The heart demon, being a manifestation of spirit, was particularly vulnerable to it.
Sitting cross-legged in the furnace, Golden Spirit began to circulate the Celestial Phenomena Body Refinement Technique, struggling to withstand the flames.
When controlled to a specific intensity, the Samadhi True Fire could also aid in physical cultivation.
However, the pain it inflicted was extraordinary, far beyond what ordinary people could endure.
"Not bad. At least he's not completely clueless," Ning Changge said with a smile, nodding approvingly.
Golden Spirit's comprehension was commendable. Under the tempering of the Samadhi True Fire, he quickly grasped the key. He relaxed his mind to let the fire burn away his heart demon while simultaneously stimulating his body to accelerate its transformation.
Though the process was painful, it was also a rare opportunity.
Without this trial, even if Golden Spirit overcame his heart demon, it would take him much longer to break through.
The Wudang disciples watched in awe.
"Little Golden Spirit has impressive comprehension!"
"I heard that once he achieves the Four-Zhang True Form, he'll be as strong as a Land Immortal!"
"But Little Martial Uncle is still the most amazing. Watching this feels like witnessing the Dao Ancestor enlightening a spiritual monkey."
"Of course! No matter how strong the little monkey gets, he's still just Little Martial Uncle's attendant. Little Martial Uncle is the one who defeated two Land Immortals!"
The disciples whispered among themselves, their admiration evident.
They could see that after enduring the initial pain, Golden Spirit had entered a unique state of cultivation. His gradually transforming silver pupils left them astonished.
Ning Changge didn't mind their chatter.
His own eyes glimmered with divine light as he observed Golden Spirit's transformation.
Golden Spirit's awakening of his life-bound divine ability could provide valuable insights. Ning Changge might even gain inspiration for a new divine ability.
Ever since Golden Spirit began cultivating under him, Ning Changge had been observing the monkey's changes. This moment was a culmination of those observations.
Song Yuanqiao and the others initially wanted to ask Ning Changge about Golden Spirit's condition. But seeing that Ning Changge had entered a state of enlightenment, they quickly fell silent, signaling the disciples to remain quiet as well.
Within the furnace, Golden Spirit's body grew once more. Not only did he achieve the Four-Zhang True Form, but he surpassed it, reaching a height of four zhang and two or three feet!
The black flames coiled around him, making him grit his teeth in pain.
His silver pupils now radiated an extraordinary brilliance, as if capable of piercing through all illusions. Rising from his seated position, his massive form resembled a small mountain. Though he appeared small within the furnace's vast space, his presence was overwhelming.
Golden Spirit let out a deafening roar. Silver beams of light shot from his eyes, momentarily creating a vacuum within the surrounding black flames.
Seizing the opportunity, he leapt with a flash of golden light around his legs. His terrifying strength propelled him over a hundred zhang in an instant, and he jumped out of the Mountain River Spirit Gathering Furnace.
Golden Spirit roared once more, his true form towering before the crowd.
The Wudang disciples were awestruck.
The sheer impact of his presence was unparalleled. Golden Spirit had successfully broken through, becoming Wudang's third Land Immortal-level combatant!
The silver glow in his eyes gradually receded, leaving faint traces of silver light in his pupils. He shrank his true form, returning to a height of four feet. Scratching his head sheepishly, he grinned, prompting the crowd to laugh and tease him.
"You're really something now, little monkey!"
Golden Spirit chuckled awkwardly and, to everyone's surprise, spoke for the first time.
"It… it's Golden… Golden Spirit's fault. I made everyone worry!"
Though his first words were slightly stuttered, he quickly grew fluent, speaking as naturally as any human.
For a moment, he froze in shock, as did the Wudang disciples.
Then, they erupted in joy.
"Golden Spirit, you can talk now!"
Golden Spirit was overjoyed, dancing with excitement. "I can talk! I can talk!"
"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Elders!" he said, bowing to each familiar face. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the crowd laughed heartily.
Golden Spirit then turned his gaze to Ning Changge, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Without his master, he might have remained a wild monkey ruling a mountain. Even with his innate spirituality, he would never have achieved such heights.
Now able to speak, his first thought was to thank his master.
However, seeing that Ning Changge was still in a state of enlightenment, he refrained from disturbing him.
At that moment, Ning Changge's eyes shone with unprecedented brilliance. The entire process of Golden Spirit's transformation replayed in his mind. Unlike the others, who only saw the surface, Ning Changge perceived the essence of the transformation and the intricacies of the awakened Silver Eyes divine ability.
He analyzed how Golden Spirit's spiritual energy flowed, how his body adapted, and how he could integrate these principles into his own cultivation.
One by one, the puzzles unraveled.
Within his dantian, the Five Elements Spiritual Tree swayed, gathering five-colored light.
The countless Daoist texts he had studied provided endless inspiration. Finally, a moment of clarity arrived.
Five-colored light converged in Ning Changge's eyes, transforming them into divine orbs that radiated majesty and awe.
Golden Spirit instinctively lowered his head, overwhelmed by reverence.
He could sense that his master's new divine ability far surpassed his own. While his Silver Eyes could pierce illusions and attack enemies, his master's eyes were undoubtedly far more powerful.
[System Notification]
– By observing the transformation of the spiritual monkey's life-bound divine ability, the Silver Eyes, you have gained inspiration. Combining your Daoist studies and the Five Elements Dao Foundation, and using the Heavenly Observation Eyes as a base, you have created the minor divine ability Five Elements Spirit Eyes!