Dragon Abyss Wonder Bone, Immortal Source Supreme Weapon

"System, the green and golden spirit herbs in those three Storage Bags on the right are giving off a faint glow. They seem rather extraordinary. What are they?"

Li Moqing examined the herbs in the three Storage Bags with his Divine Sense and asked in puzzlement.

[Ding! The green spirit herbs filling two and a half of the Storage Bags are Azure-Forging Pill Herbs. They cannot be eaten, but they can be refined into Azure-Forging Pills!]

[Azure-Forging Pills are more effective at forming a Source Core than Core-Forging Pills of the same quality, and there is a very high chance they will not affect a cultivator's future cultivation!]

[One Azure-Forging Pill Herb can be refined into at most two Azure-Forging Pills!]

[The golden spirit herbs in the remaining half of a Storage Bag are Golden-Breakthrough Pill Herbs, unique in all the world. They cannot be eaten, but they can be refined into Golden-Breakthrough Pills!]

[Golden-Breakthrough Pills can help cultivators at the ninth level of the Core Formation Realm shatter their Source Cores and form Nascent Souls more quickly!]

[Be warned, however: a Golden-Breakthrough Pill shatters the core through external force and may leave the cultivator's Nascent Soul unstable!]

[One Golden-Breakthrough Pill Herb can be refined into at most one Golden-Breakthrough Pill!]

"Azure-Forging Pills?"

Li Moqing raised an eyebrow.

After entering the Core Formation Realm, cultivators might form their cores slowly—or find themselves unable to form one at all.

At such times, cultivators of the Spirit Source Continent took Core-Forging Pills to help them form their cores.

But cores formed with the aid of pills were often fragile and could hinder future cultivation.

Even with a Core-Forging Pill's help, a cultivator could generally advance only one or two minor realms further.

But Azure-Forging Pills won't hinder cultivation. If I put them up for sale, people would be fighting to get their hands on them.

Li Moqing mused to himself.

And the Golden-Breakthrough Pills are even more remarkable. They can help ninth-level Core Formation Realm cultivators shatter their Source Cores!

How many ninth-level Core Formation cultivators on the Spirit Source Continent spend their whole lives unable to shatter their cores and form Nascent Souls, then die full of frustration?

Golden-Breakthrough Pills may affect the quality of a Nascent Soul, but at least they'll let ninth-level Core Formation Realm cultivators break through.

If I put them up for sale, they'd cause an uproar.

After all, no pill in this world can help a ninth-level Core Formation Realm cultivator shatter their core!

"There are two hundred and fifty thousand Azure-Forging Pill Herbs and fifty thousand Golden-Breakthrough Pill Herbs in the Storage Bags. Hmm..."

Li Moqing pondered for a moment. A plan had already taken shape in his mind.

It's a fine plan, but the Sect still lacks alchemists. I'll need to recruit some disciples and elders.

At that thought, Li Moqing asked, "System, would a personal disciple recruited through a disciple selection assembly count as someone with whom I have a destined connection?"

[Ding! Of course, but you can recruit only one personal disciple per disciple selection assembly!]

"One personal disciple? Then I'll have to classify the candidates more carefully."

"The traditional Trial Stele won't be enough for that. I'll need to find a way to make a new testing tool."

Li Moqing considered the problem.

"Never mind. I'll announce the disciple selection first."

Li Moqing looked up and instructed Mo Lingyuan, "Elder Mo, spread the word that our Sect will hold a disciple selection in one month. Anyone under thirty may participate!"

"Ah..."

The order caught Mo Lingyuan so completely off guard that he froze for a moment.

Zhang Xingfeng and the other three were dumbstruck as well.

"Yes, Sect Master!"

After a few breaths, Mo Lingyuan composed himself and left the hall.

"Master, did you figure out what those Heavenly Treasures are?"

Zhang Xingfeng had watched Li Moqing frown in thought, looking utterly inscrutable, and could not help asking.

"Just some materials for refining pills."

Li Moqing put away the six bags of spirit herbs and answered calmly.

"Oh..."

Looking a little disappointed, Zhang Xingfeng took the Pill Spirit Wondrous Life Art and a pitch-black object from his robe. "Right, Master. There's also this Cultivation Art and this strange black thing."

"The Pill Spirit Wondrous Life Art?"

