New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 74 [Sacred Artifact. Frostmourne] (Subscribe)
"Young man, you're here, come and sit down."

In the small church of [Rain Courtyard], the old temple priest who had been waiting for a long time waved to Yuan Zhu, signaling him to come closer. Then he patted the booklet on the table and introduced:

"Come, take a look. These are the [Holy Seals] our Holy Hall offers. See if there's anything you like? Without a [Holy Seal], even the [Stigmata] are difficult to cultivate. You can think of it as a technique from a novel. However, a [Holy Seal] is even more powerful than a technique. You don't need to learn it; you naturally comprehend it. With continuous forging, you become stronger, and it won't be eliminated. Even after you advance, it can still be effective."

Yuan Zhu stepped forward, took the finger-thick booklet, and began to flip through it.

It was pretty much what he thought. It contained a lot of [Holy Seals] with different functions and uses. Except for the introduction at the beginning, each page afterwards was an introduction to a different [Holy Seal].

There are many specific types, such as the holy seals of tools such as [Sword], [Bell], and [Staff], as well as the attribute changes of [Fire Sword], [Holy Shield], and [Thunder Staff] that are iterated on this basis.

Of these, two-thirds are traditional seals, including the East Coast-inspired [Holy Word], [Two-handed Sword], [Armor], and [Purification]. The remaining third are Eastern-inspired, Taoist-inspired seals, closely tied to the now-declined [Huangtian Daoism], and are considered new-school seals, often commanding higher prices.

[Holy Seals] are tiered by "carves," with the lowest being 4 carves. Pricing varies based on efficacy, with the cheapest starting at 4. A 5-carve seal starts at 10. The highest-end, a 6-carve seal, features an intricately crafted talisman pattern called the [Tai Huang Lu] and has no price tag.

Seeing Yuan Zhu stop at this page, the temple keeper began to explain, "Normally, after a cultivator has cast three [Sacred Seals], they face a choice. Should they embark on the path forged by the Eight Saint Kings, or brave the thorns and personally embark on a dead end with an unknown outcome? This [Tai Huang Lu] allows you to establish a connection with the Tai Huang Dao Master from the very beginning. Of course, it's not too late to cast it during the second or third seal. However, the earlier you cast it, the greater the benefits, and you will be considered a legitimate descendant of the Tai Huang Dao."

There was a hint of enrollment in everything he said.

Yuan Zhu asked again: "Why don't you put a price on it?"

"Because it is priceless. Only those who join my lineage are qualified to receive it."

You've all been ordained, so aren't you Taoists?! Is this the Holy Light version of "transforming barbarians into Buddhas," going undercover within the Holy Light? Waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the Taoist tradition and seize power?

"What's its effect?" Yuan Zhu asked, pointing at the [Tai Huang Lu. Holy Seal].

"It comprehensively enhances the Holy Light's intensity, transforms its properties, establishes a primary connection with the Holy Light dimension of [Tai Huang], and provides a variety of [Divine Words] while enhancing their effects. With just one Holy Seal, one can gain spellcasting ability and access a wide variety of spells. However, its greatest value lies in paving the way for other [Holy Seals] in the future, providing the most basic amplification."

According to the old temple keeper, the quality of just one or two [Holy Seals] is far less important than the overall 'Holy Seal Combination System' constructed after the number of Holy Seals increases.

Basic Seals like [Armor], [Sword], [Fist], and [Holy Flame]—even at the lowest 4 ticks—only three of them are needed to build the basic Paladin skill tree. Adding a 7-tick [Iron Halo] to the mix is even more impressive: stepping on the halo creates a deflection field, transforming you into a Holy Light Astartes.

The value of the [Tai Huang Lu] lies not only in its connection to the utterly holy [Huang Tian World], but also in its magical bonuses. Holding this holy seal allows one to chant divine words, casting spells with additional amplification. If the [Stigmata] is inscribed on the throat (by slitting the throat), the [Divine Words] are further strengthened.

