Chapter 88: The Divine Arrow

This was a piece of corroded metal inscribed with tadpole-shaped characters, identical in every respect to the page of the "Iron Arcane Golden Codex" Liu Junhuai had obtained earlier. It bore a row of round holes for binding with golden thread, and the page was engraved with the very same Ninefold Transformation Heart Technique. What surprises would this new page bring him?

Seeing the old steward’s puzzled gaze, Liu Junhuai handed the metal sheet to him. “I acquired my Ninefold Transformation Heart Technique from a similar metal page. It’s one of the pages from the Iron Arcane Golden Codex, and the script is in ancient stone drum characters. Steward, could you translate it for me in a bit?”

The old steward nodded. “Then this is extremely precious. I’ll return to the library to translate it at once. You and Mistress can find me there shortly.”

After the old steward left, Liu Junhuai noticed Mo Sitong was deeply engrossed in examining several crystal spheres, turning them over with keen interest.

Liu Junhuai was familiar with these crystal spheres; on the Star Sky Continent, they were usually used to record trivial events. These particular spheres were designed to capture a person’s image, preserving both visuals and sound so vividly it was as if the person were speaking right beside you. However, important secrets were never entrusted to such simple crystal spheres.

Although widely used in the Immortal Realm and quite affordable—any immortal could easily acquire and use one—they were rare treasures in the world of cultivation, often passed down within sects as prized relics.

Liu Junhuai explained their use to Mo Sitong, who was delighted and quickly stowed them away.

Beside the crystal spheres sat an ice-blue bottle containing six rather unremarkable pills, lacking any dazzling colors but emitting a strong fragrance that filled Liu Junhuai’s nostrils. He recognized them as Meridians Unblocking Pills, which could provide a tremendous boost at the critical moment of breaking through a bottleneck—a divine-grade elixir with powers beyond description.

There was also a brilliantly colored stone. Liu Junhuai thought it resembled a Suppression Stone, yet sensed something different. While Suppression Stones exuded an aura of subduing heaven and earth, this stone, though similar in appearance and color, felt distinctly different.

He let a drop of his essence blood fall onto the five-colored stone. Instantly, it flashed with light, swiftly absorbing the blood.

A feeling of intimacy surged within him. Seated cross-legged, Liu Junhuai wrapped the stone in his spiritual consciousness and began to slowly refine it.

Half an incense stick’s time passed. When the final trace was refined, an overwhelming aura erupted, engulfing the entire treasure vault.

Mo Sitong immediately felt a powerful pressure descend from above, as though her very soul was startled and about to flee. She cried out in alarm, and Liu Junhuai hurriedly withdrew the terrifying aura.

Sweat beaded on Mo Sitong’s brow and her heart pounded wildly. The lingering dread from that oppressive force left her speechless.

Liu Junhuai quickly drew her into his arms, soothing her with gentle words until she gradually recovered from her fright.

“Junhuai, what exactly is that stone? How could it emit such an astonishing aura?” Mo Sitong asked weakly.

“It should be a Suppression Stone,” Liu Junhuai replied. “A type of forceful artifact that can bind one’s consciousness and vital energy, squeezing the soul and spiritual awareness within.”

“So, it’s another treasure? Junhuai, your wealth grows ever more impressive—you’re becoming quite the tycoon!” Mo Sitong laughed with delight.

“Then you should find some treasures you like too. Before long, you’ll be a great tycoon yourself.” Liu Junhuai hugged her tightly, still feeling a twinge of guilt.

After some banter, the two entered the armory. The armory was significantly larger than the treasure vault, spanning dozens of meters in every direction, and filled with rows upon rows of neatly arranged racks, each with five tiers.

Each tier held one or two weapons.

As soon as they stepped in, Mo Sitong let out a cheer and dashed toward a rack. On the bottom shelf stood a rectangular, transparent jade box containing a small bronze cauldron. She had long been troubled by the lack of a satisfactory alchemy furnace, her eyes lighting up whenever she saw cauldron-shaped objects while shopping with Shen Duoduo and the others—yet she’d never found one to her liking.

