“Since you have no way to solve it, either, let’s discuss it later. But what is the Heavenly Reward?”
Hearing this, Yu Ji paused slightly, as if she had been sealed for so long that many memories would need some time to come back to her.
“The Heavenly Reward! This is a legend pa.s.sed down from the ancient times.”
“Ordinary people only know that if they reach the eighth level of Qi Refining, they can swallow Foundation Establishment elixirs and get to Foundation Establishment Realm. However, a hearsay from the ancient times says that if anyone can reach the eighteenth level, to the limit of Qi Refining, he will be rewarded by the Way of Heaven. But it is not known what the reward is. The first fifteen levels of Qi Refining may be reached by virtue of the power of elixirs. However, on the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth level, during every breakthrough, you will confront terrible experiences between life and death, and only the one with a tough heart and enough luck will get there. It is said that someone had reached such a state in ancient times, but now, I’m afraid no one is likely to make such an attempt.”
Hearing that, s.h.i.+ao Chen nodded. Before the Foundation Establishment, the maximum life expectancy of a cultivator was 100 years. It was certain that no one would bet his few years of life on such an illusory legend. If he had spiritual root, he would have already reached Foundation Establishment, and would never stay at the Qi Refining stage up to now.
“But you can try, young man. It is said that when one reaches the limit of Qi Refining, his cultivation can reach the later stage of Foundation Establishment. Besides, he will get another thirty percent chance of success for Core Formation, which is also a big return.”
s.h.i.+ao Chen was moved by her words. He rose to the sixteenth level of Qi Refining after Xuan Zhen’s pursuit and narrowly escaped death, so it must be more difficult for his cultivation to get to the seventeenth and eighteenth levels. But what Yu Ji said also had a point. After all, he had not yet found an approach for Foundation Establishment. It was better to reach the limit of Qi Refining first.
“Well, young man, having talked so much at a time, I’m a little tired and I’ll go back to sleep. See you later.” After that, Yu Ji"s voice disappeared completely into the bottom of s.h.i.+ao’s heart. Apparently she fell asleep again.
Thinking about what Yu Ji said, s.h.i.+ao Chen sat down with his legs crossed, took out several Spirit-nouris.h.i.+ng Pills and swallowed them down. Then he continued to temper his magic power. By doing so, his magic power could be more consummate.
Half a day later, s.h.i.+ao Chen opened his eyes. The divine sense and supernatural power he had consumed to refining were all restored to their peak state. He thought for a while, and then took out a jade pendant, which was sent by Senior Yan of the Demons Sect. It could fend off attacks from cultivators of the Middle-stage of Gold Core. Such a treasure of defense was indeed a magic key to save his life, so it was better to make it recognize its Lord earlier.
s.h.i.+ao Chen operated his spirit, and a drop of blood was driven out by his power from between his fingers, falling onto the jade. The jade absorbed the blood immediately when they touched, and suddenly, out of the jade, countless blood vessels appeared. The blood vessels intertwined, then unexpectedly, formed an evil face. After that, it made a strange croak and laughter, then dissipated slowly. With the blood trace disappearing, the jade pendant then reverted to its original appearance.
s.h.i.+ao Chen felt surprised, and as expected, it was the treasure of the Demons Realm, and it was so strange to refine it with blood. With the jade pendant in the hand, his divine sense could feel the immense hidden magic power in it. s.h.i.+ao Chen nodded with satisfaction, and tied it around his waist.
After the jade pendant recognized its Lord by blood testing, s.h.i.+ao Chen took out another jade box from his storing bag. Inside was an unremarkable faint yellow Talisman with a sword shape -Dantian Treasure. It was life-like although sketched with only a few strokes. The moment he saw it, s.h.i.+ao Chen was excited. With just that needle -like Dantian Treasure, he killed the demonized Xuan Zhen in an instant whose cultivation was comparable to Fake Core, so one could only imagine how powerful it was. After this one was refined with his blood, s.h.i.+ao Chen would possess two pieces of Dantian Treasure. Cultivators in Foundation Establishment would be no match of his. Even cultivators in Gold Core, he might also defeat them.
To refine this treasure, blood essence was needed. Even a cultivator would drop his cultivation by losing too much blood essence, maybe even his life. s.h.i.+ao Chen bit the tip of his tongue and a small sword-like stream of blood spurted. His complexion suddenly became pale and he looked extremely weak.
But at the moment, s.h.i.+ao Chen dare not lose his focus. Although it was extremely easy to operate, any slight error would cause Dantian Treasure to attack back, or even be destroyed in some severe cases.
When the blood essence fell on the sword-like Dantian Treasure, it was absorbed immediately. s.h.i.+ao Chen conducted his hands constantly, shooting out spells onto the sword. With the process going on, Dantian Treasure gradually emmitted a great spiritual pressure, but fortunately, s.h.i.+ao Chen had already set a formation in advance in case the spiritual power leaked out, or it would must be sensed by other cultivators in the valley.
s.h.i.+ao moved his hands faster and faster, sweating. However, the sword-like Dantian Treasure did not display any distinct change. Every spell of refining made spiritual power and divine sense extremely exhausted. The process allowed no pauses, or nothing would be achieved, and Dantian Treasure might attack back and become totally damaged.
