Chapter 139: Spirit‑Awakening Fruit (1)

There were still two Spirit Realm days before returning to the Lower Realm; this trip to the Spirit Realm brought in a lot, not to mention resources—sixteen spirit crystals.

With this many spirit crystals, I don't know if a Nascent Soul True Lord in the Lower Realm could scrape them together.

One low-grade spirit stone contains thirty threads of spirit power, a middle-grade spirit stone three thousand threads, and an upper-grade spirit stone three hundred thousand threads!

Ultimate-grade spirit stones, i. e., spirit crystals, are entirely the product of compressed heaven-and-earth spirit qi, containing at least thirty million threads of spirit power.

A single ultimate-grade spirit stone is enough for Wang Ping to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage.

In fact, outstanding disciples of the great families in the Spirit Realm basically use spirit crystals to cultivate after they enter Foundation Establishment.

Such a condensed heaven-and-earth spirit qi substance can not only be used for cultivation, but also nourish the soul, purify spirit power, and strengthen the physique.

However, these effects only appear after long-term accumulation and subtle influence.

Besides, things like the Qingdi Changsheng Gong, the Qing Emperor, the Five Elements Reverse Curse, and cultivating the Five Spirit Roots in tandem with the Five Elements—each piece of news shocked him greatly.

Wang Ping rose from the dark cave, and with a flash he appeared outside.

He had originally planned to leave this place, return to the Lower Realm for secluded cultivation, but suddenly recalled that Liu Haodong said Ge Dong came here seemingly for a treasure in the valley.

Wang Ping was very interested in something that even the Spirit Realm's great-family disciples would call a treasure.

He intended to go take a look; if he could snatch it, all the better.

Although his battle with Ge Dong counted as a defeat, Wang Ping gained a lot; after these two days of secluded cultivation, he has gained much insight.

Especially the feeling of a perfected Golden Core, he has explored many pathways.

At the same time he also felt his shortcomings; his training in techniques was too little, while Liu Haodong and the others each had mastered at least two false Dao techniques.

According to them, practicing false Dao techniques deepens one's comprehension of the heaven-and-earth Great Dao and allows more flexible control of one's own spirit power.

Wang Ping actually possesses two false Dao techniques: the Soul Seizing Technique that comes with the Qingdi Changsheng Gong, and the Scarlet Heart Tribulation that comes with the Scarlet Flame Heart Calamity.

However, Wang Ping rarely practices them, because his natal magic treasure, the Diamond Pestle, is incompatible with these two false Dao techniques.

But in his battle with Ge Dong, Wang Ping infused fire and wood spirit power into the Diamond Pestle, unexpectedly boosting its power, while he saw Ge Dong pour all five spirit-power attributes into his magic treasure greatsword.

This maneuver opened a door for him, giving him some ideas: why couldn't he give the Diamond Pestle some characteristics of Dao techniques?

These all require secluded cultivation and careful contemplation.

Wang Ping closed his eyes slightly, pressing all these thoughts to the bottom of his heart; now is not the time for him to gain insight.

Wang Ping glanced at the direction; Chaos Demon Valley is a long, narrow terrain, with the central area being the broadest, so if a treasure appeared, it would most likely be there.

Having set his direction, Wang Ping's body flashed with azure light, already changing his appearance; his blue long robe turned into a black brocade outfit.

Upon entering the Spirit Realm, Wang Ping has never used his true form, always assuming a changed appearance.

His figure continually weaves between the tall spirit trees; if he encounters rare medicinal herbs along the way, he also picks them.

Wang Ping and company entered Chaos Demon Valley from the east, at least over a thousand li from the center.

At Wang Ping's current speed, he couldn't catch up even in a short while, so he wasn't in a hurry; having changed his identity, he now displays fire-system spirit power and wields the Azure Blade Sword as his magic treasure.

Thus his combat power is greatly reduced, because Wang Ping has never trained in fire-system techniques; he can only rely on the Azure Light Sword Technique to slay demon beasts.

But the advantage is that he isn't very conspicuous; along the way, few cultivators have noticed him. As he draws ever closer to the center of Chaos Demon Valley, Wang Ping also dares not recklessly slay demon beasts.

Because here, slaying one might draw a whole group; whenever he sees twenty or thirty second-rank demon beasts flying past in a pack, Wang Ping feels he is not a great Foundation Establishment cultivator but a novice just entered the Qi Refining stage—this one he can't provoke, nor that one.

