Chapter 1430: Ruyi Precious Pearl

The three spiritual insects had consumed the Myriad Spirit Fruit. Qin Sang placed them outside and observed them for a while, but found no obvious changes.

The Myriad Spirit Fruit doesn't directly boost the spiritual insects' cultivation. According to Valley Master Mu, its benefit lies in enhancing their spiritual essence, which is its most precious quality and the reason it can increase the success rate of the Spirit Ascension Ritual. Qin Sang understood that changes would only be visible after the medicinal power was fully digested. He nodded lightly and let them sleep.

Next, he resealed the remaining Myriad Spirit Fruit and took out the segment of tree root. The severed root contained spiritual essence. If properly cultivated, it could yield a new Myriad Spirit Fruit tree, providing a continuous supply of Myriad Spirit Fruits. However, Qin Sang had no idea how to cultivate a Myriad Spirit Fruit tree. Such spiritual trees undoubtedly have extremely long growth cycles, and even if successfully cultivated, it was uncertain when they would bear fruit. Thinking this, Qin Sang realized he should look into relevant information if the opportunity arose.

He left the quiet room and found the spot with the densest spiritual energy in his cave mansion. He set up the most conservative cultivation restrictions for spiritual herbs and placed the severed root there. This spot was secluded. He decided to cultivate the root here for now and take it back to Qingyang Temple when he returned.

He then returned to the quiet room and took out five jade boxes. Each of the five jade boxes contained a spiritual herb. Including the one he gave to Tan Hao, there were a total of six, all rare spiritual herbs that were difficult to acquire with spirit stones in the outside world. Among them, the Spirit Lamp Flower was the most valuable. Qin Sang planned to have it refined into a Hidden Fragrance Pill, which could enhance divine sense, for his own consumption.

Although Qin Sang had deliberately concealed his tracks in the secret passage, Old Devil Hunmo couldn't be certain he was responsible. However, such old devils typically preferred to kill mistakenly rather than let a potential culprit go. Qin Sang urgently needed to continue increasing his strength. Advancing 'Fire Seed Golden Lotus' to the second layer was the quickest way. With his divine sense taking form and rivaling that of a Grand Cultivator, he wouldn't have to worry about his disguise being seen through, even if he encountered Old Devil Hunmo. The Fire Lotus Seed had already formed, and Qin Sang had been refining the demonic flame; a breakthrough was only a matter of time. Taking the Hidden Fragrance Pill could accelerate this process.

The remaining four spiritual herbs did not directly enhance cultivation or strength; each had its own use, but none were urgently needed by Qin Sang. It would be best to exchange them for treasures he truly needed. Qin Sang suddenly recalled the Myriad Devil Assembly, scheduled to take place nine years later. Originally, Qin Sang had decided to attend the Myriad Devil Assembly, but after this incident, he had to consider it carefully.

This grand trading event among Nascent Soul cultivators would surely feature countless rare treasures. Materials for the Golden Sinking Sword, spiritual items for the Spirit Ascension Ritual, and various peculiar cultivation techniques and secret arts all had a chance of being obtained there. He needed to prepare for breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage, and he would welcome any secret arts that could increase his chances of a breakthrough. Since Qin Sang happened to possess spiritual herbs suitable for trade, missing this opportunity would be a great pity.

Qin Sang estimated that Hundred Flowers Valley likely had few of the precious spiritual items required for the Spirit Ascension Ritual. Even if he offered the Myriad Spirit Fruit, getting one portion from the valley would be the absolute most he could hope for, yet he needed at least two: one for the Fire Jade Centipede and one for the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. However, the Myriad Devil Assembly was to be held on Hunmo Island—Old Devil Hunmo's lair!

Tan Hao would require several more decades of secluded cultivation before daring to attempt a breakthrough, making him unable to attend the Myriad Devil Assembly. As a Core Formation cultivator, he couldn't represent Qin Sang at such a high-level trading event. The Myriad Devil Assembly was the largest event in the Boundless Sea, attracting Nascent Soul cultivators and demon kings from other regions. Qin Sang thought it unlikely Old Devil Hunmo would be able to completely monopolize the proceedings. Qin Sang lightly tapped the jade box in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. He decided to wait until he had gathered more information before making a decision.

