Chapter 66: Unlocking the Primordial Treasure, Myriad Manifestations Gauntlets
In the stone chamber of the Lingyun Cave Dwelling, the gurgling of the spiritual spring intertwined with the faint light of the Zhou Tian Star Array, tinting the Spiritual Qi in the air into a pale silver mist.
Lin Yue sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his Divine Sense fully immersed in the Hongmeng Space deep within his Sea of Consciousness. His gaze was fixed on the Golden Core Grade treasures suspended in the center of the grey barrier—Wu Tianli's Storage Pouch, his protective jade pendant, and the broken fragments of the xuantian sword—all being slowly decomposed by the spatial mist.
[System Notification: Stripping the Divine Origin Mark from Golden Core Grade items... Current progress 12%, estimated remaining decomposition time: 66 hours.] [Detected a surge in spatial Spiritual Qi concentration due to the decomposition of Golden Core Grade items. Current Spiritual Qi concentration is 5 points. New function unlocked: [Spirit Plant Mutation]!]
[Function Description: Spatial Spiritual Qi can be consumed to perform [Mutation Catalysis] on spirit plants being cultivated. There is a probability of generating mutated spirit plants with special attributes (such as [ice flame ice heart grass], [thunder-patterned purple core ginseng], etc.). The medicinal efficacy of mutated spirit plants is increased by 50%-200%. Some mutated varieties can accelerate their own growth and the growth of surrounding spirit plants.]
The cold, mechanical voice echoed in his Sea of Consciousness. Lin Yue snapped his eyes open, his gaze filled with wild joy.
The Spiritual Qi concentration had jumped from 3 points to 5 points, and the Spirit Plant Mutation function was an unexpected surprise—mutated spirit plants in the cultivation world were always in high demand but short supply. A single ice heart grass with the ice flame attribute was enough to fetch ten times the price of a normal ice heart grass. If they could be cultivated in batches, the value of the East Mountain Medicine Garden would be immeasurable!
With a thought, he immediately took out a freshly ripened ice heart grass seedling from the Hongmeng Space.
This seedling was entirely ivory-white, with thin frost condensing on its leaves. It had been cultivated from a dead seedling he had rescued earlier at the Nursery Department. Although it was of excellent quality, it lacked any special attributes. Lin Yue sent the seedling back into the space and commanded in his heart, "Consume spatial Spiritual Qi to perform Mutation Catalysis on the ice heart grass!"
[System Notification: Consuming 100 points of spatial Spiritual Qi, Mutation Catalysis initiated...]
Inside the grey space, the dense Spiritual Qi instantly surged toward the ice heart grass. The pale white leaves began to glow, and a faint red fire pattern gradually mixed into the thin frost, moving like a living fire serpent, forming a strange balance with the cold air. Half an hour later, the System notification rang out again: [Mutation Catalysis successful! Obtained [ice flame ice heart grass] seedling ×1. Medicinal efficacy increased by 150%. It can release low-temperature flames that burn without damaging the roots of the spirit plant and accelerates the growth of surrounding spirit plants by 10%.]
Lin Yue probed the space with his Divine Sense. Looking at the ice heart grass that was half frost and half flame, he couldn't help but whisper, "Excellent!" This mutated seedling was a perfect aid for the Medicine Garden's cultivation. Just as he was about to catalyze the purple pill ginseng, a soft sound came from the entrance of the stone chamber. Ling Wei walked in carrying a carved wooden box, a joyful smile on her face. "Senior Brother, I came to check on the flow of the Star Array and brought you something while I was at it."
She placed the wooden box on the stone table. With a flick of spiritual energy from her fingertip, the lid popped open automatically—inside lay a pair of dark gold gauntlets. The surface of the gauntlets was carved with intricate "Wanxiang Patterns," and a faint grey mist lingered between the lines. Despite being made of metal, they possessed a certain liveliness, as if they contained ten thousand different phenomena.
"These are the [wanxiang gauntlets], an old item from my Ling Family's warehouse." Ling Wei picked up one gauntlet. As soon as her fingertip touched the surface, the Wanxiang Patterns lit up with a faint glow. "Normally, these gauntlets exceed the grade of ordinary Magic Treasures and require a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage or above to barely drive them. However, the elders of my Family said that your Physique is special, so perhaps you can use them."
Lin Yue leaned in for a closer look. The inside of the gauntlets was lined with a layer of soft beast skin, and a dark purple crystal was embedded in the palm. He could faintly feel the vast power contained within—it was the Origin of "Wanxiang Force." One could feel its dominance just by touching it, as if a single punch could shatter a mountain.
