Chapter Twelve: The Spirit of the Instrument

  This sound was abrupt and abnormal, without any warning signs. On this night, it added a few more eerie flavors.

  "Who? Who's speaking?" Chu Hao exclaimed in a loud voice, shocked.

  But there was no one around, only the sound of candlelight in the room, entwining a seemingly unchanging melody. Chu Hao looked around, cold sweat dripping down. This voice was so strange and wild, revealing a few hints of vicissitudes and playfulness that were hard to decipher. Chu Hao stood up, his hand grasping without leaving any trace, his internal energy circulating, coldly saying: "Don't hide anymore, I've already seen you!"

  After a long while, there was still no sound. Just then, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard, and Xiao Si's voice came in: "Young Master Wang, the tripod you wanted has been prepared for you."

  "Put it at the door. Don't let anyone in, or else you'll be severely punished!" Chu Hao heard Xiao Si's footsteps fade away and didn't immediately open the door to bring the stove in. Instead, he stood still, listening intently with his ear tilted to one side. In the quiet room, there was only the sound of his own breathing, slow and steady.

  Chu Hao seemed to relax and walked towards the door, then suddenly turned his head and said: "Sir, don't hide anymore, come out!"

  Still empty and deserted!

  Chu Hao's doubts gradually arose, could it be true that he had misheard, an illusion?

  Chu Hao opened the door and suddenly smiled wryly. He saw that what was placed at the door was actually a tea stove, and scolded: "This little fourth, actually brought this thing over, can't Old Fourth not sleep in the middle of the night and get up to make tea?"

  Shaking his head, it was indeed quite difficult to find a suitable furnace for the time being.

  Just as Chu Hao closed the door and brought in the tea stove, the voice rang out again. This time, Chu Hao heard it clearly: "Stupid kid, you're killing me! You've got a big treasure bowl hidden away, but you still want to look for a furnace? How foolish! How could I have recognized you as my master, you little brat? What a joke! What a joke!"

  The voice echoed in his mind, Chu Hao was wondering if it was a master using the technique of transmitting sound into his mind, but then he thought again, and the voice said: "Stop guessing, stupid kid, I'm right inside your body!"

  Chu Hao was shocked and immediately calmed down, stabilizing his mind, coldly saying: "What kind of demon are you, daring to wreak havoc in the body of this young master?"

  "You dare to speak to me like that? I, who have not left the world for 2,000 years, and you, a junior of the Zhūqì Gate, how insolent!" The voice hummed with an air of superiority.

  Chu Hao was taken aback upon hearing this and suddenly exclaimed: "Two thousand years, it has actually become a refined demon!"

  "Fart!" The voice scolded: "You, a junior of the Zhuli Men, don't you have any respect for your masters and the Tao? I am a senior who made great achievements with Emperor Huangdi thousands of years ago. Watch your words!"

  "Senior fellow?" Chu Hao disbelieved, saying: "Che Xuan Yuan is the founder of my Zhù Qì Mén sect. Where did you come from? How dare you claim to have a relationship with our founder!" As he spoke, Chu Hao was shocked again. Zhù Qì Mén was his sect in his previous world before crossing over. This voice... could it be that someone had followed him through the crossing?

  "Nonsense!" The voice seemed to know what Chu Hao was thinking, and it said with a tone of satisfaction: "This entire universe is divided into nine heavens, also known as the Nine Heavens World. I followed Che Xuan Yuan that old fellow and roamed through two or three Nine Heavens Worlds back in the day, but this world seems to be one I've never been to before." After a pause, it let out another sigh: "I've been asleep for nearly two thousand years. Originally, I thought that whoever awakened me would be a talented individual with great luck and wisdom, but unexpectedly it's you, a foolish and dull little brat. The heavens are blind!"

  "What nonsense are you spouting!" Chu Hao heard this and rebuked him, "I grew up in the Zhūqì Gate, I won't let you insult my Ancestor who opened the mountain. The Ancestor is a high-ranking immortal, how could someone as coarse as you be by his side?"

  "Nonsense!" The voice was angry: "Che Xuan Yuan, that old scoundrel, is even more boorish than I am! The Tao of the Zhongyuan Gate is just an ordinary mind, effortless and desireless. Who is your master? Didn't he tell you?"

  "None of your business!" Chu Hao, although playful and irreverent, still had respect and reverence for his own master, the leader of the Zhuli Gate, who had nurtured him. How could he let someone slander him? He raised an eyebrow: "Who are you, anyway?"

  "I saved your life, but instead of thanking me, you're treating me like this? You're really a wicked person!" The voice was extremely dissatisfied. Feeling that Chu Hao's tone wasn't good, he lazily said: "I'll teach you a phrase, recite it silently and you'll know if what I'm saying is true or not!"

