Bronze Cauldron

"Be careful. Though these treasures underwent Baleful Intent Cleansing three years ago, the larger the item, the stronger its ability to gather Baleful Intent. Know your limits."

While registering them, Lin Qi rarely offered a word of warning.

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Lin. I understand."

Chen Shaojun did not explain further.

"As long as you understand."

Nodding, Lin Qi knew that during this time, everyone had heard about the Treasure Fair. Taking this opportunity to improve their Divine Gaze Technique as much as possible, so they could protect themselves, was also the thinking of most Appraiser Apprentices.

He assumed Chen Shaojun was the same, so he did not try to persuade him further.

At the very least, appraising treasures in the pawnshop was far safer than during the Treasure Fair.

Outside the appraisal rooms.

Chen Shaojun noticed Ayong subtly signaling to him. Startled, he handed the tray in his hands to Guo Haiwang and the others before walking over.

"Did you see Zhang Ke's complexion this morning?

"If I'm not mistaken, his mind was injured by Killing Intent."

Ayong lowered his voice as he spoke.

Chen Shaojun remained silent.

He knew that a mind injured by Killing Intent was also a kind of backlash from Killing Intent, only milder than Killing Intent entering the body. Generally, one merely needed to recuperate for a time to recover.

However, he knew that Zhang Ke was not merely suffering from a mind injured by Killing Intent. He was also haunted by a Yin ghost.

He would probably be drained dry within two days.

"I knew Zhang Gao had no good intentions when he called him to Water Cloud Retreat. Now it seems the prophecy has indeed come true.

"We need to be careful from now on.

"This time it was Zhang Ke. Next, it will probably be you or me.

"Among us, I have the longest seniority, while your Divine Gaze Technique is the highest-ranked among the apprentices. We are both good at warding off Baleful Intent and disaster."

Ayong spoke with a solemn expression.

"With the Treasure Fair so close, he should have some reservations, shouldn't he?"

Chen Shaojun's heart tightened, but he was not particularly afraid.

By now, he had attained Minor Mastery of the Divine Gaze Technique, and his martial cultivation had reached the Body Tempering Realm, Eighth Layer. He might not be weaker than Zhang Gao.

If the other man truly provoked him, he was not without means to deal with it.

"Reservations?

"The more it is like this, the crazier they become.

"In their eyes, we are nothing more than consumables."

Ayong sneered, his eyes filled with the indifference and weathered weariness of one who had seen through everything.

"If one does not become a Certified Appraiser, one is ultimately just an ant."

Chen Shaojun could not help sighing.

"So, I have decided to ask the shopkeeper for permission to enter seclusion and push for a breakthrough."

Seeing this, Ayong took the opportunity to say so.

"Enter seclusion and push for a breakthrough?"

Chen Shaojun looked at him in surprise.

The seclusion breakthrough he knew of was actually nothing more than continuously using the Divine Gaze Technique until one's spiritual energy was exhausted, then recovering and continuing, over and over... It was a tedious process that was also extremely harmful to the body.

After all, exhausting one's spiritual energy also greatly depleted one's vitality and blood.

Its only benefit was that one did not need to worry about Killing Intent backlash entering the body.

In other words, unless one's vitality and blood ran dry and one died suddenly, it would not endanger one's life.

"That's right, entering seclusion and pushing for a breakthrough.

"In truth, I reached the proficient level of the Divine Gaze Technique long ago. I only kept it hidden because I was afraid of being targeted by the three appraisers.

"This time, I intend to confess it to the shopkeeper, then request to challenge Minor Mastery of the Divine Gaze Technique.

"Though the gap is still rather large, at a time like this, the shopkeeper will surely agree.

"After all, during the Treasure Fair, the difference between three Certified Appraisers and four Certified Appraisers is tremendous. It is also tied to the rankings of the many pawnshops within Shengjing City.

"Besides, I have not come unprepared. I used all my savings from these past years to buy Spirit-Calming Incense.

"This is a type of Arcane Incense that can rapidly restore my spiritual energy and stabilize my mental state.

"Along with some other preparations.

"Even if I ultimately fail to break through, I will still be able to avoid Zhang Gao's persecution, as well as that of the other Certified Appraisers, until the Treasure Fair begins.

