Chapter 4: Innate Mystical Treasure, Golden Gourd
Gu Qing hurried to the cultivator district in the south of the city.
Items sold here were all necessities for cultivators; ordinary people rarely set foot here.
Following the system's information, Gu Qing approached an elderly man.
The stall displayed various peculiar items: weapon fragments, bottles and jars, ores, books, and more.
Gu Qing picked up a fist-sized golden gourd, pretending to examine it as he asked.
"What kind of gourd is this? It looks like it's made of gold!"
The elder's white eyebrows furrowed, his face showing impatience.
"Boy, don't speak nonsense if you don't understand. This is a treasure I found in an ancient ruin."
"Oh!"
Gu Qing smiled noncommittally and said, "Treasures from ancient ruins aren't cheap, even a single stone. How much spirit stone do you plan to sell this supreme ancient treasure for?"
The elder detected the sarcasm in Gu Qing's tone but remained unfazed, calmly replying.
"I won't deceive you. I truly picked this up from a cultivator's cave dwelling. Though it shows no spiritual aura, it's definitely not made of gold. Test it with a spiritual weapon if you doubt me. If it gets damaged, I'll give it to you for free."
Spiritual artifacts and treasures all possess spiritual aura, but this golden gourd had none, appearing like a dead object.
Gold couldn't withstand attacks from spiritual weapons.
He had tested it with spiritual weapons before—nary a scratch.
Initially, he thought he'd found a treasure that concealed its own divinity.
After thorough testing, he discovered nothing.
The elder concluded it was crafted from special metal incapable of carrying spiritual power.
Beyond its hardness, it served no purpose.
He had handled many similar items; if exquisitely styled, they might fetch some spirit stones.
Poorly crafted ones were lucky to sell for even one spirit stone.
"So how much do you want? If it's over one low-grade spirit stone, name your price."
Gu Qing said with feigned disinterest.
"Very well! Sold to you!"
The elder had intended to ask for thirty spirit stones, expecting to haggle down to at least ten.
But Gu Qing seemed difficult to deceive. He couldn't be bothered with haggling—selling for one stone was better than keeping it.
"Deal!"
Gu Qing rejoiced inwardly, tossing one spirit stone from his storage bag to the elder before rushing away.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for intercepting Lin Chen's opportunity. Destiny points plundered: 50,000.]
"This much?"
Gu Qing exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Chen only possessed 100,000 destiny points total—losing half in an instant.
Wasn't the protagonist half-crippled now?
This golden gourd must be crucial to Lin Chen—undoubtedly a supreme treasure, perhaps one that would accompany his entire growth journey.
The more Gu Qing thought, the more excited he became. He hurriedly asked.
"What grade of treasure is this golden gourd?"
[It is an Innate Mystical Treasure, capable of refining all things into the purest energy.]
"Innate Mystical Treasure?"
Gu Qing's heart pounded with excitement.
Innate treasures—supreme artifacts born at the dawn of creation, containing indestructible innate spiritual light.
They were categorized as Innate Spirit Treasures or Innate Mystical Treasures.
Innate Spirit Treasures contained innate laws with boundless applications.
Innate Mystical Treasures possessed peculiar abilities.
Each had its own marvels.
This golden gourd could refine all things—he would never lack cultivation resources henceforth.
"The protagonist's destiny is truly formidable, even encountering innate treasures."
Gu Qing sighed with envy, yet felt immense relief.
Fortunately, he possessed the Super Reflect Armor System.
Otherwise, he could only watch helplessly as Lin Chen hacked his way to supremacy.
[Host need not envy. With the system, you've become an anomaly. Your future achievements will surpass these fated protagonists.]
An anomaly—a variable, the "one that slipped away," representing infinite possibilities.
[Moreover, Host currently possesses 52,000 destiny points. With overwhelming fortune, you're already half a protagonist yourself.]
"Does this mean I'll get whatever I desire, just like protagonists?"
After all, protagonists operated beyond reason.
Whatever rare treasure they needed, they'd hear about it after a casual stroll and obtain it against all odds.
