The Ruyi Orb

The three spirit insects had consumed the Myriad Spirit Fruits. Qin Sang kept them outside and observed them for a while, but noticed no apparent changes. The Myriad Spirit Fruits could not directly elevate a spirit insect's cultivation. According to Valley Master Mu, their benefits lay in enhancing spirituality. This was the rarest and most precious attribute, and also the reason they could improve the chances of success for the Spirit Ascension Rite. "I'll have to wait until they finish digesting the medicinal potency before any changes show." Qin Sang nodded gently and let them fall asleep. Next, he resealed the remaining Myriad Spirit Fruits and took out the segment of tree root. The severed root possessed inherent spiritual nature. If properly nurtured, it could yield a new Myriad Spirit Fruit tree, providing a steady supply of Myriad Spirit Fruits. Yet Qin Sang had no idea how to cultivate a Myriad Spirit Fruit tree. The growth cycle of such a spiritual tree was bound to be extraordinarily long; even if he managed to nurture it to life, there was no telling how many years or months it would take to bear fruit. *I'll look into relevant records when the chance arises,* Qin Sang thought to himself. Leaving the meditation chamber, he found a spot in the dwelling where the spiritual energy was richest, laid down the most conservative restriction for cultivating spirit herbs, and placed the root there. The place was secluded. He would nurture the root here for now and take it back to Qingyang Temple when he returned. Then he returned to the meditation chamber and took out five jade boxes. Inside each of the five boxes lay a spirit herb. Together with the one he had given Tan Hao, there were six in total—all rare, precious spirit herbs that could hardly be bought with spirit stones in the outside world. Among them, the Lingzhan Flower was the most valuable. Qin Sang intended to commission someone to refine it into a Hidden Fragrance Pill to bolster his divine consciousness, and take it himself. Although Qin Sang had deliberately disguised his traces in the secret passage so Old Man Hunmo could not be certain it was him, an old fiend of that sort had always preferred killing the innocent over letting anyone slip by. Qin Sang urgently needed to further boost his strength. Advancing to the second layer of the Fire Seed Golden Lotus was the quickest route. With his divine consciousness materialized, rivaling that of a great cultivator, he would not have to worry about his disguise being pierced even if he stood right before Old Man Hunmo. The fire lotus seed had long since formed, and Qin Sang had been continuously refining demonic fire. A breakthrough was merely a matter of time, and taking the Hidden Fragrance Pill would accelerate the process. The remaining four spirit herbs did not directly elevate cultivation or martial strength. Each had its own uses, but none was something Qin Sang urgently required. It would be best to trade them for treasures he actually needed. Qin Sang suddenly recalled the Myriad Demons Assembly set for nine years later. Originally, Qin Sang had already decided to attend the assembly, but after this incident, he had to weigh his options carefully. At such a grand gathering and trade assembly among Nascent Soul cultivators, countless rare treasures were bound to appear. Materials for the Jinchen Sword, spiritual items for the Spirit Ascension Rite, and all manner of unusual cultivation methods and secret arts could potentially be found there. He had to prepare for breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage, and he would welcome any secret technique capable of raising his odds of breakthrough. Conveniently, Qin Sang held spirit herbs suitable for bartering, so missing it would truly be a pity. Qin Sang estimated that with so many precious spiritual items required for the Spirit Ascension Rite, Hundred Flowers Valley wouldn't have many either. Even if he offered the Myriad Spirit Fruit, getting a single share from them would be the absolute limit, whereas he needed at least two. One for the Fire Jade Centipede, and one for the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Yet the venue of the Myriad Demons Assembly was Hunmo Island, Old Man Hunmo's lair! Tan Hao needed several decades of quiet meditation before daring to attempt a breakthrough and would not make it in time for the assembly. Still only in the Core Formation stage, he could not attend the top-tier trade gathering in Qin Sang's stead. *The Myriad Demons Assembly is the grandest event in the Boundless Sea, drawing even Nascent Soul cultivators and demon kings from outer domains. Surely Old Man Hunmo cannot cover the sky with one hand?