"So, I hope you can enter seclusion and push for a breakthrough with me, becoming a Certified Appraiser."

As he spoke, Ayong looked at Chen Shaojun with utter seriousness.

After a moment of silence, Chen Shaojun still shook his head. "I only just broke through to the proficient level of the Divine Gaze Technique. I am still far from Minor Mastery."

If he had merely been an ordinary Appraiser Apprentice, he truly would have been greatly tempted by Ayong's suggestion.

But he was different.

He possessed the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror. He needed to appraise treasures and obtain rewards in order to grow faster.

Simply practicing the Divine Gaze Technique was meaningless to him.

Not to mention, he had already raised the Divine Gaze Technique to Minor Mastery. Once it was verified, he would immediately be promoted to a Certified Appraiser.

He simply did not want to reveal that too early.

Besides.

The ghost haunting Zhang Ke had yet to be dealt with. Once night fell, it would appear...

After refusing Ayong, Chen Shaojun returned to Appraisal Room Seven.

By then, Guo Haiwang and the others had already begun appraising the treasures.

They lit candles and burned incense.

Then, one after another, they used the Divine Gaze Technique.

After their practice, everyone had become much more proficient with this spiritual secret art.

Only after the three of them finished their appraisals did Chen Shaojun begin his own.

He first looked toward the first large item on the tray, the bronze cauldron.

It was a bronze cauldron one chi and seven cun tall, supported on three legs. Several fire dragons coiled around its surface, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as though they might spew flames at any moment.

"As expected of large items. Even after undergoing Baleful Intent Cleansing three years ago, each one contains abundant Baleful Intent. The least has more than twenty strands, while the most has over seventy.

"They are nearly forming the ominous sight of Killing Intent crowning the head."

Chen Shaojun had always been cautious. Before appraising treasures, he naturally did not forget to use the Spirit Eye Technique.

With one glance, the Yin Baleful Intent within each treasure had almost nowhere to hide.

Then, he began lighting candles and burning incense.

One incense stick later.

The candle went out, and the bamboo incense burned to ash. Chen Shaojun began the formal appraisal.

The Divine Gaze Technique was unleashed in an instant.

A strand of nearly tangible spiritual power transformed into a streak of light and shot straight toward the bronze cauldron.

Sizzle~!

The Killing Intent coiled around the bronze cauldron seemed to have been provoked. It was immediately stirred up, surging forth like a rolling river.

Yet in an instant, it was scattered and worn away by the power of spiritual will, all of it reduced to ashes.

Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, Origin-Tracking Search.

Chen Shaojun immediately saw a series of images related to the bronze cauldron.

A hundred years ago, a sorcerer dressed in a black Daoist robe crafted it. He fired it in blazing flames for several days, then used a blade to etch and burn fire dragons onto it... When the bronze cauldron took shape, it was quenched with spiritual water... Later, it fell into the hands of an old monk.

The old monk gathered medicinal herbs, crushed them, poured them into the bronze cauldron, burned them over flames, and formed pill seals with his fingers...

The bronze cauldron remained in the old monk's possession for decades before being passed to his young monk disciple. The young monk used it for ten years, but died in an accident, and so the bronze cauldron was sealed away in the temple where he lived.

After some time, a group of people dressed in blood-red robes stormed into the temple. The temple was shattered, and its disciples fled in all directions carrying various treasures.

One fat monk wrapped the bronze cauldron, Buddhist statues, and other items in his kasaya, fleeing all the way to Shengjing City. Forced by circumstance, he pawned them all...

Recommended: Whitebeard Xu Timo's new book

My Roommates Turned Into Beautiful Girls

Synopsis:

My name is Lü Lin. When I woke up, I discovered that all my roommates had turned into beautiful girls.

But what could I do?

After all, we had slept together for so many years. We were practically family, so I could only help support them.

But unexpectedly, my life was plunged into "deep water and scorching fire."

—Because these roommates clung to me far too tightly!

This book is also known as <My Roommates Turned Into Beautiful Girls and Actually Want to Charge at Me!>, You're Forcing a Man Into a Corner!, There Really Isn't Any More, Not Even a Little!

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