The Heaven-One Talisman Water Bottle and the Journey Home
The sky was a flawless blue, with white clouds drifting freely across it. Now and then, a bird or two passed through the clouds, giving a clear cry before quickly vanishing from sight.
Aboard the Yang Household's Crimson Wing Boat, Yang Dangmo said with feeling, "The Gold and Silver Alliance truly lives up to its reputation. Even when dealing with small Lineages like ours, they weren't overbearing, and they didn't use their strength to force down the price. No wonder they've managed to do business throughout Qin Province."
Yang Tianyou nodded in agreement. The Gold and Silver Alliance did indeed conduct its business fairly.
Although they still didn't know why Dragon Valley Hall was worth so many Spirit Stones, it was commendable enough that the Gold and Silver Alliance had offered a higher price of its own accord.
"Tianyou, remember this. When you take the helm of the Lineage someday, you must also make sure to teach our people well. Strength alone cannot build a Lineage that lasts a thousand years."
Yang Dangmo gave him the advice earnestly.
"I understand, Granduncle. But I think you and the Old Ancestor are certain to break through to Golden Core. When the time comes, the Lineage will still need you two at the helm. I'd have an easier time just being a fighter."
Yang Tianyou grinned as he paid him the compliment.
"You little rascal, how is it that the older you get, the slicker you become?"
After that laughing rebuke, Yang Dangmo took out the Storage Bag Yang Tianyou had given him earlier, along with his own, and handed both to him.
"Take a look and see what you can use. Your Fifth Granduncle has the say here, so you may choose five Spirit Items, regardless of tier."
His eyes lighting up, Yang Tianyou hurriedly took the two Storage Bags and began to look through them carefully.
The two Storage Bags were piled high with resources. Of course, these didn't include the high-grade resources Yang Dangmo had obtained from Zhou Zhenhao, the Dragon Valley Sect's Inheritance Elder.
Even so, they contained five or six Tier 2 Law Artifacts, as well as some Tier 2 Talismans with dim spiritual light, Formation Flags, and the like. The latter were of a high enough tier that they could be used after a little nurturing.
But Yang Tianyou knew his own limits. He was only at the Qi Refining seventh layer, so even if he activated a Tier 2 Law Artifact, he probably wouldn't be able to bring out much of its power.
Not all Law Artifacts were meant for combat, however. Yang Tianyou picked up a small blue-and-green bottle and examined it in his palm.
Fine patterns covered the bottle, and its mouth resembled a peony in full bloom. When he gently shook it, he could hear a faint sound of water.
While copying the Scripture Repository's books earlier, Yang Tianyou had noticed the Dragon Valley Sect Law Artifact Illustrated Catalogue. It was a miscellaneous book that recorded the Dragon Valley Sect's Law Artifacts of various tiers and types.
The little bottle before him was one of the Tier 2 Law Artifacts recorded in it. It was called the Heaven-One Talisman Water Bottle, an auxiliary Law Artifact.
Its function was to make Heaven-One Talisman Water Bottles. As long as a cultivator put the appropriate Spirit Items into the Heaven-One Talisman Water Bottle and activated it with Spiritual Power or Spirit Stones, the bottle could automatically prepare Heaven-One Talisman Water.
Heaven-One Talisman Water was a kind of spiritual water between First-Tier and Tier 2. If it had to be assigned a tier, either pseudo-Tier 2 or First-Tier Supreme-Grade would do.
This talisman water was exceptionally compatible and had a wide range of applications. It was equally suitable for making Blank Talisman Paper directly or preparing Spirit Ink, and it had many other uses besides.
It was therefore very popular with Qi Refining cultivators and even cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, especially Talisman Makers.
Yang Tianyou was no exception. He had even planned to ask the Old Ancestor to refine one for him when the opportunity arose, since the Yang Household now had the method for refining the Law Artifact.
He hadn't expected to find one in the Storage Bags his Fifth Granduncle had given him. Without further hesitation, he chose the Law Artifact at once.
Yang Tianyou continued to pick and choose, ultimately taking four more Spirit Items from the Storage Bags.
The first was a First-Tier Superior-Grade Metal Attribute shield, the Dragon-Pattern Shield, to make up for the gap in his defenses.
