Chapter 123 Eight Golden Mirrors!
"The Hermit of Heavenly Mirror!"
These four words seemed to carry some ancient magic and indescribable pressure; as soon as they were uttered, the air in the quiet room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Zhou Ding held the yellowed animal hide, staring at the two characters "Heavenly Mirror" on it. His breathing became slightly rapid, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and shock, as well as a sense of realization.
Zhou Ding, who had read the original novel, was naturally familiar with the name "Tianjing Sanren".
This is not just a vague legend, but a peerless genius who truly shook the entire Chaotic Star Sea for hundreds of years, a living legend, an epic sung, revered, and even feared by countless cultivators!
Thousands of years ago in the Chaotic Star Sea, the Star Palace's rule was not as firmly established as it is now. In the inner and outer seas, demonic beasts, rogue cultivators, ancient races, and various other forces intersected and crisscrossed.
In that era of heroes rising up and geniuses emerging in great numbers, a cultivator of mysterious origins and profound skills appeared out of nowhere, and with unparalleled prowess, he dominated the starry sea for hundreds of years!
This person was not from a prestigious sect; it is said that he was a rogue cultivator, and that he was even mediocre and unremarkable in his early years.
However, during a desperate situation, he unexpectedly received some inheritance.
From that moment on, his destiny was completely rewritten. With his unparalleled perseverance, wisdom, and that heaven-defying cultivation technique, he overcame all obstacles and made rapid progress in his cultivation. In the end, he single-handedly confronted the entire powerful Star Palace force and held his own. He was the true and undisputed "Number One Cultivator in the Star Sea" of that era!
There are so many legends about him, each one enough to make the listener's heart flutter and their blood boil.
He once single-handedly ventured into Tianxing City, the headquarters of the Star Palace, and with his extraordinary cultivation, fought against several reclusive late-stage Nascent Soul Grand Elders of the Star Palace, even...
In full view of everyone, he brazenly killed the Star Palace Master who ruled the Star Sea and whose cultivation had reached the late Nascent Soul stage!
That battle was so fierce that the heavens and earth shattered, the sun and moon lost their light, and the entire Tianxing City trembled violently under the aftershocks of his terrifying magical power. Countless cultivators watched from afar, their souls trembling with shock at the earth-shattering scene, witnessing the birth of a legend of a rogue cultivator defying the heavens and challenging the entire order with his own strength!
He once ventured deep into the alien sea, a place fraught with danger, overrun by monsters, and where even Nascent Soul cultivators dared not easily set foot. Surrounded by countless demons, he found a ninth-level transformed demon king who dominated the region. After several days of fierce fighting, he finally killed the demon king and took its demon core, refining it into a supreme treasure!
That battle terrified the entire alien sea monster race, and its ferocious reputation made countless high-level monsters tremble with fear.
He once ventured into the "Void Heaven Palace," a perilous place left behind by ancient cultivators, where danger and opportunity coexisted. He competed with several Nascent Soul stage monsters of equal cultivation for the most precious treasure in the palace. In the end, he not only successfully obtained the treasure but also escaped unscathed from the siege of several powerful individuals of the same level, leaving gracefully.
Those Nascent Soul stage monsters who competed with him, weren't they all powerful figures, considered patriarchs and ancestors?
Yet they all failed before him, leaving only sighs and apprehension.
This person is none other than "Tianjing Sanren"!
A peerless villain who embodies the meaning of "free spirit" to the extreme, stirring up the winds and clouds of the starry sea with his own strength, casting a huge shadow over the star palace!
"Could this ancient box... actually be a legacy or treasure left behind by the Hermit of the Heavenly Mirror?"
The thought flashed through Zhou Ding's mind like lightning, making his heart pound wildly, almost leaping out of his chest.
With the extraordinary cultivation and wealth of Tianjing Sanren, what he left behind could hardly be ordinary.
Thinking of this, Zhou Ding's gaze suddenly turned to the eight pure gold ancient mirrors lying quietly in the ancient box, bathed in a faint golden halo.
An even more startling guess exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt:
"If this ancient box truly belonged to the Hermit of the Heavenly Mirror... then these eight mirrors... could they be the legendary Eight Gates Golden Light Mirrors, the innate magical treasure that the Hermit of the Heavenly Mirror relied on to traverse the starry sea and strike fear into the hearts of countless cultivators?!"
The reason why Tianjing Sanren was able to establish such a illustrious reputation and dominate the entire era was undoubtedly due to his unparalleled cultivation in the Star Sea.
But everyone knows that a large part of his extraordinary cultivation comes from his powerful and unparalleled natal magic weapon!
"The Eight Gates Golden Mirror!"
Back then, the name of this treasure was even more renowned and terrifying than that of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit himself!
It was recognized by the cultivation world at the time as the "number one offensive magic weapon in the Star Sea"!
Its power and ferocity are said to have reached the edge of spiritual treasures!