Li Moqing raised an eyebrow and casually flipped through it. "It seems to be a Heaven-Tier Upper Grade Pill Art. Excellent. Now the Sect can put all these treasures to their best use."

"You three have worked hard on this trip. You fought your way through the secret realm for more than three days, so go and get some rest."

"Take these three Storage Bags."

Li Moqing smiled faintly and handed Zhang Xingfeng and the other two three new Storage Bags.

"Yes, Master."

"All right, Master."

Zhang Xingfeng and the other two accepted the Storage Bags and went their separate ways.

"Sect Master, I'll go cultivate too."

With no one else left in the hall, Lü Liu rose to her feet.

"All right."

Li Moqing nodded, though his attention was entirely on the pitch-black object in his hand.

It feels like bone, yet not bone; stone, yet not stone. It seems to hold boundless spiritual essence. How extraordinary.

He marveled inwardly.

"System, what is this?"

After examining it for a while, Li Moqing looked up and asked.

[Ding! This is the Dragon Abyss Wonder Bone. Together with the Fated Lodging Wonder Bone, Phoenix Star Wonder Bone, Azure Han Wonder Bone, and Mirror Flower Wonder Stone, it can be forged into an Immortal Source Supreme Weapon—the Hongpo Sword!]

"An Immortal Source Supreme Weapon? What's that? Why have I never heard of one?"

Li Moqing looked baffled.

[Legend has it that when the seven Supremes of the Spirit Source Continent ascended, they left their weapons behind in the world. Those weapons later took human form, and after they died, they became wonder bones or wonder stones.

Gather those bones and stones, and you can forge a weapon stronger even than a Dao Source Peerless Weapon—an Immortal Source Supreme Weapon!]

"I see."

Understanding dawned on Li Moqing.

Those seven Supremes presumably don't include Supreme Celestial or Supreme Spirit-Mixer, who died in battle. But that still leaves two Supremes' bones or stones unaccounted for. I wonder why?

"But I suppose that has nothing to do with me." Li Moqing set the thought aside and asked, "System, where are the other Supremes' bones and stones?"

[They have not yet appeared in the world!]

"Then I'll wait until they do."

Li Moqing placed the Dragon Abyss Wonder Bone in a Storage Bag and drank his tea, calm as an ancient well.

The Southern Domain of Qitian.

The Proud Sword Sect.

The Sect Discussion Hall.

Only three people were in the hall: Qin Linyu, Gu Aoxin, and Aojian Juechen, the Proud Sword Sect's sect master.

While Qin Linyu and Gu Aoxin sat in silence, Aojian Juechen smiled from his seat of honor, looking as though none of this concerned him.

"Linyu, why did you come away from the Qigu Secret Realm empty-handed this time?"

Gu Aoxin finally broke the silence, his face stern.

The reproach in his voice was unmistakable.

"Grand Elder, my strategy was at fault during this expedition. Please punish me!"

Qin Linyu made no attempt to defend himself.

Heading straight for the center of the secret realm was my mistake. Two hundred fellow disciples died because of it. I'm ashamed of myself!

Guilt weighed heavily on him.

"But I heard from the other disciples that you had a chance to seize the supreme treasure. Why didn't you fight for it?"

Gu Aoxin's expression tightened, a hint of displeasure crossing his face.

"Grand Elder, we still don't know whether that black object was the supreme treasure. Besides, it flew into Dongfang Muxue and her companions' hands, which means it was destined for them—"

Qin Linyu hurried to explain.

"Enough!" Gu Aoxin cut him off in a low voice. "Go reflect on your mistakes in Reflection Forest. You are not to leave for ten days!"

"Yes, Grand Elder!"

Qin Linyu left obediently.

"Sect Master, look at Qin Linyu. I told him to seize the treasures in the secret realm and kill anyone who stood in his way."

"Not only did he disobey, he even helped other people, spouting nonsense about not fighting against fate!"

"He's getting more outrageous by the day. I'm furious!"

Gu Aoxin turned to Aojian Juechen, seething.

"Grand Elder, calm down."

Aojian Juechen offered a placating smile.

"No. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Add another five days to his punishment!"

Gu Aoxin said angrily.

"Fine. Have it your way!"

Aojian Juechen shook his head helplessly.