Carefree Path of Dreams

“The White Sun Gate… It’s unexpected that a small sect in Clear Lotus Commandery has collected so much treasure!”

Fang Yuan strolled through this sect’s treasury, nodding as he looked around. “At least, they’re good at reaping profits!”

“Hehe… Although the sect master is barely a third-grade martial artist, he’s still the founder of the sect. The previous generations of his family may have contributed to the wealth as well”

The voice of the Sanguine Demon’s Essence Soul sounded excited. “Walk forward a bit more. It’s the second item on the third layer of the wooden shelf… Oh, since you have the Heaven Earth Man Providence Mirror now, can you see how extraordinary my fragment is?”

“Indeed!”

Fang Yuan picked up a black rock from the shelf. There were countless holes in the rock, making it look like a beehive.

But in his eyes, it was like a vortex emanating a mysterious, dark aura.

It even faintly interacted with a vague Essence Soul in the Blood Imbibing Saber.

My Heavenly Eye Seer Spell is much stronger than the Heaven Earth Man Providence Mirror… Fang Yuan thought silently, while the Sanguine Demon’s Essence Soul was totally unaware of his secret.

He glanced at the wooden shelf again and noticed a piece of paper below the rock. It read, This is an unknown mineral weighing 3,700 grams. This extremely hard rock can not be abraded by water nor burned by fire… The disciple, Bai Yunsheng, presented it after returning from his journey!

“Very good. You’ve found a second fragment, so this is the reward you deserve!”

The Sanguine Demon’s Essence Soul did not hesitate this time, injecting a large amount of inspiration about his breakthrough into Fang Yuan’s sea of consciousness.

This demon is… getting stronger!

Fang Yuan slashed the black rock. Numerous purplish-red veins extended from the Blood Imbibing Saber and voraciously absorbed everything in the rock fragments. Before long, the black rock crumbled into ashes, while the Essence Soul in the Blood Imbibing Saber solidified slightly. And Fang Yuan had observed this process.

And… the Great Sanguine Demon’s Dao path is indeed different from those of the Mental Demon Realm and the Spiritual Realm!

He changed his mind to prioritize searching for the Great Sanguine Demon’s fragments since it was easier to achieve, but more importantly, it was because he had acquired the Heavenly Eye Seer Spell.

Observing this demon’s Essence Soul was comparable to being taught by a Demon God. The benefits were far more valuable than the experiences that this demon had imparted.

“Hmm?”

After learning something from the Sanguine Demon’s Essence Soul, Fang Yuan casually searched through the treasury before an item attracted his attention.

He quickly approached the bookshelf and slashed it with his hand.

Whoosh!

Wooden planks crumbled, revealing a hidden case stuck in between.

He opened the case and retrieved a silver silk scroll.

“An incomplete page of the Ancient Armament Manual?”

Fang Yuan was truly surprised when he saw this.

The Armament Manual was written by an anonymous author. Not only did it rank the top ten Divine Armaments and the top ten Demonic Armaments, but it also recorded many secret cultivation arts, most of which were related to powerful armaments.

The Nangong family’s Six Extremes Armament Commandeering Art was only one of them.

“I can’t believe… that I found an incomplete page of the Armament Manual here…”

Fang Yuan did not read it in detail and instead directly walked out of the treasury.

“M-Master!”

The members of the sect waited fearfully outside the treasury, and the elderly sect master had an ingratiating smile on his face.

“How did you obtain the incomplete page of the Ancient Armament Manual?” Without a second thought, he waved the Armament Manual in his hand.

“The Ancient Armament Manual?”

The old man was stunned, and Fang Yuan deduced from his blank expression that he honestly knew nothing about it.

“Hmm?” But Fang Yuan would not let him off so easily. He sneered and released a frightening aura.

“Master! Please spare my life! I really don’t know anything about the Armament Manual!”

With his life threatened, the sect master knelt and begged for mercy, disregarding his dignity.

“Where did you get the bookshelf in your treasury then?” Fang Yuan changed the subject.

“That… was moved here from the Red Flower Sect after we annihilated it…” the sect master said respectfully, but he immediately regretted it inside.

If he had known that a secret manual was hidden inside, he would have retrieved and practiced it. Why would he wait until now?

“Hehe… It seems that this item is destined to be mine.”

Looking at him, Fang Yuan was generally clear about how they had obtained the Armament Manual. He grinned and kept the manual before leaving. His silhouette soon disappeared in the sky.

“Phew…”

The sect master and disciples only relaxed after Fang Yuan had disappeared from their sight.

“This man… isn’t that bloodthirsty!”

A disciple touched his head in lingering fear.

“Hmph!” The sect master snorted coldly. “What are you waiting for? Clean up the treasury and check what we’ve lost!”

“Understood!”

This elder regained the aura of a third-grade master. As the sect’s top martial artist, he had the authority to order the others. The disciples and other elders did not dare neglect him and acted immediately.

…

What’s recorded in this Armament Manual?

Sitting cross-legged on a green stone, Fang Yuan stared at the incomplete page in his hand and inadvertently started contemplating.

After a long time, the Sanguine Demon’s Essence Soul finally could not take it and had asked that question.

“Nothing. It’s just an anecdote…”

The Armament Manual contained not only cultivation techniques like the Six Extremes Armament Commandeering Art, but also secret techniques for repairing Demonic and Divine Armaments.

