The Origin of the Bead

Through his Spiritual Sense, entering the Universe Bead this time was as easy as flipping a hand. He instantly entered, and his Spiritual Sense seemed to naturally form the shape of his body. After a brief sensation, it felt just like controlling his own body, without any awkwardness. This was different from the usual use of Spiritual Sense. Normally, when using Spiritual Sense, it felt like he could sense and see his surroundings, but it was all intangible. However, inside the Universe Bead, a tangible human form was created, which was somewhat unexpected.

Chen Mo couldn't figure out the reason for this situation, so he simply accepted it. He turned to survey his surroundings and found that the interior of the Universe Bead was nearly a thousand mu in area. White mist permeated the surroundings, with faint white light occasionally shining through, illuminating the space. The sky was also filled with white mist, and only the ground was black soil. The distance between the sky and the soil was about several hundred meters. The entire space was flat, with only a building in the very center.

The building in the center was a White Jade Stone Platform, shaped like an eight-sided pagoda. Each side had 36 steps of white jade, with each step about 50 centimeters high and 100 centimeters wide. It looked imposing and incredibly magnificent! The highest part of the White Jade Stone Platform was about 20 meters square, with a giant Azure Dragon coiled around a pillar, a white jade sculpture standing in the center.

The White Jade Stone Platform was surrounded by a stream nearly a meter wide. The stream water was clear to the bottom, which was paved with colorful pebbles of various sizes. They presented a hazy color in the water. The stream flowed out from a patch of white mist, split into two currents in the center, circled the White Jade Stone Platform, and then followed a winding waterway into the white mist, its destination unknown, with a murmuring flow of water churning.

The coiled dragon jade pillar was over two meters in diameter and nearly ten meters high. An Azure Dragon coiled upwards around the pillar, with white clouds and the dragon's body appearing and disappearing. At the highest point, beneath the dragon's head, a Dragon Pearl rested in its claws. It was exceptionally lustrous, about half a meter in diameter. The pearl faintly shimmered, with wisps of cloud and mist swirling within. Directly below the Dragon Pearl was a White Jade Lotus Pond, with a distance of about ten meters between the Dragon Pearl and the Lotus Pond.

The clouds and mist on the Dragon Pearl gradually condensed, and at the very bottom, a water droplet gradually formed, dripping into the White Jade Lotus Pond below. The Lotus Pond was level with the platform, circular in shape, with the edges resembling lotus petals. The pond was not large, only about 2 meters in diameter and less than a meter deep. It was already filled with water, but there was still a distance of about two palms between the water surface and the edge of the Lotus Pond.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the Lotus Pond had eight petals, each corresponding to one of the eight faces of the stone platform. In the center of each petal, about two palms from the top, there was a small hole. Corresponding to this hole, water was spouted from the dragon heads beneath the eight faces, and faint water droplets flowed out through this hole, then streamed out from the position of the lowest dragon heads, falling into the stream surrounding the White Jade Stone Platform.

The entire White Jade Platform was shrouded in mist, making the coiled dragon appear alive.

As Chen Mo's Spiritual Sense approached this area, it felt like a gentle breeze caressing his face. His spirit felt invigorated, and a sense of fatigue instantly vanished, his thoughts quickening. He immediately understood that this liquid was a good thing.

Chen Mo's Spiritual Sense sank into the White Jade Stone Platform, and he understood everything there. The white jade ball held by the Azure Dragon in the center was the core of the Universe Bead. The liquid produced from it was liquefied Spiritual Energy. Cultivators could drink it to enhance their cultivation, but they had to consume it according to their cultivation level and not drink too much. For Chen Mo's current cultivation level, one drop per Internal Circulation was sufficient.

This liquid Spiritual Energy was dangerous for ordinary people to consume, as it could cause their bodies to explode. They could not absorb the Spiritual Energy and would only be overwhelmed by it. Furthermore, the Spiritual Energy water had other effects, such as rapidly healing injuries and quickly replenishing depleted Spiritual Energy within the body. Chen Mo would have to experience many of these functions himself.

Because the Spiritual Liquid in the Lotus Pond overflowed, it mixed into the stream outside, so the stream also contained Spiritual Energy, albeit diluted. This stream water could be used to irrigate Spiritual Plants, and ordinary people could also drink it to improve their physique, and so on.

