After discussing ceremonial gathering matters, Yang Lingrui’s injuries had mostly recovered.

The two individuals began counting their gains from the journey.

They first planted the Zixiao flower sent by Yang Guanfeng into the spiritual field, then turned to the pitch-black Mysterious Stone Yang Lingrui obtained at the gathering.

They placed it beside Chen Yang.

“Lingrui’s luck is really something! He always brings back treasures when he goes out!”

Chen Yang extended his divine awareness around the Mysterious Stone, carefully examining its structure.

“Looks ordinary, but surprisingly tough.”

The coal-like stone’s surface had formed an extraordinary protective layer through some evolutionary process.

Even with his late-stage Gathering Qi awareness, penetrating the stone required considerable effort.

This heightened Chen Yang’s curiosity. He concentrated fully, unleashing all his divine awareness.

The massive energy spread outward, causing Yang Lingqing and Yang Lingrui in the ancestral hall to feel faint pressure.

“That’s our Immortal Master! Just his leaking divine awareness feels this overwhelming!”

They thought silently.

Under Chen Yang’s full power, the coal ball’s defenses crumbled. His awareness plunged into its core.

“Wait… this?”

Chen Yang froze when seeing the interior.

“Completely hollow!”

The Mysterious Stone contained nothing but its outer shell – the first such stone Chen Yang had encountered in all his years.

“Fascinating! Let’s see what this shell can do. Eat this!”

Chen Yang summoned spiritual power, dragging the coal ball closer. Crunching sounds echoed.

Crunch…

Crunch…

“Not bad. Crispy texture, though slightly hard – reminds me of…”

Searching his past-life memories, Chen Yang suddenly exclaimed:

“Bro! Tastes just like rice crackers!”

He devoured the entire stone with growing enthusiasm, still craving more afterward. The consumed coal ball left dark energy swirling inside him. Initially chaotic, Chen Yang forced the unstable mass into his white space using spiritual power. There, the energy gradually liquefied under proper catalysis.

After the black liquid fully transformed, it flowed back into Chen Yang’s body and formed a gel-like protective membrane half an inch beneath his skin.

Chen Yang sensed that even without spiritual power activation, this membrane could still block divine awareness probing.

When he channeled spiritual power, the gel membrane oozed outward and rapidly hardened across his body’s surface!

Within a breath, it completely encased him in black armor-like plating. Seeing Chen Yang’s dramatic transformation for the first time, Yang Lingqing and Yang Lingrui stared in wonder, curiosity burning within them.

What divine ability had the Immortal Master regained now?

Touching the black armor with his consciousness, Chen Yang felt delighted upon discovering its formidable defensive properties. He sent a Thought Transmission to Yang Lingqing, instructing her to test its resilience with her second-rate mountain-opening talisman in the mountains.

“Sister Qing, are you sure? The Immortal Master won’t get hurt?” Yang Lingrui fretted as they entered Song Mountain’s depths, watching his cousin prepare the talisman.

He knew the talisman’s destructive power firsthand. Though aware of the Immortal Master’s prowess, doubt still gnawed at him.

“Don’t be foolish! How could this trifling talisman harm our Immortal Master?” Yang Lingqing’s faith never wavered.

Her conviction stemmed from simple logic – without the Immortal Master’s intervention during the monster tide, the Yang Family would have perished long ago. While her sharp mind suspected hidden motives behind his continued aid, she remembered the ancient adage:

“Judge deeds, not intentions – no mortal’s heart bears scrutiny.”

Speculating about potential future betrayals seemed pointless when weighed against the Immortal Master’s proven actions: saving their clan, rescuing Lingrui and Linghu. His contributions already far surpassed anything the Yang Family could repay.

“Stay back.” Yang Lingqing ordered, talisman raised.

Chen Yang positioned himself against the Rock Wall, armor fully deployed.

“Activate!”

Light burst from the talisman as slicing energy surged toward Chen Yang.

Swish-CRACK!

The mountain-splitting force collided with the armor for an instant before deflecting sideways, carving a two-meter-long, six-meter-deep gash into the stone.

BOOM!

The thunderous impact left both Yang cousins pale. Such power would’ve vaporized them instantly. Yet when they inspected Chen Yang, not a scratch marred his obsidian armor.

“The Immortal Master’s power is incredible!”

“Told you it couldn’t harm him.”

Chen Yang marveled at the armor’s performance. Previously, blocking such force would’ve chipped his body. Now, the shell’s defense surpassed late-stage Gathering Qi, reaching Perfected Gathering Qi level – granting him cross-realm protection that eased his worries.

After testing, they returned to the Yang Family’s Forbidden Area. Yang Lingqing then examined the scholar’s storage bags from Lingrui’s journey, retrieving spiritual ink, an inkstone, and drawing paper. Combined with Lingrui’s spiritual brush, they now possessed a complete cultivation artist’s set.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep