"A treasure?"

Dongfang Qing's words aroused intense curiosity in Qi Xiu and the others.

Who was Dongfang Qing?

The Supreme Patriarch of the Shenxiao Sect in the present day!

A titan of the Primordial Spirit Realm!

Could something he called a treasure be anything ordinary?

Enjoying the fervent, curious gazes of the crowd, Dongfang Qing smiled faintly, reached into his sleeve, and pulled out an item.

"Is this... a seed?"

Staring intently, Qi Xiu and the others fixed their gazes on the object in Dongfang Qing's palm, their expressions startled.

On Dongfang Qing's hand lay a crystal seed that had sprouted tiny green shoots. It was translucent and emitted a layer of sparkling radiance. Yet, this light was peculiar: at times sacred and luminous, at times gloomy and filled with dark energy; sometimes it cast a warm, universal glow, and other times it was fierce with demonic mist.

It cycled endlessly, repeating over and over.

"Isn't this the Shenyi Seed? Has it actually been successfully developed?" Daoist Yunxiong seemed to recognize the crystal seed with its ever-changing aura. His beard trembled, and a hint of amazement showed in his eyes.

"Mm. It must be fate. That King Xiahou Xuanji of the Yin Tian Nation had a stroke of incredible luck and actually obtained two true transmissions of the Hell Dao. One of them happened to contain the missing component we needed to develop the Shenyi Seed. So, this Shenyi Seed, which we failed to create for so long, finally had a breakthrough. A few were successfully made. These Shenyi Seeds have been refined and are now fully mature. Xiahou Xuanji was captured by us because of these 'children.' So naturally, they get to enjoy the fruits first," Dongfang Qing said with a light smile.

"Master, what is a Shenyi Seed?" Wei Wujie asked quietly, leaning closer to Daoist Yunxiong.

"The Shenyi Seed... its origins are a long story." Instead of answering Wei Wujie directly, Daoist Yunxiong looked towards Dongfang Qing, his eyes silently asking for permission.

The Shenyi Seed was a top secret of the Shenxiao Sect. Without the Sect Master's approval, he couldn't casually disclose information about it, not even to his own direct disciples.

Dongfang Qing nodded slightly and said, "This Shenyi Seed is a closely guarded secret of our sect. Its origin can be traced back to the Hell Dao, one of the Ten Great Demon Sects of the Middle Ancient Era."

Hell Dao.

Hearing this term once again, Qi Xiu's gaze flickered. Previously, to subdue the Dual Heart Mirror, he had visited the Hell Forest, the ruins of the Hell Dao's main altar. The place was extremely dangerous and clearly still contained a vast amount of the Hell Dao's treasures and Magic Artifacts—a veritable treasure trove. Also, within the Shenxiao Sect, after advancing to the Blood-Stained Realm, one could apply for a secret technique from the Hell Dao.

Adding to this the Shenyi Seed before him, with its profound aura...

It seemed that the Shenxiao Sect's past annihilation of the Hell Dao, done with the sect's full might, wasn't just about vanquishing demons and upholding the Righteous Path. There were likely some deep, unknown secrets involved...

Dongfang Qing continued, "This Shenyi Seed was born from 'Six Paths Samsara,' the supreme holy method of the Hell Dao, combined with the secret techniques of our Shenxiao Sect. By consuming this seed, you will gain a Divine Marvel out of thin air. There's no need for cultivation or nurturing. The only drawback is that the power of the Divine Marvel is fixed; whatever its strength at its inception, it will remain so forever, unimprovable by any other means."

Hearing Dongfang Qing's explanation, Qi Xiu and the others all showed a hint of astonishment.

Divine Marvels, to put it plainly, were specific manifestations extending from the Dao itself. All True Scripture Volumes essentially aimed to bring one closer to the Dao, thereby allowing one to control and obtain Divine Power. And this Shenyi Seed allowed one to gain a Divine Marvel out of thin air.

Wouldn't that be equivalent to the user having cultivated a Dharma Gate to the Perfect Realm out of thin air?

"If the Shenyi Seed is this powerful, then who would need to cultivate? Couldn't one just continuously consume these seeds?" Li Jun blurted out his question upon hearing about the seed's efficacy.

If the effects of the Shenyi Seed were truly so profound, it would be revolutionary for the current Cultivation Realm.

"Divine Marvels are good, but they don't touch the foundation of seeking immortality and the Dao. Without a sufficient foundation, Divine Marvels are more harmful than beneficial. If a child wields a sword that can cut iron like mud, the first one they'll injure is themselves. These Shenyi Seeds are extremely difficult to create. Our sect has poured all its resources and hundreds of years of painstaking effort into making fewer than ten of them. Furthermore, because this item goes against the natural order, consuming it will diminish one's fortune, so it cannot be eaten in excess. Therefore, you should consider this carefully. If you feel that diminishing your fortune isn't a worthwhile trade-off, the Sect can provide you with a different reward. After all, our Shenxiao Sect has many treasures, doesn't it?" Dongfang Qing gave the choice to Qi Xiu and the others.

The effects of the Shenyi Seed were indeed heaven-defying: to gain a Divine Marvel from nothing. This was equivalent to saving decades of arduous cultivation and acquiring a trump card.

As for the issue of diminishing fortune... what in the world is perfect and without flaws? If the Shenyi Seed truly had no side effects, its very emergence would likely have attracted heavenly punishment, erasing it from existence; it could never have been preserved.

After a brief period of thought, Qi Xiu and the others all decided to use the Shenyi Seed. As for the matter of diminishing fortune, there would naturally be other ways to compensate.

