Chapter 39: Magical Artifacts

Qin Yue had never been so desperate before.

It felt like he was racing against death itself.

Even though he managed to escape using his evasion technique in a flash, he could still sense the sinister, chilling aura of the monstrous serpent lingering nearby. It tracked him like a shadow, only gradually fading away later—apparently it had given up.

With the last remnants of his spiritual power, Qin Yue gritted his teeth, tunneling underground for over ten miles before finally breaking through to the surface.

Bless the mice, bless the art of heaven-swapping!

Now he understood that the cultivation method he practiced far surpassed the inheritances of the sects of this world. Otherwise, with his current realm, he would never have even touched that tiny cauldron.

At this moment, he was still in the mountain valley. Overhead, there were no stars to be seen, and all around him, thick black demonic mist condensed into tangible fog.

Cold seeped into his very bones, as if some evil force was trying to invade his body. He hadn’t felt it before, full of vigor, but now his spiritual energy was nearly depleted, and the chill tormented him.

He took out two spirit herbs of the Cave Subtle tier and used the heaven-swapping technique to draw their essence.

Such wasteful consumption would horrify any alchemist, yet it was becoming routine for him.

Only after a long while did he exhale, the cold finally dispelled and warmth returning to his body thanks to the spiritual energy.

But his injuries were severe—the serpent’s final strike had broken several ribs and damaged his organs.

He hadn’t noticed while fleeing, but now the pain made cold sweat drip from his brow.

He carefully wrapped his wounds with spiritual energy, nourishing and setting the bones, all while staying alert and watching his surroundings.

The world was utterly silent; not a sound could be heard.

He had anticipated the direction when escaping underground, and had emerged on the other side of the valley, while the sect disciples remained opposite.

After a while, Qin Yue felt much better. He took out two more herbs, used the heaven-swapping technique, and absorbed their essence.

It seemed wasteful, but in times like this, maintaining his condition was paramount.

The drained herbs appeared fresher than before, but their vital properties were gone.

Qin Yue carefully stored them away, glanced around, and invoked the Netherworld Evasion technique, speeding toward the Northern City.

...

The next day.

Dressed in clean new clothes, Qin Yue strode energetically out of an inn.

The great medicine’s essence not only enhanced his spiritual power, but also healed his wounds. Injuries from last night, though not minor, had nearly all recovered.

"Paper for sale, paper for sale... Latest Golden Capital Times!"

"Descendants of the Qingzhu Garden, destroyed centuries ago, have appeared; all major sects are vying for their invitation!"

"A terrifying ancient beast has broken free from the sealed palace in Yandang Mountain!"

"Mr. Qin from Qingzhu Garden has incredible luck, fortune raining from the heavens!"

"The demonic maiden of the Devil Sect outwitted the heroes, causing heavy losses to the major sects—so furious they’re cursing all day!"

Qin Yue called over the newspaper boy, handed him a small piece of silver, and waved off the change. The boy gratefully thanked him and continued hawking his papers up and down the street.

He entered a breakfast shop, ordered two baskets of pork buns, a bowl of porridge, and a plate of pickles, and sat reading as he ate.

The speed of information in this world amazed him; last night’s events at Yandang Mountain were already in print this morning?

There must have been "reporters" present, who relayed the news back with sound stones immediately—a dangerous job, but apparently worth the risk.

The newspaper comprised five sheets, each slightly larger than A4, printed on both sides, with decent quality. There were illustrations of figures, though drawn abstractly; it was hard to tell who was who.

Most pages covered local news and national policies. Only the last two sheets reported on the "strange and unusual"—matters of the cultivation world.

There was a wealth of news about him in this edition, nearly filling an entire sheet front and back!

It detailed his "confirmation" as a descendant of Qingzhu Garden, his fortune at Yandang Mountain—hit by luck from above, amassing cultivation treasures—all explained thoroughly.

Especially the identity of Qingzhu Garden’s inheritor: not only backed by the major sects, but also researched in depth, exploring what kind of sect Qingzhu Garden had been centuries ago.

With this "official media" endorsement, his status as Qingzhu Garden’s heir was nearly cemented.

Qin Yue turned to other headlines.

"Ancient palace at Yandang Mountain reveals legendary creature, the Transforming Serpent—human face, jackal body, snake tail—a portentous monster."

"Zhang Taiyue, interviewed late at night, angrily declared that Devil Sect members are wreaking havoc. As guardian of the Northern Lands, he vows to fight to the end, not allowing harm to the people."

"Elder Qiao Zhen of Inviting Moon Hall said last night’s battle was intense, terrifying powers clashing—a true war between righteous and demonic forces. Though not a citizen of the Golden Kingdom, he pledged to help defend and uphold justice."

"Young Lord Ling Chen of Zhaoyang Sect condemned the demonic maiden’s evil, vowing a death feud with the Heavenly Net Sect. A source claims Ling heroically fought the Heavenly Net Saintess Feng Qianning, nearly ruining his face."

"Some suggest it wasn’t a righteous versus demonic clash, but rather a scramble for Feng Qianning’s treasures."

"All above are on-site interviews, not reflective of Golden Capital Times’ views; please exercise caution."

The editor was quite sharp, not coddling the young lord of the world’s top sect, and seemed partial to the Heavenly Net Sect, ending with a subtle jab that made Qin Yue chuckle.

Through the newspaper, he gained new insight into last night’s battle.

