"I'd like to hear more." Chu Mo cupped his hands and adopted an attentive posture.
"Dharmic instruments lack Spirit; dharmic treasures reach into the profound. The power and mysteries of dharmic treasures cannot be mentioned in the same breath as those of dharmic instruments."
The gray-robed steward waved a hand, summoned a jade case, and caught it securely before continuing with a smile:
"Even the lowest Low Tier profound dharmic treasure requires a Foundation Establishment Realm High Person to wield it freely. But nothing is absolute. Among dharmic instruments, there is a special grade called a 'Dharmic Treasure Spirit Embryo.'
"Though it still falls within the category of dharmic instruments, it nurtures a trace of the profound. With a cultivator's careful nurturing, it has a chance to advance into a profound dharmic treasure."
Chu Mo's eyes stirred slightly. "Wouldn't that make a spirit embryo very precious?"
The gray-robed steward shook his head. "Not quite. Its value is only slightly higher than that of a high-grade dharmic instrument. Some people also call it a supreme-grade dharmic instrument.
"Such spirit instruments were created mainly to let Qi Refining cultivators begin nurturing them early, saving the effort of refining a Life-bound Magical Treasure after reaching Foundation Establishment."
As he spoke, he opened the jade case, revealing a Dark Banner.
"Hiss..." Chu Mo sucked in a breath of cold air. The Dark Banner bore a seventy-to-eighty-percent resemblance to the [Darkworld Grotto-Scenery Banner]. At first glance, it was very easy to mistake one for the other.
Seeing his reaction, the gray-robed steward laughed. "Gave you a fright, did it? This banner was indeed modeled after the [Darkworld Grotto-Scenery Banner]."
The [Darkworld Grotto-Scenery Banner] was a top-tier dharmic treasure that only a Spirit Transformation Dao Lord could wield. Even though the one in his hands was an imitation of an imitation, its quality still ranked among the very best of dharmic instruments.
Chu Mo reached out and took the small banner. A chilly sensation seeped from its jade shaft, and its black fabric fluttered without wind.
[Unnamed dharmic instrument] [Description: A shaft of cold jade and a banner of nether silkworm silk. Has a certain suppressive effect on soul bodies. Can capture weak living souls. Ghost limit: ten; currently held: three.]
With a slight shift of his thoughts, he gently shook the small banner. Three gray soul bodies emerged in response and hovered in midair.
The gray-robed steward explained from beside him, "This soul banner can imprison and command souls, up to a limit of ten soul bodies at the Qi Refining level.
"The three currently inside were bought from the Upper Mound Commerce Association to test the banner. They're quite weak. If they aren't to your liking, junior brother, simply replace them yourself."
Chu Mo turned his gaze toward the three souls and actually spotted a familiar person-no, a familiar "soul." It was Mu Yun, the yin spirit who had guided him on the day he entered the sect.
[Level 3 · Weak yin spirit]
Almost at the same instant Chu Mo recognized Mu Yun, Mu Yun recognized him as well. Mu Yun's soul body fluctuated violently, betraying the turmoil within.
Mu Yun's expression shifted from astonishment to fear, before a trembling voice finally emerged. "Senior... Brother Chu..."
"You know this yin spirit, junior brother?" The gray-robed steward put away the jade case and teased, "Quite the fated encounter. Well, are you satisfied with this spirit embryo?"
"Very satisfied." Chu Mo nodded and lightly shook the soul banner. The three soul bodies turned into streaks of light and sank back into its fabric. He cupped his hands. "Thank you for your guidance, senior brother. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't trouble you any longer."
"You're welcome." The gray-robed steward waved a hand. "If you need to buy or sell anything in the future, feel free to come to the Merit Hall."
"Certainly, certainly." Chu Mo cupped his hands in farewell, then turned and left the Treasure Artifact Pavilion.
He had only just seen Chu Mo off, the smile still lingering on his face, when the gray-robed steward sensed several presences entering the rear courtyard.