After carefully reading the entire manual, Yuan Zhu entered all the information into the [Immortal Scripture]. His biggest impression was that the low-level holy seals were too low-grade, with limited potential. High-level holy seals were rare, with the highest value only being 6, and were extremely expensive.

So he wondered, "With so many low-level [Seals], aside from the hope of forming special combinations in the future, there's no early advantage. Is anyone really willing to use them?"

The temple keeper said, "But it's cheap. Furthermore, adding high-grade ash during casting can slightly increase the seal's scale. Finally, high-grade [Seals] are inherently stable and difficult to alter due to their complex structure. However, seals with four or five scales are different. Not only are they prone to sudden changes during casting, but there's also an opportunity to overprint them once the seventh seal is cast. Many high-grade seals are created during this overprinting process. So, don't worry about low-grade seals affecting your future foundation. On the contrary, lower scales are easier to cast, helping you quickly navigate your growth period and gain the power to protect yourself."

Yuan Zhu frowned: "But it's still very expensive!"

He closed the manual, a thought forming in his mind. For the first Seal, if he couldn't choose the best, most advanced one, he might as well pick a basic, versatile one and try stacking them later. After all, [Holy Light] was only a secondary skill, while [Shadow] was the foundation, so he couldn't afford to mess with it!

For example, this [Holy Sword] is quite good. When driven by Holy Light, it can comprehensively enhance strength (temporarily), slightly transform physique (long-term enhancement), improve the ability to learn and comprehend swordsmanship, and add Holy Light attributes to sword weapons that are affinity with Holy Light, thereby increasing enchanted damage.

Finally, when the [Sword Seal] is completely forged, one can use pure holy light to condense a short-lived 'concept weapon'.

The power of the [Holy Sword] will continue to increase as the number of Soul Crystals increases, and it will not be left behind. Alternatively, the power of the conceptual weapon will remain unchanged, and the number of Soul Crystals will increase as the number increases.

The similar [Holy Lance] is similar. When you level up in the future, you can wield several Holy Lance at the same time and use them as long-range throwing weapons from the sky, which is also quite cool. However, it is a bit life-consuming.

Seeing Yuan Zhu was lost in thought, the old man asked expectantly, "Have you considered it?"

"It's too expensive. Even if I wanted to buy it, I can't scrape together enough money." Yuan Zhu spread his hands and said perfunctorily. He planned to go to the [Space] to take a look. The highest [Sacred Seal] here was only 6 ke, and it required receiving the talisman, which bound the relationship so early. It didn't suit his taste. "Old man, what is the highest ke of this [Sacred Seal]?"

The old man said, "A human cultivator can usually condense six seals. Seven seals form a domain, eight seals confer sainthood, and nine seals demigodhood. Therefore, a Saint Seal can reach a maximum of nine ke, but these are usually unavailable. Six ke is considered high-end. A six-ke seal can be further increased in keel strength by adding 'Ultimate Ashes', but this carries the risk of losing control of the [Fallen Seal]. For high-level cultivators, the 'ashes' produced don't necessarily need to be used to forge seals or condense soul crystals. They can be preserved and traded through special means. These ashes, which carry the information of others' souls, can elevate the quality of the 'Sacred Seal'."

Yuan Zhu: "Where do these [Holy Seals] come from? Is there any way to create a Holy Seal that suits my taste?"

"The [Holy Light] is the manifestation of the spirit, the [Holy Seal] is the condensation of will, and the [Soul Crystal] is the crystallization of the soul. The [Holy Seal] is cut out of the [Soul Crystal]. If you want a special and powerful [Holy Seal], choose a special and powerful saint or even a demigod, kill him, peel off the soul crystal, and find a way to slice it, then you can get a 'high-scale Holy Seal'. It's best to hunt down a demigod, as you have a high chance of cutting out a 9-scale Holy Seal with unique functions." The old man encouraged.

"Uh... no wonder it's so expensive."

