Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World

Chapter 390 - 385 Selecting Spiritual Treasures! Observe in Secret!_1

How is this possible? It’s too sudden. You’re not deceiving me, are you? I am but a Handyman; how could I inexplicably become a disciple of the Lingbao Sect? The changes are too rapid, utterly inconceivable. What have I done recently that could change my destiny? Refining materials? If this matter were to leak out, some bigwig from the Refining Palace might take notice, and there indeed might be a chance for my fate to change. The Tongtian Tower? I was only a spectator on the side; I’ve never challenged the Tongtian Tower, much less had someone recognize my potential. Or Ma Zhongyuan’s nonsense about ’gifted talent,’ and an Elder’s daughter falling in love with me?

Seeing Jia Ren still confused, the External Affairs Manager decided not to keep him in suspense. "I tested for the Lingbao Sect with Wang Fugui back in the day, but alas, he didn’t stay with the Lingbao Sect and went to the Heavenly Palace Sect instead. Your Inner Sect Disciple spot was bought by him with three Spiritual Treasures. Are you his son? Or his grandson? You don’t look alike, and your surnames are different."

Wang Fugui bought me a position as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Lingbao Sect with three Spiritual Treasures? At this moment, Jia Ren finally understood the source of the unexpected bounty that had fallen into his lap. It was both unexpected and, in hindsight, perfectly reasonable. Apart from Wang Fugui, there is no second person in the world willing to give up three Spiritual Treasures for me.

As his Identity Token was changed, the Tongluo Sound Disc, long silent in his River Mountain Bag, lit up, and Wang Fugui’s voice came through. "Surprised? And delighted?"

Indeed, quite surprised, and indeed, quite delighted. I had thought there had been an accident and was even contemplating how to flee... In an instant, I became an official disciple of the Lingbao Sect. One can only describe human fortune as wondrous.

"The Lingbao Sect is not open to outsiders; he’s waiting outside for you," the External Affairs Director reminded him with a smile.

Jia Ren asked for leave from the External Affairs Director, left the Lingbao Sect, and met Wang Fugui, who had been waiting for a long time outside the mountain. Years had passed since their last meeting, evoking sighs of emotion.

Wang Fugui had wanted to take Jia Ren away from the Sealed Land and, incidentally, bring him to the Lingbao Sect to protect him through his most vulnerable period. However, complications arose due to matters related to Bizarre Demons and his own enemies. Wang Fugui couldn’t contact Jia Ren and didn’t know whether he had escaped the Sealed Land. He reasoned that once Jia Ren left, there was a significant chance he would come to the Lingbao Sect. By waiting at the Lingbao Sect, he was certain he could find the missing Jia Ren. Of course, it wasn’t just about wanting to see him...

The rewards Wang Fugui received for his thousand years as Guardian of the Sealed Land were astonishing. Without sufficient benefits, who would be willing to guard the perilous Sealed Land and the Bizarre Demons for a thousand years? The resources and contributions Wang Fugui obtained were exchanged for Spiritual Treasures, and he had headed straight to the Lingbao Sect. He first contacted his old ’classmates,’ inquiring whether people like Jia Ren, Zhen Yi, Xu Sheng, or Shi Bai had become Protectors. After careful confirmation, he learned of Corpse Guardian Jia Ren. The Heart Inquiry Hall’s records of the Magical Treasure that protected one’s spirit were on file. This reassured Wang Fugui that it wasn’t a case of mistaken identity, so he donated three Spiritual Treasures to the Lingbao Sect. The contributions from his thousand years as Guardian of the Sealed Land, along with his accumulations over many years, had been exchanged for three precious Spiritual Treasures. He gave these to Jia Ren without hesitation.

"With the Lingbao Sect as your support, you’ll be much safer. It’s better than recklessly running around and risking your life," Wang Fugui said. "You mustn’t be like that fellow from the past, challenging those beyond your level." Wang Fugui had staked everything on Jia Ren, linking his entire future to him. He continuously reminded Jia Ren, fearing that he would follow the path of the so-called prodigies.

