The old sorcerer waved a hand, and a gleaming trinket transformed into a shower of crystalline rice, scattering upon the youthful heart of Wang Lin. A faint shame pricked him, for the rice spun slowly, casting forth only a modest, if pretty, light.

These three baubles, wrought by his own hand, fell far short of true Celestial Treasures, not even reaching the level of the lowest grade. Yet, they could still be fueled by celestial essence and, more importantly, unveil the rudimentary echoes of the enchanted arts they were meant to contain.

Even without celestial power, a cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage could still coax them to life with their own spiritual energy, albeit with diminished potency.

“A False Celestial Amenity,” Wang Lin murmured, savoring the bittersweetness.

This was the highest grade of enchantment he could muster, for his knowledge of crafting artifacts was but a rough sketch, gleaned mostly from the jade slips of the Fire Fen Country back on Vermillion Bird.

By all rights, he should not have been able to craft anything of even this caliber, but Wang Lin possessed his own nascent Dao-awareness and had reached the Ascendant stage. More crucially, his mastery of seals and enchantments was formidable.

He turned his gaze from the trio of items, a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. After a moment’s consideration, he picked up the bronze mirror, a dance of arcane symbols flickering in his pupils.

“If I could imbue this object with the power of inheritance, its value would increase tenfold.” Wang Lin closed his eyes, his mind a tempest of possibilities.

Common artifacts held only the imprint of a user’s spiritual signature, allowing for effortless control. But if such an item were stolen and that signature erased, it would become the property of the thief.

Only those treasures that carried an inheritance, a secret method of attunement beyond simple spirit-bonding, could resist such plundering. To wield it, one needed not only the object but also the hidden knowledge passed down through generations.

Thus, artifacts of inheritance were far more precious than their counterparts of equal raw power.

Wang Lin’s Soul-Devouring Banner and Spirit-Slaying Chariot were examples of such devices. He closed his eyes, lost in the intricacies of imparting such secrets. The creation of true inheritance treasures was the domain of master artificers, their techniques jealously guarded and rarely employed, making such objects exceedingly rare.

Presently, Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open, his brow furrowed. “Inheritance… I cannot grasp the true essence of it. Perhaps my approach is flawed. Instead of mimicking true inheritance, I shall imbue this mirror with a unique seal, placing the key to unlock it within a jade slip. Thus, while not a true inheritance, it will possess the illusion thereof.”

A spark ignited in his eyes. The key to this pseudo-inheritance lay in the strength of the seal. If he could craft one impervious to all attempts at brute-force breaking, then, though lacking true provenance, it would wield the power of true inheritance.

The arcane dance in Wang Lin’s eyes quickened. He made a swift hand seal and imprinted a glyph upon the mirror’s surface. Then, his hand moved again, weaving a succession of seals that interlocked and resonated, coalescing into a complex rune of shimmering darkness.

After a moment’s contemplation, Wang Lin surveyed the room. His gaze settled on one of the candlesticks. He pointed, and the candle ignited. The smoke rising from the wick was about to be drawn towards a bead in the ceiling when Wang Lin caught it with a flick of his wrist. He pressed the smoke into the rune.

With an eerie hissing, the glyph dissolved into a wisp of black smoke, sinking into the mirror’s depths. Then, he rummaged in his storage pouch and produced a jade slip. A thought, and the key to unlocking the seal was encoded within.

Having secured the mirror, Wang Lin decided against imbuing the other artifacts with the same false inheritance. Outside, the sky was beginning to lighten. Wang Lin closed his eyes once more, sinking into meditative stillness.

The dawn embraced the land, slowly banishing the shadows. Wang Lin opened his eyes and pushed open the door. Sunlight washed over him, a comforting warmth permeating his skin and soul. The spiritual essence of the world was at its peak at this hour, filling the air with an invigorating energy.

A sense of tranquility settled upon him. He began to walk, pausing as he passed the youth beneath the rock overhang. The youth was still deep in meditation, drawing upon the essence of the world.

Only when Wang Lin had vanished from sight did the young man open his eyes, a sneer playing across his lips.

“These newcomers! They all arrive and immediately begin their tireless breathing exercises, desperate to soak up every scrap of spiritual energy they can. If this man’s talent were merely average, diligence might compensate. But he squanders this hour of greatest potency. Pitiful! I wager he will never reach Nascent Soul.”

The youth refocused, closing his eyes and resuming his own breathing exercises with renewed fervor, as if he were stealing the energy from others.

The day before, Wang Lin had passed through some free markets in the western part of the city, where cultivators traded artifacts and materials.

“These markets are unlikely to attract many Nascent Soul cultivators, so they are not the best place for a sale.” Wang Lin looked toward the youth under the rock overhang and began walking towards him.

“Greetings, friend. Do you know where I might find a place in this city to trade higher-grade artifacts?” Wang Lin asked, bowing with a cordial manner.

The youth lifted his eyelids slightly, his face etched with a mixture of condescension and impatience. He said coldly, “The Treasure Assembly Hall in the east.” Without another glance, he dismissed Wang Lin.

Wang Lin merely smiled and turned away.

