Chapter 867
The Treasure Vault of the Myriad Images Palace
He had two of his five selection opportunities before even entering the treasure vault. The original plan was to use the remaining three opportunities to exchange for the Phoenix Blood Flower, the Dragon Pattern Fruit, and a pure Yin treasure that could match the Extreme Yang Heavenly Crystal in his possession.
The success of Chen's Little World saved him two chances to choose.
Currently, he is more focused on exchanging magical artifacts and treasures that can help cultivators in the Purple Mansion stage break through to the Golden Core stage.
Because the Song family is currently transitioning from a stage-based Golden Core family to a true Golden Core family.
A true Golden Core family cannot be sustained by just one person; the most important thing is whether it has the ability to continuously cultivate Golden Core cultivators.
In the past few thousand years, the cultivation world of the Great Qi has seen the emergence of many Golden Core forces, but most of them were short-lived. For example, the former Luoxia City and Tianjian Sect were founded by Golden Core cultivators, but in the end, only the Jinwu Sect and Tianmai Sect had the last laugh.
These two groups have one thing in common: their cultural heritage matches their social standing.
The Song family's current foundation and status are actually disproportionate. If anything happens to Song Changsheng, they will be reduced to their original state, their existing network of connections will collapse instantly, and there is even a risk of the entire clan being wiped out.
Many powers in history have been like this: they rise to the top for a time, then quickly decline and eventually disappear into the long river of history.
To change this situation, besides Song Changsheng needing to hold out longer, the number of Golden Core cultivators is a crucial issue.
Fortunately, he is still young enough, and the changes in the Song family over the years have been enormous.
Song Qingxing, Song Qingxi, and Zhuang Yuechan are all individuals with profound opportunities, and all have the chance to break through to the Golden Core stage.
As clan leader, elder, and husband,
What he had to do was to remove obstacles for them as much as possible. They needed pills to increase their success rate, and after a successful breakthrough, they needed a handy magic weapon. The treasure trove of the Myriad Manifestations Palace was full of exquisite items!
"Fellow Daoist Zixu, this place is the palace's treasure vault. It has everything from elixirs and spiritual plants to talismans and magical artifacts. It is divided into detailed sections, and each section has a jade tablet that records detailed information about all the treasures in that section."
Each major category has a dedicated steward responsible for guiding you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about that category, fellow Daoist.
"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Jianxin."
Song Changsheng stepped through the seven-colored stone gate and entered the Wanxiang Palace Treasury. His first impression of the place, besides being awe-inspiring, was its efficiency.
He had once entered the treasure vault of the Alligator Dragon Clan. The dazzling array of treasures, arranged in a chaotic manner, made it difficult to choose what to select. Sometimes, even after walking around for a while, he would still feel dizzy.
But the Vientiane Palace’s treasury is completely different. In comparison, it has a larger space, more treasures, and is categorized in great detail. Even the placement of the treasures is very particular.
For a moment, he felt like he was shopping in a supermarket in his previous life. Although saying that made the treasure vault of the Wanxiang Palace seem a bit cheap, the experience was just too similar. The only difference was that he couldn't shop at will.
Song Changsheng immediately went to the section where the pure Yin treasures were stored. There were hundreds of light orbs in front of him, all of which were pure Yin treasures of the fourth rank or above.
He picked up the jade tablet from the shelf next to him. Most of the names introduced in it were ones he had only seen in ancient books.
"【Jueyin Mica】, 【Shaoyin Dew】, 【Gui Water Essence Gold】...【Tears of Moonlight】?"
Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a single word.
Yin and Yang are like two opposing sides, mutually opposed yet sharing the same origin.
The formation of extremely yang and extremely yin places is also very similar; the former is due to the sun, and the latter is due to the moon.
Sun essence, moon radiance.
【Extreme Yang Celestial Crystal】is born from the essence of the land of extreme Yang, while 【Tears of Moonlight】is born from the essence of the land of extreme Yin.
Both are the purest forms of Yin and Yang, perfectly fulfilling Song Changsheng's need to integrate Yin and Yang and break through the laws to attain enlightenment.
Most importantly, according to the jade record, this bottle of [Tears of Moonlight] contains a full twenty drops, which is a perfect match for the [Extreme Yang Heavenly Crystal] he obtained, and there are still some left over, which Zhuang Yuechan can also use when cultivating.
Without hesitation, I used one of my chances to take it down.
With only two choices left, Song Changsheng became increasingly cautious in making his decision.
Looking through them, the fifth-tier precious pills, the supreme treasures of laws, the inner cores of demon lords... each one more eye-catching than the last, and any one of them is worth choosing.
