Chapter 24: Cultivating the Treasure Gathering Basin

Fire Crow Art, Fire Shield Art!

Which one to cultivate?

He Pingsheng first took a look.

The Fire Crow Art, once cultivated, releases internal fire spiritual power to condense into a fire crow, which can be launched to attack enemies.

This is merely a low-level spell.

Yet its offensive power is no small matter.

Once cultivated to minor completion, one can release a single fire crow, controlled by spiritual sense, capable of striking enemies within a ten-zhang range.

Beyond that, it won’t work, because He Pingsheng’s spiritual sense can currently extend only ten zhang.

If cultivated to major completion, one can release nine fire crows at once against enemies.

If cultivated to perfect realm, one can unleash one hundred and eight flames in a single breath, with overwhelming offensive power.

A swarm of crows flying wildly can easily slay even a Qi Refining Stage Twelve cultivator.

Of course, reaching perfection is extremely difficult.

Now, the Fire Shield Art.

This is a defensive spell.

Once cultivated, it instantly forms a fire-based protective shield capable of blocking a single strike from an enemy of the same realm.

In short, both spells are highly useful for He Pingsheng at his current stage.

Which one to practice first?

Definitely the Fire Crow Art.

What good is defense if you have no attack?

So, offensive spells naturally come first.

He Pingsheng memorized the cultivation essentials of the Fire Crow Art, then began practicing inside his room.

In the early stages, there’s no need to worry about fire burning down his room.

Because he cannot yet condense any flame.

Only when the fire spiritual power flows smoothly through his meridians can he form the shape of a fire crow.

Spells are easier than cultivation.

As long as the right method is used, it’s merely a matter of refining proficiency—when he can guide the fire spiritual power outside his body, he completes the first step.

This depends not on talent, but on proficiency.

One day!

Two days!

Three days!

Before he knew it, over twenty days had passed.

On this day, He Pingsheng was practicing the Fire Crow Art as usual, when suddenly a flame spark emerged from his right palm, instantly forming a brilliant crow of fire.

The crow was small, only slightly larger than a palm.

It blazed with dazzling firelight, flapping its wings incessantly in his palm, as if ready to take flight at any moment.

He Pingsheng was overjoyed, drew a deep breath, and withdrew his spiritual power; as the fire spiritual power receded, the fire crow in his palm lost its foundation and vanished instantly.

“The room is too cramped to unleash it!”

“Hmm… find a secluded place to test the technique!”

He Pingsheng stood up, brushed off his body, and was about to step outside when he suddenly noticed the Treasure Gathering Basin lying beneath his bed.

This place is different from Xiuzhu Peak.

Someone could burst into his room at any moment.

The scene of his parents’ treasures being stolen still burned vividly in his mind.

So He Pingsheng could not rest easy leaving the Treasure Gathering Basin in his room when he went out.

Though it’s highly unlikely any thief would even touch it, what if one did?

This is a treasure.

He Pingsheng cannot afford to gamble.

But carrying it around would be inconvenient.

“Sigh!” He let out a deep breath, “If only I had a storage bag!”

Alas, it was just a beautiful wish.

Even among the gifted inner-disciples of Grand Void Gate, over ninety-nine percent lack such an advanced item.

Such objects are typically possessed only by Foundation Establishment Elders.

How could he dare to dream of one?

“Maybe… I should bury it instead!”

He Pingsheng picked up the Treasure Gathering Basin.

But as he was about to dig into the ground, a flash of insight struck him.

When he was young, he had seen his father cut his finger and drip his essence blood onto the magic artifact.

Could it be that dripping blood onto this treasure would allow him to claim it as his own?

Let’s try!

If it doesn’t work, I can still bury it underground later.

With a trial mindset, He Pingsheng took a small knife from the table and swiftly sliced a tiny wound on his left hand.

A few drops of blood immediately flowed out.

He Pingsheng let the blood drip into the Treasure Gathering Basin.

Soon, a miraculous sight occurred.

Where the blood landed, a flash of golden light suddenly appeared.

Then the blood instantly spread along the previously invisible patterns, merging throughout the entire basin.

Within a few breaths, the blood vanished entirely.

“Again!”

He Pingsheng dripped another drop of blood, and another flash of golden light appeared.

After several repetitions, the basin suddenly changed—whizzing into a purple-gold light that shot into He Pingsheng’s body.

This…

He Pingsheng stared, dumbfounded.

Where’s my treasure? Where’s the basin?

Did I lose it?

The next moment, He Pingsheng’s spiritual sense swept inward, examining his body.

There, beneath a crimson vortex in his dantian, lay a black basin, perfectly still.

Wasn’t that the Treasure Gathering Basin?

“Come…”

He Pingsheng moved his spiritual sense.

Whizz! The Treasure Gathering Basin reappeared as golden light, landing in his hand.

“Retreat…” Another thought, and the basin returned to his dantian.

Sssss…

Perfect.

He Pingsheng laughed heartily, then crashed onto his bed, drawing a deep breath.

Now he no longer needed to worry about the Treasure Gathering Basin being stolen.

After a long while, his excitement faded, and he began to think again.

The Treasure Gathering Basin was safely stored.

But there were still two jade vials in the room.

These two elixir vials contained two supreme Qi-accumulating pills—what should he do with them?

Carry them on his person?

He didn’t know whether the Treasure Gathering Basin could store items and then be retracted.

Hmm…

Let’s try!

“Come…” He Pingsheng moved his spiritual sense, and the Treasure Gathering Basin appeared in his hand.

Clang…

A sound!

He Pingsheng tossed the two jade vials into the basin.

“Retreat!”

He then attempted to retract the Treasure Gathering Basin.

Shhh…

The Treasure Gathering Basin was indeed absorbed into his dantian.

He Pingsheng’s spiritual sense scanned his body and confirmed that the two jade vials now rested inside the basin in his dantian.

Hey!

It really can be stored inside.

Since it can be stored, then let’s put them all in.

“Come…” He Pingsheng summoned the Treasure Gathering Basin from his dantian, then placed the two books inside as well.

Besides the two books, he discovered a sack of spirit rice in the room.

About a hundred jin.

This definitely won’t fit inside.

Because earlier, He Pingsheng had tried—it could only hold about ten or so jin of spirit rice.

Anything more wouldn’t work.

“Sigh…” He sighed and said, “It’s too small—if only the Treasure Gathering Basin could be a bit larger!”

As soon as He Pingsheng finished speaking, the Treasure Gathering Basin on the table suddenly expanded by a full circle.

It changed from a normal basin size to the size of a bathtub.

Now, the spirit rice could definitely fit inside.

But at this moment, He Pingsheng had no interest in putting in the spirit rice—he stared at the basin in excitement and said, “Bigger, bigger… even bigger…”

The Treasure Gathering Basin grew larger and larger.

Eventually, the entire basin reached three chi in diameter, then stopped growing.

That meant this three-chi size was the basin’s limit.