Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2118 Thirty Million Dao Crystals

That wasn't all. When the water mirror's perspective, under Chen Fei's control, slowly swept across a dimly lit corner of the innermost part of the palace, near the wall, Cao Feiyu's eyes lit up.

There, beneath the dust, a profound Daoist aura, which could not be completely concealed even through the water mirror, faintly emanated. Though subtle, it far surpassed those mid-grade sixteenth-rank spiritual materials, possessing a natural and innate charm.

"A sixteenth-grade high-quality spiritual material?"

Two or three million Dao Crystals, dozens of low-grade sixteenth-rank spiritual materials, seven mid-grade sixteenth-rank spiritual materials, and one high-grade sixteenth-rank spiritual material... All of this was piled up haphazardly in a palace.

Cao Feiyu couldn't help but suspect that this might be a trap left by a vengeful demon.

Two or three million Dao Crystals is indeed a lot. In the Martial Arts Arena of the Myriad Realms, don't be fooled by the fact that early-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivators can bet one million Dao Crystals on each match, as if winning a match would get them one million Dao Crystals. That's the privilege of geniuses.

Of all the early-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivators on the Primordial Continent, how many dare to say they can defeat the powerful opponents on the All-Heavens Martial Arts Arena?
Furthermore, those sixteenth-grade spiritual materials are even more valuable than those Dao Crystals. Not counting that one top-grade sixteenth-grade spiritual material, the value of the other spiritual materials has already exceeded twenty million Dao Crystals.

If you include that 16th-grade high-quality spiritual material, its value has exceeded 30 million Dao Crystals, which is an extremely astonishing figure.

Faced with such an astonishing sight, Cao Feiyu's first reaction was to doubt that it was an illusion, as it seemed too normal.

After his initial surprise, Chen Fei activated the Undying True Light Mirror, raising his spiritual perception to its limit. He carefully observed every detail, sensing the most primal fluctuations emitted by the Dao Crystals and spiritual materials, and analyzing the trajectory of energy flow...

After a moment, Chen Fei looked away from the water mirror and at Cao Feiyu beside him, shaking his head and saying, "Senior Sister, this is not an illusion."

When Chen Fei first heard that the ancient Heavenly Court ruled the primordial world and was infinitely glorious, he had a vague concept in his mind that it must be powerful, but after countless years, he could not truly feel it.

Previously, when he killed those vengeful demons in the ruins, apart from obtaining some vengeful demon essence, he did not see any Dao crystals or spiritual materials on them. Chen Fei once thought that perhaps the great war back then was too fierce, and the resources had long been burned in the flames of war or looted by the conquerors.

Only now, seeing with his own eyes the astonishing quantity of Dao Crystals and spiritual materials scattered throughout the palace, did Chen Fei begin to understand what the splendor of the ancient Heavenly Court truly meant.

This is merely a corner hidden by vengeful demons within the fragments of the Heavenly Court; it doesn't even qualify as the core area of ​​the ancient Heavenly Court.

Even the ruins we are in may just be an insignificant fragment from the collapse of that vast celestial court.

Hearing Chen Fei's words, Cao Feiyu gradually recovered from her initial shock.

She nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the mountains of Dao crystals and spiritual materials, and landing on the scattered, intact or broken inheritance stones.

Cao Feiyu's Heavenly Sword Technique is one of the top sixteenth-level inheritances of the Danchen Sect. It is profound and mysterious, enough for her to comprehend and study for a long time.

For disciples of top sects, more cultivation techniques are not necessarily better, nor are stronger techniques necessarily more wonderful. Trying to do too much at once and lacking depth are major taboos in cultivation.

More importantly, advanced cultivation techniques often have stringent requirements on the cultivator's aptitude, comprehension, and temperament.

A powerful inheritance that doesn't align with your path might be less valuable than a slightly lower-grade technique that perfectly suits you.

Therefore, Cao Feiyu did not intend to obtain any peerless cultivation techniques from these inheritance stones, but rather to bring them back to the Danchen Sect and hand them over to the sect's Scripture Pavilion. After the pavilion elders and peak masters appraised them, the sect's reward would undoubtedly be a large sum.

Contribution points, Dao crystals, rare pills, the qualification to enter secret cultivation areas, and even the opportunity to have sect elders personally guide and answer questions... These rewards are often more useful than directly obtaining Dao crystals and spiritual materials of equal value, because they can be directly converted into cultivation, combat power, and future potential.