He’d thought someone joined to fight the Transforming Serpent, but it turned out someone went specifically to hold off Zhang Taiyue?

Apparently, the owner of Divine Phoenix Manor was a Dao Realm powerhouse; whoever could match him must be of equal level.

After all, those in Technique Realm would be powerless before the Dao Realm.

Qin Yue was puzzled; Feng Qianning hadn’t mentioned any Devil Sect elders coming to help.

Who would be so considerate?

After returning last night, he’d been busy restoring his energy with spirit stones and hadn’t sought her out.

The paper also noted that several Dao Realm elites arrived at Yandang Mountain late at night, joining Zhang Taiyue to explore the ancient palace, but as of press time, there were no results.

Qin Yue smiled faintly; the palace had become a nest of poison, swarming with black threadworms and demonic serpents—nothing else remained.

Of course, those worms and serpents were quite valuable. With Dao Realm masters visiting, it wouldn't do to let them leave empty-handed.

He wondered where the Transforming Serpent had fled. The paper reported that the monstrous demon vanished last night and was still missing, urging the kingdom’s people to stay alert.

Qin Yue felt a bit disappointed; he was still too weak—if only he could have slain the serpent.

It was said that its gall could boost cultivation, its blood could be used for body-forging baths. After last night’s ordeal, he was eager to learn body-forging techniques, to craft himself an indestructible physique!

Ideally, the serpent would crash into him and he’d remain unharmed, while the serpent’s head split and bones broke.

A man should have dreams.

He drank the last mouthful of porridge, paid, and left.

...

That afternoon, he received "voice messages" from the Huo brothers, Tian Ying, and Chen Xuan.

Huo Qing, always steady, spoke of serious matters, confirming the accuracy and thoroughness of Golden Capital Times.

He told Qin Yue that no one gained much at Yandang Mountain; all sects suffered losses from the black threadworms and poisonous snakes, especially Divine Phoenix Manor and Zhaoyang Sect.

"Feng Qianning’s body was never found. If she managed to escape under such circumstances, you must avoid her in future encounters—don’t ever approach her as you did this time."

Huo Tong, more lively, left a message—"Brother, you left too soon and missed a spectacular show. Next time we meet, I’ll take you to see something fun."

Tian Ying invited him to visit Lingyun Sect: "You needn’t join our sect; we’ll pay you to tend spirit herbs and great medicines."

Chen Xuan’s voice was soft and sweet, bidding him farewell: "I hope we meet again. I’m going back to strive for Cave Subtle advancement; otherwise, this world is too dangerous."

Qin Yue replied to each, wishing them peace and well-being.

Tang Qingxuan hadn’t contacted him again; likely in poor spirits, as Zhaoyang Sect suffered greatly, losing many disciples.

Thankfully, she obtained that bamboo scroll; otherwise, she’d have no explanation upon returning.

Qin Yue, in high spirits, began studying the small cauldron he had brought into his spiritual world.

Only treasures above Dao Realm could exist between illusion and reality, housed in the spiritual world.

Last night, he’d been too busy fleeing and recovering to pay attention, but now, as his consciousness sank into the spiritual world, the sight stunned him speechless.

What small, palm-sized cauldron?

Within his spiritual world, it towered like a super mountain—immense, majestic, radiating a profound, ancient aura.

It was like a bronze giant rat crouched in the chaos; his awareness was mere dust before the cauldron!

In disbelief, Qin Yue retrieved it to the real world; it remained the exquisite little cauldron, showing no extraordinary features.

Returning it to his spiritual world, it instantly transformed into a colossal entity.

Repeated attempts yielded the same results.

He examined it again in reality.

It seemed made of bronze, heavy, about two inches tall, round, with a three-inch mouth—simple yet refined.

Engraved were countless mysterious patterns and some script-like inscriptions, hidden among the lines.

In the spiritual world, his current mental strength couldn’t fathom all the inscriptions.

But in reality, using mental techniques, he could barely discern the micro-carved characters.

In his hand, the cauldron didn’t feel exceptionally heavy.

But when he tried placing it on the ground, even a light touch—barely pressing his palm, not even flattening his hairs—the inn’s hard stone floor instantly cracked with fissures!

It was as if he held a mountain in his hand!

Was it because he had refined it, allowing him to lift it?

No wonder it had seemed welded to the ground before—unmovable not only by him and Feng Qianning, but even by Dao Realm masters.

This treasure was like the Jade Purity Bottle in the Bodhisattva’s hand; small in reality yet capable of containing a sea. The cauldron truly held a universe within.

Though of lower grade—the Bodhisattva's bottle held a sea, this cauldron held a mountain—but the principle was the same.

All storage rings paled in comparison to this treasure cauldron!

Qin Yue’s eyes sparkled with delight.

Such a tiny vessel, such terrifying weight—if he deployed it at the right moment, in the right place... suddenly throwing it out?

A daring idea arose in his mind.

He habitually "contemplated" the inscriptions, hoping for further insight.

There was something there—he sensed it—but could not comprehend.

He tried to restore it in the world of the bronze wheel and giant rat, but failed.

It would take time to unravel its mysteries.

Qin Yue was not discouraged; this was not a bad thing—the harder it was to understand, the more advanced it must be.

Even if he could glean the slightest bit... it would be a great gain for him now!

So he calmed himself, and continued to contemplate and comprehend.