Chapter Twenty-Four: The Illusory Bronze Gauntlets

On the path of cultivation, though many shun reliance on external aids to increase their cultivation, few object to the use of such things to augment their strength. Thus, on the Desolate God Continent, spiritual treasures have become the first choice for all cultivators.

A spiritual treasure is forged from the spiritual materials of heaven and earth—those rare objects that possess spiritual awareness. From the wondrous things birthed by nature, which, if obtained by a cultivator, can be fashioned into a treasure tailored precisely to their needs, to even a fragile blade of grass, which, through the right chance, may become a spiritual treasure.

On the Desolate God Continent, spiritual treasures are strictly graded, divided into nine tiers—heaven, earth, mysterious, and yellow, each further split into upper, middle, and lower grades—much like cultivation techniques. If a cultivator can obtain a spiritual treasure suited to themselves, their chances of survival greatly increase.

Seeing his master’s pained expression, it was clear the item about to be revealed was anything but ordinary. Fu Tianji slowly drew from his own cosmos ring a pair of objects resembling gloves.

Tian looked on, puzzled, and asked with suspicion, “You’re not just giving me something random to brush me off, are you? No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem to be a great treasure.”

Fu Tianji ignored Tian’s words, still pained, and tossed the gloves over. Tian caught them in one swift motion—a pair, which he quickly donned. They felt light, fitting snugly over his hands, leaving his fingers exposed. He examined them closely several times, still unable to discern anything special about them, and so he looked at Fu Tianji.

Fu Tianji, seeing Tian’s doubtful expression, was greatly annoyed. “Ignorance is not your fault, but flaunting it when you know you are ignorant—that is your problem.”

Tian, irritated by his master’s criticism, shot back, “What do you mean by that, old man?”

Fu Tianji took a sip of his wine and said slowly, “Don’t underestimate these gloves. Back in the day, I risked my life to snatch them from someone else. They are forged entirely from Illusory Copper, incredibly sturdy, nearly indestructible. If it weren’t for the fact that you prefer to use your hands rather than weapons, I wouldn’t have given you something so precious.”

Tian and his fellow disciples didn’t quite take in the latter part of his words, but the former stuck with them. These seemingly ordinary gloves were actually made of Illusory Copper—a substance that existed only in legend. Light and unyielding, it was said that long ago, a martial artist possessed a suit of Illusory Copper armor that covered his entire body. With strength that fell short of the Supreme Realm, he challenged countless Supreme experts and never suffered defeat. The main reason was that his armor was so impenetrable that not even Supreme-level cultivators could break through it. However, the mysterious warrior eventually vanished, and the Illusory Copper armor disappeared along with him.

No one knew where the warrior’s armor came from, or what Illusory Copper truly was—this, too, became a mystery of the continent.

Tian, familiar with the legend, realized that if this was truly as the stories said, then the Illusory Copper gloves in his hands were indeed extraordinary.

Without another word, he took one glove off and placed it on the stone table. Drawing a sword from his cosmos ring, he brought it down hard upon the glove. The stone table shattered into pieces, yet the glove lay among the debris, unscathed. Tian picked it up and inspected it carefully—it had suffered no damage at all. He knew then that he had found a treasure. Even if they weren’t truly legendary Illusory Copper gloves, their defensive capabilities were indeed remarkable.

A look of delight spread across Tian’s face. Never one for weapons, he relied solely on his own hands. His Heavenly Dragon Combat Technique was a martial art of fists and feet, unconnected to weapons. Yet every time he faced someone with a weapon, he always had to be cautious. Now, with these gloves, he had nothing to fear. Facing armed opponents barehanded would be effortless.

“Thank you, old man,” Tian said, sincerely grateful to his master.

“Now you know to be grateful, hmph! Earlier, you begrudged me a single fish,” Fu Tianji retorted dismissively at Tian’s thanks.

Tian did not pursue the matter further, instead returning to his cave dwelling. Before his departure, he needed to prepare a few things and make a simple plan. After bidding farewell to the others, he left directly.

As Tian disappeared from sight, Qin Yixin’s expression grew anxious—she seemed about to say something, then thought better of it. Yet her eyes were filled with determination.

The others did not notice the peculiar behavior of the young girl. At this moment, Yang Fantian and Meng Feiyun approached, wearing mischievous looks as they gazed at their master.

Fu Tianji, seeing their expressions, found them all too familiar. He had seen the same look earlier. “What are you two young scoundrels up to now?”

