The treasures were arranged in an orderly manner, progressing from the weakest to the strongest. He saw weapon-type treasures such as spears, sabers, swords, rapiers, axes, staffs, maces, morning stars, armor, and daggers. There were also more specialized items, such as carpets, lamps, candles, globes, wings, bracelets, rings, necklaces, and more.
Calum felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer selection and the vast number of treasures available.
"Elder, could you help me choose a treasure?" Calum asked politely. After all, he was unaware of the functions of these items beyond their obvious appearances. He figured that as the Treasure Pavilion's Pavilion Master, this elder would surely know where the finest items were kept.
Startled, the elder looked at Calum with a profound smile.
Interesting. He is the first kid in a long time to ask for my opinion. Which of those admitted into the Core were not arrogant, smug, and fiercely independent? It is rare to see someone so humble in his position.
The elder stroked his beard and remained silent for a while. Just when Calum began to worry he had caused offense, the elder spoke.
"For your current level, an overly powerful treasure won't do. This should satisfy your needs. What is more important for you right now is to survive until you reach a sufficiently stable foundation."
He waved his hand, and a rustic blue ring flew into Calum's outstretched palm.
"My gratitude, Elder." Calum cupped his fist respectfully.
The elder nodded and waved him away.
Back in his mansion, Calum sat in the gazebo and observed the ring in its entirety. Intricate patterns were etched across its surface, depicting various mythical beasts: dragons, cloud kirins, and more. He closed his eyes and ran the mantra of the Treasure Assimilation Scripture.
As usual, his awareness plunged inward, manifesting a projected form within his consciousness. The ring floated before him, its aura infinitely more powerful than his father's sword. Steeling himself, he reached out and grabbed it.
The familiar current tore through his mental projection, yet his face showed none of the expected agony. Instead, he calmly observed the ring in his palm as a vision flashed across his eyes: a limitless blue sky, followed by unending mist rolling across the ground.
Then, the vision vanished alongside the ring's projection.
Calum opened his eyes, feeling an immediate, profound shift in his physical makeup. With a single thought, his body shattered into a cloud of mist. He was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye before coalescing back into human shape. Excitement flared in his dark irises.
This is truly mind-bending.
He could transform into mist almost instantaneously to evade a devastating blow or to vanish from an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
The Treasure Pavilion elder is truly wise.
As someone in the 1st state of foundation, what he needed most were ways to escape and defend himself. The elder had delivered brilliantly on both fronts with a single stroke. A deep admiration for the wizened elder blossomed in Calum's heart; he was a genuinely erudite cultivator.
With this, I reckon I can fight dozens of spiritual puppets without letting them touch a corner of my sleeves.
Just as he prepared to test his new capabilities, a clear chime rang out from his front gate. Puzzled, Calum retrieved his token. The inscription upon it projected the image of a suave youth holding a paper fan—handsome in a somewhat feminine way, yet surrounded by a subtle, dangerous aura.
Calum quickly adjusted his robe and hair before heading to open the gates. Moments later, he stood face to face with the youth in his living room, politely serving them both a cup of spiritual tea.
"I apologize for disturbing your cultivation, Junior Brother. I am Sun Luo, a core disciple like yourself. I've come to invite you to the Core Banquet—a yearly event organized by the core disciples to exchange cultivation insights, spells, and treasures, and to feast together. It's also a great opportunity to formally introduce you to everyone."
Sun Luo's voice was clear and possessed a calming quality that naturally drew the listener's attention.
"I am grateful for Senior Brother's visit. I haven't had the chance to meet any other core disciples since my arrival, so I would be honored to attend," Calum responded warmly.
Refusing would have been needlessly rude. Moreover, the other core disciples were vastly superior to him in cultivation; interacting with them would undoubtedly prove valuable.
"Fantastic! It is scheduled for three days from now." Sun Luo finished his tea and stood up gracefully. "I won't take up any more of your time. We can get to know each other better at the banquet. Take care."
With those parting words, he left swiftly and fluidly, clearly a man with a busy schedule.
"This senior speaks as sparingly as a monk," Calum muttered while closing the gate. Even so, a strong sense of anticipation began to rise within him.
What of the rumors painting demonic cultivators as bloodthirsty devils? Up until now, everyone I've met has possessed impeccable manners. You can't feel any of that rumored evil aura at all.
Though he knew appearances could be deceiving, his gut told him the true divide between orthodox and demonic sects wasn't a simple matter of good versus evil, but something far more primal.
Shrugging off the thought, he returned to training. He fought dozens of puppets at once, rapidly mastering his new mist transformation. It made slipping past their defenses and delivering heavy counterattacks effortless.
He also dedicated time to studying the Piercing Divine Gaze and the Illusory Boundary. Both were profoundly complex. The Piercing Divine Gaze allowed a cultivator to rend an enemy's consciousness with a glare, while the Illusory Boundary conjured a localized domain reflecting the user's design—trapping intruders in a fabricated world where failure to break free meant certain death.
Because the Illusory Boundary was remarkably intricate, Calum decided to start with the more straightforward Piercing Divine Gaze. After meditating on it for a quarter of an hour, he stood up.
His eyes shimmered with a mystical, kaleidoscope-like brilliance. Having successfully cast the spell, he glanced upward toward a passing bird. The creature froze mid-air and plummeted like a stone. Rushing over, Calum found the bird dead, blood pouring from its empty eye sockets.
Such efficacy! A single glance is enough to destroy an opponent.
Marveling at the spell's lethality, Calum smiled. This would make an incredible trump card to end fights abruptly. And he had only reached the Initial level; if he advanced to Mastery or Completion, his destructive potential would be immeasurable. Even at the 1st state of foundation, he could likely decimate a 1-Tribulation powerhouse.
Days passed in a blur of intense cultivation, and the day of the banquet finally arrived.
Dressed in his pristine core disciple robes with his long hair neatly disciplined, Calum stepped out of his mansion an hour before the event. The banquet was being held in the Hall of Heroes—a monumental structure where the sect's most phenomenal disciples had their exploits permanently engraved upon the Board of Glory.
Over the past few days, Calum had pushed himself like a man possessed. He knew he was likely the weakest core disciple in the entire sect, facing a vast, terrifying gulf between his own strength and that of his peers. It was a gap he was determined to close at all costs. Through sheer grit, he had even managed to push the Illusory Boundary to the Initial level. Now, he possessed the confidence to hold his own against anyone in the 1st state of foundation—and perhaps even fight initial-stage 2nd-state experts to a standstill.
Leaping effortlessly from tree to tree, his weight barely brushing against frail, finger-sized branches, he covered fifty meters with a single bound. His speed was ghost-like, defying mortal limits.
Before long, he reached the venue. Even from the outside, he could sense terrifying, suppressed auras clashing violently within the hall.
Into the den of dragons I go...
Calum hummed serenely before stepping through the doors with absolute confidence.