「Yunti Peak, within the secluded courtyard.」

Lying on a rocking chair, Qi Xiu held a porcelain bowl filled with a golden, boiling, thick soup that shimmered like molten gold. This Dragon Whale Soup contained one-fifth of the life essence of a Dragon Whale, a dragon-type relict beast at the pinnacle of the Blood-Stained Realm. Its Vigor was exceedingly abundant, incredibly potent and rich. A great cultivator at the Blood-Stained Realm might barely be able to digest it, but for Qi Xiu, it was like freshly erupted volcanic lava—utterly unpalatable.

After scrutinizing it for a long while and confirming he couldn't digest this precious soup anytime soon, Qi Xiu had no choice but to seal the bowl of Dragon Whale Soup using the Suppression Talisman Seal Skill and store it away. He would consume it after advancing to the Blood-Stained Realm.

"Divine Marvels obtained out of thin air truly are intriguing," he murmured.

Taking out the Shenyi Seed gifted to him by Patriarch Dongfang Qing, Qi Xiu's gaze focused, a purple light swirling in his eyes as he activated his Observing Qi Skill to examine this peculiar treasure.

Under the vision of the Observing Qi Skill, the seed was wreathed in countless mysterious, abstruse auras. Its roots delved deep into the void, seemingly drawing sustenance from the boundless Dao. And hovering faintly above the seed, a dense, heavy black qi was coalescing.

This black qi must be the culprit that causes a loss of fortune when one consumes the Shenyi Seed, he deduced.

Although he had discovered this black qi, Qi Xiu had no way to disperse it. This was a law of nature. The Shenyi Seed's effect was too heaven-defying and had to be restricted; otherwise, it would violate the natural order.

I wonder what Divine Marvel I will receive.

After examining it for a moment, Qi Xiu popped the Shenyi Seed into his mouth. The lychee-sized seed instantly melted into a cool stream upon entry, surging throughout his body and vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye, as if it had never existed.

Blinking, Qi Xiu carefully sensed every corner of his body, then scratched his eyebrow.

Hmm? It seems like… nothing happened. Has it expired?

Just as Qi Xiu was wondering if his Shenyi Seed might be an expired product, he suddenly noticed a bronze bell in his right hand. It had appeared out of nowhere—ancient and substantial, forged entirely from bronze, its handle adorned with countless tiny, mysterious humanoid figures barely discernible to the naked eye!

The next instant, an influx of profound information poured into Qi Xiu's mind like a Dharmic Revelation, vividly explaining the effects of the Divine Power he had acquired. Divine light flickered in his eyes as countless scenes from the river of time surged violently within them.

At the same time, the wisp of luck-damaging black qi that had been hovering above the Shenyi Seed began to slowly encroach upon Qi Xiu, seeking to corrupt his fortune now that he had consumed the seed. However, just as this malevolent qi drifted above Qi Xiu's crown, preparing to strike—

BUZZ—

The void trembled, and a golden halo forged from Human Path Merit suddenly materialized. Its endlessly radiating golden brilliance coalesced into a formless, giant hand, which, with a resounding SMACK, struck the luck-damaging black qi, dispersing it into nothingness.

Human Path Merit protection!

It took Qi Xiu a full three days and nights to completely digest the vast torrent of information that had surged into his mind like a colossal wave, and to thoroughly master the Divine Marvel he had obtained out of thin air.

**Divine Bell:** Shaking this bell can summon Spirit Beings from all heavens and myriad realms to aid in battle; the strength of the summoned Spirit Beings will be two realms lower than the user's, and the number summoned will depend on the user's own energy consumption.

Two realms below mine… Qi Xiu frowned deeply, his expression complex as he looked at the ancient, weighty Divine Bell in his hand. I'm currently at the Dao-Entering Realm. If we're talking major realms, wouldn't a disparity of two realms mean they'd be at the Condensation Realm? And by this logic, only when I reach the Dao Body Realm can I summon helpers from the Dao-Entering Realm. It won't be until the Primordial Spirit Realm that I can summon helpers from the Blood-Stained Realm. But by the time I reach those cultivation levels, what difference is there between helpers of such a low level and ants?

For the first time, Qi Xiu deeply felt what a "chicken rib" was—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.

Forget it. It's a Divine Marvel I got for free. What more could I ask for? Who needs a bicycle anyway?

Comforting himself with these thoughts, Qi Xiu waved his hand, dismissing the bronze Divine Bell. He had just settled back into his rocking chair when, a second later, he shot bolt upright.

That's not right! Since the Divine Bell has merged into my body and become one of my abilities... doesn't that mean…

A glint in his eyes, Qi Xiu mentally summoned his Skill Proficiency panel.

As expected!

[Divine Bell: 0%]

If even something as abstract as Human Path Merit can be incorporated by the Proficiency Divine Marvel, how could a Divine Marvel evolved from the Shenyi Seed escape it? Qi Xiu's eyes sparkled brilliantly as he rubbed the thumb ring on his finger.

Apart from diminishing fortune, another drawback of the Shenyi Seed is that the Divine Marvel it grants is fixed; its effects, once obtained, can never be changed. But now that the Divine Bell has appeared on the Skill Proficiency panel, it means the rules of the Shenyi Seed have been overridden by the Proficiency Divine Marvel. The Divine Bell can also be enhanced by the Proficiency Divine Marvel to increase its level and gain even stronger effects.

As long as I can grind, nothing is a problem. The Divine Bell at its initial level is unremarkable, but once its level increases, I'm afraid it won't be inferior to any Mysterious Ability I possess.

Keenly aware of how terrifyingly powerful the Divine Bell could become once upgraded, Qi Xiu was just about to test its effects when he saw the proficiency of this Mysterious Ability on the Skill Proficiency panel suddenly begin to rise on its own.

Rolling his eyes, Qi Xiu held his forehead and shook his head. Tai Yin! Couldn't you have waited for me to try it out first?

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