Chapter 274: The Uses of Suke Stone

At dawn, Shen Qing brought Cha Ku back to the capital.

The Shen family did not go directly back to the Shen household, but instead went straight to the Heavenly Craft Workshop.

The Heavenly Craft Workshop is located outside the imperial palace, occupying a sizable tract of land, and this place is the most technologically advanced in the world.

Whether it concerns the understanding of steel or the development of primal qi and true qi, it is at the very forefront.

Looking up, there are nine staggered black towers that pierce the clouds.

Soon someone came personally to receive Shen Qing: the deputy master of the Heavenly Craft Workshop, also a Martial Saint, the Qingjian Martial Saint Liu He.

Liu He walked over smiling and said, "Shen Qing, why have you come?"

Liu He is already several hundred years old, yet he puts on no airs, treating Shen Qing as his peer.

Shen Qing said, "I heard the Heavenly Craft Workshop is researching malevolent spirits together with the Divine Medicine Pavilion, and I came to take a look."

"You mean that? Actually our Heavenly Craft Workshop has been studying it for some years."

Saying this, Liu He pointed to the ninth tower among them: "Look, that tower is dedicated to researching malevolent spirits."

Shen Qing glanced and said, "I just came to have a look, but I seem to have seen people from the Martial Fortune Hall and the Divine Agriculture Institute as well."

Many people were coming and going at the tower, including representatives of the four cornerstones of Great Martial.

Liu He sighed helplessly: "There's nothing we can do; it's like treating a dead horse as if it were alive."

"The malevolent spirits have become increasingly arrogant, and over the years the number sneaking into our world has also been growing."

"With these malevolent spirits arriving, we have indeed become somewhat anxious."

Shen Qing glanced at him and said, "Oh, right, I've killed a few more malevolent spirits these past couple of days, and on the road I found this stone—why don't you see if it's useful for your research?"

This is also Shen Qing's purpose: since the Suke Stone has such a strong attraction to the Demonic Slaughter Bug, it might prove useful.

Liu He wasn't particularly concerned, took the jade pendant and glanced at it: "This looks like Suke Stone from the Suke Dynasty, right?"

As befitting the deputy master of the Heavenly Craft Workshop, Liu He recognized the rare stone at a glance.

"However, while this stone is rare, it is very fragile—more fragile than jade."

Shen Qing said, "It is fragile, but the malevolent spirit I encountered is called the Demonic Slaughter Bug, and this Suke Stone has a strong attraction to them, and it seems able to adsorb some malevolent qi onto it."

Liu He raised his eyebrows: "It can adsorb malevolent qi and attract Demonic Slaughter Bugs? That is indeed useful."

"Why don't we go test it?"

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Never mind, testing would take a long time; you take it and test it, just let me know when you have results."

Liu He shook his head: "Not long, soon—our established experimental procedure is already very refined; just find the materials and throw them in."

"Then let's go have a look."

The two set off toward the ninth tower, and along the way many people greeted them.

Upon entering the tower, Shen Qing felt a massive surge of malevolent qi, and faintly heard many howls, likely the roars of malevolent spirits.

Liu He led Shen Qing upward; the rooms here are made of a special material, extremely hard, but becomes transparent when primal qi is input, allowing Shen Qing to see inside.

The rooms held many malevolent spirits, with people dissecting them, and Shen Qing also saw the Demonic Slaughter Bug Mother and the Demonic Slaughter Bug King.

Moreover, some people caught Shen Qing's attention, many of them bearing a light purple pattern on their necks.

Soon, Liu He brought Shen Qing to a room on the third floor and gently knocked on the door.

"Liu Qingqing, come here."

A young woman came out of the room, very beautiful; she had a purple line on her neck, deeper than those on others, and even her face showed a faint pattern.

She looked at Liu He and said, "Grandfather, what do you want me to do?"

Liu He handed the Suke Stone jade pendant to Liu Qingqing: "Qingqing, go test this jade pendant's attraction to low-level malevolent spirits."

Liu Qingqing took the jade pendant, nodded, but turned her gaze to Shen Qing: "Grandfather, who is he?"

Liu He chuckled: "You've been talking about Shen Qing, the World-Passing Yama, lately; I brought him right in front of you—how can you still not recognize him?"

Liu Qingqing's eyes flashed with delight, her face slightly reddening: "You're the one who captured the malevolent spirit and even dragged out the Xuanlei Saint, aren't you, Lord Shen?!"

Seeing Liu Qingqing about to reach out, Liu He said: "Don't mess around, Shen Qing is very busy—hurry up and go."

Liu Qingqing's eyes flashed with disappointment, she looked resentfully at Liu He: "Understood."

Afterward, she gripped the jade pendant and walked into the room.

Shen Qing said, "Workshop Master Liu, I notice many people have purple markings on their necks, and your granddaughter does too."

Liu He sighed: "Shen Qing, you know as well as I do that fighting malevolent spirits has always been the duty of Martial Saints; saying how strong they are is impossible."

"What's disgusting is their malevolent qi; it easily invades the bodies of low-level martial artists, and once inside it merges with their true qi and primal qi, cannot be expelled; over time the malevolent qi seeps into the meridians, and then..."

"And we Martial Saints have been battling malevolent spirits year after year, so the main force researching them is still these Workshop Envoys from the Innate to Grand Master realms—poor them."

"And what about your granddaughter?"

Liu He didn't continue speaking; the malevolent qi on Liu Qingqing's neck was already nearing her face, and it was likely not far from invading her heart meridians.

The two observed the room's situation through primal qi; the room contained several specially made cages holding the lowest-grade malevolent spirits, among them a Demonic Slaughter Bug.

Upon seeing the Suke Stone, the Demonic Slaughter Bug went berserk, wildly striking the cage, the chains locking it clattering loudly.

The other low-grade malevolent spirits in the room were much the same.

It appears the Suke Stone's attraction to low-grade malevolent spirits is greater than Shen Qing and Liu He had imagined.

Liu He's eyes gleamed; he had already begun calculating what use the Suke Stone could be put to.

Just then, the room's door opened, and an excited Liu Qingqing ran out.

"Lord Shen! Grandfather! This thing is too useful!"

"If we take this thing around Great Martial, we might draw out many low-grade malevolent spirits, and then by following the vine we could catch some big fish!"

Liu He also nodded; this method is definitely feasible.

"Come on, let's continue testing with medium-grade malevolent spirits."

"Wait a moment."

Shen Qing spoke up to stop the two who wanted to go test.

Liu He and Liu Qingqing turned their heads to look at Shen Qing.

Shen Qing pointed at Liu Qingqing: "Martial Saint Liu, take a look—has the pattern on Liu Qingqing's face faded?"