Chapter 264: Ten-Thousand Treasures Map

In the history of the Immortal Sect, there was an exceptionally brilliant Fifth-Tier Formation Master who proposed the ultimate concept of formations. This concept was that a person could become a formation themselves, encompassing the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, clouds, and seas, omnipresent and all-encompassing.

However, incorporating a formation into one's body truly requires a physique suited to formations and a sufficiently powerful spiritual consciousness. Yun Yangbing, despite passing the Immortal Sect's Second-Tier Formation Master exam, only dared to embed a small Spirit Gathering Formation into his fingernail, a tiny attempt at exploring this path. Even so, he barely managed to complete it, and only with the guidance of his formation class teacher.

Yet, it was precisely by embedding the Spirit Gathering Formation into his body surface that Yun Yangbing's proficiency in this art began to advance by leaps and bounds. Last year, he even developed a special Spirit Gathering Formation capable of elevating a Third-Tier high-grade spiritual vein to Fourth-Tier. It was also with the aid of this formation that Ming Yihua was able to condense ten drops of liquid Pure Yang spiritual energy during his first attempt at Foundation Establishment.

Chen Mobai asked Yun Yangbing for some related introductory books, all of which could be borrowed from the Wuqi Daoist Academy's library. Half a month later, he received the Clear Sight Bamboo Spirit Dew from a sheepish Wang Xingyu; the elixir's toxin content was 0.6 above the acceptable limit. Wang Xingyu, being an honest person, wanted to return the spiritual essence and compensate Chen Mobai for his losses. However, Chen Mobai regarded him as a brother and would never accept such an offer.

"When you ask someone to refine elixirs, you must bear some risk of failure. Don't worry about it; after all, I was the one who chose you to refine it," Chen Mobai comforted the guilt-ridden Wang Xingyu, then returned to the Myriad Treasures Cave with the Clear Sight Bamboo Spirit Dew, which, by Tianhe Realm standards, was already exceptionally pure.

He first tested a single drop. The effect of the spirit dew was almost identical to that refined by Qing Nü earlier. After all, with only 0.6 elixir toxin, Chen Mobai considered it virtually toxin-free. However, after using it and employing the Lamp Igniting Art, he noticed a subtly imperceptible warmth in his left eye, where the drop had been applied. He then dropped another dose, this time directing its medicinal effect into his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness. After being watered with the Clear Sight Bamboo Spirit Dew, the Qingtong sapling became even more vibrantly green and luscious. When the Lamp Igniting Art acted upon his spiritual consciousness, it merely produced the usual warm sensation. After confirming that Wang Xingyu's Clear Sight Bamboo Spirit Dew was fine, Chen Mobai began using it with peace of mind. Conveniently, the supply refined by Qing Nü had also run out.

After half a year of cultivation, his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes had made significant progress. Floating in the tunnel before the artifact-containing sphere he had first discovered in the Myriad Treasures Cave, Chen Mobai's eyes glowed with a clear, radiant spiritual light. Previously, he could only vaguely discern a long, strip-like artifact, but now he could see its specific form. His previous guess was correct: it was indeed a flying sword. However, the flying sword appeared to be broken, which was why it was continuously absorbing refined iron essence to repair itself. Chen Mobai's Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes could even clearly see the break in the flying sword, where its upper and lower sections had separated; it was already half-healed. Yet, he still couldn't determine the grade of this flying sword. After all, the artifact-containing sphere, as one of the Wuqi Daoist Academy's masterpieces, sealed off its contents from the outside world once secured, creating almost a complete miniature realm. Had it not been for this flying sword needing to absorb the refined iron essence from the red iron ore for self-repair, thus using an open-style seal, Chen Mobai would likely not have been able to discern even its shape, unless his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes had reached an extremely profound level.

Despite this, Chen Mobai did not lose heart. He continued to cultivate steadily at his own pace. The Myriad Treasures Cave's unique fire spiritual energy, combined with his already exceptional fire spiritual root, allowed him to refine the fire-attribute spells he knew to an even greater degree of mastery.

One day, as Chen Mobai was practicing the Bing Fire Divine Thunder Art, a burst of unusual spiritual energy suddenly emanated from the tunnel wall beside him. Then, a head poked out from within. Seeing this, Chen Mobai's hand twitched, and a crimson bolt of lightning shot out, striking the mysteriously appearing head like a game of whack-a-mole. There was a loud "boom!" At the crucial moment, Chen Mobai remembered that this was the Immortal Sect, and anyone appearing in the Myriad Treasures Cave must be a student of the Wuqi Daoist Academy. He channeled his spiritual consciousness, diverting the crimson lightning by an inch, while the head rapidly retreated at the same instant. The Bing Fire Divine Thunder narrowly grazed his scalp, leaving a long, fist-deep mark on the tunnel wall. Had the wall not been composed entirely of red iron ore, his lightning bolt would have likely collapsed the area.

