The battle was truly perilous!

In a normal fight, Shen Lingshi possessed numerous treasures. It would have been difficult for Jia Ren and the Fathead Fish Demon, working together, to kill him. The opponent wasn't keen on a protracted battle and could have escaped easily. Had he not taken an elixir that transformed him into a Bizarre Demon, and had the Banishing Evil Talisman not been able to burn its strange demonic body, weakening its strength, the chances of victory would have been slim. Succeeding in killing such a powerful enemy in this battle was truly fortunate.

Jia Ren secured the Water Mansion and ordered the Fathead Fish Demon to move forward.

"I will help you pull the knife out of your head."

The Fathead Fish Demon had taken a blow for Jia Ren, and a golden Magic Artifact sword was still embedded in its head. The sword had only penetrated three inches into its skin before being stopped by its hard skull.

WHINE! WHINE! WHINE!

I took a blow for my master.

It shook its head, dodging Jia Ren's attempt to pull out the knife, its large watery eyes brimming with emotion.

"Alright, you deserve a reward."

Jia Ren was not stingy and threw two hundred pieces of Spirit Attracting Bait to the Fathead Fish Demon. It quickly swallowed the bait and squinted its eyes, looking thoroughly pleased.

Just as Jia Ren was about to pull out the golden sword, it dodged again by shaking its head.

Don't pull it out.

Jia Ren was baffled.

Does it look good with a golden sword sticking out of your forehead? Doesn't your head hurt?

After several unsuccessful attempts, Jia Ren gave up.

Perhaps it's a peculiar hobby of its. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious.

The Fathead Fish Demon, being a cunning fish, was secretly delighted. It had its own little schemes.

Having made a contribution, I need to show it off. The golden sword on my head is proof that I took the blow. If I keep this appearance, wouldn't Master be more willing to feed me Spirit Attracting Bait in the future? To get more bait, I can endure this little injury.

"It's good that you're fine."

The changes in the Water Mansion had prompted Zhang Pengpeng, who was in secluded cultivation, to emerge early. Seeing Jia Ren safe and sound, she finally felt a great sense of relief.

"Let's set off."

The Fathead Fish Demon moved swiftly through the water, towing the Water Mansion along.

From a greater distance, a hundred Sonic-Thief Mosquito Kings hurried from the direction of Jade Cauldron Market, landed on the Water Mansion moving in the river, and entered the Spirit Beast Bag.

The Fathead Fish Demon sped up, heading upstream rapidly.

The Surging River is thousands of miles long. I wonder if it connects to other rivers?

The Fathead Fish Demon spent most of its time near the Water Mansion, rarely venturing upstream. With no tributaries discovered, there was no worry of getting lost. In the water, it occasionally sensed the presence of hidden Magical Beasts, some strong, some weak, mostly First-Order Monsters, with no Second-Order Monsters detected. Sensing the Fathead Fish Demon's aura, they dared not reveal themselves and steered clear of it.

Jia Ren gave the order to retreat at full speed. After confirming there was no immediate danger, he entered the Water Mansion to take stock of his gains.

There were five Hundred Directions Storage Bags, packed to the brim.

Spoils included: two Superior-grade Spirit Stones, four hundred and thirty-five Medium-grade Spirit Stones, fifty-nine thousand, seven hundred and eighty-six Low-grade Spirit Stones, and Three Fragmented Spirits.

There were three bottles of Solidifying Yuan Pills suitable for Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivators, totaling twenty-three pills. Additionally, there were five unknown crimson elixirs, their Spiritual Power far more abundant than Solidifying Yuan Pills, likely for Foundation Establishment Late Stage consumption, totaling twelve pills. There were also nine bottles of Consolidating Spirit Liquid for quickly restoring the Spiritual Power of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and one bottle of Bright Spirit Heart Milk to assist in overcoming the Gold Core Heart Demon Tribulation.

Talismans included: three Medium-Grade Low-grade Jade Armor Talismans, four Medium-Grade Low-grade Divine Wind Talismans, one Medium-Grade Superior-Grade Fiery Heaven Talisman, and two Medium-Grade Low-grade Sweet Dew Reviving Talismans.