"Thank you for your cultivation, Wang Daoyou. I will certainly not disappoint your expectations," Jia Ren replied. The Dao of Longevity has always been my pursuit, and if I can ’bring along’ Wang Fugui on the cultivation journey, it wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

"I have a deep friendship with the External Affairs Manager of the Lingbao Sect. When I traveled outside in the past, I helped him a great deal," Wang Fugui continued, speaking incessantly, much like an elder. "I can’t help you much within the Lingbao Sect itself, but in times of trouble, you can ask him for help." By doing this, he provided Jia Ren a stable and reliable connection within the Lingbao Sect, hoping he would go even further. A Late-stage of Soul Transformation Cultivator might be the strongest existence in the Sealed Land, but it’s nothing remarkable in the Mysterious Realm. The help I can offer will only diminish over time. The journey ahead is one he must undertake on his own.

"Thank you, Wang Daoyou. I will forever remember this kindness," Jia Ren said. Wang Fugui had helped him greatly, and such kindness would be repaid the day Jia Ren attained immortality. As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven—that was the principle at work here.

The two talked for several hours, with Wang Fugui focusing on explaining the path of cultivation, the Nascent Soul Stage, and the subsequent Divinity Transformation path, knowledge that would save Jia Ren many detours.

"The road to cultivation ahead is all on you now," Wang Fugui finally said. "It’s time for me to return to the Heavenly Palace Sect!"

With Jia Ren securely positioned in the Lingbao Sect, with the Sect as his backing, his safety was assured, and Wang Fugui could rest easy.

Watching Wang Fugui leave, the External Affairs Manager came to fetch him. "I’ll take you to meet the Internal Affairs Manager, and you can select your Spiritual Treasure."

Select a Spiritual Treasure? Normally, for disciples joining the Lingbao Sect, the benefits plummeted, starting them with only replicas of Spiritual Treasures. This was due to there being too many disciples and not enough resources. However, joining the Lingbao Sect by donating Spiritual Treasures did not affect the benefits received. Upon entering the Sect, I can select a Spiritual Treasure. The Spiritual Treasures come with only usage rights and cannot be sold. Once the user dies or is expelled from the Sect, the Spiritual Treasures will be reclaimed and returned to the Lingbao Sect. Jia Ren, having received the method to refine Spiritual Treasures, initially thought his first Spiritual Treasure would be one forged by his own hands. He had not expected it to come from the Lingbao Sect.

He followed the External Affairs Manager along the Great Dao to the central hall.

"It has been a while since someone has donated treasures..." The Internal Affairs Manager, likewise clad in a purple robe with eyes shimmering green, continuously sized up Jia Ren. Each Spiritual Treasure was extremely precious, and Divine Transformation Cultivators wouldn’t be willing to part with three Spiritual Treasures just to secure a spot for their descendants. Only Void Refinement Cultivators and their corresponding families would be willing to do so. Cultivators of such caliber had a vast array of choices and opportunities and were not limited to the Lingbao Sect. Besides, only truly favored progeny with average Spiritual Root Aptitude would receive such treatment. It was rare for even a few such individuals to emerge in centuries, so naturally, the number of disciples entering the Sect in this manner was not large.

The Internal Affairs Manager gave Jia Ren a deep look before leading him towards the Treasury of Spiritual Treasures; the External Affairs Manager did not follow.

"The rule of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion is to present twenty Spiritual Treasures, and you choose one from them," the Internal Affairs Manager said. "The premise is that these twenty Spiritual Treasures can establish a spiritual connection with you; otherwise, you will miss this opportunity."

In the Lingbao Sect, it wasn’t only about people choosing Spiritual Treasures; more often, it was the Spiritual Treasures choosing their masters. Spiritual Treasures possessing Spiritual Nature were not merely items; they possessed considerable intelligence and could not be treated as mere objects. Ordinary Cultivators could only choose one from nine Spiritual Treasures, but the External Affairs Manager had exerted his influence, increasing the number to twenty. This gave Jia Ren a greater range of choices. There shouldn’t be a scenario where all Spiritual Treasures uniformly ’snub’ me, right?

"Open!"

"Summon Arms!"

