Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1349 - 727: Questioning the Treasure (Part 2)

The "Soul Cleansing Technique" is a masterpiece of profound wisdom, spanning a mere three thousand words. Each character shines like a precious pearl, containing depths that are nearly impossible to fathom.

After listening just once, Zhao Sheng realized immediately that the creator was a figure of immense power—a true scholar of heaven and earth who possessed mastery over the Hundred Arts. Their proficiency in Artifact Refining clearly eclipsed his own.

As soon as Chun Jun Youth finished his recitation, Zhao Sheng couldn’t help but inquire, "Where did you acquire this ’Soul Cleansing Technique’? Who is its creator?"

Hearing the question, Chun Jun Youth instinctively rubbed his chin. He fell into a deep, frowning silence for a long time, but he simply could not recall the origin of the method.

"Forget it, I was merely curious. If the memory is gone, do not strain yourself trying to find it."

"I appreciate your understanding, sir. I truly cannot remember the author. It feels as though I overheard it by chance during the initial awakening of my spiritual wisdom."

"By chance? Haha..." Zhao Sheng gave a soft chuckle. He found it impossible to believe that such an exquisite technique was stumbled upon accidentally; it was far more likely that someone had deliberately bestowed it upon him.

To teach a specialized spell for refining and washing a True Spirit to the spirit of a Magical Treasure was a calculated move.

He mused that whoever performed such an act was truly mysterious, and their true goals remained hidden in shadows.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhao Sheng flicked his wrist, causing the Red God Banner to vanish instantly.

"Now, I have further questions. How does a Spiritual Treasure reach the True Form stage? What is the path for a True Form Spiritual Treasure to ascend to Primordial Yang? And finally, how does one attain the rank of Heavenly Spirit Treasure?"

Chun Jun Youth’s eyes darted about, showing his reluctance to divulge such secrets. However, a sharp, menacing look from Zhao Sheng caused him to tremble in terror immediately.

"Those are profound questions, sir. I am unsure of where I should begin. Perhaps starting with the basics of Magical Treasures would be best?"

"Cut the nonsense! Speak quickly; if I detect even a shred of lies, I will shatter your lid!" Zhao Sheng threatened, his gaze fierce.

He had identified Chun Jun Youth’s primary flaw; despite being an ancient recluse and a heavy drinker, the creature was cowardly to his core—a "loser" among Primordial Yang Spirit Treasures.

Unable to endure the intimidation, Chun Jun Youth hurriedly revealed his knowledge: "You likely know, sir, that Magical Treasures possess Treasure Restrictions. The maximum is nine, and when nine such Restrictions merge, they form a spirit prohibition. The ’spirit’ in ’spirit prohibition’ signifies spirituality. Treasures are prized for their spiritual nature; only when they develop a sliver of it can they become Spiritual Treasures..."

He continued, "Spiritual Treasures can protect their owners on their own, but this is merely an instinct, not true intellect. True Form Spiritual Treasures, however, have cultivated spiritual wisdom and can manifest a distinct True Form, much like myself.

How do they advance? The secret is not the quantity of spirit prohibitions, but rather ’harmonization.’ This refers to the spirit prohibitions within a Spiritual Treasure aligning to create a perfect, self-consistent Law Spiritual Light. Once this light takes shape and gains a spark of Innate Creation Power, it produces spirit light and wakes the first signs of consciousness.

A True Form Spiritual Treasure does not require nine spirit prohibitions. If it achieves ’harmonization,’ it can evolve into a True Form even with only two prohibitions. For instance, my own master has a total of only six spirit prohibitions."

As Chun Jun Youth explained further, his confidence grew, and the terror on his face began to fade.

"Take that Red God Banner as an example. It reached the peak of the True Form stage long ago. Unfortunately, its Primordial Yang Fire is just slightly lacking in heat, leaving it stranded between True Form and Primordial Yang for seven millennia.

The mystery of reaching the Primordial Yang Spiritual Treasure level lies in the name itself. What is Primordial Yang? In the language of the Human Clan, it is referred to as Kidney Yang, True Yang, or Child’s Essence. To me, however, Primordial Yang is a formless fire—the fire of growth, change, and emotion! It is the Innate Primordial Fire born from the depths of the True Spirit Consciousness, and it cannot be reached without a stroke of divine luck!

I myself was trapped in the True Form Realm for forty-seven thousand years. It was only after I saw the True Spirit of the Exquisite Tower—a Heavenly Spirit Treasure—destroyed by the Ninety-nine Thunder Tribulations that I changed. A spark of grief was born in my mind, acting as a catalyst to ignite the Primordial Yang I had stored for eons, allowing me to join the ranks of Primordial Yang Spiritual Treasures."

