Embryo of Innate Spiritual Treasure

Chapter 41: Innate Spiritual Treasure Embryo

Watching the Yin Yang Spirit depart, Xuanji examined the Yin Yang ropes binding him. With a cold sneer, he channeled the power of the Ancient Wild World. With a sharp whoosh, the ropes were pulled into the Ancient Wild World, where they were dissolved into Yin Yang Qi and integrated into the Heavenly Dao to evolve the laws of Yin and Yang.

Once free, Xuanji did not stand on ceremony. He exerted the full power of the Ancient Wild World to absorb the surrounding Yin Yang Qi. The Ancient Wild Heavenly Dao ceased its own deductions to assist in the process, and soon, black and white currents surged toward him. The concentration of Yin Yang Qi here was terrifying; even after the Ancient Wild World had gathered it into thick, roiling clouds, the air here remained only slightly thinner.

As the Yin Yang Qi within the Ancient Wild World grew, Xuanji was forced to stop absorbing. Seeing that the surrounding air remained astonishingly dense, he was both shocked and delighted. He sat cross-legged, drawing the energy into his body to temper and reshape his physique, while simultaneously condensing the Yin Yang Qi to cultivate his Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda and Yin Yang Pupil Light.

Streams of black and white Yin Yang Qi poured into Xuanji from all directions, circulating through his marrow and bones. Under the power of the twenty-four internal Primordial Spirits, the energy was continuously fused into his frame. A faint black-and-white radiance emanated from his body, his constitution strengthening with every passing moment. Meanwhile, his closed eyes shimmered with a faint black-and-white glow, and a black-and-white dot pulsed incessantly between his brows. As time flowed on, the radiance grew increasingly intense.

With the aid of the abundant Yin Yang Qi, a black-and-white luster began to suffuse Xuanji's body. The prototype of a Yin Yang Body had taken form. He opened his eyes, his pupils transformed into two Taiji symbols, the black and white light swirling in perfect harmony, faintly containing the profound mysteries of Yin and Yang. Xuanji's gaze sharpened, and two beams of black-and-white light shot from his eyes, piercing deep into the dense Yin Yang Qi before him. He could not tell how far they traveled, but he faintly heard the sound of mountain walls cracking in the distance.

"A Yin Yang Body comparable to the early stage of a Loose Immortal? Sharp Yin Yang Pupils? Not bad, truly not bad!" Xuanji was highly satisfied with these two gains. To possess a physique rivaling an early-stage Loose Immortal while his Primordial Spirit was only at the peak level was simply incredible. He knew that as his cultivation improved, his physical strength would continue to rise, narrowing the gap between him and the gifted Great Gods of the Primordial World.

Yin Yang Pupils: Though currently in their embryonic stage, their utility was extraordinary. They could pierce through thousands of illusions; even if one used the transformations of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, if they lacked the true essence, Xuanji could see through the falsehood at a glance. He could also deploy a Yin Yang Illusion Domain; those with shallow cultivation would have their Primordial Spirits dragged directly into it, trapped in a myriad of illusory realms. Those with weak wills would lose themselves, their consciousness dissipating, their Primordial Spirit energy absorbed into the Yin Yang Pupils to further enhance their power. They could also fire Yin Yang Pupil Light, which possessed formidable destructive force.

Whoosh!

The black-and-white dot between Xuanji's brows suddenly emerged, hovering above his head. Streams of Yin Yang Qi radiated from it, intertwining and coiling until they formed a twenty-four-story Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda. Each level manifested the phantom of a deity, blessed by the power of Yin and Yang, ready to protect the body or repel demons at a single thought.

The Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda was twenty-four inches tall, with each story measuring one inch. Thousands of talismans surfaced upon it, bathed in a swirling, misty black-and-white aura. The moment it appeared, the Yin Yang Qi from all directions rushed toward it like birds returning to their nests or a giant whale drinking water, all of it swallowed into the pagoda. The pagoda seemed bottomless, refusing nothing, devouring the Yin Yang Qi at a frantic pace.

As the Yin Yang Qi was absorbed and integrated, the pagoda's grade began to rise.

Low-grade Dharma Artifact—Mid-grade Dharma Artifact—High-grade Dharma Artifact—Low-grade Treasure Artifact...

Whoosh!

