere Mandate of Heaven—why need the Nine Lives? One life is enough!"

He was a living being, created with the Phoenix Ape as his prototype.

In the universe, in the current era, all Yin Gods of the Five Steps of Heaven-Treading ranked among the top three in combat power.

He had his own pride.

Even if he encountered a Myth, he could escape.

"The Human Enlightenment Society is watching the Green Mountain Realm; there may be a Progenitor God. Take more lives—this mission must be completed," the Ruoxi Myth said with a firm voice.

"Very well." Feng Ti did not refuse again.

A Progenitor God was also a Yang God, and the gap between Yang God and Yin God was too vast.

Even if his original form was among the top three in combat power for the Five Steps of Heaven-Treading in the current era, he could not possibly contend with a Yang God.

"By the way, the Divine Descent created by Sheng Nu... has revived again. His combat power is quite interesting—he slew seven gods alone.

He is now named Qi Yuan and should be in the Divine Wood Chasm. Deal with him as well."

"It's still alive?" Surprise flickered in Feng Ti's eyes. "It seems its luck is good, but this time, with this venerable one acting personally, its luck has likely run out."

He had known of this Mandate of Heaven, Divine Descent, before.

He had originally wanted to shatter Divine Descent with a single sword strike.

But at that time, the relationship between the Radiance Society and the Human Enlightenment Society was in a "honeymoon period," so he could not act personally and instead used the Dark Light Spirit to scheme.

He never expected that the other was still alive.

"Go, go quickly and return quickly. There are Mandates of Heaven in other worlds that you need to slay as well," the Ruoxi Myth spoke.

In this embryonic universe, the Radiance Society's power was strong, but the Human Enlightenment Society was not weak either.

Moreover, the universe behind the Radiance Society would not continuously invest resources in it.

They needed to be frugal.

"Very well." Without further hesitation, Feng Ti's figure vanished from the white jade and colored glaze palace.

The vast palace was left with only the Ruoxi Myth.

"A pity. The Heavenly Origin of this realm did not attract the gaze of the gods to evolve into a fragment of the Radiant Divine Treasure.

These three hundred thousand artificers... died in vain."

The Ruoxi Myth sighed with some emotion.

His father was a being from the Radiant Universe, and his mother was a being from this embryonic universe.

Although the Radiance Society and the Human Enlightenment Society had conflicting ideologies, their goal was to protect this universe and prevent the embryonic universe from being devoured by the Black Heaven.

He felt some disappointment and lamentation over the tragic deaths of the three hundred thousand artificers in the Green Mountain Realm, who had failed to forge a fragment of the Radiant Divine Treasure.

"It is understandable. Fragments of the Radiant Divine Treasure... how easy are they to forge?"

There were many worlds like the Green Mountain Realm. In the worlds occupied by the Radiance Society, many were secretly forging fragments of the Radiant Divine Treasure.

Alas, among those who sought divine enlightenment, not one in a hundred succeeded.

As for the human enlightenment of the Human Enlightenment Society, the probability was even lower.

The Ruoxi Myth had seen too many instances where tens of thousands of artificers died in obscurity like this.

Meanwhile, in the Divine Wood Chasm.

The insect girl, Colorful Butterfly, fluttered her wings, a curious expression on her face.

"Did you hear that? There seems to be a sound coming from below us."

Shen Lingxuan was soaking in a hot spring, her body only wrapped in a bandeau.

Although the insect girl Colorful Butterfly was also female, she still felt somewhat restrained.

She closed her eyes slightly and listened downward: "Indeed... there is a sound."

"How strange. In the Divine Wood Chasm, aside from the two of us, there are no other living beings. How can there be a sound?" Colorful Butterfly pondered, furrowing her brows.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up: "Could it be a sound from the Divine Wood Abyss!"

The entrance to the Divine Wood Abyss was mysterious; she had searched for it for a long time without finding it.

Could it be... beneath this hot spring?