Isn't this [Holy Seal] a slice of the soul of a powerful Holy Light Element being? The higher the level, the harder it is to kill. No wonder they have such great potential and won't be eliminated. No wonder they can create soul crystals.

This wasn't just a [gongfa] anymore; it was a direct soul-transmission. They simply sliced the souls of their predecessors and offered them as 'holy light blueprints' to newcomers. They used the soul ashes to forge their own [holy seals], then used the seals to compress their souls into [soul crystals]. Then they were hunted down, their souls sliced and sold... The Holy Light system grew stronger and stronger, a cycle of development.

The old man said, "Now, don't you think the [Sacred Seal] is too expensive?"

Yuan Zhu: "I don't think so, but I still can't afford it. Please refund me the balance. I have the [Holy Light] now, which is enough. I'm just an ordinary employee of a cleaning company. I can't provoke those powerful monsters. I can only exorcise evil spirits and purify pollution. Perfect!"

"Wait, you can't afford a [Holy Seal], but you can afford a Holy Weapon. A Holy Weapon is actually a weapon forged with the addition of high-grade dried corpse powder (an additive)—the souls and lives drained by Holy Light, thus being sanctified—drained by Holy Light. It also contains some precious Holy Light-conducting metals. For example, a [Holy Sword] requires a sword-like Holy Weapon to use... Even if you don't have a [Holy Seal], you can still imbue the Holy Weapon with Holy Light, further increasing its attack power."

Yuan Zhu quite agreed with this. The holy light he condensed with his bare hands was too loose and could only torture small animals that he could still beat with one hand without the holy light. So what was the point of this holy light?

"What about the price?"

"The price for storage is fair, just come with me."

Then, the old temple keeper led Yuan Zhu and the senior student into his private collection warehouse. On the walls were hung a dazzling array of sacred equipment:
Scepters, shields, armor, spears, short spears, two-handed swords... Oriental-style swords, bells, peach wood swords, golden pumpkin buds... as well as daily necessities such as safety helmets, baseball bats, hammers... as well as heads and complete left arms.

Yuan Zhu was startled when he saw the last two items. Pointing to the heads and left arms of different species, he asked, "Why are you hanging these up too? Are they souvenirs from your hunting days?"

The temple keeper shook his head. "That's not the case. The head and left arm hold special mystical symbolic significance in the Duling spirit world. They have always been popular materials for casting spells, and are also used as sacred artifacts by some Holy Light monks with special tastes."

At this point, the senior student also spoke up. "The 'Buddha Head' floating above Mercury State on the vast continent has existed independently for thousands and tens of thousands of years. The transcendental system of the School of Knowledge is also based on the extensive use of 'Skull Servo'. Other systems also involve the two independent mystical concepts of 'head' and 'left arm'."

She explained to Yuan Zhu, "In mysticism, the concept of 'human' is complete. A person without a head or an arm is incomplete and incomplete. But in mysticism, the 'head' and 'left arm' are also complete concepts, just like the 'human', and are not incomplete. Only a 'left arm' missing fingers, or a 'head' without an eye, tongue, or brain, is incomplete. A simple 'human', 'head', and 'left arm' are of equal status."

Yuan Zhu hadn't had much to say about the head, but when it came to the left arm... he was reminded of the 'Corpse Ghosts and Buddha's Hands' in the Bubble World, whose arms served as heads. It seemed the practice of the 'Dharma Palm' of the Diamond Temple also had its own particularities.

"Are there any you fancy? You're involved in environmental cleaning, so you need a sacred weapon for self-defense. Even if you encounter a goblin attack, you can swiftly vanquish the demon with lightning speed. Since you young people don't like traditional culture, I think this 'crowbar' would suit you perfectly." The old temple keeper removed a physics holy sword inscribed with scripture and handed it to Yuan Zhu. The sight of the crowbar reminded him of a certain "Pipe Wrench Sword Immortal." Was he about to advance to the 'Physics Paladin' and, together with the university student carrying a human head, become the [Three Kings of Qimen (Weapon)]?

