Chapter 3765: Three Dao Artifacts

"Crimson Sun Sea!" Wang Qingshan remembered Cao Yuzhen mentioning that the Cao family resided in the Crimson Sun Sea. He thought that if the opportunity arose, he could visit the Crimson Sun Sea sometime.

"Fellow Daoist Xia, I've heard that the Qiankun Pagoda once appeared in the Heavenly Dawn Sea Region?" Li Qinghuan asked curiously. The Qiankun Pagoda, the Primordial Ranking, and the Palace of One Word are all Dao artifacts. These three treasures are like a collective entity, always appearing together at random times.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you must be asking about the resurrection of immortals!" Xia Tianxiong said with a smile. "I am also very curious, Fellow Daoist Xia, please enlighten us," Wang Qingshan said politely.

Xia Tianxiong smiled and nodded, then explained what he knew. According to him, there are three ways to resurrect a deceased cultivator. The first, and simplest, is when a cultivator naturally passes away and their Dharmakaya is perfectly preserved. A True Immortal cultivator can then use spells, aided by immortal elixirs and immortal formations, to resurrect the deceased.

The second method involves the Succession Tablet. The Succession Tablet is not a mere list but a unique method of inheritance. If an immortal is killed, the Succession Tablet can be used to reconstruct their Dharmakaya, allowing them to be resurrected by absorbing sufficient incense offerings. However, this can only be done once; if they are killed again, they will perish completely. The effectiveness of the Succession Tablet is highly dependent on the strength of the affiliated force; at least a force with a Golden Immortal cultivator in residence is required to use it to resurrect a fallen immortal. The Succession Tablet is essentially a space of inheritance where powerful forces store their scripture repositories, treasures, or crucial cultivation resources.

The third method of resurrection is to challenge the Qiankun Pagoda. Cultivators who successfully challenge the Qiankun Pagoda can earn a resurrection opportunity if they rank among the top ten in their respective cultivation realms. However, many True Immortal cultivators never encounter the Qiankun Pagoda in their entire lives.

As for the Palace of One Word, it resembles a mobile, large-scale market. It offers a variety of cultivation resources, including Fourth-tier Immortal Formations, descendants of divine beasts, supreme-grade immortal artifacts, and Fourth-tier immortal talismans. Cultivators must exchange materials for these resources. While cultivators can also exchange rare resources with major powers, such exchanges are often unequal; if something is too valuable, the major power might resort to killing to silence them. It is said that the Palace of One Word deals fairly with everyone, as it is, after all, a Dao artifact.

The Primordial Ranking, the Qiankun Pagoda, and the Palace of One Word are all Dao artifacts. Legend has it that these three Dao artifacts were born simultaneously during the creation of heaven and earth, forming a single, inseparable entity.

"The top ten in each realm can get a resurrection opportunity and a treasure." Li Qinghuan felt a stir of excitement.

"It's not that easy to reach the top ten," Xia Tianxiong explained. "The Qiankun Pagoda manifests powerful figures to attack challengers. Last time it appeared in the Heavenly Dawn Sea Region, Murong Xuefeng, a core disciple of the Murong family, who was a late-stage True Immortal and was said to have opened four apertures, happened to be nearby. Yet, he still failed to make it into the top ten and was sent out by the Qiankun Pagoda after failing the challenge."

"A late-stage True Immortal cultivator who opened four apertures couldn't even make it into the top ten? It's that difficult?" Ni Tianlong exclaimed in surprise.

"Otherwise, how could the Qiankun Pagoda be a Dao artifact?" Xia Tianxiong explained. "Fortunately, failing the challenge does not result in death. Senior Murong has already cultivated to the Golden Immortal stage. If he encounters the Qiankun Pagoda again and makes it into the top ten, he would also gain a resurrection opportunity and a treasure."

The difficulty of challenging the Qiankun Pagoda varies for True Immortals, Golden Immortals, Grand Unity Golden Immortals, and Grand Luo Golden Immortals. True Immortal cultivators face opponents or demonic beasts of the True Immortal stage, while Golden Immortal cultivators face those of the Golden Immortal stage. The same applies to Grand Unity Golden Immortals and Grand Luo Golden Immortals, who must contend with powerful beings or demonic beasts of their respective realms. The top ten in each realm receive significant rewards, including a resurrection opportunity and other valuable items. The fact that even a late-stage True Immortal cultivator with four opened apertures struggles to reach the top ten highlights the immense value of the Qiankun Pagoda. However, most True Immortal cultivators never even encounter the Qiankun Pagoda, let alone challenge it.

