Chapter 108: The Damaged Treasure, Earth Spirit Bracelet

Chapter 108: The Damaged Treasure, Earth Spirit Bracelet

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was a three-story tower. It was located not far from the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, just outside the outer gate.

Chu Ning had noticed it from a distance when he visited the Spirit Talisman Pavilion before, so he knew where it was.

As Chu Ning entered the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, he scanned the large hall, similar to the one in the Spirit Talisman Pavilion. There, he saw a young man in his late twenties sitting lazily in a chair behind a table, his eyes closed as if he were dozing off.

Chu Ning approached and sensed that the young man was likely in the latter stages of Qi Refining, not yet at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, Senior Brother. I have returned from Yanjifang, and I am here today..."

"I know," the young man replied nonchalantly.

"You're here to collect your reward, right? They've already informed me."

"You're quite early. Go upstairs from the east side and look for Elder Tong."

Chu Ning wanted to ask more questions, but the young man had already closed his eyes again.

Not wanting to disturb him further, Chu Ning bowed once more and proceeded upstairs from the east side.

It seemed that the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was divided into separate sections, each accessible by different staircases.

Upon reaching the second floor, Chu Ning found himself directly in front of a room.

Standing by the door was an elderly man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles, who was staring intently at Chu Ning as he ascended the stairs.

After sizing up the elderly man and seeing no one else around, Chu Ning immediately asked, "May I ask if you are Elder Tong?"

"Indeed, I am," the old man replied, stroking his long beard as he looked at Chu Ning.

"Are you here to claim your reward? What is your name?"

"Chu Ning!"

Upon hearing his name, the elder took out a jade slip and examined it.

Seizing this opportunity, Chu Ning also took the time to observe Elder Tong, only to be surprised that he seemed to be only at the intermediate stage of Qi Refining.

"Being addressed as an elder, regardless of whether it's just for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, should warrant a higher cultivation level, right? How could he only be at the intermediate stage of Qi Refining?

Could it be that this elder also possesses some secret art to conceal his true cultivation, only revealing the intermediate stage?"

Chu Ning pondered to himself.

He knew that his Yin Wood Spirit Body had this ability, but others might not have the same spirit body. However, he was aware of certain special secret arts that served the same function.

"Do you think my cultivation is low?"

Just as Chu Ning was thinking this, Elder Tong suddenly asked.

Chu Ning was startled and thought for a moment before honestly answering, "To be honest, I am quite surprised, Elder. Your cultivation seems to be only at the intermediate stage of Qi Refining. Could it be that you're using some kind of secret art?"

Elder Tong glanced at Chu Ning.

"You're quite honest. Many people think the same, but they come up with all sorts of excuses to placate me.

What secret art? This is my true cultivation level.

I've suffered a serious injury before, and it's a blessing that I'm still alive. How can I still worry about cultivation..."

Perhaps because of Chu Ning's straightforwardness, the elder offered a brief explanation.

However, he soon returned his attention to the jade slip.

"Chu Ning, damaged intermediate defensive magical treasure, three kills of Yin Demon Sect disciples."

After finishing his assessment, Elder Tong lowered the jade slip and looked at Chu Ning, "You can choose another defensive magical treasure of the same level. As a reward, I will also give you an intermediate offensive magical treasure. Follow me."

"Elder," Chu Ning called out, stopping him before he could walk away.

When Elder Tong turned to look at him, Chu Ning quickly continued, "May I ask if I can choose a magical treasure and forgo the offensive magical treasure? I would like to select a higher-grade defensive magical treasure instead."

"A higher-grade defensive magical treasure?" Elder Tong stroked his beard.

"Alright, since you managed to kill three disciples of the Yin Demon Sect, I'll make an exception.

High-grade defensive magical treasures are quite precious, you know."

As he spoke, Elder Tong started walking forward.

Chu Ning quickly followed, thinking carefully. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Elder, if I want to exchange for a top-grade defensive magical treasure from the sect, would that be possible...?"