"Why? Don't you love me?"

Yuan Zhu shook his head: "It's too long and inconvenient to carry."

"What about this? The Golden Pumpkin Bone Flower, a physical attack, armor-breaking and head-blasting artifact. One hammer strike will grant you a high-quality holy sleep." The old man took out a 'small metal pumpkin' with a top the size of a baby's fist.

This is an ancient hammer weapon. Li Yuanba wields two of these 'tiny and adorable' pumpkins, wreaking havoc on the battlefield.

Yuan Zhu: "No, that's too feminine! It's not even as versatile as a hammer."

"Hey, speaking of hammers, I also have a [Frostmourne] here!" The old man raised a finger, smiled in surprise, and took out a goat horn hammer carved into the outline of a goat's head.

It's essentially a standard hammer, with one side for hammering nails, and the other side sharpened to a horn, perfect for both removing nails and opening skulls. It's a one-piece casting, exquisitely crafted, but shaped like a skull with rubies embedded in its eye sockets, giving it a sinister look.

"Is this thing also a holy artifact?" Yuan Zhu was shocked. What was he thinking? It was shaped like a skull and a sheep's head. Is it a fallen holy artifact?

The senior shrugged: "If a head can be a sacred weapon, how much more so a hammer?"

"The customer originally ordered it this way, adding a lot of Holy Light Metal. Unfortunately, the customer died after it was cast... Because of the style, no one has bought it. If you want it, I won't charge you."

The implication is that [Frostmourne] will be used to offset the remaining balance.

Yuan Zhu was somewhat moved by its name. No dutiful son could resist the allure of Frostmourne. He didn't have a father in Duling anymore, so he felt no guilt in grinding it.

"Then bring it here, let me try it out."

I took the claw hammer and found it surprisingly hefty, yet not too heavy to wield. It's nearly 30cm long, with 13cm from the hammer head to the end of the claw. The center of gravity is well-designed, making it comfortable to use, but it doesn't swing as smoothly as a pumpkin bud hammer.

Then, he burned his life and injected the holy light into the claw hammer through his palm.

There is no need to deliberately condense it. This holy weapon will actively absorb the [Holy Light] and condense the Holy Light smoothly on the sheep (hammer) head. The blazing holy light wraps around the metal skull, and the eyes burst out with evil "blood light".

A shadowy figure of a holy-light skull-head enveloped the hammer, its eyes gleaming with blood. An invisible force field of oppression enveloped its entire body for several meters. Yuan Zhu could feel his [Holy Light] being compressed and condensed by the weapon, its power greatly enhanced.

"Not bad, huh? Besides the basic Holy Light blessing and increased power, if you successfully shoot a headshot with it, it can cause a mental shock to the victim, creating an extremely painful sheep cry in their consciousness, damaging their soul. When the craftsman forged it, he sacrificed a deeply contaminated [Black Goat]. It is a holy weapon, but also a corrupted weapon. And the style suits the tastes of you young people."

After hearing this, the senior student curled her lips. What? It's so eerie and not pretty at all.

Yuan Zhu disagreed. Everything else was fine, but the special effects of the claw hammer being blessed by the Holy Light, the gleaming metallic luster, the bloodshot eyes, and the exceptional holiness, struck him as very cool. It was like the Terminator T-800, with its flashing red electronic eyes, transforming into light.

He wants to buy it back and show off in his "Happy Home"! Money is not a big deal. If it doesn't work, he can just replace it. But he wants to show off in front of his friends.

"Bought it!"

"Alright, take it and enforce justice on behalf of Heaven! The more sinful blood you smear, the stronger it will become as you temper it with Holy Light. One day, you will forge your own [Sacred Artifact]! I'm also giving you this Holy Light Beginner's Manual. If you don't understand anything, you can come and take my classes. One class is 100 yuan. The basic course has 20 lessons. The advanced course has 10 lessons, each 500 yuan."

