Shu Han sat limply in front of Elder Lu's corpse, still in shock from the recent events.

This crisis was indeed a close brush with death. Throughout the ordeal, his life was entirely at the mercy of others. Had there been even a slight mistake, he would have perished. The more he thought about it, the colder the sweat that broke out on him.

Upon reflection, Shu Han realized that his greed was the root cause of this misadventure. If he hadn't been tempted by the Earth Essence Pill initially, he probably wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.

Pies don't fall from the sky.

Shu Han always remembered this principle. However, when a pie did indeed land on his face, these once deeply held beliefs were immediately cast aside. He knew better, but it was challenging to practice these principles fully, as the heart's greed could never be completely erased.

Shu Han let out a bitter smile and slapped himself hard.

"There won't be a next time!"

However, on second thought, from the very first time he met Elder Lu, he had probably already been targeted. Given the old dog's obsession with the Heaven-Stealing Pill, even if he hadn't taken that Earth Essence Pill, the old man would have still found a way to capture him for alchemy.

Pushing aside his fears, Shu Han retrieved his storage bag from Elder Lu's corpse and changed into his robe. At this point, Elder Lu's golden brick magical treasure was scattered all over the place. With its owner dead, this magical item now belonged to no one.

Having experienced the power of this golden brick magical treasure firsthand, Shu Han quickly collected it into his storage bag.

While the ordeal was treacherous, Shu Han reaped many benefits. His cultivation had broken through to the later stages. The Black Abyssal Fire had almost absorbed all of Elder Lu's original Heavenly Fire, making it much more robust.

At the brink of death, Shu Han also comprehended the Heavenly Fire Conversion Array. Additionally, he acquired all of Elder Lu's magical treasures and a storage bag.

Stripping Elder Lu's corpse bare, Shu Han began to examine his storage bag. He took out three ropes that emitted golden lightning.

Upon closer inspection, these three ropes were indeed Core Formation stage magical treasures, engraved with golden characters.

"Yang Thunder Golden Rope."

Shu Han had experienced the power of these ropes firsthand. Swift as lightning, when used by a Core Formation expert, they could bind an enemy from miles away and emit intense Yang lightning.

Back in the cave, Shu Han had been immobilized by these ropes and was instantly stunned by the Yang lightning, showcasing the formidable power of this magical treasure. Anyone below the Core Formation stage would find it nearly impossible to break free once bound by these ropes.

However, Shu Han was well aware that a Core Formation magical treasure could only unleash its full power in the hands of a Core Formation cultivator. If he were to use it, he couldn't possibly manifest the terrifying might demonstrated by Elder Lu.

Next, Shu Han turned his attention to the stack of golden bricks – all seventy-two weighty blocks of them.

According to the alchemy and artifact crafting manual found in Elder Lu's storage bag, this golden brick magical treasure was his lifebound magical treasure, named "Gilded Soul-Calming Brick."

According to the manual, Elder Lu spent over a thousand years gathering enough "Soul-Calming Stones."

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This stone is an extremely rare material. Wearing it for long periods is beneficial for the soul, and if crafted into a magical treasure, it can intimidate and suppress the souls of one's adversaries.

An understanding dawned on Shu Han. No wonder when he was suppressed by the golden bricks earlier, his consciousness too was heavily oppressed. Yet, for a lifebound magical treasure of the Core Formation stage, its power seemed somewhat lacking.

Elder Lu, when crafting, leaned more towards fashioning these bricks into defensive magical treasures. The seventy-two bricks could instantaneously form a circular golden wall. It seemed he greatly valued his life, crafting his lifebound magical treasure predominantly for defense.

Ironically, the defensive golden wall, which Elder Lu painstakingly crafted, was easily breached by a madman wielding a mere ordinary stone.

Shu Han thought to himself that the effects of this "Gilded Soul-Calming Brick" seemed similar to the lifebound talisman mentioned in his own cultivation method, the Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art. However, the talisman described there was a hundred times more potent than the Soul-Calming Brick, leaning more towards offense. With one stamp, mountains and rivers could crumble.

Until he could craft that talisman, having this golden brick for protection wasn't too bad.

After storing the bricks, Shu Han looked into Elder Lu's storage bag again but didn't find many other valuable magical treasures.

Although the bag was filled with valuable medicinal ingredients and materials, for a Core Formation expert, it seemed rather modest.

Suddenly, an epiphany struck Shu Han, and he laughed.

As a Core Formation elder skilled in alchemy and artifact crafting, there was no way Elder Lu was impoverished. It was just that he had invested most of his wealth into crafting a perfect Heaven-Stealing Pill, turning the bulk of his riches into the herbs in the furnace, all of which Shu Han had absorbed.

All those were incredibly rare spiritual herbs, with the youngest being at least nine hundred years old. Each one was priceless!

Elder Lu's entire fortune had essentially prepared a dowry for Shu Han's advanced cultivation. Even the Earth Dragon Fire, nurtured by Lu, had its essence completely drained by Shu Han's Black Abyssal Fire, all because of a covetous heart.

Shu Han chuckled to himself, murmuring, "One really does bring trouble upon oneself!"

Next, Shu Han began to peruse the crafting manual left behind by Elder Lu. The manual meticulously documented Elder Lu's insights and experiences in crafting various pills and magical treasures, as well as his understanding of arrays and talismans. His over two-thousand-year crafting journey leapt off the pages.

Shu Han became deeply engrossed, captivated by every page, finding answers to many questions he had previously encountered in his own alchemy and crafting endeavors.

With this manual in hand, it felt as though Elder Lu was personally guiding him. After reading just a few pages, he had already gained a wealth of knowledge.

"This is truly a treasure!" Shu Han exclaimed with excitement.

To him, Elder Lu's magical treasures and stored materials were far less valuable than this manual.

Materials could be found, magical treasures could be sought after, but the two-thousand-year crafting experience of a grandmaster was priceless!

As engrossed as he was, realizing he couldn't finish the vast manual in a short time, Shu Han began to skim through it. Soon, he stumbled upon a section containing precious pill formulas.

These formulas were organized separately, and amongst them, Shu Han spotted the recipe for the Earth Essence Pill, which he had long desired. Also present was the formula for the Heavenly Retraction Powder, which had previously hindered his spiritual power.

Shu Han counted a total of eighteen pill formulas, which included pills for replenishing energy, detoxifying, enhancing cultivation levels, breaking through bottlenecks, and many other wondrous effects. Finally, he reached the last recipe, written on a silver page with golden ink, immediately indicating its immense value.

"Five Elements True Essence Pill!"

To craft the Five Elements True Essence Pill, one needed five types of single-attribute spiritual herbs that were at least a thousand years old. It had to be refined using heavenly fire for nine years. During this process, the essence of a Golden Core was also required to increase the chances of successfully creating the pill.

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator consumed this pill, they could immediately overcome their current bottleneck, advancing to the next realm. Furthermore, their foundation would remain stable, without the side effects usually associated with medicinal enhancement. If a False Core cultivator took it, their chances of reaching Core Formation would significantly increase! And if a Core Formation cultivator consumed it, it would stabilize their Golden Core rotation, greatly enhancing their cultivation!

Increasing the chances of Core Formation!

Seeing this formula, Shu Han felt like he had struck gold, his joy evident. Having expended over half of the Dragon Phoenix power, he had been somewhat concerned about the upcoming Core Formation bottleneck. However, if he could craft this Five Elements True Essence Pill, his chances of reaching the Core Formation would be vastly improved!