Moreover, cultivation manuals are the foundation of a sect, and it is the responsibility and honor of a disciple to contribute to the sect's foundation.

Thinking further ahead, if one or two inheritances that could significantly supplement the existing system of the Danchen Sect could be discovered, the merit would be unimaginable.

Inside the palace, the dark gold puppet's eyes slowly rotated, cautiously scanning every corner of the palace.

A dome riddled with cracks and stains, murals and reliefs peeling off the walls, and a dazzling array of treasures on the ground.

It looked very carefully, especially in the shadows, behind the wreckage, and anywhere that might hide danger.

Chen Fei also pushed the perception of the Undying True Light Mirror to its limit. Through the connection between the puppet and his own wisp of divine thought, he carefully sensed every energy fluctuation, spatial fold, and whether there were any hidden array restrictions, or residual resentment or demonic thoughts in the palace.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Time passed slowly, and whether observed through the water mirror or perceived through the depths of spiritual sense, the interior of the hall remained deathly silent.

There were no sudden bursts of vengeful demons, no hidden killing formations were triggered, no strange spatial traps, and even the intense demonic energy and corrosive power that had been felt outside became much thinner after entering the main hall.

It drifted like a thin mist, far less violent and viscous than the entrance.

"It seems that the main hall itself still retains some purifying or isolating power. Although weak, it is enough to significantly reduce the erosion of external demonic energy." Chen Fei analyzed in his heart, his tense mind relaxing slightly, but he did not completely let down his guard.

With no immediate danger detected, the puppet stepped into the area filled with Dao crystals and spiritual materials.

The metal feet clattered crisply on the Dao crystals covering the floor, echoing through the silent hall. It moved slowly, each step first subtly probing the ground with its Yuan energy to avoid triggering any hidden formations or mechanisms.

Finally, the puppet safely reached the center of the main hall, the place where the Dao Crystals were piled up the thickest and the spiritual materials were scattered the most.

"Should we just take it out?" Chen Fei turned to Cao Feiyu, who was also intently staring at the water mirror beside him, and asked for her opinion.

Upon hearing this, Cao Feiyu nodded and did not object.

With such a rare and precious treasure so close at hand and no immediate danger detected, there was no reason to let it slip by. Moreover, with Chen Fei's formation and puppets scouting ahead, the risk had been minimized.

Chen Fei said no more, his gaze refocusing on the water mirror, his mind connected to the core of the puppet. The techniques of the Eternal Void Time Array Scripture within his body quietly activated, creating a mysterious resonance with the void sub-arrays surrounding the puppet in the distance.

Inside the main hall, the motionless dark gold puppet suddenly raised its right arm. Instead of bending down to pick it up, it held its right palm down and gestured towards the mountain of Dao crystals piled up in front of it.

"Buzz!"

A subtle, controlled force of attraction surged from the puppet's palm, not through brute force, but like a gentle breeze caressing a field of wheat, softly enveloping the topmost Dao crystal.

These Dao Crystals trembled slightly, then transformed into dazzling streaks of light like shooting stars, gracefully leaving the ground and heading straight for the open gates of the palace without stopping.

Just as these streaks of light were about to fly out of the palace gate and be exposed to the intense demonic energy and corrosive power of the outside world, a semi-transparent barrier with flowing spatial ripples instantly appeared, tightly enveloping the Dao Crystal.

This was precisely the power of the Void Deflection Protective Array that Chen Fei had set up in advance, which was cleverly applied to these flying Dao Crystals.

"Chichichi..."

The surging demonic energy and chaotic corrosive power from the outside world frantically entangled and eroded the silver light that enveloped the Dao Crystal.

However, under the protection of the void array, most of these corrosive forces were deflected and slid away. Only a very small portion could act on the barrier itself, causing it to ripple slightly, but it could not penetrate it in a short time, let alone corrode the Dao crystal inside.

Enveloped in a pale silver barrier, the Dao Crystal Radiance, like a shimmering galaxy, smoothly passed through the dark space filled with demonic energy and steadily flew to Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu, hovering in mid-air, rising and falling slightly.

Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu immediately held their breath and carefully observed the Dao Crystals that were so close at hand.

Cao Feiyu quietly circulated her sword energy to protect her body, while simultaneously using her divine sense to scan carefully, not missing any abnormal energy fluctuations or hidden marks.

