Cultivation had always been a process of constant experimentation and breakthroughs.
If Cihang wished to carve out his own path, he naturally could not follow entirely in the footsteps of those before him.
The greatest difference between Innate Spiritual Treasures and Houtian Spiritual Treasures was not their power, but the origins of the laws they contained.
What cultivators valued most was their ability to aid cultivation.
Possessing an Innate Spiritual Treasure compatible with one's attributes could absolutely yield twice the result with half the effort in cultivation.
Some cultivators even changed their Dao paths because of a spiritual treasure.
A cultivator's energy and comprehension were ultimately limited, and cultivating and comprehending the Dao likewise required resources.
Innate Spiritual Treasures were the finest auxiliary resources.
Just like Cihang, refining the Earth Spirit Pearl had directly deepened his understanding of the earth element.
Generally speaking, however, Innate Spiritual Treasures assisted in comprehending the Dao, but did not noticeably enhance the physical body.
Furthermore, after a spiritual treasure acknowledged its master, it was stored within the inner landscape and sea of consciousness rather than truly integrated into the body.
Moreover, their power was completely restrained, so they would not harm their owners.
But Cihang intended to release the sharp edge of the spiritual treasure and make his body adapt to its power.
He also intended to use the spiritual treasure's power to nourish his body and thereby strengthen it.
Although Cihang possessed an innate body, its toughness still could not compare to that of a true spiritual treasure.
Especially not his relatively fragile internal organs.
It was equivalent to Cihang facing the attack of a spiritual treasure without any defenses.
After Cihang's repeated attempts, the Earth Spirit Pearl gradually harmonized with the essence and qi of his internal organs.
Then Cihang swallowed the pearl in one gulp, circulating it through his entire body along his meridians and blood qi.
"Ah!"
The intense pain made Cihang cry out.
Even though he had restrained it with all his might, the pearl's power continued to stimulate his meridians.
Even the body of a Golden Immortal could not withstand the impact of a spiritual treasure.
Wherever the Earth Spirit Pearl passed, Cihang's meridians became covered in cracks.
Maintaining his clarity through sheer force of will, Cihang hurriedly operated the Demonic God Body Refining Technique, using the power of Five Elements creation within his body to restore his meridians.
A surge of Creation and Vitality also poured in from outside the divine hall, following behind the pearl and repairing his shattered meridians.
Only then did it barely keep pace with the pearl's destructive speed.
Enduring the agonizing pain, Cihang circulated the Earth Spirit Pearl again and again, making the meridians throughout his body adapt to it.
Through repeated destruction and reconstruction, Cihang's meridians became tougher and stronger, gaining a trace of the Earth Spirit Pearl's innate aura.
Only after his meridians had completely adapted to the Earth Spirit Pearl did Cihang cautiously guide it into his internal organs.
Even for cultivators, the internal organs were the most fragile and hardest part of the body to strengthen.
But that was precisely why Cihang had devised this cultivation method of introducing a spiritual treasure into the body.
In just an instant, searing pain spread through his entire body, as though even his soul were about to be torn apart.
Thump, thump, thump!
Cihang's heart pounded rapidly.
The blood qi throughout his body circulated at high speed, transforming into vital essence that repaired his nearly shattered internal organs.
Within his sea of consciousness, the Glazed Pure Vase tilted, and drops of Three Lights Divine Water fell, transforming into a cool current that flowed through his body and healed the wounds left behind by the Earth Spirit Pearl.
Cihang's face was now pale, his features faintly twisted.
Yet he still did not give up. He slowly released the Earth Spirit Pearl's power as his internal organs suffered continuous damage.
The Three Lights Divine Water followed closely behind, swiftly healing the injuries to his internal organs.
Gradually, his internal organs grew increasingly resilient, and streaks of yellow light also rose from them.
The excruciating pain throughout his body slowly lessened as well.
Once he knew that his internal organs could withstand the pearl's power, Cihang guided it into his spleen.
In an instant, rich light radiated outward from his spleen, continuously strengthening his internal organs.
Thump, thump, thump!
His heart beat ever more violently, and Cihang pushed his blood qi to its limit.
Bang!
Another muffled sound rang out. With the Earth Spirit Pearl's support, Cihang's body broke through its limits once more and advanced to the late Golden Immortal stage.