Magical Artifacts included: a Top-grade Magical Instrument, the Jade Spirit Law Sword; the Slaughter Yuan Golden Knife (a Top-grade Magical Instrument) that was on the Fish Demon's head; a Superior Grade Blue Cloud Robe; the Superior Evil-warding Artifact, the Xuanmo Protective Spirit Mirror; a damaged Top-grade Defense Artifact, the Black Xuan Shield; and a Top-grade Magical Instrument, the Xuanling Silkworm Armor.

Other treasures were the Talisman Treasure Stabilizing Dragon Plate and Black Inkstone Platform, and the Soul-Seizing Scheming Device. There was also one Seven-Star Silver Array Plate.

Besides these, there was an enormous quantity and variety of medicinal materials, far exceeding his expectations and vastly superior to the medicinal ingredient stores he had seen in the Great Wilderness Market's secret shops.

Talismans, Elixirs, Magic Artifacts—the quantity and variety were immense, many bearing the mark of Tianbao Pavilion. These items came from the Storage Bags of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu and were mostly assets of Tianbao Pavilion.

What a windfall! This wealth far exceeds my imagination. These materials are enough to refine several batches of Fish Saint Pills, and I can also refine a few cauldrons of other types of elixirs. Why bother searching for materials? Targeting Foundation Establishment Cultivators is the quickest shortcut...

Jia Ren quickly dismissed the dangerous thoughts that had risen in his mind and regained his composure.

How could an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator possess such immense wealth? The wealth of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu was astonishing, primarily because he had made a killing from the Market. The assets of Tianbao Pavilion and many other shops fell into his hands; how could he not be rich? Killing this fellow was equivalent to obtaining the immense wealth of several shops. The other one was a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator. My victory over him was largely due to luck. If I really think I can easily kill Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators, I'll definitely die a miserable death.

Jia Ren's gaze swept quickly over the Magic Artifacts. They were all standard Magic Artifacts. Given time, I'm confident I can refine them all myself.

But five treasures in particular made him giddy with excitement, and he couldn't stop smiling.

One was the Superior Evil-warding Artifact, the Xuanmo Protective Spirit Mirror. He had seen this Evil Warding Artifact at the entrance when he first arrived at Jade Cauldron Market. Superior Evil-warding Artifacts are rare and priceless. At the time, the thought of snatching it even crossed my mind. Less than half a year has passed, and this Superior Evil-warding Artifact has actually fallen into my hands. The serendipity of this world is truly ingenious. The Xuanmo Protective Spirit Mirror is known to have an evil-dispelling effect. What other effects it might have will require experimentation.

The most precious treasures, however, came from the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Bizarre Alliance Cultivator. For example, the two Talisman Treasures.

I've read about Talisman Treasures in the Compendium of Strange Items. It's a special item that falls between a Talisman and a Magic Artifact. It involves permanently sacrificing a portion of a Magical Treasure's power, allowing even Cultivators below the Golden Core Realm to unleash some of the Magical Treasure's might. A truly exceptional item. Unless a Golden Core Cultivator is at death's door, with little time left, no one would willingly damage a Magic Artifact nurtured through their lifeblood to refine a Talisman Treasure. These items are rare; each use means one less in existence. Cultivators who obtain a Talisman Treasure rarely use it, typically keeping it as an ace up their sleeve.

Holding the two Talisman Treasures, Jia Ren couldn't stop smiling.

I've personally witnessed the effects of the Talisman Treasure Stabilizing Dragon Plate. It can not only control Magical Beasts but also temporarily immobilize their innate Spells. It's a powerful control-type Talisman Treasure with formidable capabilities.

The other Talisman Treasure, the Black Inkstone Platform, was no less impressive. The inkstone itself could serve as a Defense Artifact, and the ink threads it produced were protean, versatile for offense, defense, and control. Its drawback is that its control isn't as good as the Dragon-Controlling Disk, and its offensive and defensive capabilities are likely inferior to specialized Talisman Treasures. However, the power unleashed by a Talisman Treasure surpasses that of a Top-grade Magical Instrument. This treasure has a wide range of applications and strong practical use.

Jia Ren's gaze lingered on the Dragon-Controlling Disk. It glowed brightly, indicating it hadn't been used much—it was about ninety percent new and could still be used many times. In contrast, the spiritual light of the Black Inkstone Platform was dim, indicating it didn't have many uses left.

