Hidden moth

Chapter 309 The Treasure Mirror Can Observe the Body Through Bones
The Bone-Penetrating Treasure Mirror is the sect's most treasured artifact, but like the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace, it was lost during the internal strife of the sect a thousand years ago, and it is unknown who it fell into.

Li Xiuyuan had read about it in ancient books and heard some legends about it, but he had never seen the actual object.

Contemporary science fiction often mentions a high-tech device called a treatment pod, which can cure anyone, regardless of their injury or illness, simply by lying inside and pressing a button.

The wondrous use of the Bone-Penetrating Mirror is similar to the healing chamber in science fiction works. With this divine artifact, even the most difficult-to-detect hidden injuries and ailments, including various hidden dangers lurking in the body, can be clearly revealed.

It can be used not only for diagnosis, but also to treat any injury or illness as long as a person's life force remains. This requires a highly skilled person to wield the artifact with great magical power; the treatment scene involves a beam of light shooting from a mirror and enveloping the entire body.

Of course, these are all rumors and historical legends. Even Elder Li doesn't know how effective they are, since he has never actually seen them.

The mirror used by the assassin Feng Li today is almost identical to the Bone-Penetrating Mirror recorded in ancient texts, but it is clearly not that divine artifact; it should be a replica.

If the person is indeed from the Xiaomeng Alliance, upon seeing this replica, it can be confirmed that the Tougu Treasure Mirror has also fallen into the hands of the Xiaomeng Alliance.

Li Xiuyuan had just taken the mirror in his hands and studied it for a long time. He thought that this replica was very clever. The craftsman's skill was no less than that of a weapon-refining master like Guo Qianhuai. He guessed that it was the work of a certain ancestor in the history of the Xiaomeng Alliance.

The Xiaomeng Alliance has been passed down for thousands of years, so it is entirely possible that several weapon-refining masters will emerge. It's just a pity that if one's cultivation level does not reach the legendary ninth rank, no matter how high one's weapon-refining skills are, one cannot create a divine weapon.

He Kao asked in bewilderment, "Since the Bone-Penetrating Mirror is a miraculous artifact for healing diseases and injuries, and this thing is a replica of it, yet that person almost killed me with it just now."

Li Xiuyuan shook his head and said, "No matter how miraculous a magic weapon is, it depends on how the person uses it. Besides, the wonders of the Bone-Penetrating Mirror are just legends. I don't know the specifics of how it works, and imitations can't possibly be exactly the same as it."

Take it back and refine it properly, then figure it out yourself.

He Kao, ever the curious one, pressed on, "What exactly is this so-called sect-protecting artifact? I've never heard of it before!"

Li Xiuyuan gave a wry smile, seemingly unwilling to discuss the topic, but ultimately explained the origin of the so-called sect-protecting artifact to He Kao.

Although He Kao has not been practicing magic for long and his connections in the magic world are not extensive, he has been exposed to high-level magic. He has seen more than one divine artifact, such as a cloud, a hanging feather, and a rain-falling divine sword... but none of these are sect-protecting divine artifacts.

From the very beginning of the art of magic, the founding masters of each school have crafted a divine artifact for each of the major schools, which is passed down along with the magic techniques as a symbol to guard the sect and protect its heritage. Its importance is self-evident.

Even the essence of each art form is contained within the wondrous use of the sect's sacred artifact.

The power of the Rainfall Divine Sword may not be inferior to that of the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace, but it is not the sect's most treasured artifact, because the wonders of the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace encompass the profound mysteries of alchemy.

Why have almost no disciples of the sect heard of these things these days? The reason is simple: the higher-ups are too embarrassed to mention them again! Of the eight sect-protecting artifacts, four were lost a thousand years ago; half of them were not even preserved!
The Hidden Moth Sect, whose lineage has been severed, has certainly lost its sect's most treasured artifact. As for the other three, they are the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace of the Pill Cauldron Sect, the Bone-Penetrating Mirror of the Body-Observing Sect, and the Zhanghua Divine Seal of the Qi-Observing Sect.

The Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace has now returned to the Pill Cauldron Sect. Seeing this replica of the precious mirror today provides a clue to the whereabouts of the Bone-Penetrating Mirror. Both of these divine artifacts were lost during the internal strife and division within the sect a thousand years ago.

The secret artifact of the Hidden Moth Sect is currently not recorded in any manual. However, based on some speculation, it should be the painting "Tan Xian Leaning on His Staff," or perhaps it wasn't originally called that, since the image of Tan Zu in the painting was added later.

As for the Zhanghua Seal, the sect's most prized artifact, it was lost before the internal strife within the sect.

At that time, the sect leader of the Wangqi Sect went out and disappeared along with his disciples. It is unknown what accident happened to them, and the sect's treasure artifact that he carried with him also disappeared.

Therefore, the later Clan Law Hall no longer mentioned the sect's sacred artifacts, and only high-ranking members above the level of steward knew about them. As for the remaining four sect's sacred artifacts, all schools of magic stipulated that they must not be taken out of the sect's grotto-heaven to prevent the story from repeating itself.

