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Chapter 889: The Ritual of Restoration
Chapter 889: The Ritual of Restoration
It was not unusual for the Dark Sect's treasures to be hidden in the Jinbei Convergence Zone, as the Dark Sect and Zen Sect had a long history of rivalry and competition, with each side experiencing periods of prosperity and decline.
Furthermore, both sects had numerous branches, and whenever one side was at a disadvantage, they might hide some of their treasures in the Convergence Zone, entrusting them to members of their branch sects to safeguard. This way, they could avoid external raids and, in times of danger, retrieve them at any moment.
However, the situation in the Convergence Zone was complex, and sometimes, to escape danger, even the elders of the sects might disappear along with their treasures.
To prevent the loss of these treasures, they would also leave markings along the way that only members of their sect could understand, or they might hint at their destination in advance using secret sect languages, allowing later generations to find them.
The item You Protector was looking for should have been in a similar situation.
When Chen Chuan examined the stone tablet records, he found that in the early days, although You Protector had seen the Stone Lotus, the words between the lines did not indicate that he had given up on finding the treasure. Occasionally, he would remind himself to search for it again once the lotus seeds matured.
Even later on, as he became immersed in those "mysterious methods," the words on the stone tablet became fragmented and incoherent, but they still contained phrases related to the treasure.
Phrases like, "Is the treasure in the water or in the sky?" "What does the lake of heaven rely upon?" and "I know, I know, now that I have the method, I see it, take it or not, it's annoying!"
In addition to these, there were some fragmented clues on other stone tablets, mentioning some place names that might have come from the Dark Sect's map of the Convergence Zone.
Chen Chuan had not seen this map before, as many of the Ancient State Sect's items, including their scriptures and secret records, were still stored in the National Archives but were not open to the public. Access required a certain level of identity and a formal application with a valid reason.
Without these, it was difficult to find the exact location.
Moreover, the clues that You Protector himself knew might also be incomplete, so Chen Chuan secretly took note of them temporarily, planning to check them later when he had the opportunity.
His primary purpose for coming to the Convergence Zone this time was to hunt and cultivate. Finding the lotus seeds was already an unexpected joy, and he didn't need to ask for too much. His current cultivation was the most important.
In the following days, he hunted nearby during the day and continued to diligently practice the Great Harmony Republic and Great Blue Sky Style at night.
In the area surrounding the Stone Lotus, he didn't have to venture too far to encounter some of the rare creatures recorded in the manual.
These creatures gathered there because of the presence of the Demon Ghoul, which made them aware that they could avoid certain dangers in this area. The more ferocious the creature, the less likely it was to dare to approach.
This saved Chen Chuan a lot of effort, making his hunting much easier. Of course, he had no intention of exterminating them all at once. After each hunt, he would change directions.
With ample nutritional supply, his cultivation rhythm returned to normal. Currently, he could master a style in about three to four days, so by the sixth day, he had mastered two styles from the Great Blue Sky Style.
His cultivation was not specialized in one area but emphasized balanced progress, as both styles had the effect of tempering the spirit and the body, and they complemented each other. By practicing the Great Harmony Republic first and then supplementing it with the Great Blue Sky Style, he could ensure that neither style lagged.
Moreover, during combat, both styles could be used together, resulting in even greater power. This was proven in his battle against the Demon Ghoul. If one side's restraint was lacking, the effect would be significantly reduced, and it might not have been possible to win so decisively, or even allow the Demon Ghoul to escape.
It was known that some of the Demon Ghoul's main anomaly organs could escape and disperse. If one was missed, it might recover the next day, and as its fighting consciousness gradually returned, it might adopt a hit-and-run tactic, making it extremely difficult to deal with.
Chen Chuan didn't mind sparring with such a creature in his usual training, but his primary purpose for coming here was cultivation, and he didn't want these unexpected factors to interfere.
During these days, he would take out the lotus seeds during the day and put them back at night, repeating this process for several days.
During this time, he also considered a more important matter.
Since the lotus seeds might mature at night, this centuries-old rare creature might attract something.
The manual recorded the process of harvesting the Triple Blossom and Quintuple Blossom, and the greater the number of lotus seeds, the greater the danger. Not to mention this time, it was the Septuple Blossom, and there was no record of such a situation in the manual. As for the Nonuple Blossom, it was just a legend.