The fourth treasure was the Bright Spirit Heart Milk, similar in effect to the Pure Spirit Jade Milk, but much more precious in value and efficacy. The former helps overcome the Foundation Establishment Heart Demon Tribulation, while the latter is for the Golden Core Heart Demon Tribulation. Both are exceedingly precious. Opening the Jade Vase revealed a total of ten drops of Bright Spirit Heart Milk, each one priceless.

Five drops should be enough for my needs. The rest can be used to aid in cultivating the Thousand Threads of Myriad Souls Technique. Unfortunately, I only have the first two layers of the technique and can't continue cultivating it for now...

Jia Ren couldn't help but sigh, cautiously tucking away the small vial of Bright Spirit Heart Milk.

The last item was… the Soul-Seizing Scheming Device!

Then there's the Bizarre Formation. I haven't studied the incomplete formation yet. Formations demand precision; even the slightest flaw can lead to major problems. It will be a long time before I can replicate this Bizarre Formation. The Mysterious Instrument is different; it's relatively well-preserved. Now that I have it, I can still use it.

Jia Ren deliberately put on a pair of thin Medium-grade Magic Tool gloves, which secretly contained an Evil Warding Talisman, to prevent any mishap. The Soul Extracting Awl was not activated and showed no abnormalities. It didn't look much different from a normal High-Grade Magical Artifact. Who could imagine the danger lurking within? A Cultivator facing it wouldn't be dealing with a Magic Artifact's attack, but rather a bizarre power that's incredibly difficult to defend against. This is a potent tool for ambushing others.

Jia Ren continued to scrutinize the Soul Extracting Awl. It would be one of his next research targets, as he aimed to replicate it.

"A bountiful harvest!"

Jia Ren put away his Storage Bags and dispatched his Insect External Incarnation to maintain vigilance. He entered the quiet room of the Water Mansion, took out a Solidifying Yuan Pill, and began to meticulously smell it.

Compared to Magic Artifacts and Mysterious Instruments, what I most want to replicate are Elixirs. Magic Artifacts are ultimately external aids. One's own Cultivation Level and Realm are what truly matter and cannot be neglected. I need to analyze its medicinal properties, combine this with the alchemy notes I obtained earlier, and strive to replicate the Solidifying Yuan Pill's Alchemy Recipe. I don't need to pursue a 100% exact replication. As long as I can broadly analyze it without deviating from the core principles, and then optimize it with the Proficiency Panel, the final product will surely surpass the original Solidifying Yuan Pill.

The faint fragrance of Five-Leaf Orchid, medicinal properties of at least a hundred years... the aura of a Seven-Angled Insect? And a Spirit Insect?

Jia Ren sniffed it carefully, then used a small knife to scrape off a tiny bit of powder from the pill and tasted it. This was to perform a second confirmation of the medicinal ingredients he could identify by taste. With his Grandmaster Level proficiency in Thousand Herb Solutions, his understanding of Spiritual Medicines surpassed countless others. Tasting and identifying ingredients was incredibly simple for him. Identifying medicinal ingredients is a cornerstone of Alchemy. Based on the tasted properties, he could substitute ingredients. Throughout history, the recipes for many ancient Elixirs were lost, and their ingredients had to be replaced using similar methods of analysis and substitution. In this aspect, no one could compare to Jia Ren.

As the Solidifying Yuan Pill dissolved, a surging medicinal power coursed through his meridians, continuously transforming into Spiritual Power. Its effects were far from comparable to any Spirit Enhancement Pill he had taken before. The two had a fundamental difference. The former transformed Spiritual Power into a gaseous state, while the latter transformed it into a liquid state—a fundamental difference in quality.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Jia Ren finally experienced the sensation of his Spiritual Power growing rapidly. His cultivation progress far exceeded his expectations.

Four hours later, one Solidifying Yuan Pill was completely refined. His Proficiency Level increased by ten points, equivalent to two or three months of normal meditation.

Cultivating with Elixirs is indeed much faster.

Jia Ren wasn't in a hurry to take a second Elixir. He carefully recorded the medicinal ingredients he had sensed and then took out the alchemy notes he had obtained previously to compare and contrast. He noted down the similarities. Alchemy and experimenting with Elixirs is meticulous work. The slightest deviation in medicinal properties or fire control can affect the success or failure of the refinement. After thorough confirmation, he proceeded with the second trial. Through twenty-three rounds of cross-comparison, he aimed to deduce the closest possible approximation of the true Alchemy Recipe.

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