Chapter 97: Enhance the Treasures

This…

How does this woman know I’m sticky and dirty?

Huh?

That’s not right… why do I feel this way?

Disgusting!

He Pingsheng felt puzzled, but he quickly stopped caring.

No matter why he was so dirty, he’d wash first.

Following Qiao Huizhu’s directions, he walked about two or three li to the left along the valley, and indeed spotted a clear stream.

The mountain wilderness was empty and silent; He Pingsheng took off his clothes, bathed comfortably, then changed into a clean, pale moon-white robe and returned to the cave.

The first thing he did upon returning was to set up the array.

The defensive array had been placed too far inside the cave, unable to block the entrance.

This time, He Pingsheng moved the array to the entrance; when the array’s light membrane expanded, it perfectly sealed the cave mouth.

Now, no one outside could enter.

Then, he piled stones inside the array to build a thick brick wall.

Thus, he no longer feared anyone or wild beasts accidentally stumbling into the cave.

Even if someone somehow entered, they wouldn’t see his Treasure Basin.

With everything done, He Pingsheng took out the Treasure Basin.

Now, he had three items needing enhancement.

First: the storage bag.

This thing belonged to Xiao Bufan.

You can’t openly carry it out.

Otherwise, if you’re the only disciple among all sects carrying a storage bag, the elders would scan you with spiritual sense and expose you immediately.

Isn’t it obvious you killed Xiao Bufan?

What He Pingsheng needed to do was upgrade this storage bag into a top-grade one capable of invisibility.

Plop…

The storage bag was placed into the Treasure Basin.

Second: three green 【Water Elemental Spirit Apricots】.

Whether they could be enhanced into mature Water Elemental Spirit Apricots, He Pingsheng didn’t know.

But he had to try.

Third: the talisman.

The talisman left by Xiao Bufan was a first-rank talisman, yet it possessed attack power surpassing Qi Refining.

It could inflict some damage on Foundation Establishment disciples.

But that wasn’t enough.

To kill Yu De, this talisman needed to deliver a one-hit kill against Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Only enhancement could achieve that.

Hopefully, its power would improve after enhancement.

He Pingsheng tossed the talisman into the Treasure Basin as well.

Then he sat cross-legged on the pink lotus cushion.

Looking at the pink lotus cushion, He Pingsheng frowned again: Strange—my old cushion was fine. Why did they replace it with this pink one?

Sigh…

I can’t figure it out!

Women are truly strange creatures!

He Pingsheng took a deep breath, drove all chaotic thoughts from his mind, and resumed cultivating the 【Mystic Gate Stillness True Scripture】.

The Mystic Gate Stillness True Scripture enhances spiritual sense.

Of course, for someone like He Pingsheng, whose spiritual sense suffered heavy damage, this scripture could slowly restore it.

But the speed was too slow—years of practice would be required.

To restore spiritual sense quickly, the best method was to brew a batch of 【Healing Spirit Pills】 and consume them; recovery would take only months.

With a top-grade Healing Spirit Pill, the damaged spiritual sense could be fully restored in just a few days.

He Pingsheng didn’t expect to heal his spiritual sense in these final few days—only hoped to repair a trace of it, enough to use.

Unaware, a day and night passed.

He Pingsheng opened his eyes, his gaze immediately turning to the Treasure Basin.

His brow furrowed.

He’d assumed the Treasure Basin could enhance all three items.

But he’d overestimated its current capability.

Enhancement had occurred—yes.

But only one item had been enhanced.

The three green apricots had turned golden.

And now there were six.

He Pingsheng picked up one, a faint fragrance arose; the fruit’s skin bore a faint golden mark, mysterious and profound.

“Excellent!” He Pingsheng burst into joy.

The immature Water Elemental Spirit Apricots had truly been enhanced into mature ones.

Store them!

All six apricots were placed into the storage bag.

Unfortunately, though there were many, such heavenly treasures followed the rule of “one-time encounter.”

What is “one-time encounter”?

It means consuming one yields benefit.

Consuming a second yields nothing.

When He Pingsheng reached Qi Refining’s peak, he might face the three bottlenecks: tenth, eleventh, and twelfth levels.

Eating one apricot would break one bottleneck.

Eating another wouldn’t break the next.

That’s “one-time encounter.”

Many heavenly treasures follow this rule.

Leaving aside the 【Water Elemental Spirit Apricots】, He Pingsheng’s gaze fell on the other two items.

The talisman and the storage bag.

Neither had been enhanced.

But He Pingsheng wasn’t worried—he’d already enhanced the storage bag once before with the Treasure Basin.

He suspected this time it failed because the Treasure Basin hadn’t gathered enough moonlight.

Try again tonight!

As He Pingsheng had guessed.

After the second night, the storage bag was enhanced.

One ordinary storage bag became two invisible storage bags.

Each had a space ten zhang high, ten zhang wide, ten zhang long.

Each could hold vast quantities of items.

“Invisible…”

The storage bag hummed and vanished into He Pingsheng’s body.

Unlike magic treasures with multiple seals, storage bags only required spiritual sense to activate.

No refinement needed.

“Invisible…”

The second storage bag was also concealed.

Inside the Treasure Basin, the 【talisman】 remained unchanged.

But no worry—he believed another night would bring change.

After the third night, the talisman inside the Treasure Basin finally transformed.

One talisman became two.

One green, one golden.

He Pingsheng eagerly grabbed both.

He held the green talisman to his forehead; its information appeared.

Name: Ten Thousand Swords Talisman.

Rank: First-Rank Top-Grade!

Effect: Instant activation—summons hundreds of sword shadows to slay enemies; one strike can kill a Foundation Establishment being.

Hiss… hiss… hiss…

After reading this description, He Pingsheng was overjoyed, yet he also drew in a sharp breath.

Powerful!

It can truly slay a Foundation Establishment disciple.

And it’s instant-cast!

Hehe…

Now, if I ever cross paths with that old monk Yu De, I won’t fear him anymore.

After putting away the green Ten Thousand Swords Dao Talisman, He Pingsheng stuck the golden talisman to his forehead.

Name: Golden Sword Dao Talisman.

Rank: Grade One, Supreme.

Effect: Instantly activates; upon activation, it condenses a ten-zhang golden sword shadow. When the shadow strikes the ground, it can slay any Foundation Establishment lifeform.