Chapter 430: Realm Token

Hua Changxi gazed at the well-like pool that seemed to inhale and exhale the starry river, her eyes filled with undisguised suspicion.

Even if what Yuan Qi said was true and the Star Sea Pool contained many treasures, could the value of those treasures compensate for the loss of her meritorious power that had been sucked away?

Yuan Qi saw the doubt in Hua Changxi's eyes and let out a long sigh: "The Star Sea Pool connects to the meridians of the myriad stars in the Four Spirits Realm. All ownerless treasures will eventually follow the trajectories of the stars and fall into it."

"It would not be an exaggeration to call it the greatest treasure vault in the Four Spirits Realm."

"In the war to seal the realm before the ancient Great Extinction, even the Four Spirits Sovereigns returned to chaos, and afterward the gods and the Dao Sovereigns could not escape the calamity of falling."

"But the sovereign weapons held by the Sovereigns, the divine weapons wielded by the gods, the Dao weapons refined by the Dao Sovereigns, and even the rare treasures they collected throughout their lives—these will not be annihilated just because their masters fell."

"Those things—those with destiny can obtain them through the Star Sea Pool here."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes lit up as she looked at Yuan Qi: "Can't I grab more than once?"

Yuan Qi looked at her and smiled without speaking.

Hua Changxi understood his meaning and did not insist further. Instead, she stood silently by the pool, focusing her mind to sense.

Seeing that she understood, Yuan Qi reminded her: "The objects in the Star Sea Pool are bound by stellar gravity. They cannot be taken by brute force. You must rely on your own power to form a resonance with the treasure before you can draw it out."

Hua Changxi looked up: "How do you trigger a treasure's resonance?"

Yuan Qi smiled: "Each person has their own fate. Peak Master Hua must figure it out for herself."

Hua Changxi heard this and knew there was nothing more to ask.

Having experience in seizing the six blessed caves of Nanxiang City, she knew that many things could only be understood through personal exploration. Even if setbacks occurred along the way, she could make corrections through action.

With this thought, she began to adjust her breathing. When her state reached its peak, she decisively and slowly extended her right hand into the starry, brilliant pool.

Seeing Hua Changxi so decisive and straightforward, a look of appreciation flashed in Yuan Qi's eyes.

This bold and action-oriented drive in Hua Changxi—she was born to be a pioneer!

Outside the Star Sea Pool, Hua Changxi could only roughly see the brilliant starlight inside. But when her right hand submerged into the well opening, through the perception of her hand, she suddenly felt as if she were standing in a universe of stars!

She sensed billions of stars being born and dying in flux; she perceived countless blurry lights and shadows rising and sinking in the starry river, some like swords, some like pagodas, some like scrolls, and some emitting energy fluctuations that made one's heart tremble.

Those things were exactly the ownerless artifacts, ancient treasures, materials, and jade slips.

However, these treasures were not stationary. They were bound by an invisible stellar gravitational field, slowly moving along their own orbits, maintaining subtle distances between each other, forming a grand and magnificent dynamic star map.

Grab treasures?

How to grab?

Those treasures seemed within arm's reach, but were actually far beyond the horizon.

Hua Changxi began to circulate her spiritual power. Wisps of spiritual energy extended from her right hand like silk threads, carefully touching this star sea.

"Hum—"

The moment the spiritual energy dispersed, the entire Star Sea Pool rippled like a lake surface into which a stone had been thrown.

The floating treasure lights and shadows seemed disturbed. Their speed suddenly increased, and their light flickered, becoming even more elusive.

"Hiss~"

The power of the stars backlashed along the spiritual energy, like thousands of fine needles stabbing her right hand, causing her brows to furrow in pain. To avoid a stronger counterattack, she had to slowly and cautiously increase her spiritual power output.

"No good!"

As the spiritual power increased, the tearing force of the stellar power grew stronger. If this continued, forget grabbing treasures—her right hand might be directly torn apart by the violent stellar gravity.

"Maybe, besides 'grabbing', I can also 'attract'."

Hua Changxi thought of the scene when she used 'Dharma Heaven and Earth'—how it could draw upon the laws of heaven and earth for her use.

