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墨書 Inktalez
Near Nine Separation Peak, there is a hill shaped like a mound. Nine Li Cave Heaven is filled with strange rocks and cliffs, making this hill appear somewhat unremarkable.
Chuming pointed at the hill and said, "Old Six, you must remember this. That is Elder Peak. The Artifact Hall and Scripture Repository are located on Elder Peak, which is a very important place for our sect. Generally, disciples are absolutely forbidden from entering without permission from the elders, not even flying over it."
Li Hong thought to himself that since it was called Elder Peak, the people residing there must all be elders, meaning they were all experts of Golden Core Stage or above in their sect. There was no need to provoke them unnecessarily. He nodded in agreement.
Chuming flew to the front of Elder Peak, stepped onto his sword, and called out, "Chuming, the eldest disciple of Nine Vermilion Peaks, has come to meet Elder Yue Changzi with Sixth Disciple Chu Hong."
Two middle-aged men in white robes flew down from the peak and approached them closely, examining them carefully. One of them said, "We received a message from Elder Brother of Nine Vermilion Peaks this morning. We didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. Master is currently in the Artifact Hall; follow me."
Chuming slightly bowed on his sword and replied, "Thank you, Shibo."
The two men were guards and were of the same generation as Master Spirit Stone. Their eyes were bright and full of spirit, indicating that their cultivation was definitely above Golden Core Stage. Upon closer inspection, one could see white-clad figures patrolling all over the mountain. The strict security at Elder Peak was evident.
The Artifact Hall was located halfway up the mountain, a large and unremarkable brick building. In front of it was a large square pond filled with flowing water; its source seemed to be beneath the building, with a gentle sound of water flowing over the bluestone slabs. The pond shimmered with light; the water wasn't very clear and had a metallic tang.
As they stepped into the Main Hall, the light suddenly dimmed before returning to normal in an instant. It felt similar to when he first entered the haunted room in Azure Oil Temple. Li Hong now understood that this was due to certain restrictions being set up. He looked around and felt delighted.
The spacious Main Hall had no windows; all four walls were lined with sturdy wooden shelves filled with treasures. These treasures were displayed openly without any boxes; among them were Flying Swords—some dark and unremarkable while others were vibrant red and green. Most treasures were silent, but some were surprisingly restless on their shelves, making delightful clinking sounds.
Li Hong couldn't help but want to rush over and gather all these treasures into his arms.
"You must be Chu Hong," an elder said. "The treasures here range from medium-grade to high-grade artifacts, most of which can be upgraded. Feel free to choose until you find something you like."
It was then that Li Hong realized that his senior brother Chuming had not followed him inside; instead, an elderly man stood before him. Although referred to as an elder, he appeared to be just over fifty years old, tall and robust with a dark complexion. He wore a simple blue robe with its hem tucked into his belt. The belt had a dark sheen that resembled iron.
After greeting him respectfully, Li Hong hurriedly approached the shelves, picking up one item after another and growing increasingly pleased.
The treasures were divided into four categories: Artifact Spirit tools, Celestial Artifacts, and so on. Celestial Artifacts were beyond his reach; even Spirit Artifacts seemed unrealistic for him to hope for. For someone like him who had just begun to cultivate spiritual energy within his body, using a Spirit Artifact would be like a child trying to fetch water—overestimating his abilities—at least one would need to be at Fake Dan stage or Refining Heart Stage to use them comfortably. Just obtaining a High-Quality Magical Artifact that could be upgraded would already be quite impressive for him at this stage.
Li Hong touched this and that, his fingers lingering as they slid over each Flying Sword. However, he soon realized that most of the Flying Swords here showed no reaction to his touch.
This was somewhat strange. When cultivators select treasures, the treasures also choose their person. These were all Flying Swords of medium quality or higher, made from exceptional materials; some were crafted from thousand-year-old Spirit Wood, others from exquisite Mysterious Iron or ten-thousand-year Jade Essence. As long as they resonated with the physique of the treasure seeker, they would exhibit unusual signs, such as glowing or pulsating, allowing the seeker to know which Flying Sword was suitable for them.
After touching for a while, aside from a few that were already lively like small Fish, none reacted at all. He was stunned.
Yue Changzi had been watching his actions closely. Knowing the background of this disciple well, he felt a stir in his heart and began to guide Li Hong: “If you see one that catches your eye, try infusing it with spiritual energy. Don’t worry; it’s not that easy to break them. Just give it a shot.” He was quite amiable.
Catch my eye? Li Hong felt a bit overwhelmed, thinking that every single one looked great. He was someone who could easily feel content.
After some thought, he turned and said, “Elder, why don’t you help me pick one? A High-Quality Magical Artifact Flying Sword that can advance would be best if it’s larger; it would feel more imposing to use.” He scratched his head awkwardly.
Yue Changzi laughed heartily: “You don’t know this yet; the more capable a treasure is of advancing, the smaller its body tends to be. Once your cultivation deepens in the future, you can make it as large as you want. If it’s large now, its power will actually be smaller.” He walked over to the rack and picked up a small Flying Sword that was only slightly wider than chives and three inches long, handing it to Li Hong: “This one I crafted myself, made from exquisite Mysterious Iron mixed with celestial gold essence. The materials are quite good; it’s a High-Quality Magical Artifact that can advance. Try infusing it with your spiritual energy.”