After listening, He Kao asked again, "Then what are the other four sect-protecting artifacts, and what are their uses?"

Li Xiuyuan shook his head and said, "You are not an elder of the Clan Law Hall, so you are not qualified to know these things."

He Kao retorted defiantly, "I am the leader of the Hidden Moth Sect."

Li Xiuyuan said, "Let's talk about it after the Hidden Moth Sect officially returns and you are ranked after the Sect Masters." Then he added, "Although this mirror is not a divine artifact, it is still a rare treasure. You should refine it carefully and not make a fuss about it."

He Kao glanced at the setting sun on the horizon and silently put the mirror into his backpack.

Elder Li said, "Let's go."

He Kao: "Where to?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Same place as always, take me to Dragon Scale Slope. Before anyone else knows about this, I need to pin Zhao Ci down as soon as possible; he probably hasn't even realized what's going on yet."

He Kao: "So, after I see you off, should I still take the high-speed train tomorrow as arranged by Grandpa Jiang and you?"

Li Xiuyuan frowned and said, "Although I didn't want anything to happen, you still encountered an accident. I won't be around anymore, so you don't need to take the high-speed rail. You can go wherever you want, and you can enter the Awakening Flower Cave tomorrow night."

He Kao: "Wait a moment, may I go and pick some phoenix feathers to taste?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Pick as much as you want, and bring some for me too."

He Kao turned to look at the valley he had just left. In the center of that large patch of phoenix feathers, the three pits had not only been filled in, but three small trees had also been planted.

He couldn't help but ask again, "Is that a dragon bone branch?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Yes, it's the Dragon Bone Branch. There were originally five here. Two of them have been used to refine the Pure Yang Pill. Of the remaining three, the largest one is still a bit short of being ready."

The three saplings were of varying heights, the largest being no more than a person's height and the smallest a sapling about a foot long. Their branches were silvery-white, as if coated with wax, and their small, narrow leaves grew only at the tips of the branches.

This is a rare and precious healing medicine, even more valuable than blood coral. He Kao had seen blood coral in Qihuang Lingyuan and Piaocai Cave, but this was the first time he had seen the actual dragon bone branch.

Blood coral is mainly used to treat injuries to flesh and blood, and can also replenish deficiencies in qi and blood, while dragon bone branches are mainly used to treat injuries to tendons and bones, and can even have the effect of removing stubborn diseases and promoting new growth.

The sorcerers of the Huailin lineage donated all the dragon bone branches to refine the Pure Yang Pill, so their contribution was considerable.

Feng Li, a fifth-level cultivator from the Free Alliance, ambushed He Kao here. He had destroyed the medicinal field formation beforehand and even dug up the three dragon bone branches along with the soil covering their roots, presumably intending to transplant them elsewhere.

He Kao walked down the hillside and picked a batch of phoenix feathers with the best spiritual effects, until his shoulders were full. This wasn't much; if he were to use it to refine spiritual medicine, the essence extracted from this bag of wild fruits would probably only fill a small bottle.

Li Xiuyuan shook his head and said, "If you want to refine pills, this is far too little. You'd better get two snakeskin bags, the kind used for fertilizer." He Kao said, "I'm not refining pills for now. I just want to try it out and eat it directly."

Li Xiuyuan shook his head again and said, "If you want to eat it directly, stir-fry it in boiling water and then dry it. It will taste better and have better effects... Never mind, I won't bother you."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the wild fruits flew out of He Kao's backpack. Suddenly, mist gathered in the mountains, then condensed into a ball of clear water that hovered in the air, enveloping the wild fruits. Then, the water began to boil.

With another wave of his hand, Li Xiuyuan caused the water droplets to dissipate into mist, and the wild fruits quickly dried. He grabbed a handful and held them in his hand, while the rest flew back into He Kao's backpack.

This incredible maneuver left He Kao completely dumbfounded.

Normally, a fourth-level cultivator could barely manage each step here, but Elder Li completed it all while suspended in mid-air, his technique was extremely exquisite and as smooth as flowing water.

Li Xiuyuan tasted a phoenix feather knot, and seemed quite satisfied. He spat out the seed, smacked his lips, and said with a slightly smug tone, "How about it? Isn't my alchemy quite superb?"

How should we evaluate this? Li Xiuyuan's alchemy skills are certainly not comparable to Qi Nansheng or Ye Fenghuang, and probably not as good as Mei Guyu either, but they are still quite good. He Kao received his alchemy inheritance from him.

But although his technique was brilliant, it was just boiling a bag of wild fruits and drying them. Why does he sound like he's refined a pure yang elixir?
He Kao couldn't very well complain, so he could only tell the truth: "Your methods are indeed ingenious and sophisticated, but you didn't actually refine any pills, did you?"