He even spotted a top-grade Law Treasure among them—a scarlet spear said to have been passed down from a very ancient era, steeped in blood, and a fearsome weapon of slaughter.
Even the Myriad Manifestations Palace probably doesn't have many ritual implements of this caliber, which shows their great sincerity.
Song Changsheng even considered exchanging it, but he suppressed it.
When choosing treasures, you shouldn't just look at their value, but also their practicality.
A high-grade Law Treasure is good, but with Song Changsheng's current cultivation level, he can barely activate a low-grade Law Treasure. A high-grade Law Treasure is simply not something a Golden Core cultivator can activate, so it's really unnecessary to use up a precious opportunity for it.
He also abandoned the demon lord's inner core, which could have been used to refine the Golden Core, after careful consideration.
Currently, a batch of [Golden Core Pills] is being refined, and with a minimum of five pills, it will be more than enough for the Song family to use for the next hundred years or even longer.
Once this batch is used up, the next batch in Chen's Small World will be ready, allowing for a seamless transition and creating a virtuous cycle.
After walking around for a while, Song Changsheng suddenly stopped and turned to look at a ball of light on a shelf he was about to pass by.
"What is this thing? Even the restrictions cannot isolate its violent power."
Filled with doubt, Song Changsheng reached out and picked up the jade tablet in front of him, found the corresponding column, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes as he said, "【Gengjin Divine Thunder】?"
A long, long time ago, he purchased three [Earth Divine Thunder] from a branch of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce. At that time, he was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the Thunder saved him from danger more than once.
The [Earth Divine Thunder] and the [Metal Divine Thunder] before us are from the same source.
Their combined name should be "Yin Yang Five Elements Divine Thunder", which originated from the ancient sect Five Thunder Immortal Sect. They mainly cultivate the way of thunder and are also good at refining one-time magic weapons. They collect thunder from the world to refine divine thunder and divide thunder into ten types according to Yin Yang and the five elements. They have always been widely sought after.
The [Geng Metal Divine Thunder] before him was naturally not on the same level as the [Wu Earth Divine Thunder] he had obtained before. This was a fifth-order low-grade level, equivalent to the full-force attack of a Nascent Soul early stage cultivator. It posed a limited threat to a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but it could instantly kill a Golden Core Great Perfection cultivator.
This was a big gift he prepared for Song Minghuang.
Compared to the Demon Lord's inner core, the [Gengjin Divine Thunder] is indeed much less valuable, but it can be used at any time and can turn the tide of battle at crucial moments.
"Now there's only one choice left..."
There was only one chance left, but Song Changsheng had too many choices and didn't know how to decide.
"Oh right, [True Phoenix Essence Blood]."
Song Changsheng suddenly remembered a treasure he had inadvertently seen on the jade tablet earlier. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention to it because its effects were rather limited and he hadn't made up his mind yet. But now that he had calmed down, he suddenly realized that it was a very good option.
According to the above description, it is the heart's blood of a phoenix at the level of a demon lord, the most essential part, which has the effect of [rebirth]. After refining it, it will turn into essence and remain in the dantian.
With this essence, cultivators at the Purple Mansion stage and below can be reborn in the Phoenix True Fire even if their souls are on the verge of collapse due to fatal injuries. If this is true for injuries to the soul, it goes without saying that it is true for injuries to the body.
In short, as long as one is not completely destroyed on the spot, one can be saved. The power of Nirvana is no less than any elixir of the same level.
However, its effect is too limited, only suitable for cultivators at the Purple Mansion stage and below, and it has no effect on him.
Although he can't use it, he can give it to Song Qingxing.
Song Qingxing is going to participate in the Wuliang Sword Sect's trial. Although it's called a trial, it's actually a way to raise Gu poison. In a place where enemies are everywhere, what's most needed is a treasure that can save your life in critical moments.
Actually, the mid-grade fifth-tier [Three Souls Rejuvenation Pill] would have been a better choice, but the Trial Path has restrictions on bringing it in, so we had to settle for second best.
This is a clever trick, but in that situation, it can significantly increase the chances of survival.
Having exhausted all five opportunities to choose, Song Changsheng looked at the dazzling array of treasures, feeling a sense of unfulfilled desire.
I hate that there's so little, so very little!
"Fellow Daoist, here is the [Deep Sea Celestial Crystal] you requested. I retrieved it for you in advance."
Outside the treasure vault, Master Jianxin handed over a light blue rhombus-shaped crystal, its countless facets refracting a captivating light.
"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist." Song Changsheng took the crystal. It felt cool to the touch, and he could clearly feel the surging energy inside.