The terrifying legends surrounding this mirror are no less numerous than those surrounding its owner:
The number of cultivators who died under this "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" was countless, regardless of whether they were righteous or evil. Among them were many elites in the Core Formation stage and powerful individuals in the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage.
What's even more chilling is that, according to records, there are as many as five or six Nascent Soul stage cultivators who have perished beneath this mirror!
The fall of each Nascent Soul cultivator is enough to shake a region of the sea and reshape the landscape.
However, the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" is stained with the blood of so many Nascent Soul cultivators!
The most important one among them was none other than the Star Palace Lord who once ruled the starry sea!
In that battle, the Heavenly Mirror Hermit used the unparalleled sharpness of the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" to forcefully shatter the Star Palace Master's protective spiritual treasure and supernatural powers, annihilating him both body and soul, thus firmly establishing his supreme fearsome reputation as the number one weapon in the Star Sea!
That earth-shattering battle outside Tianxing City was later considered a disgrace by the Star Palace and kept a deep secret. In historical records, it was known as the "Catastrophe of the Heavenly Mirror," the darkest and most devastating chapter in the Star Palace's long history.
After this battle, the Star Palace suffered a severe blow, losing its top combat power. It took more than a hundred years to recuperate and barely recover.
The ferocity of the "Eight Gates Golden Mirror" was thoroughly imprinted on the soul of every Star Sea cultivator after that battle, becoming an inescapable nightmare.
"Eight Golden Mirrors... Eight Golden Mirrors..." Zhou Ding murmured to himself, no longer able to suppress his excitement and desire for verification.
He reached out again and carefully picked up another golden mirror from the ancient box, holding one in each hand and examining it closely.
The mirror body remains that deep, restrained dark gold, with lifelike cloud patterns on the edges, as if it might turn into clouds and disappear at any moment.
He took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions and slowly poured two strands of pure Azure Yuan magic power into the two golden mirrors in his left and right hands respectively.
"Buzz! Buzz!"
The two golden mirrors trembled simultaneously, and the deep, dark golden light on their surfaces suddenly became brighter and more vibrant!
It was not the towering pillar of light that had been used in the previous test, but two clusters of pure golden flames, only an inch high, that suddenly rose from the depths of the mirror. They were incredibly condensed, leaping and burning, radiating terrifying heat and an extremely sharp aura!
The flames were pure in color, like liquid gold burning. The light was not dazzling, but rather contained a terrifying power to burn and purify everything!
The moment the flames appeared, the temperature in the quiet room soared, the air distorted, and a series of crackling sounds were heard. Zhou Ding even felt that his protective aura was faintly "ignited" and "melted" under the light of the flames!
Furthermore, an invisible, sharp intent, seemingly capable of slicing through the soul, emanated from the flames, causing his brow to furrow.
"Golden Divine Flame! Could this be the most iconic killing technique of the Eight Gates Golden Mirror recorded in the records—Golden Divine Flame?!" Zhou Ding was both surprised and delighted. He quickly withdrew his magic power, and the two clusters of golden flames slowly shrank back into the mirror, but the mirror surface still shimmered with a faint golden halo.
He remembered that in the original work, "Wen Tianren" seemed to possess a replica of the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror," which was already extremely powerful and had caused Han Li considerable trouble.
The eight golden mirrors in his hand, in terms of material, aura, and the power of the "golden divine flame" that had just been revealed, were far superior to the imitations!
This is very likely the true treasure that Tianjing Sanren relied on to make his name—the Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror!
The true Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror, when all eight mirrors are unleashed, can set up the "Eight Gates Golden Light Array". The golden light and divine flames within the array are overwhelming, burning nothing and destroying everything. It can also evolve into endless changes, seal the void, and sever cause and effect!
Back then, it was with this formation that Tianjing Sanren, with his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, fought against several Supreme Elders of the same level in the Star Palace and killed the Star Palace Master, who had an even higher cultivation level!
Its power can truly be described as "reaching the heavens and penetrating the earth"!
"With this treasure..." Zhou Ding held the two golden mirrors, feeling the dormant power within them that seemed capable of destroying the world. His heart was filled with heroic excitement, and he almost roared to the sky!
His overall strength will be greatly enhanced by this treasure!
Slaying enemies across a vast realm will no longer be a pipe dream!
Of course, his mind remained clear. Such a treasure, with unparalleled power, would require an immense amount of magical power and divine sense to activate.
With his current cultivation level at the mid-stage of Core Formation, he would probably struggle even to activate a single golden mirror, let alone unleash all eight mirrors to form a grand formation.
He estimated that he would only be able to unleash two or three tenths of the treasure's power after he condensed his nascent soul, his magical power underwent a qualitative change, and his divine sense surged again.
To unleash its full power with the same ease as the Heavenly Mirror Hermit, one would likely need a cultivation level in the late Nascent Soul stage.
"Even so, even if I can only barely activate one of them, with the power of this 'Golden Divine Flame,' ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivators would probably find it difficult to withstand its sharpness! It is enough to become my strongest offensive trump card!" Zhou Ding's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he carefully placed the two golden mirrors back into the ancient box, placing them alongside the other six.