With the final wisp of Yin Yang Qi surging into the pagoda, its grade ceased to climb.

High-grade Immortal Artifact!

In just a few breaths, it had leaped from a low-grade Dharma Artifact to a high-grade Immortal Artifact. The speed was terrifying, and Xuanji was stunned, his heart filled with immense joy. A high-grade Immortal Artifact was only a step away from an Innate Spiritual Treasure; its power was so immense that even an Earth Immortal might struggle to fully unleash its potential.

"In the Investiture of the Gods, the Western Sect leader, Jieyin Daoren, used his own twelve-layered Glazed Treasure Light to condense the Jieyin Treasure Pagoda, entrusting it with his three-lifetime past Buddha body, possessing incredible power. I can imitate him, using the Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda to house my twenty-four internal Primordial Spirits. In the future, with the power of twenty-four worlds supporting it, it might not be inferior to an Innate Spiritual Treasure!" Xuanji mused. The Yin Yang Qi could not compare to Jieyin's twelve-layered Glazed Treasure Light—which was derived from the origin of the twelve-petaled Golden Lotus and the vows of all living beings in the West—but if his twenty-four Primordial Spirits could each command the power of a world, the result would be no less formidable, perhaps even stronger.

Whoosh!

With a thought, the Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda turned into a streak of rainbow light and vanished into his brow, entering the Ancient Wild World. Simultaneously, the black-and-white radiance in his eyes and on his body instantly receded. The Yin Yang Qi had been completely absorbed, leaving the surroundings clear and revealing the rocky walls of the cavern.

"This place is not to be lingered in. If that Yin Yang Spirit returns, I fear the Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda won't be able to contain him!" Although the pagoda could collect all things, especially Yin Yang Qi, the Yin Yang Spirit's cultivation was unfathomable—at the very least, an early-stage Heavenly Immortal. The chances of capturing him were slim, and if the pagoda failed, Xuanji would surely die.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly sensed faint traces of Yin Yang energy emanating from beneath the ground. Now that the ambient Yin Yang Qi had been completely drained, the faint emanations from below were finally perceptible to him. His heart stirred.

"There is something underground?" Xuanji probed with his divine sense, immediately pinpointing the location. He moved, brandishing the Xuanji Sword and striking hard at the ground.

Bang!

Sparks flew as the Xuanji Sword was deflected. The ground shook slightly, but only a faint scratch appeared.

"How is this possible? This is far too hard! A low-grade spiritual artifact had almost no effect. What kind of soil is this?" Staring at the faint scratch, Xuanji was stunned, his jaw dropping in disbelief. Even without channeling his magic power, it was still a low-grade spiritual artifact; even tempered steel should have been like tofu before it, especially since the ground was merely soil.

"Nine Heavens Breathing Soil? Surely I can't be that lucky!" In the Primordial World, the only famous soil Xuanji knew of was the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, said to be the material used by Nuwa to create humanity, and it was in no way inferior to an Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Though he wasn't certain what the soil was, its ability to withstand a strike from a low-grade spiritual artifact proved its value. Xuanji would not let it go. He channeled his magic power into the Xuanji Sword and struck the ground again with renewed force. With his power, the sword's might increased more than threefold, and despite the mysterious soil's extreme hardness, it began to break apart under the blade.

Chunks of soil of varying sizes flew into the air. Xuanji controlled the excavation with his divine sense while using the power of the Ancient Wild World to collect the soil, busy and overjoyed.

The mysterious soil only spanned a few meters; the rest was ordinary dirt, which saved him much effort. Soon, he had dug three feet deep into the mysterious patch. As he dug deeper, the hardness increased exponentially, requiring the full power of his Primordial Avatar to continue.

Bang!

After digging three feet down, a faint black-and-white treasure light suddenly leaked from the earth. Xuanji paused, his divine sense plunging into the gap. Compared to the five senses of the flesh, divine sense was ten times more effective, capable of seeing through objects, manipulating items, controlling spirits, and wielding magic—its myriad uses were beyond words.

As his divine sense entered the earth, Xuanji saw a dazzling black-and-white light. The Yin Yang aura was pervasive, and the misty radiance contained great fortune. Just as he was marveling at it, a stream of information suddenly surged into his mind along with his divine sense.

