Inventory

The cave mansion's grand doors boomed shut. The mingled halos of the night-shining pearls and bronze lotus lamps made Man Xiongmu's expression even more somber.

"Tong Guan is clearly up to no good."

He sat stiffly on the stone chair, his voice cold. "It's chaotic down the mountain now, with Greater Demons appearing frequently. Our descent this time... it's likely to be dangerous."

Wu Tian, however, remained calm, not flustered. "Master, I have the ability to sense danger. Whatever his schemes and plots, it's still unknown who will emerge victorious."

"Besides, with the senior's Edict in place, I doubt he'd dare to make a move openly."

"If he resorts to underhanded tactics, we'll deal with them as they come."

Man Xiongmu was taken aback by this, and after a moment, he couldn't help but laugh. "I never thought that I, an old man, would need you, a mere dog, to comfort me."

"Haha, it seems I'm truly getting old. I'm not as steady and composed as you, my little dog, haha..."

As he spoke, he shook his head and tossed the jade slip towards Wu Tian. "Regardless, we finally have the Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram. Take it to cultivate. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me."

Wu Tian darted forward and caught the jade slip with perfect precision. He was a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Master, will that Tong Guan tamper with this Qi Circulation Diagram?"

Man Xiongmu shook his head. "Don't worry. The Qi Circulation Diagram needs to be combined with subsequent techniques to form a complete inheritance. A single Qi Circulation Diagram on its own isn't much."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to give it to you so easily."

"Moreover, the most important thing in a Qi Circulation Diagram is the Law Intent it contains. Tong Guan himself cannot forge this jade slip; he instead uses a legacy seal to imprint the Law Intent of the Qi Circulation Diagram onto it."

"This cannot be faked. You can cultivate it with peace of mind."

"I see. Thank you, Master. I understand." After his excitement subsided, Wu Tian, still biting the jade slip, suddenly asked awkwardly, "Master, how do I use this legacy jade slip?"

It was his first time encountering such an item, and he genuinely didn't know how to use it.

Man Xiongmu chuckled at this. "It was my oversight. Focus your mind and circulate your Tongyou Qi to your spiritual platform between your eyebrows."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a gust of black wind emerged. It precisely scooped up the jade slip Wu Tian was biting and placed it on the center of his brow.

Wu Tian circulated his Tongyou Qi. When his True Qi reached his brow, the jade slip suddenly emitted a brilliant light, as if a bright moon had descended into his forehead.

A diagram composed of 72 acupoints appeared in his mind. This Qi Circulation Diagram was incredibly intricate, with densely interwoven lines, resembling a great mouth biting down on a bright moon.

"What a magnificent Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram..."

Wu Tian's heart stirred. This Qi Circulation Diagram was perfect for him, fitting him exactly. His own canine form only had 72 acupoints. Even the most wondrous other Qi Circulation Diagrams wouldn't suit him.

Seeing him immersed in the Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram technique, Man Xiongmu chuckled. "No rush. I've only just returned to the sect. Even if we're to descend the mountain, I'll need some time to recuperate."

"Also, I need to do some investigating to find out exactly what that Tong Guan fellow is up to."

"And this Thousand-Year Ironwood Heart..."

He placed the piece of Thousand-Year Ironwood Heart on the table. "This is a Mid-grade Spirit Material, capable of refining Magic Artifacts. It's quite precious. I think you should put it aside for now. The Bitter Bamboo outside the door is sufficient for you for the time being."

"Use this when your cultivation is higher in the future."

Hearing Man Xiongmu's words, Wu Tian remembered the several Curse Artifacts he had stored in his belly. He quickly opened his mouth and spat out a banner, a black net, a bell, and a purple-green Ruyi Rope.

"Master, look. These are my previous spoils of war."

"And this Ruyi Rope, I personally refined it during this time..."

Man Xiongmu looked at the items Wu Tian spat out, feeling a bit reluctant to handle them. He coughed lightly and glanced over them. "These three Curse Artifacts are common legacies within the sect."

"The Cloud Covering Banner can conceal one's form, but it has many limitations. My Qiyun Cave lineage has its own methods of concealment, making this artifact rather redundant."

"The Black Net is more suited for group use. With hundreds of people using the Black Net together, they can quickly set up an inescapable net over a large area, leaving enemies with no chance of escape."

"For you, a mere dog, it's not very useful."

"However, this Soul Stirring Bell is quite compatible with you. When the bell rings, it seizes the soul. As long as the enemy hesitates for a moment, you can seize the opportunity to kill them."

Man Xiongmu paused slightly, then reached out and summoned the purple-green Ruyi Rope with a gust of black wind, bringing it into his hand for closer inspection.

The rope was not stained with saliva or other impurities. It was a deep purple-green, with interwoven water and fire patterns. It was about four feet eight inches long, emitting a gentle luster, and looked quite impressive.

"This must have been refined from the Ironwood club taken from that Wild Dog Cave disciple, after you used the Silk Drawing Curse Technique, right? I see you've combined four strands of Yin Soul Silk to refine this Ruyi Rope. Two of those strands have the Cloud Water Spell and Gather Wind Spell, but I can't discern the other two curses..."

Wu Tian transmitted his voice. "Those are two curses taught to me by that senior. I imprinted them as well."

Man Xiongmu nodded. "You have quite the ambition, my little dog. Combining four strands of Yin Soul Silk requires far more time and effort than other Curse Artifacts."

"However, the best thing about the Ruyi Whip is that its required materials are singular. It only needs Yin Soul Silk as the spirit material. By continuously combining them, you can even refine it all the way to a precious-grade Ruyi Lariat."

"Other Curse Artifacts require a complex array of materials, many of which cannot be refined into Magic Artifacts. Even those that can often require other spirit materials for combined refinement."

"Since you've chosen the Ruyi Whip, don't give up. Once you refine it into a Ruyi Lariat in the future, it will be an excellent artifact for protecting your Dao."

Wu Tian nodded in agreement. "Master, that's exactly my plan. I only need Yin Soul Silk to continuously refine this Curse Artifact, without needing to search for other spirit materials."

"Although it will require some hard work, it saves the time spent searching for spirit materials."

Man Xiongmu nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I'll take the Cloud Covering Banner and the Black Net. I can exchange them at the Logistics Hall for some Merit points."

"That will be enough to exchange for the Soul Stirring Curse, the incantation to activate the Soul Stirring Bell. I don't have it either, and it needs to be exchanged for with Merit points at the Legacy Hall."

"You stay in the cave mansion and cultivate during this period. You can use the Bitter Bamboo outside the cave for the Silk Drawing Curse. Don't slack off."

Wu Tian quickly agreed, then caught the purple-green Ruyi Rope that Man Xiongmu tossed over and swallowed it. Without further ado, he jumped onto a nearby stone chair and began his daily practice.

He had already opened sixty-eight acupoints, and was not far from achieving complete Aperture Opening. It would take at most another four or five days to finish...

As the incantation sounded, water, fire, wind, and thunder surged. The essence of heaven and earth flowed like a radiant mist, completely enveloping his body.