Chapter 287 - 268: Opportunity from Speculation (Part 2)

Chapter 287: Chapter 268: Opportunity from Speculation (Part 2)

As his thoughts churned, Chu Mu mulled it over for a long time before finally speaking slowly under Ji Ming’s somewhat expectant gaze. "Fellow Daoist, is there an Artifact Refining Room here?"

"Yes!"

"Give me three months."

Chu Mu said no more, nor did he make any promises.

A Magical Treasure Prototype, even if it was just a prototype, was still a Tier Three existence.

And his own Cultivation was merely at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment. His Artifact Refining Skill, even by the Light Curtain Panel’s classification, was only at Tier Two Upper Grade...

"This way, Fellow Daoist!"

This time, it was not the concubine who escorted him, but Ji Ming himself leading the way.

Upon reaching the Artifact Refining Room, Ji Ming didn’t say anything more. He left behind a Storage Talisman and departed, his mood seeming a little heavy.

The door closed, and what greeted Chu Mu’s eyes was an exquisite Artifact Refining Room. In the center of the room was an Earth Fire Platform. The walls, entirely grayish-white, were paved with fire-resistant Spiritual Materials well-known in the Cultivation Immortal Realm.

With a wave of his sleeve, the numerous items within the Storage Talisman all appeared before him.

Aside from a pile of Spiritual Materials that made even his heart tremble just looking at them, there was a Jade Scroll recording the Artifact Refining Formula and over a dozen Jade Bottles.

Inside the Jade Bottles were all Tier Two Upper Grade Elixirs for restoring Magical Power.

Chu Mu sat cross-legged, his Divine Sense already probing the Jade Scroll.

’A Magical Treasure Prototype, the Lifebound Treasure of an Ancient Cultivator’s technique...’

He was already aware of the difficulty involved. What he had to do now was to thoroughly dissect this Artifact Refining Formula. Only then could he maximize the possibility of a successful refining.

This analysis lasted for the better part of a month before Chu Mu finally put down the Jade Scroll.

He now understood the structure and effects of this Pill Furnace completely.

The entire Pill Furnace, despite being a Lifebound Treasure, had no offensive or defensive capabilities. Its design was fundamentally centered around Alchemy.

It boosted the success rate of Alchemy, enhanced the quality of the pills, and improved the fusion of medicinal properties...

They were all Support effects!

It wasn’t hard to see that the Ancient Cultivator’s technique behind this Pill Furnace was, much like a Spirit Plant Master’s technique, a purely supportive Cultivation Technique.

It sacrificed Combat Power, but its enhancement to an auxiliary skill must be nothing short of terrifying!

And this technique was of the Wood Attribute. Since wood represents vitality, it should also have the effect of nurturing life and promoting longevity.

As he silently speculated, Chu Mu’s actions didn’t pause. His attention had already shifted from the Jade Scroll to the rare Spiritual Materials before him.

Ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Jade, Thousand-Year Wood Marrow Core, Fiery Sun Warm Jade, Spirit Marrow Celestial Heart...

Any one of these various Spiritual Materials, if seen in the outside world, would be enough to tempt, or even drive mad, a Golden Core True Master.

For someone with Ji Ming’s Cultivation, gathering all these Spiritual Materials would be nearly impossible.

And yet, here they all were, complete.

’The most likely possibility, then, is... an inheritance?’

Chu Mu speculated, but he was quite certain of his guess.

A Lifebound Treasure could grow along with a Cultivator’s Cultivation and perfectly matched the Cultivation Technique they practiced, making it an exceptionally special existence.

As far as he knew, Lifebound Treasures were extremely prevalent in ancient times. The very first thing a Cultivator would do upon stepping into the Golden Core Realm was to refine their Lifebound Treasure.

But as time went on, due to changes in the environment of the Cultivation Immortal Realm and the depletion of Spiritual Material resources, Lifebound Treasures slowly became a rarity.

After all, to refine an ordinary Magical Treasure, like a Lower Grade Treasure, one generally only needed Tier Three Lower Grade Spiritual Materials.

Even an Upper Grade Treasure was mostly composed of Tier Three Upper Grade Spiritual Materials.

But to refine a Lifebound Treasure, like this Pill Furnace before him, Tier Three Spiritual Materials... were merely insignificant consumables.

With such a terrifying cost, how many Cultivators could possibly gather all the Spiritual Materials required for a Lifebound Treasure before reaching the Golden Core Realm?

Even the veteran Golden Core True Masters from major factions would likely be unable to gather all the Spiritual Materials he saw before him.

Let alone a Cultivator like Ji Ming, who was only at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. To gather even one or two of these materials would be a stroke of immense luck.

As his thoughts churned, he picked up one of the Spiritual Materials, but an instant later, he set it back down.