He adjusted the sealing methods for each spiritual herb according to its properties, then took out the three magic treasures he had acquired from the Buddhist temple. He had already analyzed the Demonic Subduing Pestle with Tan Hao. Qin Sang set it aside, planning to attempt re-refining it later to change its form. The precious bead and the Seven-Storied Pagoda lay before him. Both treasures were incredibly pure, inspiring contemplation.

Qin Sang's gaze shifted to the precious bead, and he picked it up. "The Ruyi Pearl," he murmured silently. He had already tested it on the way; when his divine sense entered the pearl, the characters for "Ruyi Pearl" automatically appeared in his mind. This seemed to be the pearl's name, but with no detailed description, Qin Sang would have to explore its functions himself. Holding the pearl in his hand, he slightly closed his eyes and began to analyze it intently.

An hour later, Qin Sang's expression subtly changed as the Ruyi Pearl in his palm underwent a sudden transformation. Ripples seemed to undulate within it, and then it erupted with an intense golden light. For a moment, Qin Sang seemed to take on a touch of Buddhist nature, appearing like a practitioner bathed in divine light. The transformation didn't stop there. Golden light surged forth, and without any conscious control from Qin Sang, a circular, pale golden energy shield formed around him, enveloping him. Unexpectedly, the energy shield wavered, then silently shattered after only three breaths. The Ruyi Pearl immediately dimmed, returning to its previous state. This occurred because the Ruyi Pearl had not yet been fully refined by Qin Sang. After several attempts, Qin Sang finally managed to forcibly maintain the energy shield.

He observed the pale golden energy shield around him and mused, "It's not an offensive magic treasure, and it doesn't seem to have any special abilities. Could it be...?" A thought struck Qin Sang. He activated the Golden Sinking Sword, sent out a streak of sword light, and directed it towards himself. The sword light was blocked, and the energy shield shattered. After some further experimentation, Qin Sang roughly understood its function. The Ruyi Pearl was not the unique magic treasure Qin Sang had hoped for; it was a defensive one!

This was a rather good outcome, as Qin Sang had been lacking a protective treasure ever since the Nine-Life Profound Tortoise Shell was used to refine the Sun God Tree. The best defensive magic treasures were those that could sense danger and automatically protect their master. The Ruyi Pearl wasn't of that kind, but it could be stored in his dantian, and Qin Sang could instantly release the energy shield with a mere thought.

The problem was that Qin Sang couldn't even discern the Ruyi Pearl's grade! He considered himself to have considerable skill in the art of artifact refining. This was peculiar. Could it be because it was a Buddhist treasure? Were the artifact-refining methods of Buddhism different from those he had learned? Qin Sang gently rubbed the Ruyi Pearl with his palm. He figured he would only know its true power after he had fully refined it, which shouldn't take too long. After a brief refining session, he stored the pearl in his dantian, where it would accompany his Nascent Soul.

Only when he picked up the Seven-Storied Pagoda did he discover that this object was even stranger than the pearl. "This isn't a magic treasure?" Qin Sang's astonished voice echoed in the quiet room. Just moments ago, he had tried various methods—divine sense, true essence, even revealing his demonic form—but the Seven-Storied Pagoda remained completely unresponsive, lying quietly in his palm. The light emanating from the Seven-Storied Pagoda remained constant, without the slightest fluctuation. Qin Sang couldn't help but suspect that these lights originated from the pagoda's own material. Even if it were a Buddhist treasure exclusively used by Buddhist cultivators, it shouldn't behave like this. Unfortunately, he knew too little about Buddhism. Was it not a magic treasure? Qin Sang repeated this question in his mind.

Qin Sang felt a pang of unwillingness, having risked such great danger only to obtain an object like this. He tried various methods again, but the result remained unchanged. This approach was unfeasible; he would have to start by investigating the Jinghai Sect and the Buddhist temple. Qin Sang recalled the information he had learned from Tan Hao, as well as the furnishings within the Buddhist temple.