Chapter 420: Fourth-Tier Spiritual Treasure

Time drifted leisurely, slipping away silently.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Southern Wild Immortal Realm, the fervor surrounding True Person Wangyue, that legendary cultivator, had not diminished in the least despite his seclusion and refusal to receive guests.

On the contrary, discussions about him grew increasingly lively; legends concerning him circulated throughout the major immortal cities and market towns of the Four Kingdoms.

From the great intelligence factions down to the teahouses and taverns in every alley and street, voices debating Wangyue True Person could be heard everywhere.

Many storytellers even held special sessions daily, recounting the legendary and inspiring life of True Person Wangyue.

Even bookstall vendors on the roadside were selling various novels and storybooks about True Person Wangyue.

These sold extremely well, with supply failing to meet demand, driving their spirit stone prices to exorbitant heights.

……

……

At this very moment, the protagonist Qin Ming was within the Small Xiao Lingjing, exerting great effort to refine the Blood Pagoda demonic treasure.

The fourth-tier demon core of the Great Black Heaven Demon Saint was exceedingly difficult to refine; relying on the secret methods from "Divine Craft of Demonic Works," it took him over a year of persistent grinding to finally soften and completely refine it.

Subsequently, he took out the blood-colored inkstone and began inscribing demonic runes and restrictions within its interior.

The number of restrictions required to forge a fourth-tier spiritual treasure was complex to an astonishing degree; the inscription process demanded flawless execution in one breath and consumed a cultivator's divine soul immensely.

Fortunately, Qin Ming's divine soul far exceeded that of the Jin Dan stage, sufficient to sustain this treasure forging.

Immediately following this.

Qin Ming executed the treasure-forging technique, guiding the refined essence of the fourth-tier demon core along the inscribed demonic rune restrictions to perfectly integrate it within.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Once all the demon core essence had been injected, the Blood Pagoda hovering in midair began to radiate blood-colored splendor, its demonic light surging wildly!

Seizing the precise moment, Qin Ming formed seals with his hands and drew talismans in the void; one profound rune after another continuously fell into that blood-colored inkstone.

As the final rune landed.

The aura emanating from the Blood Pagoda began to climb relentlessly, then, upon reaching a certain critical point, stalled for over half an hour.

Boom! Pfft!

As if a layer of window paper had been pierced, this supreme treasure held by the Demonic Sect's Holy Son completely transformed and ascended into a fourth-tier spiritual treasure! A magnificent aura echoed between heaven and earth.

Demonic light erupted from the blood-colored inkstone, radiating a terrifying spiritual treasure aura.

Suddenly! The Blood Pagoda, freshly upgraded and refined, shook violently through its entire body, abruptly bursting forth a clump of blood-refining demonic light; it actually forced itself free from Qin Ming's magic power constraints.

It automatically attempted to flee beyond the boundaries of the Small Xiao Lingjing!

"I didn't expect that after upgrading to a fourth-tier spiritual treasure, this item would actually birth a sliver of autonomous spiritual intelligence!"

"This likely has much to do with the nourishment provided by my innate spiritual plant, Yin-Yang Profound Vine; I have never heard of ordinary fourth-tier spiritual treasures birthing their own conscious awareness."

Seeing this, Qin Ming was also utterly astonished; if it successfully escaped, it would truly be a case of chasing a chicken only to lose the egg as well.

Just as he was about to leap forward in pursuit, a pitch-black whip descended from the sky above; with a sharp "Crack!", it struck the fleeing Blood Pagoda, slamming it directly to the ground.

The Blood Pagoda spiritual treasure instantly became exceedingly docile.

Qin Ming immediately recognized this black whip as one of the vines from his innate spiritual plant, Yin-Yang Profound Vine; with just a single strike, it had whipped the Blood Pagoda to the ground where it trembled incessantly, revealing extreme fear, while Qin Ming's gaze flickered constantly—this spiritual treasure could not disobey his commands in the future.

Just at this moment.

From the wooden box lying not far away, the voice of Qingyang Yan Laomo rang out once more: "Friend Qin Xiao, this old one is willing to serve as the vessel spirit within this demonic treasure!"

"Oh? How so?" Hearing this, Qin Ming could not help but furrow his brows.

This was the first time Qin Ming had encountered someone willingly becoming a spiritual treasure's vessel spirit; most likely, such an offer was either treacherous or thieving, harboring ulterior motives.