Earlier, after he had secretly slipped into the Two-Yi True Water Formation and been discovered by Zhao Tingshen, the Exquisite Tower had taken a sword strike from his opponent and been knocked to the ground.
The situation had been critical, and Yang Tianyou had been entirely focused on escaping. He hadn't retrieved the Exquisite Tower, which should now be in the Zhao Household's hands.
For his second item, Yang Tianyou chose a pair of boots, the First-Tier Superior-Grade Sky-Treading Boots.
He was still wearing the First-Tier Middle-Grade Wind-Chasing Boots he had obtained when the treasures were divided at Wolf Pool. They were no longer a match for his strength, so they could only be replaced.
For his third item, Yang Tianyou chose a Metal Attribute Spirit Material, a First-Tier Superior-Grade Crystal of Chilling Edge. It was a pale blue crystal the size of an adult's fist, with points of starlight rippling across it. It was a special Spirit Material mixed with the Power of the Stars.
Yang Tianyou planned to ask an Artifact Refining Master to strengthen the Twin Blades and the Sky-Piercing Blade. He had already prepared several pieces of Spirit Gold and Spirit Material, and with this Crystal of Chilling Edge, he had everything he needed.
As for the final item, Yang Tianyou chose a First-Tier Superior-Grade Heavenly Wolf Flower for Fengling. This spirit medicine was said to have some connection to the legendary Divine Beast, the Moon-Howling Heavenly Wolf, though he didn't know whether that was true.
One thing was certain, however: the Heavenly Wolf Flower could purify the bloodline of wolves and was highly beneficial to their advancement.
With the Heavenly Wolf Flower, along with the Dark Moon Netherwolf's Inner Core and the Purple Moon Wolf's Legacy Core he had obtained earlier, Fengling would break through and join the ranks of First-Tier Superior-Grade Spirit Beasts within a month.
"Fifth Granduncle, I've made my choice. I'll take these five Spirit Items!"
Yang Dangmo glanced at the Spirit Items Yang Tianyou had chosen, nodded, and put away the two Storage Bags.
The Wolf Ancestor, who was lying nearby, saw that he had chosen a Heavenly Wolf Flower, and a trace of satisfaction flashed deep within his brown eyes.
Purple Moon Mountain was as peaceful and serene as ever.
There was the beautiful blue Wolf Pool, the rare flowers and exotic herbs vying for beauty, and the Purple Moon Wolves racing through the mountains in pursuit of herds of beasts.
The familiar sights came into view, quickly dispelling the unfamiliarity of an absence of three years.
After taking leave of Yang Dangmo, Yang Tianyou returned home with the cheerful Fengling.
Green vines, green tiles, ancient trees, and yellow flowers—his unchanging home filled Yang Tianyou with a profound sense of peace as he stepped inside.
It was a feeling no other place could give him. Only here could his heart truly grow calm and peaceful.
Yang Tianyou had returned without warning, and the house was empty. His parents both had to work for the Lineage and were hardly ever home.
Unlike Lineage members such as Yang Tianyou, who had Three Spirit Roots or Two Spirit Roots, those with Four Spirit Roots or Five Spirit Root cultivated slowly and had little hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm. They therefore began working for the Lineage at sixteen.
Yang Qiongchu and Duan Hongyu were both cultivators with Four Spirit Roots. Although they had now reached Late Qi Refinement, they were both already fifty years old and had reached only the Qi Refining seventh layer. Their chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment in this lifetime were slim.
For Lineage members with Two or Three Spirit Roots, whose talent was much better, the Lineage let them cultivate steadily until they were eighteen. Even if they were assigned tasks during that time, they were only simple ones like guarding Purple Moon Town. There was almost nothing to do, leaving them plenty of time to cultivate.
These well-qualified Lineage members also received a larger annual allowance.
Yang Tianyou, for example, had possessed cultivation aptitude comparable to Three Spirit Roots before he turned fifteen. While in Early Qi Refining, he could receive twenty Spirit Stones a year.
Someone with Four Spirit Roots in the same circumstances received only twelve Spirit Stones, a full eight fewer.
For Yang Tianyou now, eight Spirit Stones were naturally nothing. But for a cultivator in Early Qi Refining, every extra Spirit Stone in their annual allowance meant they could buy more cultivation resources, such as Spirit Grain and Pills. As those advantages accumulated over time, the difference became enormous.