This was truly rare!

Sun Lingtong, aiming to never leave empty-handed, had read extensively and secretly controlled the black market. His practical learning and vast experience meant he was familiar with most materials, even those from the underworld.

However, all the treasures here were completely unknown to him, entirely outside his realm of knowledge.

Zeng Jide, noticing Sun Lingtong’s confusion and eager expression, slowly paced with his hands behind his back, approaching the shelves. “This collection,” he began, “is truly the essence of Wangchuan Immortal City.”

“The Wangchuan River is the most renowned long river in the underworld. When souls fall into it, they gradually shed their memories and emotions. As these memories and feelings are discarded, the souls feel lighter, as if unburdened, becoming increasingly buoyant until they float to the surface and eventually reach the shore.”

“Souls that reach the shore remember nothing, like newborn infants, innocent and curious about everything.”

“Therefore, some also refer to the Wangchuan River as the River of Absolution or the River of Rebirth.”

After his explanation, Zeng Jide brought the conversation back. “All these treasures originate from the Wangchuan River; they are local specialties and are rarely seen elsewhere.”

“So, it’s normal that you don’t recognize them.”

“For example, this one is called Lamenting Silk Entanglement Lotus Root.”

Sun Lingtong looked closer and saw a pile of lotus root sections, each about half a chi long, completely withered and grayish, as if dead. Numerous translucent, grayish-white threads were wrapped around the surface of the roots.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed these threads wriggling and intertwining on their own, emitting an aura of sorrow that made his chest heavy and brought tears to his eyes.

Zeng Jide pointed to another spot. “This is Wrathful Fire Glaze. Similar to the Lamenting Silk Entanglement Lotus Root, it forms at the bottom of the Wangchuan River, accumulated and condensed from countless angry and resentful thoughts.”

Sun Lingtong took a few steps, and when he saw the treasure Zeng Jide pointed to, his eyes were immediately stung.

It was a fist-sized, irregularly shaped crystal. It was blood-red throughout, with what looked like roaring flames burning and leaping within, constantly emitting faint crackling sounds, while radiating a furious intention to smash everything.

Next, Zeng Jide introduced the Fear Soul Cold Crystal, Malicious Miasma Flower, and Obsessive Iron.

The Fear Soul Cold Crystal was an ice-blue prismatic crystal, emanating a chilling aura that induced panic and dread.

The petals of the Malicious Miasma Flower were inky black and layered, while its pistil was an eerie purplish-red.

Obsessive Iron looked unremarkable, simply heavy, inky-black chunks of metal. If placed before Sun Lingtong, he would have taken them for ordinary iron. In reality, these chunks were extraordinarily heavy and served as core materials for forging top-tier defensive magical artifacts.

Zeng Jide stopped before another shelf, a glint of surprise in his eyes.

“Oh?” he exclaimed in a surprised tone. “There’s even Infant’s Tear Gold here.”

It was a liquid-like gold, contained in a bowl. Pure and unblemished, it radiated an aura of extreme warmth, attachment, and hope, like the newborn morning sun.

“These are the purest, most unblemished souls’ tears, dropped in their utmost innocence.”

“Normally, such souls are extremely rare. However, the Wangchuan River, by thoroughly cleansing souls as if for a new birth, significantly increases this probability.”

Sun Lingtong’s horizons were greatly expanded.

Zeng Jide finally stopped at the deepest shelf, his gaze fixed, and he announced, “Found it.”

“This is the target of my heist on this trip—the Wangchuan Vortex Eye.”

“Vortex Eye?” Sun Lingtong knew what that was.

Any flowing substance, after forming a vortex for many years, can develop an eye-like object at its center. This is a vortex eye.

“It’s the kind of vortex eye you know,” Zeng Jide said, “but these ones are different. They are vortex eyes formed within the Wangchuan River.”

“You must understand that the Wangchuan River embodies the Dao of Forgetfulness, capable of eroding emotions and memories. Every drop of Wangchuan River water possesses this effect and can be considered a precious material, which is no small matter.”

“The items on the previous shelves were merely accumulations of countless emotions. However, the Wangchuan Vortex Eyes are condensed from the river itself, representing a different level entirely.”

“The Wangchuan River is a great river of precious materials, and the treasures born within it, possessing numerous complex and harmonious principles, are often natural magical artifacts!”

Sun Lingtong’s eyes lit up.

He had long heard of natural magical artifacts, but only through texts or legends; now he was finally seeing them in person.

Standing before the Wangchuan Vortex Eyes, Zeng Jide performed a series of hand seals.

With each touch of his finger, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple spread across the light membrane covering the display.

Esoteric talismans appeared one by one, then silently faded, as if the lock had been picked by the most precise tool.

Ten breaths later, a gap opened in the light membrane, its bordering talismans twisting and flickering without ever triggering an alarm.