With this item, the fourth-tier puppet left behind by the Chen family can be activated, but unfortunately, no more can be selected.
"Fellow Daoist, when will those pills be ready to be refined?"
"The Palace Master attaches great importance to this matter and has arranged for three of the Palace's currently available fourth-tier top-grade alchemists to refine it simultaneously. It should take at most a year to refine it, and I will inform you of it using the [Myriad Manifestations Token] at that time."
"So that's how it is." Song Changsheng was somewhat surprised. The war between the Great Qian cultivation world and the sea race was not yet over, and the alchemists must all have missions to carry out. At the same time, the fact that he was assigned three fourth-level top-grade alchemists to refine pills fully demonstrated Yi Tianzheng's high regard for him.
Furthermore, does this also indicate that the fighting in the East China Sea is about to end?
"Fellow Daoist Sword Heart, is the Sea Clan preparing to retreat?"
Sword Heart Master nodded and said, "We negotiated with the Sea Clan a long time ago. It should have ended then, but their attitude was very strange. They must be plotting something. The Supreme Elder guessed that it might be related to the Blood Soul Demon Sect and the Thunder King Palace."
After such a long stalemate, apart from some minor skirmishes, there hasn't been a major battle at the Golden Core level for quite some time.
Giant thunderstorms have been converging in the direction of the main battlefield recently, and the sea creatures have taken this opportunity to gradually retreat.
It is expected to be fully completed within three months.
"I see. I wonder what the losses were in this battle?"
Upon hearing this, Sword Heart Master sighed slightly and said, "The losses are considerable. Three elders and one protector have perished in the palace. Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui from the Han Hai Chamber of Commerce, Chi Xu Gui and Shi Hun Gui from Ghost King Valley, and Fellow Daoist Yu Xiang from Hundred Flowers Sect have all perished, and many more are injured."
During the Great War, at its peak, the Great Qian Dynasty mobilized nearly 300,000 cultivators to participate in the war, with casualties approaching 30,000, accounting for one-tenth of the total. No fewer than 100 Purple Mansion cultivators perished.
Compared to the loss of personnel, the consumption of materials is even more terrifying.
Although the foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty was not damaged, it will take at least a hundred years to recover its vitality.
Fortunately, the sea creatures suffered even greater losses and should not dare to attack again for some time.
The shocking figures made Song Changsheng's heart tremble.
The battle did not last long, but eight Golden Core cultivators perished, including a protector with the cultivation level of the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage.
The casualties accounted for more than one-tenth of the total.
When the Great Qi cultivation world launched its expedition against the Black Dragon Demon King, it was the largest battle in thousands of years. Even with all the major forces racking their brains and emptying their coffers, they could only mobilize 100,000 people to participate in the war.
But 300,000 is far from the limit of the Great Qian cultivation world.
In comparison, the difference is far too significant.
However, such a full-scale war is so brutal that even Golden Core cultivators can be defeated and killed at any time.
He had some connection with Xuan Shui Zhenren of the Han Hai Chamber of Commerce, but unexpectedly, he couldn't escape this calamity either.
Sword Heart Master naturally knew what Song Changsheng cared about most, and said with emotion: "Your East Sea Alliance is quite lucky this time. The Sea Yaksha Clan suffered too many losses. Although they stationed troops on the border, they have not made a move. They withdrew some time ago."
However, your descendants are not to be outdone. During the great war, they carried out decapitation operations against the sea race, achieving remarkable results. In particular, Song Qingxing's achievements were no less than those of a Golden Core cultivator, and he recently received a personal commendation from the Palace Master.
There was another one named Song Youping. If it weren't for his improvement of the [Gold-Eating Insect], our negotiations with the sea tribe wouldn't have been so easy.
Given the vitality the East Sea Alliance has currently demonstrated, surpassing the [Splendid Banner] is only a matter of time; the key might just lie in this batch of [Golden Core Formation].
Upon hearing that the East China Sea Alliance had not been involved, Song Changsheng immediately felt relieved.
The East China Sea Alliance is still too weak and cannot withstand too much impact.
"Perhaps we can bring a few more people in."
As he was thinking this, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten something.
He hurriedly rummaged through his storage bag and took out the [Holy Spirit Fruit] and its plant that he had obtained in Demon Hidden Gorge, saying, "I would like to trouble you, fellow Daoist, to help me investigate the origin and function of this item."
"What is this?"
Song Changsheng briefly recounted the process, but omitted the information about the Extreme Yang Land.
After learning what had happened, Master Jianxin's face also showed a solemn expression, and he nodded and said, "Don't worry, leave this matter to me."
...(End of chapter)