sinovels Chapter 68 Mysterious Female Jade Ruyi
Chapter 68 Mysterious Female Jade Ruyi
The furnishings here are simple and rustic, and the air is filled with an atmosphere that is a mixture of dust and the passage of time.
Xu Changqing glanced around but did not immediately notice anything special.
With a slight thought, he communicated once more with the demonic altar in his sea of consciousness: "Old Demon, which one specifically?"
The altar trembled slightly, its surface shimmering with a faint light, and a clearer intent pointed towards the bottom of an inconspicuous low shelf in the corner.
There were several dusty objects piled up there, one of which resembled a ruyi scepter. It was a dark yellowish-brown color with several fine cracks on its surface. The cloud patterns carved on the ruyi head were also blurred and inconspicuous among the pile of junk.
Xu Changqing walked over, bent down, and picked it up.
It feels quite heavy in the hand, with a cool, warm texture. It's not wood, but rather like stone, yet it's finer than ordinary stone. Brushing away the surface dust reveals a faint, almost imperceptible, lustrous sheen beneath its dark yellow base.
"That's it?" he muttered to himself. If it weren't for the old ghost's guidance, he would never have looked at this "broken Ruyi" a second time.
He took the Ruyi and walked towards Steward Chen, who was standing to the side.
"Sir, what is the price of this item?"
Manager Chen was talking to another guest when he heard this and turned to look. Seeing the dusty Ruyi in Xu Changqing's hand, he gave a perfectly timed apologetic smile: "Master has a good eye... cough, this item was pawned here by a rogue cultivator two years ago. He said it was an ancestral heirloom, but after several appraisers in the pavilion examined it, they said the material was unknown and it had no spiritual energy whatsoever. Apart from possibly being quite old, it was no different from an ordinary object. No one has ever shown any interest in it. If Master is interested, you can give him ten spirit jades, and he can take it as a decoration."
Ten pieces of spirit jade are practically given away for free in this treasure pavilion.
Xu Changqing nodded, didn't haggle, and paid with the spirit jade directly. Holding the Ruyi in his hand, he didn't leave immediately, but instead casually played with it, while his mind was actually immersed in his sea of consciousness.
"Old Ghost, quickly take a look at where this thing comes from."
The patterns on the altar's surface flowed faster once more, and an invisible wave swept across the ancient jade ruyi. A moment later, information appeared:
[Item]: Xuanpin Zhenyun Jade Ruyi
[Brief Description]: It is made by mixing a wisp of primordial primordial energy with ten-thousand-year-old Heavenly Heart Jade. It originally had the wonderful function of guarding fortune, harmonizing yin and yang, and nourishing the initial vitality of all things. Due to the tribulations it has undergone, its spirituality has been greatly damaged and many of its supernatural powers have been lost. It only retains the effects of calming fortune and soothing the mind, but it is still a rare and precious spiritual object.
"May your fortune be as you wish?" Xu Changqing's heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of secret joy.
The Dao foundation of the 【Three Worlds Turbid Dao Lord】 as described in the "Killing and Refining the World Scripture" requires the collection of three specific spiritual objects, corresponding to the three states of "Wuji", "Taiji", and "Taichu", respectively, which implicitly aligns with the concept of "One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones". This Mysterious Female Tranquilizing Jade Ruyi contains the Mysterious Female Mother Qi, which can suppress Qi and calm the mind, and is perfectly suited to forge my 【Taiji Ruyi Body】.
"I never expected that picking it up casually would lead to such a fortunate encounter..." Just as he was about to carefully put the Ruyi away, he suddenly heard a gentle yet slightly hoarse voice beside him.
"Does the master also have expertise in these kinds of archaic objects?"
Xu Changqing turned his head and saw an old ape dressed in a faded blue scholar's robe and wearing a square scarf standing beside him. The old ape's face was vaguely similar to the "Treasure-Seeking Ape" and "Ape Knight" from before, but his temperament was completely different.
This ape has gentle and wise eyes, and holds a yellowed book in its hand. The edges of the pages are worn and frayed, making it look like an old scholar.
Another clone of the old ape? Xu Changqing clicked his tongue inwardly: "This [Four Seas Pavilion] is even more ruthless than capitalists in the mortal world, just taking advantage of the old ape. One is greedy for treasures, another is generous in brewing wine, and now there's another one who studies knowledge... That formless clone technique, it really takes 'one body, myriad forms' to a whole new level."