A shadow of sadness crossed Chun Jun Youth’s eyes as he spoke, as if he were reliving that ancient tragedy.

"An emotional catalyst?!" Zhao Sheng whispered, feeling a sudden moment of clarity.

He realized that while True Form Spiritual Treasures possessed high intelligence, it was a cold, logical intellect devoid of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires.

Without desire, there could be no genuine longing or the necessary spark of impulse.

Consequently, the actions of a True Form Spiritual Treasure were governed by pure logic, which prevented them from ever sparking their own Primordial Yang to cross that vital threshold.

"Wait, that’s not right! Why is the Red God Banner different?" Zhao Sheng asked, remembering the exception.

Chun Jun Youth paused, then answered casually, "The Red God Banner is a special case, sir. Its True Spirit is tainted; it holds a Returning to Void Divine Soul. Because that soul constantly influences it, the banner could never ignite its own emotional fire, and it likely never will.

Of course, sir, if you were to intervene and purge its consciousness entirely before starting its Cultivation from scratch, it might have a chance to progress."

Zhao Sheng offered no comment on the suggestion, instead asking, "How does one reach the level of a Heavenly Spirit Treasure?"

"A Heavenly Spirit Treasure! As the name implies, it links directly to the Heavenly Dao. We know the Heavenly Dao manifests as the laws of a world. Upon becoming a Primordial Yang Spiritual Treasure, a Magic Domain world is formed. To reach the Heavenly Spirit level, that Magic Domain must grow into a genuine world, survive the eight or nine thunder trials, and finally, the True Spirit must transform into something mirroring the Heavenly Dao. That is the birth of a Heavenly Spirit Treasure."

Zhao Sheng felt another flash of inspiration and asked immediately, "What defines the difference between Immortal Artifacts and Heavenly Spirit Treasures, and which one is superior?"

Chun Jun Youth answered without pausing, "In terms of raw power, Immortal Artifacts are supreme. But regarding future potential, Heavenly Spirit Treasures possess a deeper foundation than typical Immortal Artifacts. Standard Immortal Artifacts are forged by True Immortals and are limited to the Ninth-layered True Immortal rank; they can never reach the Constant Sun Heaven level.

The Constant Sun Dao Artifact is the final evolution of a Heavenly Spirit Treasure, a type of Postnatal Dao Artifact. Dao Artifacts are the final destination for all of us. As for the fabled Innate Dao Artifacts, they existed before the Dao itself and transcend All Universes. They are untouched by Cause and Effect; even a Taoist Ancestor cannot find them."

"I have heard that the fifth heaven of the Void Realm is called Constant Sun Heaven. Is that heaven..."

"You are correct; the fifth heaven is named for this very reason," Chun Jun Youth confirmed with a proud nod.

Zhao Sheng pondered this briefly before flipping his hand to reveal an ancient, three-legged, six-eared tripod—the Immortal Awakening Tripod.

"Chun Jun, does this tripod have the potential to reach the Primordial Yang Spiritual Treasure stage?"

Curiosity lit up Chun Jun Youth’s eyes. He reached out with both hands and said gravely, "Sir, may I inspect the tripod closely?"

"Here." Zhao Sheng handed over the Immortal Awakening Tripod without delay.

Chun Jun Youth grasped the Treasure Tripod. His pale hands suddenly turned into twin pillars of white light that dove into the vessel.

The Immortal Awakening Tripod floated into the air, glowing with a soft azure light that merged with the white radiance.

The white light swirled, following the azure glow into the tripod’s outer surface, slowly making ancient runes visible.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Immortal Awakening Tripod began to rotate, ringing with a clear sound. The azure light condensed into clusters of lotus flames with twelve petals, encircling the Treasure Tripod.

A closer look showed that the petals were covered in a dense layer of ancient symbols.

Half an hour passed in an instant.

By now, Chun Jun Youth’s spirit body had become translucent, showing he had drained a massive amount of energy.

Zhao Sheng watched the process with a calculating look.

"Phew, it is finally finished! I am completely drained," Chun Jun Youth sighed as the thirty minutes concluded.

His spirit form was now faint and flickering, clearly taxed by the effort.

Zhao Sheng remained focused, his eyes filled with thought.

"Phew, it’s done! I’m exhausted," Chun Jun Youth suddenly blew out a spark of light flame, pulled back his hands, and hugged the Treasure Tripod to his chest while grumbling about his fatigue.