Chapter 263: Stone Talisman

"Take it," Venerable Qin Wu said with a smile. "Though the Primordial Malice Qi is precious, it has merely been stored in the treasury for countless years. It's a good thing that you can refine it, allowing it to be put to use. As for the Grotto-Heaven Pearl, a small grotto-heaven with a five-hundred-mile radius is insignificant to Yuanchu Mountain. However, it will be very convenient for you. When you're exploring underground and slaying demon creatures, you can simply toss all their corpses and treasures inside."

Meng Chuan understood that Yuanchu Mountain certainly possessed larger grotto-heaven treasures. For instance, the 'Nine-Profound Cave' that every disciple must clear before descending the mountain contains a grotto-heaven well over five hundred miles in size.

"My underground exploration will surely earn me a substantial amount of merit," Meng Chuan said. He disliked taking advantage of others. In the future, pursuing demon creatures, he alone would be equivalent to an entire sect. How many demon creatures would he slay in a year? The demon monarchs themselves could be exchanged for immense merit. And the treasures they left behind could also be converted into merit. Seven hundred million merit? That was truly nothing.

"Every position comes with merit," Venerable Qin Wu stated. "For the past decade or so, you served as a Grand Inspector, protecting six prefectures, equivalent to a Marquis Godfiend guarding a city pass, which earned you five million merit points annually. Now, as Yuanchu Mountain's foremost Inspector, you will receive twenty million merit points per year. Since I'm giving you the Primordial Malice Qi and the Grotto-Heaven Pearl, you won't be issued merit points for the next thirty-five years."

"This way, it's all handled fairly," Venerable Qin Wu said, looking at Meng Chuan.

"Understood," Meng Chuan nodded.

"It's always better with our own people," the Yuanchu Mountain Lord sighed. "King Baiyu has only been with us for a month, yet Black Sand Grotto-Heaven has already squeezed us dry."

"They're all fighting demon creatures, why demand so much?" Meng Chuan couldn't help but ask.

Venerable Qin Wu chuckled, "Though we all work together against demon creatures, we are ultimately three distinct sects, with varying degrees of closeness. Black Sand Grotto-Heaven knows that Yuanchu Mountain has accumulated deep reserves over generations, so it's perfectly normal for them to seize the opportunity to ask for more benefits. In the future, if Two World Island invites you, we will also take the opportunity to demand benefits from them. Just leave these matters to me; you probably wouldn't even know what to ask for."

"Yes, Master will decide," Meng Chuan nodded.

"No matter what, let's first explore the underground of our Great Zhou Dynasty, then consider helping Two World Island," Venerable Qin Wu said. "King Baiyu spent about ten years conducting a rough exploration of the Black Sand Dynasty's underground."

"I'll start exploring today," Meng Chuan stated.

"No rush," Venerable Qin Wu said. "I'll first dispatch a Marquis Godfiend to take charge of your former six prefectures. You can begin your exploration tomorrow."

As he spoke, Venerable Qin Wu flipped his hand with extreme solemnity, revealing a gray stone talisman in his palm. At first glance, the gray stone seemed ordinary, but observing the runes on its surface gave Meng Chuan a sense of temporal and spatial distortion.

"Keep this treasure on you at all times," Venerable Qin Wu said, gazing intently at Meng Chuan. "Remember, only crush it when you face mortal danger. Under no other circumstances should you break it."

"Oh?" Meng Chuan looked at the gray stone talisman.

"Only crush it when there's truly no other option. As long as you can escape and survive, don't waste it," Venerable Qin Wu explained. "This is the last remaining stone talisman at Yuanchu Mountain, and I'm entrusting it to you."

"What does it do?" Meng Chuan inquired.

"It will save your life," Venerable Qin Wu said. "No matter what danger you encounter, as long as you are within the human world, it can preserve your life. Your life now is not just your own; it concerns the entire human race."

Meng Chuan nodded slightly.

Knowing he was equivalent to an entire sect, Meng Chuan understood the heavy responsibility he carried.

"This treasure is unique, so avoid using it unless absolutely necessary," Venerable Qin Wu stated. "Once it's used, there won't be another. Other life-saving items are ultimately inferior."

"I understand, Master," Meng Chuan replied.

"You may descend the mountain now," Venerable Qin Wu said with a faint smile.

Meng Chuan then bowed and left.

The Yuanchu Mountain Lord watched Meng Chuan depart and sighed, "What fortune for Yuanchu Mountain, what fortune for humanity! Our chances of winning this war have just increased by another point!"

"Venerable, I'll head back now; I expect more intelligence reports from various regions have arrived," the Yuanchu Mountain Lord said.

Venerable Qin Wu nodded.

A moment later.

In the same pavilion, the illusory figure of Venerable Luotang appeared opposite Venerable Qin Wu.

