Mortal: I'm in Tianxing City, intelligence updates daily.

Seeing the crack in the light curtain, Li Shizhou was overjoyed.

The message is marked "Safe," indicating that there is no additional danger.

So he didn't hesitate. With a command, the dog carried him and leaped into the crack in the light curtain. After falling seven or eight feet, it landed steadily on the ground.

Once inside, Li Shizhou looked around and discovered that it was a man-made cave, about two miles wide and long.

A sphere emitting a dazzling light floats above the cave ceiling, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime.

The entire space was deathly silent; not even a mosquito could be found.

Beneath Li Shizhou's feet was a jade-paved plaza, covered in a thick layer of dust that would fly everywhere with the slightest movement.

Three white palaces, each over ten feet tall, sit around the square.

The palace walls showed obvious signs of weathering, and there were many pieces of broken wall debris piled up in the corners, indicating that they had been neglected for a long time.

The only character on the plaque above the palace directly in front of him is the character "器" (qì).

The font is quite different from the ones currently popular in the Chaotic Star Sea, but it is still barely recognizable.

The two statues on the left and right are inscribed with the characters "丹" (Dan) and "符" (Fu).

Of the three palaces, only the Weapon Hall still has the array light curtains at the entrances of the other two.

According to the daily opportunity report, the light curtain rift that you just entered will completely close in an hour. If you don't get out within that time, you'll most likely be trapped here and die.

Time was of the essence, so Li Shizhou climbed off the dog's back and began to probe outwards with his divine sense as he headed towards the Weapon Hall.

Inside, there is a corridor about ten feet wide, at the end of which is a black stone door that cannot be penetrated by divine sense.

After walking more than a hundred steps along the corridor, he used his magic to push the stone door open, and his divine sense was no longer obstructed.

Inside was a spacious circular space, about seventy or eighty zhang in diameter and more than ten zhang in height.

A sphere, several sizes smaller than the outside, floated above the dome, radiating the same light.

In the center of the space stood a stone table and chairs, with several black cups on the table. The surrounding walls were covered with grids of varying sizes, numbering in the thousands, but most of them were empty.

Li Shizhou counted and found there were seventy-eight compartments left, filled with all sorts of objects.

Knives, spears, swords, halberds, axes, bells, lamps, mirrors—all the common forms found in the world of cultivation are present.

Even though they had been placed here for countless years, each one still radiated a precious light, and it was clear at a glance that its power was extremely great, far surpassing the top-tier magic artifacts he possessed.

Unfortunately, each grid is blocked by a transparent light curtain, though the thickness varies.

Looking at the treasure trove before him, Li Shizhou was stunned for a long time before stopping in front of a giant silver axe to examine it closely.

This giant axe was seven or eight feet long, with a blade that gleamed coldly, and a handle made of brown wood.

"I wonder if this is a magical artifact or an ancient treasure."

Both magical artifacts and ancient treasures are powerful items crafted by cultivators, but they are quite different.

Magical artifacts are crafted by modern cultivators and can be stored within the body for slow nurturing. As time accumulates and the owner's cultivation level increases, their power will be greatly enhanced.

Ancient treasures were crafted by ancient cultivators, but the specific crafting methods have been lost. What exists today are remnants from ancient times.

Ancient treasures cannot be absorbed into the body to nurture and enhance their power, and their supernatural abilities are limited.

However, each of these ancient treasures possesses immense power, far surpassing that of ordinary magical artifacts.

In the original novel, Han Li's blood-red cloak and the ancient treasure in the flower basket were such treasures, which greatly helped him.

Magical artifacts and ancient treasures also have something in common: they require a cultivation level of Core Formation or higher to control.

After carefully examining the space for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Li Shi walked to a small golden bell about half a foot tall, engraved with inscriptions and patterns that he could not decipher.

The light barrier in front of this treasure is the thinnest, appearing to be about the thickness of a sheet of paper.

Li Shizhou decided to start with this one. He first controlled his flying sword to slash at it. The light screen trembled slightly but did not shatter directly.

In order to save time, Li Shizhou not only controlled the flying sword to attack, but also took out the talisman he had obtained during the Qi Refining stage, and at the same time used the "Spirit Erosion Technique" to corrode the light screen.

Finally, he commanded the dog to join the attack. The tip of its long, thin tail was now like a sharp blade, and its attack power was comparable to that of a top-tier magic weapon.

Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the light screen finally gave way and shattered.

He quickly used his object manipulation technique to bring the golden bell to his front, and without even looking at it, he put it into his storage bag before heading towards his next target.

The second target was a purple-gold armor, somewhat similar in style to the one he was wearing.

This time the array light barrier was thicker, and it took about half an incense stick's time to retrieve the item.

Finally, he also took out a golden gauntlet. The remaining treasures were clearly more protective than the three he had acquired, and the power of the talisman had been exhausted.

He estimated that there wasn't enough time to retrieve another item, and his own safety was paramount, so he decisively turned and walked out.

As I passed the stone table in the very center of the space, a faint scent of wood wafted over, bringing a sense of comfort deep within my soul.

He stopped and walked to the stone table, where he discovered that the woody fragrance was coming from the cup on it.

Li Shizhou picked up the cup and saw that it was made of wood and was much heavier than ordinary wood.

The patterns and colors are extremely similar to the legendary Soul-Nourishing Wood.

In the world of cultivation, there are three divine trees.

They are: Thunder Bamboo, Soul-Nourishing Wood, and Spirit Eye Tree.

Before the ancient demons invaded the human world, these three divine trees were extremely precious.

Nowadays, the spiritual energy in the cultivation world is far less than in ancient times, and the Thunder Bamboo is almost extinct.

The only tree mentioned in the original book that is the Spirit Eye Tree is the one in Yunmeng Mountain, where the Luoyun Sect is located.

The original book rarely mentioned the Soul-Nourishing Wood. He only remembered the section in the Void Heaven Palace, and he figured its current situation was similar to that of the Golden Thunder Bamboo.

If the wooden cup on the stone table is indeed made of Soul-Nourishing Wood, then the ancient sect to which this treasure vault belongs is truly extravagant; perhaps this sect existed even before the ancient demon invasion.

Now is not the time to argue. Li Shizhou rolled up the five teacups on the table and put them into his storage bag.

Then he walked out of the stone gate without stopping.

Upon arriving at the plaza, Li Shizhou glanced back at the three main halls, feeling a pang of regret.

The three treasures he acquired today, whether they were magical artifacts or ancient treasures, were beyond his current cultivation level to control.

Even if the cups were made of Soul-Nourishing Wood, he only dared to use them secretly. If his cultivation level were discovered, he would definitely attract covetous eyes.

If we could obtain talismans or pills, that would be even more useful. Perhaps there would be a Heaven-Mending Pill among them, which can improve a cultivator's aptitude.

However, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Once my cultivation level breaks through or my array formation skills improve, I can come back again.

According to the information from the opportunity, this formation only has greatly reduced defensive power, but its ability to conceal one's aura has not been weakened much, so it is not afraid of being discovered by other cultivators.