Chapter 540: Because You Lack a Heart Eye

Chapter 540: Because You Lack a Heart Eye

Qi Yuan's fingers traced the words on the wooden plaque, committing the Eight Gate Refining Techniques to memory.

"Difficult, very difficult, extremely challenging," he muttered.

For Qi Yuan, mastering these techniques was no easy feat.

Without the ability to see hidden information, a unique advantage, he couldn't directly modify the techniques.

Of course, even as a blind man, his foundation as a Purple Mansion Grand Cultivator remained solid. Creating his own cultivation methods was a piece of cake.

But these Eight Gate Refining Techniques were different; they embodied the essence of simplicity. Even Qi Yuan found it challenging to improve upon them.

"It seems this Blind Maiden's identity is quite extraordinary," Qi Yuan mused.

In the sixth layer of the Immortal World, even Yang Emperor-level Divine Arts could be modified by him with ease, even in his blind state.

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

After some thought, Qi Yuan decided against taking the easy route and instead relied on his natural talent to master the Eight Gate Refining Techniques.

"Gold Technique Foundation..."

"Wood Technique Foundation..."

...

"Thunder Technique Foundation!"

After seven hours of intense study, Qi Yuan finally grasped the fundamentals of all eight techniques.

Once he had mastered the basics, he delved deeper into the techniques, gaining new insights.

"These Eight Gate Refining Techniques are indeed interconnected. To fuse them, I'll need to surpass the basic level."

The mastery of these techniques was categorized into four levels: Basic, Proficient, Master, and Grand Master.

Only at the Master level would Qi Yuan feel confident enough to attempt a fusion.

"The Blind Artisan's lifelong pursuit is to become a Divine Artisan, or even an Ancestor Deity Rank Artisan, climbing higher and higher, like Zhao Gao... Pfft!"

Being blind was already a significant challenge, and Qi Yuan had no desire to lose another organ.

"To further my training in artifice forging, I'll need to put theory into practice. I should ask the Blind Maiden for materials."

The storage magical artifact contained various materials, but divine-grade ones were scarce.

Naturally, using high-quality materials would expedite his progress.

"The cave entrance on the right... seven hundred meters away... is that where she lives?"

After some contemplation, Qi Yuan headed towards the Blind Maiden's residence.

The terrain was intricate, and Qi Yuan currently found himself in a cave devoid of natural light. However, every hundred meters, a beam of sunlight would shine through, illuminating the cave walls as if adorned with twinkling fireflies, creating a captivating sight.

Unfortunately, Qi Yuan, being blind, couldn't appreciate this beauty.

"This path seems rarely traveled, judging by the thick moss," he observed.

With caution, Qi Yuan navigated the seven-hundred-meter journey.

Finally, he halted and called out softly, "Blind Maiden, are you there?"

After a brief pause, a languid voice replied, "Yes."

Although Qi Yuan couldn't see, he imagined a graceful lady leaning against the bed, her eyes half-open as if just waking from sleep.

The rustling of fabric filled the air, accompanied by the sound of splashing water. Qi Yuan heard the crunch of grass underfoot.

"Have you decided which technique to learn?" the Blind Maiden inquired.

"I've chosen, and I've already mastered the basics," Qi Yuan replied. "It's incredibly challenging. I've never learned a technique this slowly before."

Qi Yuan was being honest. When he had his sight, even the most complex cultivation methods could be adapted and mastered swiftly with his unique abilities.

This time, without his eyes, he had to rely solely on his natural talent.

For Qi Yuan, this was an arduous task.

The Blind Maiden's cold expression momentarily softened, revealing a hint of mischievous satisfaction. "Your speed rivals that of the Flue Maiden. Which technique did you choose?"

"I've chosen all eight," Qi Yuan stated. "After a night of hard work, I finally mastered them all."

"All eight??" The Blind Maiden was taken aback.

"Yes," Qi Yuan confirmed.

She fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "It seems you've been working diligently."

However, she added, "How long have I been asleep?"

In the Divine Wood Abyss, the Blind Maiden maintained her simple routine. She either slept in her bedroom or sat on the swing, enjoying the cool breeze.

The Divine Wood Abyss was vast, but she didn't explore much.

Her memory was poor, causing her to forget things frequently. Even if she became familiar with a path, she might forget it the next day.

Consequently, she avoided new experiences.

Now, with Qi Yuan having mastered the Eight Gate Refining Techniques, she assumed she had slept for an extended period, as usual.

"One night," Qi Yuan replied honestly.

"Oh, it's morning now. Time for breakfast," the Blind Maiden said, her footsteps echoing as she walked inside the house.

After a few moments, she emerged with a wooden basket containing fruits and a wooden cup.

"Here's your breakfast," she said, handing the basket to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan took a fruit and savored its sweet and fragrant taste.

It was his first time trying this fruit, and he wished he could see it, so he could plant a tree himself.

"The materials are here. Take them and start forging," the Blind Maiden said, offering another wooden basket.

"Thank you. I'll go and forge," Qi Yuan replied.