"Old Ghost, you must think this through clearly; do you know why I am refining and upgrading this Blood Pagoda demonic treasure?" Qin Ming said faintly.

Qingyang Yan Laomo let out a bitter, miserable laugh: "This old one naturally understands; Friend Qin Xiao is forging this heavy treasure specifically to attempt breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm and to withstand the heavenly tribulation."

"Then you still volunteer to become the vessel spirit? Are you not afraid of having your soul completely scattered beneath the heavenly tribulation when the time comes?" Qin Ming asked.

Qingyang Yan Laomo said: "Does this old one have any choice? Since Friend Qin Xiao is unwilling to trust me, I can only resort to this inferior strategy to demonstrate my stance."

"I only hope that if Friend Qin Xiao successfully achieves the Nascent Soul in the future, you can assist this old one in restoring my divine soul and spiritual body."

"When the time comes for Friend Qin Xiao to undergo tribulation, this old one will also go all out." "Of course, to dispel your doubts, this old one is willing to surrender a wisp of my innate divine soul into Friend Qin Xiao's hands."

Qingyang Yan Laomo had been forced into desperation to adopt this inferior strategy.

How could he have known that this young man's personality was completely different from Lin Zi's, utterly impervious to both flattery and threats?

Even though he offered various opportunities and secret methods in exchange, the other party simply ignored him.

The other party had absolutely no use for him; continuing like this would not do!

Qingyang Yan Laomo felt that instead of dying at Qin Ming's hands, he would die first at the hands of that rat demon.

During these past two years, he had been tortured severely by that stinking rat, which urinated on his head every single day.

He, a great ancient expert of the Qingyuan Sect, when had he ever suffered such treatment?

He could endure it no longer!

Of course, the primary reason Qingyang Yan Laomo acted this way was still his appreciation of Qin Ming's potential.

With his extensive knowledge and experience, he believed that a figure like Qin Ming was absolutely impossible to perish beneath the Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation.

Therefore, he dared to gamble everything, placing his entire life and fortune into another's hands.

Take a gamble; perhaps someday he could restore his strength.

Hearing Qingyang Yan Laomo speak thus, Qin Ming nodded and agreed: "Very well, let this seat see your sincerity."

Subsequently.

He flicked his finger, lifting the seal on the wooden box, and released Qingyang Yan Laomo's spiritual body.

"Whoosh~"

As soon as Qingyang Yan Laomo emerged, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Alas! Who would have thought that even this old demon would fall to the point of entering the game with his own body!"

He was also a ruthless man; without the slightest hesitation or dawdling, amidst screams of excruciating pain, he forcibly split off a strand of his innate divine soul and handed it to Qin Ming.

From this moment on, his life and death rested solely within a single thought of Qin Ming.

Qin Ming nodded, then immediately sealed that strand of divine soul within a piece of spirit jade and stored it away.

"Very good; from now on, it depends on your performance."

With his aura withered, the Green Sun Yan Laomo said, "That is certain, but you must abide by the agreement between us."

"Naturally; just ask around—when it comes to my conduct, I pride myself above all on my reputation," Qin Ming stated with absolute certainty.

"Heh! That would be best, of course," the Green Sun Yan Laomo could only dryly laugh, half-believing and half-doubting.

"Qin Xiaoyou, are you ready? This old man is about to enter."

Qin Ming: "."

Immediately after.

The Green Sun Yan Laomo transformed into a beam of spiritual light and instantly vanished into the Blood Pagoda magical treasure.

Qin Ming, striking while the iron was hot, invoked the Treasure Refining Art, projecting rows of profound runes into the void.

Half a day later.

Having taken residence within the demonic treasure, the Green Sun Yan Laomo completely erased the wild, untamed spiritual consciousness that had spontaneously arisen within the magical treasure.

Furthermore, through Qin Ming's series of spellcasting and refining rituals, he became the artifact spirit within this fourth-rank magical treasure.

Consequently, the grade of this Blood Pagoda magical treasure fell just short of reaching the mid-tier of the fourth rank.

The Blood Pagoda's original stubbornness and refusal to obey likewise vanished without a trace.

With a single wave of his hand, Qin Ming summoned the Blood Pagoda into his palm; it was utterly obedient, moving as if an extension of his own arm.

"With this magical treasure, my chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm are even greater!"

……

(End of Chapter)