Chapter 772: Magical Treasures
Chapter 772: Magical Treasures
Advancing to the Golden Core!
The Birthright Magical Treasure!
Mo Hua took a deep breath.
Within the eerie and sinister chamber, Ouyang Mu's expression was also one of shock. But then he shook his head and said, "I've only just reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment. I'm not yet capable of forging the sword bone for my birthright magical treasure."
The old demon cultivator said indifferently, "That's why I said I'll teach you. Just watch and learn."
Ouyang Mu hesitated, unsure of what to do, when a message from Mo Hua arrived: "Let him teach you!"
This was a great opportunity.
Not only would Little Wood have the chance to learn about artifact refining and sword bone forging, but he might also overhear some of the secrets to advancing to the Golden Core and creating a birthright magical treasure.
This old demon cultivator seemed to know a thing or two.
Ouyang Mu naturally obeyed Mo Hua's instructions.
With the guidance he had received from Mo Hua, his acting skills had improved. He feigned reluctance and indecision, as if struggling to make a decision. After a long hesitation, he finally sighed and said, "Alright, I'll learn!"
The old demon cultivator was not surprised.
As a swordsmith, it would be impossible to refuse such an opportunity to learn how to forge the bone for a birthright sword.
While it was common knowledge within the Qian Xue Province how to nurture and refine one's birthright magical treasure, the process of forging the sword bone and creating the embryo of a birthright magical treasure from scratch was a closely guarded secret among swordsmiths.
Even the twelve prominent sects specializing in artifact refining would not teach these techniques to their outer disciples.
"Do you know the origin of birthright magical treasures?" The old demon cultivator asked in a hoarse voice.
Ouyang Mu, being from the Taia Sect, a lineage with a long history of swordsmithing, and a direct descendant of the Ouyang family, naturally knew all about swordsmithing, Golden Cores, and magical treasures.
As Ouyang Mu was about to nod, he caught a glimpse of a message from Mo Hua on his sleeve: "Say you don't know!"
While Ouyang Mu, hailing from a family of swordsmiths, was well-versed in the ways of magical treasures, Mo Hua was largely ignorant on the subject.
Occasionally, during lectures and teachings within the sect, some knowledge about magical treasures would be touched upon. However, either it was deemed too early to delve into such topics, or it was assumed that the disciples, being from esteemed families with a rich heritage, already understood these concepts, so they were often glossed over.
Mo Hua wanted to ask questions, but sometimes there was no opportunity to do so.
Moreover, this old demon cultivator seemed to know quite a bit, and his insights might differ from what was taught within the sect. Now was a perfect chance for Mo Hua to learn from this old cultivator.
Ouyang Mu's expression froze, and he felt puzzled.
Wasn't this basic knowledge about magical treasures something that everyone knew? Why would Mo Hua, who was "versatile and erudite," ask him to say that he didn't know...?
Ouyang Mu was a bit confused, but he trusted that Mo Hua had his reasons, so he decided to follow his instruction.
As Ouyang Mu hesitated and was about to say that he wasn't very clear about magical treasures, the old demon cultivator snorted coldly.
"Hesitation indicates a lack of mastery and understanding... If you don't even grasp these fundamental principles of artifact refining, then it seems the Taia Sect has truly lost its way, declining with each generation."
Ouyang Mu felt indignant, but he didn't refute the statement.
If the old demon cultivator held such a view, it spared him the trouble of explaining himself.
The old demon cultivator glanced at Ouyang Mu again and snorted coldly once more, his expression conveying his disappointment. "Since your skills are lacking, I'll have to teach you from the very beginning..."
"Remember this well."
Ouyang Mu nodded.
Mo Hua, who was eavesdropping, also nodded.
The old demon cultivator coughed, appearing aged and frail, unable to stand for long. He hunched over and sat down on a stone chair, taking out a white bone that he began to rub in his hands. Then, he slowly began to speak:
"Any cultivator who breaks through to the Golden Core must first forge their birthright magical treasure..."