Their conversation was brief.

Qi Yuan took the materials and returned to his forging endeavors.

The blind maiden listened to Qi Yuan's footsteps, her expression as cold as the moon.

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

As usual, she headed straight for the swing.

The swing, which Qi Yuan had previously broken, was now restored to its original state, exactly as it had been before.

The blind maiden was used to this, and she sat down on the swing.

A gentle breeze blew, causing her skirt to flutter, and her bare feet felt cool and icy.

On her beautiful snow-white face, a lonely expression appeared.

She didn't know how many times she had sat on the swing, sometimes for a few hundred years at a time.

"Can I... have eyes?"

Suddenly, she covered her eyes and her face showed a painful expression.

"I... don't want his eyes!"

"Never!"

Time passed.

Boom!

An explosion sounded, and Qi Yuan's face turned ashen.

"Failed again? Is it so difficult to refine a holy artifact?"

During this time, he had been refining magical artifacts.

The blind artisan had a strong talent, and with Qi Yuan's own talent, it should have been easy for him to advance to the divine rank.

But he had underestimated the impact of blindness on his artifice forging.

Although he was a divine-ranked weapon master, his blindness didn't affect his walking, eating, or other daily activities. However, refining magical artifacts was a technical skill.

For example, even though he was blind, he could perform delicate surgeries on Blue Star with ease.

But refining magical artifacts, especially holy artifacts, was an even more intricate and complex task.

His current situation was like a blind doctor performing surgery.

"Failed?" A crisp voice sounded, and a graceful figure stood not far away.

"Yes, I failed," Qi Yuan admitted, spreading his hands. "Without eyes, refining artifacts is too difficult."

This role-play was challenging.

Qi Yuan still needed to work hard on his cultivation.

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

As a Yin Emperor, he would need to master the rules, understand all things, and create the heavens and the earth.

Hmm... it sounded similar to the third layer of the Yang Emperor.

But that was because the third layer of the Yang Emperor had plagiarized Qi Yuan!

After all, he had already decided on his path as a Yin Emperor before even hearing the name of the third layer of the Yang Emperor.

At the very least, he needed to be a creator god.

To create, one must understand all things.

The blind artisan was a part of this understanding.

"The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body are the five roots of a person. Losing one of them means the five roots are incomplete, and losing all five means losing everything." The blind maiden spoke calmly.

A unique floral fragrance emanated from her, a pleasant scent that was neither too strong nor too sweet, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

"If I lose all five, will I turn into a stone?" Qi Yuan casually replied.

"You lack something. Otherwise, even without eyes, you can still refine artifacts."

"What do I lack?"

"You lack the heart's eye."

"Huh?" Qi Yuan was taken aback.

Was this a way to insult someone? Did she think he was a gentle and rule-abiding person? If she continued like this, he wouldn't reveal that he was her husband!

After all, they were both blind, and without making any sound, who would know who was who?

In a 1691 book, a mistake was made!

Of course, Qi Yuan was just thinking randomly. Although she said he lacked the heart's eye, he wasn't that petty, and he wouldn't belittle himself or hurt her because of this.

This heart's eye was probably different from what he understood, and it was likely similar to the divine eye.

"Observe the world with your heart, and you will discover that this world... may be different from what your eyes see.

Your eyes may deceive you, but your heart will not." The blind maiden explained.

"My eyes won't deceive me," Qi Yuan said lazily.

As he spoke, he maintained a distance from the blind maiden.

The fragrance emanating from her was so pleasant that he couldn't help but take a few more whiffs.

He needed to keep his distance; after all, she was a married woman.

Being alone with her, if something were to happen, it would be a violation of morals.

"Do you want to open your heart's eye?" the blind maiden asked.

"I have a heart's eye... but I can try to open it. How do I do it?" Qi Yuan inquired.

Currently, his artifice forging had hit a bottleneck, and he needed to find another way.

"Follow me."

The blind maiden spoke and tiptoed outside.

The cave where Qi Yuan lived was a place she rarely visited.

Even if she did come, her memory was hazy, and she might not be familiar with it.

After about half an hour, the blind maiden stopped.

"Look up at the sky."

Qi Yuan raised his head and looked up.

In his line of sight, the darkness and redness seemed to have a faint glimmer of light at this moment.

It was like a glowing grain of rice.

"This is the exit of the Divine Wood Abyss. From here, you can reach the Divine Wood Abyss.

If you observe this place day after day, with good luck, you might awaken your heart's eye in a few hundred years."

"Okay, then I'll strive to gain another heart's eye." Qi Yuan replied.

"From now on, I'll live here.

"Qi Yuan decided to stay here and practice his artifice forging. Day and night, he gazed at the exit in the sky, waiting for the moment when he could awaken his Heart Eye.

As time passed, Qi Yuan's proficiency in the Eight Gate Refining Techniques grew. However, his progress in awakening the Heart Eye remained slow.

'It's too far away; I can't even see the light of that tiny speck. Should I build a ladder to get closer?' Qi Yuan pondered in his heart.