He straightened his robes and strode out.
The arrivals all wore matching black robes, and their cultivation was at least at the middle stage of Qi Refining. Upon seeing the gray-robed steward, their leader handed over several large, bulging Storage Bags.
"Steward, please check these. These are the spoils from the Savage Realm during this outer sect assessment."
The gray-robed steward extended his Divine Sense into the Storage Bags and gave them a quick scan. His smile deepened. "Hehe, thank you for your hard work, junior brothers. The quantities are correct, and the quality is excellent."
The disciple leading them nodded slightly, then promptly turned and left with the others.
Once they were far away, the gray-robed steward looked at the Storage Bags on the ground and muttered to himself, "Tsk, tsk, so many high-quality 'totem spines'...
"Looks like we can refine a few more good batches of dharmic instruments. This realm's cultivation system may be primitive, but the bones they temper are quite good. First-rate artifact-refining materials."
As he marveled, he directed the menial workers to move the materials into storage.
Meanwhile, Chu Mo had already used his Identity Token to collect the Restriction Jade Token for his cave abode from the General Affairs Hall.
Holding the Restriction Jade Token, Chu Mo followed the directions to a cave abode shrouded in faint white mist.
A soft light flashed from the jade token, and the mist ahead parted naturally, revealing a narrow path. Once he stepped inside, his surroundings immediately grew quiet and secluded, shutting out the noise of the outside world.
The cave abode was fairly spacious, with basic furnishings such as a stone bed, a stone table, and a meditation cushion. More importantly, it contained a small formation that could prevent others from entering or leaving.
Chu Mo closed the cave abode's restrictions, and a sense of security welled up within him.
He surveyed this little world that belonged to him. His thoughts settled, and he began planning his next steps.
His most urgent task was to sell off the miscellaneous supplies he had brought back from the Savage Realm, along with those fellow disciples' Storage Bags, and exchange them for Spell Coins as soon as possible.
Besides, relying on his legs alone was far too inefficient. Acquiring a flying dharmic instrument needed to go on the agenda. It would be useful whether he was pursuing someone, fleeing, or simply traveling.
One reason he had not bought one earlier was that, in the early stage of Qi Refining, his true qi had been too scant to support flight on an artifact. Now that his true qi was like mist, he could easily sustain prolonged flight.
The second reason was that he had not had enough Spell Coins. Master Liu had lived for over a hundred years without even putting together a modest nest egg. No wonder he had never managed to break through.
He also needed to visit the Scripture Repository to exchange for the subsequent cultivation methods of the "Dawncloud One-Qi Profound Cavern Scripture." Cultivation was the foundation of everything.
As these thoughts turned over in his mind, a clear plan took shape. Before that, however, he needed to familiarize himself with his newly acquired spirit embryo.
Chu Mo sat cross-legged on the stone bed and took out the Dark Banner. Its long jade shaft felt chilly to the touch, and its dark fabric seemed capable of swallowing light.
He focused his mind, circulated the true qi within his body, and slowly channeled it into the banner, beginning the refinement.
It felt like groping through darkness until he finally touched a barely perceptible thread.
He carefully guided his true qi, following the most basic method for refining dharmic instruments, and left imprints of his own aura within the icy shaft and shadowy fabric.
The process was not particularly difficult. After all, it was only a dharmic instrument. About an incense stick's worth of time later, Chu Mo stirred his mind and felt as though the Dark Banner had become an extension of himself, as effortless to command as his own fingers.
"From now on, I'll call you the [Profound Scenery Refining Truth Banner]." With a slight turn of his thoughts, Chu Mo settled on its name.
He tried extending his Divine Thought into the banner and immediately sensed the three huddled yin spirits, Mu Yun among them.
Their presences were like three faint points of light. With a mere thought, he could clearly perceive their condition and exert influence over them.
Quite convenient, Chu Mo thought. With this banner in hand, if he encountered suitable soul bodies in the future, he could perhaps capture them and increase the dharmic instrument's power.