The treasury of the Jieqing Sect was not the gaudy, jewel-encrusted scene one might imagine.
It was more like a massive karst cave carved out of the heart of a mountain.
Rows upon rows of Black wooden shelves, made of an unknown material, were neatly arranged within the vast space.
Upon the shelves were jade boxes, ancient scrolls, or shimmering artifacts, all enveloped in layers of visible Spiritual Qi halos.
Jiang Yuechu's gaze swept across the room.
At the end of the wide corridor, several figures could be faintly seen sitting cross-legged on prayer mats.
Their auras were restrained, appearing almost non-existent.
It wasn't surprising... In such a vital location of the Sect, if it were only guarded by those few young Disciples outside, the Jieqing Sect would have been looted long ago.
True Lord Linghan led Jiang Yuechu forward.
Coming to a halt, True Lord Linghan bowed slightly toward one of the elderly men who was resting with his eyes closed.
"Junior Martial Uncle Kumu."
The old man slowly opened his eyes; they were cloudy, as if he were at death's door.
His gaze passed over True Lord Linghan and lingered on Jiang Yuechu for a brief moment.
Without saying a word, he simply gave a slight nod and closed his eyes once more.
True Lord Linghan straightened up and turned to look at Jiang Yuechu.
With a wave of his wide sleeve, he pointed toward the endless rows of Black wooden shelves on the right.
"Junior Friend Jiang, this way please."
The two of them strolled between the wooden shelves.
True Lord Linghan stroked his beard, a hint of pride in his tone.
"This is where my Jieqing Sect stores Magic Treasures and Spiritual Artifacts. Those placed on the periphery are mostly Low Grade Spiritual Artifacts and Magic Treasures; the further in you go, the higher the grade."
"I promised you before that you could choose one Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact as a thank-you gift, and I naturally will not go back on my word."
Hearing this.
Jiang Yuechu's brow twitched slightly, and a flash of confusion appeared in her dark eyes.
She knew what Magic Treasures were.
Back at the Lu family, that old fellow Wang Ziyu had explained the power of Magic Treasures to her.
But what exactly was this 'Spiritual Artifact'?
Following the principle of asking when ignorant, Jiang Yuechu suddenly spoke: "What is the difference between a Spiritual Artifact and a Magic Treasure?"
As soon as these words were spoken.
A brief, deathly silence fell over the treasury.
Not only was True Lord Linghan stunned.
Even the old man in the distance couldn't help but open his eyes, looking at Jiang Yuechu with a strange expression.
True Lord Linghan's mouth hung open, unable to find words for a long time.
It was one thing to have no formal master, but to lack even this basic common sense and still manage to Cultivate all the way to the Chess Player Realm?
And even be able to slay demons five or six stones above her in the Chess Player Realm!
Could it be that there really were Prodigies in this world who Cultivated entirely by instinct?
Thinking of this.
True Lord Linghan's gaze toward Jiang Yuechu became increasingly complex.
However, he still patiently explained: "Though Magic Treasures and Spiritual Artifacts are both tools for a Cultivator to face enemies, they are as different as clouds and mud."
"A Magic Treasure is a tool. No matter how much it is tempered, how rare its material is, or what Inner Scenery is inscribed within, it is ultimately a dead thing... How much power a Cultivator can draw from it depends entirely on the depth of their own Qi."
As he spoke, he casually picked up a jade seal from a shelf: "Like this Overturn Sea Seal, although it can be thrown to suppress a body of water, it requires immense mental effort to control. Once the Qi flow is cut, it becomes nothing more than ordinary iron."
He placed the jade seal back and continued: "A Spiritual Artifact, however, emphasizes the word'Spiritual'. They either draw from the wonders of the world to nurture an Innate spiritual charm, or are nurtured day and night by a powerful being to develop an Acquired Divine Sense. Such things have moved beyond the Realm of dead objects and contain a complete, flawless spiritual charm... With this charm, a Spiritual Artifact can be in sync with its master's heart and mind, acting like an extension of their own arm. They can even independently absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to nurture themselves. Their power far exceeds that of Magic Treasures."
