Chapter 80: Magic Treasure Embryo
Fang Shu immediately turned around and also walked to the spot where the Follower Bug was lying.
After he arrived here, the restless Gu Worms on his body all became much quieter, no longer eager to burrow out.
However, Fang Shu tested by taking another Gu Worm out from his sleeve.
Under his gaze, that Gu Worm, although not as target-oriented as the Follower Bug, still wandered in mid-air for a long time before plopping down to the ground.
It sniffed around everywhere and finally approached the Follower Bug, also trying to burrow into that stone crevice.
Immediately, Fang Shu understood that this place was most likely the spot in the entire Cave where the Metal and Stone Poison was most concentrated.
These Gu Worms, especially that Follower Bug.
Their sensitivity to Metal and Stone Poison far exceeded Fang Shu’s, and moreover, the Gu Worms didn’t understand restraint or lack thereof; they only acted on instinct or commands.
Fang Shu didn’t hesitate any longer. He immediately forcibly recaptured two Gu Worms, held his breath and restrained his spirit, held the Long Tongue Sword in hand, and dug toward the ground.
Sizzle! Cutting marks appeared on the large Stalactite in the Cave.
The instant the Stone Block was cut open, Fang Shu suddenly felt a metallic taste in his mouth and nose again. Even with the Lead Stone blocking it, he felt his Bones inside his body starting to itch.
But fortunately, this level was still something he could briefly endure.
Dividing his attention to the Dao Talisman and confirming his physical condition, Fang Shu continued.
Buzz buzz, the Stalactite continued to be cut open.
In the end, Fang Shu himself was fine, but the Second Tribulation Long Tongue Sword in his hand couldn’t bear it first. Even though he hadn’t infused much Qi and Blood yet, the sword body became extremely hot, making it hard for him to grip.
It was unknown whether this item would be damaged or benefit after today.
But at this moment, Fang Shu couldn’t care about that. In a few swift moves, he completely cut the Grindstone-sized Stalactite into several pieces and flipped them all open.
Thus, a surprising scene appeared: there was nothing inside the cut-open Stalactite, but below it was a flat Stone Platform. On the Stone Platform were carved twisting patterns that flickered indeterminately, wriggling like snakes and insects—clearly Secret Script characters.
Fang Shu immediately had the Dao Talisman record all these Secret Script characters in his mind, then he lowered the Long Tongue Sword and rubbed it against the Grindstone-sized Stone Platform.
He thought to himself: “This is… an Altar?”
With the object resembling an Altar exposed, Fang Shu dug into the surrounding rock layers again, soon removing all the Stalactites within a one-zhang radius, revealing the Altar deeply buried below.
After carefully examining it, it was indeed as he expected: what appeared before him was an Altar!
Moreover, the Secret Script characters inscribed on the Altar were interlocked, and the Altar itself still had lingering Spiritual Energy.
Although Fang Shu couldn’t figure out the meaning of these Secret Scripts on the Altar for the moment, it didn’t hinder him from probing the Altar’s purpose step by step like following a map.
Soon, based on the direction of the Secret Scripts, the concentration of Metal and Stone Poison, and various other factors, he turned his gaze to the Altar itself.
Sizzle!
A sound of metal clashing rang out, and the Long Tongue Sword in his hand thrust forward, wanting to chop this one-zhang radius Altar into pieces.
However, the Altar’s material was tough, and it had been nourished by an unknown amount of years of Spiritual Energy, with abundant metallic nature inside, causing the Long Tongue Sword to suffer a slight loss.
Fortunately, the current Long Tongue Sword was not a First Tribulation one, and plus the Secret Scripts on the Altar were already worn, with the whole thing in a damaged state. After Fang Shu patiently cut it for a while, he finally split the Altar into multiple pieces.
Immediately, a thumb-sized Bead rolled down from the center of the Altar.
The instant it appeared, the concentration of Metal and Stone Poison in the entire Cave reached its peak. The rusty metallic taste in Fang Shu’s mouth grew even heavier, and even the Dao Talisman in his mind was frantically warning him.
That Bead was pitch black in color, like a black pearl, and was precisely the source—or core—of the Metal and Stone Poison in the entire Cave.
Fang Shu narrowed his eyes and saw that the air near the Bead was distorted, as if extremely hot, and though it itself didn’t emit light, the air one chi away glowed brightly, forming signs like Ghost Fire burning.
Fang Shu stared fixedly at the Bead, his breathing suddenly heavy. He knew he had encountered a Treasure again, and this Treasure’s value was likely even greater than Purple Lead Mica Milk!
But after merely thinking for a moment, he immediately withdrew his thoughts, not daring to be distracted any longer.
Because the Dao Talisman was currently frantically warning him, and the crude Lead Stone Armor on his body couldn’t properly isolate the dense Metal and Stone Poison emanating from the Bead.
Metal and Stone Toxin was rapidly accumulating in his body, soon to cause irreparable damage to his Physical Body.
