Bowing his head low, Gao Long took the pill container with both hands and took a step back from Elder Ying. He turned to the two other disciples present and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to tell the other members of my clan that Gao Tan Linyu has died. His father will have to update his will, and a new second heir will have to be determined.”

“Wait.” Xiahou Ren called out as Gao Long took a step toward the entrance. “Sorry about this, but we really ought to stick together for a bit longer. As soon as we leave this treasure hall, we will definitely be attacked. It would be for the best if we split up after that ambush is dealt with.”

“Ambush? Why would we be attacked within the grounds of Shigong Temple?” Gao Long asked.

“Everybody in the Shigong Sect knows that new disciples will enter the Lesser Treasure Hall and leave with priceless treasures at around this time today. How many outer disciples are willing to kill for one of these treasures, do you think? If the answer is more than one, then we can expect a fight. Is my claim accurate, Elder Ying?”

“The treasures held within this hall tend to end up in the hands that most deserve them,” Elder Ying said vaguely. Even Yang Shao had the wherewithal to understand what she meant.

“See?” Xiahou Ren gestured toward Gao Long as he spoke.

“Perhaps I should stay here for now.”

Elder Ying cleared her throat. “We should start our tour now, and our visitor can speak to the rest of his clan soon.”

The first items shown by Elder Ying were the pills held within the Lesser Treasure Hall. There were, of course, many Foundation Establishment pills in addition to Life Extension pills that extended your lifespan by thirty years, Sacred Healing pills that regrew lost limbs, Ascending Dragon pills that allowed you to ascend three steps on the path of cultivation in an instant, Striking Lion pills that permanently increased your strength, and Iron Goat pills that permanently thickened your skin.

None of these pills immediately interested Yang Shao or Xiahou Ren, but Shao figured he would take a Striking Lion pill if nothing else caught his attention. The description of all those pills made Shao consider the significance of the Foundation Establishment pill. What was it about such a pill that made Gao Long choose it without a second thought?

“Please excuse my foolish question,” Shao began. “What is a Foundation Establishment pill?”

Elder Ying looked at Shao with a frown and a confused glance. “You must be new to the path of cultivation to be ignorant of such things. A Foundation Establishment pill allows a cultivator to pass through the Second Gate and reach the Foundation Establishment stage. It is said that one in a million cultivators can reach the second realm unaided, but those individuals have not deigned to share such information with the rest of us.”

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Shao frowned and crossed his arms in thought. That would explain the prevalence of large factions in the world of cultivators. Foundation Establishment pills were undoubtedly hard to produce, and the vast majority of cultivators would need one to gain any actual power. Thinking back to every cultivator he had met so far, Shao realized that every single one was tied to a major sect or clan. Without such ties, there was little the cultivators could do.

Next, Elder Ying showed them to the part of the Lesser Treasure Hall where weapons were displayed. There was the Lightning-Calling Sword, which was a long straight jian that could apparently call storms and direct lightning at foes once the storm arrived. When in use, however, the Lightning-Calling Sword pulled ki from the user at such a rate that a Lianqi using it would be dead before the storm arrived.

There was the Nine-Ringed Saber, which was a broad single-edged sword adorned with multiple rings on the blunt side of the blade. According to Elder Ying, this saber was infused with ki, and it would be a useful tool in the hands of a Lianqi. The Nine-Ringed Saber could never be broken by any normal attack, and it could even be used to cut through the ki-infused wood and paper used to protect important places like the Armory or treasure halls.

There was the Heaven-Striking Spear, which could be controlled by its user to a limited degree. The spear would shoot forward when its user willed it and return to the user's hand when recalled. The Heaven-Striking Spear was also enhanced with ki, but the enhancement was not nearly as powerful as that of the Nine-Ringed Saber.

Elder Ying brought them to the final third of the Lesser Treasure Room where the items that didn’t fit into the categories of “pill” or “weapon” could be found.

There was the Storage Ring, which was a ring that could be used to store inanimate objects in some unseen place. According to Elder Ying, the Storage Ring held objects in a different dimension. It was believed that the space within the ring was infinite, but only inanimate objects that could be carried by an average mortal could be stored within. An item could only be recalled from the Storage Ring if the user knew that item was contained within. Thus, it was believed that countless forgotten items were still contained therein.

There was the Armor of the Coiled Dragon, which was a set of boots and bracers that were almost impossible to destroy. The armor was so heavy, however, that even upper-realm Lianqi would find it hard to move in. In addition, the Armor of the Coiled Dragon would strengthen when infused with ki, but it would become even heavier.

There was the Ring of Eternal Suffering, which caused immense but harmless pain in the wearer. The ring was enchanted in such a way that it could not be removed for more than twelve hours once worn without cutting off a finger. The Ring of Eternal Suffering was in an unmarked box pushed against a corner of the Lesser Treasure Hall, but Elder Ying sought it out specifically and looked directly at Ren as she explained its purpose.

There was the Robe of the Goat Immortal, which was a large red haori that had been permanently infused with ki. This robe covered most of the body, and no attack that had not been enhanced with ki could puncture it. Elder Ying said that the Robe of the Goat Immortal was not quite as durable as the Armor of the Coiled Dragon, but it covered much more of the body.

With his mind dazzled by his options, Yang Shao took a step back and thought about all the things he could do with those priceless treasures. Everything, except for the torturer’s ring, sounded amazing to Shao. He gripped his chin with his hand and considered his options.