"If the grade is even higher, like those ancestral swords you saw in the Hidden Sword Tower, they have even developed complete artifact spirits, capable of protecting their masters on their own and speaking in human tongue."
At this point, True Lord Linghan stood with his hands behind his back, summarizing with a soft sigh of emotion:
"Therefore, no matter how strong a Magic Treasure is, it is merely an external tool for fighting. A Spiritual Artifact, however, is a Dao Companion that can accompany a Cultivator through the struggles of the Great Dao."
"The power of a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact is enough to crush the most top-tier Magic Treasure... let alone Medium Grade or High Grade."
"This is the world of difference between the two."
Jiang Yuechu listened quietly and nodded slightly: "Understood. It's just the difference between being alive and being dead."
True Lord Linghan was choked by this overly blunt summary. His hand stroking his beard paused for a moment before he let out a bitter laugh.
"Junior Friend Jiang's understanding... is indeed apt."
"..."
The old man known as Junior Martial Uncle Kumu also had the corner of his mouth twitch almost imperceptibly upon hearing this.
He then slowly closed his eyes, as if becoming part of the decor once more.
True Lord Linghan stopped dwelling on these minor issues, coughed lightly, and brought the topic back on track.
"Junior Martial Uncle Wuxiang's promise of a Medium Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact also carries deep meaning... Years ago, a brilliant Disciple emerged in our Jieqing Sect who solely pursued the ultimate offensive. His sword never returned, and he had almost no match in the same Realm."
"But while out for experience, he was ambushed by a demon whose Realm was far lower than his and fell on the spot... Therefore, those on the path of cultivation must avoid going to extremes and leaving fatal weaknesses."
Jiang Yuechu listened quietly and did not argue.
Although she had the Great Black Heaven with her and her Physical Body far surpassed her peers—not to mention her terrifying recovery speed—
Who wouldn't value their life?
Setting aside whether she could prevent an ambush, having an extra means of protection was always good.
Seeing that she had taken it to heart, True Lord Linghan said no more.
He walked slowly along the wooden shelves, occasionally stopping to examine something, then shaking his head and moving on.
After a while.
True Lord Linghan stopped at a secluded corner.
On the top shelf sat an ancient rosewood box.
With a flick of his sleeve, he dispersed the Spiritual Qi halo surrounding the box.
"This item is quite suitable for you."
The box opened, and inside lay a neatly folded robe.
It was pure white throughout, with extremely fine Black spiritual threads woven into it.
"This robe is called 'Cloud Water Wrath,' a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact. You don't need to actively trigger it; if you encounter a hidden attack, this Cloud Water Wrath will automatically surge with water-cloud Qi... It is most effective at countering those insidious methods."
Jiang Yuechu silently reached out and took the white robe with Black patterns.
She gripped the edge of the fabric and gave it a casual flick upward.
Crack.
As the hem fluttered.
The faint sound of rain hitting wind and thunder actually surged out from the water-cloud patterns.
It was a good item...
But such an eye-catching outfit didn't quite fit her usual low-profile habits.
Then again, why look a gift horse in the mouth?
She would just have to make do.
Jiang Yuechu shook her head slightly, shook out the white robe, and put it on directly over her original Black garments.
Spiritual Artifacts possessed spirit; as soon as it was on her body, it automatically tightened, fitting the young girl's slender figure perfectly.
Water and clouds billowed as the Black patterns faded into the snow-white fabric.
Her long Black hair draped over the white robe; the contrast of Black and white made her exquisitely beautiful face appear even more cold and elegant.
"Hoh..."
Standing to the side, True Lord Linghan couldn't help but glance sideways and carefully size up the girl before him... Setting everything else aside, based on appearance alone, anyone who didn't know her background would truly mistake her for some famous Fairy.
He chuckled inwardly and suddenly spoke: "Alright, now that the item has been taken, I shall take you around the Sect to familiarize yourself with the layout."