This is truly a rare sight!

Sun Lingtong, in his quest to ensure no robbery was ever empty-handed, had read countless books. He had also secretly gained control of the black market, learning through practical experience and broadening his horizons, becoming familiar with many materials, even those from the underworld.

Yet, all the rare treasures here were completely outside his knowledge, utterly unfamiliar to him.

Zeng Jide noticed Sun Lingtong’s confusion and longing. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly paced to the shelves. “This particular storehouse is the essence of Wangchuan Xiancheng.”

“The Wangchuan River is the most famous long river in the underworld. Souls that fall into it gradually shed their memories and emotions. As these memories and emotions are discarded, the souls become lighter and lighter, as if relieved of a great burden, until they float to the surface of the river and eventually come ashore.”

“And the souls that come ashore remember nothing, like newborn infants, innocent and curious about everything.”

“Therefore, some people also call the Wangchuan River the River of Atonement, or the River of Rebirth.”

After this introduction, Zeng Jide brought the topic back. “These treasures all originate from the Wangchuan River. They are unique to this place and are almost never seen elsewhere.”

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

“For example, this one is called Aisichanxinou (Sorrow-Wrapped Heart Lotus Root).”

Sun Lingtong looked and saw a pile of lotus root sections, each about half a chi long, completely withered and gray, as if dead. The surface of the lotus root was entwined with numerous translucent, grayish-white threads.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed these threads wriggling on their own, interweaving, and emitting an aura of sorrow that made one’s chest heavy and compelled them to shed tears.

Zeng Jide pointed to another spot and said, “This is Chennuhouliuli (Wrathful Fire Glaze). Similar to Aisichanxinou, it forms at the bottom of the Wangchuan River, accumulating and condensing from countless angry and resentful thoughts.”

Sun Lingtong took a few steps and looked at the treasure Zeng Jide pointed to, immediately feeling a刺痛 (cìtòng, stinging pain) in his eyes.

It was a fist-sized, irregularly shaped crystal. Its entire body was fiery red like blood, and inside, raging flames seemed to burn and dance, continuously emitting faint crackling sounds, while also radiating a violent, destructive, wrathful intent.

Next, Zeng Jide introduced Jupo Han Jing (Fearful Soul Cold Crystal), Yuandu Zhanghua (Spiteful Miasma Flower), and Zhinian Tie (Obsessive Iron).

Jupo Han Jing was an ice-blue prismatic crystal, emitting a chilling coldness that instilled panic and fear.

Yuandu Zhanghua had petals as black as ink, layered one upon another, but its stamens were an eerie purplish-red.

Zhinian Tie appeared unremarkable, just heavy, ink-black iron blocks. If placed before Sun Lingtong, they would only be mistaken for ordinary iron. In reality, however, this type of iron block was extremely heavy and was a core treasure material for forging top-tier defensive magical artifacts.

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

He exclaimed in an astonished tone, “Oh? There’s even Chizileijin (Infant’s Tear Gold) here.”

This was gold in liquid form, held in a bowl. It was pure and unblemished, radiating an extreme warmth, attachment, and an aura of hope, like the the rising sun.

“These are the purest and most flawless tears shed by pure and genuine souls.”

“Under normal circumstances, such souls are hard to come by. But the Wangchuan River, which can thoroughly cleanse souls as if reborn, greatly increases this probability.”

Sun Lingtong’s eyes were opened.

Zeng Jide finally stopped at the innermost shelf, his gaze fixed, and said, “Found it.”

“This is my target for this journey – Wangchuan Woyan (Wangchuan Whirlpool Eye).”

“Woyan?” Sun Lingtong knew what that was.

Any flowing substance, if it forms a vortex for a long time, can potentially form an eyeball at the center of the vortex. This is a Woyan.

Zeng Jide said, “It’s the Woyan you know, but these few are different; they are Woyan formed in the Wangchuan River.”

“You must understand, the Wangchuan River contains the Dao of forgetting, capable of erasing emotions and memories. Every drop of Wangchuan River water has this effect and can be considered a treasure material, which is no small matter.”

“The previous rows of shelves merely held items formed from the accumulation of countless emotions. These Wangchuan Woyan, however, are nurtured and transformed from the Wangchuan River itself. These are two different levels.”

“The Wangchuan River is a great river of treasure materials. Treasure materials conceived within other treasure materials, whose principles are numerous and intricate, harmoniously integrated, are often natural magical artifacts!”

Sun Lingtong’s eyes lit up.

He had long heard of natural magical artifacts, but only in books or as legends from others. Now, he was finally seeing a real one.

