The arrival of the Invitation to the Way was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples in Tang Xiaoqi's heart and instantly clarifying his previously slightly confused path. The goal was clear: Tian Shu City! That Asking the Way of All Things assembly gathering the world's talents.
The excitement and anticipation in his heart did not last long before being quickly replaced by a calm and efficient execution. Tang Xiaoqi deeply knew that Tian Shu City was hundreds of millions of li away at the Central Plains core. The journey was long, dangers unknown. At the assembly, geniuses would gather and experts crowd like a forest. Without thorough preparation, rashly going would be no different from feeding oneself to tigers.
In the following days, Tang Xiaoqi's cave dwelling became the busiest place in Qingxu Temple. He declined most unnecessary visitors, devoting himself fully to journey preparations.
The primary matter was sorting his own learned skills and organizing his Dao foundations. He sat cross-legged in the meditation chamber, his spirit descended into his sea of consciousness, like the most demanding craftsman, carefully examining every technique and secret art he had mastered.
The Basic Purification Technique had long transcended its original form, deeply fused with the Qing Lotus Origin and World-Purifying Spirit Flame, becoming his unique World-Purifying Brahma Domain. This was fundamental and needed constant nurturing and refinement.
The Long Spring Art of endless generative Dao rhythm was the guarantee for maintaining prolonged battle and rapid recovery, complementing the purification power and not to be neglected.
The Wandering Dragon Nine Turns body movement technique combined with spatial comprehension was key for survival, surprise attacks, and dodging. Especially in unknown environments, agile movement was often more important than powerful attacks. He repeatedly deduced, integrating some spatial application insights from fighting the silicon-based civilization and traveling through the void, adding more mystery and unpredictability to his technique.
The Vajra Demon-Subduing Divine Power that tempered his powerful physical body was his confidence for daring close combat, needing constant tempering with spiritual energy to maintain peak condition.
And the protective sword intent left by his father Xu Zhan, already fused with his own Crimson Flame Sword Heart. Though the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword had transformed into the Crimson Flame Divine Dragon protecting Kunlun, the sword intent remained. With a thought, it could still transform from intangible to tangible, slaying demons and eliminating evil.
And that most mysterious and powerful chaotic force. This force involved the origin of the universe, with limitless power yet difficult to control. It was his final trump card and must not be activated lightly except at life-and-death moments. He needed to become more familiar with its characteristics and attempt finer control to avoid harming himself when confronting enemies.
He sorted through these techniques and secret arts in his mind one by one, verifying and checking for gaps, ensuring his control over his own power reached a perfect state of being like an arm obeying the will.
At the same time, he began deliberately organizing some non-core techniques suitable for sect disciples to cultivate, along with basic insights on alchemy, artifact forging, and formations, into volumes, preparing to leave them for Senior Brother to enrich the sect's foundation.
With techniques organized, next was supplies. Pills were the foundation of a cultivator's endurance. Especially when venturing outside, injuries, poisoning, or spiritual energy depletion were inevitable.
Tang Xiaoqi directly entered the alchemy chamber deep in his cave dwelling, summoning the Creation Wok. This wok's quality was now even better than before. It contained heaven and earth, could melt all things, return to origin. Using it for alchemy was twice as effective with half the effort.
He first started refining life-saving pills: Life-Creating Pills. These pills could regenerate flesh and bone, revive the dying. As long as breath remained, they could sustain life and buy precious treatment time. He selected hundreds of rare spiritual herbs from the Dragon Palace, Northern Wastes, Southern Border, even overseas immortal islands. Using the World-Purifying Spirit Flame as assistant and the Chaos Pill Fire as main fire, he carefully purified and fused the medicinal properties. When the pill was formed, nine pill veins appeared, exotic fragrances filled the air, even causing a small-scale spiritual energy tide in the heaven and earth. In the end, three pills were completed, each round and full, containing majestic vitality.
Next, he refined Myriad Spirit Detoxification Powder that could detoxify all poisons, Spirit-Returning Pills that could instantly restore large amounts of spiritual energy, Thousand Illusion Shape-Changing Pills that could conceal aura and change appearance, Blast Origin Pills that could temporarily stimulate potential and boost combat power in a short time (this pill had extreme side effects, to be used only in desperate situations). All kinds of pills with various effects he prepared, classified and stored in the best jade bottles, labeled, and placed in the most convenient spot in his storage ring.