What was recorded on the page in Fang Yuan’s hand was somewhat peculiar. Instead of any martial arts or secret techniques, it was an anecdote from ancient times.

“When martial artists are in the nine grades, their cultivation power will become extraordinary and their body will gradually undergo a metamorphosis. Heavenly Phenomenon can even defeat thousands of armies. However, the heavens and the earth are so unkind toward martial artists! Even first-grade grandmasters have not lived longer than 150 years, and Heavenly Phenomenon only live slightly longer, but none of them have survived more than 200 years!”

“Lifespan? That’s indeed a limitation in this world!”

Fang Yuan rubbed his chin.

In fact, a larger number of extraordinary existences might not be better for a world.

The more extraordinary existences there were, the heavier the burden on the world. However, extraordinary martial artists were needed as the vanguard against external invaders.

Too much suppression of the top martial artists would make the world helpless when it was invaded. For instance, without the Celestial Thearch Sword owner confronting the Great Sanguine Demon, it was hard to imagine what would have happened to the Pugilistic World.

Fang Yuan associated the dilemma with his own experience and immediately thought of how this world resolved it.

“It allows the emergence of high-level powers but restricts their lifespans. Even a martial artist with limitless power can’t live longer than 200 years!”

Otherwise, the owners of Divine Armaments and Demonic Armaments would not have changed at all.

“While humans are mortal, Divine Armaments and Demonic Armaments can last forever. Martial artists obtaining them can quickly progress to higher realms… Thus, there must be a surge in the number of Divine and Demonic Armament owners when a tribulation strikes!

“The heavens and the earth… are so unkind to martial artists!”

The author’s anger could be felt from his messy writing on the incomplete page of the Armament Manual.

But there was a twist. “… However, heaven’s will is unpredictable, giving us a lifeline against the trend. There’s a secret realm named the ‘Heaven Deity Palace’ on the Dragon Horse Plain. It corresponds with the stars and earth veins, opening once every 20 years. The palace is inhabited by the Four Mutated Beasts, and the pills made from the beasts’ blood can lengthen one’s lifespan!”

“Sanguine Demon, did you know about this?”

Fang Yuan flicked his fingers and made a distinct sound.

“I’ve heard of it!” the Sanguine Demon said in a muffled voice. “This world is so miserly. It cultivates high-level martial artists but doesn’t grant them immortality. Since the Great Dao doesn’t allow it, this is their only chance to survive longer.”

“It seems useless to us!”

Even Fang Yuan was not going to stay in this world for 200 years.

“That’s true for us, but not to the martial artists at the end of their lifespans!” said the Sanguine Demon. “They’re willing to do anything for a single pill that can lengthen their life!”

“The Heaven Deity Palace? A place that moves along the earth veins and opens only at certain times? Interesting!”

Fang Yuan paused when he read the map of stars in the Armament Manual. He lifted his head and looked at the starry sky. “Based on the sexagenary cycle, the Heaven Deity Palace will open in a few days.”

It was even easier to locate the place.

It would be laughable if he could not see the trend and abnormality of the earth veins with the Heavenly Eye Seer Spell.

“What? Do you want to go there?”

The Sanguine Demon was confused.

“Hmm, the Heaven Deity Palace and the Four Mutated Beasts are worth seeing. Furthermore… the owners of the Divine Armaments and the Demonic Armaments will definitely visit the Heaven Deity Palace when it opens this time.”

In the past, he would not dare be so cocky.

But with the continuously upgraded Blood Imbibing Saber, and more importantly, his own improvement in martial arts cultivation, he gradually advanced to a realm where he could comprehend a Great Dao under the aid of the Heavenly Eye Seer Spell. He had the feeling that he was going to break through the barrier to a whole new level.

“Martial artists in the nine grades are merely ordinary humans. In contrast, Heavenly Phenomenon is truly extraordinary and divine! Beyond the Heavenly Phenomenon realm, there’s the Divine Demon realm!”

The Sanguine Demon provided Fang Yuan with a lot of information about this subject.

“There weren’t many Divine Demon martial artists in history, and most of them were the owners of the top three Divine Armaments and Demonic Armaments!

“They were the underlying reason for the light from providence to shine on this world!

“They even had longer lifespans…”

The Sanguine Demon said slowly with some contempt.

Even the most powerful Divine Demon martial artists were wretched creatures in his eyes.

Fang Yuan was speechless from understanding the subtext in the Sanguine Demon’s words.

But these wretched creatures were as powerful as Mental Demon Demon Gods.

Although the Sanguine Demon was an invader at the Emperor level, he was still defeated and torn asunder.

“Has the Celestial Thearch Sword owner been born? Will they come for this grand event?”

Fang Yuan stood up, his eyes glistening.

“That won’t happen…” the Sanguine Demon’s Essence Soul said. “I encountered the Celestial Thearch Sword owner only because my physical body descended into this world and caused chaos… Damn it! I was exhausted after breaking through the realm membrane. If I hadn’t encountered the Celestial Thearch Sword owner before I recovered, how would I have been defeated?”

He was clearly unresigned.

“As for your realm traversing technique, it hardly triggers any backlash from the world. That’s truly mysterious!”