After a while.
On the ground swept clean of ashes and dust, Chu Weiyang, illuminated by the firelight, gritted his teeth once again, surveying the scattered debris all around.
Cracked pieces of a bronze lamp, fallen tiles from the palace's dome, half-petrified bones of unknown origin...
Even when Chu Weiyang swept over these almost crumbling fragments with his spiritual energy, he couldn't sense any traces of restrictions or spiritual inscriptions.
Perhaps these were once treasured items, now all in a sorry state.
To Chu Weiyang's eyes, these were not just fragments of treasures but artifacts of historical significance.
What should be handed over...
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the three Taoists beside him seemed quite satisfied, huddling together and discussing which melted piece could yield more alchemy, which fragment might fetch a high price from the wandering cultivators in the market.
Seeing this scene, Chu Weiyang fell silent.
He had indeed overthought.
Just as he was forced into the cave as soon as he set foot on the path of cultivation, for the three Taoists, perhaps such experiences were commonplace.
Realizing this, Chu Weiyang chuckled and clapped his hands.
The three men turned towards him.
"It seems that you are satisfied with your gains. I have no interest in these trivial treasures, so if you think there's a way, I'll leave them all to you."
"However, I can't leave empty-handed. I need to find a kind of poisonous energy for my spiritual pet, as we agreed earlier. So if you don't mind, I'll keep this Purple Toad Pill Furnace."
Upon hearing this, Taoist Liu quickly nodded with a smile.
"Where do you think you're going? We have no objections! No objections!"
"But speaking of which, this furnace looks like a hill. I wonder how heavy it is! Do you have a way to transport it? Do we need to help you carry it out of this palace?"
Chu Weiyang shook his head at this.
"It's fine. Leave it here. We have a wonderful method at Changshan Mountain for collecting treasures!"
"Besides..."
Saying this, Chu Weiyang blinked, as if pondering.
Then he lowered his head, leaned towards Taoist Liu's ear, and grabbed his arm tightly.
"I didn't allow you to inquire about this and that before, but things are different now. Let's be clear, when I said I was there during the demon cave incident, I wasn't lying to you."
"But this matter has caused some tension between us and your group."
"After rescuing my nephew, I didn't stay in the north for long. I came straight to this area of Lingqiu Mountain, partly wandering and partly hiding."
"I think this palace is good. It's a secluded place. I plan to stay here for a while."
"However, apart from me, you three need to keep this a secret."
"Moreover... since I'm hiding, there may be disciples from the Sword Sect, pretending to be me or my fellow disciples, wandering in this area of Lingqiu Mountain."
"You are the local leaders. If you notice anything, come to the palace and inform me."
"I don't want you to help me for nothing. We can discuss any benefits later."
"Furthermore, I owe you a favor. It's only natural for Changshan Mountain to establish a good relationship with you."
"Taoist Liu, didn't you complain about living in the wilderness being too harsh? Weren't you envious of the prosperity of Changshan Mountain?"
"One cannot just focus on their own livelihood; they must also look ahead. Isn't that the truth?"
Half a day later, in the palace.
Seeing Taoist Liu looking pleased, he led his two brothers away after many blessings and discussions.
As a result, the vast palace fell into darkness and silence.
Chu Weiyang removed the basket on his back, causing a cloud of dust to rise, making the steward who peeked out cough.
After catching his breath for a while, under Chu Weiyang's gaze, the steward looked at the Purple Toad Pill Furnace, resembling a hill, with an almost reverent gaze.
Then, Chu Weiyang asked.
"Is what you told me earlier true?"
"It's not that I don't trust you. Since we came out of the demon cave, you haven't lied to me about your cultivation."
"But look at this ash and dust on the ground! Grab a handful, and it might have been a treasure, scripture, or artifact that people fought over back then!"
"Who knows how many years have passed, even the best-preserved coffins have turned to dust..."
"If it weren't for such a treasured artifact, carrying the essence of a Golden Core cultivator's Dao after their fall, how could this Purple Toad Pill Furnace remain so vivid and immortal?"
"A Golden Core cultivator..."
As the conversation reached its climax, the steward's face almost showed a fanatical and infatuated expression.
This expression sent a chill down Chu Weiyang's spine.
But he also understood that the steward's words made some sense.
At least, even if it wasn't a treasured artifact carrying the essence of a fallen cultivator, it wouldn't hurt to try.
With this in mind, Chu Weiyang couldn't help but clench his fists.
"So, how can I comprehend this essence and understand the Dao fruit within it? You mentioned something mysterious before, that the Dao fruit can enlighten people?"
The steward became more and more fascinated.
"The Great Dao encompasses three thousand realms, resonating with the world."
"When this essence was still an artifact, it was intertwined with the life of a Golden Core cultivator! The Dao and techniques of the cultivator were embedded in the artifact, both in the elixir and the tool."
"If this predecessor's lineage has left behind any secret techniques, perhaps there is a method to fully comprehend the residual essence within this artifact."
"But I think he probably wasn't a predecessor of the Sword Sect or a disciple of your Panwang Sect."
"In that case, there's only one simple way: stare at it, then meditate deeply, first visualize, then forget! Understand its essence! Forget its form!"
"As for what you can derive from the residual essence... it could be a secret technique, a talisman, a technique, a divine ability, or... a cultivation method inherited from the Golden Core cultivator!"
"In the art of divination and fate reading, among all cultivation methods, mountain is the highest!"
"Mountain is the gate of the law..."
Listening to the steward's explanation, Chu Weiyang rubbed his hands, standing in front of the Purple Toad Pill Furnace.
Visualizing and meditating was something Chu Weiyang had learned at the age of seven and had almost become instinctual for him now.
Today, it had become a part of his nature.
Placing his hand on his wrist, soothing the restless White Jade Poisonous Snake, Chu Weiyang's eyes seemed half-closed as he enveloped the Purple Toad Pill Furnace with a hazy light.
In the next moment, his mind visualized an indistinct outline of the furnace.
Then, two ancient seal characters suddenly appeared in his mind!
The Radiant Sun Illuminates the Mind and Universe!
Colorful spiritual light converged in the air, and the outline of the Purple Toad Pill Furnace began to distort and stretch in a way that Chu Weiyang couldn't comprehend.
Finally, when he looked again, what he saw amidst the colorful spiritual light and interwoven phenomena were rows of cloud seal characters.
As he read the first line—
"Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique"
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