Chapter 89: Chapter 86: Sword Scabbard and Medicine Cauldron

Inside the bamboo house, a system prompt sounded in Chu Huaixu’s ear.

“[Ding! Congratulations, you meet the binding conditions and have successfully bound your Lifebound Magical Treasure.]”

Listening to the voice, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Meet the binding conditions?” He quickly caught the key point.

In his memory, when he previously bound his Lifebound Magical Treasure, these words were not present.

This suggests that the black bead and the medicine cauldron inside it are likely closely linked to the power of the “Dao Scripture” within him!

“No wonder I sensed something vaguely, and it exhausted me right away, draining all my Spiritual Power, not even sparing what was within my body.”

At that moment, Chu Huaixu had a feeling that it was… hungry?

In an instant, it consumed him completely, leaving nothing behind.

After doing all this, he took out a drop of blood from his fingertip and dripped it on the sword scabbard to perform a blood recognition ceremony for “Calming the Storm.” However, he did not use his Divine Sense to fuse it and make it a lifebound object.

A lifebound object possesses uniqueness, and this does not change for anyone.

Chu Huaixu opened his Character Panel to check his Equipment Bar.

“Calming the Storm” has recognized its master and is now placed on his legs. The Equipment Bar shows it as: equipped.

But soon, he noticed something amiss.

“Calming the Storm” is labeled as: attack-type, support-type magical treasure.

“Medicine Cauldron (Lifebound Magical Treasure): Unnamed,” is labeled as: defense-type, auxiliary-type magical treasure.

This made Chu Huaixu a bit surprised.

He did not expect that this sword scabbard could also be attack-type.

He could understand it being support-type, as it fell within his guess.

“But can this sword scabbard be associated with attack?”

Chu Huaixu immediately checked the magical treasure’s effects.

Then, he roughly understood in his heart.

“So, it can store all the Spiritual Power within me in the form of Sword Qi into the sword scabbard.”

“With my current Artifact Development Level, it can only store 7 times.”

“In other words, I can rely on the sword scabbard to unleash seven pre-stored Sword Qis.”

“But since it’s stored, although each Sword Qi consumed all my Spiritual Power, the damage it can cause is still incomparable to my full-strength strike in normal circumstances.”

“It can only achieve 30% efficacy.”

“The key is still reflected in quantity, winning by volume.”

Chu Huaixu thought this could become one of his killer moves!

More importantly, the pre-storage quantity of Sword Qi is upgradeable.

For low-tier cultivators, even if they possess Supreme Treasures, they can’t fully wield their power, a true waste.

Their cultivation must keep up to match it.

According to the setting in “Borrowed Sword,” when data-driven, that’s the Artifact Development Level.

“Under normal circumstances, a cultivator’s development level for their Lifebound Magical Treasure is the highest, halved for non-lifebound magical treasures.”

“If it’s a Lifebound Magical Treasure, a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact can reach 100% in the First Realm.”

“A Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact must reach the Third Realm, and an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact must reach the Fifth Realm.”

“The rare Super Grade Spiritual Artifact needs to reach the Seventh Realm to achieve 100%!”

“Calming the Storm” is not Chu Huaixu’s Lifebound Magical Treasure. On this basis, it is halved, so his current development level is only a pitiful 7.14%.

Even if he cultivates to the Ninth Realm, when rounding off, the Artifact Development Level is only 64%.

This is the distinction between non-lifebound and lifebound magical treasures.

It fundamentally lacks a true connection, as it only possesses spiritual sensitivity, lacking an Artifact Spirit able to communicate intentions with a person!

“Because it’s only 7% now, it can only pre-store 7 Sword Qis.”

“Once that number increases to 14, 21… even 64! That would be formidable!”

“Truly terrifying, Super Grade Spiritual Artifact.”

Besides, “Calming the Storm” is not only an attack-type magical treasure but also a support-type.

Its support function is exhibited in its second divine peculiarity.

A sword scabbard is used for sheathing swords.

Its support role leans toward sealing and suppressing abilities.

