Zhou Xuan untied a separate Storage Pouch from his waist and handed it over respectfully with both hands.
"Wuxiang Mountain, being a prestigious Dao Lineage, indeed has a profound foundation."
"However, most of their Cultivation Techniques regarding the Divine Soul are not particularly advanced. I have placed all the Jade Slips concerning the Divine Soul inside."
"As for the Chess Condensation Method Your Highness mentioned..."
Zhou Xuan looked ashamed. "I searched through all the Jade Slips but did not find even a single word about it."
Jiang Yuechu took the Storage Pouch and nodded slightly.
She wasn't particularly disappointed.
"Is there anything else?" Jiang Yuechu asked casually.
Zhou Xuan then raised his head, a look of solemnity appearing on his face.
"However... regarding the heart materials Your Highness mentioned, I did discover dozens of types."
"I filtered out the common Mid and Low Grade ones and selected the three most outstanding items from them."
Zhou Xuan paused, lowering his voice slightly.
"Two High Grade ones."
"And one Top Grade one."
"Top Grade."
These words reached her ears.
On Jiang Yuechu's usually expressionless face, a hint of astonishment finally emerged.
A Top Grade heart material!
Shaken, she immediately sent her Divine Sense into the Storage Pouch.
As expected.
At the deepest part of the Storage Pouch lay three jade boxes.
Two of the jade boxes emitted a soft spiritual light, their aura similar to that of the twelve-colored rosy cloud silver.
They were clearly two types of High Grade heart materials.
The jade box in the very center was pitch-black like ink.
The aura emanating from it was several times more powerful than the twelve-colored rosy cloud silver she had obtained before!
Jiang Yuechu did not say much.
She reached directly into the Storage Pouch and took out the jade box.
The jade box felt extremely heavy in her hand, and its touch was bone-chillingly cold.
With a click.
The lid opened.
There was no blinding treasure light as she had expected.
Inside the box lay an object barely an inch long.
It was completely translucent, as if condensed from moonlight.
Its branches were well-arranged; though it was an inanimate object, it faintly exuded a sense of endless water vapor.
Jiang Yuechu's fingertip touched it lightly.
It immediately let out an extremely crisp ringing sound.
Like the clashing of metal and stone, or an ethereal sound from the deep sea, it instantly cleansed the Divine Soul.
The fatigue from days of traveling was swept away by this clear and melodious sound.
Standing in the hall, Zhou Xuan looked at the object with amazement. "Your Highness, I once saw a brief mention of this in the Sect's ancient records. It is called the Exquisite Coral."
He bowed slightly and explained slowly, "The ancient records say that Dragons dwell in the sea as gods who summon wind and rain. Their dwellings have crystal walls, glazed tiles, and coral forests. Legend has it that this Exquisite Coral is a celestial item from the Dragon Palace, growing at the extreme depth of thirty thousand miles under the sea."
"Its branches and leaves are as translucent as a full moon, and it produces a clear sound when touched."
"Refining it into one's body can dispel all illusions in the world and make one immune to all techniques. It is a supreme Top Grade material for tempering the Primordial Spirit."
At this point, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but sigh.
"Unfortunately, the Dragon Clan has long since vanished. Most Cultivators in the world consider such celestial items to be mere legends. This is also the first time I have seen the true form of such a Top Grade heart material... For Wuxiang Mountain to have this in its treasury, its foundation is truly terrifying."
Jiang Yuechu's expression remained unchanged, but she was overjoyed in her heart.
She had thought it would take a lot of effort to gather all the heart materials needed for the Perfection of Ascending the Tower.
Going to that Yu Mountain Great Range was only for the sake of the water-fire cold smoke coal.
She hadn't expected this.
Although that old turtle from Wuxiang Mountain had run away quickly, the assets he left behind were unexpectedly rich.
She had simply picked up a Top Grade heart material for free.
Along with the twelve-colored rosy cloud silver, this was the second type.
She was now one big step closer to the Perfection of Ascending the Tower.
Jiang Yuechu closed the jade box and properly stored it in her personal storage Magic Treasure.
She raised her eyes and looked at Zhou Xuan in the hall.
"You have done well in this matter. I shall credit you for this."
Zhou Xuan quickly lowered his head. "To share Your Highness's burdens is my duty."
