Chapter 5: The Treasure Vault

In the Sword Immortal Realm, before the rocky cliff of the fourth peak of the towering Wubao Peak, Ji Ning was riding clouds and mist, carefully examining the fourth chapter of the "Five Sword Techniques." Having just met with many mighty figures from the Nuwa camp, Ji Ning did not rush to the Moon Under the Pool but instead came first to Wubao Peak to study this fourth chapter in detail.

After years of cultivation, Ji Ning still had not fully comprehended the third chapter. Yet now he was repeatedly and carefully studying the fourth, which was clearly a bit too hasty. The reason he did this was that he was about to enter the Moon Under the Pool.

The Moon Under the Pool was extremely mysterious.

Once one entered...

they would be completely cut off from the outside world. Even with methods like a second true spirit or avatars, they could not contact the avatar inside the Moon Under the Pool. So from ancient times to the present, perhaps thousands of Celestial Immortals had entered the Moon Under the Pool. Many of them had second true spirits or avatars living in the Three Realms, yet none knew what had happened inside the Moon Under the Pool.

Even the only one who had come out, now the Buddha known as 'Buddha Jueming,' after bringing back three treasures, only said that there were many treasures inside. He carefully described the origins of these three treasures, but as for what dangers lay in the Moon Under the Pool or what the scene was like, he remained silent.

The only one who came out refused to speak.

Thus the Moon Under the Pool became a mystery. However, the fact that Buddha Jueming had risen from a mere Celestial Immortal to become a Buddha led many Celestial Immortals in the Three Realms to believe that one could encounter opportunities and trials there. Celestial Immortals continued to enter, but unfortunately, no second one ever came out.

"Once my true body avatar enters the Moon Under the Pool, it will be completely cut off from the outside world."

"I'm afraid the time spent in the Moon Under the Pool will not be short. Since that's the case, my true body avatar will painstakingly cultivate the 'Five Sword Techniques' inside the Moon Under the Pool, mainly perfecting the 'Shadowless Style' of the Brightmoon Sword Art. As for my other avatars and second true spirit in the Three Realms, they will comprehend the 'Five Sword Techniques' and perfect the other four styles of the Brightmoon Sword Art."

Since memories could not be linked...

it would be a waste of time to study exactly the same things both in the Moon Under the Pool and in the Three Realms.

The Shadowless Style was the most bizarre and extremely fast sword style, very suitable for the true body acting alone.

When he eventually came out of the Moon Under the Pool and linked memories, the different paths of cultivation could be combined, greatly elevating his realm.

"Icefire Tempering Golden Core Art?" Ji Ning, who was carefully studying the fourth chapter to grasp the artistic conception more clearly, suddenly froze.

At that moment, his avatar in the World Prison had discovered the Icefire Tempering Golden Core Art.

"Originally I planned to study the 'Five Sword Techniques' a bit more and then head to the Moon Under the Pool. Now it seems I need to make a trip to the Great Yu Human World." Ji Ning thought to himself.

...

A day later.

Having memorized the 'Five Sword Techniques' many times, Ji Ning rode the Void Boat to the ancient royal clan's lair, the 'Great Yu Human World.'

"Daoist Ji Ning." A voice sounded, and a burly man dressed in animal skins came through the void.

"Celestial Immortal Fuqu." Ji Ning smiled. Last time, Celestial Immortal Fuqu had received him, mainly because Fuqu was temporarily in charge of reception in the ancient royal clan.

The way Celestial Immortal Fuqu looked at Ji Ning was somewhat different, because just a day ago, Ji Ning had used the Nine-Angled Electric Serpent Escape Art to roam the Three Realms, forcing the Frivolity Sect to bow their heads. The news had spread, and even the mighty figures of the Nuwa camp sighed in admiration when mentioning it: "Ji Ning's talent in heartforce is truly remarkable."

The mighty figures of the Nuwa camp still thought Ji Ning had relied on heartforce to tame it.

In fact, after carefully studying the 'Nine-Angled Electric Serpent Escape Art Technique,' Suirenshi felt that taming it with heartforce was still slightly possible. So he himself devised a heartforce taming method and inserted it into the 'Nine-Angled Electric Serpent Escape Art Technique' to conceal the existence of the Chaos Spirit Liquid. Only by deceiving their own mighty figures could they better deceive the Frivolity Sect.

"What brings Daoist Ji Ning here this time?" Celestial Immortal Fuqu asked.

"I wish to visit the treasure vault and exchange for some treasures." Ji Ning said.

"Oh, many fellow Daoists from the Three Realms have come to the treasure vault, but you, Daoist Ji Ning, have only come now. I thought you looked down on it." Celestial Immortal Fuqu laughed. "Come, come, come, I'll take you there."

Soon.

Among the ancient palace complex undulating in the clouds and mist, two streaks of light flew past and entered one of the ancient palaces.

