Junior sister, I really need to control you.

Chapter 77 A Gift of Gratitude, A Magical Treasure Embryo

Bamboo Forest Peak.

"Therefore, fellow Daoist is indeed the acting abbot of Xuanzhen Temple, fellow Daoist Li Yinsheng."

Master Lang looked at Li Yinsheng with a complicated expression.

"That's right." Li Yinsheng nodded.

Master Lang composed himself, faced Li Yinsheng, and solemnly bowed: "This humble Daoist is Yin Zhang of Huangzhu Temple. I thank Fellow Daoist Li for his assistance."

"Fellow Daoist Yin, you are too kind. Xuanzhen Temple and Huangzhu Temple are both of the same kind. It is only right that I lend a hand where it is within my power," Li Yinsheng said.

"Fellow Daoist, your righteousness is truly admirable!" Master Langgan exclaimed with admiration.

"All of this was orchestrated by that self-proclaimed 'Chongyun' (Insect Cloud) sorcerer," Li Yinsheng said. "Does Fellow Daoist Yin know this person?"

Master Langgan was somewhat surprised: "Could it be Master Chongyun from Thousand Insect Valley?"

"This person does indeed claim to be from Thousand Insect Valley," Li Yinsheng nodded.

Master Langgan's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil.

He was indeed aware of the name of Master Chongyun.

This person's cultivation level is not very high among the immortals, but he is quite skilled in combat.

Or rather, the cultivators who come from Thousand Insect Valley are all very skilled in combat.

It is said that the natal Gu raised by the True Men of Thousand Insect Valley is even more powerful than the natal magic weapons of many True Men.

After all, no matter how long a True Person cultivates their natal magic weapon, it can only be cultivated from the moment they first become a True Person.

However, many of the natal Gu in Thousand Insect Valley are cultivated from the very beginning of their cultivation.

Moreover, even without considering one's natal Gu, the Thousand Insect Valley's method of taming alien insects and relying on external objects to increase combat power is easier than painstakingly cultivating magic.

Master Chongyun was quite well-known in the Ten Thousand Mountains region. He had defeated six or seven fellow masters, and many masters with higher cultivation levels were wary of him.

Master Lang considered himself one of the best among the masters. Although he was not afraid of the insect cloud and was confident that he could defeat it, he was not entirely certain that he could kill it.

But because he encountered Li Yinsheng, Master Chongyun has been removed from the list of disciples in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Is this the kind of skill a cultivator in his twenties should possess?!

In the blink of an eye, Master Langgan suppressed his shock and made a decision.

Become friends! We absolutely must become friends!

At just over twenty years old, he was able to kill a True Person from Thousand Insect Valley. With such talent, achieving the Divine Travel Realm was inevitable, and reaching the even higher Dharma Aspect Realm was almost a certainty.

The title of True Person in the Dharma Realm—what a transcendent status they hold!

Those who are born into the lineage of a True Person will immediately become Elders once they reach the Dharma Aspect Realm.

If a Dharma Aspect Realm cultivator from a Taoist temple only wants to stay in their own temple, they will be an honorary elder of the lineage, with a status not much different from that of a real elder.

Of course, if a Taoist priest with the title of "True Person" from a Taoist temple is willing to join the lineage directly, the lineage will welcome him with open arms.

He has a Dharma lineage elder as his backer at Shouyi Temple, so what is there to be arrogant about?

My Huangzhu Temple can also make connections with future Dharma lineage elders!

Once the idea was made up, Master Lang immediately spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Fellow Daoist Li, I do know a little about this Insect Cloud, but this is not the place to talk. If you don't mind my humble abode, please come inside and have a chat."

Li Yinsheng nodded and followed Master Langgan toward the council hall.

"Xiao Liang, hurry and arrange the banquet!"

As Master Langgan led Li Yinsheng toward the council hall, he gave instructions to Liang Qiwu.

"Yes, ma'am!" Liang Qiwu replied hastily.

