Chapter 117: The Abundance of Spoils

Li Ge and Li Hong had already departed. Li Mu did not know how the two intended to cross the Domain River, but since they had managed to reach this place, there must be a way to return, so he ceased to dwell on it.

Besides, he was quite busy now. Ever since he opened the storage rings, his mouth had been watering incessantly. Mu Long had spent decades in the Great Wolf Plains, and his rings were truly brimming with wealth. The two storage rings, possessing a combined space of nearly twenty cubic feet, were almost entirely packed to the brim.

Even within that damaged air umbrella, there were several fourth-grade treasures hidden away.

One was a seven-inch sword. About a foot long, it was divided into seven segments. Its entire body was a translucent, verdant green, flawless and smooth as jade. Upon a single touch, one could perceive the dense spiritual energy hidden within. Inscribed upon its body were lines of text: "Named 'Seven Inches'; first, upright conduct; second, gentle strength; third, self-improvement; fourth, firm yet wise; fifth, beware the heart's disaster; sixth, endure hardship for success; seventh, life without death."

This sword actually contained two innate techniques, making it an exceptionally rare fourth-grade treasure. However, they were combat-oriented techniques that consumed a vast amount of true energy—several times more than the air umbrella. This was likely the reason Mu Long had not utilized them during their battle. Given Li Mu's current reserves of true energy, he could likely only use them a few times before being completely drained.

"I'll take it for now, though I fear I may not live up to the character described in these inscriptions," Li Mu said, shaking his head at the engraved text.

Another fourth-grade treasure was the 'Book of Six'. It was a scroll of text, white as jade, and when held in the hand, it seemed to emit a unique aura—different from a person's own. It, too, bore inscriptions: "The King's Six: first, a heart of benevolence; second, upright righteousness; third, loyalty above all; fourth, keeping one's word; fifth, the courage of a lone rider; sixth, wisdom at the forefront."

The Book of Six was a utility treasure containing two techniques: 'Calm Mind' and 'Nourish Spirit'. They were non-combat techniques. When used during the forging of treasures, refining of medicines, or crafting of talismans, it allowed the user to maintain inner peace, thereby increasing the quality and success rate of the work. When carried normally, it could help mask the fluctuations of one's spiritual consciousness, making it difficult for even a cultivator at the Pill Formation stage to discern one's true cultivation level.

"This is certainly helpful; it is truly useful. I'll take it." Li Mu did not stand on ceremony and stashed the Book of Six away.

Holding these two treasures, Li Mu felt a strange sensation. How on earth had Mu Long obtained such items?

These treasures were ancient in style, exquisite in luster, and crafted from materials that must have been incredibly precious. Li Mu did not know much about the Book of Six, but the seven-inch sword was undoubtedly forged from Green Jade Spirit Bamboo—a fifth-grade material. The talisman arrays inscribed upon it were also extremely complex. Judging by the names and the inscriptions on these treasures, it was clear that the person who had forged and wielded them was no ordinary cultivator.

"A king and a righteous man? This Mu Long... it is truly hard to fathom. Perhaps in the future, I will learn of his origins." He sighed softly, shelving the questions for now, and continued his inspection.

There were a few third-grade treasures, but Li Mu only kept one. It was a flight-capable treasure called the 'Sun Boat'. It was quite straightforward and massive; if fully deployed, it spanned about a hundred meters in length and fifty in width, capable of carrying nearly a thousand people. However, the consumption was equally immense. Even for a standard spirit-crystal-powered treasure, it would require over two hundred medium-grade spirit crystals just to fly for a short while.

Perhaps only a large sect would utilize such a thing, but Li Mu did not care. Having such a treasure, what did a little extra consumption matter?

As for the rest—the blades and various drum-like instruments—Li Mu did not bother looking at them closely. He packed them all away to be distributed to his younger sister and the others when they arrived.

There was an abundance of second-grade treasures, numbering over a hundred. Many appeared to have been forged by Mu Long and his disciples, as a green 'Wood' character was stamped on most of them. After seeing the sheer volume of gear, Li Mu felt a lingering sense of fear. Mu Long’s collection of treasures was endless and sophisticated, covering every variety. Had he not used the poisonous miasma to injure Mu Long while he was off-guard, draining his true energy, the outcome of the battle would have been difficult to predict.

The Poison Miasma Bead was truly effective. Mu Long had just reached the late stage of the Pulse Refining phase and had used spirit materials to forcibly push his cultivation to the limit, immediately attempting to advance to the Pill Formation stage. Because his foundation had not been consolidated, his cultivation level was unstable. That was the moment to strike with the poisonous gas, inflicting critical injury. This battle proved that no matter how many treasures one possessed, they were useless without sufficient true energy to power them.

Beside the treasures were many talisman papers, along with refining materials and tools—brushes, ink, and finished talismans. There were so many that they could have stocked an entire talisman shop. It seemed Mu Long had also delved deeply into the study of talismans.

His disciples had all been protected by 'Gold Attendants', and Mu Long himself had even more—Gold Attendant Talismans, Green Branch Talismans, and Void Qi Talismans all stored together. Many were of the third and fourth grade, but the quality was lower, mostly bottom-tier or mid-tier.

Crafting talismans required both an aptitude for controlling true energy and innate talent, and Mu Long was clearly lacking in this regard. It was evident that if he had used top-tier Gold Attendant Talismans, the side effects would have been minimal, and the summoned attendants would have been not only more formidable but capable of lasting for a much longer time. If Mu Long had used top-tier talismans during the struggle a few days ago, he might have had a chance to defeat everyone.

"I must keep this lesson firmly in mind," Li Mu whispered, shaking his head as he set the talismans aside to store them separately.

Among the treasures and talismans were a few jade slips. Li Mu picked up several and checked them, feeling quite pleased. These were not spells, but rather insights and methods for treasure forging and talisman crafting, along with a few medicinal formulas.

"Mu Ancestor was truly learned, even if he wasn't particularly diligent."

Li Mu had little aptitude for talisman crafting, and the Spirit Pagoda did not seem to possess such techniques. However, he was very interested in treasure forging. With the Spirit Pagoda’s ability to melt and forge, it would be a waste not to know the craft. As for medicine, he had Shen Bingxue; he only needed to provide her formulas for the Spirit Pagoda to study and refine.

He intended to refine the Dust Array. The hundred thousand particles of sand were far from enough; he wanted to craft hundreds of thousands, or even more—the more, the better. He understood that the Dust Array was a versatile treasure that served both attack and defense. It did not require specialized arrays and offered infinite transformations, making it perfectly suited to his needs. The materials were simple, and if he could obtain a high-grade flame, he could refine the Dust Array further to increase its grade—reaching the fourth or even fifth grade was possible.

Moreover, mastering treasure forging would improve his control over true energy, allowing him to wield treasures with greater speed and efficiency. He might reach a point where he could achieve twice the result with only half the energy expenditure of others.

Li Mu set the talisman materials aside, tucked away the forging tools, and began to study the medicinal formulas.

"Bone Refining Pill?"