Just as Nuwa had speculated, the facts proved to be exactly as she predicted.

Regardless of whether it was an internal cultivation method from among the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts—such as the Bodhi Heart Technique or Mind-Intent Qi Primordial Art (also known in legends as the Lesser Yang Celestial Art)—or one of the Quanzhen Sect’s methods like the Pure Yang Profound Art or Jade Profound Return to Origin, whenever Xuan Yuan   tried cultivating them, the energy he developed within his body was no different from the celestial power he had cultivated from the Nine Yang Celestial Art. It blended together perfectly.

Furthermore, no matter which internal cultivation method he practiced, Xuan Yuan   was able to reach the “great accomplishment” stage recorded in the texts within a matter of days, just like he did when training the Nine Yang Celestial Art.

However, beyond that point, regardless of which method he used to further circulate energy to continue accumulating power, progress slowed to a crawl.

What’s more, changing the energy circulation method allowed his internal celestial power to be freely transformed into different elemental attributes.

Huang Rong personally witnessed Xuan Yuan   using the Quanzhen Sect’s Jade Profound Return to Origin technique—at which point a massive, slowly rotating yin-yang Taiji diagram manifested under his feet. The surrounding space shimmered with black and white light and energy streams. In an instant, his aura changed from that of a blazing Solar Celestial to a tranquil Daoist immortal.

«Nothing unusual,» Nuwa remarked at the time. «The Great Celestial Taiyi isn’t just a solar celestial—he also holds the authority of a creation celestial. Manifesting into myriad forms is only natural. Doing a bit of Daoist cosplay now and then? What’s strange about that?»

Seeing Xuan Yuan   about to object, Nuwa pointed down the mountain and snorted, «Think the people down there won’t take it seriously? They’ll all believe exactly that. Those Daoist priests would be overjoyed, banging gongs and beating drums.»

«This is what we call, ‘Once inside the gates, Confucians will interpret the scriptures on your behalf.’ Master, do whatever you like. No matter how wild it is, the world will trip over itself to justify it for you.»

This matter didn’t bother Xuan Yuan   for too long. What truly gave him a headache was another issue entirely.

Despite mastering all the new cultivation methods he had acquired, after careful study, Xuan Yuan   realized that none of them increased his celestial power—he had merely learned different techniques to manipulate it.

No matter which energy flow method he used to train, his strength increased only marginally—and even seemed to be slowing down further.

He vaguely suspected that the inner cultivation systems of the Jin-based worlds—at least within the Condor Heroes realm—had already reached their limit for him.

To make another breakthrough, he would likely need to travel to a higher-level world.

Accepting this, he no longer rushed things. Instead, he treated the process like grinding a whetstone, refining the celestial power in his body to greater purity day by day, while also researching a variety of combat techniques. Together with Nuwa, he analyzed the deeper mechanisms behind their many flashy special effects.

Even his urgency in obtaining the Nine Yin Manual began to fade.

During these days, Nuwa also reached a preliminary conclusion regarding the structure of the Condor Heroes world.

«So far,» she reported, «it seems that the celestial tablet in Baoying City functions as a signal relay, but its transmission range is limited to Baoying City and the surrounding area.»

Deep within the Eastern Celestial Palace, past winding corridors with their flying eaves and elaborate carvings, and through a peach grove, a waterfall spilled down from the mountain’s summit.

Beside the waterfall, a small pavilion lay half-hidden among thick bamboo groves. Within, Nuwa unfurled her scroll. Xuan Yuan   could see that it displayed the terrain surrounding Baoying City in real-time.

«I had the Xuanbird conduct a test,» Nuwa continued. «Once it flew beyond the coverage zone, it lost all connection with Zishan.»

Xuan Yuan   casually picked up a pastry made by Huang Rong and popped it in his mouth. As he chewed, he glanced away from the scroll and looked toward the side.

The waterfall’s mist formed a pool of clear water nearby. Adjacent to that were several terraced pools resembling those of Jiuzhaigou’s Yellow Dragon Valley, filled with warm water sourced from hot springs Nuwa had excavated deep beneath Zishan.

From within one of the hot springs, the laughter of young women drifted through the mist.

The three girls, clad only in their undergarments, were enjoying themselves in the water. Huang Rong and Li Mochou playfully splashed each other while Mu Nianci sat off to the side, calm and graceful, occasionally glancing between her two sisters and the Little Dragon Girl who floated serenely, supported by her gentle hand.

The bubbling warmth of the hot springs ensured that even the child would not catch cold.

Sensing a gaze from the bamboo pavilion, Mu Nianci felt a heat crawl up her back. Her cheeks flushed crimson, as if about to bleed, and she couldn’t help but glance back with a teasing glare.

Xuan Yuan   withdrew his gaze, only to meet Nuwa’s eyes, sparkling with mischief—as if silently asking, How about that view?

«In light of the situation,» Nuwa said with a smile, «I’m planning to build a comprehensive factory in a valley outside Baoying City.»

She tapped the scroll, and a wave of light rippled across it as the image zoomed into a specific valley.

«It lies within communication range and has some basic mineral deposits. They’re buried too deep for the locals to excavate, but they’re just right for us.»

«Once construction is complete, I’ll try installing a few signal base stations there. If they can successfully link to the celestial tablet in Baoying City, we may be able to expand our signal coverage significantly.»

Xuan Yuan   had no objections to Nuwa’s plan. Instead, he thought of the Taiyi Shrine at the base of Zishan.

«I remember there’s also a celestial tablet for me inside the Taiyi Shrine. Has that one not acted as a relay?»

Nuwa’s smile widened. «Master, you’ve really gotten used to calling yourself the Celestial Taiyi, haven’t you? ‘My celestial tablet,’ heehee…»

After teasing him for a moment, she shook her head and replied with a tinge of confusion, «That tablet is utterly ordinary—no special functions.»

Xuan Yuan   pondered the difference and speculated, «Could it be because there hasn’t yet been any formal public worship held at the Taiyi Shrine?»

Pei Xiu had visited the shrine before, but only to fulfill a vow. The ritual held by the shamans wasn’t a true celestial ceremony—it was primarily meant to choose a spirit maiden.

«That’s likely,» Nuwa nodded. «Either way, the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month is coming up soon. The people below will hold a grand ceremony to honor Taiyi. Then we’ll see if that tablet changes.»

«How are things down in the valley?» Xuan Yuan   asked.

Nuwa had been closely monitoring the situation and responded immediately. «Everything’s going smoothly. The new city has already taken shape. Since there was no need to construct city walls, the expansion went quickly.»

«That Pei Xiu fellow really has some skill in regional management. He followed the urban planning diagram I gave him and is building the new city in an orderly fashion.»

«Oh, and some good news—during the construction, we discovered a coal deposit nearby. I’ve made some improvements to honeycomb coal production and had your spirit maiden spread the method. The locals now have no issues with heating or cooking.»

Honeycomb coal was easy to produce, even with the current level of technological development.

Only smokeless coal required a bit more complexity, but as long as things progressed steadily, it wouldn’t take long before even that became possible.