Yang Fantian licked his lips, all bravado gone. “Master, I’ve decided—I want to go out and train as well. I don’t want to be surpassed by our sixth junior.”

Meng Feiyun echoed, “Master, I’m going out, too. Who would have thought our sixth junior was so ambitious? But to maintain my dignity as an elder brother, I have no choice but to go as well.”

Fu Tianji replied calmly, “It’s not your first time going out. You don’t need my permission. If you want to leave, then get going.”

Yang Fantian shook his head. “Master, that’s not very fair. When sixth junior goes out, you give him a pair of Illusory Copper gloves. If we’re leaving, shouldn’t you give us something as well?” Meng Feiyun nodded in agreement.

Fu Tianji looked at the two before him, grabbed a roasted fish from the fire, and vanished in an instant before anyone could react. The two stood there stunned, then grew indignant. But from afar came Fu Tianji’s voice: “You ungrateful brats—haven’t I given you enough every time you go out? And you still want more? Dream on! If you have the guts, go die out there. Just seeing you irritates me.”

Hearing their master’s message, Linglong laughed, stood up, and after bidding the young girl farewell, left as well. Once even Linglong had gone, Yang Fantian and Meng Feiyun exchanged glances—clearly, there was no hope. If the old man wanted to hide, even a hundred years of searching wouldn’t find him. After saying goodbye to the young girl, they also left.

Tian returned to his cave, sat cross-legged, and prepared to contemplate his next steps. There is no shortcut to breakthroughs in cultivation. If he truly wished to advance, he would have to fight many battles. Indeed, Tian was already prepared to seek out trouble—only by continuously challenging others could he have opportunities for life-and-death combat, and only by experiencing true trials of life and death could his cultivation break through more easily than through ordinary means.

The Dragon Path would certainly remain his focus. Tian had never doubted its power. After this latest breakthrough, his Heavenly Dragon Combat Technique had improved greatly. Now, if he faced a peak Soul Condensation Realm opponent, he could likely win. But against someone at the Core Realm, he was still unsure—such was the gap between realms.

But before that, Tian wanted to visit someone—Jiu You, the being residing within him, who had existed in the Nether Sea for untold ages. Though not powerful, her insight was vast—she could surely offer valuable advice.

Once more, he immersed his spiritual sense into his dantian. Whereas before it had been a sea of vital energy, now it was a sea of vital essence. Still, Tian quickly found Jiu You within that ocean.

She remained as coldly beautiful as ever—a beauty unmatched in the world. Even his two elder sisters from before, or his current senior sister, could not compare to Jiu You.

Jiu You was delighted to see Tian, and respectfully performed the ritual of servant to master. Tian helped her up. “Jiu You, this time I’ve come to ask you some questions.”

With a melodious voice, Jiu You replied, “Master, if you have questions, I will answer them all.”

Tian pondered a moment, then asked, “You said I possess the Nether Battle Physique. How exactly can I best utilize the advantages of this physique?”

Jiu You was pleased by this question and answered, “Master, the most fearsome aspect of the Nether Battle Physique is the ability to command endless followers—each one with extraordinary talent.”

Tian asked curiously, “How so?”

“The Nether Battle Physique nurtures Nether Blood, which is virtually inexhaustible. If you can implant your Nether Blood into any other race, you will gain their allegiance. Though it is difficult to implant your blood into another, if you pursue this method, you will surely amass a formidable force.”

“What are the difficulties in implanting Nether Blood into others?”

“There are certainly challenges. If it were that easy, my Nether Sea clan would have long since conquered the human and demon races. The main difficulty is that it can only be done if the target is willing, or in a state of unconsciousness. Otherwise, your Nether Blood will dissipate before it even reaches their heart.”

Tian mulled over Jiu You’s words.

Seeing her master deep in thought, Jiu You hesitated a moment, then added, “Master, I examined your body and found that you seem to have surpassed the limits of the Nether Battle Physique. Though you can nurture Nether Blood, your physical form is far stronger than the Nether Battle Physique. It even carries a hint of a primordial aura. As to your exact constitution, I do not know, but I am certain of one thing—your physique is extremely powerful.”

Tian was surprised—even Jiu You did not know all the answers.

Jiu You was the product of the Nether Sea’s heart, created after the fact, and had only partial knowledge of ancient matters. Perhaps the Chaotic Void Physique was truly unknown in this world.

At this moment, Tian realized that his body might indeed hold many secrets yet to be uncovered. But all this could not be solved by mere speculation—perhaps, when he stood atop this continent, the answers would finally reveal themselves.