Heavenly Spiritual Treasure

Chapter 26: Heavenly Spiritual Treasure

At this moment, the Substitute Divine Statue in his Dantian was already stirring restlessly.

Li Yan widened his eyes and searched carefully, quickly finding his target.

He saw a black snake coiled on the courtyard wall opposite. It was as thick as an adult's arm, flicking its tongue with a hiss, its eyes glowing green.

This creature looked strange at first glance, and an ordinary person would have been terrified.

But when Li Yan saw it, he inexplicably felt it was a delicacy.

He remained calm, pretending not to notice, but his left hand had already gripped the hilt of the Guan Shan Saber at his waist, while his right hand reached into his robes for the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin.

The snake also slithered down, silent as the night wind.

Its head was fixed on the First Wife's room behind it, seemingly anxious, and it moved its body forward.

Wherever it went, the Soul Guiding Lamps were extinguished.

A realization dawned on Li Yan.

This snake was likely a creature with Dao Progress.

The Lu Family Madam's soul leaving her body was very possibly related to it.

Regardless, he decided to kill it first.

"Don't move!"

However, just as he was about to act, Wang Dao Xuan's trembling voice sounded from behind him, and he whispered, "If this thing is startled, it will be completely ruined!"

As soon as he spoke, the black snake seemed to sense danger, its form dispersed, and it vanished quickly, as if it had never appeared.

The sweet scent could no longer be detected.

Li Yan felt regret but was not angry.

He knew that Wang Dao Xuan would not deliberately ruin his plans. His warning must have a reason, so he asked, "Daoist Priest, what was that?"

Wang Dao Xuan was clearly also shocked. He swallowed and said:

"That was... a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!"

A Heavenly Spiritual Treasure?!

Li Yan's heart trembled, and he recalled the name.

Widow Wang had once said that Yang Yi, a martial arts Grandmaster from the previous dynasty, in order to defeat the Golden Horde Khanate, had hired Treasure Hunters to search everywhere and find a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure. He had then refined it into a pair of demonic sabers of immense power.

Later, the demonic sabers went out of control and backfired, so the Da Xing Dynasty court melted them down and forged 108 Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coins, which were the items in his embrace.

How could a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure look like that?

As if sensing his thoughts, Wang Dao Xuan whispered, "Heavenly Spiritual Treasures come in many forms, and their origins vary, but they all possess sentience and are the Blessing Luck of heaven and earth."

"But how easy is it to obtain this heaven and earth Blessing Luck? Heavenly Spiritual Treasures have many taboos. If you don't understand the key points, it's like seeing the moon reflected in water or a flower in a mirror – visible but unattainable."

"They have two main characteristics."

"First, they possess divine self-concealment. They have gained sentience, and if they don't reveal themselves, you won't recognize them even if their true form is right in front of you."

"Second, they have a fierce nature. If the method is incorrect, whether it is destroyed or captured, it will immediately disperse all its Blessing Luck, turning pearls into gravel. Some might even seek to perish with you."

Li Yan frowned, "It's that difficult?"

"That's why the profession of Treasure Hunter exists within the Xuan Gate."

Wang Dao Xuan shook his head. "The Great Dao is infinite, and Daoist methods are endless. Human energy is limited. Whether it's the orthodox great methods or heterodox paths, one must build a solid foundation from a young age."

"These Treasure Hunters, those who awaken Yin Yang Eyes, are locked in dark cellars from childhood, trained to be like night owls, with incredibly sharp sight..."

"And those like you who awaken the Nose Spiritual Root are often thrown into desolate wildernesses, mass graves, or deep forests, with their eyes temporarily blinded by medicine, forced to find their way home relying solely on their sense of smell..."

"Furthermore, Heavenly Spiritual Treasures are numerous, so Treasure Hunters specialize in different areas. Some search mountains, some comb the seas, and some specifically delve into grave holes, each with their own unique skills."

Li Yan listened with a headache, "Do I need to hire a Treasure Hunter for this?"

Wang Dao Xuan shook his head. "Most of those people have eccentric personalities and mysterious whereabouts. This Daoist priest doesn't have the connections."

"However, I do know some of the methods used by Treasure Hunters."

"All Heavenly Spiritual Treasures are born from heaven and earth's Blessing Luck, and they are bound to be countered by something. As long as you find its true form, according to the Five Elements' generation and restriction, and the Bagua directions, and then find the item that counters it, you can collect it."

Li Yan was speechless, "What was the true form of that snake?"

Wang Dao Xuan said with a wry smile, "If I had the ability to recognize treasures, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state. But I do know one thing..."

"That thing must have been very inconspicuous!"

The next day, as dawn broke, those who had been hiding outside gradually returned.

Their zodiac signs were incompatible with the First Wife, so they couldn't approach the courtyard. They had stayed up all night and were extremely curious. Upon their return, they began asking around privately.

The First Wife's maid naturally dared not speak carelessly.

But many people had heard the commotion last night and discussed it privately, embellishing the story until it became increasingly absurd and bizarre.

In their words, when summoning the soul, ghosts and gods came to obstruct. That Daoist Wang performed rituals at his altar and fought with ghosts and gods all night before finally reclaiming the First Wife's soul.

In short, the more mysterious, the better.

Thus, in the eyes of the household, Daoist Wang became even more enigmatic.

