Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

The illusion receded like the tide.

Those shimmering seal characters, the aged voices, the swaying log bridge, the bottomless abyss... everything was like a mirage, shattering and dissipating before my eyes.

Qingyouzi slowly opened her eyes.

He was standing in a simple, quiet room.

The stone walls were grayish-white, without windows or decorations, except for a moonstone embedded in the rock overhead that emitted a soft, clear glow. The ground was flat and clean, and the air was filled with a faint, stale scent, like sandalwood but not quite.

Quiet.

Absolute silence.

Even their breathing could be heard clearly.

"Xuan Yizi..."

Qingyouzi murmured the name, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"To be able to set up such an illusionary interrogation that directly targets the core of one's Dao, one's mastery of spiritual array formations is probably beyond the late Nascent Soul stage."

"Could it be... a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

This thought gave him a slight jolt.

Nascent Soul cultivators are legendary figures on the Heavenly Continent. The person he calls "Master" must be a Nascent Soul cultivator.

He shook his head, suppressed his distracting thoughts, and carefully looked around.

"I didn't even notice the illusion shift just now." Qing Youzi frowned slightly. "Such mastery of formations, if one could learn even a little bit from it, would be a great help in setting up, breaking, and even creating traps in the future."

He recalled Xuan Yizi's last two sentences, and a new doubt arose in his heart:

"What exactly is this 'thing' he's talking about?"

"I hate people who only say half of what they mean."

As he was talking to himself, he suddenly remembered something, and his eyes lit up:

"By the way, what about the legacy? After going through so much trouble to pass those three questions, shouldn't you leave something behind?"

Before he could finish speaking...

A slight tremor suddenly came from the floor of the quiet room!

"Rumble..."

Immediately afterwards, three rectangular grooves simultaneously appeared on the stone walls on the left, right, and front sides! Light flowed within the grooves, and three white jade cabinets slowly rose until they stopped at waist level.

The countertop was as smooth as a mirror, and each contained more than ten jade boxes and vases of varying sizes, as well as several magical artifacts.

Qingyouzi's eyes suddenly lit up.

He strode forward, picked up a jade box, and probed it with his divine sense.

Inside the box lay three purple pills, each the size of a longan, their patterns resembling clouds. The fragrance of the medicine wafted through the cracks in the box, and inhaling a single sip brought a sense of clarity to the mind and soul.

"These are all pills that are useful to Nascent Soul cultivators."

it is true.

This time, it's not an illusion.

He examined several more jade boxes and vases, and the more he looked, the more alarmed he became:

It contains millennium-old chalcedony, earth core fire lotus, ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, and even a small bottle of "Nascent Soul Dew," which can quickly repair the origin of the Nascent Soul when it is damaged, making it a life-saving elixir.

"As expected, once you reach the Nascent Soul stage, spirit stones are no longer a hard currency," Qing Youzi muttered to himself. "True treasures are obtained through barter or by chance."

He scanned the counters one by one, then suddenly stopped in front of an inconspicuous gray jade box.

There were no pills or ingredients inside the box.

There are only two thin books.

Qingyouzi took out the first book, the cover of which had four ancient seal script characters:

Yi Xuan Array Explanation

Turning the pages, the ink is as fresh as new.

This is not simply a diagram of a battle formation, but rather Xuan Yizi's understanding, deduction, practice, and annotation of the Dao of Formations over hundreds of years.

"Excellent...excellent!" Qingyouzi praised twice. "With this book in hand, my skills in formations will surely reach a new level!"

Suppressing his excitement, he looked at the second book.

The cover is blank; upon opening the first page, a line of small print catches the eye:

The Seven Chapters of Refining the Spirit focuses on cultivating divine consciousness, tempering the soul, and forging thoughts. The seven chapters are completed.

"A technique to enhance spiritual awareness!" Qing Youzi breathed a long sigh of relief, his eyes gleaming with undisguised joy. "I've been searching desperately for such a method, and I never expected to find it here... It's truly a case of finding something you've been looking for everywhere!"

He quickly flipped through the pages, and his understanding grew clearer.

This "Seven Chapters of Refining the Spirit" is divided into seven realms. With each chapter completed, one's spiritual sense undergoes a qualitative leap. Upon reaching the seventh chapter, the strength of one's spiritual sense can even rival that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

He carefully put away the two thin books, and then found another thick book on the third counter.

The Profound and Easy Heavenly Secret

The fundamental technique for directly achieving spiritual transformation.

Qingyouzi carefully perused the pages, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

This technique is indeed profound and mysterious. When cultivated to its peak, one can sense the laws of heaven and earth and break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage.

but……

"This technique is not entirely compatible with my path of cultivation."