"I'll give it a try." Lin Yue reached out and picked up a gauntlet. As soon as he slipped it onto his wrist, the gauntlet suddenly erupted with dark gold spiritual light. The Wanxiang Patterns spread along his arm, resonating violently with the Wanjun Overlord Body inside him!
He felt a surge of majestic power flow through the gauntlet and into his Meridians. The Spiritual Qi in his Dantian instantly boiled. His already condensed Ninth Level of Qi Refining Spiritual Qi was actually pushed by this power to become even denser. The muscle fibers throughout his body made a faint "crackling" sound, as if every inch of his flesh was being strengthened.
[System Notification: Detected the host wearing [wanxiang gauntlets]. The Wanjun Overlord Body is resonating with the gauntlets' Wanxiang Force. The Physical Body's instantaneous explosive power has increased by 800%, capable of delivering a fatal blow to a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Stage expert.]
Lin Yue clenched his fist, feeling the power within him surging like a tide, several times more overbearing than when he had previously activated the Ten Thousand Jun Force.
He walked over to a brand-new Strength-Testing Copper Pillar in the corner of the stone chamber, took a deep breath, and threw a right hook with the Wanxiang Fist Pressure—
"Boom!"
The moment his fist force struck the copper pillar, the pillar, which usually only lit up with blue light, actually erupted with a dazzling purple light!
The purple glow remained condensed and did not dissipate, forming a layer of lustrous light film on the surface of the pillar. Even the dirt in the pillar's engravings was shaken off by the pressure of the punch. The entire copper pillar trembled slightly, emitting a hum from the heavy impact.
"This..." Ling Wei's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. "This is a strength-testing stone pillar used by Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators. Even an ordinary Early Stage Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator wearing these gauntlets could only strike a Peak green light. You actually managed to strike a purple light!"
Lin Yue withdrew his fist and looked at the Wanxiang Patterns still flowing on the gauntlet, feeling shocked. These gauntlets didn't just amplify strength; they could also channel Spiritual Qi to form a suppression. In battle, the pressure from the punch alone could render an Early Stage Foundation Establishment opponent immobile.
He was about to thank her when Ling Wei suddenly took a step forward, her eyes filled with solemnity. "Senior Brother, there's one more serious matter—I've come this time to formally invite you to participate in the Qingyuan Attainment."
"Invite me?" Lin Yue wasn't surprised, but he was still calculating whether or not to agree. After all, he wanted to take his three lovely wives with him to brave the Qingyuan Attainment together.
Ling Wei nodded, her ink-jade piece spinning around her fingertip. "This is the intention of the elders of my Ling Family. Although the Opportunity of the Qingyuan Attainment is great, it's also fraught with danger. My Family wants me to find a reliable companion, and you—" She looked at Lin Yue with unconcealed approval. "You can hold your own against a Golden Core as a Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator, and you can also cultivate mutated spirit plants and control Ancient Divine Armor. You are the perfect candidate. As long as you team up with me, the Ling Family can provide you with sufficient resource support. Whether it's Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, or information on Secret Realms, you'll have priority."
Lin Yue's heart jolted. Ling Wei had just joined the Qingyun Sect and was already able to study under Liu Qingyan; her status and background were definitely not simple.
However, he had never heard of a Family named Ling with such terrifying strength. Unless Ling Wei was hiding her true name and identity... but what exactly was her background?
Nevertheless, such a powerful Family proactively extending an olive branch was undoubtedly a massive Opportunity.
"Furthermore, the Qingyun Sect has a rule that Disciples can bring their partners to participate in the Qingyuan Attainment." Ling Wei's tone suddenly shifted, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes. "If Senior Brother feels that teaming up with an outsider isn't stable enough, we... could also take a step further..." At this point, her voice trailed off.
However, her meaning was clear. She was willing to become Lin Yue's Dao Companion and then, together with Lin Yue, take Luo Ningshuang, Su Qingyuan, and A He to brave the Qingyuan Attainment.
According to the rules of the Qingyun Sect, each team could have a maximum of five people.
Seeing the anticipation in Ling Wei's eyes, Lin Yue understood—Ling Wei's initiative carried both a Family mission and her recognition of his strength. If he could take this chance to bind her to him, he would not only gain a powerful helper for the Qingyuan Attainment but also be able to use the Ling Family's influence to counter Wu Tianli. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
However, his only concern was whether Ling Wei and her Family could accept his other Dao Companions.
"As for the Family side, I'll speak to them myself." Ling Wei's head hung low, her face slightly flushed. "I think the Family will agree." Having said that, she quickly hurried away.