Chapter 144: Calming the Divine, Bewildering the Divine

Wu Wan had been busy lately authenticating the pair of white jade bells. With the help of professional equipment and advice from industry experts, he finally completed all authentication work yesterday.

“It lived up to expectations. Here.”

Chen Mobai took the authentication certificate from Wu Wan, opened it, and found over a dozen pages appended to it.

In addition to detailing the raw materials, refining techniques, service life, and condition of the white jade bells, the documents also contained the most crucial information: their consecration and usage methods.

“This pair of white jade bells has different functions: one can ‘calm the spirit,’ and the other is used to ‘confuse the spirit.’”

“The ‘calm the spirit’ function isn’t merely about suppressing one’s mind to maintain a stable state; it also allows the user to better control rapidly increasing divine sense within a short period.”

“As for ‘confuse the spirit,’ as the name suggests, it can cause distress to anyone who hears its sound. If someone with low cultivation hears it while meditating or cultivating qi, it might even lead to a qi deviation.”

“Of course, this pair of bells seems to have been overused. Although their surface is intact, microscopic examination reveals some internal cracks. Therefore, these two functions probably have a limit, and it’s best not to exceed the Qi Condensation stage.”

After Wu Wan’s detailed explanation, Chen Mobai eagerly applied the consecration method he had deduced, injecting his spiritual power into the white jade bells.

After a simple consecration, he activated the artifacts’ functions.

Ding-a-ling!

First, he activated ‘confuse the spirit.’ The moment he heard the bell, Chen Mobai felt a wave of nausea and dizziness.

“Impressive.”

It’s worth noting that although he was only at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, his divine sense was exceptionally stable—even Yang Jing’s killing moves couldn’t shake it. He hadn’t expected a mere artifact to be somewhat unbearable. No wonder cultivators from the Celestial River Realm, no matter how low their cultivation, always acquired an artifact for themselves. The difference in combat ability between having and not having an artifact, especially at the Qi Condensation stage, was truly immense.

Ding-dong!

Chen Mobai immediately activated the ‘calm the spirit’ bell. Both he and Wu Wan instantly recovered from their dizziness, feeling even more invigorated than before, like waking up after a deep sleep, their spirits exceptionally high.

“Not bad, not bad. It’s even more potent than I imagined.”

After playfully handling the beautiful and useful white jade bells for a while, Chen Mobai, satisfied, transferred the remaining authentication fee to Wu Wan.

“Master Wu, I have two more artifacts here that I’d like you to take a look at.”

In the end, Chen Mobai took out the brass ring he had found on Qingguang Island and the patterned blue handkerchief, handing them over to Wu Wan for authentication.

Wu Wan’s expression first registered surprise, then quickly turned to delight. In this single month, these three contracts alone would earn him as much merit as he typically did in a quarter. After all, Wu Wan wasn’t affiliated with any major artifact refining shops; he worked independently. Previously, he often wouldn’t even get an artifact authentication job in a month.

He put on his gloves and took the patterned blue handkerchief from Chen Mobai.

He unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a slightly rough brass ring wrapped inside.

After a careful examination, the blue handkerchief seemed fine; it was merely a mid-grade defensive artifact of the first rank, its power roughly equivalent to a Wood Armor Talisman, but with the advantage of being reusable.

If Wu Wan wanted to, he could authenticate the blue handkerchief on the spot.

However, the brass ring proved a bit challenging for him.

“The raw material for this seems to be red copper mixed with other metals and smelted together. Judging by the technique, it appears to be an ancient forging process, not modern elemental blending. We might need the particle analysis machine at Chixia Academy to determine the exact proportions of all materials.”

Wu Wan’s words made Chen Mobai’s heart pound. The origin of this item was already suspicious, and having its material elements analyzed at Chixia Academy’s lab could potentially expose materials not found in the Immortal Sect.

“Without testing the raw materials, can you still authenticate it to the third level and deduce its consecration and usage methods?”

He asked, and Wu Wan paused slightly, but as it was the client’s request, he didn’t say much and nodded readily.

“Generally, third-level authentication requires the raw material composition, but if you don’t mind, I won’t press the issue. Comparatively, the consecration and usage methods are simpler to determine.”

“Alright then. I need these two artifacts soon. How quickly can you complete the authentication?”

“About ten days. The handkerchief isn’t difficult, and there’s only one ring, so it will definitely be faster than the pair of white jade bells.”

Hearing Wu Wan’s confident words, Chen Mobai nodded and directly transferred the deposit to him.

“I’ll go to the school gate to print the contract. I didn’t expect to get two more jobs coming here, so I wasn’t prepared.”

Wu Wan first drafted an electronic version and asked Chen Mobai to review it for any issues. Chen Mobai had initially thought about not signing a contract, as he was somewhat reluctant to leave traces of items from the Celestial River Realm in the Immortal Sect.

But on second thought, there were countless cultivators in the Immortal Sect full of strange ideas, and video websites daily featured an astronomical number of bizarre artifacts crafted purely for attention. He had only presented three normal artifacts; there was no need to be so overly cautious. Furthermore, if he didn’t sign a contract with Wu Wan, given the latter’s shrewd nature, he would certainly deduce that there was something questionable about the artifacts’ origins. It was better to follow the standard procedure to avoid arousing suspicion.

After signing the contract, the two of them called Luan Jingsheng and had a meal together.

Afterward, Chen Mobai returned to his cave dwelling and focused wholeheartedly on cultivating the Pure Yang Scroll and drawing talismans.

The blue handkerchief was quickly authenticated; as expected, it was for defensive use. It didn’t even require special consecration or usage methods; simply injecting spiritual power into it would transform it into a square blue shield.

Its range depended on the user’s spiritual power, capable of covering the entire person at its maximum.

However, the brass ring was a bit troublesome. Wu Wan had underestimated this artifact and only completed its third-level authentication half a month later, with dark circles under his eyes.

This was an artifact that condensed sword qi, though it was more suitable for cultivators with metal-attribute spiritual power. After injecting spiritual power according to a specific method, it would unleash a sharp sword light.

Chen Mobai tested it; its power was equivalent to a top-grade first-rank Fiery Sword Talisman.

However, it consumed a significant amount of spiritual power. At his cultivation level, he could only activate it a maximum of seven times.

“Although I haven’t tested it, I feel this ring’s maximum limit should be nine consecutive sword strikes. It might even be similar to the Triple Sword Talisman you used during your fight, where nine sword lights emerging simultaneously could create a subtle change, unleashing even more powerful sword qi.”

Wu Wan wrote down all his findings on the authentication certificate. After reading it, Chen Mobai couldn’t help but admire his professional expertise.