Zeng Jide stood before the Wangchuan Woyan and performed a series of hand seals.

Each time his fingertip landed, a minute ripple, almost imperceptible, spread across the translucent light film covering the interval.

One after another, profound talismans appeared, then silently faded, as if the lock core had been “picked” by the most precise tool.

Ten breaths later, a gap opened in the light film. The talismans at the edges distorted and constantly flickered, yet no alarm was triggered.

Zeng Jide reached in and easily took a few Wangchuan Woyan, bringing them out.

Zeng Jide carefully examined these Woyan and found that only one, the best quality, had become a natural magical artifact.

The other few were still some way off from reaching the level of a magical artifact.

Zeng Jide looked at the Woyan on his fingertips and said, “Thus, the purpose of my trip has been achieved.”

Sun Lingtong: “Ah? Senior traveled all this way to Wangchuan Xiancheng, braving such dangers, just to steal this?”

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

“This time is no exception.”

“In my invitation to the Wangchuan Fujun, I specifically stated that I intended to steal the Wangchuan Woyan.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Lingtong’s eyes widened, greatly surprised. “Your old man’s style of thievery… is truly 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 such a foolish thing. Why go to such trouble for so little reward? If I were to steal, I’d be careful, trying to be as discreet as possible.”

Zeng Jide, hearing his actions described as foolish, actually found Sun Lingtong more to his liking. “Brat, you’re quite impertinent.”

“Hehe, no harm in telling you, I’ve done such foolish things many times.”

“Every time I succeed, my Dao of thievery improves by a significant margin! If the benefits weren’t great enough, do you think I’d do such a flashy thing?”

Sun Lingtong’s eyes widened again. This was the first time he had heard of such a cultivation method. He immediately said incredulously, “The Dao of thievery is a type of magic. Besides increasing one’s cultivation realm and practicing diligently, are there other shortcuts to cultivation?”

“Yes, little ghost,” Zeng Jide said. “I’ve read Buddhist scriptures and also cultivate Buddhist techniques, which allow me to make vows, fulfill vows, and repay vows.”

“Every time I send an invitation, I am making a vow.”

“Successful theft means fulfilling the vow.”

“Finally, when I repay the vow, all the methods I used during the theft will rapidly improve!”

“This cultivation efficiency far surpasses my arduous practice.”

Sun Lingtong was immediately enlightened. “Buddhist cultivation has such a profound aspect?”

Zeng Jide stroked his beard and smiled, teaching him, “The hundred arts, thousands of schools, and myriad methods of cultivation are essentially all ways of cultivation. If it’s useful to you, then use it.”

“What does it matter if it’s from the Buddhist or Demonic sects?”

“Cultivators should be all-encompassing, flexible, and adapt everything for their own use; never be rigid.”

Sun Lingtong nodded repeatedly, taking his words to heart.

Zeng Jide took all the Woyan, having achieved his goal for the trip, but did not leave immediately.

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

Zeng Jide nodded, stating seriously, “Indeed, all these are connected to me by fate. Our Buddhist cultivation emphasizes vows, but also fate.”

Zeng Jide then took action, sweeping all the treasures from the shelves.

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

He performed several theft techniques in a row before finally opening the door to the secret room.

The secret room was not large, containing only three types of treasures: Wuwang Zhenlu (Unwanted True Dew), Qiqing Jinyu (Seven Emotions Cinder Jade), and Kongshi Yuepo (Empty Consciousness Moon Soul).

There was only one drop of Wuwang Zhenlu.

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

It emitted an aura of extreme purity, transcending all “nothingness,” as if it could cleanse all delusions and dust.

Zeng Jide’s gaze was complex as he introduced it: “Under extremely rare circumstances, the Wangchuan River will form a Wuwang Daochang (Dao Field of Nothingness). Wuwang Zhenlu is the only treasure left behind after a Wuwang Daochang naturally dissipates.”

“It can purify inner demons, break through illusions, and stabilize the Dao heart. It is a sacred object for cultivating top-tier righteous Dao techniques and overcoming heart demon tribulations. Just one drop is enough to cause mad competition among the great cultivators of both righteous and demonic paths!”

There were seven pieces of Qiqing Jinyu, each of a different color, shaped like glazed jade. They were naturally stacked together, forming a small seven-colored mountain.

“Qiqing Jinyu!” Zeng Jide took a deep breath. “Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire—seven primal emotions accumulated to the extreme, condensing into jade under certain special conditions! Each piece contains the primal power of an extreme emotion! It is the supreme sacred object for cultivating the Seven Emotions Demonic Arts, and also a core material for top-tier illusion arrays, emotional attack, or defense magical artifacts. Legend has it that collecting all seven can activate the primal source of the seven emotions, granting infinite wondrous powers!”