The Dao Crystal presents itself as a standard rhomboid polyhedron, uniform in size, with slight variations in color due to different properties, but all are crystal clear, containing a continuous flow of pure primordial energy and Daoist charm.

They floated quietly, without any additional marks, curses, or residual energy of illusions, other than their own energy fluctuations.

It looks like the purest and most normal Dao Crystal, exactly the same as the ones they use daily on the original continent, only the quantity is frighteningly large.

“On the surface, there’s no problem,” Cao Feiyu said in a low voice, but her eyes remained vigilant. Some traps cannot be detected immediately by the naked eye or ordinary divine sense.

Chen Fei nodded; he, too, had not noticed anything unusual.

However, out of consistent caution, especially when faced with treasures found in the ruins of the ancient Heavenly Court.

Chen Fei thought for a moment, then stretched out a finger and pointed it into the air, casually taking a piece from the floating Dao Crystal. With a thought, he first put it into his sleeve, and the next moment, it appeared in his spatial compartment.

After the Dao Crystal entered the spatial grid, it remained unchanged, quietly floating there without any changes. It was neither decomposed into Yuan Qi nor triggered any abnormal reactions.

Chen Fei diverted a sliver of his consciousness to carefully sense the Dao Crystal within the spatial grid. Under absolute control of the spatial grid, he could perceive the Dao Crystal's most minute energy structure and material composition.

It still contains pure primordial energy and Daoist principles, with a stable structure, and no hidden energy fluctuations, spiritual imprints, spatial coordinates, or any other form of backup plan.

Chen Fei was now completely relieved. If this crystal truly possessed a strange quality that even the Undying True Light Mirror and the Spatial Grid couldn't detect, then he would accept it.

Chen Fei took the Dao Crystal out of the spatial compartment and held it in his palm again. "I have checked it repeatedly. At least with my current abilities, I can't see any problems with these Dao Crystals."

Chen Fei then smiled and said, "However, just in case, when we collect them, we will wrap them with several layers of array barriers and collect them in batches to avoid putting them all together."

Cao Feiyu looked at the Dao Crystal in Chen Fei's palm, which appeared perfectly normal, and then glanced at the Dao Crystal floating in front of her. Her tense nerves relaxed slightly.

"I never expected... it to be so simple?" Cao Feiyu sighed softly.

But Cao Feiyu immediately shook her head, her gaze towards Chen Fei filled with undisguised admiration:
"No, it's not simple at all. If it weren't for your extraordinary perception, Junior Brother, that allowed you to discover the barrier set up by the vengeful demon using illusions combined with the power of the ruins, we would have passed by here ten or a hundred times and still just thought it was an ordinary ruined battlefield."

They completely missed out on these Dao Crystals, spiritual materials, and inheritance stones.

She paused, her gaze falling on Chen Fei's calm and focused profile. In a daze, the figure before her overlapped somewhat with Chu Xuanyu from back then, because Chu Xuanyu had taken her to obtain all sorts of rare and precious materials in the same way.

Hearing Cao Feiyu's sincere praise, Chen Fei simply smiled modestly, waved his hand, and said, "Senior Sister, you flatter me. It was just a coincidence and a bit of luck."

It just so happens that this vengeful demon, for some unknown reason, is stubbornly guarding this place, and using illusions to conceal itself. If it weren't for its presence, we wouldn't have been able to get so close and discover the barrier.

As he spoke, the Dao Crystal light, which was enveloped by a pale silver spatial barrier, was immediately and evenly split in two by Chen Fei's right hand in the void, transforming into two slightly smaller colored star rivers.

One stream flew lightly towards Chen Fei, while the other flew steadily towards Cao Feiyu, its light reflecting off her stunning face and adding to her radiance.

This time, Cao Feiyu did not refuse as she had when distributing the spoils before.

She knew that if she continued to be modest, it would seem pretentious and would be detrimental to the rare trust and understanding between them.

She calmly extended her slender hand and absorbed the half of the Dao Crystal light that flew towards her into her own plane.

The two exchanged a smile, their hearts in perfect harmony.

Chen Fei said no more and continued to control the puppets in the main hall. This time, the target was the sixteenth-grade spiritual materials scattered in various places.

Compared to the Dao Crystals, which are numerous but small in size, these spiritual materials are much fewer in number, but each one is different in size and shape, and the energy fluctuations they emit are also different in strength. Collecting them requires more precise control to avoid collisions or energy interference between them.

