116: The discarded pearl unlocks the ancient ban!

The Crescent Moon Totem hung solitary on the wall, emitting a desolate, ancient aura that chilled one to the bone.

Gu Changsheng approached the stone wall, his fingertips lightly brushing over the obscure and difficult-to-understand cloud patterns upon it.

The touch was icy cold, as if he were touching not jade, but a piece of Profound Ice that had remained unmelted for ten thousand years.

There was no keyhole, no formation eye.

Only a fist-sized circular indentation in the dead center appeared particularly conspicuous.

Around the indentation, two lines of ancient seal script resembling tadpoles were carved: "When the moon is full, it begins to wane; when things reach their extreme, they must reverse."

【Deduction】

With a thought from Gu Changsheng, two hundred Spirit Stones dissolved into nothingness.

A golden stream of data washed frantically through his eyes, finally settling into a line of crimson warning.

【Target: Profound Jade Secret Chamber】

【Status: Sealed (Ancient Restriction)】

【Opening Condition: Requires an object of 'Taiyin Origin' as a key.】

【Warning: Detected 'Mutual Destruction' array embedded within the door. If the door is forced open, or if non-Origin spiritual power is infused, the entire Floating Island will disintegrate and self-destruct within three breaths, with power equivalent to a full-strength strike from a Golden Core Early Stage Cultivator.】

Gu Changsheng's eyelids twitched violently, and he instinctively took half a step back.

What ruthless methods.

This wasn't left for a destined person; it was clearly a tomb prepared for those reckless intruders.

"Taiyin Origin..."

Gu Changsheng's brow furrowed as his gaze locked onto that circular indentation.

This shape, this aura—it seemed somewhat familiar.

In a flash, a long-buried memory surfaced in his mind.

Back when he was still a small Cultivator at the Qi Refining Second Layer, he had intercepted a "taiyin treasure orb" from a poor Soul of the Wang Family.

That was the key to his Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Third Layer, and also the first windfall on his path of cultivation.

It was just that the Qi within that orb had long since been drained dry by him, turning it into a spent orb covered in cracks, which he had casually tossed into the furthest corner of his Storage Pouch to gather dust.

"Could it be..."

Gu Changsheng's heart constricted suddenly.

He quickly rummaged through the depths of his Storage Pouch and found the Cold Jade Box wrapped in layers of Talismans.

He peeled off the Talismans.

That dusty, crack-riddled spent orb, looking as if it might crumble into powder at any moment, lay quietly at the bottom of the box.

There was no fluctuation of Qi at all.

It was just like a common stone found anywhere.

Gu Changsheng picked up the spent orb and compared it with the indentation on the door.

The size was an exact match.

But he didn't put it in immediately.

If he guessed wrong, this would be like pressing a detonator.

He had to be absolutely sure.

Gu Changsheng took a deep breath, flipped his hand to sacrifice the Heart-Protecting Mirror he had seized from Ghost Hand, and slapped three "Vajra Talismans" onto himself. His body was pressed close to the exit of the main hall.

If anything felt even slightly off, he would immediately burst away at full speed.

"Let's gamble."

He flicked his finger.

The spent orb turned into a grey shadow, accurately embedding itself into the indentation of the jade door.

Pa.

A soft sound.

A perfect fit.

Dead silence.

The hall was so quiet that only Gu Changsheng's own heartbeat could be heard.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Just as Gu Changsheng thought he had guessed wrong and was preparing to turn and run.

Buzz—!

A low hum suddenly emanated from within the jade door.

That originally lifeless spent orb was like a withered tree meeting sweet rain after a long drought, suddenly erupting with a terrifying suction force.

The free-floating silver threads of light around the hall, and even the yin essence of the great moon contained within the jade door itself, converged frantically toward the spent orb.

The cracks on the surface of the spent orb healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The originally grey-white color quickly turned into a deep blue, then became crystal clear, like a miniature full moon.

"Kacha."

The sound of gears turning was particularly pleasant in this empty hall.

That jade door, weighing tens of thousands of catties, didn't make any heavy grinding noise but instead slid open silently to both sides like mercury flowing on the ground.

A mist, countless times purer than the outside world and carrying an aura of "etherealness" and "nothingness," slowly seeped out from behind the door.

The space behind the door was extremely small, only about ten feet square.

The four walls were empty, with only a half-person-high stone platform standing in the center.

Upon the stone platform floated a semi-transparent jade pendant shaped like a crescent moon.

It wasn't a solid entity, but rather seemed to be condensed from a cluster of drifting mist, with a greyish halo swirling around it.

Just looking at it with his naked eyes, Gu Changsheng felt a moment of daze, as if the jade pendant didn't exist at all, and his gaze passed right through it to fall upon the void.

"This is..."

Gu Changsheng's pupils constricted.

He had never seen such a bizarre treasure.

It didn't show off or reveal its nature, yet it made one feel a fear of "being forgotten" from the depths of their Soul.

He cautiously stepped forward and, through his sleeve, tentatively reached out his hand.

The moment his fingertips touched the jade pendant.

Boom!

The System panel in his Sea of Consciousness seemed to suffer a strong interference, flashing frantically as countless garbled codes poured down like a waterfall.

【Warning! High-dimensional Law interference detected!】

【System is restructuring logic modules...】

【Analysis complete.】

【Obtained supreme treasure: taiyin submerging spirit jade】

【Grade: ???】

【Attribute: Taiyin is the ultimate concealment of heaven and earth. Wearing this jade makes one like the dark side of the moon, not within the Five Elements and fading out of Karma.】

【Effect 1 · Trace-less: Mortals forget upon seeing; Cultivators of the same Realm cannot lock onto your aura. Unless two major Realms higher, Divine Sense scans will automatically ignore the wearer's existence.】

【Effect 2 · Deception: Significantly interferes with heavenly Deduction. Divination and tracking techniques of the Purple Mansion stage will all fail. Even if a mighty expert forcibly deduces, they will only see a patch of chaotic mist.】

【Negative Cost: Long-term wearing will cause one's presence to decrease extremely, possibly even resulting in being forgotten by those close to you.】

After reading the attribute description, Gu Changsheng's heart, which was usually as calm as an ancient well, trembled violently.

It wasn't fear.

It was wild joy.

A wild joy that made him want to roar at the heavens.

What kind of Magic Treasure was this?

This was clearly a Divine Artifact tailor-made for a "stealthy person" like him!

In this Cultivation World full of dangers and teeming with mighty experts, what was most important?

It wasn't an unparalleled Flying Sword, nor was it indestructible armor.

It was "not being noticed."

It was "being uncalculable."

As long as no one could scheme against him, as long as no one could remember him, he was absolutely safe.

"Good treasure... truly a good treasure."

Gu Changsheng suppressed the excitement in his heart and, without any hesitation, directly forced out a drop of essence blood and dripped it onto the jade pendant.

Chiss.

The essence blood was instantly absorbed.

The crescent moon jade pendant turned into a streak of light, drilled into his forehead, and vanished.

The next moment.

A wonderful feeling enveloped his entire body.

Gu Changsheng felt as if he had become a cluster of air, or rather, a part of the background of this world.

He was clearly standing there, yet he seemed not to exist at all.

He looked at the System panel again.

【Name: Gu Changsheng (Hidden)】

That small word "Hidden" was worth more than ten thousand prosperities in his eyes.