"Is this a Nascent Soul relic?"
Chen Jinshu stared at the bone whip in front of her, completely dazed. She was still two zhang away, yet the pressure from this Nascent Soul-grade spiritual weapon was already overwhelming. It felt like if she dared take even a few more steps forward, the bone whip would strike her down as an intruder.
"Xiao Yin, is this the item you sensed? The one calling to your bloodline?"
She asked softly, gripping the Qingluan Pendant in her hand.
"Yes! This is it. But it's... really powerful. I can barely breathe under its pressure," Xiao Yin replied in a low, uneasy voice.
"Senior Qingluan, do you recognize what material this spiritual weapon is made from?" Chen Jinshu activated the pendant. A moment later, the spirit of Qingluan emerged, her presence rippling gently.
As the spirit extended her senses toward the whip, she quickly confirmed her suspicions.
"It's made from dragon bone. Just a little more, and the creature might've ascended into a true dragon. Likely the spine of a flood dragon. A bone whip, infused with fire attributes. It suits your spiritual root quite well."
"But I can't get close to it," Chen Jinshu said, frustrated.
"A weapon of this level requires acknowledgment before it can be claimed. As for how to win that, it's up to you." With those words, the Qingluan spirit withdrew back into the pendant.
Chen Jinshu was visibly disappointed. She had hoped for a method to take the weapon. Even if she couldn't use the bone whip now, it would become usable once she broke through to the Golden Core stage. One reason she'd dared explore the ruins was because she realized her current weapon, the Lüqi Zither, couldn't handle all kinds of threats. She needed something more versatile.
The whip's affinity with her fire-aligned spiritual root made it ideal.
"Let's try the lotus petal birthmark," she thought.
She focused on the mark on her forehead. Moments later, the lotus petal responded. It could help her store the bone whip and slowly refine it over time. However, doing so would disable its ability to purify spiritual energy for cultivation.
That made her hesitate.
The lotus mark was her biggest aid in reaching the Golden Core realm within fifty years. Without it, her cultivation speed would drop significantly. Spiritual tools could always be found later. But a treasure that refined spiritual energy for her? That was irreplaceable.
Suddenly, another thought flashed through her mind—the mysterious Genesis Alchemy Furnace. The cauldron, with its unknown origin, might have a use here. She reached out with her mind to test it.
To her surprise, the Genesis Alchemy Furnace could indeed seal the bone whip inside the spirit herb realm, gradually refining it, all without affecting her ability to enter or leave the space. The only requirement was to offer rarer spiritual materials as nourishment for the cauldron.
Chen Jinshu agreed without hesitation. Feeding the cauldron to strengthen it was just another way to strengthen herself.
With a focused thought, she summoned the cauldron from her sea of consciousness. It flew from her brow, transforming into a large pill furnace. As it spun in the air, the lid opened. A beam of green light shot out, enveloping the bone whip and pulling it in effortlessly.
The cauldron then returned to a small black dot and vanished into her brow once more. The moment the bone whip disappeared, the stone chamber began to tremble violently. A door opened ahead.
Inside was another empty stone room.
Without hesitation, Chen Jinshu walked forward.
A few steps in, she saw a delicate wooden box on a stone platform, its surface glowing with golden runes.
"What now?"
Instead of approaching, she used her Vine Technique to open the box from a distance.
As the lid lifted, golden light burst forth. A dazzling golden fruit floated into view.
Her breath caught.
"A Golden Cicada Jade Fruit!"
It was a top-tier item for Golden Core, even more potent than most crafted pills.
"Is this some kind of trial? You must pass each stage to claim the next reward?"
But the bone whip from before was clearly more valuable than this fruit. The order didn't make sense. Still, she couldn't bear to leave such a treasure behind. She tried using the vines to lift the box, but it was firmly fixed to the platform.
"Another test? Is this one about recognizing a master? That doesn't make sense either."
She summoned the Genesis Alchemy Furnace again and absorbed the box directly. Just as she began to feel satisfied, a voice echoed behind her.
"Run all you want, girl. Let's see how far you get."
Chen Jinshu's face went pale. It was Chu Ke. So fast. She hadn't expected him to catch up already. The trap mechanisms had been subtle. He couldn't have noticed the hidden door at first, but after she entered, there must've been signs—scattered dust, displaced stones, and his centipede creatures with sharp senses.
Her fists clenched. She'd come so far, only to die here?
But then, an idea sparked in her mind.
She still had the spirit herb realm.
Once inside, no one could detect her. She could even pretend she used a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman. Though she didn't actually have one—they were rare, hoarded for emergencies, and almost never found in the market—Chu Ke wouldn't know that.
All she had to do was use a high-grade talisman as a decoy and vanish into the space.