“This is a substance of ultimate emotion and nature that the Wangchuan River has ‘washed’ and ‘precipitated’ from countless sunken souls over an unknown number of ages.”

Sun Lingtong immediately understood.

Many of the previous treasures were also products of emotional accumulation. For example, Aisichanxinou, Chennuhouliuli, Jupo Han Jing, Yuandu Zhanghua, Zhinian Tie, and so on.

Qiqing Jinyu must be at the very top of these treasures!

Kongshi Yuepo looked like a crescent moon sealed within ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

The crescent moon was an eerie blue and translucent, emitting a peculiar ripple that traced the past and reflected 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 ‘empty stillness.’ It is a supreme treasure for cultivating top-tier emotionless Dao techniques like ‘Taishang Wangqing’ and ‘Jimie Xinfa,’ and also a miraculous auxiliary item for forging space-type magical artifacts or comprehending spatial laws. However, direct contact carries the great danger of losing oneself and being assimilated into the void.”

“According to legend, Yunxiao used this very item to burn himself out and create the Konghui Cha (Empty Return Raft).”

“It is said that the Kongshi Yuepo he used at the time was as large as a small mountain, utterly astonishing. It was probably the largest and most accumulated treasure of its kind in the Wangchuan River!”

Sun Lingtong was moved. “Then that’s too much of a coincidence, isn’t it? Just when Yunxiao wanted to save his Dao companion, he encountered the Kongshi Yuepo, which just happened to fulfill his conditions.”

Zeng Jide nodded slightly. “Therefore, there’s another interpretation of Yunxiao’s story.”

“It’s said that the Heaven of the Underworld didn’t want to see the Wangchuan River become a forbidden zone, and wished to create a method for crossing the river, so that the beings of the Underworld could cross it.”

“Thus, under the evolution of fate, it arranged for the two cultivators, Yunxiao and Yueyi. Ultimately, Yunxiao sacrificed himself, resulting in many Wangqingdu (Emotion-Forgiving Ferries) and Konghui Cha.”

“This is the theory of Qishu (Fate/Destiny).”

Sun Lingtong remained silent, but in his heart, he thought: his journey to Wangchuan Xiancheng and his encounter with Zeng Jide, receiving his help, were probably also due to the evolution of Qishu.

He asked Zeng Jide, “Elder Zeng, I am very interested in Qishu!”

“Would you, could you teach me?”

“I have a good idea: I want to cultivate the Dao of Qishu, then integrate and create a new Dao of thievery.”

“With a new Dao of thievery, I could directly steal Qishu. By then, I might encounter treasures just by walking a few steps, my enemies would turn on each other, and everything would go smoothly for me—smooth sailing and wealth! Life would be incredibly enjoyable.”

“Hahaha.” Zeng Jide was amused and laughed heartily three times.

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

“I don’t have any methods related to divination or Qishu.”

“Even the dignified lord of a nation, the Wangchuan Fujun, doesn’t have them. If he wants to divine, he has to seek help from the Old Man of Gray Bones.”

“There’s a secret hidden in this!”

Sun Lingtong pressed, “What secret?”

Zeng Jide said, “To obtain methods of Qishu or divination, forcing it won’t work; it relies on following heaven’s will and destiny!”

“Heaven only makes such arrangements if it wants you to have it.”

“Otherwise, the stronger an existence (people and powers) is, the less likely they are to obtain such methods.”

“This is because learning this method can easily become an unmanageable burden, a ‘stubborn illness’ in the world that is difficult to eliminate, 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 it mean that the stronger a person is, the less likely they are to obtain methods of Qishu and divination?”

Zeng Jide nodded. “Yes.”

“Here, ‘strong’ also refers to those with great potential like you. Although currently weak, if you continue to grow, you will certainly become strong.”

“So, it’s almost impossible for you to find methods of Qishu or divination.”

At this point, Zeng Jide sighed, “Alas, I’ve already tried. If I had a divination method, combined with my vow-making technique, I could divine the chances of success and hidden risks before delivering each invitation.”

“Then my cultivation speed would undergo a complete qualitative change, and becoming a famous Sage of Thieves would be just around the corner.”

“Therefore, cultivators who obtain methods of Qishu or divination often have weak Qishu, or frequently encounter disasters, and often suffer from the ‘Three Lacks and Five Harms’ (Sanque Wubi).”

“As far as I know, divination cultivators also greatly value their own Qishu, always maintaining it within an upper and lower limit, with much particularity.”