Chen Chuan checked and found that the object growing warm was surprisingly the civet stone plaque he had not used in a long time.
He used to rely on it as a trump card, but with his growth in strength, it had become little more than an ornament.
After all, even when facing multiple opponents now, he had no need for outside means to relieve the pressure; he could handle them on his own.
That said, he had indeed neglected the civet urban legend's need for food lately. According to their original agreement, if he failed to provide food, the civet would turn on its master.
Yet that depended on what kind of master it had. With the power Chen Chuan currently possessed, the civet dared not show even a hint of defiance, not daring to utter a single squeak.
At this moment, as he took out the stone plaque, a stream of thought emanated from it. It seemed intensely interested in the relic he had just acquired, radiating an overwhelming craving.
He was slightly surprised. Although low-tier relics held a certain value, one usually had to discover the correct method of use to learn what purpose they served.
Yang Yuncheng had searched for twenty-five years without figuring it out. Chen Chuan did not expect to decipher it immediately, so after receiving it just now, he had not unwrapped it, intending to deal with it later when he had time.
However, he also noticed that during the entire time since he entered, the civet urban legend had shown no reaction at all—not until he cut open the fissure.
Did the appearance of the fissure trigger some kind of change in the relic?
With this thought, he could not help but take the relic out. After examining it, he peeled away the thick cloth wrapped around it layer by layer. In the end, he found that it was an oval-shaped object with jagged, fractured edges, looking like a fragment of an eggshell, only with slightly thicker walls.
Its appearance was remarkably unremarkable. Without prior explanation, anyone looking at it might take it for a piece of fossilized eggshell.
Yet as he brought it over, illuminated by the glow of the fissure, wisps of faint cyan smoke unexpectedly drifted out from it, accompanied by a pleasant fragrance. Taking a breath of it, he actually felt a sensation of satiety.
It was not an illusion of fullness, but genuinely as if he had ingested a substantial amount of nutritional paste and nutrient-rich food. And it was not limited to his physical body; after inhaling it for a few moments, even his depleted mental energy seemed to replenish slightly.
A thought stirred in his mind. Could this item be used to replenish bodily depletion?
Could there be any harmful side effects?
He checked his Second Self, but saw nothing amiss. Opening the fissure inherently generated corrosive intrusion, and the degree of illusory blurring on the Second Self remained essentially the same as when the fissure had first been opened, with virtually no discernible difference. That indicated that even if there was an effect, it was negligible.
By now, the civet stone plaque in his pocket was growing hotter, vibrating faintly as though the civet urban legend were leaping around frantically inside, desperate with impatience and occasionally sending out a sense of grievance toward him.
He considered for a moment, then eased his restraint over the civet. The next instant, an eager screech rang out from the stone plaque, and a faint, pocket-sized phantom of a civet leaped out. It pounced straight onto the light smoke rising from the relic in his hand, snapping and tearing back and forth. One could even hear the rapid crunching sounds as the civet frantically gnawed at the relic.
Yet damaging the shell-like object was out of the question for the civet urban legend. After all, this was a relic; even if it were only of the lowest fifth tier, it was not something a mere urban legend could harm.
Although the civet devoured a good deal of the light smoke, under the radiance of the fissure, the smoke steadily and continuously rose. In the process, the civet's phantom seemed to grow slightly more solid. One could see a pocket-sized civet with an oversized head and small body crouching atop the eggshell, baring its fangs and grimacing with fierce menace, letting out a snarl outward with every bite.
Yet the moment Chen Chuan's gaze fell upon it, it immediately flattened itself down, curling into a tight ball and nibbling in dainty bites, putting on a thoroughly docile front.
After a while, the civet seemed full to bursting and unable to stuff down another bite, only then returning reluctantly into the stone plaque.
Chen Chuan examined it and could clearly sense that after this feast, the civet was somewhat different from before.
The most direct change was the stone plaque itself. It had originally been carved by artisans he commissioned, and while the craftsmanship was decent, it was still ordinary stone after all, inevitably a bit rough in places. Looking at it now, however, it had become noticeably more refined. Holding it in his hand, it no longer felt coarse and coldly rigid, but possessed a warm, smooth texture like jade.
Furthermore, he noticed that the cloak draped over him and the belongings he carried seemed to have become slightly newer. Of course, these changes were exceedingly subtle; without mental strength like his, one could scarcely detect them, and such an effect was trivial and virtually useless anyway.
Nevertheless, it indirectly proved certain properties possessed by this relic.
He then extended his hand, moving the shell-like object slightly farther from the fissure. Sure enough, as the distance increased, the light smoke rising from it thinned.