It can weaken the attack speed and effect of all Spirit Swords.

For non-sword-type magical treasures, weakening is halved.

The specific weakening value is linked to both parties’ strength.

Of course, the higher the Artifact Development Level, the more effective it is.

“If it’s cultivation suppression, Sword Dao Realm suppression, and both parties’ abilities are vastly disparate, it might even make the opponent’s sword difficult to unsheathe! If unsheathed, it cannot attack!”

“That’s quite interesting.”

“This feature, together with my Heart Sword, can achieve a complementary effect.”

“The sword scabbard suppresses the magical treasure itself, while the Heart Sword suppresses the Sword Spirit.”

That’s definitely a surprise!

Chu Huaixu can already imagine how terrifying an effect this could have in actual combat!

“Later, I’ll go try it with Big Ice Cube.” The Dead Fox is eager and wants to bully women.

Then his attention turned to the main focus—the Medicine Cauldron.

Chu Huaixu’s glance was just a quick sweep, and his eyes inevitably narrowed.

“What’s going on?”

“Why is the Artifact Development Level only 10%?”

“Even if it’s a Super Grade Spiritual Artifact, its development at the First Realm should be over fourteen!”

“Could it be…” A shocking thought popped into his mind.

This medicine cauldron seemingly was the Lifebound Magical Treasure of the Dao Ancestor in life.

It looks similar to the Bronze Sword on the mountain, an existence transcending the category of Spiritual Artifacts?

…

…

Chu Huaixu sat on the cushion, gazing out the window, striving to calm his emotions.

He felt increasingly that the rumors were credible, increasingly suspecting this object truly is the Dao Ancestor’s Lifebound Object from life!

If it isn’t a Lifebound Object, then it’s probably the medicine cauldron the Dao Ancestor used daily!

“You must know, the Dao Ancestor was the number one Alchemist throughout the ages.”

“Only a Pill King could barely be mentioned in the same breath as him.”

Chu Huaixu’s heartbeat faintly accelerated, never expecting that this journey to Hidden Spirit Mountain would result in such a Supreme Treasure!

He began to carefully review the functions of the Medicine Cauldron.

It’s an auxiliary-type magical treasure, which did not surprise Chu Huaixu.

Medicine cauldrons, after all, are for alchemy and refining herbs, essential tools for an Alchemist.

Things like Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Talismans, Arrays… these are considered side professions in “Borrowed Sword”.

“But since it’s still a Defensive Magical Treasure, I need to really study its defensive capabilities.”

And wouldn’t you know it, in the system’s introduction, there are three question marks following the defensive capabilities.

Chu Huaixu was instantly furious.

“No way! This is my Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, and I don’t even have the authority to investigate it?”

This kind of phenomenon is simply unheard of, absolutely absurd!

As it stands, he’d have to figure out the Magical Treasure’s properties on his own, just like Han Shuangjiang next door.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Huaixu began to examine its side profession capabilities.

With just one glance, his left eyelid started twitching wildly.

The information he saw was:

“[Side Profession: Alchemist.]”

“[Status: Not Initiated.]”

“[First Level Lower Grade Elixir, current success rate 100%.]”

These three lines left Chu Huaixu dumbfounded.

Because the third line does not logically fit with the first two lines.

He hadn’t learned any alchemy techniques yet.

Alchemy falls under the [Technique] category, which can be studied on the fourth floor of the Outer Sect’s Library Pavilion.

The Daoist Sect has an Alchemy Grandmaster, who is the Second Elder of the sect, but he is currently not on the mountain.

“I haven’t even started learning, and the success rate for First Level Lower Grade Elixirs is 100%?”

“What does it mean, I just throw the raw materials into the Medicine Cauldron and they succeed on their own?”

“What kind of fully automatic alchemy furnace is this!” Chu Huaixu was utterly amazed.

He even wanted to get a Pill Formula for a First Level Elixir right then, get some raw materials, throw them into the Medicine Cauldron and see if it was really so magical.

