15. Upper and Lower Realm Magic Artifact

Lotus-picking in the southern pond of autumn, lotuses taller than one's head.

This is a very beautiful verse, depicting a lady picking lotus seeds with the lotus grown taller than a person's head. However, it is also acutely fitting at this moment, with the only difference being that the southern pond should be changed to the Blood Pool.

And remove the reference to time.

The trickling and ceaseless flow of blood had now formed a Blood Pool. And beneath the Lotus Platform were four struggling ghosts, heads hung low.

The ghosts were fading away.

Yet, one of them was still engaged in subtle resistance.

It was that stone ball ghost.

Those faces continuously helped it counteract the refining power from the Lotus Platform. But this mitigation was quite limited. As the blood kept rising, so did the power of the Lotus Platform.

In the end, the stone ball ghost could only issue a resentful curse before its death, "I am an incarnation of the Death-speaking Yin God, if you kill me, the Death-speaking Yin God will not let you off!"

Tan Shuchang, of course, turned a deaf ear but also felt some realization; no wonder this ghost was so lively compared to the other three silent and reticent ones.

He had initially thought it was the peculiarity of that place where humans and ghosts coexisted, perhaps delivering an extra blessing to the ghost, enabling it to regain human consciousness. But it turned out that this ghost was an incarnation of a Yin God.

"One Yin God can withstand at least the strength of ten ghosts..." The moment this thought crossed Tan Shuchang's mind, he was inevitably tempted.

It was the kind of trembling of the heart when two people in love see eye to eye.

He was very keen on refining that Death-speaking Yin God.

However, it was a pity that for the moment, all he could do was think about it, so Tan Shuchang suppressed the stirring in his heart and stepped onto the now thoroughly solidified Lotus Platform.

Then, he sat down cross-legged.

Instantly, Tan Shuchang felt something unusual, as if time had paused, yet seemed to be whizzing by, one breath seemingly spanning a year.

The goal of cultivation was power, and depending on different Cultivation Techniques, the magical powers invoked also varied.

Tan Shuchang had initially majored in the Sevenfold Demonic Body Scripture.

Although he later obtained the more powerful Blood Refining Lotus Technique, his time practicing this technique was too short.

It was only through refining the first ghost that this technique could be deployed with technique, law, and force all at once. Otherwise, the force was too small to be considered competent.

In the Jiawu Realm, many cultivators received stronger Cultivation Techniques but still used their original ones when acting, and the root cause lay here.

However, at this moment, Tan Shuchang's primary Cultivation Technique was transitioning from the Sevenfold Demonic Body Scripture to the Blood Refining Lotus Technique.

The trickling blood now had visible strands of qi, which surged into Tan Shuchang's body.

This process was incredibly fast. In just two breaths, everything had vanished, but Tan Shuchang's cultivation level had already improved by fifteen years!

The additional three years came from his cultivation time on Black Heart Mountain.

Earlier years at the Tan residence, Tan Shuchang was not allowed to cultivate. He could learn literature and practice martial arts, but specifically could not engage in cultivation. Although this was under the decree of that late madam, Tan Shuchang's father, the minister, had also tacitly approved of it.

After all, a son who was both literary and martially skilled and possessed cultivation was indeed the minister's most beloved son.

"What a formidable ghost-lifting lotus!"

At this moment, Tan Shuchang was in high spirits, for the increase was not merely twelve years' worth of cultivation power but also the various insights he had gained from his study of the "Blood Refining Lotus Technique."

It was as if, in that instantaneous feeling of temporal dislocation, he had truly practiced this cultivation technique for twelve years.

"Considering the length of time alone, my current cultivation power should be nearly equivalent to that of the young disciples from a major sect like Mount Sword Disciple," Tan Shuchang exclaimed joyfully.

Disciples from great sects like Mount Sword Disciple undergo systematic training. They start their enlightenment at three, recognize scriptures at four, and begin formal cultivation.

By the time they reach nineteen, as long as they are not lax in their discipline, they would generally possess fifteen years of cultivation power.

Such cultivation power could be said to be exceptionally profound.

It overshadows that of many younger cultivators who began their practice later in life and thus lack such an accumulation of years.

With such profound cultivation power, even if their mastery of cultivation techniques is not deep, they can rely on their substantial power to repel and even kill their opponents.

Without exaggeration, the disciples from the major paths of immortality are the elite among cultivators.

After all, many loose cultivators do not have magic artifacts, whereas these sect disciples possess at least two. One given by their sect, and the other by their parents or other elders.

The term 'magic artifact' might sound ordinary, but these are no common items.

They are not something crafted from suitable materials with a few additions thrown in.

In the term 'magic artifact,' 'magic' precedes 'artifact,' and this 'magic' differs from 'Authority of the Law' within the realms of cultivation technique. Here, 'magic' refers to one or several kinds of ultimate authority.

For instance, mountain-seal-type magic artifacts can be enlarged or shrunk, and when enlarged, they can exert the ultimate authority of suppressing force!

Sword and knife type magic artifacts often have achievements within the 'Authority of the Law.'

However, the authority on a magic artifact is not limited to a single type. Thus, the grade of a magic artifact is also related to the number of ultimate authorities it possesses.

Among techniques, magic, and power, artifacts possessing only one are considered lower-grade artifacts.

Those with two are known as upper-grade artifacts.

And those that have all three are called spirit-communicating artifacts, meaning they are only second to spirit-communicating treasures.

Of course, this classification is a bit of self-aggrandizing.

Some spirit-communicating treasures can resurrect the deceased, regenerate with a drop of blood, and allow one to rebuild their cultivation without any loss of power. There is said to be a spirit-communicating treasure known as the "Heavenly Origin Spirit Bead," which may sound rather common, but a cultivator possessing this treasure cannot be killed by any means during the period it provides protection.

Other spirit-communicating treasures can permanently and significantly enhance a cultivator's combat abilities, such as transforming their fleshly bodies into fire spirit bodies, thunder spirit bodies, and the like.

Such incredible powers are beyond the reach of spirit-communicating artifacts.

"I wonder where my master's magic artifacts might be?"

Tan Shuchang couldn't help but think about this matter. The Heartless Old Man did have magic artifacts, although many were likely shattered when he was slain and when the disciples of Mount Sword Disciple joined forces to deploy the 72 Swords Array against him.

But the collection of a centennial old demon like him should have at least one or two items remaining.

It was quite normal not to find them in that mansion last time, and the old demon was probably cunning enough to hide them elsewhere.

After all, the cultivators of the Jiawu Realm do not typically carry all their possessions with them, nor do they even bring their magic artifacts when they go out unless they anticipate a battle.