Spirit Gathering Stone

A question suddenly occurred to him: could there be more high-grade spirit stones on that deserted island? A single high-grade spirit stone was equivalent to his salary for several hundred years; if there were ten, his grandfather Han Daohe wouldn't have to keep rushing about despite his advanced age.

He now wished he could rush to the deserted island immediately to continue searching for high-grade spirit stones.

After a while, Han Changming calmed down. High-grade spirit stones weren't cabbages; they couldn't be found everywhere. Only a medium-sized spirit stone mine would produce high-grade spirit stones; it was impossible for small or micro-sized mines to contain them.

The Han Clan had already searched the surrounding islands several times. If there had been a medium-sized spirit stone mine on the deserted island, the Han Clan would have discovered it long ago.

Furthermore, the size of this high-grade spirit stone was the same as those circulating on the market, meaning it had clearly been cut. One had to know that spirit stone mines required processing and cutting into specific sizes before they could enter circulation.

In other words, this high-grade spirit stone had been washed onto the deserted island by the waves, where a python had swallowed it and slowly evolved into a demonic beast.

Han Changming thought it over carefully, then shook his head. This reasoning didn't hold up! Wild beasts couldn't inhale or exhale spiritual energy; even if it swallowed a high-grade spirit stone, it wouldn't be able to absorb the spiritual energy inside! How could it have evolved into a demonic beast?

There were no spiritual veins on the deserted island, nor any spiritual objects. How could an ordinary python evolve into a demonic beast?

It seemed the problem still lay with this high-grade spirit stone itself!

Han Changming suddenly thought of a possibility: absorbing the spiritual energy from within the spirit stone.

A moment later, his expression became extremely excited.

"Could it be a Spirit Gathering Stone? Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones wouldn't even compare to one Spirit Gathering Stone."

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his excitement, and placed the cyan spirit stone to the side.

A quarter of an hour later, he picked up the cyan spirit stone and examined it carefully.

"That's right, it really is a Spirit Gathering Stone. No wonder the python evolved into a demonic beast."

The Spirit Gathering Stone was an extremely special type of spirit stone in the cultivation world. It could continuously absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth and store it. The stored energy was equivalent to a high-grade spirit stone and could be used to replenish mana. Once the spiritual energy inside was exhausted, it would continue to absorb and store more, allowing for repeated use—unlike ordinary spirit stones, which were discarded once their energy was depleted.

Possessing a Spirit Gathering Stone was equivalent to having an inexhaustible supply of high-grade spirit stones. Although it absorbed spiritual energy quite slowly, it remained a treasure that cultivators dreamed of. However, its greatest use was in setting up formations.

Han Changming guessed that the spiritual energy in this Spirit Gathering Stone had been exhausted, leading someone to discard it into the sea. The ocean currents had washed it onto the deserted island, where the python had inadvertently swallowed it. The stone slowly absorbed spiritual energy from the world, and the python's body, nourished by this energy over a long period, slowly evolved into a demonic beast.

"With this Spirit Gathering Stone, I won't have to spend a large amount of time meditating to recover my mana."

The spiritual energy gathered within this stone was of the five elements, which wasn't ideal for cultivation, but it was perfect for recovering mana.

Usually, after one hour of crafting talismans, Han Changming had to spend two hours meditating to recover his mana. With this Spirit Gathering Stone, he wouldn't have to spend so much time on recovery in the future.

It was perfect timing that his grandfather Han Daohe had just sent over one hundred bundles of first-tier blank talisman paper and two boxes of cinnabar; Han Changming could now go all out in crafting his talismans.

The value of the Spirit Gathering Stone was too great. An innocent man may be innocent, but his treasure makes him a target. He would not reveal the existence of the Spirit Gathering Stone to anyone, not even his grandfather.

Everyone had their own secrets, and he didn't feel he was doing anything wrong.

He put away the Spirit Gathering Stone, sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, and meditated to regulate his breath.

A quarter of an hour later, having adjusted his state to its peak, he went to the wooden table, took out the talisman paper, brush, and cinnabar, and began crafting Water Shield Talismans. One blue rune after another appeared on the paper...

