Chapter 559: The Treasures of the Wan Fa Sect, What Marvelous Treasures!
'A woman, a very well-built woman, wearing a black hood and black skintight clothes, completely covered, tsk tsk~'
Shen Anyu's Divine Sense swept over, and he found it interesting. Who was this woman, to infiltrate the Wan Fa Sect base? What was her intention?
He detected that this infiltrating woman was quite strong, at the Great Grandmaster level, and her stealth methods were excellent. Her breath was controlled to a near-imperceptible rhythm, her heartbeat a slow, steady drum muffled by layers of specialized Qi control. The very air seemed to bend around her, obscuring her from mundane sight and sound. It would be difficult for anyone below a Celestial to notice her; she had followed him in silently, a phantom clinging to the edges of perception.
But to Shen Anyu, she was as conspicuous as a bonfire in a dark room. Her presence was a small, tightly coiled knot of tension within his expansive Divine Sense. He could feel the cold determination radiating from her, a focused intent that was currently dormant but ready to explode at a moment's notice. She was not in his eyes. If he wished, with a mere flick of his Mental Energy, he could shatter her concealment, seize control of her limbs, and make her assume any posture he desired, doing whatever he pleased. She would be a puppet on his strings, her will utterly subjugated.
Since the other party hadn't made a move, Shen Anyu also held back for now, a predator enjoying the brief, amusing dance before the pounce. He turned his attention away from the hidden observer, leisurely admiring the Wan Fa Sect's ultimate treasures in the secret chamber. The air in the vault was cool and dry, heavy with the layered scents of ancient wood, dried herbs, and the faint, metallic tang of strange minerals. It was a place sealed away from time, a proof of a century of accumulated power.
Before him were hundreds of boxes, big and small, tightly sealed and secure. They were crafted from rare woods and metals, many inscribed with faint, protective arrays that shimmered under the light.
"Young Lord, these are the Wan Fa Sect's most precious hidden treasures. They are all very rare and difficult to acquire with money," Du Zhao introduced, his voice filled with a mixture of reverence for the treasures and fear for the man before him. He gestured towards the first section of shelves.
"Over here are the Wan Fa Sect's treasured medicinal herbs, at least of the century Ginseng, century Ganoderma lucidum level." Du Zhao pointed to rows of meticulously crafted boxes. Even sealed, a potent medicinal aroma permeated the air around them. "There are also over twenty precious medicinal herbs with over five hundred years of potency, and the most precious is this Millennium Jade Snow Lotus, rumored to be able to bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones!"
Shen Anyu's Divine Sense swept over the collection, a satisfied smile gracing his handsome face. His spiritual perception plunged into the boxes, analyzing the vibrant life force contained within each specimen. In the mundane world, where Spiritual Qi was scarce and fading, Spirit Medicine over a thousand years old was a legend, something that was extremely hard to find. Even semi-Spirit Medicine over five hundred years old was a rare treasure fought over by countless martial arts families. As expected of an old, powerful force like the Wan Fa Sect, their hoard was impressive for this era. They possessed over twenty precious medicinal herbs with over five hundred years of potency, each one pulsing with a dense, concentrated energy that could elevate a martial artist's foundation. And at the heart of it all was that Millennium Jade Snow Lotus, a true marvel of nature that had absorbed the essence of heaven and earth for a full thousand years. Its medicinal effects were extraordinary.
If it were put up for auction, those super-rich individuals, the aging magnates and shadowy oligarchs of the world, would likely spare no expense to acquire it. They would bankrupt their own empires for a chance at it. Such a thing could save lives and prolong lifespan, the two things money ultimately couldn't buy.
Shen Anyu reached out and took the exquisite jade box containing the Millennium Jade Snow Lotus. The box was cool to the touch, carved from a single piece of flawless white jade that helped preserve the lotus's spiritual essence. He gently opened it. A wave of intensely pure, frigid energy washed over the room, so potent it felt like stepping into an alpine peak in the dead of winter. Inside lay a snow lotus flower, but it was unlike any normal plant. It was like green jade, its petals entirely verdant and translucent, like a masterwork of jade stone, crystal clear and glowing with an internal light.
When the exquisite jade box was opened, the Millennium Jade Snow Lotus emitted a faint, ethereal fragrance. It was a clean, sharp scent that seemed to pierce directly into one's soul. After smelling it, even Shen Anyu, with his profound cultivation, felt refreshed and invigorated, a clarity settling over his mind.
"Good stuff."
Shen Anyu praised, his voice carrying genuine appreciation. This Millennium Jade Snow Lotus was a prime ingredient. If combined with other rare medicinal herbs and refined into a Medicinal Pill, according to the esoteric records in the Two-Aspects Life-Death Medical Scripture, it could produce an elixir that would greatly advance his cultivation, solidifying his foundation and pushing his power to new heights.
Even without the complex process of Alchemy, consuming it directly would be a monumental boon for any lesser martial artist. It could significantly boost the cultivation of a Great Grandmaster expert, the raw, pure energy forcefully scouring their meridians and strengthening their physical body. It could allow them to directly break through the physical and Qi barriers of a Celestial. As long as their Mental Energy met the standard, the three great hidden treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit could break through their mortal limits, achieving Celestial status in a single, explosive leap.
At this moment, a flicker of surprise appeared in Shen Anyu's eyes. His Divine Sense, which was still passively observing the hidden woman, caught a minute disturbance. He noticed that the moment the Millennium Jade Snow Lotus was brought out, the aura of the black-clad woman hidden in the shadows fluctuated for an instant. It was a sharp, involuntary spike of raw desire, a tremor of desperate need that rippled through her otherwise iron-clad control. She was clearly stirred by this rare Spirit Medicine.