Yuan Zhu put away the sacred artifact, put it in his pocket, and fled with his senior sister. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would have to sign the loan agreement.

...

Walking along the path in the academy, Yuan Zhu expressed her gratitude: "Thank you for your help this time, sister."

The senior student adjusted her hair and said casually, "You're welcome. I'm happy to help Brother Yuan. Besides, I earned your commission."

"But I got more. If you need anything in the future, just let me know."

Receiving the stigmata ceremony at other temples in Running not only requires a complex review process but also extensive training, with fees starting at 2. As for Yuyuan, without internal connections, the fee starts at 3. The ceremony is identical, but with the Yuyuan name, it costs 1 or more more than other temples.

If he hadn't run into Chen Yi this time, he would have been ripped off by 3. After all, the introduction from [Fire Fang] only helped him clear the hurdles and avoid being blocked by the review process. As for the bargaining, it was purely due to the connections of his senior. She had accompanied her friends to bargain with the old temple priest before, so this time, she was naturally familiar with the process.

Knowing someone is always a blessing. Yuan Zhu naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity to broaden his network and strengthen his relationships at Rain Courtyard. He would come to see her again if he had any problems in the future.

"If you can help me, I can!" The senior student looked at the helper with a half-smile. "When you work at [Fire Fang], you'll always come across some strange pollution sources. If you come across some unusual and bizarre pollutants, remember to help me collect some and suppress and seal them with holy light. It doesn't take much, and I'll pay you."

Yuan Zhu was curious: "No big deal, leave it to me. But what do you want these 'pollutants' for?"

The senior student sighed. "Isn't it about developing and cultivating various 'special plants'? If we want to cultivate brand new seeds that can be used by [Sanxian] cultivation, we can only use the crude method. We use different pollution sources to corrode the seeds, then grow seedlings and test whether new mutant varieties emerge. Therefore, we need to use strange pollutants to try our luck, and the more the better."

"Got it! I'll keep an eye out for you. By the way, I have a small gift for you, senior. I hope it will be helpful to you." Yuan Zhu thought of what he had gained in the bubble world. The crazy eggplant-like appearance was indeed in line with the other party's major.

He pulled out a "blood tomato" with a nose and handed it over. He was reluctant to give away the Blood Bodhi, nurtured by the blood of the Buddha Eggplant, but the lower-grade "blood tomatoes" were no problem. These could be redeemed at the Happy Home for 3 points each, purely as a favor.

Seeing the fruit with a nose and emitting an evil aura, Chen Yi's hair stood on end. She took a small step back and did not try to take it. Instead, she asked cautiously, "What is this? Why does it feel dangerous?"

"It contains a bit of [Filthy Blood] contamination, but not much, and it's already latent. It's a mutant product of a plant species from outer space. Aren't the three flowers of the Sanxian related to them? This should help you."

"Go to the Holy Temple and buy a batch of special plastic bags, put it in, and then use your holy light to disinfect the bags, melt the seals and give them to me. Also, don't put such dangerous things in your pockets in the future. After collecting pollutants, remember to seal them in bags and then use holy light to disinfect them." The senior student warned seriously.

"I know, I know." Taixi's college students are not as particular as you.

Yuan Zhu returned again and received a stack of garbage bags from the old temple keeper for free. These bags could not only hold pollution sources, but also collect the dried corpses drained by the holy light.

Those dry-cell batteries, which sacrificed their souls and lives, actually have some value. Once ground into powder, they become an excellent, inert material with no specific properties. Their properties are similar to those of ceramsite used for growing flowers and raising fish: their primary purpose is cleanliness and hygiene.

Although [Holy Light] is a strong source of pollution, the value of the bodies tortured to death by Holy Light has been squeezed out, and the pollution of the debris is actually very low, and other polluting properties are negated. Many laboratories are willing to purchase large quantities.

"Great, I've found another scrap business." He will not throw away the drained batteries in the future. He will collect enough weight to sell to the Holy Temple and earn some pocket money.

(End of this chapter)