"Phew," a voice exhaled. The head emerged from the wall again. This time, Chen Mobai saw clearly: it was a short-haired, round-faced youth, whose face still held an expression of lingering fear. "Senior, I apologize for disturbing you with my Earth Evasion Art, but you didn't have to be so ruthless," the round-faced youth said, touching a bald spot on his scalp and speaking with lingering apprehension. Chen Mobai's face filled with apologies. "My apologies, Senior. I was just practicing a spell, and after being startled, I lost control and shocked you…"

Both addressed each other as "Senior." Chen Mobai did so because he knew he was the newest Foundation Establishment student in the Wuqi Daoist Academy; anyone else who achieved Foundation Establishment in the Myriad Treasures Cave, except Zhongli Tianyu, would be older than him. The round-faced youth, on the other hand, had sensed the power of the lightning bolt and knew he was no match. He assumed Chen Mobai was a true cultivator in the highest grade of Foundation Establishment.

After exchanging names, Chen Mobai learned that the person before him was Mi Yudao, a student from the 5009 class, an eighth-year Foundation Establishment cultivator. He was proficient in Earth Evasion arts and was currently one of the assistant lecturers for the Mineralogy discipline. "Junior Brother Chen, you students from the 5012 class leave a particularly deep impression on me," Mi Yudao said. Learning that Chen Mobai was only a fifth-year student, Mi Yudao sighed with emotion, lamenting how the younger generation surpassed the old, and also uttered a remark that surprised Chen Mobai.

"You've also met Zhongli Tianyu?" Chen Mobai asked. "Well, last year, I accidentally used my evasion art to enter his cultivation area and got a lump on my head from his Earth-to-Steel Art," Mi Yudao said somewhat awkwardly, pointing self-consciously to the bald spot on his head, which happened to be the same area that had swollen last year due to Zhongli Tianyu's spell.

"Senior Mi, it's really a bit inappropriate for you to use your Earth Evasion Art so recklessly," Chen Mobai said tactfully. Qin Beichen had told him about the rules of the Myriad Treasures Cave: if someone had set up a formation or restriction, other students should not disturb them. After all, this place was so deep, and the tunnels were almost infinitely vast for all Foundation Establishment students in the academy, so why cause conflict in one spot?

"Wasn't I following the Student Union's instructions to search for artifact-containing spheres? Who knew this place was already occupied by you. If I had known, I wouldn't have come…" Mi Yudao mumbled, glancing at the white jade sphere embedded in the red iron ore above Chen Mobai's head, shaking his head and sighing.

"Oh, can the Student Union also manage affairs in the Myriad Treasures Cave?" Chen Mobai was surprised. He found this peculiar. The Wuqi Daoist Academy's Student Union had almost no presence among students from the first to sixth grades, yet it was undeniably a major force within the academy. As one of the Ten Prodigies of Wuqi from the 5012 class, Chen Mobai had once received an invitation to join the Student Union. However, he was busy acquiring Foundation Establishment Pills at the time and didn't even bother to respond. Besides him, Ming Yihua, Wang Xingyu, Yun Yangbing, and others from the Divine Transformation class had also received invitations, but being highly self-esteemed, they all flatly refused. Even mild-mannered individuals like Lan Yufan and Lu Zixuan stated they would not consider the matter before achieving Foundation Establishment.

"They don't really 'manage' it, but the Student Union has many eccentric talents. They've compiled data left by previous generations of graduating seniors, combined it with their own exploration results, searches, and deductions, to create a 'Myriad Treasures Map.' The map marks the exact locations of over a thousand artifact-containing spheres within the Myriad Treasures Cave. They've also offered a bounty: for finding any sphere not marked on the map, they're willing to transfer 5 academic credits as a reward. And those like me, who help the Student Union complete the information on spheres already recorded in the Myriad Treasures Map, can earn 1 academic credit." Mi Yudao didn't hide anything; he had indeed followed the instructions on the Student Union's Myriad Treasures Map to find Chen Mobai here.

"So, this artifact-containing sphere is already considered theirs by the Student Union?" Chen Mobai frowned, a little displeased. Although he didn't particularly need this flying sword, it was still his only gain in the past half-year. To be told that it had already been marked by others left him with a strange feeling of resentment.

"That's not it," Mi Yudao explained. "Opening an artifact-containing sphere requires 100 academic credits. Even if all the Student Union members combined their credits, they could at most redeem ten artifact fragments. The creation of this Myriad Treasures Map is a task passed down through generations of the Student Union, to prevent the seals on certain spheres from exceeding their time limit, causing the Profound Fire Spirit Liquid to lose its efficacy, and the artifacts inside to decay. Any member of the Student Union can view the Myriad Treasures Map's information for free and find artifact information they need. This greatly saves everyone's time."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai's face showed understanding. He had previously wondered: since the nurturing spirit liquid only had a hundred years of efficacy, wouldn't some deeply hidden artifact-containing spheres decay in vain if never discovered by later generations? Clearly, the upper echelons of the academy must have realized this, which is why they entrusted the Student Union with this responsibility.