Only after a long while did Cihang open his eyes, lingering fear still in his heart.
Cihang had anticipated the difficulty of refining a spiritual treasure into his body.
He had only dared to risk the attempt because he possessed the Three Lights Divine Water, which could swiftly restore all injuries.
Even so, the omnipresent agony had nearly caused him to lose control of his mind.
"Fortunately, every sacrifice was worth it. Refining a spiritual treasure into the body is indeed feasible!"
A delighted smile appeared on Cihang's face once more.
This refinement of the Earth Spirit Pearl into his body had directly pushed his physical cultivation to the late Golden Immortal stage.
It had also allowed him to understand the path of his body cultivation going forward.
As long as he continued fusing Five Elements spiritual treasures, his physical cultivation would be smooth sailing until the Great Luo realm.
Moreover, after being tempered by the Earth Spirit Pearl, integrating another spiritual treasure next time would become much easier, and he would not need to endure such pain.
Of course, that was contingent on finding the Innate Five Spirit Pearls.
Other Five Elements spiritual treasures would work as well, but their auras would ultimately not be as interconnected as those of the Five Spirit Pearls.
In the future, he might even use the unification of the Five Elements to break through to the Great Luo realm in a single stroke with his physical body.
Originally, he had regarded the Five Spirit Pearls with an indifferent attitude.
But now that they concerned his cultivation, he was determined to obtain them.
"Let's see whether I can sense the other pearls!"
With a thought from Cihang, the Earth Spirit Pearl appeared in his hand. He raised it with his spiritual consciousness and exerted all his strength to sense the locations of the other pearls.
The Earth Spirit Pearl suddenly blazed with light, and invisible fluctuations spread beyond Buzhou Mountain.
Time slowly passed. Only when Cihang's mana was nearly exhausted did he barely sense a faint response.
The Earth Spirit Pearl suddenly flashed and sank back into Cihang's body.
"West... Could it be the Golden Spirit Pearl?"
Cihang could only sense that it lay somewhere to the west, and at an extremely distant location.
Limited by his cultivation, and because he had not fully refined the Earth Spirit Pearl, his perception was exceedingly vague.
"It would be difficult to raise my cultivation in a short time, but I can accelerate the refinement of the Earth Spirit Pearl!"
Cihang did not hurry off to seek the treasure. Instead, he planned to further refine the Earth Spirit Pearl.
Before that, however, Cihang retrieved the Creation Cauldron from the side hall.
After a thousand years of tempering, Feather Spirit had also fallen into slumber and begun its first bloodline transformation.
Inspired by the Earth Spirit Pearl, Cihang realized that spiritual treasures could do more than aid Dao comprehension; they could also better assist cultivation itself.
The Glazed Pure Vase had not changed much. It still remained in his sea of consciousness, guarding his true spirit while nourishing his true spirit and primordial spirit with the Dao charm of a spiritual treasure.
Cihang refined the Creation Cauldron into his middle dantian, where it gathered the essence and qi within his body along with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to further temper his mana.
While tempering his mana, it also imbued it with a trace of the intent of creation, further deepening its foundation.
At the same time, the Creation Cauldron could continuously release the power of creation and slowly nourish his physical body.
There was another benefit as well: it could accelerate the refinement of spiritual treasures.
Even if Cihang did not actively refine it, his mana and essence would slowly refine the Creation Cauldron, deepening the imprint of his primordial spirit upon it.
The same principle applied to the Earth Spirit Pearl.
But Cihang could not wait for it to refine itself slowly; the sooner he obtained the Five Spirit Pearls, the more advantageous it would be for him.
Cihang immediately settled his mind and began refining the Earth Spirit Pearl with all his strength.
Since it was merely a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, refining it was much easier.
Moreover, his physical body and blood qi continuously nourished it, further accelerating the refinement process.
Even so, by the time Cihang had fully refined it, another thousand years had already passed.
Perhaps because he had refined the spiritual treasure into his body, Cihang had formed a deeper connection with the Earth Spirit Pearl.
As he looked at the Innate Divine Seals within the pearl, he always felt that there was more to them.
"Could this Earth Spirit Pearl possess some other secret?"
Cihang did not immediately leave seclusion. Instead, he continued operating his spiritual consciousness and mana, repeatedly refining the core of the spiritual treasure.
Before you continue