With her right hand in the Star Sea Pool, she couldn't use 'Dharma Heaven and Earth', but she could use the divine abilities 'Buddha Realm in the Palm' and 'Ten Thousand Fires Paying Homage'.

With that thought, Hua Changxi directly used the 'Buddha Realm in the Palm' divine ability.

The moment the divine ability unfolded, her right hand suddenly expanded, and the stellar power madly tore and shredded the enlarged limb.

Ignoring everything, she fiercely grabbed toward the area where treasures were most dense—whatever she caught, so be it!

Just as the giant hand was about to be crushed, the gap between her fingers finally clamped onto an icy-cold token.

After obtaining the token, Hua Changxi didn't stop; instead, she pressed on and executed the 'Ten Thousand Flames Paying Homage' divine ability.

The flame vortex rising from her palm drew the surrounding starlight into a spin, and a fiery red longbow emanating scorching heat was gradually pulled closer by the gravitational force.

The cracks on her right hand had spread to her wrist. She didn't dare delay — as she seized the longbow, she yanked her hand out of the pool abyss!

Hua Changxi had reached her hand into the Star Ocean Pool; Yuan Qi could not see what she did inside it.

But when he saw Hua Changxi withdraw her hand, and pillars in all four directions of the forbidden ground burst into brilliant light — especially the southern Vermilion Bird pillar, from which came a Vermilion Bird's cry — his face showed shock.

"Bang! Bang!"

Because her right hand was cracked, Hua Changxi could barely hold onto the token she had seized and the fiery red longbow she had attracted.

As soon as her hand left the Star Ocean Pool, the token and longbow fell to the ground, stirring up ripples of light.

"This is..."

Upon seeing the token and the fiery red longbow, Yuan Qi's pupils contracted sharply, his face full of shock: "You actually obtained these two items!"

Hua Changxi had no time to respond; all her attention was on her right hand in excruciating pain — blood dripped between her fingers, and the entire hand was covered in web-like cracks.

She quickly circulated spiritual power to stop the bleeding, then summoned flames to burn away the bloodstains on the ground. Only when the wound no longer oozed blood did she raise her eyes to look at Yuan Qi: "Do you recognize these two items?"

Yuan Qi stared at the token and longbow on the ground, his Adam's apple bobbing. It was a while before he spoke: "This is the Boundary Token and the Vermilion Bird Bow!"

The Vermilion Bird Bow is easy to understand.

After having absorbed and refined the Vermilion Bird's essence blood, Hua Changxi was not surprised that she could attract Vermilion Bird-related magical artifacts and treasures.

"What is the Boundary Token?"

Hua Changxi picked up the token. It was covered in profound runes, and at its four corners were carved lifelike totems of the Four Spirits: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

Yuan Qi sighed: "Those who hold the Boundary Token can freely enter and leave the Four Spirits Realm, unhindered by the realm barriers — it's like carrying a small realm gate with them."

Seeing that Hua Changxi seemed somewhat unconcerned, not understanding its importance, Yuan Qi added: "Do you know what methods cultivators in the Four Spirits Realm have to leave this realm?"

Hua Changxi felt that leaving the realm was still somewhat distant for her, and indeed she didn't place much importance on the Boundary Token in her hand, but she still asked offhandedly: "What methods are there?"

Yuan Qi: "The most orthodox method is, of course, to use a realm gate."

"The Four Spirits Realm has four great realm gates suspended in the nine heavens, guarding the east, south, west, and north — the Four Heavenly Gates."

"Realm gates are the key to maintaining the stability of the Four Spirits Realm. They are guarded year-round by the armies of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. An ordinary cultivator might not even get close to one in a lifetime."

"Besides the four great realm gates, one can also leave the realm through some special secret realms or spatial rifts, but the danger is great — almost nine out of ten who go never return."

"But one who obtains the Boundary Token can not only freely traverse realms but can also use it to find the Realm Temple."

Realm Temple?

Hearing another new term, Hua Changxi quickly asked: "And what is the Realm Temple?"

Yuan Qi shook his head: "I don't know much about this either. I only know that beyond the Four Spirits Realm there are other realms, and as these realms interact with each other, they have formed realm markets like bazaars in certain star regions."

"And the Realm Temple is a landmark hall at the realm market that represents a realm."