Zeng Jide reached in and effortlessly took out several Wangchuan Vortex Eyes.

Zeng Jide examined the vortex eyes carefully and found that only one, the highest quality, had become a natural magical artifact.

The others were still a bit short of reaching the level of a magical artifact.

Zeng Jide gazed at the vortex eye on his fingertip. “With this, my objective for this trip is achieved.”

Sun Lingtong exclaimed, “Huh? Senior, you traveled all this way to Wangchuan Immortal City, risking so much, just to steal this?”

Zeng Jide nodded, then shook his head. “Whenever I commit a theft, I openly send out an invitation, stating that I will be coming to a certain place soon to steal a particular item.”

“This time is no exception.”

“In my invitation to the Wangchuan Prefect, I specifically named the Wangchuan Vortex Eye as my target.”

Sun Lingtong’s pupils widened in astonishment upon hearing this. “Your style of thievery, senior… it truly is unique!”

Zeng Jide chuckled. “I feel like you’re looking at me as if I’m an idiot.”

Sun Lingtong clasped his hands behind his head. “Hehe, I could never do something so foolish. Why go to such trouble for so little reward? If I’m going to steal, I’ll be careful and try to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

Hearing his actions called foolish, Zeng Jide actually found Sun Lingtong more to his liking. “Brat, you’re quite blunt.”

“Heh heh, I don’t mind telling you, I’ve done such foolish things many times.”

“Each time I succeed, my thieving skills greatly improve! If the benefits weren’t significant enough, do you think I’d engage in such ostentatious acts?”

Sun Lingtong’s eyes widened again. This was the first time he had heard of such a cultivation method. He said in disbelief, “Thieving skills are also a type of magic. Besides improving your realm and diligent practice, are there other shortcuts to cultivation?”

“Yes, kid,” Zeng Jide replied. “I’ve read Buddhist scriptures and also cultivate Buddhist techniques. I can make vows, fulfill vows, and repay vows.”

“Each time I send out an invitation, I’m making a vow.”

“Successfully stealing is fulfilling the vow.”

“Finally, repaying the vow means that any technique I use during the theft will rapidly improve!”

“This cultivation efficiency far surpasses my diligent practice.”

Sun Lingtong’s knowledge immediately expanded. “Buddhist cultivation has such a method?”

Zeng Jide stroked his beard and smiled, instructing him, “The hundreds of arts, thousands of schools, and myriad methods of cultivation are, in essence, all ways of practicing. As long as it’s useful to you, use it.”

“Don’t concern yourself with whether it’s Buddhist or demonic.”

“Cultivators should embrace everything, adapt flexibly, and turn everything to their own use. You must never be rigid.”

Sun Lingtong nodded repeatedly, taking his words to heart.

Zeng Jide took all the vortex eyes, having achieved his objective for the trip, but did not leave immediately.

“Since we’re already here, Senior, why not take a bit more?” Sun Lingtong suggested.

Zeng Jide nodded, stating earnestly, “Indeed, these all have a predestined connection with me. In our Buddhist cultivation, we speak of vows, and we also speak of connections.”

Zeng Jide then proceeded to sweep all the other treasures from the shelves.

“Oh? There’s a secret room here!” Zeng Jide made an unexpected discovery.

He had to continuously use several thieving techniques before he could open the door to the secret room.

The secret room was not large, containing only three types of treasures: the Dew of Truth Without Delusion, the Seven Emotions Cinder Jade, and the Empty Consciousness Moon Soul.

There was only a single drop of the Dew of Truth Without Delusion.

It floated in the center of a jade bottle. The dewdrop was crystal clear and transparent, seemingly nonexistent yet undeniably present.

It emitted an aura of ultimate purity, an all-transcending ‘nothingness,’ as if it could cleanse all delusions and defilements.

With a complex gaze, Zeng Jide explained, “Under extremely rare circumstances, the Wangchuan River forms a Dao Field of No Delusion. The Dew of Truth Without Delusion is the only treasure left behind when such a Dao Field naturally dissipates.”

“It can purify inner demons, dispel illusions, and stabilize the Dao Heart. It’s a sacred object for cultivating top-tier righteous techniques and overcoming inner demon tribulations. Even a single drop is enough to spark a frantic struggle among the great cultivators of both righteous and demonic paths!”

There were seven pieces of Seven Emotions Cinder Jade, each of a different color and resembling glazed jade. They were naturally stacked together, forming a small, colorful hill.

“Seven Emotions Cinder Jade!” Zeng Jide took a deep breath. “Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire—these are jade pieces condensed under specific conditions when the seven primordial emotions accumulate to their extreme! Each piece contains the primordial power of an extreme emotion! They are supreme sacred objects for cultivating the Seven Emotions Demonic Art, and core materials for top-tier illusion formations, emotional attack, or defensive artifacts. Legend says that collecting all seven pieces can awaken the origin of the seven emotions, granting boundless power and wondrous uses!”

