Chapter 2: The Divine Ability 'Candle Dragon's Eye'

An hour later.

Ji Ning and the other new Yinglong Guards, having received their 'Yinglong Guard tokens', followed Yu Lan Daoist to a magnificent palace with carved beams and painted pillars. The palace was about a hundred zhang high and covered nearly a thousand zhang in area.

"This is the Dao Treasury Palace," Yu Lan Daoist said with a smile. "It houses countless techniques, secret arts, and miscellaneous schools. You may take a close look, but your spirit beasts cannot enter."

"Uncle Bai, Xiaoqing, wait for me outside."

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo entered the palace along with the others.

The Dao Treasury Palace of the Yinglong Guard division was enormous.

"It's much bigger than the Dao Treasury Hall of our Black-White College," Mu Zishuo remarked.

"Mm," Ji Ning replied, quickly glancing around as he walked.

"There are actually three hundred and sixty immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques? This, this is..." Suddenly, exclamations came from a distance.

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo's expressions changed upon hearing this.

Three hundred and sixty immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques?

The Black-White College only had twenty-eight!

"There's even a 'Pure Yang grade' of qi-gathering techniques? Pure Yang qi-gathering techniques surpass immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques?" Another exclamation came from farther away.

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo immediately dashed over.

There was a beautifully carved crystal table on which lay two books, their covers shimmering with starlight. Beside them stood a silver-haired youth, holding one of the starlight-covered books and exclaiming, "The foundation for the Zifu stage requires at least two thousand catties of liquid elemental essence, up to three thousand catties? How solid must that Zifu foundation be!"

"That powerful?"

"Immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques generally require eight hundred to fifteen hundred catties." Many people had gathered. First come, first served; Ji Ning and the others saw the two books on the table from afar, but they were snatched up by other new Yinglong Guards.

They all looked on, shaking their heads in amazement: "Cultivating a Pure Yang technique makes reaching the Return to Void Earth Immortal realm several times easier than with immortal-grade techniques. A solid foundation is indeed good!"

Many present had never heard of Pure Yang qi-gathering techniques.

Everyone only knew of the four levels: Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Immortal. They never expected there to be a higher 'Pure Yang qi-gathering technique'. Even the Black-White College, which had produced Celestial Immortals, did not possess such techniques.

"You don't know this,"

a green-robed woman with a beautiful face said smugly. "Qi-gathering techniques are divided into Mortal, Earth, Heaven, Immortal, and Pure Yang grades! But even the most顶尖 sects and even feudal lords like Anchan Beishan clan generally only possess immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques. The Yinglong Guard, as the number one force across the endless lands of the Grand Xia Dynasty... only they have Pure Yang qi-gathering techniques!"

"Not even the Anchan Beishan clan?" Ji Ning muttered to himself. "Maybe they have them, but dare not make them public."

The various feudal lords across the endless lands, even if they had some trump cards, had to keep them hidden, fearing the Grand Xia Dynasty might suspect them of rebellion.

"What!"

"Only Inner Yinglong Guards can learn it? Even Inner Yinglong Guards need a thousand merits to obtain it?"

"Then we ordinary Yinglong Guards can never learn it? I was planning to switch to a Pure Yang technique!"

Soon, flipping to the end and seeing the conditions for learning the Pure Yang technique, they all cursed loudly.

Ji Ning's heart stirred.

Swoosh!

He dashed directly to the large table holding the three hundred and sixty immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques and immediately began flipping through them. Other new Yinglong Guards also thought of something and came to look.

"Inner Yinglong Guards need one hundred merits to learn; One-Claw Yinglong Guards need ten thousand merits..." Ji Ning read the requirements and couldn't help shaking his head.

Immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques were indeed precious.

An ordinary Yinglong Guard would have to fight repeatedly, risking their lives for decades to accumulate ten thousand merits.

"Rip-off."

"Really a rip-off."

Many cultivators shook their heads.