"Truly worthy of the ancient royal clan, extraordinary indeed." As Ji Ning flew in, he looked at the scene before him and was awestruck.

The nominal ruler of the Three Realms, the 'Heavenly Court,' was magnificent and resplendent with jade towers.

The imperial palace of the Great Xia World, the towering Tianmang Hall, was also domineering and no less than the Heavenly Court.

But—

as the palace of the ancient royal clan, it was very plain, yet every palace gave Ji Ning a sense of oppression.

"This was refined by our human race in ancient times, consuming countless years." Celestial Immortal Fuqu said proudly. "Initially, thirty-six Pure Yang Supreme Treasure palaces were refined, which gradually grew and all became 'Numinous Treasures.' These thirty-six Numinous Treasures, combined with the formation diagram laid out by Human Sovereign Fuxi, form a single entity, no less than a Chaos Treasure."

"During the ancient cataclysm, our human race's imperial palace also made great contributions." Celestial Immortal Fuqu said.

Ji Ning nodded in admiration.

The human race's imperial palace was like a fortress!

"This is the Tianfan Hall." Celestial Immortal Fuqu led Ji Ning into a tall gray palace. "The treasure vault is inside. There are also some immortals there. Pick whatever you want. As long as you have enough treasures to exchange, it's fine. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay long."

"Thank you, Celestial Immortal Fuqu." Ji Ning smiled. Celestial Immortal Fuqu turned into a streak of light and left. Ji Ning turned and stepped inside.

...

All the mighty figures and powerful experts of the Nuwa camp had placed their unused treasures here. How astonishing was the collection?

Piles of Numinous treasures, the worst being Pure Yang level, large quantities of Chaos materials, various rare resources... it was all-encompassing. In normal times, many mighty figures kept their treasures stored away, with no place to exchange them. But now that the calamity had descended, everyone had brought out what they didn't use.

"Good treasures."

Ji Ning was well aware that what suited him was best.

First, he selected ten jin each of the two materials the Frivolity Sect had demanded. Actually, the Frivolity Sect had underestimated Ji Ning. They thought that since Ji Ning was only a Celestial Immortal or True Immortal, he couldn't possibly produce too precious treasures. So of the three treasures the God King demanded, the first two were quite ordinary.

If they had known that Ji Ning possessed the World Prison of the Nine Directions Chaos Country and could easily produce a hundred or a thousand times more treasures, they would have regretted it.

"How much Nine Flame Pulp is there?" Ji Ning asked.

"Senior Beiming."

Immediately a Celestial Immortal came forward respectfully and said, "There is quite a lot of Nine Flame Pulp, over two million jin remaining. It was discovered by Human Sovereign Suirenshi in the Chaos. If Senior Beiming needs more, Human Sovereign Suirenshi should have some more."

Ji Ning nodded: "Give me one million jin."

...

Chaos materials also had their grades. For example, Chaos Goldstone was available in abundance, while some Chaos herbs were rare and precious, and others appeared in large quantities.

Similarly, 'Nine Flame Pulp' and 'Ice Heart Marrow' were mid-grade Chaos materials. When they appeared, they did so in large quantities. The 'Ice Heart Spirit Leaves' in the Moon Under the Pool grew on large amounts of Ice Heart Marrow, which was naturally less precious than Ice Heart Spirit Leaves.

The Icefire Tempering Golden Core Art...

also had levels.

Just as Ji Ning's cultivation of the Star Picking Hand required increasingly precious treasures containing the Five Elements essence, and just as melting treasures required stronger flames for more powerful treasures.

The higher the grade of the golden core within, the higher the grade of external materials required for the 'Icefire Tempering Golden Core Art.'

For a Celestial Immortal's golden core, the required external materials were at one level.

For a True Immortal's golden core, it was a higher level.

For an Ancestral Immortal's (Grand Dao Ancestor) golden core, the golden core was too powerful, and the required external materials were even higher, not easily obtained.

"According to the records, to elevate a True Immortal's golden core from the third rank to the second requires ten thousand jin of Nine Flame Pulp and ten thousand jin of Ice Heart Marrow. I have over thirty avatars, so each needs over three hundred thousand jin. Well, I easily obtained the Nine Flame Pulp. As for Ice Heart Marrow, I wonder how much is in the Moon Under the Pool." Ji Ning rode the Void Boat and left the ancient human race's imperial palace.

For this exchange, Ji Ning only paid six Numinous treasures and three sets of Pure Yang Supreme Treasures. From killing the Celestial Immortals and True Immortals of the Frivolity Sect alone, Ji Ning had obtained dozens of Numinous treasures, as normal Celestial Immortals and True Immortals each had several Numinous treasures on them.

"Time to go to the Moon Under the Pool."

The Void Boat quickly entered the endless void, then entered the boundless Chaos.