Inside the council chamber.

While Li Yinsheng was talking with Master Langgan, Liang Qiwu had already ordered several beautiful female disciples to bring him melons, fruits, and sweet wine. The wine was clear and emerald green like bamboo.

"I see." Li Yinsheng suddenly realized, "So this Chongyun does indeed have some ability and reputation, no wonder he spoke with some arrogance."

"In front of Fellow Daoist Li, it's nothing but a trivial trick," sighed Master Langgan.

Li Yinsheng not only killed Chongyun, but also appeared calm and composed, which shows that killing Chongyun was a piece of cake for him.

"Although the insect cloud has been cleared, there are still people who need to be dealt with," Li Yinsheng said.

Master Langgan smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, are you referring to those people from Shouyi Temple?"

"It seems Fellow Daoist Yin has already guessed it," Li Yinsheng nodded and smiled.

"Hmph, Shouyi Temple—they're at nine out of ten places on fire!" said Master Langgan.

"When I descended just now, I used my divine sense to scan the area. There were many disciples of Shouyi Temple, and the three leaders had strange expressions. Considering their odd requests a few days ago, they are naturally the most suspicious."

"Does that fellow Daoist have any evidence?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"Not yet," Master Langgan shook his head.

"I do have some evidence," Li Yinsheng said with a smile.

"I'd like to hear the details!" Master Langgan said earnestly.

Li Yinsheng told Langgan Zhenren everything he had discovered about the strange insects underground, the magical artifacts on the people guarding the watch to awaken the insects, and the strange behavior of the three leaders.

Master Langgan's expression changed several times, his anger appearing but quickly suppressed.

"Fellow Daoist has once again done my Huangzhu Temple a great favor," said Master Langgan with emotion.

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist Yin, how do you intend to deal with those people?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"This matter—it could be a big deal or a small deal," Master Langgan pondered, his brows furrowed.

"If the matter is brought to the lineage now, Shouyi Temple will at least have to drag out its own deputy abbot and deacons and execute them, costing several lives. The current abbot will also have to resign."

"It is estimated that one or two more masters will be blamed by the lineage, and the entire Shouyi Temple will have to pay out a lot of money for talismans."

"It doesn't seem that serious. Shouyi Temple has no shortage of cultivators or talisman money." Li Yinsheng shook his head.

Although Vice Abbot Zhao's cultivation level was not bad, there were many highly skilled cultivators among the thousands of cultivators in Shouyi Temple.

As for the abbot stepping down, that's even more ridiculous. Stepping down doesn't mean his cultivation is abolished.

"There's no other way," Master Langgan shook his head. "This is the limit. We can't really kill one or two masters of Shouyi Temple."

"Fellow Daoist Yin just said that this matter could be big or small? How big or small?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"If we escalate this now, it's a minor issue. If we wait until Shouyi Temple loses power or becomes mired in trouble before bringing this up, then there's a chance it will escalate," said Master Langgan.

"It seems Fellow Daoist Yin already has a plan in mind," Li Yinsheng said with a smile.

"To be honest, fellow Daoist, many Daoist temples actually have one or two bad things to deal with, such as Yutan Temple, Zhulu Temple, and Gengyan Temple. Of course, the one as serious as today should be the first of its kind."

Master Langgan said, "But at this moment, Shouyi Temple is at its peak, like the sun at its zenith, and behind it there is—cough—"

"Taking one or two things out of context will only cause Shouyi Temple to bleed a little, but it won't break its bones."

Li Yinsheng nodded knowingly: "So everyone is waiting for the day when Shouyi Temple falls into the well, and then they'll throw all the stones they have down with them."

"In the end, it's because Shouyi Temple is too powerful; otherwise, why would we tolerate them?" Master Langgan shook his head.

"Since Fellow Daoist Yin already has a plan, I won't interfere any further," Li Yinsheng said with a smile. "Just don't forget to let me know when you're smashing stones in the future."

