Chapter 161: Lecture

The two young men carefully observed a dudou for quite some time, and finally came to a unanimous conclusion.

It was indeed a dudou[1].

"Hurry up and draw the next one," Chu Liang said, pocketing the dudou and not wanting to bring it up again.

He held onto it because a faint hope lingered within him. Perhaps, since Southern-Route Guider valued this item, it might actually serve a purpose?

Having said that, he took out another item himself.

The item had considerable weight to it. As it landed on the table with a clang, it revealed itself to be a copper furnace roughly the size of a human head. Its protruding and gilded body was adorned with numerous grotesque carvings.

Wen Yulong lifted the lid, inspected it, and said, "This is a Soul-Refining Furnace."

"For souls you want to control, you can put them in this furnace and continuously refine and torment them until you completely control them."

"This is also an extremely evil enchanted tool."

Chu Liang set the Soul-Refining Furnace aside, knowing it was something he definitely wouldn't need.

Next, it was Wen Yulong's turn. He reached in and retrieved half of a black candle. In its center was a golden thread, giving it a peculiar appearance.

"What's this?" After a moment of contemplation, he finally concluded, "This must be the Mind-Reflecting Candle."

"Mind-Reflecting Candle?" Chu Liang asked.

"It's an ancient artifact used by the Dark King Sect to judge criminals," Wen Yulong explained. "The raw materials for this item are very rare nowadays. When the Mind-Reflecting Candle is lit, if someone beneath it tells a lie, their shadow will quiver."

"That's rather useful." Chu Liang carefully put the item away as he said, "Unfortunately, there is only half of it left."

Then he went to retrieve another item, finding a stack of talismanic papers, approximately four sheets.

"These are Undead-Summoning Talismans!" Wen Yulong exclaimed in shock. He took a closer look at the papers and said, "They are ancient artifacts as well. This item has been lost for several hundred years."

"I have only heard of Undead-Sealing Talisman," Chu Liang said.

"The Undead-Sealing Talismans are used to suppress the undead. The Undead-Summoning Talisman has a completely different effect. These talismanic papers can resurrect corpses, turning them into undead that obey your commands for a certain period." Wen Yulong explained.

"I see."

Chu Liang stored the stack of talismanic papers away. There weren't many items left in the storage space.

Wen Yulong reached into the statue once more and drew another item.

He extracted a jade slip.

"It's a legacy technique of the Dark King Sect." This time, Wen Yulong wasn't too interested. "The Hall of Conservation should already have possession of this."

When Chu Liang heard this, he lost interest as well. They were already cultivating the techniques of the Mount Shu Sect so it was simply impossible for them to study the Heavenly Star Unusual Art. Since he wouldn't be able to exchange any reward for this, this item was useless.

With only one item left in the storage, Chu Liang rubbed his hands together, hoping to draw something exceedingly valuable.

Unfortunately, the koi is not here today. If not, we might have had better rewards...

The thought filled Chu Liang with a tinge of regret.

Then, he stretched his hand into the storage space.

This time, he pulled out a semi-circular iron token engraved with mysterious patterns.

"What is this now?" Chu Liang was confused.

Wen Yulong examined it for a while but couldn't identify it. "It seems like half of something. Its purpose should only be revealed when the two halves are put together."

Half...

Chu Liang remembered he still had a quarter of a treasure map in his hand, and he wasn't sure when he would be able to complete it. Once he started collecting various items, it was easy for him to accumulate miscellaneous objects.

"So, these are the things at the bottom of the box..."

After scanning with his divine sense and finding the storage space empty, Chu Liang sighed and withdrew his hand, feeling a bit disappointed. "Well, there isn't even a decent enchanted tool."

Despite his complaints, Chu Liang knew he couldn't blame the Southern-Route Guider. The Evil Ksitigarbha, Netherworld Spirit Sword, and Soul-Refining Furnace were, at least, extremely powerful enchanted tools, but he simply couldn't utilize them.

He carefully picked out the Mind-Reflecting Candle, five Shadowburst Thunder Bombs, four Undead-Summoning Talismans, an engraved semicircular metal plate, the Mi Luo Green Leaves, and a dudou with a black lotus design.

As for the Evil Ksitigarbha, the Netherworld Spirit Sword, the Soul Subjugator Token, the Soul-Refining Furnace, and the inherited technique of the Dark King Sect, he opted to leave them behind.

"These items are valuable, but they aren't of much use to us at the Mount Shu Sect. We can only refine the resentful souls inside the Netherworld Spirit Sword," said Wen Yu Long. "Why not keep the Mi Luo Green Leaves and sell them? Combined with the rewards you've received, I am guessing that the final amount should be close to five thousand sword coins."