"So, if I'm not a Student Union member, can I still consult the Myriad Treasures Map?" Chen Mobai asked. "You can, but it requires paying a 2-credit information fee," Mi Yudao replied. After hearing Mi Yudao, Chen Mobai considered it and decided that he could afford such a small amount of academic credits.

"How do I pay?" Chen Mobai asked. "I'll take you there," Mi Yudao said.

Taking Chen Mobai along, Mi Yudao naturally couldn't use his Earth Evasion art. He emerged from the mountain wall and led Chen Mobai flying out of the cave entrance. They then ascended to an altitude of about a thousand meters and flew into a vast cavern entrance nearly thirty meters in diameter. As they proceeded along this path, Chen Mobai soon heard the sound of gurgling streams. It was an underground current, unexpectedly located here. Looking at the clear, transparent water before him, and the vast, hollowed-out cavern across the current, spanning about two hundred meters, Chen Mobai couldn't help but marvel. Within that enormous cavern opposite the current, there were surprisingly many stone houses and a plaza resembling a market.

Chen Mobai followed Mi Yudao across the current and saw numerous white jade-like artifact-containing spheres hanging at the entrances of many stone houses. "These are 'dead-sealed,' so there's no issue with taking them out," Mi Yudao explained. "At the end of the year, everyone will place these on the plaza, choose one, and open it. That scene is truly spectacular."

Hearing Mi Yudao's words, Chen Mobai imagined the dazzling spectacle of a dozen or so artifacts flying out of white jade spheres and couldn't help but nod. "Since they're 'dead-sealed,' is there no way to know what kind of artifacts are sealed inside? And could there be any decayed artifacts?" Chen Mobai asked. "Yes, there can be," Mi Yudao replied. "It's all down to luck. You know about 'stone gambling,' right? This is the Immortal Sect's highest-end version of stone gambling."

Chen Mobai was slightly taken aback at this, then his face showed sudden understanding. He had to admit, the term "stone gambling" was very apt. He activated his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes and looked at a dead-sealed artifact-containing sphere, but found it to be a chaotic blur, completely opaque. He couldn't help but feel a wave of disappointment.

"Oh, you also cultivate spiritual eye techniques?" Mi Yudao's eyes lit up as he noticed the clear, shimmering light in Chen Mobai's eyes. "Doesn't that mean you've already seen clearly what's inside that artifact-containing sphere?"

"Sort of, why?" Chen Mobai asked. "You can exchange the information about that artifact-containing sphere for academic credits from the Student Union! Wasn't I going there for just one credit?" Mi Yudao exclaimed. Hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately recalled what Mi Yudao had said earlier and nodded. He had many flying swords anyway and wasn't particularly interested in a broken one.

Arriving before a three-story Western-style building in the center of the plaza, Mi Yudao explained that this was the Student Union's headquarters. On duty inside was a young man with a stern face. "Tiansuan, why are you on duty?" Mi Yudao seemed to know the stern youth and greeted him familiarly.

"Get to the point," the youth said. The youth's surname was Lu, and his given name was Tiansuan—a rather imposing name. He was from the same class as Mi Yudao. "This is Chen Mobai from the 5012 class, also our academy's youngest Foundation Establishment true cultivator…" Mi Yudao, with his gentle disposition, directly introduced Chen Mobai to Lu Tiansuan, who listened without changing his expression, seemingly always having that look.

"To view the Myriad Treasures Map once, it's 2 academic credits," Lu Tiansuan stated. Chen Mobai nodded and handed over his student ID. "The academy usually doesn't allow academic credit transactions between students," Mi Yudao explained from the side, "but the Myriad Treasures Map is one of the few permitted channels for credit exchange." As Mi Yudao spoke, Lu Tiansuan, after deducting the credits, pulled out a tablet and opened a software application with a character "Treasure" icon.

"Tell me your requirements for the artifact; the more specific, the better. I'll help you search," Lu Tiansuan instructed. Chen Mobai understood: so, the Myriad Treasures Map was essentially a search engine, and 2 academic credits bought one search opportunity. Wouldn't Gui Bao's agency then come in handy again?

"Ideally, Third-Tier, suitable for a fire spiritual root cultivator as a companion artifact," Chen Mobai stated his requirements. It was a pity he learned this too late; the credits had already been paid, and Chen Mobai couldn't bring himself to back out, so he could only state his requirements. Lu Tiansuan and Mi Yudao exchanged a simultaneous eye-roll upon hearing this. If the Myriad Treasures Map could pinpoint which artifact-containing sphere held a Third-Tier artifact, it wouldn't just charge so few credits.