Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

The onlookers held their breath, even the short, stocky man who had been arguing earlier stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing anything.

Li Jinrong unconsciously tiptoed and craned his neck to look.

Suddenly, the stone cutter paused very slightly.

When the tip of his short chisel peeled away a thicker layer of stone, what he touched was not hard stone, but a slightly resilient barrier.

At the same time, a barely perceptible warm coolness traveled through the tool to his hands.

He immediately changed his approach, no longer using force to chisel, but instead using the tip of the chisel to scrape very carefully.

More fragments fell, and a piece about the size of a fingernail, with a delicate, jade-like texture, was faintly revealed!

"A jade has been unearthed?!" someone with sharp eyes immediately exclaimed.

"This is not ordinary jade. The luster... it's like ancient jade, but it's not quite the same. It's thinner, more like... a jade slip?" The prince in the blue robe took half a step forward, his tone filled with surprise and doubt.

The stone cutter became even more cautious, carefully removing the surrounding stone bit by bit from the edge of the jade-like material.

Gradually, a thin slice of jade about two fingers wide was revealed. It did not exist independently; its edges seemed to be connected to the stone below, or... it was part of a larger object itself.

"It's a jade slip! Ancient cultivators used it to record important texts and images; it was often a scroll-like medium crafted from special spiritual jade!"

The elderly man with graying hair and beard spoke with some excitement, "This thing is even rarer than ancient jade. It's usually used for secret alchemical formulas, complex array diagrams, or certain special inherited cultivation techniques! The preservation requirements are even higher. I never expected to find it sealed inside a Yin Stone!"

Upon hearing this, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

The value of jade slips is obviously superior to that of ordinary ancient jade, especially since they may contain highly practical content such as alchemical formulas and battle formations.

The short, stocky man's expression changed, and he muttered, "It's not fully opened yet, who knows if it's incomplete..."

The stone cutter's forehead was slightly sweaty, but his movements became increasingly steady and precise.

He no longer pursued speed, but rather, like sculpting a work of art, he gradually freed the jade from the stubborn stone.

The process was slow, but no one rushed them.

Finally, after taking almost twice as long as it took to cut the previous large stone, an item was revealed intact on the thick leather mat that the stone cutter had spread out.

It was a light gray-white jade scroll, about half a foot long and two inches wide.

The jade is warm and lustrous, with delicate patterns on the surface resembling water ripples and clouds. Two extremely fine dark gold metal borders are inlaid at the edges, and it still gleams with a faint light despite having endured countless years.

The jade slip was not fully unfolded; it had dark gold shafts of the same material at both ends, and was gently bound in the middle by a thin black cord.

The jade slip is in perfect condition, without any damage.

"A complete ancient jade slip!" Brother Wang exclaimed, then immediately covered his mouth, unable to hide the shock in his eyes.

The old man paused, stroking his beard, and murmured, "Judging from its form, this is no ordinary object. It's probably an important legacy left behind by a cultivator at least at the Golden Core stage, or by a sizable power!"

"He's struck it rich...this kid really struck it rich again!" Some people's eyes were red with envy.

"Who just said they were eating stone skin?"

Someone muttered something under their breath, and the short, stocky man's face turned pale and then red. He stiffened his neck and didn't say a word, but he quietly took half a step back.

Li Jinrong was completely stunned.

He looked at the obviously priceless jade slip, then at his own dull, grayish Yin Marrow Iron. The immense psychological gap made his chest tighten, his lips tremble, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The two female companions behind him also covered their mouths, their beautiful eyes filled with admiration.

Li Zhong's pupils contracted slightly, and his hand was already on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

The appearance of this jade slip will likely bring not only wealth, but also enormous trouble!

He immediately signaled to the other guards to tighten their formation and protect Li Jinrong and the others more closely, while vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

Sure enough, many gazes had become burning and dangerous, like the eyes of a wolf shining in the dark night.

The one-eyed stall owner had stood up straight at some point, lowered his arms, and stared intently at the jade slip before slowly moving his gaze to Chen Mo's calm face, his expression complex and unfathomable.

The stone cutter carefully placed the jade slip on the appraisal stone platform.

The black rope trembled slightly, emitting a soft aura.

"There are restrictions."

The stone-cutter said in a deep voice, "The jade slip itself is intact, but the binding rope is protected by a protective restriction, the strength of which is unknown. Forcibly breaking it may damage the contents. If you want to know the specific contents, you need to find someone who is proficient in the art of restrictions and has sufficient cultivation, or use a specific token to open it."

He paused, then added, "Judging from the material, shape, and restrictions of this jade slip alone, it is already quite valuable. What is contained within it must be extraordinary."

"An ancient jade slip with restrictions!"

"Now it's worth even more! But it's also become even more difficult to handle..."

"Just who is this kid? How can his luck be this good?"

"I don't think it's entirely luck..."

The buzzing of discussion resumed, but this time it carried a more suppressed excitement and greed.

The value of the jade slip has exceeded many people's imagination.

Chen Mo looked at the ancient jade scroll on the stone platform, but his heart was not greatly stirred.

The unusual activity of the Moon Mirror indeed came true.

He stepped forward and reached out to pick up the jade scroll.

It feels slightly cool to the touch, with a delicate and smooth texture. The black binding has a strange resilience to the touch, and the spiritual light of the restriction flows faintly.

Just then, the Moonlight Mirror suddenly started operating on its own, and new characters appeared on its surface like flowing water:

[Complete high-order transmission record detected... In-depth analysis in progress...]

[New fundamental practice available: "The Taiyin Spirit Form Chapter"]

[Inheritance Grade: High-grade Earth Rank (Potential Assessment: Heaven Rank? Due to the extreme nature of the core technique, its actual power and risks coexist)]

[Inheritance Overview: One of the core branches of the ancient forbidden Daoist tradition, the "Nine Netherworld Mysterious Chapters." It abandons the conventional path of human cultivation, adhering instead to the ultimate principle of plundering the essence of heaven and earth to replenish one's own deficiencies. Using the Taiyin (Great Yin) as its furnace and all spirits as its fuel, it forges the Taiyin Yin body, stealing its form, seizing its spirit, and prolonging its life!]

[Upon successfully refining and fusing the original organs of a demon/monster, one can utilize the unique secret method of the "Taiyin Suixing Chapter" to strip away and devour a portion of the remaining original vitality and lifespan of that being, transforming it into pure life essence to nourish oneself and directly increase one's lifespan.]

[Complete cultivation system (must be unlocked in sequence; currently only the Enlightenment stage meets the basic cultivation requirements):]

1. Opening the Apertures (Qi Refining Stage): Opening the Yin Apertures, condensing the Taiyin Qi, and tempering the spirit, soul, and body.

Prerequisite for cultivation: Divine soul strength ≥ Grade B (lower grade).

[Current recommendation: Prioritize practicing the Opening Aperture Chapter to open the Yin Apertures and condense the Taiyin Qi.]

[Load Techniques?]