294: Chapter 294 The Gatekeeper Arhat

If it were still a normal world, Han Jingyang's skills would be enough to make him the strongest man in the world.

But in a xianxia or even a mythological world, his meager ability would be nothing more than being easy prey, or he might even become someone else's Cornucopia, locked up by big shots to mass-produce dharma instruments.

However, after taking a deep breath, Han Jingyang dismissed those possibilities.

He was just spooked by this skill.

Deifying on Behalf of Heaven—this skill was truly too powerful. By writing an appointment letter, stamping it with this seal of the nine heavens mysterious lady, and activating the skill, he could confer titles upon deities such as the Earth God, Mountain God, River God, Dragon King, City God, and so on. It was incredibly powerful.

If there were no limit on its use, he could reorganize the Underworld system in the urban world, conferring titles on everything from Earth Gods to the Capital City God.

Unfortunately, this was only a Rank Five item, and at most, it could only use the "Deifying on Behalf of Heaven" skill three times.

If the divine rank conferred was high, the consumption of Qi would increase accordingly, and the number of uses for this skill would decrease as well, from three times to two or even just once.

There were restrictions.

But it was indeed powerful.

It's just that Han Jingyang didn't yet know what use the deities conferred by this seal would have.

He would find an opportunity to try it out later.

He had several good test subjects on hand.

Of course, Han Jingyang didn't have too high expectations; he didn't expect to confer a title on a Righteous God of Fortune and Virtue just like those in legends with a single skill.

No matter how powerful a skill was, it still required energy to support it.

And the Qi within the item was only so much; even if it were all exhausted, it wouldn't reach the level of legends.

So, after the initial shock, Han Jingyang calmed down.

He solemnly put away the seal of the nine heavens mysterious lady and continued to inspect the other items.

This was only Rank Five.

There were still one Rank Four and one Rank Three item each.

Both the Rank Four and Rank Three items came with skills.

The Rank Four item was an ivory product.

Ivory products are now explicitly banned from trade, not just domestically but abroad as well; if caught, the punishment is severe.

However, for old items and antique ivory carvings, a way out was left; as long as it wasn't an explicit monetary transaction, it wasn't a major issue. Private gifting and transfers were acceptable, provided one didn't ostentatiously provoke the relevant authorities.

Looted trophies were even less of an issue.

The size of this ivory carving was quite large, nearly forty centimeters in height and about four centimeters in diameter.

The ivory was fine and oily with a slight natural yellowish tint, and it felt excellent to the touch.

An Arhat was carved using the round carving technique.

Looking at the form, it was the Gate-Keeping Arhat among the Eighteen Arhats, holding a very prominent khakkhara in his hand.

Actually, an Arhat is a level of cultivation; one becomes an Arhat upon reaching a certain realm of practice.

These Eighteen Arhats were the eighteen most famous disciples of the Buddha, each with their own origin and cultivation method.

The Gate-Keeping Arhat, also known as the Venerable Panthaka, was a trusted disciple of the Buddha. Legend has it that when he used to go alms-begging, he liked to bang on doors with his fists. Once, he knocked down someone's house and injured the owner. Suddenly feeling very guilty, the Buddha then bestowed a khakkhara upon him, telling him to shake the staff instead of banging on doors with his fists.

In Buddhism, the Gate-Keeping Arhat symbolizes vigilance, might, protection, and the courage to confront demons.

This Gate-Keeping Arhat was carved using the round carving technique. The craftsmanship was very delicate, and the form was extremely lifelike, especially the shaping of the face, which had a feel of Western sculpture. It had a strong sense of three-dimensionality, and the details were very realistic—the hair, bridge of the nose, mouth, eyes, and even the gaze were incredibly vivid.

Yet it also carried a hint of the freehand style found in Eastern art. With just a bit of the freehand thin-carving technique, it portrayed the intended alertness and might on a realistic foundation. He appeared to be cultivating, but in reality, he was constantly monitoring his surroundings, possessing a Majesty that made one dare not look directly at him.

Han Jingyang had handled so many handicrafts, but the craftsmanship of this ivory Gate-Keeping Arhat could easily rank among the top three.

It was too brilliant.

The facial carving in particular was exceptional; it was surely the work of a master.

"Name: Republic of China Ivory Standing Statue of the Gate-Keeping Arhat."

"Grade: Rank Four."

"Attribute: Majesty +13."

"Skill: Sealing Sabers and Hanging Swords."

The moment he saw the attributes, Han Jingyang was actually a bit disappointed.

The attributes were mediocre—adding Majesty. While not bad, it didn't seem to have much practicality. He had obtained so many items that added Majesty, but he had never truly used them, and they weren't needed in daily life.

The name of the skill also sounded ordinary—Sealing Sabers and Hanging Swords. It didn't sound very impressive and was completely incomparable to the Rank Five seal of the nine heavens mysterious lady.

However, after studying it carefully, he realized he had underestimated this skill.

One shouldn't judge a person by their appearance.

The same went for this skill; its power couldn't be judged by its name.

This seemingly unremarkable skill was actually quite powerful.

To put it this way: within the skill's range of effect, no enemies could use weapons. Whether it was sabers, swords, or other types of weapons, they couldn't be used. If used by force, the weapons would lose their original lethality—knives becoming tofu, spears becoming noodles, and the like.

This wasn't just true for physical weapons; it applied to dharma instruments as well.

In other words, once this skill was activated, enemies within the range of effect could no longer use any weapons or dharma instruments.

It was similar to "Disarm" skills in certain games.

It was very overbearing.

It directly put the enemy at an absolute disadvantage.

While his own people remained unaffected.

If used at a critical moment in battle, even an expert like Tian Chunming would be dumbfounded.

However, this skill also had a flaw: it could only be used indoors. The setting had to be within a building; it wouldn't take effect in an open-air environment. After all, it was a Gate-Keeping Arhat; it needed a door to truly function.

Of course, such a flaw wasn't really a flaw. Placed in a shop or at home, it was simply a divine tool for guarding the house.

Well, he would set it up in a moment.

He carefully set the ivory standing statue of the Gate-Keeping Arhat aside.

Han Jingyang shifted his gaze to the Rank Three item.

This was a bronze tripod.

It was also a good item that was banned from trade.

Of course, such items could still be seen at auctions and in private transactions.

How could such things be so easily banned completely?

When Han Jingyang led Shi Xiaoya and Liu Jing to attack, this bronze tripod still had three sticks of unburnt incense inside it.

Upon seeing the details of this small tripod clearly, his heart was even more shaken.

This was a national treasure.

A national treasure-level cultural relic.

The style was clearly from the late Shang Dynasty, as was the craftsmanship—very typical. Anyone in the industry familiar with bronzeware from that era would understand at a glance.

Furthermore, there were inscriptions on this tripod.

Han Jingyang couldn't recognize them, but there were indeed inscriptions, quite clear, six in total.

A late Shang Dynasty bronze tripod with six inscriptions—how could its value be measured?

There was simply no way to measure it.

This was a truly priceless treasure.

Anyone who dared to buy or sell this thing would surely be executed; there would be no luck involved.

After seeing the era and inscriptions of this bronze tripod clearly, Han Jingyang's first thought was to hand it over to the state.

If it couldn't be appraised, he would definitely hand it over without hesitation. Such an item, regardless of its origin, could only be better protected in a top-tier museum, where its value as a national treasure could be better realized.

A national treasure is a national treasure; it must never be allowed to gather dust.

But now, such a thought could only be hidden in his heart.