Closing his eyes, his Divine Sense Perception focused on his Sea of Consciousness.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the most conspicuous object was the Divine Soul Saber, which seemed to suppress the entire sea.

It was illusory, yet almost tangible. As it shifted, an invisible sharpness swept out, causing his Sea of Consciousness to churn and roil.

Beneath the Divine Soul Saber lay a copy of the Artifact Refining General Outline and a copy of the Great Sun Scripture, which hung high like a great sun.

Chu Mu remembered that when he first obtained the Great Sun Scripture, he was in the Qi Cultivation Realm. Therefore, he had only received the Qi Cultivation Chapter and the Foundation Establishment Chapter of the technique.

But now, he had been at the Foundation Establishment Realm for many years...

Chu Mu tentatively reached out to the inheritance of the Great Sun Scripture. In the unseen depths, he could feel a barrier blocking him. It was distinct, but... very fragile.

With a slight stir of his Divine Sense, the Divine Soul Saber moved. A flash of saber light seemed to flicker in his Sea of Consciousness, and then, from the unseen depths, he heard a shattering sound.

What followed was a massive influx of information, pouring directly into his Sea of Consciousness.

The Great Sun Scripture... Golden Core Chapter!

He took a moment to sort through it. Just as he had suspected, his inheritance also included... a Lifebound Treasure.

The Magical Treasure’s name was the Great Sun Golden Wheel.

It was shaped like a crescent moon, golden in color, and wreathed in raging flames.

This was all made very clear within the inheritance.

He frowned slightly, but a moment later, his brow relaxed.

The Great Sun Scripture was rooted in the Great Sun True Flame.

This Great Sun Golden Wheel was also rooted in the Great Sun True Flame.

Using the Great Sun True Flame as a foundation, one would fuse it with Spiritual Materials of Supreme Yang and Firmness to sublimate and transform it...

As for the Spiritual Materials...

The corner of Chu Mu’s mouth twitched, and he simply ignored the list.

Just like the materials for the Pill Furnace before him, every single one of them was an existence he could only dream of obtaining.

They were simply not things his current self could come into contact with!

’Perhaps it doesn’t have to be a Golden Wheel...’

As he browsed the formula, Chu Mu’s mind raced. A wild idea surfaced, and at the same time, his Divine Sense focused on that Divine Soul Saber.

The system of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

In the past, he had cultivated Essence, Qi, and Spirit in parallel.

The Wild Bull Technique, the Blazing Fire Technique, and his identity as a Person of the Divine Soul through his Sword Technique represented Essence, Qi, and Spirit, respectively.

But now, he cultivated both Dharma and Body with the Great Sun Scripture, while the Divine Soul Saber remained separate.

If he could merge the Divine Soul Saber into the Great Sun Scripture, or perhaps merge the Great Sun Scripture with the Divine Soul Saber...

This Lifebound Treasure, founded on the Great Sun True Flame, seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

After all, the foundation of the Great Sun Scripture was the Great Sun True Flame, while the Divine Soul Saber...

He slowly opened his eyes, the Minghong Saber—an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact that had yet to draw blood—held in his hand.

With a slight movement of the blade, the Divine Soul Saber materialized.

The illusory saber and the physical blade merged perfectly at this moment...

Indistinguishable from one another, nearly perfect.

’Essence, Qi, and Spirit...’

Chu Mu was lost in thought. After a very long time, he slowly came back to his senses from this almost fantastical line of reasoning.

From the perspective of an Artifact Refiner, it wasn’t impossible.

For him personally, if this could be achieved, it would be a perfect fusion. It would represent a completely new... transformation for him!

But in reality...

Sensing the Spiritual Materials required by the Great Sun Golden Wheel Treasure’s formula, this surging idea instantly seemed as unrealistic as a fantasy.

It was even more unrealistic than refining this Pill Furnace.

After all, in the Cultivation Immortal Realm, anything associated with the four words "Supreme Yang and Firmness" meant it was rare and expensive.

Not to mention the Spiritual Materials required for this Lifebound Treasure...

After his thoughts churned for a long, long time, Chu Mu finally let out a long breath, forcefully burying the wild idea deep in his heart.

His attention returned once again to the Spiritual Materials for the Pill Furnace before him.

Compared to his fantastical idea, what lay before him was reality.

A Lifebound Treasure...

With a distant look in his eyes, Chu Mu handled the Spiritual Materials one by one. The properties of these rare materials flowed through his mind, compiling and cross-referencing with the Artifact Refining Formula and his own foundational knowledge of Artifact Refining, slowly forming a complete picture.

By the latter part of the second month, the first wisp of flame finally surged from the dormant Earth Fire Platform in the Artifact Refining Room, burning without end...

...