Chapter 907: Zi Xu
His ring contained millions of mid-grade spirit stones and tens of thousands of top-grade ones; a truly wealthy cultivator's hoard. But Ye Mo didn't need the pills or spirit artifacts. He scanned the ring, finding nothing of interest until he spotted a purple sword tucked in a corner. He examined it, then withdrew the weapon.
The sword felt incredibly heavy; Ye Mo used his cultivation essence to support its weight. He'd never seen anything like it – heavy, ungainly, more like a thick, oversized chopping knife than a sword. Yet, the inscription caught his attention: two tiny characters, "Zi Xu," etched onto the blade.
Seeing Ye Mo pick up the Zi Xu, Hu Haibing quickly explained, "I found this sword in an ancient ruin. It's called Zi Xu, but unfortunately, it's unusable with spirit control. Only someone with immense power can wield it. If Pill Master Ye wants it, please take it. And if that's insufficient, feel free to take some spirit stones as well."
The inability to use spirit control didn't concern Ye Mo. He sensed Hu Haibing's genuine nature, a man worthy of friendship. Returning the ring, Ye Mo declared, "Zi Xu is fine. I'll take it. I don't need the spirit stones. Here's your jade card."
Surprised by Ye Mo's generosity, Hu Haibing accepted the card and bowed, "Thank you, Pill Master Ye. Should you require my assistance, please do not hesitate to call upon me."
Ye Mo responded politely, "Brother Hu, you are a true gentleman. It's a pleasure to have met you. Why not have a seat upstairs before you leave?"
Hu Haibing, however, declined, seemingly pressed for time, and departed.
Back in his room, Ye Mo first set up protective restrictions before examining the Zi Xu. His instincts told him the sword was extraordinary. He infused his spirit sense, attempting spirit control, only to feel as though it had sunk into a mire.
This obstacle, however, brought him unexpected joy. As a formation master, he immediately understood: it wasn't that Zi Xu couldn't be spirit-controlled; a high-level restriction prevented it. Breaking that restriction was the key. While challenging, it wasn't impossible; the restriction, ancient and weakening, offered a glimmer of hope.
Two days later, with a cracking sound, an ancient energy seemed to dissipate from Zi Xu. A faint purple glow emanated, and the sword felt even heavier. Ye Mo rejoiced, recognizing its unusual nature—more than a mere spirit artifact, yet not of a higher order either. He needed to spirit control it quickly to conceal the purple aura.
He expected a lengthy process, given the sword's age, but he mastered spirit control within half a day. The purple glow receded, revealing the truth: it was a sword fetus.
Ye Mo marveled at its creator's skill. Once spirit-controlled, the fetus would transform into the ideal weapon for its wielder, and could even be upgraded with additional materials to further enhance its suitability. However, after the first upgrade, its shape would remain fixed.
This raised a profound question: did ancient cultivators commonly craft such weapon fetuses? He dismissed the idea; if that were the case, cultivation artifacts would hold far less value. Regardless, the ingenuity behind Zi Xu astonished him. This lost heritage captivated him, fueling a desire to explore such forging techniques within the Golden Page World.
He did enter the Golden Page World, but not to study the forging method. His immediate goal was to test Zi Xu's power.
In a wide-open space, he channeled his cultivation essence, unleashing a devastating blow. A purple light flashed, carving a hundred-meter-long ravine into the ground. He sensed spatial instability from the impact. Even the dull gray sky rumbled, seemingly displeased by the test. Silver, his companion, chirped in protest. A few pills quickly appeased the bird.
Ye Mo caressed Zi Xu, recognizing his prized magical artifact. Currently a low-grade spirit artifact, he knew he could upgrade it to greater heights.
He didn't linger, exiting the Golden Page World on the third day, anticipating his trip to Herb Valley the following day.
Exiting his room, he unexpectedly encountered Ye Chengjun, remembering their prior agreement.
"Brother Chen, my apologies. I was engrossed in cultivation and lost track of time," Ye Mo apologized, bowing.
"No worries, my arrival was also unplanned," Ye Chengjun responded amicably. He presented Ye Mo with a rare herb list, feeling sorry for Ye Mo's failure to identify the last three herbs in the previous round.
The list, once crucial, was now less essential, but Ye Mo remained grateful. He found Ye Chengjun to be akin to Kong Ye, an exemplary cultivator of honesty and integrity. They exchanged pill concoction knowledge. While Ye Mo desired to gift Ye Chengjun a Cao Huan pill, he hesitated, fearing his honesty might reveal its origin.
The conversation proved highly beneficial, providing Ye Mo with invaluable techniques and knowledge, minimizing future errors. They spoke late into the night before parting.
The next morning, Ye Mo joined other cultivators at the portal leading to the Desert Plane Herb Valley. While entry was limited, many attended, most conducting business outside the valley.