Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 263 - 195: Gathering Treasure, the Nine Toad Bead; Seven Secret - s of Mysterious Corpse

Then Yang Jie came into possession of the Ten Thousand Swords Return to One Box, Brother Huang Zhen received the Dragon and Tiger Elixir Cauldron... In several breaths, all eight treasures had found new masters.

The six disciples who didn't receive an exotic treasure showed a hint of regret on their faces, but it wasn't intense.

This was easy to understand, as, in fact, no one present lacked treasures.

Including Tao Qian, or particularly Tao Qian.

As long as one cultivated methodically until the Cavernous Mystery stage and inherited the mantle from his Master, these kinds of exotic treasures, though not abundant, were also not scarce; he was sure to have one or two.

The most critical point was that such treasures should not be coveted in excess as using them involved a cost, and it was not light.

This first iron rule of the Cultivation World also applied here.

Of course, sometimes Tao Qian was an exception.

Logically speaking, with his meager Foundation Establishment cultivation, even if he acquired a Heterodox Sect's ultimate treasure like the Nine Toad Bead, he wouldn't be able to use it; after all, he couldn't afford the cost of utilizing such a treasure.

However, the truth was that he could indeed use it.

The moment the Nine Toad Treasure Pearl leaped into his hand, Master Jade Toad proactively wiped away the true spirit imprint within it, which allowed Tao Qian to easily trigger the Toad Pearl's record:

[Record Name: Nine Toad Bead.]

[Record Type: Alien Species.]

[Record: This is an exotic treasure of the Heterodox Sect, the Nine Toad Sect, derived from the Sect's Great Book, 'Nine Toad Scripture,' Refining Treasure section. It requires a thousand kinds of treasure materials and the assistance of numerous Cavernous Mystery, even Ultimate Happiness Realm cultivators, and must await the bestowed divine light from an outer realm Toad God to be refined into a set of Treasure Beads. Once formed, this treasure not only comprises a variety of marvelous uses such as slaughter, entrapment, defense, but it is also an auspicious exotic treasure that can gather treasure aura, wealth, and blessings.]

[Note One: Despite the Nine Toad Sect's many years, it has not been able to refine many sets. The last set of Nine Toad Beads was refined a thousand years ago; this is one of them, the whereabouts of the remaining eight are unknown.]

[Note Two: This bead contains a small world within it. When enlarged, it can be used to hit people, trap them, or defend against attacks. Wearing it can accumulate fortune and wealth.]

[Note Three: Wearing this treasure will make the bearer increasingly lazy and prone to obesity.]

[Note Four: Collecting nine beads allows communication with the Toad God of the Outer Realm, a friendly and lazy divine being from the outer realm, who has helped many Nine Toad Sect cultivators achieve Daoist Transformation.]

[Note Five: It can exempt some of the costs!]

...

Tao Qian eyed the secretive information in his mind with a strange twist to his eyebrows.

Had he figured it out?

No wonder Master Jade Toad, an Ultimate Happiness Realm cultivator, was so lethargic; it turned out to be a side effect of the Nine Toad Bead.

Of course, it could also be due to Master Jade Toad's inherently lazy nature, which made him all the more compatible with the Nine Toad Bead, the so-called perfect match.

However, for such a frighteningly effective bead, the cost was only those two.

It was unproblematic to call it an exotic treasure.

"But this can exempt part of it... If only a part, does it mean I might still become lazier?"

Tao Qian muttered to himself, hesitating for half a moment before eventually deciding to keep the bead.

Considering the gain against the risk, the former was much larger.

Although Tao Qian already had Buddha Bird Relics, there was also another exotic treasure, the Human Fetus Bag, currently refining in the Spirit Treasure Jade Purifying Bottle.

But since it can exempt some of the costs, who would complain about having too many treasures?

Tao Qian pondered, simultaneously pulling the Nine Toad Bead into his bosom along with the residual true spirit of Master Jade Toad within the bead.

With this, besides the arm of the outer realm Divine Corpse, all the matters on the island were concluded.

Ma Yi Immortal had finished distributing treasures and turned to gaze at the massive corpse arm still suppressed and bound by the Golden Armored Divine General, even larger than mountains.

For others to deal with, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Even if it was cut into pieces, it would take hundreds of years.

But clearly, this was no trouble for Ma Yi Immortal, as all those present had heard of the Immortal's feat of Universe in the Sleeve, who once packed away the citizens of Imperial City.

Xu Xun, the brother, had experienced it firsthand.

As she was about to move her sleeves to take away the corpse arm,

Tao Qian thought for a moment, then stepped forward with a bow, saying:

"Master Uncle, may I ask for a piece of skin and flesh from this divine corpse arm for your disciple?"

"I practiced some Heterodox Dao Skills in my early years, which seems to be related to this divine corpse, and I would like to research it."

"No need for too much, palm-sized will suffice."

Tao Qian's request left others somewhat surprised.

However, upon hearing the request, Ma Yi Immortal simply looked at him and then nodded in agreement.

She raised her hand, and with a sweep through the air,

accompanied by a hissing sound, a piece of rotten flesh about the size of a millstone, its surface covered with ghastly white corpse poison and writhing maggots of alien species, peeled itself from the corpse arm and flew straight towards Tao Qian.

The scene was somewhat nauseating.

However, no one at the scene found Tao Qian's request surprising; it was just a piece of dead skin, after all, nothing of great consequence.

With Ma Yi Immortal's thorough way of handling affairs, she surely would have neutralized any subtle dangers before acting, thus avoiding the bloody mess of Tao Qian being sneakily assaulted by an Outer Realm Divine Corpse.