"Before the breakthrough, one must prepare the embryo of the birthright magical treasure. When the time comes to form the Golden Core and crystallize one's spiritual power, the embryo of the magical treasure will merge with the crystallized spiritual power."
"In the Qi Refining Realm, spiritual power is like air. In the Foundation Establishment Realm, it is like mercury. But in the Golden Core Realm, spiritual power crystallizes..."
"Only crystallized spiritual power can completely fuse with a solidified magical treasure, becoming one with it."
"From that moment on, this magical treasure is uniquely bound to you. Your spiritual power will resonate with it, and your life force will be intertwined. When you are strong, it will be strong, and when you are harmed, it will suffer as well."
"There are many intricacies to the embryo of a birthright magical treasure..."
The old demon cultivator slowly straightened his body, finding a more comfortable position. Then, he continued, "The heirs of prominent families mostly use their clan's most exquisite spiritual artifacts as the embryo for their birthright magical treasures."
"These artifacts have been passed down for generations, crafted from the finest metals, jade, and stones. They are refined with consummate skill, hammered and forged countless times before they take their final form..."
"Moreover, they are in harmony with the clan's inherited cultivation techniques and Taoist methods, forming an integral part of the clan's legacy. They are the most superior embryos for birthright magical treasures."
"The spiritual artifacts passed down by mediocre clans are of lesser quality."
"Those from small families are even more inferior, and most small families don't even have inherited artifacts, having to make do with ordinary ones instead."
"As for solitary cultivators, very few of them reach the stage of forming a Golden Core, let alone possess high-quality birthright magical treasures..."
The old demon cultivator sighed softly, his gaze complex. "This is the true 'heritage barrier' between noble families. From the inheritance of cultivation methods to the monopoly on cultivation resources, everything is meticulously planned and interconnected."
"Small families and solitary cultivators, even if they manage to form a Golden Core, lack the depth of heritage and financial resources. As a result, they are unlikely to forge a birthright magical treasure that is truly remarkable."
"Even if they are fortunate enough to create an excellent embryo and nurture a high-grade magical treasure, their haphazard and disjointed inheritance, lacking in compatible cultivation techniques and Taoist methods, will still put them far behind the heirs of noble families..."
"And if their birthright magical treasure is lacking, even if they succeed in forming a Golden Core, they will fall far behind their peers and will hardly be able to compete with the scions of noble families, let alone surpass them..."
Ouyang Mu nodded, only partially understanding.
As someone from a prestigious family, he didn't feel the weight of these words as deeply.
However, Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"The path of cultivation is indeed fraught with obstacles..."
It seemed that this statement was no exaggeration.
While it might not be apparent on the surface, solitary cultivators from humble backgrounds would encounter these barriers at every step of their ascent, each one a formidable challenge that could leave them battered and bruised.
The old demon cultivator continued, "This is the way of the righteous path when it comes to birthright magical treasures..."
"The demon, devil, corpse, and evil paths are similar. They use supreme devilish artifacts as the foundation for nurturing their birthright devilish magical treasures."
"There are those who forge evil artifacts, those who craft demonic beast artifacts, and those who create demonic artifacts..."
"Some treat these demonic artifacts as pets, nurturing them within their bodies and feeding them with their own flesh and blood..."
"...while others merge the embryos of their birthright evil artifacts with their own bodies, treating them as a part of themselves."
"Furthermore, there are..."
The old demon cultivator paused, choosing not to elaborate further, and instead said indifferently, "...a multitude of other methods and techniques that are too numerous to mention."
Listening to these demonic methods, Ouyang Mu's face paled slightly.
The old demon cultivator looked at him and said in a hoarse voice, "The path of evil artifacts is profound and extensive. I will teach you slowly."
"You may find it difficult at first, but gradually, you will get used to it..."
"In this world, aside from one's divine consciousness, flesh, and blood, everything else, including the bodies and bones of others, are mere external objects, dead things."