But very quickly, the black-clad woman reined in her aura, smothering the emotional flare-up with practiced discipline. The ripple vanished as if it had never been.
'She can endure.'
Shen Anyu chuckled inwardly, his amusement growing. He could guess the black-clad woman's purpose now. Was she here to rob? Or to seek revenge? The need for that lotus was evident; it was the scent of a cultivator desperate for a breakthrough.
The other party could not escape his grasp, and he found a certain amusement in playing this game of cat and mouse. There was, of course, no possibility of things going awry. The outcome was already decided. Shen Anyu's Divine Sense swept out; over a dozen Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters from the Wan Fa Sect had already sealed the basement entrance, their life signatures forming a tight cordon. And that was just the appetizer. Shen Anyu himself, an even more formidable presence, was the true, inescapable cage.
At this time, after introducing these rare medicinal herbs, Du Zhao began to introduce the items next to them, moving along the rows of shelves.
"Young Lord, these are rare ores, and various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, such as deep-sea blood coral, hundred-year lightning-struck wood, a thousand-year cold jade bed, Lunar Crystal, and so on..."
Shen Anyu's gaze swept over the new collection, and his good mood deepened. He had indeed come to the right place this time; they were all good things. The Wan Fa Sect's centuries of treasures were truly a sight to behold. Even though the mundane world was a Spiritual Qi desert, they had still managed to find so many good things through sheer persistence and influence. Some of these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and medicinal herbs were very beneficial to Cultivators. The deep-sea coral glowed with a crimson light, the lightning-struck wood crackled with residual energy, and the cold jade bed radiated a profound chill that could calm a cultivator's mind during secluded meditation.
His eyes landed on the Lunar Crystal. Its quality was quite good, purer than he expected. Most importantly, it was substantial, a large, uncut chunk weighing about ten catties. It pulsed with a soft, silvery light, its interior holding the deep, cold darkness of a moonless night. This was completely sufficient for refining the sword embryo of the Yin Corpse Devil Sword. He would give it to Zhang Zhiyun then.
'How could a fallen, darkened Child of Destiny not have a sinister Devil Sword?' a dark thought amused him. 'You say Zhang Zhiyun hasn't fallen yet? He will soon!'
Shen Anyu's handsome face wore a faint, knowing smile as he listened to Du Zhao's continued introduction, examining each treasure with a critical eye.
The figure hidden in the shadows, however, did not show any further aura fluctuations. Her self-control was admirable. She remained perfectly concealed, a statue cloaked in darkness.
After introducing the rare medicinal herbs and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Du Zhao moved on to the last section of the vault.
"Young Lord, here are some of the Wan Fa Sect's Enchanted Talismans, Magical Artifacts, and collected treasures containing extraordinary power."
Du Zhao opened each box, displaying their contents before stepping respectfully to the side.
Shen Anyu's gaze swept over the new items, but this time, he didn't pay much attention. The faint smile on his face was replaced with a hint of disdain. Piles of yellowing paper talismans covered in crude cinnabar script, small bronze daggers that hummed with a weak energy, jade pendants with flawed protective arrays—they were all toys.
To a Cultivator who had obtained a true Cultivation Inheritance, these so-called Enchanted Talismans and Magical Artifacts were simply too crude. They were a pathetic imitation of the real thing, at most having only scratched the surface of a Cultivator's abilities. He could see the inefficient energy pathways, the clumsy inscriptions. They possessed less than a tenth of the power of normal Talismans and Magical Artifacts that a true Foundation Establishment cultivator would consider basic.
However, this was also normal. With scarce Spiritual Qi and limited conditions, the original Cultivators had all gone to the Xuanhuang World ages ago. The remaining Martial Artists, spellcasters, and other practitioners on Earth followed incomplete paths. What good things could they possibly refine?
But then, the woman hidden in the shadows—her aura actually fluctuated again. This time, the tremor was even more pronounced, radiating a raw excitement far more intense than when she saw the Millennium Jade Snow Lotus. The wave of emotion was so strong that even Du Zhao almost noticed it, his head twitching slightly before she instantly re-hid her aura.
Shen Anyu, however, sensed it all perfectly. He felt that the woman was somewhat unable to restrain herself, her entire body tensed, eager to make a move.
'Does she need something here?'
Shen Anyu's gaze swept over the collection, following the direction of the woman's focus, and looked at a sword he had just examined. It was a Cursed Devil Sword, its blade a dull, matte black that seemed to absorb light. The weapon contained many malicious curses, woven into the very metal by a powerful spellcaster. Although it couldn't compare to the Myriad Curses Sword in the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect's hands, it was still a potent cursed weapon, enhanced by a Heavenly Master expert. In the right hands, it was capable of severely wounding even Celestial experts, its curses gnawing at their life force and soul.
Shen Anyu had merely glanced at it before, not caring in the slightest. Let alone this weakened, imitation version of the Myriad Curses Sword, even the genuine Myriad Curses Sword was not in his eyes. What was there to care about something that could be shattered with a single, well-placed punch?
But this item, for many experts in this world, was an invaluable treasure. Used well, it had a high chance of turning the tables, allowing a weaker combatant to defeat a stronger opponent.
'A bit interesting. This woman is completely unmoved by the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Only the Millennium Jade Snow Lotus for a cultivation breakthrough and this Cursed Devil Sword for defeating a strong enemy can catch her attention. Does she have some powerful enemy she's hunting?'
Shen Anyu pondered, deep in thought, but didn't bother to think too much. He had finished looking at the Wan Fa Sect's ultimate treasures: medicinal herbs, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Magical Artifacts, Enchanted Talismans, and so on. His little game was over. He was preparing to simply capture and interrogate this woman.
"Wait, there's actually this thing?"
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