As for practicing heterodox magic skills...

Within sects like the Taishang Dao, this could be a serious matter.

But in the Spirit Treasure Sect, it was as common as could be.

Brother Wei, the True Master Yan Demon standing aside, was almost snatched away by the Evil Sect, yet even he practiced the Evil Sect's Daoist skills.

The dual cultivation of Dao and Demon was so ferociously illogical.

Tao Qian, seeing that he had asked for something the size of a palm, but the immortal had generously given him a piece of skin the size of a millstone, couldn't help but smile wryly.

Of course, he didn't want this foul-smelling flesh for research. As a newbie little cultivator who had only been cultivating for a few years, even if he wanted to research, he wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of it.

His goal, naturally, was to try and touch it to see if he could glimpse some of the secrets of the Outer Realm Divine Corpse.

But this was not an appropriate place. Watching Ma Yi Immortal skillfully perform "Universe in the Sleeve" and elegantly stow away the corpse arm in her sleeve,

Tao Qian also waved his hand, taking the skin into his possession.

With all matters on the Eight Immortals Island concluded, and each true inheritor having gained quite a few benefits, they collectively bowed and said their farewells.

Time was up, and all true inheritors, including those four who had been tied up and unable to participate in the battle against the Eight Immortals Island, had to leave the Absolute Immortal Sea. Before leaving, each exchanged warm invitations, but upon hearing that Tao Qian intended to hold an "Immortal Peach Banquet," they all agreed to wait for Tao Qian's Cloud Talisman invitations, at which time they would gather together at the Ascending Immortal Island.

Although it was their first encounter, the joint assault on the Eight Immortals Island by the fourteen true inheritors acknowledged Tao Qian's strength and status, including Xuu Xun.

...

Parting ways with the other true inheritors, Tao Qian felt that his trip to the Absolute Immortal Sea had been quite perfect and decided not to delay any longer.

Tao Qian held the Spirit Treasure Jade Purifying Bottle, a Command Token in hand, summoned the Star Zha Demon, and fled the sea area, heading straight for his own Ascending Immortal Island.

"Having seen so much of the demon chaos in Southern Yue, the dark cultivation scene of deception and fraud, suddenly experiencing this fellowship among sect members feels a bit unfamiliar."

"I wonder if it's just the Spirit Treasure Sect that's this harmonious, or if other sects are also this pleasant."

"Judging from what Xiao Hua Daoist has said, it seems that the Spirit Treasure Sect is somewhat special, with the main tone of the Cultivation World still being that of Southern Yue."

"I guess I chose the right mountain gate."

As these thoughts passed, Tao Qian had already crossed the Absolute Spirit Sea and the Nightmare God Cloud.

Finding himself completely alone, he took out the piece of skin, which seemed still alive and wriggled nauseatingly.

Holding back his disgust, he reached out a finger to touch it.

Sure enough, records immediately burst forth in his mind.

Perhaps because it was just a small piece of skin, the secrets weren't extensive, and they were very fragmented. It took him a good while to sort out a few records.

Unexpectedly, they contained a great secret.

[Name: Mysterious Corpse Skin.]

[Record Type: Alien Object.]

[Record: This is a piece of skin flesh from an Outer Realm god called 'Mysterious Corpse,' an unnamed Outer Realm divine being transformed after death, forgetting past memories. After wandering in the Outer Realm for many years, its spiritual wisdom grew, and it named itself Mysterious Corpse. It cultivated the seven secret pages of Immortal Book hidden within its own corpse, annotated and compiled them into the 'Seven Secret Chapters of Mysterious Corpse,' and expanded it into the Great Lifebook Scripture. The Scripture includes ancient secret techniques such as Immortal Corpse Soul Returning and Corpse Transformation.]

[Note one: Consuming this skin can establish communication with the Mysterious Corpse and may receive the Seven Secret Chapters, but will also be controlled by the Mysterious Corpse.]

[Note two: Using this object as a medium to employ Divine Skills like Summoning God, there's a certain chance of establishing a connection with the Mysterious Corpse.]

[Note three: The cost is inescapable.]

As these concise records brimming with Outer Realm secrets flowed through his mind,

Tao Qian's eyebrows inevitably furrowed.

The information wasn't much, but it gave him a glimpse into some key points.

"The mantra I witnessed in my first life as a child must have been part of the Immortal Corpse Soul Returning from the Seven Secret Chapters."

"Such bizarre techniques originate from 'The Seven Secret Chapters of Mysterious Corpse'?"

"No, to be more precise, it's those seven pages that were hidden inside the Mysterious Corpse all along."

"Who would have thought that the fragmented formula would be of such a high level? And it stems from an existence that I simply cannot touch at this moment."

"It seems that even if I hadn't been reborn, the original me would not have died beheaded."

"However, I wonder what he would have become after death?"

These thoughts flashed by, and Tao Qian decided not to ponder them further.

From the Immortal Fish Technique, the Bai Qin Play, and even the Spirit Treasure Root Skill, Tao Qian had an inkling.

The Cultivation World, in reality, has thoroughly permeated the Mortal World.

Especially those secretive grandees high above, each one might just be like the fishing man.

Before achieving sufficient strength, overthinking provided no benefits.

With this in mind, Tao Qian let go of the finger touching the disgusting flesh and threw that piece of skin into the Spirit Treasure Jade Purifying Bottle without hesitation, allowing the Mixed Element Qi Unpolluted Great Prohibition within to grind it into pus.

Learning a few secrets was enough.

Despite some uses for such nauseating flesh, Tao Qian thought it unnecessary for himself and had no intention of using it.