"I heard that the Qiankun Pagoda absorbs treasures or materials," Wang Qingshan asked curiously.

"Yes," Xia Tianxiong replied with a sigh. "The Qiankun Pagoda appears periodically, devouring all sorts of things like immortal artifacts, materials, immortal elixirs, immortal formations, and ores. However, it does not devour cultivators or demonic beasts, though it will consume spirit beast eggs and spirit insect eggs. Once, when the ruins of a major sect appeared, the Qiankun Pagoda also manifested and devoured everything in that sect's treasure vault. It's simply too difficult to make it into the top ten. Relatively speaking, the Succession Tablet is easier, but one first needs to obtain its crafting method, which is also a rarity."

"Fellow Daoist Xia, do you know about the Jade Book of Heavenly Void?" Lan Fukong asked.

"Yes, I know of it," Xia Tianxiong replied casually, clearly not holding the Jade Book of Heavenly Void in high regard. "I heard it was compiled by a Golden Immortal cultivator named Heavenly Void Master, though another theory suggests it was compiled by multiple immortals to instruct their descendants. The information contained in the Jade Book of Heavenly Void holds little value for immortals; only cultivators from the lower realms find it interesting."

"Speaking of which, it's surprising that the Heavenly Beast Sect, despite its long history, doesn't possess high-level soul cultivation techniques," Wang Qingshan remarked with a sigh. He admitted he wouldn't have believed it had his clan members not repeatedly searched the sect's scripture repository. While the Heavenly Beast Sect did have some soul cultivation techniques, they were merely ordinary, only capable of slightly strengthening the soul.

"Soul cultivation techniques are rare even in the Heavenly Dawn Sea Region," Xia Tianxiong stated. "The Azure Cloud Palace possesses high-level soul cultivation techniques, but their cultivation requirements are extremely stringent. Only a few Golden Immortal cultivators can truly master them and use soul attacks against enemies." Xia Tianxiong added that without high-level soul cultivation techniques, the Azure Cloud Palace might have been annihilated long ago.

"A powerful cultivation technique can allow a force to endure longer, its value no less than that of a mighty immortal artifact." Wang Qingshan nodded. After chatting for over an hour, they all returned to their respective residences.

Chen Yueying, Ni Tianlong, and others headed to their respective territories to take charge. Wang Qingshan and a group of True Immortal cultivators remained stationed on Heavenly Beast Island to guard against a counterattack from the Changyuan Tribe. Even if the probability was low, they couldn't afford to be unprepared.

The Wang family was arranging for a large force to come and garrison the islands they had been allocated. However, as the war had only recently concluded, the Wang family had only dispatched some high-level cultivators to oversee a few crucial islands. They were not yet able to station experts on every island. If the Changyuan Tribe were to counterattack, it would be easy for the enemy to exploit their weaknesses.

Myriad Spirit Immortal Realm, Myriad Buddha Sect. Within a magnificent, gilded hall, the three golden characters "Hall" were inscribed on a plaque.

Zen Master Mingren sat on the main seat, his expression serene. A thin monk in a green robe stood respectfully to the side—Zen Master Xinkong, a mid-stage Golden Immortal.

"Grand Ancestor Mingren, this disciple has already taken Master Miaode under his wing and will diligently instruct him," Master Xinkong said, his hands pressed together in a salute. Master Miaode had ascended from the Profound Yang Realm and landed on the Myriad Buddha Sect's Ascension Platform. Master Miaode was relatively close to Wang Changsheng, and Zen Master Mingren's divine sense clone, Wang Mingren, was Wang Changsheng's clan uncle. While investigating the situation of his divine sense clone, Zen Master Mingren inadvertently discovered Master Miaode's presence. He then dispatched his grand-disciple, Master Xinkong, to accept Master Miaode and meticulously guide him.

Zen Master Mingren nodded, then waved his hand, dismissing Master Xinkong.

"Among so many divine sense clones, you are involved in the most karma. A way must be found to sever this karmic tie," Zen Master Mingren murmured to himself.