Five thousand...

This was definitely a huge amount.

The last time Chu Liang extorted that particular peak master with his teacher, they obtained about this much.

However, Chu Liang currently bore the pressure of gathering materials for his Core Formation, and he needed to prepare at least two sets. Just the basic materials for the formation of the high-grade Golden Pill would require around four thousand sword coins. If he failed one out of the two attempts, then he wouldn't have enough.

Ordinary disciples at the Spiritual Awareness Realm would usually remain at this stage for a few years. During this time, they would constantly save money and eventually accumulate enough funds to gather all the materials for the formation of the Golden Core.

However, Chu Liang's time spent being at the Spiritual Awareness Realm was too short, and he didn't have enough time to save money. Luckily, a good amount of money was coming his way.

In the end, he packed up several items and paid Wen Yu Long the pay he deserved.

Then, Chu Liang smiled as he stood up.

"I appreciate your help this time," he thanked, "I'll take my leave now."

"I'll accompany you out," Wen Yu Long stood up as well.

"Huh, aren't you halfway through your shift?" Chu Liang asked.

"It's fine if I skip work for half a day. Anyway, aside from you, no one else asks me to make enchanted tools," Wen Yulong said with a smile. "There's something I must attend to today."

"What is it?" Chu Liang asked.

"Jiang Yuebai's lecture." Wen Yulong looked at Chu Liang with a puzzled expression. "How can a disciple of Mount Shu miss out on this?

...

The lecture was arranged beneath the ancient tree at the Azure Falling Peak. Jiang Yuebai would stand on the sturdy branches, overlooking the expansive open space halfway up the mountain below. Disciples from various peaks brought their own cushions and settled on the ground to listen attentively.

When Chu Liang and Wen Yulong hurried over together, there was still at least an hour before the lecture began. Yet there were already dozens of rows formed, almost reaching the top of the mountain.

It was hard to imagine what time the first row of brothers arrived here...

With a sweep of his eyes, Chu Liang spotted a familiar figure sitting in the front row. It was Lin Bei. Just as he was thinking about approaching to see if he could join him in the front row, Lin Bei also noticed him.

Then, Lin Bei made a teasing expression and gently pointed to a figure in the front.

Chu Liang instantly understood his meaning.

The tall figure in front, with a well-defined back of the head, should be Senior Brother Xu Ziyang from the Jade Sword Peak. Since all the members of the Jade Sword Peak were sitting together, it wouldn't be convenient for him to squeeze through.

That would be like walking into the lion's den.

As if sensing the gaze, Xu Ziyang suddenly turned his head. Lin Bei immediately withdrew his pointing hand, pretending to be an innocent guy.

Xu Ziyang and Chu Liang locked eyes. His gaze was sharp as a sword, piercing and intense.

However, Chu Liang remained unfazed, calmly meeting Xu Ziyang's gaze without backing down. After a tense moment, both sides withdrew their gazes without exchanging a single word.

Despite feeling helpless, Chu Liang had no choice but to sit at the back with Wen Yulong.

Gradually, more and more people arrived, and Chu Liang couldn't help but be astonished by the sheer number of individuals present on Mount Shu.

In addition to some disciples being in the first four realms of cultivation, there were also numerous disciples of the Mount Shu Sect who had reached the fifth or sixth realm of cultivation.

These individuals, senior brothers, and sisters who were no longer actively participating in the affairs of the Mount Shu Sect, spent more time traveling outside than staying within the sect. Surprisingly, they had all gathered here, indicating that many were very curious about this event.

The higher-ups, such as the peak masters, needed to uphold their status and naturally refrained from attending. However, it was probable that some of them were secretly observing from a distance.

As the time approached, the crowd surged and nearly everyone had arrived.

"Here she comes!"

With a resounding shout, a large white flower suddenly burst forth from the ancient tree ahead. A figure emerged, stepping gracefully onto the flower and ascending. With each step, a new flower bloomed, capturing her ethereal figure in a mesmerizing display.

The conversations below ceased, and everyone watched in silence. Although Jiang Yuebai was well-known on Mount Shu and often drew attention when appearing in public, this was the first time she had made such a formal entrance in front of so many people.

Yet, she showed no signs of unease, remaining cool and composed as she gracefully descended onto a tree branch, then turned around with effortless poise.

Her eyes resembled the crescent moon. Her robes billowed with the wind, and flowers embraced her, making her seem like a celestial being descending to the mortal realm.

1. Previously belly-band. Changed to dudou as this would be the more accurate translation. This is an undergarment used by women in China back in the days ☜