Origin Treasure Seed

The cauldron was no bigger than a palm, yet it felt incomparably grand.

Its entire body glimmered with a deep azure sheen. Dao resonance flowed across it, faintly exuding an ancient, weighty aura that seemed capable of bearing all living things.

Its three legs stood firm, shaped like dragon claws, rooted steadily within the void of his sea of consciousness.

Lin Changheng merely looked at it, and through the azure light, he vaguely saw all manner of strange ancient beast patterns engraved upon its surface.

Drawn in simple strokes, they densely covered one side of the cauldron.

On the other side was an enormous humanoid pattern occupying the center. Its head held up the cauldron's crown and its feet stood upon the cauldron's belly, giving it the air of one who held up the heavens and stood upon the earth!

Around it were images of beings that seemed human yet not human, beasts yet not beasts, or amalgamations of half-human and half-beast forms—human faces with serpent bodies, human bodies with bird heads, fleshy wings growing from their backs...

Yet as Lin Changheng watched for longer, every pattern seemed to slowly ripple, breathing out and drawing in a mysterious aura like living creatures.

[Origin Cauldron]!

The two words somehow entered Lin Changheng's mind, making themselves known to him!

"Is that the name of this little bronze cauldron?"

His expression shifted slightly. Just as Lin Changheng was about to investigate further, he saw azure light glittering within the cauldron's mouth. Clouds and rosy mists began to rise and churn, as though something were wrapped within them.

It was an immense attraction, impossible to resist.

Lin Changheng instinctively wanted to reach out and touch it, but before he could extend his hand, the little bronze cauldron seemed to sense it and gave a faint tremble.

A sheet of profound runes suddenly transformed into a streak of light and plunged directly into the depths of his soul.

At once, Lin Changheng understood their meaning.

[Cauldron Master: Lin Changheng]

[Origin Treasure Seed · Spirit Snatching Transformation in progress]

[Spirit Snatch: 100/100]

...

[Essence blood fully drawn. Spirit Snatch successful!]

[Origin Treasure Seed · First Layer]

[May choose one to refine into an innate human talent: Clear Heart, Wisdom, Enlightenment Boost]

...

"Is this a golden finger?"

"After nearly thirty years, my golden finger has finally arrived?"

After Lin Changheng's memories awakened, he had been able to step outside himself and look back on the past thirty years with an entirely different mindset.

Yet all the bitterness, hardship, despair, and everything else within them remained incomparably clear—things he had truly endured himself!

"Wait! It says Spirit Snatch, drawing essence blood... Could this have been the root cause of my frail body in childhood, and my decline after beginning cultivation?"

"Had it all been drawn away by this little cauldron, then nurtured into this 'Origin Treasure Seed'?"

"And because the treasure seed had matured, the Origin Cauldron was activated and revealed itself?"

Lin Changheng's ability to deduce and reason, formed through doing problems in his previous life, was extremely strong. After directly inferring from the available information, he instantly came to an understanding.

"[Origin Treasure Seed · First Layer]? Does that mean there are also a second and third layer?"

"Humans... I wonder whether the essence blood of demon beasts can also be drawn? Refined into treasure seeds, used by me, and grant me their blessings?"

"Since there is Spirit Snatch, then what exactly is Life Transformation?"

Without letting his thoughts spread too far, Lin Changheng promptly gathered himself and focused, staring intently at the cauldron's mouth.

The so-called [Treasure Seed] should be inside.

At the same time, the azure glow at the cauldron's mouth actually withdrew slightly in accordance with his will, revealing three illusory golden seeds that continuously floated up and down.

With one glance, he knew that the three represented [Clear Heart], [Wisdom], and [Enlightenment Boost] respectively!

After thinking briefly, Lin Changheng made his choice. "Enlightenment Boost!"

Right now, the only thing that could resolve his pressing crisis was [Enlightenment Boost].

Strengthened comprehension would deepen his understanding of alchemy. Once he became an official alchemist, he could remain in the Xu Family with peace of mind. He would not need to open up wilderness lands, and would have enough time to cultivate steadily!

With Lin Changheng's decisiveness, once he made a decision, he did not hesitate. His will descended.

The other two treasure seeds instantly withered. Their hazy vital essence and Dao resonance flowed into the treasure seed representing [Enlightenment Boost]. Then, that seed became even more round and full, while its golden radiance blazed three parts brighter!

The next instant, the treasure seed left the cauldron's mouth and fell into his soul.

It was as though enlightenment had been poured directly into his head, and a profound transformation was brewing.