Upon arriving here, Foundation Establishment cultivators also increased in number, with almost everyone forming teams of ten to rush deeper.

Cultivators like Wang Ping, traveling alone, are rare; he felt that being solo drew too much attention, so when a pair of cultivators extended an invitation, he decisively joined them.

"Tie brother! Could you be from the Tie family?" While running, the young cultivator who invited him to join the team chatted with Wang Ping in an off‑hand, hit‑or‑miss manner.

This cultivator's surname is Yan, given name Xiu, and he is also a disciple of the Yan family, one of the Thirty‑Six Great Families of the city.

Wang Ping said embarrassedly: "I'm ashamed; I am merely a branch clansman, and this time I did not come following my family peers."

Yan Xiu's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise; he really thought he was a Tie family disciple, having originally guessed as much, but Wang Ping's demeanor didn't match his expectation, so he asked—upon hearing the other was a branch disciple, he felt relieved.

"Hahaha! Tie brother, don't be discouraged; reaching Foundation Establishment before twenty‑five is already not bad. I heard my father say that cultivators in the Lower Realm generally reach Foundation Establishment at forty or fifty years of age, and even so, many of them still ascend to the Spirit Realm."

Wang Ping's heart stirred, and he asked: "Oh! I don't know whether the time of Lower Realm cultivators matches that of the Spirit Realm."

Yan Xiu shook his head and said: "The Lower Realm's myriad small worlds are as numerous as cow hairs; their times certainly differ. What my father meant is our physical age—that is, our current bodily state corresponds to the bodily state of Lower Realm cultivators at that period. They achieve Foundation Establishment in their forties in the Lower Realm; converted to the Spirit Realm, that is the bodily age of a forty‑something cultivator."

Wang Ping nodded; that calculation works fine.

While speaking, they had already arrived at the central area, where hardly any early‑stage second‑rank demon beasts are seen; what Wang Ping sees are mostly mid‑stage second‑rank demon beasts, and he faintly senses two extremely powerful auras, likely late‑stage second‑rank demon beasts.

"Brother Yan! I don't know what treasure has appeared in Chaos Demon Valley, to the extent that even someone like Ge Dong, a monstrous freak, has come!"

In Wang Ping's team, a cultivator named Wang Ya spoke up and asked.

Not only did he want to know, but the others also wanted to know, and Wang Ping was the same.

Yan Xiu smiled, somewhat pleased, and said: "Have you heard of the Spirit‑Awakening Fruit?"

Wang Ping's face remained expressionless, but the other cultivators' eyes showed a thoughtful look; after three breaths, one cultivator raised his head with a shocked gaze and asked in a trembling voice:

"Isn't that the Spirit‑Awakening Fruit that can enable a magic treasure to awaken spiritual intelligence?"

"It really is that kind of treasure; no wonder Ge Dong came, and the other few monstrous freaks in the city likewise came here."

"Spirit‑Awakening Fruit—I never expected Chaos Demon Valley to possess it; once a magic treasure gains spiritual intelligence, it will automatically evolve the most suitable heaven‑and‑earth treasure pattern, forming a complete spirit‑pattern diagram, and once possessing a complete spirit‑pattern diagram, our magic treasures gain the possibility of evolving into spirit treasures."

"Brother Yan, I don't know how many Spirit‑Awakening Fruits will appear this time; I recall that this kind of fruit tree does not bloom for three thousand years, and once it blooms, it bears fruit within three days, and at the very least the yield is thirty or more."

Yan Xiu burst out laughing excitedly and said: "Rest assured, we have encountered a Great Cycle; this time the Spirit‑Awakening Fruit will bear at least eighty‑one fruits."

"Great Cycle! Hahaha! This is a once‑in‑ten‑thousand‑years opportunity!"

"Eighty‑one fruits—we all have a chance!"

Spirit‑Awakening Fruit, Wang Ping silently chanted; the Spirit Realm actually has such a thing—just now that cultivator said a magic treasure that has gained spiritual intelligence will automatically evolve into the most suitable spirit‑pattern diagram for itself.

That spirit‑pattern diagram is probably what the Instrument Sect's ancestors have painstakingly sought—a magic‑treasure puzzle; I never expected that today he would obtain the answer in this way.