Chapter 115 - 76: Thank-You Gift, Magical Treasure Spirit Embryo

Chapter 115: Chapter 76: Thank-You Gift, Magical Treasure Spirit Embryo

As for the Temple Master stepping down, it was even more of a joke. Resigning didn’t mean his Cultivation was crippled.

"There’s nothing we can do," Daoist Lang Gan shook his head. "This is our limit. We can’t exactly execute one or two of Shouyi Temple’s Daoists."

"Yin, you just mentioned that this matter could be blown out of proportion or swept under the rug? How so?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"If we make a big deal out of it now, it remains a small issue," Daoist Lang Gan explained. "But if we wait until Shouyi Temple loses its power or finds itself in deep trouble before exposing this, we’ll have a chance to turn it into a massive scandal."

"It seems you already have a plan in mind, Yin," Li Yinsheng smiled.

"To be honest with you, Fellow Daoist, quite a few Daoist Temples are sitting on one or two of Shouyi Temple’s dirty secrets," Daoist Lang Gan said. "Take Jade Altar Temple, Zulu Temple, and Gengyan Temple, for instance... Of course, something as severe as today’s incident is likely a first.

"It’s just that Shouyi Temple is currently at the height of its power, and behind them, there is... ahem...

"Singling out just one or two incidents will only draw a little blood; it won’t cause them any lasting damage."

Li Yinsheng nodded in understanding. "So, everyone is waiting for the day Shouyi Temple falls into a pit, only to drop all their stones on them at once."

"Ultimately, their momentum is simply too strong. Why else would we tolerate them?" Daoist Lang Gan shook his head.

"Since you already have a plan, Yin, I won’t get too involved right now," Li Yinsheng smiled. "Just don’t forget to let me know when it’s time to start dropping stones."

Li Yinsheng didn’t like Shouyi Temple, but he was busy training his junior martial sister and had no time to waste on them.

Aside from the Grotto Heaven and the one hundred and seventy years of Cultivation tied to Shouyi Temple’s Temple Master and Daoists, he had little interest in anything else.

"Absolutely, absolutely!" Daoist Lang Gan promised. "We’ll keep this in mind and save it for the future."

He then waved his hand. "Let’s drop these depressing topics for now. Li, I have a much more important matter to ask you about."

"Please speak your mind, Fellow Daoist," Li Yinsheng replied.

"Li, you attained the rank of Daoist at such a young age. You must have poured the vast majority of your energy into Cultivation, leaving no time for distractions. I wonder if you currently possess a Lifebound Treasure?" Daoist Lang Gan asked, his expression turning serious.

He figured Li Yinsheng definitely had a Magical Treasure—otherwise, he couldn’t have killed Chongyun—but he might not have a Lifebound Treasure.

Nurturing a Lifebound Treasure consumed an immense amount of energy, and abandoning the process halfway meant all prior efforts would be wasted. Therefore, the more talented a Cultivator was, the less likely they were to hastily settle on a Lifebound Treasure, fearing a careless choice would only drag them down.

"To be completely honest, I do not have a Lifebound Treasure yet," Li Yinsheng answered truthfully.

In fact, before he could complete the Refinement of the pitch-black Command Flag in his Qiankun Bag, he practically had no usable Magical Treasure whatsoever.

"What a coincidence!" Daoist Lang Gan laughed. "I happen to have a Superior Magical Treasure Spirit Embryo in my possession. It requires no complex Artifact Refining—with just a little bit of Refinement, it will naturally transform into a Magical Treasure. It is exceptionally well-suited to be a Lifebound Treasure.

"I would like to give this item to you, Li, as a token of gratitude for saving the tens of thousands of Cloud Bamboos for our Huang Bamboo Temple!"

A Magical Treasure Spirit Embryo!

Li Yinsheng’s eyes immediately lit up.

After learning of the existence of Magical Treasures from his Martial Uncle, Li Yinsheng had spoken with him a few more times, and his Martial Uncle had taught him a great deal about them.

A Magical Treasure could be forged by a Daoist with profound mastery over the Path of Artifact Refining, who would meld vast quantities of precious materials together to stimulate Spirituality and create the item. Alternatively, a Cultivator could find a natural treasure imbued with innate Spirituality and refine it themselves.

Artificially refined Magical Treasures boasted Superior materials but slightly weaker Spirituality. Their power upon creation was immense, but due to their lack of Spirituality, they would improve rather slowly as the Cultivator nurtured them within their body over time.

In contrast, Magical Treasures refined from Innate Spiritual Objects were made of simpler materials but possessed natural Spirituality. While their initial power might be lacking, their stronger Spirituality meant they improved much faster through nurturing and boasted a far higher potential ceiling.

Generally, most Daoists considered themselves fortunate just to own a single Magical Treasure; they had no room to be picky. However, for Cultivators who had the luxury of choice, artificially forged items were better suited as ordinary Magical Treasures, while those refined from Innate Spiritual Objects were ideal candidates for Lifebound Treasures. Strictly speaking, the latter held far greater value.

The only exception was if a Daoist acquired a Spiritual Object when they were already nearing the end of their lifespan, leaving them with no time to nurture the Magical Treasure.

But looking at Daoist Lang Gan before him, he certainly didn’t seem like someone running out of time. Such a precious item—why offer it as a gift instead of keeping it for his own use?