He remained outwardly calm, offering a single palm salute, and said with a smile, "Amitabha. I wouldn't call it research; it's just that this humble monk's cultivation is shallow. I was merely curious about this antique's simple and unadorned form, which exudes an ancient charm. And you are, sir?"
"My surname is Yuan. I do some odd jobs here, such as organizing ancient books and classifying miscellaneous items." The old scholar bowed slightly in return, his gaze falling on the jade ruyi in Xu Changqing's hand, his eyes revealing pure research interest. "Just now I saw the master linger in front of the shelf for a long time before finally choosing this item. Did you see anything special about it? I also have some impression of this item. Because it has no spiritual energy, yet the material is not ordinary, I have always had some doubts about it."
Xu Changqing's mind raced. This scholar ape's eyesight was indeed sharp. Even if he couldn't see through the origin of this thing, he could still sense its extraordinary nature.
He immediately laughed and said, "It's not necessarily special, but this Ruyi feels solid and has an ancient and rustic texture, unlike ordinary items."
The scholar-appointed ape exclaimed, "Master, your eye is truly remarkable. When I examined this item, I also sensed its extraordinary nature, but I couldn't quite figure it out. Master, you've definitely stumbled upon a hidden gem today."
Xu Changqing took the Ruyi and put it into his sleeve. He said frankly, "Elder Yuan has a discerning eye. This item was made by mixing Heavenly Heart Jade with a trace of Mysterious Female Mother Qi. Although it was damaged by the calamity, it only has a slight effect of calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit. It may be insignificant to others, but it is of great use to me."
"So that's how it is. Master, you have cleared up my doubts for many years." A hint of relief flashed in the scholar's eyes. His withered fingers rummaged in his robes for a moment and took out an old Taoist scripture. The cover was yellowed and the edges were slightly curled, but it was well preserved.
He presented the Taoist scripture with both hands, his tone earnest, "I have nothing of value, so I offer you this Taoist scripture, Master. This scripture was acquired by me in my early years, and it contains many profound mysteries. It would only gather dust if it remained with me, so I would rather give it to someone who is destined to receive it."
Xu Changqing was slightly taken aback, then accepted it with both hands.
The book is thin and light, with ancient and simple characters on the cover. Even before looking closely, one can sense a subtle Taoist charm flowing through it.
He looked up at the scholarly ape, whose gaze was open and gentle, devoid of any mercenary calculation, purely the generosity of mutual respect between scholars.
"Thank you for your generous gift, Elder Yuan." Xu Changqing carefully put away the Taoist scripture and the jade ruyi together, and returned the greeting with his palms together.
The scholar bowed, his attitude still humble: "If you, sir, are interested in antiquities and ancient books in the future, you are welcome to visit this area often. I am here most of the time."
"Definitely." Xu Changqing didn't linger any longer and turned to walk out of the pavilion.
As soon as he stepped out of the Treasure Pavilion, the bustling heat of the market swept over him once more. He touched the warm, smooth jade ruyi in his sleeve, and then, thinking of the several old ape clones with distinct roles and personalities, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"The Formless Demon Ape has countless clones, each with its own thoughts... It's best not to get too close to such beings."
As he pondered whether to wander around some more or find a quiet place to contemplate Ruyi, a cold yet urgent thought from Su'e resonated within his mind:
"Master."
Xu Changqing paused, responding mentally, "Hmm? Su'e, what is it?"
"About a hundred miles southeast of Qingyang Mountain, deathly energy is rising to the sky." Su'e's voice came through the connection between the two worlds. Although it was still calm, it revealed a clear sense of shock. "I was cultivating in the underworld just now and sensed that a large number of living beings in the corresponding direction in the present world were surging with deathly energy and their resentment was condensed and could not be dispersed. This is definitely not caused by an ordinary battle."
Xu Changqing's brows furrowed suddenly.
Just then, the light and shadow rippled around me, and a fragrant breeze wafted by.
"Master." Mei Qianqian nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I just received news that Minghai County in the southeast was captured yesterday."
Although Xu Changqing already had a guess in his mind, he still asked, "Who is so arrogant as to dare to do such a thing?"
Mei Qianqian's gaze darkened slightly, a sense of urgency in her heart: "Master, there are too many people here, would you mind if we moved to a quiet room for a talk?"