Suddenly, s.h.i.+ao Chen heard Yu Ji’s voice, which surprised him a little, “High-grade Dantian Treasure!”
But aware that there was no time for details, she said quickly, “Not enough blood essence. Keep it going.”
Hearing that, s.h.i.+ao Chen knew what to do. Once more, he spat out a mouthful of essence blood, which was more than twice as much blood as last time. However, s.h.i.+ao Chen became pale instantly and looked weak.
After absorbing more blood essence, the power that Dantian Treasure emanated was restraining gradually. But with the spell were shot out, the refining progress was still slow. Now s.h.i.+ao Chen’s magic power reduced to less than twenty percent. If he could not finish refining during this period, the consequence would be unthinkable.
But fortunately, with the last spells shot out successively, the Dantian Treasure Talisman suddenly emitted a luminous light and then lit up. At this moment, a sword appeared in midair, buzzing, which seemed intelligent as it circled around s.h.i.+ao Chen several times before it disappeared into s.h.i.+ao’s body.
He made it. Before s.h.i.+ao Chen had time to look at the new Dantian Treasure, he took out several elixirs and swallowed them to replenish his blood essence. Quite a while later, he managed with an effort to absorb strength of the elixirs and he looked better.
“So what is the advantage of high-grade Dantian Treasure? Why is the refining so dangerous? If it had not been you, I am afraid I would have already been attacked back.” s.h.i.+ao Chen asked Yu Ji, shocked and in a cold sweat, when he spoke these words. If attacked by Dantian Treasure, with his current practice, he would be seriously injured even if he did not die.
“Well, I have to say that you are really lucky, because this Dantian Treasure is a good treasure.” Yu Ji added, smiling charmingly and her words informed s.h.i.+ao Chen of the origin of high-grade Dantian Treasures.
In ancient times, there was a lot more treasures between the heaven and the earth than today. The speed to cultivate was also faster. Cultivators in Nascent Soul and Gold Core were almost everywhere. During the extremely prosperous period of the ancient era, powerful people came forth in large numbers, wide varieties of cultivation skills, and magic weapons were far more powerful. It was the heyday of cultivation. But because of some unknown factors, the whole Cultivation World experienced a catastrophe, during which tens of thousands of cultivators fell in the battle, and cultivation skills and magic weapons disappeared, too. It became the biggest cause of the collapse of the Cultivation World.
And of these magic weapons, Dantian Treasure was a special one, whose refining method had already been lost.
There was another name for Dantian Treasure in ancient times -Virtual Treasure. Virtual Treasure was from the Gold Core cultivators, whose days were drawing to a close. They could not break through to the next cultivation level, so they voluntarily took out their magic weapons, which were refined by their own mind. Some of the power of the magic weapon was divided and sealed into the Talisman by cabala. The magic weapon could be used many times, or handed to their disciples from the same sect or down to their future generations for self-defense. Although only part of the magic power was stored, it was enough to rival cultivators below the Gold Core level.
The needle-like Dantian Treasure s.h.i.+ao Chen got belonged to this category.
High-grade Dantian Treasure, also refined by the cultivators of Gold Core, was even more powerful. Although it could only be used three times, the power each time was no less than that of magic weapons. To achieve this, the cultivators who refined Dantian Treasure need to infuse some gold core essence into it voluntarily.
The gold core essence was what a Gold Core cultivator had achieved for a life time, containing all his power and blood essence, which made Dantian Treasure more powerful, hence the name. This kind of magic weapon was rare, because even if a high-grade Dantian Treasure was refined from Fake Soul cultivators, there was also a fifty percent chance for them to drop a realm, and a twenty percent chance to cut a hundred years’ life expectancy. The price was so high that if it wasn’t for someone who didn’t fear death, there would be no such n.o.ble self-destruction for the sake of others.
And the sword-like Dantian Treasure, refined by s.h.i.+ao Chen, belonged to high-grade Dantian Treasure.
“High-grade Dantian Treasure!” s.h.i.+ao Chen"s eyes sparkled, and he was overjoyed at harvesting the treasure, which could be comparable to a Gold Core magic weapon. Although it could only be used three times, it could be used well enough to save his lives for several times.
s.h.i.+ao Chen had got a lot this time at his outing. These two pieces of treasure were enough to make all the Gold Core cultivators envy and tempted to take them by force.
“You’re lucky, young man. This high-grade Dantian Treasure must have been refined by a kid at the Middle-stage of Gold Core. His power was average, but gold core essence was all infused into it, so it is still powerful. With it, you"ll have one more protection for your life.” Yu Ji’s soft voice spoke from his heart, “What about the Buddha Bead you got last time? Then, I already felt that it was not a common bead. You take a break and then refine it with blood again, to restore its true power.”
Hearing Yu Ji, s.h.i.+ao Chen was also eager to try. However, he lost so much blood essence that it was impossible to recover so soon, even if with enough elixirs. He could only close eyes, meditate, and wait for recovery.