Curious, Mo Sitong opened the jade box. A golden radiance spilled out, and there, surrounded by specks of blue starlight, rested a fist-sized golden cauldron—beautiful and mysterious.

Remarkably, the cauldron did not touch the bottom of the box but floated in midair.

It had three legs and two handles, its body cast in bronze and adorned with crystalline blue engravings of peculiar design.

On its body was inscribed “Virtue Sustains All,” and within the cauldron’s belly lingered an aura of ancient mystery. Liu Junhuai, standing by, urged Mo Sitong to refine it, and realizing she had found a truly exceptional cauldron, she sat cross-legged and began the process.

After a long while, she finally succeeded. A drop of essence blood entered, and the golden cauldron blazed with light, slowly rising from the box to hover before her, bathing the armory in golden glow.

Then, the cauldron transformed into a golden celestial river, leaving Mo Sitong dumbfounded. Suddenly, the golden river flowed into her forehead and vanished into her mind. She felt no pain or discomfort—only the cauldron’s complete history and abilities flooded her consciousness.

Its name was the Virtue-Bearing Cauldron, first and foremost a defensive artifact. When summoned, it could become a protective golden cauldron as thick as a man’s arm, capable of self-repair and upgrade.

It could also serve as an alchemical furnace. Most precious of all, while within the body, it would perpetually revolve, and for every seventy-two hours of rotation, it would produce a drop of Golden Infant Elixir. Adding two drops during alchemy would increase success rates by twenty percent—an unexpected boon, saving rare herbs and spirit plants over time.

Mo Sitong relayed this information to Liu Junhuai, who was equally overjoyed.

With their first treasure in hand, both of them eagerly scoured the racks for more.

The first weapon Liu Junhuai set his sights on was a set of three Pureflame Arrows. Unfortunately, there was no accompanying bow, but even so, he was more than satisfied.

These Pureflame Arrows were legendary divine arrows passed down from ancient times. The bow, known as the Celestial Bone Bow, was crafted from the spine of a true-blooded Celestial Winged Dragon, with its string made from the dragon’s own sinew. There was only one such bow in existence. Though it was classified merely as an immortal-grade weapon, when paired with all nine divine arrows, it could easily be considered a dao-grade artifact. The hierarchy of such weapons matched that of spiritual tools, ranging from Dao, Immortal, Heaven, to Earth.

There were three sets of these divine arrows, each set containing three arrows. The Pureflame Arrows were one of the three sets; the others were the Imperial Wood Spirit Arrows and the Void-Piercing Steel Arrows.

When used with the Celestial Bone Bow, the arrows could lock onto their target, tear through the void, and, with the force of a storm, strike with overwhelming and majestic killing intent. The speed was instantaneous.

The Pureflame Arrows excelled in speed, igniting the very air as they flew—a testament to their swiftness.

The Imperial Wood Spirit Arrows, forged from sacred wood, could autonomously seek out or avoid targets within range.

The Void-Piercing Steel Arrows were the bane of all protective auras in existence.

Any of these three types of divine arrows possessed such lethal power and bloodthirsty intent that even fired from an ordinary bow their might would be formidable, far beyond what ordinary cultivators could withstand.

Refining the Pureflame Arrows was a strenuous endeavor; Liu Junhuai only managed to refine ten percent of the first arrow before storing it in his ring for later. He decided to continue searching the armory for now.

The armory was only partially unlocked. On the last accessible rack, he found another weapon to his liking.

It was a giant longsword called the Ghost-Eye Blood Blade. After a brief refinement, the blade vibrated ceaselessly in his hand like a living serpent, its edge suffused with a dark red gleam and a subtle aura of blood—truly fearsome. When Liu Junhuai let a drop of essence blood fall upon it, a strange eye embedded in the hilt half-opened, and in battle, infusing it with vital energy would cause the ghostly eye to unleash a spectral light.

Most importantly, the eye’s vibrations could guide the wielder to optimal attack and defense.

The Ghost-Eye Blood Blade was steeped in a legend so awe-inspiring it moved both gods and ghosts.