"When a demonic beast dies, its body can be used for refining artifacts."
"Then why can't we do the same with humans after they die?"
"Now, follow me and learn..."
After speaking, the old demon cultivator took out a section of a spine, as white as snow, and threw it into the blood pool. After soaking it in blood, he placed it in the greenish-black furnace to roast. Once the blood was absorbed into the bone marrow, he took it out and began to forge it...
This process was quite tedious.
Mo Hua could only understand it vaguely.
Ouyang Mu, on the other hand, assisted the old cultivator while committing to memory the words Mo Hua had said earlier. He observed the old demon cultivator's artifact refining techniques, imprinting them in his mind, and decided to adopt the good and discard the bad.
Mo Hua did not let Ouyang Mu participate in some of the more sinister artifact refining techniques.
Surprisingly, the old demon cultivator did not force the issue.
Ouyang Mu performed all the tasks that Mo Hua was unwilling to do.
Only some peripheral tasks that wouldn't "dirty his hands" were silently left for Ouyang Mu to complete.
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
"This old fellow is a bit odd..."
And so it continued until the end. Although the old demon cultivator had been "guiding" Ouyang Mu in refining evil artifacts, he never truly made things difficult for him.
After the spinal bone was soaked in blood, Ouyang Mu returned to his cell.
Mo Hua also went back to his secret chamber.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, frowning in thought. Suddenly, he realized that he had neglected the issue of magical treasures for a long time.
Ever since he entered the Tai Xu Sect, he had been busy with various tasks.
He had to capture rogue cultivators, earn merit points, learn formation techniques, hunt demons, find ways to consume the evil essence, and much more. He was overwhelmed with responsibilities.
Now that he thought about it, he realized that he hadn't decided on a suitable magic treasure for himself.
If he wanted to advance to the Golden Core stage, what should he use as his birthright magic treasure?
Other disciples from prominent families had everything planned out for them.
From their cultivation techniques to their superior Taoist methods, as well as their inherited spirit artifacts and birthright magic treasures, everything was passed down from generation to generation.
They didn't need to worry about these things and only needed to follow the clan's traditions or the guidance of their elders.
But Mo Hua was different...
He sighed.
He didn't have a family legacy to rely on.
When he left home, his parents were still at the Qi Refining stage. He was the first in his family to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, so how could he have access to a Golden Core legacy?
As for his master...
Mo Hua felt a pang of sadness.
His master had encountered a great disaster, and his current situation was unknown. Moreover, his master had never mentioned anything about the path beyond the Golden Core.
"The storage ring?"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he turned the storage ring on his right thumb.
Unfortunately, there was no sudden appearance of any spirit artifacts or magic treasures within the ring.
"My master didn't leave anything for me..."
It made sense. His master wasn't an immortal, and the storage ring wasn't a magical treasure chest that could produce anything he wished for.
Mo Hua pondered for a while.
"If my master didn't leave anything for me or teach me about cultivation, then perhaps..."
"...he wants to test me?"
"He's not restricting my choices but giving me the freedom to choose?"
"He wants me to think for myself and decide what would be the most suitable birthright magic treasure for me?"
Mo Hua slowly nodded.
Then, he felt a bit troubled.
But how could he, being so poor, obtain a suitable birthright magic treasure?
A divine artifact?
Too expensive, and even if he had one, it probably wouldn't match his cultivation techniques and Taoist methods. It was unlikely that he could compete with the geniuses of his sect.
As for ordinary spirit artifacts, there was no need to even consider them.
They were inherently inferior.
Additionally, he was already at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
Even if he had an excellent spirit artifact embryo, he wouldn't have much time to nurture it.
According to the old demon cultivator, the longer the embryo of a birthright magic treasure was nurtured, the more harmonized it would be with one's spiritual power. This would result in a more powerful magic treasure that could be controlled with ease.
"This is troublesome..."
Mo Hua frowned deeply, but then his eyes lit up as an idea came to mind.