"Top-grade defensive magical treasure?" Elder Tong shook his head.

"Those are sought after even by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Don't even think about it.

Among cultivators below the Golden Core stage, these are the most popular, except for certain special magical treasures and damaged treasures.

The Inner Sect might have them, but the Outer Sect's Hundred Treasures Pavilion does not."

Hearing this, Chu Ning couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he also caught the mention of damaged treasures.

"Damaged treasures?" Chu Ning murmured, intrigued by the term.

This was the second time he had heard it. The first time was from the pair of scammers back in Fengxiafang, but he hadn't paid much attention to it then because he knew they were fraudsters.

Now that Elder Tong had also mentioned it, his curiosity grew.

Elder Tong had already led Chu Ning to a stone door. He pressed a restriction, and the door slowly opened.

Stepping inside first, he continued speaking, "Golden Core stage cultivators can refine two types of treasures. One is their lifeblood treasure, refined using their own Inner Flame."

The other type does not require refinement with spiritual fire and is considered an ordinary treasure. These ordinary treasures are more prone to damage compared to lifeblood treasures.

As a result, there are often damaged treasures that still retain some of their original power but come with various limitations in their usage."

Chu Ning's interest was piqued, and he quickly asked, "Elder, what kinds of limitations are we talking about?"

Elder Tong seemed more than happy to educate, and he didn't hold back, "Common limitations include enormous spiritual power consumption, the need for blood activation, and a decrease in power with each use.

Some have usage limits and can only be used once or twice.

Moreover, this item seemed to require a cooldown period after each use.

Could this black dagger be a damaged magical treasure? Chu Ning thought to himself, feeling that this judgment was highly probable.

Of course, he couldn't take it out for the other party to appraise at this moment, so he remained silent and followed behind Elder Tong into the room.

"This is the pavilion's special storage for high-grade defensive artifacts. There aren't many, but each has a corresponding introduction. You can choose one yourself.

After you've made your selection, I'll help you retrieve it."

After entering the room, Elder Tong spoke to Chu Ning and then sat down on a reclining chair inside the room.

Chu Ning walked over to the racks displaying the artifacts.

"Greenwood Shield, a wood-attribute defensive artifact with the ability to defend against toxic fumes."

"Li Huo Dun, a fire-attribute defensive artifact that can envelop the user in a flame shield."

"Terraverde Orb, an earth-attribute defensive artifact that, when activated, forms a terrestrial shield barrier."

"Black Wind Armor, an earth-attribute defensive artifact..."

Chu Ning inspected each artifact, finding that there were various attributes on display.

Among them, earth-attribute artifacts were the most prevalent.

Chu Ning wasn't too particular about this.

Although defensive artifacts had attributes, most of them didn't have attribute requirements for their users' magic.

So, in Chu Ning's opinion, they were all the same.

He hoped to find one with stronger defensive capabilities.

After examining about thirty artifacts, Chu Ning suddenly stopped at one particular item.

Earth Spirit Bracelet.

Before Chu Ning was a bracelet-type artifact, noticeably wider than a typical bracelet, measuring nearly 2 inches.

On this 2-inch bracelet were a series of small square holes, numbering ten in total.

As Chu Ning read the introduction to the bracelet, his eyes lit up.

"Earth Spirit Bracelet, an earth-attribute high-grade artifact. When activated, it forms an earthen attribute magical shield around the user.

By adding Earth Spirit Crystals to provide spiritual energy, the defensive capability can be increased by ten percent per crystal, up to a maximum of ten crystals.

When all ten Earth Spirit Crystals are activated simultaneously, the defensive capability can reach about sixty percent of a top-grade earth-attribute artifact.

After one activation, the spiritual energy of the Earth Spirit Crystals in the bracelet will be completely depleted."

He had Earth Spirit Crystals!

Previously, in the cave of the Blood-spotted Unicorn, Chu Ning had obtained a large piece of Earth Spirit Crystal.