At that thought, Chu Huaixu slapped his thigh sharply.

“I actually spent over four hundred Sect Contribution Points exchanging them for elixirs!”

“What a loss!”

He was filled with regret.

After all, even without relying on taking elixirs for Experience Points, he still had other methods, just not as convenient as popping pills.

Previously mentioned, some Secret Realms that have been explored by others would be modified by the Daoist Sect for use as a Land of Trial, open to Daoist Disciples.

This is essentially a Sect Dungeon, where Chu Huaixu could also earn experience by clearing stages.

He sighed and began adjusting his mindset.

He was never the type to get overly consumed by internal strife.

“Forget it, as a dignified Transmigrator, there’s no need to be petty over such a small amount of Contribution Points.”

Chu Huaixu lowered his head, looking at the Black Bead hanging on the Sword Scabbard.

The bead contained hidden wonders, it seemed to be one with the Medicine Cauldron.

He didn’t even need to take out the Medicine Cauldron; he could operate it from within the bead’s space!

This was more discreet.

Chu Huaixu began to observe his Lifebound Magical Treasure closely, missing no detail.

This Medicine Cauldron was pitch black, and it was unclear what material it was made from.

Like most cauldrons, the design was three-legged with two ears.

That’s why the phrase “tri-legged dominance” exists.

Compared to the simple and rustic Sword Scabbard, this Medicine Cauldron had much richer engravings on the surface.

Finely detailed engravings of birds, beasts, vegetation, fruits… and even ghosts and spirits.

Truly comprehensive, vivid and lifelike.

When his Divine Sense entered the space within the bead, he could sense the state of the Artifact Spirit within the Medicine Cauldron.

—It was very hungry!

It was eager to absorb the spiritual power from Chu Huaixu’s body.

Apparently, the amount it had absorbed earlier wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between its teeth.

After thinking about it, he infused his spiritual power into the Black Bead, which was then absorbed by the Medicine Cauldron.

The next moment, he felt the Artifact Spirit become a bit more lively.

But as soon as he cut off the spiritual power, it returned to its previous state—I’m very hungry.

Chu Huaixu wondered if it was because his cultivation level was simply too low.

The Medicine Cauldron now gave him the impression that no matter how much it was fed, it was never enough.

Moreover, he couldn’t tell what the absorbed spiritual power was actually doing.

“When I channel spiritual power into the Sword Scabbard, at least it can be converted into Sword Qi.”

“But with this Medicine Cauldron, nothing is apparent.”

However, Lifebound Spiritual Artifacts themselves require ongoing nourishment from the cultivator.

The mainstream method is to use one’s Divine Sense to nourish the Artifact Spirit, and then use items crafted by Artifact Refiners for regular maintenance.

It’s like the saying when buying a car, “It’s easy to buy, but hard to maintain.”

With good spiritual artifacts, maintaining them later on requires more resources.

This setting in “Borrowed Sword” actually appears in many games. In many games, equipment has a [Durability] value.

“Could it be that the way to nourish my Medicine Cauldron is by continuously absorbing spiritual power?”

Chu Huaixu tried to communicate with the Artifact Spirit, only to find that it seemed lacking in intelligence, always expressing one thing—hunger!

“Laughable, are you a reincarnation of a glutton?” Chu Huaixu was speechless.

Indeed, he actually saw a glutton carved on the cauldron, along with dragons, phoenixes, and qilins.

Bored as he was, he started examining all the engravings on the cauldron.

Chu Huaixu also began counting them.

He finally counted a total of 81 types.

After finishing the exterior, he examined the inside of the cauldron.

Inside, he found three characters.

These characters were etched into the inner wall, not very deep, easy to overlook if not closely observed.

“Could it be, this is the name of the Medicine Cauldron?”

“It does match the designs outside,” Chu Huaixu thought.

On the inner wall of the Medicine Cauldron, it read—[Dao Generating One].

—Medicine Cauldron·Dao Generating One!

This reminded him of the saying:

Dao generates one, one generates two, two generates three, and three generates all things!

…

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