[Refined: Heavenly Gift of Enlightenment: Omniscience]

[Effect: Deepen understanding of beginner techniques and accelerate the reproduction of foundational skills]

As the treasure seed fully merged into his soul,

"Hiss..."

An incomparably pleasant sensation coursed through his soul and spread throughout his body, like eating chilled watermelon in the height of summer, or being brushed from the marrow outward by the softest feather.

Lin Changheng could not help recalling the Lower-Grade cultivation art, Flowing Fire Art, which had once required him to repeatedly ponder before he could understand it. Now, it had become remarkably transparent in his eyes.

Every detail of the art's circulation of spiritual power, every crucial point in the pathways of the meridians, became as clear as if they had been dismantled before his eyes. Many of the obstacles that had blocked his cultivation were resolved as easily as a blade slicing through bamboo.

"Just as I thought!"

Lin Changheng murmured inwardly. He had grasped it without a teacher; a single point had broken through the whole surface!

Was this the power of comprehension?

"No wonder those favored children of heaven could pick up a cultivation art and learn it immediately. Only powerful comprehension could make that possible!"

Lin Changheng was invigorated!

He was confident that the proficiency level of Flowing Fire Art, which he had been stuck at even after cultivating it for ten years, would be completely understood and mastered within half a year!

And this was merely the initial boost in comprehension from a [First-Layer Treasure Seed]. What would happen if he continued accumulating treasure seeds?

Standing shoulder to shoulder with those heavenly prodigies no longer seemed like some impossibly distant matter!

Nearly thirty, Lin Changheng had had his edges worn smooth by the years. Yet the blood in his chest, long thought dead, began to boil and surge once more, while heroic spirit rose and fell within him!

With this, perhaps he might yet contend for the chance to laugh proudly upon the path to immortality, to become an immortal and a patriarch!

"Rumble!"

A sudden clap of thunder boomed outside the window.

Feeling something in his heart, Lin Changheng raised his eyes. Heavy black clouds were torn apart by lightning.

Just like his dim future, ripped open by a slit through which light shone in!

"Unfortunately, this body's Spirit Roots are too poor. They are mixed Spirit Roots. Otherwise, with the Origin Cauldron's aid, my progress would be faster and my Dao Path far smoother."

Lin Changheng suddenly recalled the foundation of all immortal cultivators—Spirit Roots!

They were inborn and unchangeable! They were also the basis by which cultivation aptitude was divided.

He could not help revealing a trace of helplessness.

According to the universally acknowledged rules of this cultivation world, they were divided into mixed Spirit Roots, Lower-Grade Spirit Roots, Mid-grade Spirit Roots, Superior Spirit Roots, Earth Spiritual Roots, and Heavenly Spirit Roots!

Because cultivators in this world possessed all five elemental Spirit Roots!

Thus, their grade was determined by the spiritual resonance contained within their best elemental Spirit Root.

If one's spiritual resonance was less than a single strand, one could basically not sense spiritual qi and could not cultivate or step onto the Dao Path. Such a person was an ordinary mortal.

If spiritual resonance did not exceed ten strands, one had mixed Spirit Roots!

If spiritual resonance exceeded ten strands but did not exceed thirty, one had Lower-Grade Spirit Roots!

If spiritual resonance exceeded thirty strands but did not exceed fifty, one had Mid-grade Spirit Roots!

For example, the Spirit Root result Lin Changheng had tested at the Spirit Inspection Assembly in the past—

His Fire Spirit Root was the best, possessing eight strands of spiritual resonance!

His Earth Spirit Root came next, with only seven strands!

His Wood Spirit Root came after that, with merely six strands!

His Metal and Water Spirit Roots both had five strands!

In such circumstances, the Fire Spirit Root was considered. Since its spiritual resonance did not exceed ten strands, he received only the assessment of "mixed Spirit Roots," and lost the chance to enter a sect, Aristocratic Clan, or Foundation Establishment family.

Only Qi Refining Realm families had been willing to accept him.

The reason was that those with inferior Spirit Roots found cultivating arts and techniques extremely difficult. Their Dao Path could be seen to its end at a glance, making it hard for them to travel far.

They could not enter the eyes of major powers that did not lack low-level cultivators.

Qi Refining Realm families, however, did not demand much. They focused on quantity and gambled on the future, promising several mortal women in hopes of striking the odds of producing descendants with Spirit Roots.

If one was born, they would have struck it rich.

Lin Changheng subconsciously used the [Spirit Inspection Technique] to deeply sense the Spirit Roots within his body, only to be suddenly startled.

He discovered—

[Fire Spirit Root, nine strands of spiritual resonance]!