Chapter Forty-Six: The Secret Realm of Geng Metal

“Wuji, isn’t this a little inappropriate?” Sun Deity asked.

Though the Jade Emperor didn’t appear imposing, his authority was beyond doubt; otherwise, why did Heaven still outwardly center around him?

“It’s just a trivial matter,” Yuan Wuji replied nonchalantly, tossing the words aside without paying much mind to the Nine Star Lords. Without further ado, he headed straight for the Palace of the Mother of Stars.

The matter of incense power would be better clarified by his master.

“Sixth Sister, you shouldn’t go,”

Elsewhere, a fairy in blue was arguing incessantly with a fairy in purple.

“No, I must let Cousin Erlang teach him a lesson. Besides, he even injured Nezha—there’s no way Cousin Erlang will let him off.”

“If Father finds out you went to see Cousin Erlang, he’ll be furious.”

“I don’t care.”

The fairy in blue flew straight toward the mortal realm, completely ignoring the fairy in purple behind her.

By this time, Yuan Wuji had already arrived at the Palace of the Mother of Stars.

“You needn’t concern yourself with incense. Cultivation is achieved through your own efforts—don’t waste time on fruitless pursuits. When the time is right, you’ll understand.”

Rushing back in haste to ask about incense, Yuan Wuji showed not a shred of composure, prompting the Holy Mother Jinling to remind him.

“You returned in such a hurry. Have you received the Jade Emperor’s reward?”

What reward? Wasn’t it just a title?

Yuan Wuji looked bewildered. The Holy Mother Jinling didn’t need to ask to know the answer.

“Forget it, I’ll have the Nine Star Lords fetch it. With your current rank, you should be allocated a residence of your own. I’ll arrange for Xiaoyu to move in first, as a guarantee of my earlier promise.”

“I can marry Xiaoyu right now.”

“You’re in such a rush?” The Holy Mother Jinling looked at him strangely. Realizing his impatience, Yuan Wuji lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Your current cultivation being stuck at this bottleneck does you no favors. I’ve decided to send you to the Geng Metal Mystic Realm to reach the Taiyi Loose Immortal stage. I don’t know how long you’ll need, which is why I’ll have Xiaoyu settle into your residence.”

“What is the Geng Metal Mystic Realm?”

“The Geng Metal Mystic Realm is filled with innate Geng metal essence and energy. Cultivating within it will allow you to break through to the Metal Element Taiyi realm in one leap.”

“Before that, let me teach you the Ninefold Mysterious Art.”

The Ninefold Mysterious Art? Yuan Wuji was no stranger to it—he had heard many legends of it in his past life. It was the supreme Daoist technique, practiced by the likes of Erlang Shen and Yuan Hong.

As for Sun Wukong, he cultivated the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, created by Zhun Ti based on fragments of the Ninefold Mysterious Art, serving as a protective technique for Buddhism.

Yuan Wuji hadn’t expected the Holy Mother Jinling to grant him this art. He was eager to experience its wonders for himself.

“The essence of the Ninefold Mysterious Art lies in the nine transformations—the Pill achieving nine turns. Sending you to the Geng Metal Mystic Realm is directly related to the Geng metal golden core in your body. Once there, cultivating to the Taiyi realm, the transformation will inevitably be that of your Geng metal golden core.”

“The Ninefold Mysterious Art revolves around your inner golden core. When you formed the Heavenly Gang golden core, I had already considered this. Cultivating the Ninefold Mysterious Art causes all your golden cores to revolve together. Especially now, with three golden cores, the combined force is not something you can withstand yet. That’s why you must break through in the Geng Metal Mystic Realm, where the resonance between your Geng metal golden core and the realm’s essence ensures only that core will transform.”

The Holy Mother Jinling explained everything to Yuan Wuji, making sure there would be no mistakes in his practice.

“Does this relate to the innate Geng metal energy you implanted in me at the start?”

“That was to shift your constitution toward the metal element, increasing your affinity for the Dao of Geng metal. But now, your situation is beyond my control. The greatest benefit the Geng Metal Mystic Realm offers you now is advancing to the Taiyi realm.”

“Remember well the Ninefold Mysterious Art I am about to teach you.”

“The nine essentials are the keys—responding to the grand pill’s nine revolutions...”

This was a matter concerning his own power—Yuan Wuji dared not be careless. He concentrated wholly, memorizing every word imparted by the Holy Mother Jinling.

“Have you memorized it?”

“Disciple has learned it all.”

Confident in Yuan Wuji’s ability, the Holy Mother Jinling felt at ease. She had no doubt that, with the aptitude of the Arm-Ape, he would succeed.

With a sweep of her sleeve, she took Yuan Wuji deeper into the Palace of the Mother of Stars.

“Master, where is this place?”

In the blink of an eye, Yuan Wuji found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He was used to showing off his magic before others—who would have thought his own master would one-up him now?

Holy Mother Jinling paid no mind to his thoughts, instead focusing on a central stone pillar—the only one, upon which was drawn a sigil Yuan Wuji did not recognize.

With the completion of the sigil, a spatial tunnel appeared from the pillar, emanating a murderous intent that sent chills down the spine.

“Wuji, once you enter the Geng Metal Mystic Realm, focus entirely on circulating the Ninefold Mysterious Art to absorb the Geng metal energy. Do not attempt to absorb the Geng metal essence indiscriminately—you cannot refine it yet.”

There were no living beings in the Geng Metal Mystic Realm, only Geng metal energy and essence. Holy Mother Jinling’s chief concern was whether Yuan Wuji’s body could withstand the onslaught of this energy.

“Rest assured, Master.”

The killing aura within the spatial tunnel caused the Geng metal golden core in Yuan Wuji’s body to stir of its own accord, as if drawn irresistibly to something on the other side.

“Hm?”

But it wasn’t just the golden core that was stirring—there was something else. The bead he had acquired from the Rat King’s cave at White Bone Ridge began to emit a faint energy. Yuan Wuji had almost forgotten its existence until now.

Could it be related to the Geng Metal Mystic Realm?

Just as Yuan Wuji was about to ask Holy Mother Jinling about the mysterious bead’s origin, she flicked her sleeve and flung him into the Geng Metal Mystic Realm.

“Master, that was too fast—”

But Yuan Wuji had already been tossed inside; his words were lost in the void, leaving only the echo of his distant shout.

“Did Wuji have something to say?”

He hadn’t expected to enter the Geng Metal Mystic Realm in such a way. The tunnel’s killing intent continuously sliced his skin, forcing Yuan Wuji to channel his magic for protection.

Worthy of the Geng Metal Mystic Realm—even the ambient energy could cut him.

“So this is the place?”

Yuan Wuji stood atop a towering mountain—the only spot to stand in this entire realm. All around was suffused with Geng metal energy, and at the foot of the peak was nothing but pure Geng metal essence.

Here, there was nothing but the Dao of Geng metal.