Chapter 428 - 190: The Eighteen-Magnitude Earthquake Caused by a Piece of Spiritual Jade (Part 2)
Therefore, neither Spirit Stone nor Spiritual Jade is essentially needed by Lu Wenwu.
As a top-level cultivation technique, the "Influence Body Refining Skill" engulfs and utilizes resources comprehensively, making the single-function product like the Spirit Stone not very valuable to him.
Lu Wenwu usually just picks a few pieces from around the Spirit Vein and tosses them into the farm to use as batteries. Over the years, they have accumulated more and more, and the Heaven and Earth Primordial Power of the entire Spirit Heaven Cave Heaven has become increasingly abundant.
"Top-grade Spirit Stone!?"
The liaison, who had some worldly experience, was stupefied on the spot and almost fainted.
This is a legendary treasure.
And it’s top-grade!?
If he remembered correctly, a piece of top-grade Spirit Stone just the size of a finger joint had fetched billions of Great Xia Yuan at a famous auction house, with countless mysterious tycoons vying for it.
This fist-sized piece...
It could probably buy a small country...
Even if the liaison was not clear about its true importance to cultivators, he could still vaguely guess that this thing was definitely priceless, a national treasure level existence.
Yet this senior in front of him tossed it out indifferently as if it were just a piece of ordinary jade for auction...
This senior must be incredibly powerful.
"Oh right, wait a moment."
Lu Wenwu thought for a while, then took an iron ingot from the Spirit Mountain Cave Heaven, heated it, and shaped it into a box.
After putting the Spirit Stone inside, he casually tapped it to isolate its brilliant aura.
Only then did he hand it to the liaison.
"Take it, don’t delay, I plan to travel tomorrow."
Since it was Lu Wenwu’s instruction, the liaison dared not say more, nor did he dare to hesitate, immediately rushing to the military department, already calling his superiors halfway.
The military commander, who had just sat down at the command headquarters,
finished his bing and was barbecuing skewers in the courtyard with Mao Mao while Lu Wenwu was unaware that because of a few words and a top-grade Spiritual Jade from him, all the heads of the Great Xia’s core power institutions were alarmed.
...
Central government, a certain secret office.
The highest group of officials in the Great Xia’s power structure gathered around the conference table, resembling a retirement home meeting from a glance.
Lu Wenwu’s matter had been reported to them earlier in the afternoon.
A top-tier powerhouse who did not exhibit aggression should indeed be treated cautiously, but not to the extent that the country had to give it special attention.
After all, there is a distinction between the Immortal and the Mortal.
Cultivators seldom interfere in mortal affairs, and mortals rarely involve themselves in the affairs of cultivators, like two parallel lines that rarely intersect.
Even if a cultivator hid among the mortals and walked in their cities, they would hide their identity and appear in a mortal guise.
However, when Lu Wenwu produced a "top-grade Spirit Stone" and also mentioned that the world would be destroyed within a year, Great Xia had to elevate this matter to the highest priority.
Even if it proved false, it must now be assumed true, with discussions intensified.
However... besides reaching a consensus on "contacting major cultivator sects as soon as possible" and "strengthening police patrols," there wasn’t much else to say.
What could they, as mortals, uncover from a calamity potentially originating from the Ancient Immortal Gods?
"So... let’s discuss what sort of attitude we should adopt towards the Near-God Violent Dragon Senior." The country’s elderly head of state slowly began, "Elder Lin, that senior gave us this and wishes to exchange it for worldly money, could you please appraise its value."
As his words finished, the secretary placed the iron box crafted by Lu Wenwu in front of another white-haired elder.
This Elder Lin appeared with white hair and beard, but with a ruddy complexion and skin as smooth as a baby’s, undoubtedly a cultivator.
Indeed he was.
He was among the few who had abandoned his cultivation path to serve the secular state, having worked for Great Xia for over two hundred years as an attendant and consultant.
Elder Lin cautiously reached for the iron box before him.
Just by lifting a tiny slit, the rich Spiritual Qi flooded the room like a tidal wave.
The ordinary people in the room felt nothing, only sensing that their surroundings seemed more comfortable than before.
Yet Elder Lin’s complexion had changed drastically.
With just a glance at the "top-grade Spirit Stone," he quickly covered the iron box, his heart pounding wildly.
This kind of fluctuation... matches the descriptions in ancient texts!