“These are objects of ultimate emotion and nature, refined and precipitated from countless fallen souls over untold ages in the Wangchuan River.”

Sun Lingtong immediately understood.

Many of the treasures seen earlier were also products of emotional accumulation. For example, the Lamenting Silk Entanglement Lotus Root, Wrathful Fire Glaze, Fear Soul Cold Crystal, Malicious Miasma Flower, and Obsessive Iron.

The Seven Emotions Cinder Jade must be the pinnacle among these treasures!

The Empty Consciousness Moon Soul resembled a crescent moon sealed within ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

The crescent moon was an ethereal blue and semi-transparent, emitting a strange ripple that seemed to trace the past and reflect previous lives.

“Buddhists say, ‘The Four Great Elements are all empty.'”

“This is the origin of ’emptiness’ condensed from the Wangchuan River, containing the true meaning of ‘void and tranquility.’ It is a supreme treasure for cultivating top-tier Dao of Forgetfulness techniques such as ‘Supreme Emotionlessness’ and ‘Nirvana Heart Method,’ and also a miraculous auxiliary item for crafting spatial artifacts or comprehending spatial laws. However, direct contact carries the immense danger of losing oneself and dissolving into nothingness.”

“Legend has it that Yun Xiao used this very item to burn himself out and create the Empty Return Raft.”

“It is said that the Empty Consciousness Moon Soul he used at the time was as large as a small mountain, truly astonishing. It was likely the largest and most accumulated treasure of its kind in the Wangchuan River!”

Sun Lingtong felt a stir in his heart. “That’s too much of a coincidence, isn’t it? Just when Yun Xiao wanted to save his Dao companion, he encountered the Empty Consciousness Moon Soul, which perfectly allowed him to achieve his goal.”

Zeng Jide nodded slightly. “Therefore, there’s another perspective regarding Yun Xiao’s story.”

“It’s said that the heavens of the underworld, unwilling to see the Wangchuan River become a forbidden zone, wanted to create a method for crossing the river, so that underworld beings could traverse it.”

“Thus, under the evolution of fate, cultivators Yun Xiao and Yue Yi were arranged. Ultimately, Yun Xiao sacrificed himself, leading to the creation of many Oblivion Crossings and Empty Return Rafts.”

“This is the theory of fate.”

Sun Lingtong remained silent, but in his heart, he thought: His current arrival at Wangchuan Immortal City, encountering Zeng Jide, and receiving his help, was probably also a result of the evolution of fate.

He asked Zeng Jide, “Old Zeng, I’m extremely interested in fate!”

“Can you, will you teach me?”

“I have a great idea: I want to cultivate the art of fate concurrently, then integrate it to create a new thieving technique.”

“With this new thieving technique, I could directly steal fate. Then, I might stumble upon treasures just by walking a few steps, my enemies would turn on each other, and I would have completely smooth sailing and endless wealth! Life couldn’t be more wonderful!”

“Hahahaha.” Zeng Jide was amused and burst into three loud laughs.

He extended a finger and lightly tapped Sun Lingtong’s forehead from a distance. “You’re dreaming too big, kid.”

“I don’t possess any techniques related to divination or fate.”

“Not even the esteemed Prefect of Wangchuan, ruler of this city, has them. If he wants to divine, he still has to seek help from the Old Man of Gray Bones.”

“There’s a secret hidden within this!”

Sun Lingtong pressed, “What secret?”

Zeng Jide said, “To obtain the methods of fate and divination, you cannot force it. It relies on conforming to heavenly will and destiny!”

“Heaven only makes such arrangements if it intends for you to have them.”

“Otherwise, the stronger a being (person or power) is, the less likely they are to acquire these methods.”

“This is because mastering such methods can easily lead to instability, becoming a ‘chronic illness’ in the world, difficult to eradicate, and threatening the natural cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.”

Sun Lingtong frowned. “If that’s the case, looking at it from another angle, does that mean the stronger a person is, the less likely they are to obtain methods of fate and divination?”

Zeng Jide nodded. “Yes.”

“By ‘strong,’ I also mean those with vast potential like you. Although you are temporarily weak now, if you continue to grow, you will certainly become powerful.”

“Therefore, it’s almost impossible for you to seek out methods of fate and divination.”

At this point, Zeng Jide sighed. “Alas, I’ve already tried. If I had divination methods, combined with my vow-making art, I could foresee the chances of success and hidden risks before every invitation.”

“Then my cultivation speed would undergo a complete qualitative change, and becoming a legendary Thief Saint would be within reach.”

“Therefore, cultivators who do acquire methods of fate and divination often have weak destinies or frequent calamities, frequently suffering from the ‘three shortcomings and five defects’.”

“As far as I know, diviners also greatly value their own fate, always maintaining it between an upper and lower limit, with much particularity.”