Fang Shu’s gaze shifted as he planned to stuff the Bead back into the Altar and seal it again with the Altar fragments and Stalactite fragments.
However, as he moved, a thought stirred in his mind. He immediately extended the Long Tongue Sword to flick the quail egg-sized Bead into the air and timely opened the bag of Purple Lead Mica Milk in his hand.
Gulp, the black Bead immediately fell into the waterskin, soaking in the Purple Lead Mica Milk.
With the Purple Lead Mica Milk as a barrier, the surrounding dense Metal and Stone Poison rapidly receded, soon dropping to the level when Fang Shu had just entered the Cave, and still dissipating away in a faint manner.
This situation made Fang Shu secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and his gaze looked even more astonished at the Altar under his feet and the surrounding rock Cave.
Fang Shu had already formed a guess: “Could it be that this place isn’t naturally formed, but man-made? And that Altar just now was an array eye… Is there an array formation set up here?”
With this guess, Fang Shu’s thought of calling Du Shi over immediately halted.
Then, following the direction of the excavated Altar, he continued digging in this Cave, pushing down several glowing Stalactites.
Soon, based on various clues in the Cave, Fang Shu confirmed the origins of this place.
This place was indeed not purely man-made, but semi-artificial. Someone had set up an array formation in this natural Mine Vein Cave that already contained Metal and Stone Poison, then used unimaginable means to draw the Metal and Stone Poison from the Mine Vein into this Cave, forming this perilous poisonous land.
The ultimate essence of the Metal and Stone Poison here was the black Bead that Fang Shu had just sealed in the Purple Lead Mica Milk!
Realizing this, Fang Shu’s gaze changed again.
He searched in his mind and, based on the existing clues, also confirmed the origins of the black Bead in his hand.
This item was not a Magic Tool, but a wondrous object, or Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, named “Lead Essence Poison Sand”.
It was a Qi Refining treasure material refined from Lead Stone, a crystallization of Metal and Stone Poison.
Similar to it were Copper Essence Poison Sand, Iron Essence Poison Sand, Mercury Essence Poison Sand, Silver Essence Poison Sand, Gold Essence Poison Sand, and so on. Among them, the Poison Beads condensed from lead, copper, and iron were relatively common in Poison Sands, and faintly the lowest in value.
They could all be used as medicine or Sacrifice and Refined into divine sand-class Magic Tools to poison enemies. It was said that the highest-grade Gold Essence Poison Sand could even poison Golden Core True Immortals, destroying their Longevity.
However, even the lowest-grade Lead Essence Poison Sand was a Spiritual Material, used by Spiritual Immortals; Refining Essence Human Immortals rarely saw it!
Therefore, Fang Shu felt no disappointment that the “Poison Sand” in his hand was merely Lead Essence.
What’s more, the one in his hand was not scattered sand grains, but perfectly round and quail egg-sized. It could no longer be called Poison Sand, but should be called “Poison Bead” or “Treasure Bead”, with superior quality.
For such an item, using it as medicine or breaking it to make divine sand-class Magic Tools would be a complete waste. One must know it was equivalent to a natural Magic Tool in itself, even able to be Sacrifice and Refined into the rumored “Magic Treasure”.
Thinking of this, Fang Shu’s breathing suddenly grew heavy:
“Magic Treasure Embryo!?”
Magic Treasures possessed wondrous effects, different from Magic Tools.
The wonder of such items lay in the word “Treasure”: not only rare and hard to refine, but their uses were astonishing.
Magic Tools could only serve as tools, becoming bridges for Immortal Cultivators’ spellcasting and extensions of their hands and feet, and still needed corresponding Magic to unleash their wonders; otherwise, ordinary Immortal Cultivators getting one could at best use it temporarily as a fire poker.
But Magic Treasures were not limited to Magic; it was said they contained heavenly principles within, and wearing one allowed fusion with the Immortal Cultivator’s Qi.
They could increase an Immortal Cultivator’s comprehension of certain types of Magic, or additionally boost the Power of certain types of Magic, or make Immortal Cultivators immune to certain Magic, enhance physique, enhance Spiritual Sense, enhance escape speed, and so on.
In short, Magic Tools were tools for “techniques”, with single uses; Magic Treasures were babies of the “Dao”, with broad applications.
Thinking of this, Fang Shu’s heart immediately pounded.
As an Immortal Cultivator, tools for “techniques” were naturally indispensable to him, concerning his life. But babies of the “Dao” were undoubtedly even more precious and rare, something one could encounter but not seek.
Immediately, Fang Shu decided in his heart that this matter must not be leaked, lest it bring disaster, and it needed to be handled quickly.
He sat down cross-legged, bit the waterskin soaking the Lead Essence Poison Bead, stuffed it into his chest, then used Qi and Blood to carefully polish the Poison Bead through the Purple Lead Mica Milk.
The moment the two made contact.
Fang Shu discovered that this item was indeed extraordinary. Its Bead body was like a human body, easily accommodating his Qi and Blood with almost no awkwardness—it was truly a Magic Treasure Embryo!