The Internal Affairs Manager arrived at the Lingbao Vault, which was empty, devoid of any items. Not until he executed a spell and issued the summons did the place react. In an instant, streaks of light flared, appearing out of thin air, manifesting into Spiritual Treasures of various forms: sabers, spears, axes, pagodas, flags, staves, bells, swords... There were twenty in total, diverse in appearance and type.

Are all these Spiritual Treasures?! It was Jia Ren’s first time seeing so many Spiritual Treasures, and it gave him a considerable shock. If I could get my hands on the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art and devour all twenty Spiritual Treasures in one go, what level would my Cultivation Level reach?

The Internal Affairs Manager did not introduce each Spiritual Treasure and silently disappeared. In a flash, the surroundings dimmed, leaving only the twenty fluttering Spiritual Treasures. Jia Ren appraised the Spiritual Treasures, and the Spiritual Treasures, in turn, observed him. It was unclear by what Method Gate the Spiritual Treasures judged their masters, but the majority showed disdainful expressions as they quickly flew away. The Spiritual Root Aptitude was inadequate! There was no heart of invincibility at the same cultivation level! The disposition wasn’t sharp enough, not belligerent enough... Many Spiritual Treasures had implicit criteria for selecting their masters; a mutual commitment was the most suitable choice. Several other Spiritual Treasures seemed like inanimate objects, showing no reaction, as if their Spiritual Nature had fallen dormant. For a moment, not a single Spiritual Treasure was willing to follow Jia Ren.

"Choosing a Spiritual Treasure is like courting; you have to exhibit your own characteristics to attract them," a voice suddenly said. "Of course, no matter how many Spiritual Treasures are interested in you, it’s useless, as you can only choose one."

Jia Ren’s face took on a strange expression. How come this felt like an otherworldly version of ’If You Are the One’? If I perform splendidly, the Spiritual Treasures will light up for me, and I can take one home? How do I attract them? The first thing he thought of was the Communication Treasure Art, a secret technique that disciples of the Lingbao Sect must learn when choosing a Spiritual Treasure. After mastering the Communication Treasure Art, one could communicate deeply with a Spiritual Treasure, enhancing its Spiritual Nature. The Lingbao Sect bestowed Spiritual Treasures upon disciples, uplifting their Spiritual Nature. This not only increased the disciples’ combat capabilities but also meant the Spiritual Treasures benefited from the disciples’ gains. Those with the most potential might even become Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures.

Let’s see what the effects are? Communication Treasure Art! What Jia Ren activated was merely the first level of the Communication Treasure Art; the full version he had obtained through dubious means couldn’t be openly revealed. The Lingbao Vault seemed unoccupied, but who knew how many pairs of eyes were covertly watching every move here? Revealing the complete Communication Treasure Art would be more harmful than beneficial. Jia Ren used the Communication Treasure Art with some concealment, displaying only Grandmaster Level proficiency. The standard of ’Technique Approaching the Dao’ is too high; I have to hide my brilliance.

An intangible power vibrated, affecting all twenty Spiritual Treasures. Previously indifferent and full of ’scorn’ towards Jia Ren, the Spiritual Treasures suddenly changed their demeanor. They swarmed towards Jia Ren as if invigorated, their spiritual senses connecting with him.

"Choose me!"

"Choose me!"

All twenty Spiritual Treasures, without exception, reacted this way, even those whose Spiritual Nature had seemed dormant and unimpressive.

"It’s been a long time since so many Spiritual Treasures shone together. The last time was with Elder Qi."

"Such profound mastery in the Communication Treasure Art! No one among his peers can compare..."

"He is a promising cultivator of Daoist arts and Divine Skills, suitable to be sent out for experience, to fight for the Sect."

When Jia Ren entered the Lingbao Vault to select a Spiritual Treasure, he attracted the attention of numerous Lingbao Sect powerhouses. Once a Lingbao Sect disciple enters, they come under the scrutiny of the higher-ups; first upon their initial entry into the Sect, and again when they conquer the Tongtian Tower. As long as you excel, an Elder or Ancestor will naturally take notice. They won’t rush to take you as a disciple but will instead observe you from the shadows. As long as your disposition, talent, and other aspects meet the requirements, it won’t be long before you become a True Disciple. Several of the old masters from the Lingbao Sect had taken an interest in Jia Ren; the number of attentive observers was not small.