Li Yinsheng didn't like Shouyi Temple, but he was busy training his junior sisters and didn't have time to waste on it.

Aside from the fact that 170 years of cultivation had been recorded in the abbot and the master of Shouyi Temple, he wasn't very interested in anything else.

"Definitely, definitely!" Master Langgan assured him. "Let's make a note of this for now and deal with it another day."

He then waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about these unpleasant things for now, Fellow Daoist Li. I have something more important to ask you."

"Please speak, fellow Daoist," said Li Yinsheng.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you have become a True Person at such a young age. You must have devoted most of your energy to cultivation and had no time for anything else. May I ask if you have any natal magic treasures?" True Person Lang asked solemnly.

He felt that Li Yinsheng must have a magic weapon, otherwise he couldn't have killed the insect cloud, but he might not have a natal magic weapon.

Cultivating one's natal magic weapon is extremely energy-consuming, and if one abandons it halfway, all previous investment is wasted.

Therefore, the more talented a person is, the less likely they are to easily determine their destined magic weapon, for fear that a hasty choice will drag them down.

"To be honest, I don't yet have a natal magic weapon," Li Yinsheng said honestly.

Even before he refined the black command flag in his Qiankun bag, he didn't have a single usable magic weapon.

"What a coincidence!" Master Langgan laughed. "I happen to have a superior magic weapon embryo in my possession. It doesn't need much refining; with just a little polishing, it can spontaneously transform into a magic weapon, making it extremely suitable as a natal magic weapon."

"This item is perfect for Fellow Daoist Li, to express my gratitude for saving ten thousand Suyun bamboo trees for my Huangzhu Temple!"

Magical artifact embryo!

Li Yinsheng's eyes suddenly lit up.

After learning about the existence of magical artifacts from his martial uncle, Li Yinsheng talked with him several more times, and his martial uncle explained a lot of knowledge about magical artifacts to him.

Magical artifacts can be crafted by a master craftsman with exceptional skill in the art of weapon crafting, who fuses a large amount of precious materials to imbue them with spiritual energy.

It could also be that a cultivator finds a naturally spiritual treasure and then refines it himself.

Artificial treasures crafted by humans are made of superior materials and have slightly weaker spirituality. They are extremely powerful at birth, but because of their weaker spirituality, their improvement will be slower when cultivators refine them within their bodies.

Magical artifacts refined from naturally occurring spiritual objects are made of a single material, but possess innate spirituality. Although their power is weaker when they are first created, their spirituality is stronger. After refinement, they improve faster and have a higher potential.

For most real people, having even one magic weapon is already quite good; they wouldn't be picky.

However, for cultivators who have a choice, man-made magic weapons are more suitable as ordinary magic weapons, while magic weapons refined by naturally born spiritual objects are more suitable as natal magic weapons.

So if we have to compare them, the latter is more valuable.

Unless a true immortal obtains a spiritual object when their lifespan is already limited, leaving little time to cultivate the magical treasure.

But the person in front of me, Master Langgan, doesn't seem to have much time left to live.

Such a precious item, instead of being used for personal purposes, is being presented as a gift of gratitude?

"Fellow Daoist, isn't this far too precious?" Li Yinsheng said.

"Compared to tens of thousands of Suyun bamboo, it's nothing!" Master Langgan laughed. "Besides, if this naturally grown spiritual bamboo were used to refine ordinary magic treasures, it would only diminish its spiritual essence, which would be a waste of its precious resources."

"If you're talking about refining a natal magic weapon, I already have one."

"Why not leave it to the next True Person in your temple?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"Among the third-generation disciples of Huangzhu Temple, there is currently no one with the talent of a True Person," Master Langgan shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Li is a dragon among men, and Xuanzhen Temple has also had some connections with my Huangzhu Temple."

"This gift is given to you, fellow Daoist, both to express my gratitude for your help and to honor the friendship between our two Daoist temples."