  "How can I be sure you won't harm me?" Chu Hao asked cautiously.

  "If I wanted to harm you, you would have been dead long ago!" The voice said coldly: "Whether you listen or not is up to you, but for now, you're only at the second layer of Bone Refining, insignificant as an ant. Who would bother harming you?"

  Chu Hao thought that if this person was indeed a senior expert, then killing himself would be as easy as turning his hand over. After thinking it through, he gritted his teeth and said, "Speak."

  Suddenly, a spell incantation appeared in his mind, as if carved in gold, it was extremely clear.

  Chu Hao closed his eyes, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to recite the incantation silently. As soon as he finished the last word, a clarity appeared in his mind, as if something had been opened, and several dazzling rays of light suddenly appeared!

  It's as if closing one's eyes makes everything crystal clear!

  What's going on? I haven't even reached the Qi Refining stage and opened the Heavenly Gate at the back of my head, how can there be a Sea of Consciousness appearing?!

  In the void, a mass of light slowly floated out, with auspicious aura and colorful lights. Under this mysterious and resplendent cover, a wine jug that shone with dazzling brilliance appeared in my mind.

  This wine jug has a unique shape, with strange symbols all over its body, emitting a sacred aura.

  Chu Hao suddenly remembered that he had seen this wine jug before, it was on the eve of his crossing, at the moment of his death. He had found this thing in a miscellaneous room inside the casting door, and at that time, he felt something strange. Later, when he was dying, he gave it to Liu Mei'er with a name.

  But how did it appear here again?!

  "This is the treasure of the Foundry Gate, the Hunyuan Cauldron!" The voice rang out with satisfaction.

  "What is this? This is a Ding!" Chu Hao laughed and said: "Obviously it's just a wine jug!"

  "You ignorant little brat!" The man angrily said: "I am the guardian of this Hunyuan Ding, and it can be large or small. The golden liquid inside is something that even a fifth-level Yin-Yang period cultivator cannot get their hands on. It's the ultimate auxiliary material for refining equipment! You dare to belittle this thing?! Besides, if it weren't for the Hunyuan Ding, you would have died already!"

  "Is it that powerful?" Chu Hao thought to himself, the name Hunyuan Ding was indeed intimidating, but he didn't know if this guy's words were as earth-shattering as he claimed, even a fifth-level yin-yang period master would be envious.

  Chu Hao said: "I've heard you bragging alone, since you're so powerful, then make it bigger for me and refine a fifth-grade treasure!"

  "It won't work now, the Hunyuan Ding has been damaged and doesn't have much spiritual energy left. It can't even exert one-thousandth of its original power. If you want to refine it, you'll have to do it yourself!"

  "Can't blow it down anymore!"

  "That voice angrily scolded: 'I am the spiritual master of this thing, you say I don't know, you ignorant little brat, it's really infuriating me!'"

  "What a divine instrument?" Chu Hao's mind was stirred, and then he exclaimed: "I believe it!"

  The voice calmed down and said with a hint of teasing: "What, you believe me now?"

  Chu Hao couldn't help but believe it! As a master craftsman, he naturally knew what a spirit meant!

  The Alchemist is divided into three levels: Human, Earth and Heaven. Similarly, the Magical Tools and Magical Treasures are also divided into three levels.

  They are Precious Vessels, Dharma Treasures, and Spiritual Dharma Treasures!

  Treasured instruments can be refined by human alchemists, and those below fifth-grade are also called ritual instruments!

  It means it can't be considered a treasure yet! Only those above fifth-grade are considered worthy of the title "treasure"!

  The most precious thing is the law!

  To refine the Fa treasure, there is no greater difficulty. Apart from one's own furnace fire, it also requires the flames of heaven and earth! Such as the Nine Heavens Xuan Fire, the Earth King Vein Fire, what about the Golden Elixir Period Dan Fire, even the Samadhi True Fire. Then add the essence of heaven and earth, the timing of the sun and moon, yin and yang, etc., plus countless materials, can be refined!

  The refinement of the law treasure is a cumbersome and massive project. At least before Chu Hao, as a newcomer to the refiner, had seen only a handful of law treasures! They were all owned by those old monsters in the Yin-Yang period.

  As for the spiritual treasure, it's even more unattainable! This kind of treasure is one that has produced a spirit, also known as a spiritually intelligent treasure. Each and every one of them possesses great spiritual powers and are rare items that appear only once in a thousand years, something that can be encountered but not sought after!

  This voice claimed that it was the utensil spirit of Hunyuan Ding, and Chu Hao naturally had reason to believe that Hunyuan Ding was indeed a spiritual treasure of this level! This kind of thing, countless cultivators have never seen it before, where would they still have any reason to doubt?