He closed the booklet and muttered to himself.

A trace of determination flashed in his eyes.

"However, the explanations of the Nascent Soul realm and the methods of utilizing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth can be used as a reference. In the future, I may be able to integrate various schools of thought and forge a Nascent Soul path that is uniquely my own."

The method is someone else's path.

But Qingyouzi wants to forge his own path.

After putting away his cultivation technique, Qingyouzi's gaze fell on the magical artifact on the counter.

The first item is a palm-sized bronze bell, its surface covered with fine runes, and its clapper, which resembles jade but is not, has subtle ripples.

"Soul-Shaking Bell..." Qingyouzi infused a trace of magic power into it.

"bite--"

Silent ripples spread out!

The air in the quiet room was slightly distorted. If he hadn't been prepared, he probably would have suffered a hidden loss.

"What a powerful artifact for attacking spiritual energy! The sound of the bell shakes the soul; it's impossible to defend against."

The second item was a jet-black silk net, folded up to the size of a handkerchief, but unfolded to a diameter of three zhang (approximately 6.6 meters). The net's threads were as thin as hair, yet incredibly strong. Qingyouzi attempted to cut it with ten thousand threads, but could only leave shallow marks.

"Hundred Demon Net, a binding defensive magic item. It can be used to trap enemies or protect oneself."

There are a few other magical treasures, such as swords, but they are either damaged in spirit or only at the Golden Core level, so they are not very useful to Qingyouzi now.

He felt a slight regret:

"Unfortunately, there are no magic stones."

But on second thought, the gains from this trip have far exceeded expectations, so there's no need to be greedy.

He took out a new storage bag, activated his magic, and the bag opened like a vortex, sucking in all the jade boxes, jade bottles, and magical treasures on the three counters.

Qingyouzi weighed the heavy bag in her hand and tied it to her waist with satisfaction.

Finally, he carefully scanned the entire quiet room with his divine sense to make sure nothing was missed before walking towards one of the stone walls.

He had previously peered over the wall and found it empty.

Raise your hand and press down lightly with your palm.

"Click."

The stone wall shattered with a crash, revealing the familiar downward stone steps behind it.

On the steps, Lingyu and Old Gao leaned against the wall, their eyes closed, brows furrowed, and foreheads covered in cold sweat. They were clearly still trapped in the illusionary torture and unable to break free.

Qingyouzi walked up the steps and casually cast a spell.

"laugh--"

The bronze lamps embedded on both sides of the stone wall lit up one after another, their dim yellow light dispelling the darkness and illuminating the entire passageway.

He flicked his fingers and sent out two gentle streams of magical energy, which entered the space between the two men's eyebrows.

"what……"

Lingyu was the first to wake up, opening her eyes blankly. Only when she saw Qingyouzi standing in front of her did she suddenly come to her senses:

"Senior? Where are we...?"

Qingyouzi did not answer, but took out a jade box from her storage bag and handed it to her.

"Nurture Pill".

Lingyu was stunned for a moment, then her eyes burst with wild joy!

Her hands trembled slightly as she took the jade box and carefully pushed it open a crack. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, and inside lay a pale gold pill the size of a longan, its patterns resembling a coiled dragon, faintly emitting the cries of an infant.

it is true!

She quickly closed the lid, carefully tucked it into her bosom, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your kindness, senior!"

Qingyouzi nodded slightly.

"The outer layer of mechanisms and formations was already broken when we came in; we can simply return the way we came."

He paused, then looked at Lingyu:

"If there's another 'good thing' like this next time, don't forget to call me."

He added another sentence:

"Also, don't forget about the falcon cub. I will come to find you when the time is right."

Before he finished speaking, his figure had already turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared into the passageway.

"Hey, senior, I still don't know your name?"

Lingyu shouted towards the exit, but received no response.

Outside the Valley of Burial Demons, in front of that smooth stone wall.

Qingyouzi's figure appeared silently.

He turned back and took one last look at the valley that had been silent for thousands of years, his eyes thoughtful.

Then, he turned around.

A blue rainbow rose and shot through the sky.

Behind them, the valley was still shrouded in demonic energy, as if nothing had happened.

Qingyouzi sped across the sea of ​​clouds, his fingers lightly stroking the newly acquired storage bag at his waist, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"This trip... has been very fruitful."

"With these treasures as a safety net, I feel much more confident about the Nascent Soul Trade Fair."

"I wonder what good things I can get in return."

The clouds drift and swirl in the distant sky; the road ahead is long and uncertain.