332: Treasure Ruler

The Pill Gathering competition is still less than two years away, so there's no need to rush.

Wandering about and searching, Jiang Donghua, clad in a green robe, flew alone across the boundless sky of the Northern Region of Central State.

Below him were rolling hills and gradually desolate Gobi Desert, where the autumn wind whipped up yellow sand, creating a scene of desolation across the land.

He had been away from the Xiao Family for several days and was not rushing toward the distant Holy Pill City; instead, he deliberately slowed his pace, adapting to the richer Heaven and Earth energy of Central State while consolidating his cultivation.

His Two-Star Dou Zun realm was already stable, the Living Spirit Flame slowly circulated within his body, and his Spirit Realm Soul acted like the most precise radar, constantly sensing every disturbance within a radius of nearly a hundred miles.

"The energy here is thin and few people visit, making it a good place to test out the treasure seeking ruler."

Jiang Donghua landed in an area named the Wind Erosion Wasteland.

Looking around, all he saw were earthy yellow massive rocks and sand, so silent that only the sighing of the wind remained.

With a flip of his hand, an ancient ruler, about a foot and a half long and made of neither metal nor wood, appeared in his grasp.

The ruler's body was dark brown, inscribed with dense, silver runes that were difficult to discern with the naked eye, exuding an aura of antiquity—this was the excellent item that had been brought to the Xiao Family as a tribute to him over the past six months.

He took a deep breath, and his Spirit Realm Soul Power slowly flowed into the ruler like a gentle stream.

At the same time, a wisp of Dou Qi separated from his body and wrapped around it.

Buzz... The ruler body trembled slightly, and the dormant silver runes on it began to flicker with faint light, one by one.

A strange fluctuation spread outward, centered on the ruler.

Jiang Donghua held the ruler and moved slowly across the wasteland.

Initially, the ruler's fluctuations were smooth and weak.

When he reached a massive, wind-eroded rock mountain resembling a crouching behemoth, the treasure seeking ruler in his hand suddenly transmitted a distinct sensation of heat!

The tip of the ruler seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, pointing firmly toward a certain spot at the base of the massive rock hill.

"Oh? It reacted. The energy fluctuation doesn't seem strong, but it is very concentrated."

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow and walked to the spot indicated by the ruler.

It looked no different from anywhere else, covered entirely by hard, weathered rock.

He closed his eyes, and his Spirit Realm Soul Power meticulously scanned the area.

Soon, he discovered an extremely hidden Soul Illusory Array.

The method used for this Illusory Array was quite ingenious, capable of deceiving the senses of ordinary Dou Huangs or even low-star Dou Zongs, but under the scrutiny of Jiang Donghua's Spirit Realm Soul, it was as obvious as a candle flame in the dark night.

"A mere Soul Illusory Array. It seems the owner of this place, while alive, was at most around the Four-star Dou Zong or Five-star Dou Zong level, and was skilled in some Soul techniques."

He chuckled softly; he didn't even need to break the array. His Soul Power flowed out like mercury, easily locating the array's operational nodes, and with a thought, he simulated the corresponding frequency.

The rock scenery before him twisted, rippling like water, and then revealed a dark, gloomy entrance just wide enough for one person to pass through.

A faint breeze carrying the scent of decay and dust blew out from the cave.

Jiang Donghua, whose skill matched his courage, stepped into the cave, a faint Dou Qi halo shimmering around his body.

Inside the cave was a downward-sloping tunnel, not long, only about ten zhang.

Embedded in the walls were some Moonstones that had long lost their luster, making the light dim.

At the end of the tunnel was an ordinary stone door, slightly ajar and without any restrictions.

Pushing open the stone door revealed a stone chamber about ten square zhang in size.

There were cracks in the ceiling of the stone chamber, allowing several streaks of daylight to penetrate and illuminate the interior.

The furnishings were extremely simple: just a stone bed, a stone table, and a stone stool.

On the stone bed sat a complete set of white bones. The bones were grayish-white and covered in fine cracks, clearly indicating their immense age.

"The bones are lustrous, cracked but not scattered. He must have been a Four-star Dou Zong while alive. Judging by the degree of weathering, he has likely been sitting here in meditation for two or three hundred years."

Jiang Donghua swept his gaze over the scene and made his judgment.

To a Two-Star Dou Zun, the remains of a Four-star Dou Zong from centuries ago were certainly nothing to be excited about.

His gaze fell upon the ground in front of the white bones, where a dust-covered dark gray storage ring lay.

Jiang Donghua grabbed through the air, and the storage ring flew into his hand.

He wiped away the dust, and his Soul Power easily broke the faint Soul imprint on the storage ring and probed inside.

The internal space of the storage ring was small, only about a dozen cubic meters.

The contents were completely visible.

Most numerous were the dozens of scrolls piled up in the corner.

Jiang Donghua's Soul Power swept over them. Most were Xuan rank low-tier and intermediate Dou Techniques and cultivation methods, such as 'Cracked Wind Palm,' 'Soft Water Art,' and 'Golden Bell Cover.' To him now, they were no different from waste paper.

There were even a few miscellaneous books describing the geography and culture of the continent.

"It seems this predecessor also liked collecting miscellaneous items."

Jiang Donghua mused, feeling slightly disappointed.

Just as he was about to withdraw his Soul Power, an inconspicuous jade box at the deepest part of the storage ring caught his attention.

Opening the jade box, a dark golden scroll, darker in color and clearly made of better material, lay inside.

The scroll felt slightly heavy in his hand. He unrolled it, and several ancient, large characters immediately met his eyes.

"Profound Yin Pulse Poking Finger!"

An earth rank low-tier Dou Technique!

A hint of surprise finally flashed in Jiang Donghua's eyes.

A Di-rank Dou Technique, even if only low-tier, was quite rare.

He continued reading the introduction below.

"This finger technique Dou Technique takes a different approach, focusing not on fierce destruction, but specializing in soft, penetrating force. The finger power is condensed like silk, capable of penetrating the body to directly injure the opponent's meridians and internal organs, and even interfere with the circulation of their Dou Qi. When cultivated to mastery, a single strike can silently and instantly cripple the enemy's foundation..."

"So it's a soft finger technique specializing in acupoint striking, pulse piercing, and defense breaking."

Jiang Donghua realized this, then shook his head.

"Unfortunately, the path is too specialized, overly focused on deceit and sinister damage. Moreover, the cultivation requirements seem quite demanding, requiring the assistance of extreme Yin-attributed Dou Qi—it's useless."

He placed the scroll back into the jade box and casually tossed it into the depths of his own storage ring.

Perhaps he could borrow its force circulation method later, but dedicated cultivation was unnecessary.

He carefully checked the stone chamber again, and after confirming there was nothing else of value, he slightly cupped his hands toward the white bones.

"Senior, I apologize for the disturbance. I have taken the storage ring. Should I encounter a fated person in the future, perhaps I can pass on your knowledge."

Having spoken, he turned and left without hesitation.

Stepping out of the entrance, with a wave of his hand, the massive rock shifted slightly, cleverly concealing the entrance once again and restoring it to its original state.

From discovery to completion of the exploration, only one or two hours had passed.

Standing on the wasteland, Jiang Donghua looked at the treasure seeking ruler in his hand, then looked into the distance.

"This first use wasn't a wasted effort. Although the haul was mediocre, it at least proves the ruler is useful. The land of Central State is vast and boundless, and there are countless similar ruins. Next time, perhaps I will have better luck."

He put away the treasure seeking ruler, and his figure moved, transforming into a streak of green light as he continued to sweep toward the south.