He closed his eyes, and his divine consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness, arriving before the mysterious stone stele. He reached out and patted the stele, quietly asking:
"Are you willing to become my birthright magic treasure?"
The stone stele remained silent, as if it couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him.
Mo Hua pouted, "Stingy thing, looking down on me..."
However, he understood.
The stone stele was so mysterious, ethereal, and profound, seemingly containing the essence of a grand dao, and even feared by the evil god. It must have an extraordinary origin.
With such a grand origin, even if it became his birthright magic treasure, he wouldn't dare to use it.
He didn't have the lifespan or the destiny to handle such a treasure.
With this realization, Mo Hua's attitude became much more relaxed, and he apologized to the stone stele: "I'm sorry, I was being presumptuous."
The stone stele remained silent, but there was a faint vibration, as if it was pleased with Mo Hua's "self-awareness."
"The stone stele is out of the question..."
Mo Hua sighed.
"Forget it, I'll leave it at that for now. I'm already very late in preparing my birthright magic treasure, so there's no need to rush."
Moreover, his foundation of spiritual power and blood essence was far inferior to that of his fellow sect geniuses. Even without a suitable magic treasure, he was already at a significant disadvantage.
With this thought, Mo Hua felt much better.
Once he gave up on trying to compete, he felt a sense of liberation.
Furthermore, he cultivated his divine consciousness, so he didn't need to forcefully compete with the geniuses of his sect in terms of spiritual power, blood essence, spirit artifacts, or magic treasures, areas in which he was inherently disadvantaged.
On the token, Elder Xun had transmitted a long message.
Due to the weak Yuan magnetic signal within the Myriad Demon Valley, it took quite some time for the entire message to be transmitted successfully.
After reading it, Mo Hua was astonished.
"The power of solid and void, the fusion of the present world with divine consciousness..."
"The Land of White Bones by the Blood Creek is not truly a place for rearing demons. The real secret lies hidden deep within."
"The entire Myriad Demon Valley is a grand formation structure intertwined with a divine path..."
"Within the Myriad Demon Valley, there exists an entire lineage of extremely profound divine path formation techniques..."
...
This Elder Xun was indeed an expert!
Mo Hua had indeed noticed some clues about the formations within the Myriad Demon Valley, but his understanding was not thorough enough.
Moreover, there were some details that he had completely overlooked.
This was the difference in formation vision and cognitive perspective brought about by the disparity in cultivation realms.
Furthermore...
An entire lineage of extremely profound divine path formation techniques! Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
The divine path formation techniques here might be even more remarkable than he had imagined.
Seizing this rare opportunity, Mo Hua immediately transmitted a message to Xun Ziyou, asking about some of the concepts mentioned, such as "the power of solid and void, the fusion of the present world with divine consciousness, formation strategies, and secrets of divine path formations."
Upon reading these questions, Xun Ziyou's scalp tingled.
"How could a mere Foundation Establishment disciple come up with such insightful questions about formations..."
Xun Ziyou had his doubts, but since he couldn't answer them, he decided to seek help from Xun Zixian.
When Xun Zixian saw these questions, his eyes gleamed, and he answered them one by one.
Xun Ziyou then relayed the answers to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua asked a few more questions, leaving Xun Ziyou no choice but to seek Xun Zixian's help again. Finally, Xun Zixian lost his patience, reaching out and saying, "Give me your Tai Xu Token."
Reluctantly, Xun Ziyou handed over his elder's token.
After that, Xun Zixian had a conversation with Mo Hua.
The two of them exchanged ideas about formations, enjoying a stimulating discussion that left Xun Ziyou forgotten and ignored.
Unlike before, Xun Zixian no longer had an "I don't want to cast pearls before swine" attitude. Instead, he was enthusiastic and engaged in the conversation.
Xun Ziyou sighed helplessly.
In the end, their conversation concluded.
Xun Zixian returned the Tai Xu Elder Token to Xun Ziyou, sighing, "He is an exceptional talent with limitless potential in formations..."
