CHAPTER 1190: CHAPTER 37: THE ONSET OF TRIBULATION

Since it was a gift intended for An Jing, You Ruhui quickly took out a small box.

The box wasn’t large, made of Xuan wood, and inside it was an octagonal prism. At first glance, it resembled an Eight Diagrams Wheel, approximately the size of a heart, freely circulating Spirit Qi, comparable to a first-stage Martial Artist’s Inner Strength.

The outer layer of the octagonal prism was a layer of water jade, while the inside was bright red, looking like an elixir and yet like flesh and blood, pulsating like a heart, giving An Jing a familiar feeling.

"This thing..."

He picked up the octagonal prism, placed it in his hand for a careful examination, and then had an epiphany.

An Jing looked at You Ruhui firmly and said, "Is this the Biological Spiritual Energy Furnace you’ve refined using your own flesh and blood?"

"Yes."

You Ruhui nodded: "It is nurtured with essence blood and Yuan Qi, forming the Blood and Flesh Spiritual Energy Furnace. The inspiration came from the many modified Demon Spirits’ ’spiritual cores’ within the Blood Sea Demon Sect, but it incorporates some details from the Dragon Storing Bottle and Dragon Ball."

"I call it the ’Spirit Vein Furnace’."

"Truly remarkable!"

An Jing continued to meticulously observe the Spirit Vein Furnace, growing more intrigued the more he examined it.

In the Tianyuan Realm, Spirit Qi Furnaces are essentially batteries with a Spirit Stone as the core. Although they store Spirit Qi, the Cultivator must absorb and convert it themselves before it can be used; utilizing six to seven parts out of ten Spiritual Power is already considered excellent.

The Dragon Storing Bottle, on the other hand, uses Dragon Qi as its core, capable of purifying and converting high-grade Spiritual Power, functioning as a high-pressure battery that precedes the Dragon Ball, making it far superior to the Spirit Qi Furnace with extremely high utilization efficiency.

However, once these are made, they’re difficult to expand unless the materials are dismantled to create a new one.

But the Spirit Vein Furnace is different; its core is the Cultivator’s own flesh and blood.

In An Jing’s hands, the Tai Shi Yuan Evil condenses, and the outer layer of the Spirit Vein Furnace meant for shaping and protection, a silent dissolution of water jade, leaving only a bright red mass of flesh inside.

"This thing should be placed inside the body."

An Jing revealed the second difference of the Spirit Vein Furnace. The Spirit Qi Furnace and Dragon Storing Bottle are external magic artifacts, while the Spirit Vein Furnace is an internal organ crafted through the law of Flesh and Blood.

It pulsates like a heart, with intricate vein-like patterns on the surface, likely designed to connect with the body’s meridians.

It should, without surprise, instantly pressurize and transmit Spirit Qi during combat, while slowly releasing it to nourish the meridians ordinarily.

"Indeed."

You Ruhui stood beside An Jing, observing the details of the Spirit Vein Furnace together: "Though it can be used externally, the best way is to place it inside, using it as a second dantian or a second heart, making it the core of the Complete Circuit."

"Initially, there might be some discomfort, but as long as it is constantly nurtured with essence blood and Spirit Qi, it will completely blend in before long."

"At first, the Spirit Vein Furnace is not different from a Spirit Qi Furnace, but as one’s cultivation progresses, the Martial Artist refines and purifies Spirit Fiend gradually adapting it."

"By then, consuming some nourishing elixirs corresponding to Spirit Fiend will allow the Spirit Vein Furnace to upgrade like the Dragon Storing Bottle, purifying and pressurizing."

"Of course, the intensity depends on the Martial Artist themselves."

Raising his hand, You Ruhui displayed a stream of dark golden Liuguang in his palm, thick and heavy, instantly commanding the surrounding Spirit Qi upon its emergence, precisely Dragon Qi: "I possess Emperor’s Blood, so my Spirit Vein Furnace can also produce Dragon Qi."

"However, if it were an ordinary water race, it might convert Floating Water Spirit Fiend to Frost Frost Cold Slaughter."

"This is inevitable. An external Spirit Qi Furnace can supply extremely high-purity Spirit Qi beyond a Cultivator’s limit, while the Spirit Vein Furnace can only provide the same level."

"That’s not considered a drawback; it’s not like they can’t be used together." An Jing continued to examine the Spirit Vein Furnace in his hand, his expression joyful: "This is truly impressive. Refining it with flesh and blood provides the Cultivator with more Spirit Fiend and solidifies the foundation. As the Cultivator’s strength increases, it can progress along with them."

He raised his head to gaze at You Ruhui: "Was it designed based on ’My Dao Seed’?"

"To be accurate, it takes into account both the ’Pocket World Technique’ and ’Feather Transformation Dao’."

Upon hearing An Jing’s acknowledgment, You Ruhui’s smile widened, his tone noticeably more cheerful: "’My Dao Seed’ is something to consider only after Martial Meridian Peak and Five Divine Perfection as a Pocket World Technique precursor, but I think as the core of the Pocket World Technique, preparation shouldn’t wait until the last moment."

"We can do it; can others? The Nature Master denies it. Regardless of whether it’s the Pocket World Technique, Feather Transformation Dao, ’My Dao Seed’, or Nirvana Base, additional Spirit Fiend is required, so I thought perhaps from the earliest stages, Pocket World Technique Martial Artists should make some preparations."

"In the battles against the Blood Sea Demon Sect in the East Sea, I noticed that their modified Demon Spirits were generally stronger and had more abundant Spirit Qi than their kind. Upon dissection, these Demon Spirits had unique organs like Demon Cores or spiritual cores inside them, functioning to merely operate more Spirit Qi."

"The modified Demon Spirits have low intelligence and can’t control it, but a Martial Artist could add more functions."