Ji Ning also shook his head. He had originally wanted to switch to a 'water-type' Pure Yang technique. Unfortunately, Pure Yang techniques were only available to Inner Guards!

Switching techniques was common. For example, Ji Ning had practiced the ordinary 'Water Element Art' in Yanshan, then used 'Water Source Manual' at the Black-White College to build his foundation. If he switched to a better Pure Yang qi-gathering technique... although it wouldn't be as good as building the foundation with a Pure Yang technique from the start, it would still be much better.

But unfortunately...

Such techniques were not easily imparted.

...

Soon they arrived at the second floor of the palace.

"Divine abilities are also hard to learn."

"Of the eighty-nine divine abilities, most require being an Inner Yinglong Guard!"

"'Heavenly Body Expansion' has the lowest requirement: One-Claw Yinglong Guard, ten merits to learn!"

Ji Ning and the others looked at the divine abilities.

'Heavenly Body Expansion', 'Fire Rainbow Escape Technique', 'Moving Mountains and Draining Seas'... Ji Ning's mouth watered at each one.

The conditions varied.

'Heavenly Body Expansion' was naturally the easiest to learn.

The hardest was a divine ability called 'Candle Dragon's Eye', which required being an Inner Yinglong Guard and then ten million merits to exchange!

"Ten million merits?" Ji Ning was stunned.

Ji Ning had long heard of the name 'Candle Dragon's Eye'. This divine ability only appeared in legends, comparable to legendary abilities like 'Hou Yi Shoots the Suns'. He never expected to see it today. Clearly, the Grand Xia Dynasty's foundation was incredibly deep, having brought out this legendary divine ability.

"Candle Dragon's Eye... it's just a temptation," Ji Ning shook his head. "It requires being an Inner Yinglong Guard, meaning absolute loyalty to the Grand Xia Dynasty. And then obtaining ten million merits. This is extremely difficult even for Earth Immortals. Clearly, only true Fiendgod Body Refining grandmasters can meet this condition. Would a Fiendgod Body Refining grandmaster sell himself to the Grand Xia Dynasty for a single divine ability?"

Of course, Ji Ning could guess that this divine ability must be extremely powerful.

"But compared to my 'Star Picking Hand', it's probably still inferior," Ji Ning thought to himself.

Star Picking Hand...

was one of the top ten divine abilities since Pangu created the world. The Grand Xia Dynasty, ruling one major world, could hardly obtain a top-ten great divine ability.

...

Three hundred and sixty immortal-grade qi-gathering techniques, three Pure Yang qi-gathering techniques.

Eighty-nine divine abilities.

Sixty-one divine sense secret arts.

One hundred and two forbidden secret arts.

...

There were also countless rare treasures and materials. Although they were only book catalogs, since they were placed here with exchange conditions clearly marked... given the Yinglong Guard's foundation, they could naturally provide them.

"They even have immortal-grade magic treasures available for exchange."

"Immortal-grade magic treasures! I've heard that many immortals don't even have one. Unfortunately, you have to become an Inner Yinglong Guard and pay a huge amount of merits to get one."

...

Having seen everything, even Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo, from the Black-White College, the third largest power in Anchan Commandery, were deeply moved and covetous. One could imagine the thoughts of the other new Yinglong Guards.

Everyone itched with desire.

In terms of the richness of its Dao Treasury... it truly was number one in the Grand Xia Dynasty!

"What do you all think?" When Ji Ning and the others came out, Yu Lan Daoist looked at the reluctant crowd. "If you join the Inner Yinglong Guard, you can truly soar."

Ji Ning and the others remained silent.

"No rush."

"You can request to become an Inner Yinglong Guard at any time," Yu Lan Daoist shook her head. "But the later you join, the more time you waste. Who knows, that delay might prevent you from reaching a higher level in your cultivation."

Suddenly, a short, stout man stepped out from the crowd, his eyes sharp and cold, and said in a low voice, "I'll join the Inner Yinglong Guard."

Yu Lan Daoist immediately beamed: "Very good, you're the first of this batch!"

...