Besides pills, magical artifacts and equipment naturally needed inspection. The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword had transformed into a dragon and left, but he did have other weapons. He took out that Black Iron Heavy Sword obtained from a secret realm and later reforged by Second Senior Brother (now infused with multiple divine metals, its quality comparable to a top-quality spirit artifact). This sword was heavy and powerful, edgeless yet able to break all laws, suitable for head-on clashes. He also checked the internal armor Star River Guardian made from thousand-year ice silk mixed with star sand that he wore, and the defensive spirit artifact Black Tortoise Shield obtained from the Heavenly Palace reward.
Most importantly was that wok that was in harmony with his heart and had accompanied him longest. This wok could now enlarge or shrink at will. Large as a house, it could suppress a region; small as a mustard seed, it could hide in his sleeve. It could not only refine pills and artifacts but also serve as a shield or brick (Xiao Qi always thought it quite handy). Its uses were boundless. He repeatedly refined it, more tightly connecting his spiritual sense with the wok's spirit, ensuring it could be instantly summoned under any circumstances.
He also specially went to find Second Senior Brother Luo Feng. Though Second Senior Brother's body had become a puppet, his passion and talent for artifact forging and talisman making had not diminished in the slightest. Instead, freed from the body's limitations, his thoughts were even more free and bold.
When Xiao Qi came to find him, Second Senior Brother's puppet eyes lit up terrifyingly bright. Clicking and clattering, he dragged over a small mountain-like storage bag: "Xiao Qi! You are finally here! Look what good stuff Senior Brother has prepared for you!"
He proudly dumped out a pile of bizarre and wonderful contraptions: Noise Spirit Stones that could release strong interference with spiritual sense fluctuations; an Omni-Shadow Cloak for short-term perfect invisibility by distorting light beams (experimental product, unstable effect, sometimes works sometimes does not); several dozen One-Time Sky-Blasting Pearls that could explode with power comparable to a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator's self-detonation; plus several stacks of improved talismans with various effects but all drawn somewhat crookedly, like Laughing Mad Talismans that made people laugh uncontrollably, Ten Thousand Ants Gnawing Flesh Talismans that made people itch all over, and so on.
Though many looked unreliable, Xiao Qi knew that products from Second Senior Brother were definitely fine goods (in terms of the element of surprise). He smilingly received all these treasures and thanked him sincerely. Second Senior Brother also gave him several latest-version Parent-Child Compassionate Discs and a small Spirit Energy Compass that could detect surrounding energy fluctuations and life signatures.
While Xiao Qi busied himself organizing techniques, checking pills, and familiarizing with artifacts, another little creature was not idle.
The rabbit spirit was more excited than Xiao Qi. It knew they were going on a long journey, to a super amazing, super fun place. It dumped out all the stuff in that small storage magical artifact hanging around its neck, which it had named the Myriad Treasures Pouch, piling into a multicolored mountain in the corner of the cave dwelling.
Inside was truly everything: glittering spirit stones of various colors (though not high grade, the quantity was staggering), beautiful feathers, smooth pebbles, teeth from unknown demon beasts, several spiritual herbs it had borrowed from the medicine garden that emitted enticing fragrance, even several sparkling ornaments that seemed to be female cultivators' jewelry artifacts (from some unlucky fellow).
It squatted before the mountain, one paw propping its chin, ruby-like eyes extremely seriously examining its collection. Occasionally picking this up to look, then that to smell, as if making a difficult decision about which treasures were worth bringing on the journey. It wanted to bring the brightest, most fragrant, most fun things. Finally, it seemed to have made up its mind, carefully stuffing the selected treasures back into the Myriad Treasures Pouch, packing it so full it almost burst. Only then was it satisfied, patting it and hanging it back around its neck. Then it hopped to Xiao Qi's feet and nuzzled against him with its head, indicating it was ready.
Tang Xiaoqi looked at the rabbit spirit's serious expression and could not help but smile. He reached out and rubbed its fluffy head.
Outside the cave dwelling, dawn was approaching. Journey preparations were nearly complete. Techniques, pills, artifacts, various strange auxiliary items, even a rabbit packed with treasures — all ready to go.
Only needed to bid farewell to the sect, then could step onto that road leading to distant lands and higher stages. An emotion mixing anticipation, reluctance, and soaring battle spirit churned in Tang Xiaoqi's chest. He knew the road ahead would not be smooth, but he was already prepared to face everything.