And in the inner chambers at this moment, there was a profound silence.

Daoist Wang held his "Cun Guan Chi" (a diagnostic tool), felt the pulse of the emaciated First Wife, occasionally stroked his beard, and knitted his brows.

This old Daoist had also studied medicine. Though not as skilled as those from the Xuan Gate's medical lineage, he was more than capable of serving as a physician.

Just as he had predicted, although the First Wife's living soul had returned, she had still not woken up. Her face was gaunt, her breaths shallow.

As the ancient saying goes, everyone has their allotted time.

Shallow breaths indicated that her time was drawing to a close.

After taking her pulse, Daoist Wang and Landlord Lu came outside. He shook his head and said, "As I predicted, the First Wife's days are numbered. Her lamp is running on empty, beyond the reach of medicine."

"The good news is that her living soul has returned, and she can be buried peacefully after she passes. Landlord Lu should prepare accordingly."

Landlord Lu sighed, "Thank you, Daoist Priest."

"We have returned from the Capital City and have no ancestral home or burial grounds. We implore you, Daoist Priest, to help us choose a propitious location. We do not seek lasting wealth and status, only peace and safety."

"That is natural."

Daoist Wang nodded and, with Li Yan, left the inner chambers.

As they departed, Li Yan turned to look back, a sense of unwillingness in his heart.

From last night until dawn, he had searched every possible place without rest, without closing his eyes.

But as Daoist Wang had said, Heavenly Spiritual Treasures were masters of concealment. Sometimes, they could be right before your eyes, and you wouldn't notice them unless they revealed themselves.

Despite his reluctance, he could only leave.

This was, after all, the Lu family's main courtyard, and all the guards had returned.

If he wanted to find another opportunity, it would likely be during the grand funeral.

But who knew when the First Wife would finally breathe her last.

His grandfather's health was deteriorating, and he had entrusted a neighbor to look after him while he was away. He couldn't linger for too long.

Fortunately, unless a Treasure Hunter made a move, if he couldn't find a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, no one else would have any hope either.

He could find another time to continue his search.

Lost in thought, the two of them followed Steward Lu back to the side courtyard.

After this night, Steward Lu's demeanor towards Daoist Wang became even more respectful. "Daoist Priest, you must be tired. Master has instructed that you rest well after eating."

"No, thank you."

Daoist Wang shook his head slightly, looked towards the earthen mountain behind GuShui Village, and said gravely, "The First Wife's condition is not good. After I eat, I will go up the mountain to find a suitable spot, lest there be chaos when the time comes."

Steward Lu's admiration grew. "Then I shall trouble you, Daoist Priest."

With that, he ordered the servants to bring the food and bowed as he withdrew.

Sha LiFei, who had waited outside last night due to conflicting zodiac signs, could no longer contain himself after Steward Lu left. He came over, ate, and began to ask questions.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, then informed them of his intention to leave first.

Daoist Wang stroked his beard and said, "Filial piety is the foremost of all virtues. This matter cannot be delayed. Young Brother Yan, rest assured, once I finish my business here, I will come to Li Family Fortress to find you."

After the meal, Li Yan prepared to depart.

Perhaps wanting to curry favor with Daoist Wang, upon hearing of his departure, Landlord Lu specifically instructed his steward to send some travel expenses and to select a horse from the stables as a gift.

This was a considerable gesture, making Sha LiFei's eyes turn red with envy.

The three of them went to the stables. There were more than ten horses there. While they couldn't be considered prized steeds, they were clearly much better than the fraudulent ones sold in the horse market.

Li Yan was in a good mood. He looked around and chose a large black horse.

It was not old and had a gentle temperament, even nudging his hand to eat a carrot.

"A fine horse!"

Sha LiFei praised, then turned to look at the horse tack leaning against the nearby wall. He chuckled, "I used to help a leatherworker deliver saddles, so I know a little. Let me help you pick a good one."

With that, he dove into the pile of tack in the corner and began rummaging.

"Huh? What's this?"

As he moved the horse tack, he discovered a stick lying on the ground.

It was dark and covered in scars, with a faint dragon pattern on it.

Steward Lu had also followed them. Upon seeing it, he immediately frowned. "Why is this thing left in the stables?"

Noticing their gazes, he quickly explained, "There were originally over a dozen residences here. When Master returned home, he bought them all and tore them down to rebuild."

"One of them was the former residence of the Xianyang Drum King..."

Sha LiFei chuckled, "Drum King? Does it look like a drum?"

Steward Lu said disdainfully, "What would a crude fellow like you know?!"

"Our Guanzhong has a wide variety of drums, such as the Ten-Faced Gong and Drum, Wei Flag Gong and Drum, Dragon Turning Drum, Old Temple Old Drum... too many to count, and each has its own tradition."

"Every year on the fifteenth of the first month, Chang'an holds a drum festival. The sound of countless drums roaring is truly unparalleled, and it's extremely rare to be recognized as a Drum King."

"This is the relic of a Drum King. When I was young, I also studied some of it. It's a memento. It was originally kept at home, so how did it end up here?"

"I don't see anything special about it, just a broken stick..."

Sha LiFei muttered and casually handed it to Li Yan beside him.

Li Yan had been interested in ancient artifacts in his previous life. He took it and intended to examine it.

However, the moment it landed in his hands, his expression drastically changed!