Secret realms unseen for millennia would open upon their arrival.
In short, the world revolved around them, providing whatever they required.
[Possibly, once Host's destiny exceeds 100,000.]
Destiny was esoteric; even the system couldn't be certain.
"Indeed, that makes sense!"
Gu Qing nodded in agreement.
Destiny was inherently elusive and profoundly mysterious.
If it could be precisely calculated, would it still be destiny?
"Right, how do I use the golden gourd?"
[Simple. Host need only infuse it with blood essence or true qi, then will it into action.]
"That simple?"
Gu Qing froze, finding it hard to believe.
If the Golden Gourd's usage method were this simple, the stall owner should have already known about it. There's no reason not to thoroughly inspect an item one is selling.
With this thought, Gu Qing went to the mountains outside the city and scattered the remaining ninety-nine spirit stones on the ground. Following the system's method, he infused true qi and moved with his mind's intent.
The Golden Gourd showed no change on its surface, like a dead object, but its mouth emitted a suction force that pulled all the spirit stones inside. Emm. It really was this simple.
But if not for the system's reminder, Gu Qing's thoughts would have matched the stall owner's. When infusing true qi yielded no response, one would subconsciously assume it was a dead object. Either try other methods or give up entirely.
This is what any normal person would think. No normal person would knowingly treat a dead object as a magical treasure. It can only be said that innate treasures are truly extraordinary, requiring no refinement to be usable.
After waiting a moment, Gu Qing opened the Golden Gourd. The spirit stones had already been refined into purer spirit liquid, completely impurity-free and ready for direct absorption.
Gu Qing swallowed it in one gulp. A surge of immense energy flooded his body, and he immediately circulated the Yin Yang Great Dao Song to refine it. The spirit liquid was absorbed by his Dao Bone, and Gu Qing swiftly broke through to the peak of Qi Condensation Realm First Layer.
"The realm advancement speed is too fast." Gu Qing's eyes gleamed with excitement. Cultivation is difficult, harder than ascending to the heavens.
Human meridians are extremely fragile; after opening them, they require time to nurture. Moreover, spirit stones contain impurities and must be refined and purified before absorption—this also takes time.
But with his Dao Bone assisting the Yin Yang Great Dao Song, his realm advancement was incredibly swift. All cultivation obstacles seemed nonexistent. Now with the Golden Gourd added, future breakthroughs would be like soaring to the heavens on a rocket—awesomely unstoppable.
Thinking this, Gu Qing headed straight for the Beast Mountain Range to hunt demonic beasts, then toss them into the Golden Gourd for purification. And killing demonic beasts granted system rewards—this was double the happiness.
What he lacked most now were cultivation resources and various martial techniques. He wondered if the system could produce them.
...
"Pfft!" An overwhelming backlash force struck, causing Lin Chen to spurt a mouthful of fresh blood. It felt as if something precious was being torn from his body, leaving him flustered.
"What's wrong with you?" The Remnant Sword in Lin Chen's mind trembled, transmitting a woman's concerned voice. "I don't know." Lin Chen clutched his chest, his face pale as he spoke.
At the Salary Hall, he had felt a suffocating pressure, as if an irresistible force was stripping something from him. But the sensation came and went quickly, so he paid it no mind, assuming it was a cultivation issue.
Now back home, the feeling returned—stronger than before—and the backlash directly injured him. "Strange, there's no curse... could it be..." She thought of Heaven-Man Communion and Heavenly Dao Warning.
In this mystical world, cultivators at certain realms experience Heaven-Man Communion. It allows sensing malice from others or opportunities being seized. Of course, such communion can be relatively blocked.
Heavenly Dao Warning, however, is a sign from fate itself—or a warning from the ethereal Heavenly Dao. Heavenly Dao Warnings cannot be blocked. But only those with great fortune receive them.
After having opportunities stolen, they suffer fortune backlash. Yet she couldn't understand: if Lin Chen was experiencing fortune backlash... how could someone with great fortune have their opportunities intercepted?
...