Chapter Seven: The Nine-Devouring Heavenly Fire Pearl

After the others had left, Qin Feng did not immediately tell Qin Yuyan about Han Qingxue’s intention to take her away from the Qin family. Instead, he instructed his younger sister to investigate the surroundings, ensuring no one lingered nearby. Only then did he lock the door, his gaze fixed on the silver-white ring before him, lost in thought.

The items within were bought with his father’s very life. This time, his father had truly spared no effort. To say nothing of the rest, the ring alone was an extraordinary treasure. Its surface was covered in intricate patterns—not mere carvings but mysterious glyphs. According to Aunt Xue, it was obtained from the relics of an ancient cultivator. The surface of the storage ring was inscribed with a miniature illusionary formation; when worn, the ring became invisible to others. A wondrous, practical effect—at the very least, there was no need to worry about attracting thieves.

If the ring itself was so formidable, Qin Feng’s anticipation for the items inside only grew stronger.

With a flourish, Qin Feng poured out all the contents of the ring onto the table. The two siblings leaned in, eyes wide with wonder.

There was quite a collection: a jade disc, a jade slip, a fiery red bead, and more than a dozen crystalline stones shimmering with strange light.

Qin Feng had already examined the jade disc—it was the imprint left by his father, a means of identification and conveying crucial information among cultivators. One could imprint their soul upon it using special methods; it was impossible to forge.

From the information within the jade disc, Qin Feng learned that the jade slip in his hand contained a cultivation technique called “Tai’e Soul Tempering.”

This “Tai’e Soul Tempering” was an ancient method to strengthen the soul and spiritual sense. Though originally fragmented and incomplete, his father had transcribed what remained into the jade slip for Qin Feng’s benefit.

Qin Feng pressed the jade slip to his forehead. As his consciousness entered, a torrent of information, tinged with an ancient aura, surged into his mind. Immediately, four bold characters floated into his thoughts:

Tai’e Soul Tempering.

Each word was crafted with supernatural artistry, ancient, vigorous, and powerful. After a brief existence, the four characters faded, and the true contents of the technique began to emerge. Qin Feng’s expression grew solemn as he focused all his attention, committing every detail to memory.

The reason for such diligence was simple: even with a high-quality jade slip, it could transmit the technique at most twice. One had to memorize everything during these transmissions; otherwise, the imprint would fade, leading to errors and omissions.

Fortunately, though Qin Feng’s body was frail, his mind was exceptionally sharp. A single reading sufficed for him to remember everything.

This “Tai’e Soul Tempering” was essentially an auxiliary technique, with no restrictions on cultivation. Its contents were divided into nine chapters, each set of three marking a significant leap. What he possessed now was but an incomplete copy—only the first six chapters.

His father’s intention was clear. Qin Feng’s strange illness primarily attacked the will, and the technique’s purpose was to strengthen the soul. As long as his spirit was strong enough, he need not fear the illness’s corrosion.

His father had indeed devoted himself to this.

Besides the technique, his father had also found a treasure to temporarily solve Qin Feng’s cultivation difficulties: the bead before him.

The Nine Devouring Heaven Fire Bead.

This bead was a peculiar artifact—hard and of unknown material, its crimson surface adorned with nine beautiful clouds of flame. Strangely, only one cloud was colored, the rest gray.

The colored cloud blazed red.

According to his father, this mysterious bead was discovered during an exploration of ancient ruins, found within the mouth of a deceased cultivator. His father surmised that at its peak, the bead’s power was extraordinary, but it had suffered fatal damage, reverting to its original state. Its accumulated flames had dissipated, leaving only one innate bead flame.

Even the bead flame’s power was much diminished.

How to restore the artifact’s full strength remained a mystery, though his father guessed it likely involved fire.

Yet, for Qin Feng’s current stage, such matters were unimportant. What mattered was that the remaining bead flame could help him continue his cultivation.

As for the glittering crystals, as a direct descendant of the Qin family—a renowned clan of cultivators—Qin Feng had heard of them. Though he had never seen such large ones, he had seen a pinky-sized piece before.

These were profound stones—mid-grade, sixteen in total.

Profound stones had served as currency in the Azure Profound Domain for countless ages, but their value was far beyond mere money. They were essential for cultivators. For every practitioner, profound stones were invaluable.

It was common knowledge that absorbing the ambient profound energy through cultivation was slow. Apart from certain elixirs, gathering arrays, or special techniques that could increase absorption, only profound stones provided a direct, effective method.

Yet, this was also the most extravagant method, as the profound energy within the stones was vast and pure—the very essence of profound energy crystallized. Profound stone mines could only form in places where the energy was exceptionally dense.

His father’s gift was truly timely.

Qin Feng had only ever seen a small piece of low-grade profound stone. To possess mid-grade stones was beyond imagination.

His eyes grew moist. Beside him, Qin Yuyan was stunned.

The clever girl understood well how important these items were for Qin Feng. Perhaps, even all the Qin family in Luoyang Town could not produce such treasures at once.

With a sigh, Qin Feng collected himself.

He handed the “Tai’e Soul Tempering” jade slip to Qin Yuyan.

The technique had no cultivation restrictions. Qin Feng had skimmed its contents—obscure and complex, it required not only talent but also fortune. Luckily, the jade slip’s capacity was still sufficient for one more transmission.

Of course, good things were meant to be shared between siblings.

Qin Yuyan said nothing. So much had happened today that both were somewhat numb. She nodded to Qin Feng, took the slip, and placed it on her forehead.

Seeing Qin Yuyan enter the process of receiving the technique, Qin Feng picked up the Nine Devouring Heaven Fire Bead, stared at it for a while, then followed his father’s instructions. He dripped a drop of blood onto the bead, watching as it seeped in. He summoned what little profound energy he possessed and began a simple refining.

To fully claim the bead would require long-term nurturing and imprinting with his spirit—a lengthy process, but Qin Feng was in no hurry.

For now—

A simple refinement and imprinting would suffice to access the bead’s innate flame…