Jiang Yuechu shook her head, not dwelling on the topic for long.
"I heard you mention before that there are Medicinal Pills in this world that allow one to directly enter Mountain Gazing, or even reach the Lamp-Lighting Realm?"
Zhou Xuan was startled for a moment, then immediately nodded. "Replying to Your Highness, there are indeed such Medicinal Pills in the cultivation world. One only needs to consume them to forcibly raise a Cultivator's Realm, saving years of bitter cultivation."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Then, with the assets seized from Wuxiang Mountain, is it possible to refine Medicinal Pills that reach Lamp-Lighting?"
Hearing this.
Zhou Xuan frowned in thought, his mind rapidly calculating the mountain-like inventory of the treasury.
After a moment.
He nodded solemnly.
"Wuxiang Mountain's foundation is deeper than imagined; it is possible to barely scrape together enough ingredients for two batches."
"In that case, I leave this matter entirely in your hands to supervise."
Jiang Yuechu set the tone. "Start the furnace as soon as possible. Besides the Lamp-Lighting Treasure Pills, refine those Medicinal Pills that allow people to directly enter the Mountain Gazing Realm in large quantities for me."
What Great Tang needs is combat power capable of drawing blades and killing.
It would be a waste to let the resources sit and gather dust.
As for any side effects... such as whether it would affect future cultivation...
Heh.
How many people in Great Tang can normally Cultivate to the Lamp-Lighting Realm?
Why worry about side effects?!
"Dismissed. Go and attend to it."
Zhou Xuan took his orders and withdrew from the front hall.
Silence returned to the room.
Jiang Yuechu sat alone in her chair, lost in thought.
The news of Wuxiang Mountain's destruction has not spread yet.
Once it does, Great Tang will surely become a target for everyone.
Great Tang must have its own foundation and its own experts.
People like White Jade Tower, You Wujiang, and Gu Wanlan have struggled in the mortal world and possess resilient Heart-Natures; all they lack is a ladder to the heavens.
As long as a few more Ascending the Tower experts emerge with her help.
It could be considered a tentative foothold in the Eastern Region.
However.
Those are matters for later.
The most critical thing.
Is still herself.
With this thought.
Jiang Yuechu rose from her seat.
She walked straight toward a quiet room.
As the door of the quiet room closed.
Jiang Yuechu sat cross-legged on a futon, and with a slight flick of her wrist, the pitch-black jade box appeared out of thin air in her palm.
Without hesitation.
The lid was flipped open.
The inch-long Exquisite Coral lay quietly at the bottom of the box.
It was translucent all over, shrouded in misty water vapor.
Jiang Yuechu lowered her eyes to gaze at this celestial item from the Dragon Palace.
With a thought.
The Qi within her body began to circulate.
A Primordial Spirit phantom, identical in appearance to Jiang Yuechu, slowly stepped out.
The Primordial Spirit was composed of gold and blue, with silver light constantly flowing over its surface.
Jiang Yuechu raised her hand indifferently.
"Soul Sacrifice and Might Generation Technique."
Activated.
In just an instant.
The inch-long branch instantly transformed into countless fine sky-blue light particles, all surging toward the Primordial Spirit phantom.
The moment they touched the Primordial Spirit, they merged directly into it.
There was no resistance at all.
The Primordial Spirit, originally dominated by gold and blue, began to undergo a transformation.
Sky-blue light flowed all over its body.
Under the nourishment of this spiritual charm, the aura of the Primordial Spirit phantom rose steadily.
Its once somewhat ethereal outline became solid at a visible speed.
As more and more essence of the Exquisite Coral merged.
Two small bumps suddenly protruded from the forehead of the Primordial Spirit phantom.
Immediately after.
Two crystal-clear Dragon horns broke through the phantom's skin and slowly grew out.
Time passed bit by bit.
Until the last speck of sky-blue light had completely vanished into the Primordial Spirit.
The transformation finally stopped.
The Primordial Spirit phantom floated quietly in mid-air, with crystal Dragon horns on its head and sky-blue light flowing around its body.
As the Primordial Spirit slowly opened its eyes.
Boom—
A massive wave of sky-blue halos radiated outward in all directions, centered on the Primordial Spirit!
The second heart material, complete!