Chapter Forty-Four: Very Well, I Have Underestimated the Master

Seeing this, Liu Junhuai was struck by the broad-mindedness of this quasi-immortal in the Great Ascension stage. He wondered whether, in the same situation, he could achieve such selfless devotion.

It was said that the world of cultivation was a place where the strong preyed upon the weak; was the existence of such a cultivator not a miracle?

Moved by Miao Taifeng’s actions, Liu Junhuai found himself standing in place for over an hour, lost to time.

With his blood oath, a rumbling sound echoed faintly from the roof of the manor.

After the rumbling ceased, a beam of white light suddenly shot out from the jade slip, piercing into Liu Junhuai’s consciousness. Before he could even react in shock, a voice filled with ancient weariness resonated within his mind.

“Friend, your blood oath to the heavens proves you are a person of utmost sincerity and faith; to enter this manor also means you share a great fate with me. Do not be alarmed, this is but a wisp of my spiritual thought, lasting no more than half an incense stick. Since you and I are connected by this thread of destiny, I will pass on to you a technique for transformation—an incidental find of mine. It is not the highest of arts, yet it has saved me from peril many times. I now transcribe it for you; should fate bring us together again, let this be our token. Remember to keep your heart clear and pure, and may you walk a path free of guilt and blessed with fortune.”

As the voice faded, the wisp of spiritual thought vanished, and a secret manual appeared within Liu Junhuai’s mind.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he shivered involuntarily. Miao Taifeng’s final words were identical to those of the divine being who had once bestowed upon him the Celestial Eye. For a moment, Liu Junhuai even wondered if Miao Taifeng was that same being in disguise.

No matter how much he racked his brain, he could not fathom the connection between the two and eventually gave up pondering it.

There was still a third secret chamber left to enter. Liu Junhuai put aside his doubts and turned toward the chamber.

This was the smallest chamber of them all. On the floor, jade boxes of various sizes were neatly arranged.

He reached for one, opened it, and exclaimed in surprise—ninth-tier demon core!

A ninth-tier demon beast’s strength was comparable to a cultivator at the early stage of Great Accomplishment. Miao Taifeng’s cultivation was indeed astonishingly high.

With his divine sense, Liu Junhuai scanned the other boxes—each was filled with demon cores, ranging from fifth to ninth tier, numbering in the tens of thousands.

He was stunned; if these cores were refined into pills, they could help hundreds reach the Divided Spirit stage, or even higher.

Gathering up the jade boxes, Liu Junhuai returned to the middle chamber.

Opening the jade bottles in the stone cabinet on the right, he found them filled with pills, ranging from fifth-tier to ninth-tier. Thanks to their concealment deep within the earth and the tight sealing of the bottles, the pills were fresh as new.

Without bothering to count, Liu Junhuai stored the pills and moved to the left stone cabinet. He picked up a jade slip and, upon examining it, saw that it was inscribed with various cultivation techniques.

His divine sense revealed that the techniques ranged from top-grade Profound level to mid-grade Heavenly level; none higher, but there were several hundred in total.

With such immense gains, Liu Junhuai was nearly numb from excitement, as if any treasure appearing before him was now only to be expected.

Once he had collected everything, he began to imagine the look of astonishment on the old steward’s face and couldn’t help but smile to himself.

He picked up the jade box from the desk and retraced his steps to the underground river. With a forceful squeeze, he shattered the jade token inside the box, and the mountain wall trembled.

A surge of spiritual power spread from the cave mouth along the mountain wall, the rumbling sound of the formation sending ripples through the air.

When the rumbling ceased, the mountain wall was restored as if nothing had happened.

Liu Junhuai returned to the spot where he had been drawn in by the whirlpool. The suction appeared again, and in a flash, he was transported to the opposite bank of the gray river.

Back in the Myriad Phenomena Tower, the old steward was waiting at the door with a smiling face. Seeing Liu Junhuai’s expressionless visage, he suppressed his amusement and said, “Tower Master, it seems your journey through the underground river was not very smooth, but that’s alright. You’ve only just stepped onto the path of cultivation; many more opportunities await you ahead. I have faith in you.”

He shook his head, sighed, and turned away with his hands behind his back.

Liu Junhuai spoke in a deep voice, “Steward, clear out a storage room on the first floor for me. I need to place some things.” He thought to himself, Surely you’ll turn around for this.

Indeed, the old steward turned, his face aglow with laughter. “Tower Master, there’s no need for pretense. My heart is connected with yours; I know exactly what you experienced below!”

Liu Junhuai’s mood soured, and he replied awkwardly, “Is that so? I was hoping to surprise you.”