Chen Chuan believed that if You Protector intended to harvest the seeds, he would have considered this and would have done something. Following this line of thought, he checked and finally confirmed that the placement of the surrounding stone tablets was deliberate and might be part of a secret ritual to facilitate the harvest.
This person was originally a protector of the Jinli Sect and could set up such a ritual. With his limited knowledge of secret rituals, Chen Chuan surmised that the original purpose of this entire setup was to isolate certain external invasions and suppress the anomaly that the Stone Lotus might produce after the lotus seeds matured.
As for the stone blocks becoming diary sections, that would be a later matter.
Some of these arrangements might have been damaged during the hunt, he saw several processed remnants of stones, seemingly discarded by You Hufa.
He guessed that this was done later for the convenience of comprehending the "Mystic Method," so he destroyed it himself.
But the traces of the original placement still remained, so he just needed to realign the stones according to those traces and restore the arrangement.
As for the completely shattered ones, he didn't need them, he could piece together the fragments to understand the outline, find a stone of similar size, and grind it into the original shape to replace it. After all, these stones were locally sourced, and they weren't particularly special.
On the seventh day, during the daytime, he placed all the missing parts back in their original positions. At that moment, he felt something different, as if certain things were isolated, and the mysterious and sinister invasion from the Converged Land seemed to be weakened.
However, it still felt like something was missing.
As he pondered, he suddenly felt something, reached into his pocket, and took out a crystal-like heart-shaped crystal that had fallen from You Zhinan. This object was slightly warm to the touch.
He carefully sensed it and couldn't help but move in place, realizing that the warmth became more apparent when facing a certain direction. So, he walked towards it, and when he reached a spot where the temperature peaked, he stopped. He felt an unusual sensation beneath his feet.
He squatted down on one leg, reached out, and touched a very distinct hexagonal edge. After thinking for a moment, he pressed down, and the mud immediately started to move outward. As he slowly stood up, something slowly emerged from beneath the ground—a black hexagonal stone pillar over a meter tall and as thick as a bowl, with a layer of jade glaze on its surface. It seemed to be made of a special material, with a fist-sized hole at the top, and ear holes on both sides for tying ropes and carrying it.
He believed this was the legendary Secret Ritual Hubstone.
Lei Chuang had mentioned this type of object in the secret teaching manual he gave Chen Chuan. During the grand rituals and ceremonies of the ancient era, this stone was used.
Undoubtedly, this was brought by You Zhinan, and it was very likely a Jinli Sect item. He probably intended to use this as the core of the entire secret ritual.
Perhaps this object was extremely sturdy, so it wasn't smashed like the other stone tablets, but buried beneath the ground. Or perhaps, deep down, he didn't want to abandon it.
He compared the hollow part at the top of the stone pillar with the red crystal, and it was just the right size to fit the crystal.
He didn't know what this object was at first, but now he understood. In this ritual, it likely served as the initiation object and the field of occurrence.
Strictly speaking, none of the surrounding arrangements were made of secret teaching materials, so communicating and utilizing their power required a source. This object should be it.
If that were the case, it made sense for the demon ghost to carry it on its body, and it might even have other functions or be a treasure of the Jinli Sect.
With these items, Chen Chuan felt more confident about successfully obtaining the lotus seeds.
As evening approached, he checked the time, inspected his surroundings once more, and brought all his belongings near the hubstone. He placed some ingredients and high-energy nutritional items in an easily accessible spot, ensuring Chao Ming would stay by his side.
Then, he placed the red crystal into the hole in the hubstone. As he did so, the surrounding stones seemed to vibrate slightly, but this sensation quickly disappeared.
At that moment, the black hubstone lit up with a bright glow, radiating in all directions. The light reflected and interconnected between the stones, forming a whole. From above, it seemed like a rather intricate ritual formation.
Chen Chuan stood within the formation, feeling that this ritual was quite advanced, unlike any he had known before. The distinction lay in the use of secret teaching materials, and the effect seemed to shield against the mysterious and sinister invasion from the Converged Land.
He walked over to the stone lotus and examined the lotus pod. At this moment, a delicate and captivating fragrance wafted from it, and seven lotus seeds would mature tonight, ready for harvesting early the next morning.
Just then, he heard a strange sound, followed by a loud thunderous noise. The ground shook violently, as if something was smashing somewhere, causing all the stones to rumble and sand to fall from above.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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