0135 Giant Treasure Artifact

“Relatives and neighbors all said I had lost my soul on the battlefield. I felt the same way myself. I’ve spent half my life killing demons; I can’t live an ordinary life anymore!” Lu Bainian drew a deep breath, and a wholly renewed light returned to his eyes. “It was only when I saw Hua Qianfu again that I realized my soul had come back. This is where I belong. I belong on the battlefield! What the hell is the Chain Bright Art worth? If it can seal the Demon Caverns and drive those filthy bastards back, I’m willing to die!”

Jiang Feng was still too young to fully understand. He pondered for a moment, then asked, “Why is that?”

“It’s important for a person to have a place where he belongs,” Lu Bainian said easily. “My place is on the battlefield. Whenever I think that every demon I kill means one fewer demon to harm my family and friends, I’m happy. I feel that my life still has some use. Sitting in the courtyard day after day, staring blankly into space—is that really any different from being dead?”

“I’m very glad I was able to come back!”

As Jiang Feng listened, he suddenly reached out and seized Lu Bainian’s wrist.

Lu Bainian froze and instinctively tried to pull free, but suddenly felt a gentle, warm current of Bright Power enter his body. Almost at the same time, warmth spread through his heart. His Bright Heart Seed leaped with joy, as though resonating with something.

He had once undergone the Chain Bright Art. It had gravely damaged both his Bright Heart Seed and Origin Branch, disrupting his circulation and causing his cultivation level to decline. Ever since, his Bright Power had continued to drain away, and his body often turned cold without warning.

Now, however, a warm current flowed outward from his Bright Heart Seed and entered his Origin Branch. It was only the faintest thread, but the pleasant warmth made him so comfortable that he nearly groaned aloud.

Lu Bainian exclaimed in astonishment, “The nature of your Bright Power is truly peculiar!”

Although this Bright Power was not especially strong, its compatibility was extraordinarily high. It was like a pair of hands, reorganizing the chaotic Bright Power inside Lu Bainian’s body and setting it flowing in proper order.

It was only temporary. Unless his circulation of Bright Power could be rebuilt, Lu Bainian would return to his former condition after some time. Even so, the effect had left him shaken. Remembering Hua Su’s instructions, he suddenly grew excited.

With Bright Power like this, perhaps Jiang Feng really could help him improve the Chain Bright Art!

No one wanted to die.

Compared with sitting in a courtyard and staring blankly into space, veterans like Lu Bainian would rather return to the battlefield and fight the demons. That did not mean they were seeking death. After all, the longer they lived, the more demons they could kill.

Once he realized that Jiang Feng might truly be able to improve the Chain Bright Art, Lu Bainian was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he released the barrier around his Bright Power and allowed Jiang Feng to advance unhindered, examining the condition of his body.

After doing so, he glanced at Jiang Feng in surprise.

For an old soldier like him, no matter how chaotic the Bright Power within his body had become, the barriers that needed to be established were still firmly in place. Yet when Jiang Feng’s Bright Power had entered him just now, it seemed barely affected by those barriers. Was that another effect of his unusual Bright Power?

In any case, once Lu Bainian opened himself fully, Jiang Feng moved with even greater freedom.

His Bright Power was like a shuttle, passing finely through Lu Bainian’s Bright Heart Seed and Origin Branch, examining them inch by inch.

Lu Bainian’s cultivation had declined because of the Chain Bright Art, so his injuries differed from Hua Su’s.

Hua Su’s Bright Heart Seed had been damaged by a single point of eruption that spread throughout the whole structure. Lu Bainian’s injury, by contrast, had been distributed evenly across the entire surface, then gradually worsened. The difference between the two was much like the difference between a serious injury and a chronic illness.

It was difficult to say which was more dangerous, but the cause of a serious injury was usually obvious and could be identified at a glance. A chronic illness, by comparison, required one to slowly uncover the cause before attempting to treat it.

So how exactly was the Chain Bright Art formed, and how did it damage the Bright Heart Seed and Origin Branch?

Jiang Feng’s eyes were half-closed as he examined everything with utmost concentration. Lu Bainian watched him expectantly.

“So this boy really does have some ability?” Gan Fuxing had been watching them from the pavilion the entire time. Jiang Feng and Lu Bainian had made no effort to lower their voices, so everything they said and did was perfectly clear from there.

Hua Su had lit another cigarette at some point. “Of course. Otherwise, why would I have brought him here personally?”

Gan Fuxing shot him a glance and teased, “You’re so pleased with yourself that your tail is practically sticking up.”

In terms of rank, he was naturally far beneath Hua Su. But Treasure-Artifact Masters held a special position, so his manner of speaking was much more relaxed than Lu Bainian’s.

Hua Su raised an eyebrow. “If you had a disciple like this, you’d be proud too!”

Bai Guo pressed his lips together and ventured, “Teacher…”

Gan Fuxing smiled at him. “Did the Martial Emperor Hua’s words hurt your feelings? You’re a good child too. But some people are simply born to stand above the rest.”

Bai Guo’s lips drew into a straight line again. After a moment of silence, he asked, “No. I just don’t understand. He hasn’t done anything at all, has he? Weren’t they going out there to investigate the Chain Bright Art? Why does it feel as though they merely chatted for a while?”

Gan Fuxing shook his head. “Then let me ask you this: What is the Chain Bright Art?”