"You mean Meng Chuan can explore three miles around him underground?" Venerable Luotang exclaimed in surprise. "And combined with his speed, his underground exploration capabilities are no less than King Baiyu's?"

"Yes!" Venerable Qin Wu smiled and nodded.

Venerable Luotang was immensely excited. "Excellent! I never imagined his underground exploration method would expand to a three-mile radius after cultivating to the 'Undying realm'. His 'Thunder Magnetic Field' divine power is incredibly effective for underground exploration. Is there any way... to teach this divine power to other Godfiends?"

"Send them into the Cangyuan Grotto-Heaven too?" Venerable Qin Wu shook his head. "The Cangyuan Grotto-Heaven cannot be easily opened. Moreover, what opportunities one gains inside are purely a matter of luck. Not everyone can obtain the body-refining lineage. Even if they do, they might not necessarily acquire the Thunder Magnetic Field divine power. Meng Chuan awakened this divine power precisely because he possesses the Thunder World-Extinguishing Demonic Body."

"Hmm," Venerable Luotang nodded. "I was a bit too excited. You're right; the inheritances within Cangyuan Grotto-Heaven are purely a matter of luck, beyond our control. I truly didn't expect a lineage that culminates in the 'Blood Droplet realm' to have such an extraordinary effect. This is a truly unexpected boon. Qin Wu, it's thanks to your insistence on letting Meng Chuan enter the Cangyuan Grotto-Heaven back then that we have the Meng Chuan of today."

"I had faith in his Primordial Spirit talent, and his ability to possess the Thunder Magnetic Field divine power is an unexpected bonus," Venerable Qin Wu said, also delighted. "If he cultivates to the 'Blood Droplet realm' in the future, his divine power will greatly increase in might, and the range of his Thunder Magnetic Field will expand significantly. Furthermore, his movement technique will be several times faster than it is now, and the effectiveness of his underground exploration might exceed its current state by tenfold."

"Ten times more effective than now?" Venerable Luotang's heart stirred, then she shook her head helplessly. "To reach the 'Blood Droplet realm,' one needs to achieve the fifth level of Primordial Spirit and their mastery must reach the 'Law Domain realm' to cultivate it. Meng Chuan probably only recently reached the fourth level of Primordial Spirit, right? His mastery level is still far from that."

"He reached the fourth level of Primordial Spirit last year," Venerable Qin Wu said.

"Reaching the fifth level of Primordial Spirit will likely take many years. And the Law Domain realm? That might be even more difficult for him," Venerable Luotang sighed.

"I have confidence in his Primordial Spirit progress, but he's slower when it comes to reaching the 'Law Domain realm'," Venerable Qin Wu said. "I'm currently debating whether to let him use the 'Heart-Questioning Pearl,' one of Yuanchu Mountain's Eight Great Treasures."

Venerable Luotang looked at her companion and couldn't help but say, "The Heart-Questioning Pearl is suppressed by the laws of heaven and earth; it shatters after a single use. Qin Wu, are you sure you want Meng Chuan to use it? If King Anhai were to use it, he might become a Creation realm expert."

"He might also fail," Venerable Qin Wu said. "For the entire human race, Meng Chuan's Thunder Magnetic Field divine power is more important."

"The Heart-Questioning Pearl is one of the Eight Great Treasures. To retrieve it, we must awaken Senior Brother Li Guan and have the Creation realm Venerables of Yuanchu Mountain work together," Venerable Luotang explained. "Senior Brother Li Guan is not suitable to be awakened right now. And as you know, Primordial Spirit cultivation becomes progressively harder. It took Meng Chuan twelve years to go from the third to the fourth level of Primordial Spirit. To reach the fifth level, I estimate it will take at least twenty to thirty years. Perhaps by then, Meng Chuan will have comprehended the 'Law Domain realm' on his own."

"The Heart-Questioning Pearl primarily aids in mastery levels, not Primordial Spirit cultivation," Venerable Luotang continued. "If, in the future, Meng Chuan reaches the fifth level of Primordial Spirit but is slow to comprehend the 'Law Domain realm,' and the war situation is grim, I believe Senior Brother Li Guan would also agree to let Meng Chuan use the Heart-Questioning Pearl."

"Indeed," Venerable Qin Wu nodded. "You're right. By the time he reaches the fifth level of Primordial Spirit, he might have already attained the Law Domain realm."

"After all, there's only one Heart-Questioning Pearl; it must be used at the most crucial moment," Venerable Luotang said.

"Yuanchu Mountain has accumulated its legacy over generations, and now, in our time, to cope with this war, we must use up these treasures one by one. We truly let our ancestors down," Venerable Qin Wu murmured.

Venerable Luotang also nodded softly. "Now, we only hope to win this war."

"We will win," Venerable Qin Wu said.