From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin held the Ghostly Craft Ball, channeled his Qi through the nine orifices and eight meridians, and indeed found that the remaining layers inside the ball began to rotate slowly.

"It seems that the Weng family members who carved this Ghostly Crafts Ball were not ignorant of weapon crafting," Lu Jin said thoughtfully.

the reason is simple.

If the sculptor of this Ghostly Craft Ball did not understand weapon crafting, he would not have been able to carve such a half-finished product. However, there was one thing that puzzled Lu Jin.

Since this thing is already a prototype of a magical artifact, why not nurture and refine it with Qi?

"This is clearly something offered to the emperor."

Jiang Liu didn't take it to heart.

Generally speaking, the creation of magical artifacts requires one's own Qi to nourish them. If a magical artifact is taken away by someone else, and that person's cultivation method is different from that of the artifact's creator, then the artifact will most likely only be able to be used as a decoration.

Since this Ghostly Crafting Ball was offered to the royal family, it's likely that some members of the royal family wanted to forge magical artifacts but lacked the patience. So, they ordered someone to carve this unfinished magical artifact without any human influence... Even so, the royal family probably still didn't have the patience to put in the effort, and this ball never became a magical artifact, ultimately becoming just a plaything.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Liu took down a lead box that was about one meter long and about sixty centimeters wide from the shelf.

The shelves here are mostly filled with wooden boxes, but this box is made of lead.

This lead box is different from the other wooden boxes; it cannot be opened directly and requires a key. Although Jiang Liu could easily open the box by force, this lead box is also a cultural relic and should not be damaged.

Fortunately, Jiang Liu had learned the Moon Gate magic trick from Hong Guniang, and while Lu Jin was getting close, he reached out and plucked a hair from his head.

"what!"

Lu Jin cried out in surprise, her eyes filled with resentment.

Why are you yelling so loudly?

"Instinctive reaction."

Lu Jin rolled his eyes, then saw Jiang Liu ruffling his hair, reaching into the keyhole of the lead box, and gently fiddling with it. With a "click" sound, the lid of the lead box opened. "Why don't you use your own hair?"

"Who told you to grow your hair long?" Jiang Liu chuckled.

Lu Jin: "..."

After unlocking the door, Jiang Liu opened the lid, revealing one of the jade mermaid sculptures. It had a baby-like face and a fish tail. The scales on it shone with a golden halo under the flashlight beam, making it look so lifelike that it seemed as if it might come to life at any moment.

"This is--"

Jiang Liu picked up the mermaid sculpture and scanned it with his spiritual power. He was able to detect its internal organs, primordial spirit, and brain, and even sensed a special kind of energy flowing within it.

Primordial Qi!

This mermaid sculpture, about the size of a newborn baby, with a body as smooth as jade and covered in golden scales, actually contained a primordial Qi!

That's incredible!

"Jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid!"

Lu Jin held her breath and uttered the name of the mermaid statue, "There really is such a sculpture! This is probably the most valuable treasure in the Yuanmingyuan!"

The so-called jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid is not a man-made magical artifact, but a naturally formed divine image!

To understand the origin of this "innate divine statue," we must mention the story of a pearl born from a clam.

There are various theories about why oysters can produce pearls, but two reasons are generally the most widely known. One is that sand gets into the oyster's flesh, forcing the oyster to secrete a special mucus to coat it, eventually forming a pearl. The other is that the oyster becomes a spirit, and every time there is a full moon, it rises to the surface of the water, opens its shell, absorbs the moonlight, and eventually forms a pearl, which is also called the Moon Pill by some cultivators.

The birth process of the Jade-Winged Golden-Scaled Mermaid is as follows: shortly after birth, the mermaid burrows into a clam and is treated as a sand-like object. The clam secretes mucus to envelop it. However, the mermaid is a living creature and will not sit idly by. It will instinctively swallow the mucus. Over time, the mucus permeates every inch of the mermaid's skin, giving it a jade-like luster that is different from that of pearls.

This is the end.