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at the senior seated in the chief position: "This... was really given by the True Violent Dragon Senior? He wants us to exchange it for worldly currency?"
The head of state was slightly surprised by Elder Lin’s reaction but still nodded gently: "Yes, it has been confirmed multiple times."
"Did the Violent Dragon Senior have any other directives? Anything special?" Elder Lin gasped heavily, continuing to ask.
"There were no other instructions, Elder Lin, why do you react this way?" The head was even more baffled by Elder Lin’s behavior, "The Violent Dragon Senior said to treat this item as ordinary jade for auction, no need to care about anything else. Elder Lin, is there any issue with this top-grade Spirit Stone?"
"As ordinary jade!?"
Elder Lin’s voice rose an octave, even changing its pitch.
"The problem’s huge! It’s enormous! This is not just any top-grade Spirit Stone, but the legendary top-grade Spiritual Jade! It is a treasure that can only appear near the Spirit Vein Dragon of the most elite Spirit Vein, born over untold millennia and the size of a fingernail!"
"This fist-sized piece, I’ve never even heard of, let alone seen; I wouldn’t dare to dream of such a fantasy even in sleep! Let me rephrase: if given to me, I am confident I could break through my bottleneck and advance to the Celestial Tier within three days, and rise to Mid-stage or Late-stage Celestial Tier within a century!"
"If you still cannot comprehend, let me put it plainly. This object cannot possibly be produced in the Mortal or Cultivator Realm; it is a supreme treasure birthed only in the Upper Realm, a gem only accessible to Immortal Gods!"
"This thing should exist only in the heavens, rarely encountered in the mortal world? Since the end of the Mythical Era, the Lower Realm’s cultivators have never possessed even a single piece of Spiritual Jade, even of the lowest quality!"
"Celestial Tier!"
"Upper Realm Supreme Treasure!"
At these words, the room erupted in astonishment.
Though they were all mortals, their role in the nation’s higher echelons made them keenly aware of what this signified.
Even within the Cultivator Realm, Celestial Tier represents the pinnacle, a level only achievable by sect leaders, Supreme Elders of prominent sects.
Excluding those reclusive monsters, Celestial Tier’s cultivation could already allow someone to dominate the Cultivator Realm, founding sects at will.
And Elder Lin had been stuck at the peak of Earth Tier for many years, choosing to work for Great Xia because he deemed further advancement hopeless.
Yet now, this piece of Spiritual Jade could help him defy fate?
The head finally realized that Lu Wenwu’s generosity exceeded his imagination by a colossal margin.
Wiping his cold sweat slightly, he cautiously inquired: "Elder Lin, in your opinion, this Spiritual Jade..."
"Simply release the word, and I guarantee that within an hour, it will incite a battle involving Celestial Tier powerhouses and the entire Cultivator Realm," Elder Lin solemnly declared. "The value of this object cannot be measured in worldly currency; it is the type of artifact that Near-God level monsters would personally fight for, a single piece capable of creating a top-tier powerhouse."
The head’s expression changed rapidly.
This isn’t a Spiritual Jade; it’s clearly a ticking time bomb!
"Immediately contact the Central Bank to create an account with unlimited funds linked to the Violent Dragon Senior’s identity information, ignoring any potential financial repercussions," the head instructed his secretary. "Order that matters regarding the Spiritual Jade be classified at the highest secrecy level, treating any attempts to investigate, disseminate, or spread it as treason regardless of identity."
The military district commander softly noted: "Chief, those five children who first made contact with the Violent Dragon Senior should they..."
The head shook his head slightly: "As soon as we communicate with the cultivator sects, the identity of the Violent Dragon Senior cannot be concealed; hence, ignore those few children, just have the officers guide them slightly."
Then, the head turned his gaze to Elder Lin, whose expression was complex, continuing: "Elder Lin, this top-grade Spiritual Jade is for your use. Should you be fortunate enough to advance to the Celestial Tier, you may leave at will. The younger generation asks only that you consider your over two hundred years of service; should Great Xia ever face disaster, please lend your aid once."
Elder Lin’s expression became slightly dazed, then he quickly composed himself, rising to clasp his fists in respect: "I, Lin Shu, swear before the Heavenly Dao, that I will safeguard Great Xia’s peace for a hundred years as long as I live! If Great Xia faces hardship in the future, I will give my utmost support!"
