Baleful Severing Ruler, Tai Shang Perception Scripture

It was the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror!

Chen Shaojun was overjoyed.

The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror appeared.

That meant the appraisal had been completed, the Killing Intent had dissipated, and that ghostly spirit had also been slain by his blade within the black dog's body.

"This time, it was truly perilous.

Fortunately, I was well prepared. Otherwise, whether I lived or died would have been anyone's guess."

Chen Shaojun sighed. Even as the lingering fear remained, he keenly felt how lacking his methods were.

If possible, he should still avoid accepting such dangerous appraisal tasks.

After all, he had the Spirit Eye Technique and could avoid danger in advance.

The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror traced the treasure's origins.

Chen Shaojun saw a series of images concerning the Jade Ruyi.

It had first taken shape a hundred years ago, though the Jade Ruyi of that time was somewhat different from the one now.

After the Baleful Intent Cleansing, the entire Jade Ruyi had already returned to its original appearance.

Crystal-clear and gleaming, it could indeed be called fine jade.

Yet what truly drew attention was the oval pearl above the Jade Ruyi, wrapped in jade with only a small portion exposed.

The pearl was dark green throughout, giving off a peculiar fluorescence. It was exceptionally beautiful.

Especially in the darkness of night, that glow possessed a beauty that could shake one to the core.

In truth, when the Jade Ruyi had first taken shape a century ago, the pearl at its tip had not existed.

"It should have been set into it later."

Chen Shaojun guessed, and the images soon provided an explanation.

Twenty years ago, the Jade Ruyi's owner had been an inspection guard in the Imperial Court's Inspectorate. While confiscating the property of an official, he had accepted bribes and obtained a batch of treasures, of which this spirit pearl was one.

Fearing investigation, he hid the treasures he had acquired in a secret location. He even hired a specialist craftsman to set the spirit pearl within the Jade Ruyi.

The Jade Ruyi had originally been a family heirloom passed down in his own household, something everyone knew.

By setting the spirit pearl within it, the pearl naturally became wholly his, beyond the reach of inspection.

But walk the night road too often, and sooner or later, one would meet a ghost.

During one instance of accepting bribes, he was caught red-handed.

The Inspectorate's rules were strict. The inspection guard's entire family was consequently stripped of their property and exiled, while the Jade Ruyi passed through many hands before eventually ending up with Zhao Quan.

Zhao Quan did not know the Jade Ruyi's origins, but he knew it was no ordinary treasure.

He had the temperament of a refined scholar. Whenever something good came his way, he could not help showing it off to his friends. After obtaining this treasure, he had displayed it among his companions several times.

During one such display, Chen Shaojun also spotted the scar-faced man among them.

It was worth mentioning that the scar-faced man's surname was Peng.

And twenty years ago, the owner of the Jade Ruyi had also been surnamed Peng.

The images vanished.

The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror assessed and graded it.

Jade Ruyi, mortal grade, upper rank.

"How is that possible?

Only mortal grade, upper rank?"

Chen Shaojun's face froze in disbelief.

With Yin energy hanging overhead, more than a hundred strands of Killing Intent, and even a ghost lurking within, a treasure like this should have been at least Dharma grade in his view.

Yet it was only mortal grade.

Could Dharma-grade treasures truly be that rare?

The reward immediately appeared. A ruler landed in his hand.

Then, before he could examine it closely—

With a ding.

The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror began assessing and grading once again.

Primordial Spirit Pearl, treasure grade, lower rank. It could gather spirit energy, collect qi, temper the body, extend one's lifespan, establish one's foundation...

"Hmm?

There was another one?

Twin treasures?

And it was even treasure grade, lower rank?"

Chen Shaojun was stunned, but a trace of joy soon blossomed across his face.

Thinking about it, it made sense.

The difficulty of this appraisal was something he had never encountered in his life.

Even in the Appraiser's Notes, only a handful of recorded cases could compare to the danger he had faced this time.

And those treasures had all been far from ordinary.

It was perfectly normal for it to surpass the Dharma grade on the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror and be rated treasure grade.

The reward also surfaced in his mind at once.

Tai Shang Perception Scripture.

One appraisal, two rewards.

One was a ruler.

The ruler was no ordinary object either. It was the Baleful Severing Ruler.

Its use was equally simple: severing Killing Intent.

As everyone knew.

Once a pawnbroker began appraising a treasure and cleansing its Baleful Intent, there was no turning back.

Either the Killing Intent was completely cleansed, or the pawnbroker could not endure it and allowed the Killing Intent to enter his body, injuring his flesh and soul. Life and death would be decided in an instant.

But with the Baleful Severing Ruler, one strike during an appraisal could sever that unceasing stream of Killing Intent, ending the appraisal and preserving one's life.

To a pawnshop appraiser, this was no less than a supreme treasure.

"This is the treasure best suited for me.

If I had possessed this Baleful Severing Ruler earlier, I would not have been in such a sorry state when facing that Yin Killing Intent hanging over my head."

Chen Shaojun recalled the helplessness of being trapped by the Yin Killing Intent just moments ago, unable to move even a single step.

Joy surged through his heart.

With this.

His future appraisals would become much easier.

Even when facing treasures with even more surging Killing Intent, he would no longer be helpless.

If things did not work out, he could use the Baleful Severing Ruler to interrupt the appraisal and divide it into two, three, or even four separate appraisals.

The second reward.

Tai Shang Perception Scripture.

Chen Shaojun received the memories and deeply imprinted the scripture in his mind. In a daze, he came to understand.

This was a true Daoist canon.

What was a true Daoist canon?

It was a method for Daoist cultivation.

Though he was not certain whether this was the cultivation art of Daoist teachings widely circulated in this world.

It was indeed a cultivation method that perceived the wondrous workings of the Cosmic Star Chart, contemplated the changes of the world, and strengthened one's own soul.

Its cultivation method was also exceedingly simple.

One merely had to visualize the diagram.

The Tai Shang Perception Scripture came with a Cosmic Star Chart.

It contained countless stars.

Chen Shaojun only needed to visualize this Cosmic Star Chart within his mind and sense each individual star within it.

There was no need to sit in meditation, nor was there any need to circulate one's power.

The entire process took place within his mind, and he could interrupt it at any time.

"It is somewhat similar to the Evergreen Breathing Method I obtained before.

Of course, the Tai Shang Perception Scripture must be countless times more profound."

Chen Shaojun immediately began visualizing it.

Within the star chart, the countless stars seemed to be pulled from an immeasurable distance to right before him. Then one star took shape within his mind, followed by a second, then a third.

As he visualized, an inexplicable force of attraction appeared around Chen Shaojun, drawing countless surrounding currents of energy slowly into his body.

These currents seemed to contain some mysterious providence.

They nourished his flesh and body, nurtured his limbs and bones, expanded his meridians and acupoints, and finally gathered within his dantian, forming threads of 'qi'.

Each time he completed a visualization, he gained one thread of 'qi'.

One cycle took half an hour. Ten cycles a day meant ten threads of 'qi'.

Ten threads of qi could become one wisp. Thus, in a single day, he could obtain one wisp.

"The Tai Shang Perception Scripture is truly wondrous."

Chen Shaojun opened his eyes. Feeling that thread of 'qi' within his body, a faint stirring rose in his heart.

After searching and struggling so long, he had finally set foot upon the path of Dao cultivation once more.

Sorry for the delay. Something really held me up.

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