Chapter 0434 - Dark Phantom Armor

"Dark Life Aperture Manual"

"Five Venoms Life Aperture Manual"

"Stone Life Aperture Manual"

"Beast Spirit Life Aperture Manual"

"Phantom Armor Life Aperture Manual"

"Blood Spirit Life Aperture Manual"...

One life aperture manual after another appeared before his eyes, naturally and effortlessly. These were all life apertures, authentic manuals for opening them. In the outside world, even a single one would be enough to drive people mad, enough for them to risk life and limb to seize it. Life aperture manuals were immensely important—for those at the Life Aperture Realm, they were the path of their Dao.

They determined one's potential for strength, what feats one could achieve, and were closely tied to the life apertures one developed. The difference in strength between cultivators could become astronomical even at this stage—so vast that it might never be bridged later.

Without a method to open life apertures, even after reaching the Life Aperture Realm, a cultivator would stagnate.

But simply having a method wasn't enough. Rare and precious resources were also required to open the apertures—celestial and earthly treasures, often difficult to obtain. The more advanced the life aperture, the rarer and higher-grade the necessary materials. For some, it might take a lifetime to gather what they need.

This dilemma haunted many cultivators.

"I can choose two?"

Yi Tianxing instinctively understood—the sacrifice just made, a Life Aperture Realm cultivator's soul and all, had earned him two life aperture manuals. Among them might even be top-tier manuals. The selection depended entirely on him.

"The Dark Life Aperture Manual and the Phantom Armor Life Aperture Manual."

After a moment's thought, Yi Tianxing made his choice. One couldn't know the true details of a life aperture before selecting, only guess from the name. But the Dark Life Aperture clearly hinted at a near-primordial power—an attribute of darkness. Once opened, it would allow him to command darkness and reign within it.

As for the Phantom Armor Life Aperture Manual, he sensed an innate connection with his existing Black Armor Life Aperture. It was likely a defensive technique.

And at any time, defensive divine abilities were the most precious. After all, only those who survive can seek anything else.

Whoosh!

Two beams of divine light flashed, and in an instant, two jade tomes appeared before him, condensing from illusion into reality. The others vanished as if they had never existed.

Dark Life Aperture (highlighted)

Required Materials: Dark Crystal, Sand of the Night, Raven Feather.

Effect: Once opened, the user can move through darkness like a fish in water, wielding dark power and becoming a master of the night.

Phantom Armor Life Aperture (highlighted)

Required Materials: One Five Elements treasure, one beast soul.

Effect: Condenses a Phantom Armor using the Five Elements Crystal and beast soul. The more elements infused, the stronger the armor. The armor shrouds the user's body and manifests unique divine powers based on the beast soul used. The stronger the beast soul, the stronger the armor.

These were top-tier divine powers that could accompany one for life. With proper cultivation, they could become some of his greatest sources of strength.

Upon receiving the two manuals, Yi Tianxing immediately understood their incredible potential. They were truly remarkable.

"The Dark Life Aperture is worth opening. As for the Phantom Armor, I already have the Black Armor Life Aperture, and they're similar. But I can't deny its strength. I'll place it in the Scripture Pavilion—maybe one day we can raise an entire Phantom Armor battalion. Uniform armor, unified might... the resulting force will be astonishing."

With that thought, Yi Tianxing decisively stored both manuals.

These treasures were beyond price, worth far more than a simple increase in cultivation.

"Let's go, Nannan. Time to head back."

Looking around, there wasn't much else in the city that drew his interest. The most mysterious thing was the black altar. After examining it, he lost the mood to wander. No one liked being stared at like a caged beast—curious, suspicious eyes were everywhere.

"Mm. Nannan doesn't want to wander either."

The little girl felt uncomfortable under those gazes as well and nodded quickly.

They returned to the small home they had previously occupied.

Though there were many houses in the city, there clearly weren't enough people to fill them all. Finding an empty one was easy. Still, Nannan was used to this one, and Yi Tianxing—newly arrived—didn't feel like relocating.

"Nannan, were you scared earlier?"

Back in the house, Yi Tianxing looked at her and asked.

After all, any normal person would have been terrified witnessing such slaughter, with tides of vengeful spirits everywhere.

"Not scared. Nannan's not scared. As long as Brother is here, I'm not afraid of anything."

Her clear eyes looked at him with unshakable confidence. That kind of resolve was likely what had kept her alive until now. The Black City honed people like blades.

"Nannan, do you want to cultivate? Become a cultivator?"

Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and asked solemnly.

Here, he was merely a projection, a clone, indistinguishable from his true self—but it could only remain for a few months before disappearing. He couldn't take her with him. Eventually, she would have to face this cruel world on her own.

He couldn't bring her to a peaceful world only to abandon her back in hell later. Since he couldn't stay forever, the best he could do was give her the ability to survive.

And the most direct way to do that was through cultivation.

He had to train her to the point where she could protect herself.

Though it was harsh to expect this of a young girl, she at least deserved a fighting chance.

"I want to cultivate. Grandpa once hoped I could, but people said I had poor aptitude. They said I'd never become strong—that I'd find cultivation harder than anyone."

There was hope in her eyes. She had dreamed of becoming a cultivator, but lacked everything—talent, methods, and resources.

Until now, it had only been a distant dream.

Now, Yi Tianxing's words rekindled that spark of hope.

"Aptitude isn't everything. As the heavens move strongly, so too must the noble soul strive ceaselessly. Even if you lack natural gifts, you can make up for it. In the end, it's the heart that matters. So long as you have the will to grow stronger, you can blaze a path through any hardship."

He smiled calmly.

Aptitude could be transformed—body refiners, for example, honed their bodies through sheer effort. Every strike of their inner force forged their muscles, bones, and organs anew. With time, their bodies could become immortal, indestructible.

Could such a body come from poor aptitude?

Refining the body was painful, but it changed one's very foundation.

"If you're willing to cultivate, I'll help you. Here—this is the Sitting Oblivion Sutra. It's a supreme foundational technique suitable for anyone. By visualizing primal qi, it produces true energy that harmonizes perfectly with one's body. It's the perfect starting point for you."

Yi Tianxing handed her the manual.

This was among the best of foundation-building techniques. It had no prerequisites. It came down to comprehension—and someone with high insight could enter quickly, even with mediocre aptitude.

"Okay, Brother."

Nannan carefully took the Sitting Oblivion Sutra. A strange power within the book let her instantly understand the meaning of its text—each word etched directly into her mind.

A visualization diagram naturally surfaced in her consciousness.

"Clear your mind. Let go of all distractions. Focus everything on the visualization—imagine yourself as the primal qi in the diagram, part of the formless chaos from which all things arise."

Yi Tianxing's voice carried a subtle mystical power. With each word, it soothed the spirit, clearing the mind until Nannan slipped effortlessly into a serene meditative state.

In just moments, she was fully immersed in the visualization. Unlike most people, she faced no distracting emotions or stray thoughts. Her face was serene, her aura pure—surrounded by a subtle, natural Dao rhythm.

"Such high comprehension... She entered deep visualization on her first try and began grasping its essence. Her spirit is aligning with the Dao. Soon, she'll draw out her innate primal qi and open her divine sea—beginning her path of cultivation."

Such talent and clarity—Yi Tianxing had never seen it before.