Then, he glanced at the Myriad Demon Valley, his expression solemn. "We must not let this young man come to harm within the valley."
Xun Ziyou silently rolled his eyes, thinking, "No kidding. Do you think I don't know that?"
He sighed again.
Days had passed, and the stalemate continued, with no sign of a breakthrough.
...
Inside the Myriad Demon Valley, Mo Hua had a fruitful conversation with Elder Xun Zixian, gaining valuable insights.
Although Elder Xun Zixian's expertise in formations paled in comparison to Elder Xun, his understanding of formations, as well as his experience and knowledge, were unique.
Mo Hua was deeply impressed, realizing once again that there was always something to learn from everyone.
He felt that he should always remain humble, open to learning, and eager to ask questions.
Additionally, Elder Xun Zixian shared some of his speculations about the "divine path formations" within the Myriad Demon Valley.
After their discussion, Mo Hua had a vague idea, but he couldn't be sure just yet...
The next day, in the demonic artifact chamber of the Myriad Demon Prison.
The old demon cultivator, a master of demonic artifacts, continued to teach Ouyang Mu how to forge the sword bone and create a demonic sword.
Ouyang Mu stood between the blood pool and the bone furnace, diligently forging the sword.
Outside the chamber, Jin Gui's eyes were like venomous snakes as he observed Ouyang Mu. Seeing that he wasn't slacking off and was indeed gradually progressing in his demonic sword forging, Jin Gui nodded in satisfaction.
"Once Ouyang Mu embarks on the path of the demons and becomes a demonic sword master, everything will fall into place..."
Jin Gui's expression remained unchanged as he turned and left.
However, what he didn't know was that while Ouyang Mu appeared to be fully engaged in the process, he had actually avoided participating in the truly sinister demonic artifact refining techniques.
This was partly due to Mo Hua's instruction to be "slick and evasive," and partly because the old demon cultivator turned a blind eye to it.
Mo Hua found this situation a bit odd, so he sent a message to Ouyang Mu, asking, "Ask that old guy what his relationship is with the Ouyang family."
Ouyang Mu was taken aback, nodding slightly. He then turned to the old demon cultivator and asked, "Old... uh, Old Foreb..."
Influenced by Mo Hua, he almost blurted out the words "old thing."
Ouyang Mu coughed, quickly changing his words, and asked in a low voice, "Old Forebear, do you have... some connection to the Ouyang family?"
The old demon cultivator's body trembled, and he paused in his work, his body exuding a strong aura of resentment and unwillingness.
The atmosphere in the chamber became tense and oppressive.
The only sound was the sinister, greenish-flame burning in the furnace, emitting a suffocating hissing noise.
Ouyang Mu swallowed, lowering his eyelashes to glance at his sleeve, and then mumbled, "If you don't want to say it, then forget it..."
The old demon cultivator suddenly turned his head, his cloudy eyes fixing on Ouyang Mu, his expression filled with a mix of emotions—sadness, reluctance, and complexity.
Finally, he sighed.
"Never mind, I might as well tell you..."
Ouyang Mu breathed a sigh of relief and was about to put down the white bone in his hand.
But the old demon cultivator said, "Don't stop. Keep working."
"Oh..."
Ouyang Mu was taken aback but continued to forge the bone over the furnace.
The old demon cultivator sat motionlessly, sighing deeply. After a long pause, he slowly began to speak:
"It's a long story..."
"You are right. I do have... some connection with the Ouyang family. In fact, I used to be..."
He hesitated, as if struggling to continue, but finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "I used to be a disciple of the Ouyang family!"
Ouyang Mu's expression changed.
A disciple of the Ouyang family!
Just as he had thought!
He felt both shocked and angry.
The illustrious Taia Sect's Ouyang family had someone who had been captured by demons hundreds of years ago, imprisoned in this sunless prison, forced to assist the demons, and forge bloodthirsty demonic swords.
(End of Chapter)
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