Chapter 9: This Is What an Immortal Truly Is

In the following days, He Pingsheng worked while secretly experimenting with various objects.

He had no treasures to speak of, so the items he gathered were all ordinary things.

One day, he had a wild idea: he brought the axe he used daily to chop wood inside, then removed the blade and placed it in the black ceramic basin.

If water, spirit rice, and elixirs could all be enhanced inside the Treasure Accumulating Basin, could this ordinary axe be enhanced too?

Let’s try!

He Pingsheng couldn’t sleep at night, secretly watching the basin.

When the moon rose, that miraculous sight appeared once more.

The patches of moonlight scattered on the ground slowly coalesced into lunar essence, then flew toward the Treasure Accumulating Basin.

The lunar essence gently adhered to the surface of the axe blade.

“It really works…” He Pingsheng held his breath, staring silently until he could no longer stay awake.

The next morning, the first thing he did was look at the axe inside the Treasure Accumulating Basin.

Sssss…

Two!

Yes!

Yesterday he put in one axe; this morning, it had become two.

And the axe’s quality seemed to have improved too.

The axe had been shiny before, but its texture was lacking; now, the blade was a deep black, not gleaming, yet visually pleasing.

“Let’s try!”

He Pingsheng put away one axe, attached the handle to the other, then stepped outside.

After eating, he went straight to the wood storage area behind the main hall and began chopping.

He first stood up a round log, then swung the axe with full force.

Crack…

With that single strike, the axe split the log cleanly in half.

This… this is jujube wood.

He Pingsheng clearly remembered: jujube wood was the hardest to chop; previously, splitting a log like this required ten or more strikes.

And now!

Just one strike?

He didn’t believe his own strength had increased.

There was only one possibility: the axe had become sharper.

He Pingsheng’s experiments continued.

After several days of testing, he discovered several characteristics of the Treasure Accumulating Basin.

First, the black ceramic basin was undoubtedly a powerful, heaven-defying treasure—no doubt about it.

Second, so far, it seemed that no matter what object was placed inside, the basin could enhance it—and not only enhance it, but also multiply it: one became two.

Third: objects enhanced by the Treasure Accumulating Basin could not be enhanced a second time.

For example, the [Golden Bone Elixir].

After being enhanced by the basin, it gained four dan marks; when He Pingsheng tried placing it inside again, nothing happened.

This once made him suspect the basin was faulty.

…

Soon, the crucial day arrived.

Early in the morning, Senior Hao Yun summoned He Pingsheng and assigned him to thoroughly clean the main hall, then pre-deliver various sizes of wood to the elixir chamber.

Not only had they prepared the wood, but also a large vat of clear water.

“Senior Yu Xuan has a good temper!” Hao Yun wiped sweat from his brow as he spoke: “On Xiuzhu Peak, only the Golden Core Elders surpass him in cultivation—he’s said to have reached Foundation Establishment tenth layer. This time, he’s likely brewing Foundation Establishment Elixirs for the sect disciples!”

“Among the dozens of immortals on Xiuzhu Peak, Senior Yu Xuan has the best temper. You needn’t worry—even if the elixir fails, he won’t beat us!”

He Pingsheng exhaled in relief.

Hao Yun added: “Still, we must be cautious. Senior Yu Xuan is brewing a second-rank elixir this time. The ingredients are extremely complex—requiring both vast wealth and wide connections; otherwise, they simply cannot be gathered!”

“Come on, follow me—we’ll kneel at the gate to welcome Senior Yu Xuan!”

Before He Pingsheng could speak, Hao Yun grabbed his robe and dragged him to the entrance of the elixir chamber.

Hao Yun then pulled out two meditation cushions and tossed them on the ground: “Kneel!”

Now came the wait.

After all, Senior Yu Xuan had only said he would come to brew elixirs today—not when.

It could be morning, afternoon, or even night.

One must not be negligent.

Just as He Pingsheng’s knees ached and his back cramped from kneeling all morning, a flash of light suddenly streaked across the distant horizon.

“Reverent… reverent reverent reverent…” Hao Yun muttered four times: “Senior Yu Xuan is here—kneel properly!”

He Pingsheng quickly composed a solemn expression, kneeling respectfully with his head bowed, though his eyes flickered upward to sneak a glance at the immortal light approaching.

He saw the light move with incredible speed—within a dozen breaths, it arrived above the elixir chamber’s entrance.

He Pingsheng saw clearly: an old Daoist with white hair and beard, wearing a green Dao robe, holding a white fly whisk.

Beneath his feet rode a celestial sword.

Sword-flight!

Sssss…

He Pingsheng marveled and envied: This—this is what an immortal truly is.

Shhh…

The next instant, Senior Yu Xuan descended from the sky.

“Rise, both of you—no need to kneel!”

A commanding voice rang out.

“Yes!”

The two stood.

The green-robed elder waved his hand, and the three-foot-long sword floating beside him shrank into a finger-length blade, which he caught and tucked into a black cloth bag at his waist.

He Pingsheng’s parents had once been outer-disciples of Grand Void Gate, so he had some basic cultivation knowledge.

He knew this black bag was called a Storage Bag, or Qiankun Bag.

Externally, it appeared no larger than a palm, yet inside it held a vast space—its capacity varied by quality, but even the smallest could hold over a zhang in diameter, storing many treasures.

He Pingsheng had heard of such things before, but today was the first time he saw one.

His parents never had one.

Not even all inner-disciples possessed one.

Storage Bags were treasures typically acquired only after reaching Foundation Establishment.

He Pingsheng drooled with envy.

If he had one, he could store the Treasure Accumulating Basin, couldn’t he?

And more!

The Treasure Accumulating Basin enhanced one item daily—so where could he store the enhanced items?

Unlike now: as his enhanced items multiplied, fearing exposure, he dared not enhance anything further for lack of storage.

“Come inside with me!” Senior Yu Xuan flicked his fly whisk and walked forward on his own: “Hao Yun… when the Elder brought you here to the elixir chamber, it was because your name, Hao Yun, gave hope—you might bring me good fortune!”

Behind him, Hao Yun beamed: “Absolutely, absolutely, Senior Yu Xuan—this time, your elixirs will succeed, and every single one will be top-grade!”