"Fellow Daoist, isn’t this far too precious?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"Compared to tens of thousands of Cloud Bamboos, it’s nothing!" Daoist Lang Gan chuckled. "Besides, if this innate Spiritual Bamboo were used to forge an ordinary Magical Treasure, it would only damage its Spirituality. That would be a tragic waste of a natural treasure.

"And as for refining it into a Lifebound Treasure, I already have one of my own."

"Why not save it for the next Daoist in your esteemed temple?" Li Yinsheng pressed.

"Currently, none of the third-generation disciples of Huang Bamboo Temple possess the talent to become a Daoist," Daoist Lang Gan shook his head. "You, Li, are a paragon of excellence, and Xuanzhen Temple has historically shared a bond with our Huang Bamboo Temple.

"Gifting you this item serves as both gratitude for your aid and a testament to the friendship between our two Daoist Temples."

With Daoist Lang Gan putting it like that, Li Yinsheng found it hard to decline. "In that case, it would be rude of me to refuse."

"That’s more like it!"

Daoist Lang Gan raised his hand and withdrew a bamboo stalk about ten feet long from his Qiankun Bag. It was so vibrantly lush and green that it looked as though water might drip from it.

Li Yinsheng didn’t even need to use his Divine Sense to inspect it; just sitting next to the bamboo, he could feel its abundant Spiritual Qi, leaving him completely refreshed and relaxed.

"This item is called the Celestial Cyan Bamboo," Daoist Lang Gan explained. "It is one of the earliest offshoots from the eight-hundred-year-old Spiritual Bamboo that our Huang Bamboo Temple depends on for survival.

"In addition to possessing extraordinary Spirituality, the Celestial Cyan Bamboo also contains rich Wood Qi. As a Lifebound Treasure, it offers the added benefit of extending one’s lifespan.

"Furthermore, as it is nurtured over time, the Wood Qi within it will grow stronger and purer, further enhancing its life-extending effects in an endless cycle of vitality.

"Most importantly, among the Five Elements, while the Wood Element itself isn’t well-suited for Magical Combat, it can give birth to wind and thunder. And in Magical Combat, Wind and Thunder Power are incredibly formidable forces to be reckoned with!

"Generating thunder from wood is undeniably difficult—certainly not as simple as paths relying on the clash of yin and yang—but generating wind from wood is quite achievable," he added with a smile.

"Take me, for example. I initially cultivated the Wood Element before transitioning from wood to wind. I dare say my combat prowess is quite respectable among my fellow Daoists.

"With your innate talent, Fellow Daoist, starting with wind from wood and then progressing to thunder once its Wood Qi has strengthened shouldn’t be too difficult a task."

Daoist Lang Gan pushed the Celestial Cyan Bamboo toward Li Yinsheng.

"You must have heard of the might of the Thunder Technique, haven’t you? In Magical Combat, a highly accomplished Thunder Cultivator is in no way inferior to a Sword Cultivator or a Body Cultivator.

"And if you ever encounter demonic heretics, the sheer release of a Thunder Technique will strike terror into the hearts of all evil, leaving both Sword Cultivators and Body Cultivators lagging far behind!"

Li Yinsheng solemnly stored away the Celestial Cyan Bamboo and then asked with keen interest, "Then... what if I refine the Celestial Cyan Bamboo into a sword and pursue Thunder Sword Dual Cultivation?"

"Uh..." Daoist Lang Gan froze for a moment. He pondered briefly, organizing his thoughts before replying, "Theoretically speaking, it isn’t impossible.

"But Fellow Daoist, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Being a Thunder Cultivator is hard, and being a Sword Cultivator is equally demanding. Practicing Dual Cultivation for both is exponentially more difficult.

"I know you became a Daoist at a very young age and possess shocking talent, but the fact that both Thunder Cultivators and Sword Cultivators are so rare in this world proves just how arduous those two paths truly are.

"It is already exceptionally rare for an ordinary Cultivator to succeed on just one of those paths. If you divide your attention, what if..."

Daoist Lang Gan didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear. If you split your focus, aren’t you afraid of ending up mediocre at both?

"Your words hold merit, Fellow Daoist. I will keep them in mind." Li Yinsheng’s face immediately turned dead serious, looking as though he had genuinely taken the advice to heart.

After Li Yinsheng accepted the Celestial Cyan Bamboo, Daoist Lang Gan offered him some guidance on the precautions to take when refining an Innate Spiritual Object into a Magical Treasure.

Simply put: guide it more, interfere less.

The more constraints placed upon the Spiritual Object, the more of its Spirituality would be lost during refinement. It was best to only dictate the form it would take and avoid any other unnecessary interference. While this approach meant the Magical Treasure would be relatively weak upon its initial creation, it would grow much faster through future nurturing and possess a much higher ceiling.

Daoist Lang Gan specifically warned Li Yinsheng that, following such a refinement method, he would need to nurture it for at least twenty years before using it in Magical Combat, lest the Magical Treasure sustain damage.

Once nurtured for fifty or sixty years, this Magical Treasure would surpass any artificially refined Magical Treasure that had been nurtured for the same amount of time. By the time it was nurtured for about a century, the Magical Treasure’s power would become overwhelmingly tyrannical, forcing most Cultivators of similar Cultivation levels to steer clear of its sharp edge.

As for anything beyond that... he couldn’t say for sure, as he had never seen it himself.