Absorbing and digesting the information in an instant, Xuanji understood everything, and his jaw dropped once more. He could hardly believe it: the mysterious soil was Yin Yang Breathing Soil. While far inferior to the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, it was still a treasure for its ability to contain Yin Yang Qi. But what truly shocked him was what lay beneath.

An Innate Spiritual Treasure!

Buried underground was a high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure in the process of gestation: the Sun Moon Pearl. Xuanji knew much about this pearl. In the Investiture of the Gods, the Sun Moon Pearl was the treasure of the Holy Mother of the Turtle Spirit, one of the four great disciples of Master Tongtian of the Jie Sect. It contained the creation of Yin and Yang and possessed immense power, not a whit inferior to the Primordial Golden Ladle, the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls, the Four Symbols Pagoda, or the Dragon Tiger Ruyi. The Holy Mother of the Turtle Spirit had shone brilliantly with it during the War of Investiture, holding her own against several Golden Immortals of Kunlun and pursuing Juliusun of the Chan Sect. After the Ten Thousand Immortal Array, she even shook the Western Sect leader, Jieyin Daoren. Unfortunately, Jieyin was a Saint, and she was defeated and captured, only to be sucked dry of her essence, blood, magic power, and soul by the Mosquito Daoist—a tragic end.

"Great fortune, truly great fortune!" The Sun Moon Pearl was of immense value to Xuanji. The Ancient Wild World had always lacked a sun, moon, and stars; the pearl could evolve them, and it would also enhance the power of his Yin Yang Treasure Pagoda. Most importantly, the Innate Spiritual Treasure contained laws; with the help of the Ancient Wild Heavenly Dao, comprehending the Yin Yang laws within the pearl was only a matter of time. The myriad benefits were currently beyond even Xuanji's full understanding.

As the Sun Moon Pearl was currently in gestation—a mere embryonic form—it might have taken hundreds of thousands of years to be born. But thanks to the Ancient Wild World, he didn't have to sigh at the treasure and leave in frustration.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He tore away a massive chunk of earth, collecting all the Yin Yang Breathing Soil and the Sun Moon Pearl embryo into the Ancient Wild World. He truly left not even a single hair for the Yin Yang Spirit!

With no treasures left, Xuanji sneered, "Yin Yang Spirit, every cause has an effect. You captured me and tortured me; now, taking your treasure is your retribution. I shall settle accounts with you in the future." With that, he moved, a three-colored flash of light shimmering as he transformed into a small mosquito and flew away.

Long after Xuanji had departed, a Yin Yang rainbow streaked across the sky—the Yin Yang Spirit had returned. The rainbow dissipated, and the Yin Yang Spirit hovered in mid-air like smoke, his form flickering. Clearly, he was deeply unsettled; he had likely already verified Xuanji's words.

"Ah! No!" As he descended, the Yin Yang Spirit let out a cry of alarm and rushed into the Yin Yang Domain. He saw that there was not a shred of Yin Yang Qi left, and a large patch of earth had been gouged out from the center.

Bang! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Seeing the scene before him, the Yin Yang Spirit erupted with a terrifying aura. Under his pressure, cracks spread across the ground and the walls, revealing his extreme fury.

"That accursed brat of the Illusion Clan! The Illusion Clan? I will have my revenge, I swear it!" The Yin Yang Spirit was now convinced that the Illusion Clan was responsible. The Illusion Clan could transform into all things, and only the royal family could take on a solid form. When he had captured Xuanji, he had realized he was not an illusion but a solid entity, leading him to conclude he was a member of the Illusion royal family. Now, seeing the Yin Yang Qi, the Yin Yang Breathing Soil, and the Sun Moon Pearl all vanished, he assumed the Illusion Emperor had coveted the pearl.

"The Ancestor understands now. You used the Shadow Clan affair to lure me away and steal my treasure alone. What a scheme, what a plan! I fear that Illusion brat has already vanished! But, Illusion Emperor, I will remember today's grudge. If I do not make you pay back tenfold, I am your son! Hmph!" The Yin Yang Spirit looked at the now-worthless Yin Yang Domain and transformed into a rainbow, chasing after Xuanji. Though he knew it was likely impossible to find him, he could not leave without trying. His heart was bleeding; he had lost—too much!