Bai Guo answered uncertainly, “A secret technique of the Demon-Quelling Army. It uses a special method to link the Bright Power of martial cultivators, allowing them to unleash strength beyond their cultivation level.”

Gan Fuxing patiently guided his disciple. “What is Bright Power like? Why must a special method be used to link it?”

Bai Guo replied, “Everyone’s Bright Power has different fluctuations. Under normal circumstances, they cannot combine.”

Gan Fuxing asked, “Then what is the key to the Chain Bright Art?”

Bai Guo gradually understood. “Harmonizing the fluctuations of different types of Bright Power?”

Gan Fuxing nodded in satisfaction. “Then why does it have such severe aftereffects?”

Bai Guo suddenly saw the answer. “Because the harmonization was incomplete, causing a backlash!”

His mind was exceptionally quick. With Gan Fuxing’s guidance, he grasped the crucial point almost immediately.

Gan Fuxing looked at his disciple fondly and shook his head. “See? You could have figured all this out without being told. Was there really any need to ask?”

Bai Guo looked toward Jiang Feng and said reluctantly, “In other words, he had already thought of all this beforehand, which is why he didn’t ask about it.”

These conclusions were things Bai Guo had worked out for himself, but without Gan Fuxing’s guidance, he might not have reached them so quickly. As for Jiang Feng… Hmph.

He glanced at Hua Su and curled his lips. Jiang Feng had a teacher too, after all!

Gan Fuxing continued, “All of this can be deduced with a little thought, so there was no need to ask. Jiang Feng’s focus was on determining the exact nature of the Chain Bright Art’s aftereffects. He first chatted with Lu Bainian to lower the man’s guard, then used his Bright Power to investigate directly. That way, he could obtain the most direct conclusions. This boy is remarkably thoughtful. He hardly seems like a child at all…”

Hua Su said, “He must have realized this from the very beginning. That’s why he told me the Chain Bright Art might be improved.”

Bai Guo fell silent. After a long while, he gave a soft snort, his face full of unwillingness.

But at this moment, even Gan Fuxing, who usually doted on him most, paid him no attention. The two men were both staring intently at Jiang Feng, waiting expectantly for the results of his investigation.

After a long time, Jiang Feng finally withdrew his hand and entered together with Lu Bainian.

Hua Su asked with some urgency, “How is it?”

Jiang Feng pondered for a moment, then turned to Gan Fuxing. “Grandmaster Gan, what is the general principle behind sealing a Demon Cavern?”

Gan Fuxing stroked his beard and replied, “No two Demon Caverns are alike, so the first step is to measure the demonic energy around one and calculate its frequency. Then, using powerful force to induce resonance, you sever the cavern’s connection with its surroundings and make it disappear.”

“The Demon Caverns in Taicang City are interconnected,” Jiang Feng said. “They differ somewhat from ordinary Demon Caverns.”

Gan Fuxing led Jiang Feng to the stone table beside the bridge pavilion and spread out a sheet of drawings. “After arriving here, I began some preliminary work. I measured several of the Demon Caverns and made an interesting discovery…”

Using the drawings for reference, he gave Jiang Feng a thorough account of everything he had done during this period, holding nothing back. Jiang Feng listened with great seriousness, occasionally asking questions. Gan Fuxing answered those he could and carefully considered those he could not.

One was a third-tier Treasure-Artifact Master, while the other had yet to advance officially. Their statuses were worlds apart, yet the atmosphere between them was remarkably harmonious. Their exchange even carried the air of an equal partnership.

At first, Bai Guo listened attentively to his teacher. But as the discussion continued, his mind wandered. He glared jealously at Jiang Feng and curled his lips once more.

Before long, Hua Su and Lu Bainian joined the discussion as well.

Sealing a Demon Cavern was different from killing an enemy. Both powerful force and a resonant frequency were indispensable, and the two existed in inverse proportion.

In other words, the closer the frequency, the less force was required.

That fixed frequency was therefore extremely important. Treasure-Artifact Masters below the third tier could not control it reliably.

There were twelve Demon Caverns in Taicang City. They were interconnected, and after measuring them, Gan Fuxing discovered that their frequencies were not entirely identical, though they did possess an obvious pattern.

This made the task even more difficult. They had to grasp that pattern while also ensuring that the veterans using the Chain Bright Art responded and drew close to it…

Gan Fuxing sighed. “Thank goodness you managed to buy us another five days. Otherwise, we would never have had enough time!”

Jiang Feng merely smiled and said nothing. He looked up at the ceiling of the bridge pavilion and pondered for a while. Then he suddenly lowered his head and asked, “Since the Chain Bright Art makes use of resonance between Bright Powers, and sealing a Demon Cavern also involves guiding demonic energy into resonance, could we combine the two and form a single, complete resonance system?”

Hua Su and Lu Bainian exchanged a glance. Neither understood what Jiang Feng meant. Gan Fuxing, however, sensed something. His eyes lit up as he asked, “A resonance system? Something equivalent to a Treasure Artifact?”

Jiang Feng nodded. “Exactly! That’s what I mean. What is the core of a Treasure Artifact? A Bright Power structure. Bright Beasts possess Bright Power structures in their bodies, and martial cultivators do too. Our Bright Heart Seeds and Origin Branches are structures in themselves!”

Gan Fuxing’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. He exclaimed excitedly, “In other words, we use the martial cultivators as materials to create a temporary Treasure Artifact!”

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