With a wave of his hand, he piled all sorts of materials before the old steward.

The steward’s eyes sparkled with delight, nodding repeatedly. “Excellent! These materials will last you several hundred years. Good, you have secret silver, and black adamantine as well—rare to have such a complete collection.”

“Is this complete? Take a look at these.” Liu Junhuai said with pride, waving his hand to produce five more jade boxes on the floor.

The old steward exclaimed, bent down, and opened one: “Good heavens! Celestial silkworm silk! In the old days, an ounce could be exchanged for a third-tier immortal pill. You have several hundred ounces here—Heaven’s blessing, Tower Master, your luck is extraordinary!”

Liu Junhuai smiled and opened the second box, and a blue-green glow spilled forth.

The steward’s eyes shone, muttering to himself, “Millennial warm jade—ten grams can forge a golden core. How much is here? Over a thousand grams, surely?” He glanced at Liu Junhuai, “Tower Master, such fortune! This warm jade melts upon entering the body, can be used in alchemy to refine immortal pills—a treasure beyond compare!”

Without waiting for Liu Junhuai’s reply, he opened the third box, and a chill fiercer than polar crystal surged forth.

A trace of moisture glimmered at the corners of the steward’s eyes as he gently stroked the full box of Xuanhai Icy Soul, murmuring indistinctly, his movements slowed.

Liu Junhuai stepped forward and opened the last two boxes. The steward drew back his hands, carefully closing the third box, his gaze fixed on the opened ones as he slowly approached and crouched beside them.

“Are you alright, Steward? If you’re not feeling well, take a rest,” Liu Junhuai teased.

Without turning, the steward replied, “This Celestial Star Stone is what people call Sky Meteorite. Materials for forging Heavenly-grade weapons are common enough, but their tier is exceedingly high. This Star Stone is the hardest substance between heaven and earth; I’ve never heard of anyone being able to refine it.”

He stood and said to Liu Junhuai, “Very well, I admit I underestimated your achievements, Tower Master. Bring out all the good things!”

Liu Junhuai patted his shoulder, “Don’t say I don’t care for the elderly; rest if you’re tired.” With a wave, he neatly arranged jade boxes and piles of jade bottles on the floor.

The old steward crouched, tirelessly opening and closing each box, then sorting them by type. His trembling hands gradually steadied, and sometimes he would linger over a particular item, lost in thought.

Liu Junhuai left him undisturbed, sitting cross-legged and entering meditation. His consciousness entered the sea of awareness, carefully reciting the transformation technique and slowly attempting to circulate it.

The steward continued to examine the spoils—tens of thousands of demon cores, over two thousand pills. He needed to meticulously identify and calculate each, so they could be put to use in Liu Junhuai’s future cultivation stages.

After a long while, Liu Junhuai saw the steward rise and finished his practice, standing up.

The steward said, “Tower Master, you needn’t worry about these things. Half your time in the manor has already passed; go seek the entrance to the seventh floor. I must digest what you’ve brought back and will report to you in detail when you return.”

Liu Junhuai nodded and went back into the manor.

Returning to the riverbank, he found the spatial restrictions still present, but his divine sense could now probe forty yards ahead.

He located the direction of the seventh floor entrance and set forth amidst swirling snowflakes. The howling wind seemed to welcome his return.

The journey brought no danger. Liu Junhuai’s divine sense detected the faint outline of the seventh floor’s entrance amidst the mist.

No sign of others appeared at the entrance. Liu Junhuai stepped onto the first stair.

The resistance grew greater; with each step, the protective true essence was nearly shattered.

He drew out the Five Elements Chaos Blade and struck the air before him, feeling the resistance break open. He quickly stepped down to the next stair.

Following the blade’s movements, Liu Junhuai managed to reach the final step, his true essence almost exhausted. He took out a spirit stone, holding it to slowly replenish his strength.

Exiting the entrance, he found a small lake before him. Mist curled above the mirror-smooth surface, reflecting the trees at the shore, their shadows rippling with the breeze, sparkling silver under the sunlight, inviting boundless imagination.

The natural beauty of the scene only mesmerized Liu Junhuai for a moment before he composed himself and continued forward.

With the treasures of the manor already claimed, Liu Junhuai had lost interest in exploration; if not for the tasks yet to be completed, he would have considered returning.

From this floor onwards, the beast-hide map offered no guidance, and deciding which way to go became a real problem.

Liu Junhuai estimated that, judging from the restriction on the stairway, no other cultivator would be able to enter the seventh floor. Yet nothing was absolute, and his vigilance remained.