Since Master Langgan had gone this far, Li Yinsheng could no longer refuse: "In that case, it would be impolite of me to decline."

"That's more like it!"

Master Lang raised his hand and took out a section of bamboo about ten feet long from his Qiankun bag. The bamboo was so green that it seemed to drip water.

Li Yinsheng didn't even need to use his divine sense to explore; just sitting beside the bamboo made him feel refreshed and invigorated.

"This plant is called Azure Bamboo. It is one of the earliest branches of the eight-hundred-year-old sacred bamboo that my Huangzhu Temple relies on for its livelihood."

""

Master Lang said, "Besides being extremely spiritual, the Azure Bamboo also possesses a rich wood element energy. As a natal magic treasure, it also has the effect of prolonging life."

"Moreover, with cultivation and nurturing, the wood element within will become stronger and purer, further enhancing its longevity-promoting effects, making it truly endless."

"Most importantly, among the five elements, while wood itself is not good at combat, it can generate wind and thunder. Neither wind nor thunder is easy to contend with in a battle!"

Master Lang laughed and said, "It is indeed difficult to generate thunder from wood, as it is not as simple as the methods of yin and yang interaction. However, it is not difficult to generate wind from wood."

"For example, I initially cultivated the wood element, and later transitioned from wood to wind. I consider myself to have considerable combat strength among fellow cultivators."

"With your talent, fellow Daoist, it should not be difficult to first generate wind from wood, and then generate thunder from wood after the wood element energy is strengthened."

Master Langgan pushed the Azure Bamboo toward Li Yinsheng.

"You must have heard of the power of thunder magic, right? Thunder cultivators with profound cultivation are no less powerful than sword cultivators and body cultivators when they fight."

"If we encounter any evil or heretical forces, then once the thunder magic is unleashed, all evil will be terrified, and both sword cultivators and body cultivators will be much inferior!"

""

Li Yinsheng solemnly put away the Azure Bamboo, then asked with great interest, "Then—what if I were to refine the Azure Bamboo into a sword and cultivate both lightning and sword techniques?"

"Uh—" Master Langgan paused for a moment, pondered for a while, and then said after organizing his thoughts, "Logically speaking, there is nothing that is not feasible."

"But fellow Daoist, you can't bite off more than you can chew. Lightning cultivation is difficult, sword cultivation is difficult, and cultivating both at the same time is even more difficult."

"I know you achieved the True Person realm at such a young age, and your talent is extraordinary. But there are few lightning cultivators and few sword cultivators in the world, which is enough to prove how difficult these two paths are."

"It's already extremely rare for ordinary cultivators to be able to follow the same path. If you try to do two things at once, what if—"

Master Lang didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

If you're half-hearted, aren't you afraid of ending up with only a half-baked skill?

"Fellow Daoist's words are reasonable; I will keep them in mind."

Li Yinsheng immediately became serious, as if he had taken it all to heart.

After accepting the Azure Bamboo, Master Lang gave Li Yinsheng some pointers on precautions when refining magical artifacts from naturally occurring spiritual materials.

Simply put, it means more guidance and less interference.

The more restrictions are placed on spiritual objects, the more spiritual essence is lost during the refining process.

It is best to only restrict what form it can take, and not to interfere with it in any other way.

Although this will result in the magic weapon being less powerful when it is first created, it will grow faster and have a higher potential after further cultivation.

Master Lang specifically reminded Li Yinsheng that after such refining, it must be nurtured for at least twenty years before it can be used in combat, so as not to damage the magic weapon.

Once the cultivation period reaches fifty or sixty years, this magic weapon will surpass those artificially crafted magic weapons that have been cultivated for the same amount of time.

Once the cultivation period reaches about a hundred years, the power of this magic weapon will become extremely formidable, and most cultivators of similar cultivation level will have to avoid its sharp edge.

As for what comes after that—he couldn't say for sure, since he hadn't seen it either.