The mermaid's flesh and blood hardened and could no longer move. Her primordial energy was also locked inside. It would not dissipate, but it could spontaneously circulate between the primordial spirit, brain, and internal organs within this primordial statue, forming a cycle of Qi.

In this way, the jade-winged golden-scaled mermaid becomes an aid to the cultivation of clams and the like. It can help clams and the like to circulate their Qi and absorb the essence of the moon and the sun. Although most of it will remain in the jade-winged golden-scaled mermaid, the small amount that dissipates can still bring great benefits to the clams and the like.

From the outside, when the clam opens its shell, revealing a mermaid with jade wings and golden scales, it looks like a statue enshrined in a shrine.

This is one of the reasons why the Jade-Winged Golden-Scaled Mermaid is called a "natural divine image".

of course.

Some people also call her a clam woman.

Ultimately, however, this jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid is nothing more than a jade pearl sculpture that cannot move.

Help me!

As Jiang Liu felt the primordial energy flowing faster within, he seemed to hear a voice. He stared in surprise at the jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid he was holding in his hands, thinking to himself, "It has clearly lost all signs of life, yet it is still 'alive'?"

What puzzled Jiang Liu was that he did not sense any spiritual or malevolent entity from the jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid sculpture. All he could feel was the innate Qi and the traces of its flow within it.

[If a natural energy field can contain space, and the human body is also an energy field, then is this jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid a small, "living" energy field?]

Thinking of this possibility, Jiang Liu channeled his Qi into the innate divine statue, but found that he could not infuse it into it... The complexity of the Qi within a living being is no less than that of the natural Qi. If Jiang Liu wanted to explore the essence of this jade-winged golden-scaled mermaid, he needed to make the frequency of his own Qi circulation match the frequency of the innate Qi circulation within the jade-winged golden-scaled mermaid.

However, there is currently a "Jiao Mu" with extremely strong spiritual power inside Guixu, so it is not advisable to make any rash attempts here.

“Brother Jiang, I vaguely remember the story my family told me. They said that the value of the Jade-Winged Golden-Scaled Mermaid is determined by the golden scales on it. It is said that it takes nearly ten years for a clam to absorb the essence of the sun and moon for a primordial statue to condense a single golden scale. This statue, which was transformed from a mermaid, has densely packed golden scales, at least a hundred, and has been around for at least a thousand years!”

Lu Jin sighed, "But unfortunately, even after a thousand years, no one has figured out what unique abilities this innate divine statue has. All they know is that placing it in a secret room allows the air to circulate and ensures a fresh, warm, and cool environment in winter and summer."

【air conditioner?】

Jiang Liu immediately thought of this phrase, and then said, "Making the room warm in winter and cool in summer, and allowing air to circulate... This jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid should be able to be used to create an artificial atmosphere."

"Now that you mention it, it does seem somewhat similar." After careful consideration, Lu Jin realized that this jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid was indeed similar to a "core of qi" or something similar.

However, the aura itself has no core. If the mountain is destroyed or the water flow changes course, the aura will be destroyed and will no longer exist. The aura created with this jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid as its core is the mermaid herself, and the only effect it brings is "warm in winter and cool in summer".

After thinking about it carefully, Lu Jin realized that this thing, which had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for thousands of years, only had the effect of "warm in winter and cool in summer," which was really "making a mountain out of a molehill."

It would be better to just open two more windows in the room.

But Jiang Liu didn't think so.

The effect of "warm in winter and cool in summer" may seem ordinary, but it must be of great use when it comes to the flow of energy. At least, the existence and function of this thing are not much different from the essence of the sorcerer's Qimen Dunjia formation, or even completely the same. The only difference is that it has a specific function. It cannot be used to cast spells or weaken enemies. It can only be used to keep the flow of energy.

"By the way, how much do you know about mermaids? What is their relationship with merfolk? Are they different names for the same species?" Jiang Liu asked.

"I don't know."

Lu Jin shook her head. "I only know that candles made from mermaid oil can burn for a thousand years without going out, and that eating mermaid flesh can grant immortality..."

Jiang Liu was aware of both rumors and couldn't help but laugh, "However, it can now be confirmed that mermaids do exist, a kind of creature that is both human and fish, but mermaid flesh can never make people live forever."