Looking at the size of the ten square holes on the bracelet, he estimated that even cutting the crystal into several hundred pieces would be more than enough.

"Elder, I've made my choice!"

Chu Ning spoke up without any hesitation.

Upon hearing Chu Ning's words, Elder Tong stood up and walked over.

When he saw that Chu Ning had chosen the Earth Spirit Bracelet, he was slightly surprised.

"This Earth Spirit Bracelet has decent defensive capabilities, but to truly unleash its power, it requires the support of Earth Spirit Crystals.

Otherwise, this artifact doesn't hold any advantage over others."

As Elder Tong spoke, he shook his head:

"However, these Earth Spirit Crystals are not easy to come by. Even embedding one crystal requires a significant amount of spirit stones, and they may not be readily available for purchase."

"Are you sure about this choice?"

Elder Tong glanced at Chu Ning as he asked.

Chu Ning nodded slightly.

"Elder, I'll take this one. I can just spend more spirit stones to buy plenty of Earth Spirit Crystals," he replied with a smile.

"If I lose my life, those spirit stones won't be of any use anyway."

"What you say makes sense."

Elder Tong took out a restriction plaque, lifted the restriction, and said, "I used to have the same mindset. What's the point of having cultivation if your life is gone?

That's why I ended up staying here."

Elder Tong handed the Earth Spirit Bracelet to Chu Ning.

"Take it. With this high-grade artifact, if you can find Earth Spirit Crystals, you'll have an additional means of survival in dangerous situations."

"By the way, like spirit stones, Earth Spirit Crystals are extremely hard. However, they can be easily cut using a jade knife.

If you obtain more Earth Spirit Crystals in the future, you can cut them into smaller pieces and embed them into this bracelet."

As he spoke, Elder Tong gave Chu Ning a meaningful look.

Sensing the elder's gaze, Chu Ning felt as if his thoughts had been seen through.

"Could it be that Elder Tong has guessed that I have Earth Spirit Crystals?" he wondered to himself.

However, he kept his composure and expressed his gratitude to the elder with a bow.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder."

Elder Tong nodded slightly and then started walking toward the exit.

"Now that you've made your choice, let's go."

Seeing how willing Elder Tong was to answer his questions, Chu Ning asked, "Elder, how does one go about exchanging for more advanced cultivation techniques within the sect?"

"Cultivation techniques?"

Elder Tong shook his head.

"The sect doesn't accept any exchanges for cultivation techniques. When you reach the ninth layer of Qi Refining, go find the hall's administrators or elders.

They will guide you in choosing your next cultivation technique based on your situation."

Hearing Elder Tong's words, Chu Ning furrowed his brows slightly.

He was already at the seventh layer of Qi Refining. For others, reaching the ninth layer might take a long time.

However, with the help of pills, spirit stones, and the Green Wood Eternal Spring Art, he could significantly shorten this timeframe.

"Unless..."

Just then, the Elder with the surname Tong continued.

Chu Ning quickly asked, "Elder, unless what?"

"Unless you become an inner sect true disciple."

Elder Tong glanced at Chu Ning with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"If you can become an inner sect true disciple, you'll have the opportunity to choose more advanced cultivation techniques, which often include Foundation Establishment cultivation methods."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"I'm afraid my talent is mediocre, and I don't have the opportunity to become an inner sect disciple."

After he finished speaking, he quickly changed the subject.

"Elder, I also obtained some magical treasures from killing the disciples of the Yin Demon Sect this time. I don't know if the sect will reclaim these treasures or use them for exchanges."

Elder Tong nodded, "That can be arranged. What kind of magical treasures do you have?"

Chu Ning immediately took out the three magical treasures he had obtained from the disciples of the Yin Demon Sect, but which he felt were of no use to him.

The intermediate magical treasure, the Black Wheel, which could be used for both attack and defense, the intermediate magical treasure, a long sword, which had decent offensive power, and the elementary magical treasure.

As for the magical treasures he had obtained from Liu Laoda and the others, Chu Ning did not take them out.