If that were the case, this object likely only exhibited these effects when brought close to the world on the other side. No wonder Yang Yuncheng had kept it by his side for over twenty years without ever figuring it out.
Even if one knew, most people lacked the conditions to make use of it. Probably only governments and corporations that controlled the Ring of the World could unlock its true value.
After pondering a moment, he gave a soft call. With a flutter of wings, Chaoming descended from above.
He held the shell-like object forward, letting Chaoming try the light smoke as well. The bird took a whiff, instantly perked up, its eyes gleaming bright, and chirped at him with a soft cheep. Chen Chuan nodded; it was undoubtedly beneficial to Chaoming as well.
With this item to replenish both mental and physical depletion, he would have no fear of exhaustion during cultivation.
Since there was still corrosive intrusion from the other side here, he sent Chaoming back up while seizing the time to cultivate.
Before long, he heard the patter of falling rain outside. Fortunately, the spot he had chosen was on higher ground atop an earthen slope. Moreover, knowing rain was coming, he had draped an extra water-diverting tarp over the tent in advance, keeping the interior nearly sealed, so the rainwater failed to seep inside.
Starting in the afternoon, the rain fell in bout after bout, intermittent until evening when it finally ceased. Then the strange, rustling noises resumed, though they did not last long before fading away, seemingly driven off by the bizarre things emerging from the fissure.
Chen Chuan sat watch before the fissure, circulating his mental secret art. Whenever anything attempted to seep through, he slashed it down with the Xuejun Saber. The previous time, unfamiliar with the conditions, he had been in a cramped underground space where the saber could hardly swing freely; this time, he had deliberately enlarged the area, allowing him to wield the blade far more smoothly.
The night passed.
Hearing voices stirring outside, he gave his blade a swift sweep, wiping away the fissure before him in an instant. With a crisp clang, he sheathed the weapon and rose to his feet.
The brilliant radiance shining in his eyes slowly receded. Having prepared more thoroughly this time, his gains were even greater than the last.
He glanced down at the relic in his hand. It was quite possible that this object had played a part as well.
If nothing else, after several clashes with things from the other side, the Xuejun Saber would always suffer some exhaustion. Ordinarily, the mutated tissue inside would surely feel fatigued and require continued rest during the day. Yet with this item beside it, recovery had been notably faster, distinctly elevating the efficiency of his cultivation.
After a brief thought, he rewrapped the object, strung it with a cord to tie it to his person, tucked it into his pocket, and then stepped out of the tent carrying the Xuejun Saber.
The moment he stepped outside, however, the scent of medicine hit his nose. A considerable amount of medicinal powder had been scattered throughout the camp, and its odor, mixed with the stench of dissolved insect carcasses, was intensely pungent. Following behind him, Chaoming could not help but sneeze.
At that moment, he heard cracking sounds. Turning to look, he saw several humanoid clay reliefs near the camp's bonfire. Hairline fractures were spreading across them, and one by one, the indigenous people sat up from within, brushing off the clay crusts with the help of their companions. It turned out they had been sleeping inside them all along.
Yang Yuncheng walked over just then, followed his gaze, and said, "Without tents, this is how we avoid the nighttime corruption. It's very practical out in the wilderness—you can dig a pit and lie down anywhere, anytime."
Chen Chuan asked, "Does this require special materials?"
Yang Yuncheng replied, "It requires the native clay of this area, combined with certain special drinks and medicines. If you're interested, Supervisor Chen, I can give you the formula. However, this method only works within this region. If you travel farther away, it's hard to say."
He gestured ahead. "That is why they are reluctant to relocate elsewhere. They have lived here for so long that they are accustomed to and adapted to everything here. If they were forced outside, they might still survive, but many would inevitably die."
Chen Chuan nodded. After a moment's contemplation, he added, "As far as I know, some people from the former imperial house relied on faith in a certain entity to travel through the Confluence at night. Word has it that this method was learned from the indigenous people?"
Yang Yuncheng said, "Such a method does exist, but worshiping a certain entity requires offering up massive amounts of sacrifices. The population of our surrounding settlements can neither produce such tributes nor afford that many lives to expend. So we use this method instead, and fortunately, we've managed to get by all these years."
Then his voice dropped low. "Yet recently, after the Corporate Coalition arrived, everything changed almost overnight."
Chen Chuan said, "Senior Yang, I'll have to trouble you to lead the way shortly."
Yang Yuncheng responded solemnly, "I'll go pack up my things. Supervisor Chen, we'll set off in half an hour."
Chapter 723