She could hide there for centuries if needed. The realm had spiritual energy and enough herbs to sustain her cultivation. Time was on her side.
"Really think you've got me cornered? Pathetic."
"Goodbye. Ever heard of a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman?"
She pulled out a golden talisman, chanted a fake incantation, and in a flash, vanished into her spirit realm.
Outside, Chu Ke and his men stood stunned.
She was gone.
A teleportation talisman was the only explanation.
"Damn it! We can't stay here. That wretch will bring reinforcements," Chu Ke barked, furious.
"Get everyone out. This place is no longer safe for the ritual. She's gone to get help."
Inside the cauldron's projected vision, Chen Jinshu saw them leaving. Unexpectedly, her escape had bought the captured disciples more time. Seven or eight of her fellow sect members were bound behind Chu Ke. Some were foaming at the mouth, clearly suffering from advanced poisoning. The others were unconscious but alive.
"Boss, should we keep searching? There may be more treasures deeper inside," one demon cultivator asked.
Chu Ke's eyes lit up at the thought. He hated that Chen Jinshu had taken the earlier relics.
"Search the next room. If we find anything useful, we'll split it," he declared.
While demonic energy could strengthen their bodies, resources were still essential for cultivation. Without them, no one could progress.
Watching them go, Chen Jinshu silently prayed for her fellow disciples' safety. If reinforcements arrived in time, they might be saved. And if the demon cultivators were eliminated, perhaps her senior brothers could earn contribution points.
The group moved on toward the next stone chamber. As they neared the platform, another stone door opened. Chen Jinshu, watching from her spirit space, felt the urge to act again. They were distracted. This might be her chance to retrieve more treasures.
But she hesitated. There could still be other demon cultivators waiting, or hidden dangers like more centipede beasts. Escaping again wouldn't be easy.
...
Meanwhile, far away, Senior Brother Zheng Shaosi and the others had just arrived at Guanghan Immortal City on a spirit vessel. They had already reported the incident to the sect. A Nascent Soul elder was on their way, expected to arrive within three hours. Instead of causing a scene, they discreetly contacted a Core Formation elder and informed him of the crisis.
"I failed to see through Chu Ke's ambition," the elder said solemnly. "What do you plan to do?"
"Should we root out the demon cultivators immediately?" Xie Mofeng asked.
"No," Huai Jingyi said, shaking his feathered fan.
"The enemy is hidden, and we are exposed. If we act rashly, it could alert them and put the entire city at risk. Demon cultivators are unpredictable when cornered. We can't gamble with the lives of thousands."
"Then what do you suggest, Fourth Brother?" Pang Zhuoqun asked.
"We wait for the Nascent Soul elder. Their speed is unmatched. Until then, we track the demon cultivators quietly. Watch their movements. When the elder arrives, we strike.
Also, deploy Demon-Detecting Mirrors at the city gates. If any are confirmed, register their names immediately. Once the elder arrives, we act."
The group approved of the plan. Their only worry was whether Chen Jinshu could hold out that long. Though they hadn't known her long, she was now part of their sect. And they had all sworn to protect her.
...
Back in the ruins, Chu Ke and his group had reached the third stone chamber. But no matter what they tried, they couldn't retrieve the item on the platform—a scroll encased in a golden barrier.
The scroll's aura suggested it held a Nascent Soul-level technique.
Obtaining it would be a game-changer.
"This barrier is too strong. We can't get through," one demon cultivator said in frustration.
"Useless. Do I have to do everything myself?" Chu Ke scolded, pulling out a series of talismans.
He began chanting, attaching the talismans to the barrier. Slowly, the barrier began to weaken under their erosion. From inside the spirit herb realm, Chen Jinshu watched. She had no intention of coming out just yet. These people might be distracted, but if even one noticed her, it would be over. She would rather wait for her senior brothers.
Still, to be safe, she sent another message updating them on the situation. The message reached them quickly, lifting their spirits. Knowing she was alive eased their worry.
...
Half a day passed.
Chu Ke finally broke the barrier and took the scroll.
A fourth room opened ahead, but he hesitated.
He had already gained so much. And with Chen Jinshu potentially summoning reinforcements, the risk grew with every passing moment.
"Boss, are we going or not? She's been gone a while. The others might already be outside," someone warned.
Chu Ke stared at the newly opened chamber, eyes full of reluctance. But in the end, he turned back and led the group away. Inside the spirit realm, Chen Jinshu could only sigh. The man was annoyingly cautious. Still, as soon as they left, she sent out another message to her senior brothers.
She would wait for their signal, then continue exploring the ruins.
After all, with Nascent Soul elders outside and treasures still hidden within, why not take the risk?