The eight mirrors returned to their positions, their energy subtly connected, forming a perfect whole, their radiance flowing and displaying an extraordinary quality.
After the initial excitement subsided, Zhou Ding turned his gaze back to the yellowed animal hide map. He gently unfolded it and laid it beside the ancient box.
On the animal hide, a sea map, not particularly detailed but possessing a unique ancient charm, was outlined with dark red lines. In the center of the map was a strangely shaped island, next to which were two small characters written in ancient seal script.
Although the characters are slightly different from those in modern times, Zhou Ding, in combination with the context, could barely make out that they seemed to be the characters "天镜" (Tianjing).
A dotted line, starting from a marker on the edge of the map, meanders towards the island. The rest of the map is decorated with twisted lines representing ocean currents, reefs, and… simple sketches of several terrifying, seemingly roaring monsters!
In one corner of the map, there are a few lines of tiny print, which seem to be brief tips about potential dangers and precautions along the way.
"This...this is actually an ancient map leading to the possible location of the cave or treasure trove left behind by 'Heavenly Mirror Hermit'?!" Zhou Ding carefully examined the information on the map, his heart trembling once again. The location shown on the map, based on the outline and markings of the surrounding sea, was clearly...the Outer Star Sea!
"The alien sea..." Zhou Ding frowned deeply, his excitement fading and replaced by a look of solemnity.
The Outer Sea is a true paradise for monsters and a forbidden zone for humans!
The spiritual energy there is violent, the environment is harsh, sea beasts roam freely, and high-level demon beasts are everywhere. Level 7 and 8 demon beasts often appear, and there are even legends that there are level 10 demon beasts equivalent to the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage hiding in the depths!
It is a treasure trove of resources for human cultivators to explore, but also a perilous place where death is a near certainty!
Normally, only Nascent Soul stage cultivators, or elite teams composed of multiple late Core Formation stage or Great Perfection stage cultivators, dare to venture deep into the edge of the outer star sea for exploration.
With his current cultivation level at the mid-stage of Core Formation, although he has many trump cards, venturing into the outer star sea rashly is still extremely risky, and the slightest mistake could lead to utter destruction.
"The cave of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit... is too tempting. But the Outer Star Sea... is too dangerous." Zhou Ding unconsciously tapped his fingers on the jade table, lost in thought.
This ancient map could be a key to an extraordinary opportunity, or it could be an invitation to hell.
"At least, I need to wait until my cultivation reaches the level of a pseudo-infant, or even a condensed nascent soul, and make full preparations before I am qualified to attempt to explore." Zhou Ding quickly calmed down and made a rational judgment.
Even the best opportunities require the right life to enjoy them.
He wouldn't let a single ancient map and a priceless treasure cloud his judgment and recklessly venture into a dangerous place. He had plenty of time to plan carefully and build up his strength.
"Zhou Lang, what's wrong? This mirror... and this picture?" Xin Ruyin had been quietly watching over him. Seeing him sometimes excited, sometimes frowning, and sometimes deep in thought, she finally couldn't help but ask softly, her beautiful eyes filled with concern and curiosity.
Zhou Ding snapped out of his daze and felt a warmth in his heart when he saw Xin Ruyin's worried eyes.
He did not hide anything and told her concisely about the legendary deeds of "Tianjing Sanren", his speculations about "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror", and the situation of "Outer Star Sea" shown in the ancient map.
Of course, I will omit the part about my knowledge of the "original work".
Xin Ruyin's lips parted slightly as she listened, her eyes sparkling with wonder. She was clearly awestruck by the formidable reputation of "Tianjing Sanren" and the terrifying legend of "Eight Gates Golden Mirror".
But upon hearing the words "Alien Sea," her delicate eyebrows immediately furrowed, and a solemn expression appeared on her face, just like Zhou Ding's.
"The legacy and cave dwelling of the Heavenly Mirror Hermitage are certainly..." However, the alien sea is too dangerous.
Xin Ruyin grasped Zhou Ding's hand, her voice gentle yet firm, "Zhou Lang, this matter requires careful consideration; we must not rush into it. We can make plans later when your cultivation is higher and our preparations are more complete. Right now, obtaining this 'Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror' is already an immense opportunity, enough to greatly increase our strength and cope with the current situation."
She was always like that, sharing his joy when he was excited by opportunities, and offering him the most sober support and the warmest bond when he was weighing his options due to danger.
Zhou Ding grasped her slightly cool hand tightly and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't venture into the Outer Star Sea easily, at least not until I've condensed my Nascent Soul. Right now, the most important thing is for us to study the control method of this 'Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror' and improve our strength. Keep this ancient map safe for now, and save it for later."
He carefully rolled up the ancient map and put it into the ancient box along with the eight golden mirrors. He then resealed the ancient box with several restrictive talismans before carefully putting it into his storage bag.