Chapter Fourteen: Three Spiritual Artifacts

At night, in the mist-shrouded Cloud Manor, within the guest room where Qiankun resided, Qin Yu, having just finished dinner, hurried eagerly to the chamber.

"Master!" Qin Yu entered the room, respectfully bowing to Qiankun, who sat cross-legged on the bed with eyes closed in silent meditation.

Qiankun slowly opened his eyes and beckoned gently with his hand, "Come here, Xiao Yu, come closer."

Responding, Qin Yu stepped forward, only to see Qiankun move with lightning speed, touching his fingertip to Qin Yu's brow. A flash of spiritual light entered Qin Yu's forehead.

Almost at the same moment, a sharp wind swept through the room, and Lian Yan appeared, his gaze sharp as he looked toward Qiankun.

"Don't be alarmed. Xiao Yu is fine. I merely transmitted the method of cultivation to him through divine sense," Qiankun said calmly after glancing at Lian Yan. He lightly patted Qin Yu's shoulder, and Qin Yu immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, quickly beginning to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

It wasn't long before Lian Yan could no longer contain his astonishment. Qin Yu was enveloped in mist-like spiritual energy—such absorption speed was unattainable even for innate experts, nearly rivaling the celestial beings who had achieved the Golden Core stage.

Seeing Qin Yu gradually enter a meditative state, Qiankun nodded in satisfaction, paid no further heed to Lian Yan, and closed his eyes once more to contemplate the mysteries of space.

In the world of Stellar Transformations, the path of space was much clearer and easier to comprehend than in the primordial realms. Here, in the divine realm, deities ultimately cultivate by first understanding the path of space to become celestial gods and divine kings; only then, by comprehending the path of time, can they ascend to celestial lords. The paths of space and time are the most fundamental and profound in this world. The other paths are obscure and elusive, difficult to grasp.

Within this universe, whether gods, immortals, or mortal cultivators, all pursue power. Their understanding of the Dao is vague and general, lacking clear concepts.

In the blink of an eye, the night passed. Lian Yan remained in the room, watching over Qin Yu’s cultivation to ensure nothing went awry.

It wasn’t until late morning, when the sun was high in the sky, that Qin Yu, immersed in cultivation, let out a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

"Is it morning already?" Qin Yu murmured to himself, instinctively rising to his feet. Suddenly, he clenched his fists, sensing the changes within his body, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Ah... My body... it’s become so much stronger all at once!"

"Xiao Yu, are you alright?" Seeing Qin Yu finish his cultivation, Lian Yan hurried forward, anxious and concerned.

Raising his head, Qin Yu looked at Lian Yan with delight. "Grandfather Lian, the body cultivation method Master taught me is truly wonderful! Just one session, and my physical strength has increased as much as it would have after months of hard training."

"Oh? Such miraculous effects?" Lian Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, yet could scarcely believe it.

At this moment, Qiankun also opened his eyes, calmly glancing at Qin Yu and Lian Yan. "Very well, you may go now. I wish to meditate in peace. Unless there’s something urgent, do not disturb me. Xiao Yu, from now on, cultivate diligently on your own."

"Yes, Master!" Qin Yu replied respectfully, his face brimming with excitement as he pulled Lian Yan away.

Leaving Qiankun’s guest room, Lian Yan accompanied Qin Yu to the training ground within Cloud Manor. Watching Qin Yu practice his punches and kicks, Lian Yan could clearly sense the marked improvement in Qin Yu’s strength, confirming the effectiveness of Qiankun’s body cultivation method. This certainty only deepened Lian Yan’s awe, making him feel that Qiankun’s abilities surpassed even those of Immortal Feng Yuzi.

Though Lian Yan could not gauge Qiankun’s true strength, his experience and wisdom told him that Qiankun was likely even more formidable than Immortal Feng Yuzi.