* Qin Sang tapped the jade box in his hands, lost in thought, resolving to make a final decision once he gathered more intelligence. Adjusting his sealing methods according to the unique properties of each herb, he put them away before taking out the three magic treasures he had obtained from the Buddhist hall. The demon-subduing pestle he had already analyzed with Tan Hao. Qin Sang set it aside for now, planning to try reforging it later to alter its appearance. The orb and the seven-tiered stupa were placed before him. Both treasures were exceptionally pure, stirring wondrous thoughts. Qin Sang turned his gaze, letting it settle upon the orb, and picked it up. "Ruyi Orb..." Qin Sang murmured under his breath. On his way here, he had already probed it. When his divine consciousness entered the orb, those words had naturally surfaced in his mind—evidently its name. Yet there was no detailed description, leaving Qin Sang to figure it out himself. Holding the orb in his hand, his eyes half-closed, he focused entirely on analyzing it. An hour later. Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. A sudden change occurred within the Ruyi Orb in his palm: ripples seemed to stir within, followed by an abrupt, radiant burst of dense golden light. For a moment, an aura of Buddhist grace seemed to drape over him, turning him into an ascetic bathed in Buddha light. The changes did not stop there. Golden light welled forth and, without any conscious control from Qin Sang, formed a spherical barrier of pale-gold astral energy around him, enveloping him within. To his surprise, the astral barrier wavered precariously, lasting merely three breaths before shattering without a sound. The Ruyi Orb promptly dimmed, reverting to its former appearance. This was because Qin Sang had not yet fully refined the orb. After several attempts, Qin Sang finally managed to forcefully maintain the astral barrier. Looking at the pale-gold astral barrier surrounding him, he mused, "It's not an offensive magic treasure, nor does it seem to possess any unusual functions. Could it be..." With a stir of his mind, Qin Sang summoned the Jinchen Sword, split off a strand of sword light, and thrust it toward himself. *Clang!* The sword light was checked, and the barrier shattered at the impact. After further probing, Qin Sang had a rough grasp of it. The Ruyi Orb was not the esoteric or trick treasure Qin Sang had hoped for; it was a defensive magic treasure! This was a rather good outcome. After using the Nine-Life Black Tortoise shell to refine the Sun God Tree, Qin Sang was in sore need of such a protective treasure. The best defensive magic treasures were those capable of sensing danger and shielding their master of their own accord. The Ruyi Orb was not of that variety, but it could be drawn into his dantian, allowing him to deploy the astral barrier instantly with a mere thought. The problem was that Qin Sang could not discern the Ruyi Orb's rank! He considered his attainments in artifact refinement to be quite respectable. "A bit strange. Could it be because it's a Buddhist treasure? Is the Buddhist method of artifact crafting entirely different from what I studied?" Gently stroking the Ruyi Orb with his palm, Qin Sang thought, *I won't know its true power until I finish refining it, which shouldn't take too long.* After refining it slightly, he drew the orb into his dantian to keep his Nascent Soul company. When he picked up the seven-tiered stupa, however, he found that this item was even stranger than the orb. "This isn't a magic treasure?" Qin Sang's astonished voice echoed in the meditation chamber. Just now, he had tried every method—divine consciousness, true essence, even revealing his demonic body—yet the seven-tiered stupa remained utterly unresponsive, resting quietly in the palm of his hand. The light radiating from the seven-tiered stupa remained constant without the slightest fluctuation. Qin Sang could not help wondering whether this glow originated simply from the material of the stupa itself. Even if it were a Buddhist treasure usable only by Buddhist monks, it shouldn't behave like this. Unfortunately, he knew far too little about Buddhism. *Could it truly not be a magic treasure?* Qin Sang reiterated the question in his heart. Having braved grave perils only to end up with something like this, Qin Sang felt unwilling to accept it. He tested it again using various methods, but the outcome remained unchanged. Since this approach led nowhere, he could only start by investigating the Jinghai Sect and the Buddhist hall. Qin Sang recalled the information he had learned from Tan Hao, as well as the furnishings within the Buddhist hall.