Not just that.

An Jing saw more in You Ruhui’s design approach.

Clearly, the [Spirit Vein Furnace] was made for the Pocket World Technique, but even more for the Feather Transformation Dao!

Martial Artists with their fleshly bodies can, like You Ruhui, modify their Spirit Vein Furnace with their own flesh and blood, significantly adding a second dantian, dual-core power!

But what about those Feather Transformation Dao cultivators without physical bodies? They can use Evergreen Wood—and essentially, everyone’s Evergreen Wood is the same.

In other words, for Feather Transformation Dao cultivators, the Spirit Vein Furnace can be industrialized and standardized, popularized!

In a way, the Spirit Vein Furnace itself is an "embedded cultivation method" for the body.

"It’s built-in software."

An Jing nodded, smiling from the heart. Perhaps this is the correct path of progress for the Feather Transformation Dao.

The Tianyuan Realm doesn’t do this because the Spirit Qi Furnace is already very advanced, and corporations need to control Feather Transformation Dao cultivators, so they control all technologies that could make them self-sufficient.

However, in the Huai Xu Realm, the Spirit Vein Furnace allows Feather Transformation Dao cultivators to embark on the cultivation path faster, surpassing other primitive martial artists from the foundation!

"Ruohui, you’ve done exceptionally well!"

In an instant, his thoughts reached a distant future, and An Jing laughed heartily, embracing You Ruhui tightly. You Ruhui seemed surprised by An Jing’s joy, her expression joyful yet a bit at a loss, but she quickly calmed down and smiled in response, "Being able to help a Nature Master, I am very honored."

"An Jing, you’ve helped me so much, I can finally return the favor."

Of course, besides the advantages, there are drawbacks to the Spirit Vein Furnace.

First is the risk of cultivating and implanting it. It requires the cultivator’s own flesh and blood, even a portion of essence blood and meridians as the medium. If cultivation fails, at best it leads to the collapse of qi and blood, at worst it shortens life.

The earlier the Spirit Vein Furnace is cultivated, the better the effect, but there are fewer chances to make mistakes. A single misstep can sever future paths, presenting huge risks.

Implantation requires high control over the cultivator’s Spiritual Fiend and their own body, basically equivalent to requiring dual cultivation of Qi Refinement and Body Refinement.

Of course, control can be resolved with a ’chip,’ but the chip is not a cure-all; it only solves computational power, while specific control still depends on the cultivator themselves.

Moreover, its growth requires additional resources... In summary, the Spirit Vein Furnace is not perfect; it is embellishing if available but does not obstruct cultivation if not. It is a high-risk, high-reward symbiotic magic artifact that only a few confident and strong individuals can handle.

Even those people must carefully ponder and fully understand it before cautiously proceeding.

But An Jing is different.

"Let me give it a try."

He released You Ruhui from the embrace, sat cross-legged directly, and closed his eyes. "Dao Becoming Flesh" exerting extreme control over the body, along with the Taibai Luminous Godly Ban, began to take effect.

Almost instantly, as the Taibai Law Prohibition was assembled and constructed, within An Jing’s body, before the heart, between the ribs, emerged a Furnace Core seemingly not gold nor jade, forged from Divine Steel.

"Ah?"

You Ruhui, still immersed in joy, was stunned to see An Jing start directly condensing a Spirit Vein Furnace within the Cloud Vortex, the most dangerous ’internal condensation.’ She instinctively reached out: "Wait, An Jing! My Spirit Vein Furnace itself is still a semi-finished product. A new route for the Spiritual Fiend flow around the second Dantian is needed before connecting—"

"No need to worry."

An Jing replied confidently: "I can see the optimal operating route at a glance."

It wasn’t that he was being careless, but An Jing’s martial arts attainments had already reached a level impossible for ordinary people to imagine. The concept of the Spirit Vein Furnace was correct, and that was enough. The specific details, possible flaws, and unaddressed gaps, he would improvise solutions for on the spot.

At this moment, under An Jing’s will, the Five Elements Yin Yang Spiritual Fiend gathered from his whole body, converging towards the Furnace Core.

Almost instantly, the Tai Shi Yuan Evil, which should only be nurtured within the Formation Realm, exploded fiercely within the Taibai Divine Steel Spirit Vein Furnace, far more robust than the average martial artist’s bones.

Once it appeared, it naturally operated within the Spirit Vein Furnace, inhaling and exhaling the Spiritual Fiend. Because the Furnace Core built by the Taibai Law Prohibition was as sturdy as a divine weapon, it bypassed all stages of warming, immediately nourishing An Jing’s physique, making his already honed to limit robust body even more vigorous and full of life!

Boom!

Atop the Lonely Mountain Cloud Vortex, at the Heavenly Dome of the East Sea, thunder suddenly roared.

"I understand now."

An Jing opened his eyes, revealing a look of realization: "This Spirit Vein Furnace has a flaw even I cannot avoid."

"What is it?" At this moment, even You Ruhui was stunned, unable to move, her own conception was merely a semi-finished product. How could she have anticipated An Jing would complete it with just a thought?

Still immersed in a talent that surpassed her imagination, almost playing with martial arts, You Ruhui asked incredulously: "What flaw could possibly evade you?"

An Jing raised his head.

Above the Lonely Mountain Cloud Vortex, endless flowing clouds gathered, coalescing into a vast and grander thundercloud vortex. Infinite thunder light was converging within, generating the awe-inspiring divine might of heaven and earth.

"Simply put, Ruohui."

He sighed deeply: "The Spirit Vein Furnace and I are too powerful. Once cultivated to full maturity, it surpasses the caution threshold of the Heavenly Dao."

"This thing... cultivating it means you get struck by lightning."