"These magical treasures can't be directly used by the sect's cultivators, but they can be modified at the Refining Pavilion."

As Elder Tong spoke, he asked Chu Ning, "What do you want in exchange for these treasures?"

Chu Ning quickly replied, "If possible, I would like to exchange them for an offensive magical treasure with greater lethality."

He already had a divine wood longbow in his possession, mainly to complement his Azure Wood Sword Technique for attacking.

Chu Ning thought that he should have more offensive options.

If he could obtain another high-level offensive magical treasure with a different attribute, that would be even better.

"A high-level magical treasure with greater lethality," Elder Tong mused.

"That can be arranged, but since these treasures weren't given to you by the sect, you don't get to choose.

I'll find something for you, and you can see if it suits you."

As he spoke, Elder Tong led Chu Ning out of the room and asked him to wait while he entered another room.

After a while, Elder Tong reappeared with a bracelet-like object in his hand.

"I saw that you chose an Earth Spirit Wristguard before, so I got you this Blazing Flame Cuff as well."

As Elder Tong handed the dark red bracelet to Chu Ning, he explained, "This bracelet has two arrays. By infusing spiritual power into one of the arrays, you can launch ten blades of fire, which have impressive offensive power.

If an enemy gets too close, you can infuse spiritual power into the other array to condense and release a burst of flame, burning the enemy and causing even greater damage."

Chu Ning was delighted to hear this.

"Thank you, Elder. I'll take this one."

Elder Tong accepted a bow from Chu Ning and then returned to his original seat.

Chu Ning took his leave.

As he descended the stairs, he saw Gu Xiaqing, Shen Zhengquan, and Lu Miaoying downstairs, along with several others he didn't recognize.

"Alright, he's here. The first one of you can go up now."

Upon seeing Chu Ning, the lazy-looking young man from earlier spoke up.

Shen Zhengquan heard this and started walking upstairs.

Gu Xiaqing continued to wait, smiling at Chu Ning, "Junior Brother Chu arrived quite early. Otherwise, you would have had to wait here with us."

Chu Ning realized that he was the first one to arrive, so he smiled and said, "That was a coincidence.

Senior Sister Gu, I have somewhere else to be, so I'll take my leave."

After bidding farewell to Lu Miaoying as well, Chu Ning left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

Chu Ning hadn't been able to find Liao Yunming and He Changyou yesterday, so he decided to look for them again today.

Since he was already close to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, he naturally headed in that direction.

Upon entering the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, Chu Ning immediately spotted Liao Yunming poring over a book. He quickly walked up and greeted him with a bow.

"Liao Executor!"

Liao Yunming looked up and smiled when he saw it was Chu Ning.

"It's you, Chu Ning. Come, come. I heard you were back, so I guessed you might come here, and I've been waiting for you since morning."

Chu Ning was a little surprised to hear this.

Before he could say anything, Liao Yunming spoke again, "I heard you did well in Yanjifang, breaking through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

The elementary intermediate spirit talismans you crafted were even more popular than those from Fengxiagou.

And this time, you actually killed several disciples of the Yin Demon Sect! Good! Very good! You've really shown the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, and the Spirit Planting House, what we're capable of."

As he spoke, Liao Yunming took out several spirit talismans from his storage bag.

"I heard that your defensive magical treasures were damaged during your encounter with the disciples of the Yin Demon Sect.

The sect must have compensated you, right? Well, the pavilion has also prepared some different defensive spirit talismans for you."

Liao Yunming took out the spirit talismans one by one, introducing them as he did so.

"Look, we have earth-attribute, fire-attribute, water-attribute... We have defensive spirit talismans of various attributes, and they're all elementary high-grade spirit talismans.

These will definitely enhance your defensive capabilities."

Chu Ning looked at Liao Yunming in surprise, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Could it be that this Executor is afraid I'll ask him for something? But these are just elementary high-grade spirit talismans, that's a bit stingy.

I can draw better ones myself."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end