In the water mirror, the puppet's hands moved with a flick of its wrists, and strands of Yuan energy precisely wrapped around each piece of spiritual material. Whether it was the Crimson Flame Star Core Iron as large as a millstone, the Ice Soul Jade Marrow as small as a fist, or the irregularly shaped Azure Dragon Vine of Yi Wood, all were gently lifted up.

They were also enveloped in a spatial barrier, and then transformed into beams of light of various colors, flying out of the palace gate in succession.

In less than a breath, all thirty-seven spiritual materials had passed through the demonic energy area and were steadily suspended in front of Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu.

The precious light flowed and the Daoist rhyme intertwined, dispelling some of the surrounding dim demonic energy.

Chen Fei's gaze swept over the spiritual materials, finally landing on the one with a deep purple light that flew out from the corner.

He reached out and beckoned her closer, carefully examining her with his spiritual sense. After confirming that she was indeed him, he turned to Cao Feiyu and said:

"Senior sister, this item is a sixteenth-grade superior spiritual material, Purple Mansion Dao Source Jade. Its nature is neutral and peaceful, containing a trace of innate Dao source energy. It has miraculous effects on nourishing the soul, consolidating the foundation, assisting in comprehending the rules, and even refining certain top-grade Xuan treasures."

My current cultivation techniques and weapon crafting methods don't require such a treasure, and keeping it would only waste its potential. Perhaps it would be better for Senior Sister to accept it; it might help her advance further in her swordsmanship.”

Chen Fei's tone was sincere, not just polite, but genuine.

Although the Purple Mansion Dao Source Jade is good, it can be given greater value to Cao Feiyu.

Upon hearing this, Cao Feiyu gazed at the beautiful jade shrouded in purple mist, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.

The Heavenly Sword Technique she cultivates is grand and righteous. If she has this jade as a constant companion, it will nourish her sword heart and soul, and help her comprehend the true meaning of the Heavenly Sword Technique.

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded earnestly without feigning refusal, saying, "I am deeply grateful for your kind offer, Junior Brother. This jade will indeed be of great use to me, so I will accept it."

After saying that, Cao Feiyu solemnly put away the Purple Mansion Dao Source Jade.

However, she was unwilling to take too much advantage of Chen Fei for nothing. After accepting the most precious high-grade spiritual material, Cao Feiyu's gaze swept over the remaining forty-three low-grade and mid-grade sixteenth-rank spiritual materials, and she said firmly:

“This Purple Mansion Dao Source Jade is already the most precious item. Now that I have obtained it, I should not be greedy for other spiritual materials. Junior Brother, you are proficient in forging, and formations also require materials. These sixteenth-grade low-grade and mid-grade spiritual materials are just right for your use.”

Seeing her resolute attitude and knowing her temperament, Chen Fei did not give in any further and nodded with a smile, "Then I will do as Senior Sister says." He waved his hand and put away the pile of spiritual materials that belonged to him.

After distributing the spiritual materials, the next thing to do was deal with the more than one hundred inheritance stones lying quietly on the ground.

Chen Fei manipulated the puppets, using the same method, carefully wrapping them with Yuan energy threads and protecting them with a spatial barrier, and retrieved them one by one from the main hall.

These heirloom stones come in various shapes, including jade slips, tortoise shells, and stone slabs. Their colors range from bright white and light gold to deep purple. Most of them are covered in dust and appear somewhat ancient or even broken.

A moment later, more than a hundred inheritance stones passed through the demonic energy area unharmed and floated in front of the two.

Chen Fei first used the spiritual perception of the Undying True Light Mirror, combined with his divine sense, to carefully scan each inheritance stone, confirming that there were no hidden restrictions or curses on its surface.

After confirming that it was safe, Chen Fei separated an extremely subtle wisp of divine thought and carefully probed one of the pale gold jade slip-shaped inheritance stones that looked relatively well-preserved.

The moment his divine sense touched its surface, a stream of information naturally flowed into Chen Fei's perception.

He quickly scanned through them, one, two, ten... at an extremely fast pace, not seeking to understand the content, but only to quickly capture their brief information.

After a moment, Chen Fei withdrew his divine sense, looked at Cao Feiyu who was searching for something, and whispered, "Senior Sister, these inheritance stones are much more precious than we imagined."

I roughly examined dozens of them, and all of them contained sixteenth-tier cultivation techniques. Moreover, in the portion I examined, not a single one was lower than a high-grade sixteenth-tier technique. The vast majority were top-grade sixteenth-tier techniques.