Li Hong took it in his hand and saw that it was dark and unremarkable. Thinking of his master’s Spirit Stone sword that was a magnificent fiery red, he felt somewhat dissatisfied. However, due to Yue Changzi's enthusiasm, he nodded and held it in his hand, following his advice to infuse it with spiritual energy.
With a thought, warm and cool energy flowed along his hand into the edge of the small Flying Sword. Before he could continue further, he suddenly felt a slight resistance. This small Flying Sword repelled him. Li Hong immediately withdrew his spiritual energy and shook his head: “It doesn’t like me.”
“Hmm, then how about this one?” Yue Changzi handed him another one. “Crafted from Three Thousand Years Spirit Cypress with excellent spiritual properties; give it a try.”
Before the spiritual energy could enter, Li Hong felt a slight heaviness in his hand, which even Yue Changzi noticed clearly. Li Hong shook his head again.
“Try this one; it's made from ten-thousand-year Fire Jade Crystal Essence—this is quite rare.”
Rejection.
“Heavenly Gold Crystal Iron; this is getting close to being a spirit tool.”
Rejection.
“Eternal Wood Transformation Jade, my treasured possession, and I’ve only used this one.”
Rejection.
……
Yue Changzi was utterly speechless. No wonder Spirit Stone always said that this disciple was a freak; indeed, he was not an ordinary one! So many High-Quality Magical Artifacts and not a single one could be used! Could it be related to the cultivation method he practiced?
The young man in front of him was scratching his head in confusion, looking simple and honest. Yue Changzi found him quite likable and thought to himself, gritting his teeth, “Follow me.”
********
Yue Changzi led Li Hong through many winding Passageways, finally arriving at a small room. He first release the restrictions and beckoned Li Hong to enter.
Inside were only two rows of shelves, with several Jade Boxes on top, emanating various colors of light. Yue Changzi mysteriously lowered his voice and said, “Great-Granduncle has made an exception today and decided to let you choose a spirit tool. Make sure to choose carefully!”
Li Hong’s heart raced; a spirit tool! He couldn’t believe he was allowed to choose one! But would he even be able to use it?
“Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be fine. Just give it a try!” Yue Changzi generously opened one of the Jade Boxes and handed it to him.
A wave of heat rushed out; inside the Jade Box lay a Fire Red Sword, its fiery glow swirling continuously along the two-inch blade. Li Hong immediately liked it, took a deep breath, and reached out to grab it. However, before he could touch the blade, the fiery glow suddenly vanished. Li Hong was instantly stunned.
Yue Changzi’s eyes bulged out; he too started scratching his head, exclaiming, “Still rejection! I can’t believe this!”
He hastily opened all the Jade Boxes, one after another, passing them over. Li Hong tried each one in turn, but with each attempt, his heart sank further. These treasures either suddenly jumped away or dimmed without a trace; none seemed willing to accept him.
The ground was littered with the lids of the Jade Box, and Yue Changzi was dancing around, exclaiming, "I have cultivated for nearly a thousand years and forged countless magical artifacts. I watch as each disciple happily receives their treasures from me, yet today, someone cannot cultivate a magical artifact! Heaven, what is going on!"
Li Hong felt like crying, his mood sinking to rock bottom. Could it be that he couldn't cultivate a magical artifact? That would be equivalent to being useless!
Suddenly, Yue Changzi remembered something, slapped his forehead, and shouted, "I understand!" Without further ado, he hurriedly placed the Jade Box lid back in position and immediately pushed Li Hong outside the small room, saying, "Wait here for a moment. I understand the reason now, but I need to check my book to confirm. I'll be right back; don't go anywhere." With that, he strode off.
Having been so discouraged, Li Hong was on the verge of despair. However, hearing Yue Changzi say this gave him a glimmer of hope; perhaps Yue Changzi had found a solution. He leaned against the wall, waiting for Yue Changzi's return.
Half an hour passed, then an hour... After waiting for a long time, Yue Changzi still hadn't come back. Remembering that his senior brother was still waiting outside, Li Hong decided to go out and inform him.
Recalling the path he took earlier, Li Hong walked along the Passageway towards the exit. The long Passageway twisted and turned, with doors occasionally appearing on either side, glowing with Restrictions. As he walked, Li Hong realized he had lost his way.
How strange; he clearly remembered it being correct! Li Hong stopped in his tracks to think carefully. Suddenly it dawned on him that there were also Restrictions within these Passageways; if one wasn't familiar with them, they could easily get trapped inside. This was bad! Li Hong couldn't help but regret leaving earlier.
At that moment, he felt a stirring in his heart—a vague sensation compelled him to look up and walk in a certain direction. After turning several corners, he reached the end of the Passageway where there was a solid wall. But for some reason, Li Hong found himself inexplicably rushing toward the wall.
He clearly collided with something but found his body passing straight through.
Li Hong discovered he had arrived in a small garden. In the center of the garden stood a lonely little house from which emanated a strange yet familiar pulse.
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