Additionally, in the black soil area, different regions could be designated with different time multipliers. The designation of regions and time multipliers used Restriction Techniques, which were also transmitted into Chen Mo's mind.

Furthermore, as the Universe Bead was refined, the time regions and time multipliers would also increase. Upon completing the highest level of refinement, it could reach a time flow of 110 times.

The land within the space was not static. Every time Chen Mo completed refining a layer of restrictions, the space would expand slightly. This meant that after each layer of restriction was refined, the space would grow. Once all 11 layers of restrictions were completely refined, this place would become a small world. As for how much it would expand, there was no specific information.

As Chen Mo was carefully observing the White Jade Stone Platform, he suddenly noticed three Plant Seeds seemingly dropped in a corner of a staircase. They varied in size, which excited him greatly. These three seeds were items from the Cultivation World. If he could successfully plant them, they would definitely not disappoint him.

Using his Spiritual Sense, he picked up the three seeds. One of them resembled a grain-like seed. The other was unidentifiable, completely white, and the size of a pine nut, but it wasn't a pine nut. The third seed was round and brown, and he couldn't identify it. He could only place them on the White Jade Stone Platform for now and plant them later.

After examining the space, Chen Mo thought about how he had entered with his Spiritual Sense. In reality, his physical body could also enter. However, in terms of control, entering with his Spiritual Sense was better. Once his Spiritual Sense entered, he was like a Deity, able to control everything. But if his physical body entered, he couldn't control it as freely as his Spiritual Sense.

He turned to look at his Storage Bag. This item was too conspicuous. If he wore it, it would be fine if outsiders couldn't see it, but what if someone stole it? Moreover, he no longer trusted science as much, because he himself was the biggest Science BUG. The Earth was so vast; who knew if there were other cultivators? Therefore, it was best to store this Storage Bag in the safest place, which was within the Universe Bead.

However, according to novels, it seemed that spaces were incompatible or repelled each other. If this Storage Bag couldn't enter the Universe Bead, so be it. But what if it entered and merged?

He thought about it and decided to take the risk. After all, leaving the Storage Bag outside was not very safe. Muttering a few words of apology to his Master, he directly retracted his thoughts. Instantly, the Storage Bag entered the Universe Bead. Fortunately, the two did not merge.

The Storage Bag remained safely within the space of the Universe Bead. Chen Mo's Spiritual Sense entered the Universe Bead again and tried to open the Storage Bag inside, but there was no reaction. With a flash of thought, the Storage Bag appeared in his hand again. His Spiritual Sense entered it, and he could see the space inside the Storage Bag. It seemed that within the Universe Bead, storage-like items could not be used.

Then he tried to store the White Jade Bead into the Storage Bag, but found it impossible. The Universe Bead could not be placed into the Storage Bag. Even if he placed it into the Storage Bag by hand, the Universe Bead would hover at the mouth of the bag. It seemed that higher-level spatial items could be placed into lower-level spatial items, but lower-level spatial items could not be placed into higher-level spatial items.

After putting all the items he had taken out back into the Storage Bag, he stored it within the Universe Bead. He had now consolidated his Qi Refining Layer One and could begin learning Talismans and Formations. However, according to the Transmission Jade Talisman, it was best for cultivators to focus on cultivation, with other skills as supplementary. Otherwise, learning and practicing everything would lead to nothing in the end. Chen Mo understood this; only by focusing on cultivation could one achieve the right path.

However, considering his current situation, he decided to first learn the Spirit Gathering Array and the Spring Wind and Rain Technique, as these two techniques would be useful later. As the name suggests, a Formation uses Talismans carved onto artifacts to become the Formation Bases for setting up the array. Finally, the Formation is activated through a central control. The Spirit Gathering Array draws Spiritual Energy within a certain range based on the number and size of the Formation Bases.

The Spring Wind and Rain Technique can be cast as an Incantation or by drawing Talismans, and then by casting it, it can induce plant growth and increase yield. This spell is used for cultivating Spiritual Plants and Medicinal Materials, but there is no record of its effect on ordinary plants.

Chen Mo wanted to learn these two first, and then learn others after he had mastered them. There were many other Formation spells and Talisman techniques, and a lot of content to learn. He could only take it step by step.