Li Xiuyuan said unhappily, "This is a basic skill, which requires ease and fluency. It is very important! And what you lack is this kind of experience. You were sulking with me just now, and I forgot to say some things."

He Kao: "Is there anything else you need?"

Li Xiuyuan: "It's not an order, it's a hint—as a Hidden Moth, you shouldn't use the Rainfall Divine Sword like that!"

He Kao: "Did I use it incorrectly somewhere?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Have you ever played video games?"

He Kao: "Of course."

Li Xiuyuan: "That's easy to describe! The opponent just launched a sneak attack. First, they used a control skill to restrain you from a distance, so that you could only take damage on one side, but couldn't reach the opponent."

You're tanking the opponent's skills, gritting your teeth and sacrificing your health to charge in and kill them. This is actually a very risky and unwise move. Why didn't you dodge first?

He Kao: "That was a sneak attack. I didn't even have time to react before I was hit. I couldn't dodge it."

Li Xiuyuan: "You can run away. First, break free from the opponent's control skills."

He Kao: "He can lock onto me with his magic weapon even from so far away. I can run away, but he can also chase me. I might not be able to escape and I'll lose health all the way. In the end, I'm afraid I'll die a very frustrating death."

Li Xiuyuan: "But you have the Rainfall Divine Sword. Even if you can't kill the opponent, you can sever their divine sense lock and then escape, right? Let's try it!"

He Kao handed the mirror to Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan leaped backward to create distance, first pointing the mirror at He Kao's reflection, then turning the mirror around and making a pinching motion with his other hand towards the mirror's reflection...

He used the magic mirror to cast the immobilization technique of the Observation Sect, just like the assassin.

He Kao stood there without moving, the steel ruler on his side transformed into a sword light and flew out, but instead of slashing at Li Xiuyuan in front of him, it swirled around him and slashed out an arc of light.

Li Xiuyuan's consciousness was in a state of chaos. In that instant, he could no longer lock onto He Kao. Even his five senses could not detect him. Even though he knew that He Kao was standing right there and that throwing a stone might hit him, he simply could not sense him.

The swirling sword light vanished in an instant, and He Kao had already disappeared. He had just used his ability to hide as a moth and had taken the opportunity to travel through space, disappearing to who knows where.

Li Xiuyuan turned his head again and saw He Kao walking down the hillside, smiling and saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Li!"

Li Xiuyuan: "You just learned how to use it? You've wasted the Rainfall Divine Sword in your hands!"

He Kao: "We didn't need to use that move just now. I could have rushed over and killed him."

Li Xiuyuan curled his lip and said, "Charging over while losing health is too risky and too tiring. Since you have the ability to hide, you can escape first and then suddenly appear in another location to catch him off guard!"
Today's guy, you can withstand him and rush over to kill him. But what if you encounter someone with higher cultivation that you can't withstand? Like Fabre the other day, wouldn't this move come in handy then?
Even if you can't beat him, at least you can escape. Maybe you can even sneak back and strike him with a sword.

He Kao opened his mouth, rolled his eyes, and began to imagine that scene. After a while, he finally spoke: "Yes, you are absolutely right! But can I really break through the divine sense lock of a sixth-level cultivator like Fabre?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Normally, of course not, but who told you to bring the Rainfall Divine Sword? Combined with the Hidden Moth's ability, if you really want to run away, there are very few people in the world who can stop you."

Even if an old man like me were to take action, you might escape if I'm not careful. So if I want to deal with you, I should just crush you the moment you're done. I can't afford to waste time with some remote control stuff..."

He Kao: "If I really use this trick, wouldn't it be the same as exposing Yin'e's identity?"

Li Xiuyuan: "If it really comes to that, of course, saving my life is the most important thing."

After thinking for a moment, he frowned and said, "It's a pity that the Rainfall Divine Sword isn't yours, and you'll have to return it to Elder Mei sooner or later. But as far as I know, there's another magic weapon that, if used properly, can also instantly block divine sense."

He Kao: "What kind of magic weapon could possibly compare to the Rainfall Divine Sword?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Of course it can't compare to the Rainfall Divine Sword, but if you suddenly use it, it might be able to block divine sense lock in an instant. I've seen that thing before, you should have heard of it, it's a set of array artifacts called the Flower Blooming in All Seasons Screen."

The Flower Blooming Screen in All Seasons? That was the masterpiece of Guo Qianhuai, the Supreme Elder of the Entering the Subtle Sect. The four elders used this formation when they trapped and killed Master Danqiu and his disciples in the Immortal Pot Cave.

Is Elder Li implying something?

He Kao escorted Li Xiuyuan to Longlin Slope, but did not rush to Jinghua Cave. The agreed time was tomorrow night. He turned around and returned to Piaocai Cave, immediately taking out the newly acquired treasure mirror.

Such a ritual implement cannot be mastered immediately upon handling; it requires proper consecration. This consecration involves communicating with it through spiritual awareness, integrating it with one's body and mind, much like examining and studying the function of a particular organ within oneself.

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(End of this chapter)