Jiang Liu already had two ideas about immortality.

one.

Jiang Liu is now using the Five Elements to transform into the Six Qi, practicing the Nine Revolutions of the Elixir Method, internally refining the Qi to replenish what he has consumed.

Secondly.

It means locking in the primordial Qi, preventing it from flowing away even a fraction.

Humans are born, grow old, get sick, and die because their innate vital energy is constantly being depleted from birth. If one can lock in their innate vital energy, longevity can be attained.

The extraordinary individuals of both Taoism and Buddhism are all long-lived because they slow down the loss of their innate Qi by cultivating their inner life force.

But ultimately it couldn't be locked.

flesh···

It will eventually perish.

However, it is not impossible to completely lock it.

The jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid is a living example of someone who has completely locked their innate Qi within their body, but—

Being completely locked up also means that the physical body can no longer move, turning into a sculpture...

[Suddenly I understand why mythical beings and deities can manifest themselves through sculptures!]

So, to completely lock away one's primordial energy, one must first become an immovable statue!

A thousand-year-old tortoise...tsk tsk, there's a reason why most things that can exist for a long time are stones and sand.

pity--

Becoming a clay sculpture is not my choice!

Jiang Liu understood.

Afterwards, he placed the jade-winged, golden-scaled mermaid back into the lead box, then stored the entire lead box in his storage ring. He opened the remaining boxes and found they were full of antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, which he then stored in his storage ring as well…

hum-

At this moment, the Mary Senu began to tremble.

Jiang Liu and Lu Jin hurriedly followed the source of the vibration and arrived at a relatively spacious room. Judging from the style of the surrounding seats, this was originally a restaurant.

Jonathan, wearing a diving suit and holding a gold watch, is here.

A large hole had been torn open at the back door of the restaurant, and a huge octopus, with tentacles that were thirty or thirty meters long, was slowly crawling out of it.

Fortunately, Jiang Liu had a golden rhinoceros horn hanging from his waist, which had the ability to part and avoid water, thus isolating the seawater inside the cabin. As a result, without the medium of seawater, the giant octopus was much less agile than before.

The ocean can nurture many large creatures, but once these creatures come ashore and lose their aquatic environment, most of them become fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others, even aquatic species that have acquired Qi are no exception.

"You've come!"

Upon seeing Jiang Liu and Lu Jin arrive, Jonathan was overjoyed. "This place is incredibly strange! The water suddenly disappeared, and now there's a giant octopus!"

As it spoke, the octopus flicked one of its tentacle toward the river. Its back was reddish-brown and its bottom was white. It had small, ring-shaped suckers on its protruding tentacles, which had an extremely strong suction force. Once it stuck to you, it would probably take a lot of effort to peel off!

Jiang Liu would not allow the tentacles to entangle him, and with a wave of his hand, he unleashed a Dragon and Snake Dance.

Qi energy transforms into form; hard energy transforms into a dragon, soft energy transforms into a snake, and the dragon and snake strangle each other.

In the blink of an eye, it severed the tentacles and blasted them toward the octopus's enormous head.

The octopus, however, was clever. Instinctively, it intertwined its remaining tentacles to block the dragon and snake in front of it, and quickly retracted its head into the hole below, thus avoiding the attack.

boom!

A large hole was blasted into the ground beneath the restaurant.

Lu Jin rushed forward and looked down, seeing another cabin with a completely different style from the Mary Cinnamon. The octopus with its severed tentacles slid down quickly, disappeared into the shadows.

"It seems that the Mary Sinus and the ancient wooden ship pierced by its stern are the 'gateway' for this giant octopus. I used the Heavenly Golden Rhinoceros Horn to part and avoid water, thus startling the octopus." Seeing that it had escaped, Jiang Liu did not pursue and kill it completely.

Relieved, Jonathan took off his diving gear, stuffed the gold watch into his pocket, walked to the cave entrance, spat, and cursed, "You octopus aren't good enough to eat me, Jonathan! I've decided that when we get to Egypt, I'm going to eat grilled octopus!"