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Han Changming sat at the wooden table, staring intently at the blue talisman paper before him.

There were eighteen blue runes on the paper, forming a water droplet pattern. The spiritual light flickered, and the spiritual energy remained stable; it was clearly a successful Water Shield Talisman.

Han Changming exhaled softly, a look of joy on his face.

With the Spirit Gathering Stone in hand, the number of talismans he could craft each day had more than doubled. Coupled with the large supply of blank talisman paper, his talisman-crafting skills had improved rapidly.

His success rate for the Water Shield Talisman had risen from less than ten percent to twenty percent. Once it reached thirty percent, he would be a first-tier low-grade talisman master.

The Spirit Gathering Stone absorbed spiritual energy quite slowly; as long as Han Changming didn't speak of it, no one would know he possessed one.

Han Changming put away his crafting tools and walked outside.

Outside, a middle-aged man in his thirties was pacing back and forth on the pebble-paved path, holding an ancient scroll in his hand.

The middle-aged man had delicate features, red lips, and white teeth, dressed like a scholar.

He was Han Changming's eighteenth uncle, Han Deyun.

The cultivation technique he practiced was a rare Confucian method, which required reciting a large number of Confucian classics to cultivate the "noble spirit." The stronger this noble spirit was, the faster one could progress in the technique.

"Congratulations to Eighteenth Uncle for advancing to the seventh level of Qi Refining." Han Changming said with a joyful expression, offering his congratulations to Han Deyun.

Han Deyun had been in seclusion for a year and had successfully advanced from the sixth to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Han Deyun shifted his gaze from the scroll, smiled slightly at Han Changming, and said, "This is all thanks to you guarding Red Shrimp Island and looking after the spirit grain and herbs; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to cultivate in peace. By the way, has everything been alright lately?"

"Everything is fine. If there's anything I can't handle, I'll tell Eighteenth Uncle. I've grown up and can help shoulder the burden for the clan. By the way, Eighteenth Uncle, we're running low on spirit grain."

Han Changming's words were vague. Even if the matter of the demonic python were to be exposed in the future, Han Deyun would at most think that Han Changming wanted to keep the python's corpse for himself, which wouldn't be strange, as Han Changming had killed it himself.

Han Changming and Han Deyun's staple food was spirit grain; as for Inedia Pills, they only took them while in seclusion.

The spirit grain they consumed had to be collected from within the clan. The amount received depended on one's cultivation level, and they collected a year's worth at a time.

Han Changming was at the fourth level of Qi Refining and could collect two spirit stones and twenty catties of first-tier low-grade spirit grain each month. Han Deyun was at the seventh level of Qi Refining and could collect eight spirit stones and eighty catties of first-tier low-grade spirit grain each month. The higher the cultivation, the more cultivation resources the clan provided.

"I happen to be returning to the clan. Changming, is there anything you need? I'll bring it back for you."

Han Deyun had previously been at the sixth level of Qi Refining, but now that he had advanced to the seventh, he had to return to the clan so the elders could verify his progress and increase his benefits. It was a trip he had to make.

"Eighteenth Uncle, if you could exchange my spirit stones for first-tier blank talisman paper and get me two more boxes of cinnabar, that would be enough."

"Very well. I'll set off after lunch. Changming, you must cultivate diligently and advance to the fifth level of Qi Refining as soon as possible. Do not slack off, understand?" Han Deyun said with a serious expression and a heavy tone.

Han Changming nodded earnestly and said, "I understand, Eighteenth Uncle. Your nephew would not dare to slack off."

Han Deyun nodded and began to ask about Han Changming's daily life. Han Changming answered truthfully, though he did not disclose the existence of the Spirit Gathering Stone.

"Wealth, companions, methods, and land—while mastering a skill is certainly important, you must allocate your time reasonably and not let it affect your own cultivation. I will bring back some more blank talisman paper for you."

"Then I will have to trouble you, Eighteenth Uncle. It is getting late, so I will go prepare a meal. Please continue with your reading of the classics!"

After finishing lunch, Han Deyun gave a few words of advice, then steered the Green Wind Gourd and departed from Red Shrimp Island.

Seeking investments, follows, and recommendation tickets.