Next, Zheng Que opened the second bag. It looked like a dark blue purse decorated with interlocking patterns. This, too, was a Storage Bag. Its inner space was slightly larger than the first one's, but not by much.
Inside lay seven or eight translucent crystals, resembling the clear quartz of his previous life. The only difference was that they contained many wispy inclusions and seemed impure. They had clearly been cut by hand, all to the same size, and radiated rich Spirit Power, threaded with wisps of chill.
Zheng Que took one of the crystals out and examined it carefully in his hand. He soon recognized it as a Spirit Stone.
It could be used for cultivation, and was also the currency used among cultivators.
However, just like the spiritual energy in the world around them, Spirit Stones contained not only a great deal of spiritual energy but also a considerable amount of Yin energy.
When cultivators used Spirit Stones to cultivate, they could only absorb the spiritual energy and Yin energy together.
That would not affect him, but ordinary cultivators who absorbed too much Yin energy usually met a bad end...
Zheng Que put the Spirit Stone back into the Storage Bag, then opened the third one. This bag was a little more refined in appearance, like a silver-gray purse embroidered with a cluster of artfully rendered emerald bamboo. Its interior was as spacious as half a room.
Four thumb-sized pieces of jade lay inside. Despite the passage of time, they still gleamed with a warm luster.
These were Jade Slips, objects cultivators used to record information. They were much like books, but far more efficient to use.
Zheng Que immediately took out one of the Jade Slips and pressed it to his forehead. As soon as he activated it with Spirit Power, a complex stream of information surged into his mind.
The next moment, his expression froze.
The Jade Slip recorded a cultivation method.
It was called the [Life Planting Technique].
That was right—it was the very technique he was cultivating now!
The technique his master had taught him was the same one passed down through the town mayor's family!
At once, Zheng Que took out a second Jade Slip and pressed it to his forehead, just as before, to examine its contents.
Soon, a torrent of information from the Jade Slip flowed into his mind.
This Jade Slip recorded two techniques: [Ghost Controlling Technique] and [Spirit Eye Technique].
Clutching the Jade Slip, Zheng Que's expression shifted. The techniques his master had taught him overlapped with those recorded in the Jade Slips left by the town mayor's ancestors, too. What a coincidence!
He took a deep breath, then picked up the third Jade Slip.
This third Jade Slip recorded three techniques: [Pure Yang Technique], [Blood Qi Technique], and [Spirit Descent Technique]!
After reading its contents, Zheng Que's expression stiffened.
This...
Once might have been coincidence. Twice, too. But for every technique to overlap...
Anyone with a shred of sense could see there was a problem!
As he pondered this, Zheng Que quickly calmed down. He remembered his master mentioning "karma" back then...
The first time he encountered the Call-Sound Ghost, his master had told him that the karma between master and disciple was only enough for his master to help him once.
And when Qing Li gained intelligence, his master had clearly noticed something was wrong with her, yet showed no inclination to investigate. That, too, was because he did not want to get involved in the "karma."
Looking at those two events together, the inheritance his master had given him back then had not been his own at all!
Instead, his master had delivered the cultivation opportunity already present in this town into his hands ahead of time!
His master had long known Changfu Town would be destroyed. He did not want to incur too much "karma," so he had taught Zheng Que things that did not belong to him!
His thoughts raced. Zheng Que drew a deep breath and began to examine the final Jade Slip, his expression grave.
The fourth Jade Slip contained basic knowledge and common practices related to alchemy, talisman-making, and forging. These, too, were things his master had been willing to teach him back then, but he had not chosen them...
"[Yin Gathering Technique]..."
"Only the [Yin Gathering Technique] isn't recorded here."
"But this technique doesn't seem very useful..."
"No!"
"A cultivator as powerful as my master wouldn't do anything meaningless."
"Either I'm not strong enough yet to bring out its true power..."
"Or... it's the key to breaking through this calamity!"
"It might be a technique meant to counter [Evil Shadow Play]!"
At that thought, Zheng Que slowly let out a breath. The calamity of [Evil Shadow Play] had already passed. Whether the [Yin Gathering Technique] could counter [Evil Shadow Play], he could only guess.
If his guess was right... had his master acted so secretly to avoid karma?
Or was there some other reason?
With that in mind, Zheng Que temporarily suppressed his many doubts. He put the four Jade Slips back into the Storage Bag, then picked up the final bag.
This last bag was clearly different from the first three Storage Bags. It was cold to the touch, its texture almost unreal, close to nothingness. It resembled a mass of icy fog and was pitch-black all over.
Zheng Que activated it with Spirit Power. The next moment, a dense surge of Yin energy burst from the bag, turning into black mist that instantly filled the room.
The temperature in the entire underground chamber dropped at once.
Zheng Que paused and peered inside the bag. It was pitch-black; he could not see a thing.
At that moment, Qing Li, hanging by the doorway, said, "This Yin energy belongs to ghosts whose souls have been scattered."
"That bag is full of ghosts."
Full of ghosts?
Zheng Que came to his senses, then turned to Qing Li and asked, "Can you crawl into this bag?"
Qing Li sneered and shot back, "You little Human Race brat, why don't you crawl in yourself and find out?"
"So many ghosts died in there. Who do you think I am? Why should I go in?"
At her words, Zheng Que furrowed his brow, then looked at the Bronze Tripod beside him.
Ever since the banging noises a moment ago, the ghost inside the tripod seemed unable to build up its strength. It had been quiet ever since.
There was a ready-made ghost right here. He could catch it and put it in the bag to test whether this was a talisman artifact made to deal with ghosts, or a container specifically meant to hold them.
With that in mind, he immediately asked, "What's the cultivation level of the ghost in this alchemy furnace?"
Qing Li swayed back and forth in the doorframe on her own. "Its Yin energy is only at the first level of [Tongue-Pulling Hell], but its realm doesn't seem to match."
"This ghost is too weak right now. You'll have to let it out and take a look to know."
First level of [Tongue-Pulling Hell]?
He could handle that on his own!
After a moment's thought, Zheng Que quickly put away the Storage Bag, then walked over to the Bronze Tripod.
Whoosh!
He ripped the talisman off the lid.
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