Meanwhile, having received word from Lian Yan, Qin De—upon learning that his third son had taken an immortal as his master—could not contain his surprise and curiosity. He, together with Immortal Feng Yuzi, hurried to Cloud Manor.

By evening, Qin De, accompanied by Feng Yuzi, arrived outside Qiankun’s guest room with Qin Yu and Lian Yan.

"Father, please wait here. I’ll go call Master," Qin Yu said, moving toward the door, just as it creaked open.

From the room emerged Qiankun, the young Daoist in a green robe, his expression calm and serene. Qin De exchanged a glance with Feng Yuzi, and Feng Yuzi sent a message via spiritual sense: "This man is unfathomable, far stronger than I am—I cannot see through him at all."

A thrill ran through Qin De, his heart filled with excitement and joy. He looked at Qiankun with shining eyes, stepped forward, and greeted warmly, "Your humble servant pays respects to Immortal Qiankun!"

"Xiao Yu has already taken me as his master. Since you are his father, you are not an outsider—no need for formality," Qiankun replied calmly with a nod. Without waiting for Qin De to say more, he turned and returned to the room. "Xiao Yu, come inside with me!"

Qin Yu glanced somewhat awkwardly at his father, whose smile had frozen slightly, then followed Qiankun into the room.

Inside, Qiankun sat in the main chair, glanced at Qin Yu who stood respectfully before him, and with a casual wave of his hand, three items appeared before him: a small dark-gold inner armor, a golden flying sword, and a crimson flying sword. With a gentle flick of his hand, Qiankun sent the three spiritual artifacts to Qin Yu. "Take these and give them to your father."

"Uh... Yes, Master!" Qin Yu answered, slightly astonished, then gathered the inner armor and the two swords and exited.

Outside in the courtyard, as Qin Yu came out, Feng Yuzi’s gaze instantly fell on the items in Qin Yu’s hands. In a flash, he appeared beside Qin Yu, unable to restrain his excitement. His cheeks flushed as he snatched the crimson flying sword, holding it trembling in both hands as he examined it closely. "This... this flying sword is a high-grade spiritual artifact?"

"What? A spiritual artifact? And a high-grade one?" Qin De walked over, his brows furrowed in surprise. With his long acquaintance with Feng Yuzi, he knew well the rarity of spiritual artifacts. Even Feng Yuzi, a dignified immortal, only used a low-grade spiritual artifact sword.

Such treasures as spiritual artifacts were highly coveted by Qin De, but the crystals required for their forging were exceedingly rare and precious, scarcely found in the mortal world. Even if Feng Yuzi knew how to forge them, without materials, he could do nothing.

Though Qin Yu did not fully understand what spiritual artifacts were, Feng Yuzi’s reaction told him how valuable his master’s gifts were. "Uncle Feng, Father, these are from Master for you."

"Immortal Qiankun gave them? That makes sense—only an immortal of his profound cultivation would be so generous," Feng Yuzi first exclaimed in surprise, then nodded with admiration.

Qin De’s eyes widened in amazement, pointing at himself as he asked Qin Yu, "Yu’er, you say these three spiritual artifacts were given to me by Immortal Qiankun?"

"That’s right! Father, what are spiritual artifacts?" Qin Yu replied, unable to contain his curiosity.

Feng Yuzi explained, "Yu’er, spiritual artifacts are weapons used by immortals, divided into low, middle, high, and supreme grades. Weaker immortals, like myself, use only low-grade spiritual artifacts. High-grade ones are far superior, extremely rare even among cultivators."

"So, Uncle Feng, if you had a high-grade spiritual artifact, your strength would increase greatly?" Qin Yu’s eyes lit up.

Qin De smiled and nodded. "Yu’er, you’re absolutely right! Your master has gifted us two high-grade flying swords; one is meant for your Uncle Feng."

"Haha... My lord, the inner armor is even more precious than offensive artifacts. You’ve truly profited this time," Feng Yuzi said with a smile.