“A mere Core Formation cultivator attempting to trade for high-level artifacts? He likely wouldn’t even be allowed to cross the threshold of the Treasure Assembly Hall!” the youth snorted to himself.

Wang Lin strode unhurriedly towards the east of the city. He passed through an area where few common folk lingered and where the opulent shops, festooned with jade and carved balustrades, hinted at considerable wealth.

Some shops even displayed monolithic spirit stones, unrefined and brimming with raw energy, standing taller than a man. It was as if they proclaimed the power of the shop, and that their resources were plentiful.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with interest. Such displays were a brazen declaration to all who passed of the shop’s considerable power.

To extract such raw spirit stones from a ley line was beyond the ability of ordinary cultivators.

Indeed, the size of the spirit stones seemed to correspond to the wealth of the shop. Some towered nearly twenty feet, dwarfing those who passed by, as if one were standing next to a small mountain, casting a wave of awe upon all who beheld them.
A store, unlike any other, stood apart from the rest. Its outer display boasted spirit stones of an exceptional quality, a discovery that immediately piqued Wang Lin’s interest.

He regarded the shop with a discerning eye. It was a modest establishment, only two stories high, and lacked the grandiosity of some of its neighbors. Yet, it possessed an undeniable elegance. Above the entrance, a plaque bore the name “Azure Bamboo Pavilion,” the characters swirling with artistic flair.

Wang Lin refrained from entering, choosing instead to continue his journey eastward. At the end of the city district, a colossal edifice of natural grandeur emerged, a structure known as the “Treasury Concord.” Eight raw, upper-grade spirit stones, each of immense size, were arranged around the building, radiating an intense spiritual energy that seemed to coalesce into an invisible barrier.

The Treasury Concord appeared almost seamlessly integrated with its surroundings, possessing a quality of etherealness upon closer inspection. A large spirit stone, long and rectangular, was affixed above the entrance, etched with three bold characters: “Bao He Lou.”

A tangible pressure emanated from the Treasury Concord, with hidden defenses in place to thwart intrusive probing by divine sense. Wang Lin resisted the urge to forcefully explore, as the establishment held no particular allure for him.

As Wang Lin stepped forward to enter, a frown creased his brow. A middle-aged man emerged from within, blocking his path and scrutinizing him from head to toe. In a measured tone, the man inquired, “Does this esteemed Daoist not know the rules of the Treasury Concord?”

“Indeed, I am not familiar with them,” Wang Lin responded, his demeanor calm and unruffled.

The middle-aged man was surprised by Wang Lin’s composure. He had seen countless cultivators pass through the doors of the Treasury Concord, and few, save for the most seasoned and powerful, could maintain such equanimity in the face of the building’s imposing aura.

“The Treasury Concord operates under a principle of restrictions: the ‘Two Not Allowed In, One Not Allowed Out.’ Those with a cultivation level below the Nascent Soul are barred from entry. Likewise, those who do not possess at least one hundred thousand upper-grade spirit stones are denied access. Finally, those who have not made a successful transaction within these walls are not permitted to leave!”

Wang Lin’s brow furrowed slightly.

The middle-aged man, observing Wang Lin’s reaction, believed he understood the situation. “Does the esteemed Daoist possess the required one hundred thousand spirit stones?”

Wang Lin’s storage pouch did not hold a significant number of spirit stones, as he, since attaining his Spirit Severing cultivation, preferred the use of immortal jade.

The middle-aged man chuckled. “It appears the esteemed Daoist does not meet the Treasury Concord’s requirements for entry. Even if you were to enter, you would likely be unable to fulfill the conditions for departure. I must ask you to turn back.”

“Would you accept this?” Wang Lin asked calmly, glancing at the man as he retrieved a sword he had crafted from his storage bag.

The middle-aged man cast a disdainful look at the sword. He immediately recognized it as a crudely forged weapon, utterly lacking in refinement. Even the light of the blade appeared dull and lifeless. Without even engaging his divine sense, he could tell that it was a subpar weapon, not even worthy of being called a low-grade magic treasure.

He had spent years assessing potential entrants to the Treasury Concord, honing his discerning eye. He had seen countless low-level cultivators, like the one before him, attempting to trade insignificant items. He mentally categorized Wang Lin as one of them.

The man imagined that the sword might have a unique application but this did not interest him. He shook his head and said, “We do not accept such items. Please leave.”

Wang Lin gave the middle-aged man a cold stare before turning to depart.

His final glance pierced the man’s gaze, making him feel as if he had been doused in freezing water. A tremor seized his body as the man stared speechlessly at Wang Lin’s receding figure. Wang Lin’s eyes were like the depths of a winter glacier, and the man’s nascent soul was nearly frozen. He got the distinct impression that there was something unusual about the sword.

At that moment, an ancient voice echoed from within the Treasury Concord.

“Lu Feng, what is the matter?”

The middle-aged man turned back and bowed respectfully. “Elder Sun, a cultivator came to offer a magic treasure for trade.”

An old man emerged from the building, his back hunched and his face a tapestry of wrinkles etched by time. His eyes lacked the vitality of youth as he gazed at the middle-aged man. “What treasure did he offer?”