He estimated that being too far away would slow down his understanding of the Heart Eye.

What if he built a ladder? Not only could he comprehend the Heart Eye, but he could also construct a path and leave the Divine Wood Abyss, reaching the Divine Wood Abyss.

Surely he couldn't stay in the Divine Wood Abyss forever?

...

A palace constructed from white jade and crystal was hidden amidst the clouds and mist.

"Phoenix Cry."

A faint voice echoed through the air.

A man clad in a phoenix-embroidered robe appeared, his features handsome and his expression cold. He carried a sword on his back.

"I pay my respects to the Trick Spirit."

Phoenix Cry bowed, despite his cold demeanor, his eyes held a hint of pride.

"The Green Mountain Realm's Heavenly Mandate has reappeared. Go and swiftly eliminate it," the Trick Spirit commanded.

"Yes," Phoenix Cry replied without hesitation.

"Take the Nine Lives with you," the Trick Spirit instructed once more.

Phoenix Cry's eyes flashed with pride. "My prototype is the Phoenix Ape, one of the top three Yin Emperors in the current epoch's Heaven Treading rankings. Why would I need the Nine Lives? One life is sufficient!"

Phoenix Cry was a creation born from the essence of the Phoenix Ape, a powerful being in the current cosmic epoch.

In this universe, the Phoenix Ape ranked among the top three in terms of combat strength within the Heaven Treading rankings of the current epoch.

He possessed an unwavering pride.

Even when faced with a myth, he believed he could escape.

"The Human Awakening Society is keeping a close eye on the Green Mountain Realm. There might be an Ancestor Deity involved, so take extra lives. This mission must be accomplished," the Trick Spirit said firmly.

"Yes," Phoenix Cry agreed, no longer refusing.

The Ancestor Deity was equivalent to the Yang Shen, and the gap between the Yang Shen and Yin Emperor was immense.

Even with his prototype's ranking in the current epoch's Heaven Treading combat strength, he knew he couldn't compete with the Yang Shen.

"By the way, the Radiant Order's Divine Arrival... has awakened again, and its combat strength is quite intriguing. It has slain seven Holy Artifacts single-handedly.

He is now known as Qi Yuan and should be in the Divine Wood Abyss. Take care of him as well."

"He's still alive?" Phoenix Cry's eyes widened in surprise. "It seems he's had some good luck, but this time, I'll handle it personally. His luck will run out."

He had known about the Divine Arrival, a chosen one of Heaven, for some time.

He had originally intended to slay the Divine Arrival with a single sword strike.

However, during the 'honeymoon' period between the Radiant Order and the Human Awakening Society, he couldn't act directly, so he resorted to dark light spirit calculations.

Unexpectedly, the Divine Arrival had survived.

"Go now, and return swiftly. There are other chosen ones in other worlds that require your attention," the Trick Spirit commanded.

In this cosmic embryo, the Radiant Order held significant power, but the Human Awakening Society was no weakling.

Moreover, the universe backing the Radiant Order wouldn't keep investing resources indefinitely.

They needed to be frugal.

"Yes," Phoenix Cry's figure vanished from the white jade palace without further hesitation.

The vast palace was now empty, leaving only the Trick Spirit alone.

"What a pity, the Heaven Core of this realm failed to attract the gaze of the gods and evolve into a fragment of the Light Treasure.

These three hundred thousand artisans... have died in vain."

The Trick Spirit sighed with a hint of regret.

His father was a being from the Radiant Universe, and his mother was a native of this cosmic embryo.

Although the Radiant Order and the Human Awakening Society had conflicting ideologies, their ultimate goal was the same: to protect this cosmic embryo from being devoured by the Dark Heaven.

He felt a sense of disappointment that the three hundred thousand artisans in the Green Mountain Realm had failed to forge even a fragment of the Light Treasure.

"It's a matter of fate, and fragments of the Light Treasure... are not easily forged," he mused.

There were many worlds like the Green Mountain Realm, and the Radiant Order had been secretly attempting to forge fragments of the Light Treasure in the worlds they occupied.

Unfortunately, the success rate was abysmal.

As for the Human Awakening Society's} Human Awakened, the odds were even lower.

The Trick Spirit had witnessed countless instances of hundreds of thousands of artisans dying in anonymity.

Meanwhile, in the Divine Wood Abyss...

Butterfly Insect Maiden flapped her wings, her face filled with curiosity.

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

Shen Lingxuan soaked in the hot spring, her body barely covered by a thin towel.

Although Butterfly Insect Maiden was also female, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Butterfly Insect Maiden furrowed her brows, listening intently. "Yes, there's definitely a sound."

"That's strange. There shouldn't be any other beings in the Divine Wood Abyss besides us. Where could this sound be coming from?" she wondered.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Could it be a sound from the entrance of the Divine Wood Abyss?"

The entrance to the Divine Wood Abyss was shrouded in mystery, and despite her extensive search, she had yet to find it.

Could it be hidden beneath this hot spring?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end