Ji Xia ceased using the Great Sun Spirit Eyes. The radiant sun in his gaze vanished, and the golden crow dissipated.
"What on earth is the shadow on this statue of the Lord of the Underworld?"
Frowning in thought, Ji Xia pondered, "Could this be the true form of the Lord of the Underworld?"
Although uncertain, he became even more convinced that the deity worshipped by the Shrine of Sacrifice was an evil god—one potentially more malevolent than the demonic entity, Mo Duo!
"The Furnace proficiency has exceeded 150,000 points. Although it hasn't awakened a treasure like the Golden Crow Yuan Sage Sutra, it has significantly enhanced the furnace's power!"
He mused, "The most direct effect is that my Great Sun Spirit Eyes have become even more extraordinary. I can now discern minute details, even the trajectories of spirit essence flows."
At this thought, Ji Xia recalled the Hidden Space Gourd he'd thrown into his Mystic Square Pouch.
Given Zhang Yi's status, this Hidden Space Gourd was undoubtedly priceless, likely containing countless treasures.
Unfortunately, it was sealed with a restriction and couldn't be opened.
Ji Xia retrieved the gourd, activated his Great Sun Spirit Eyes, and examined it. Complex spirit essence imprints were flowing along intricate trajectories on its surface.
"This must be the restriction. With the extraordinary abilities of my Great Sun Spirit Eyes, I can see through the trajectories of the restriction's imprints."
He resolved silently, "Once I return, I'll carefully study these restrictions. My Great Sun Spirit Eyes give me a natural advantage. If I can leverage this to break the seal, that would be ideal."
"However, I'll need to obtain some basic texts on restrictions. Without foundational knowledge, even if I can see the trajectories, I'll be at a loss."
Ji Xia stowed the Hidden Space Gourd back into the Mystic Square Pouch, which he then placed in the Dark Void Ring obtained from Shi Yu. His gaze turned fiery as he looked at the treasure trove of the Shrine of Sacrifice.
Stepping into the treasury, he was greeted by the blue glow of spirit crystals covering the ground, and his heart brimmed with joy.
"There must be at least eight or nine hundred thousand spirit crystals here, if not a million."
He guessed inwardly before directing his gaze to the jade shelves, which held a myriad of treasures: spirit metals, elixirs, scrolls, and divine artifacts, both minor and major.
Ji Xia did not rush. He examined almost every item with his Great Sun Spirit Eyes.
"If any of these treasures have unusual spirit essence flows, they must be restricted. I need to be cautious to avoid triggering some strange restriction that could reveal my position."
In the boundless wilderness, one had to remain vigilant at all times. A single oversight could lead to death—or worse, the destruction of one's nation.
For instance, had Ji Xia not inspected the Hidden Space Gourd with the Mystic Mirror, its restriction could have transmitted his location. If that alerted the powerful members of the Ape Spirit Tribe from the Contract Nation…
The consequences would be unthinkable!
Ji Xia moved quickly, his Great Sun Spirit Eyes aiding him. Within just a few moments, he had scanned every corner of the treasure trove, ensuring no extraneous spirit essence imprints remained. Only then did he feel reassured.
"Perhaps the Dark Priest placed too much trust in this shrine and the Sacrificial Gate, believing nothing significant could go wrong."
"Well, that works in my favor."
A bright smile appeared on his face as he walked to a shelf laden with Mystic Square Pouches. Roughly thirty to fifty pouches, each adorned with the distinctive beast-head design, were neatly arranged.
"Even the containers for stolen goods are ready. The Dark Priest really thought of everything."
Ji Xia chuckled inwardly as he grabbed the pouches and moved among the shelves.
"So many types of spirit metals? Taisang has no artifact refiners, so they're useless for now."
"But just because they're useless now doesn't mean they always will be. At worst, I can sell them. Take them!"
"What about these herbs? What if they're poisonous and harm someone?"
"Forget it. I'll give them to Fang Lu and the others for study. Take them!"
"Divine artifacts, cultivation techniques, pills—there's no question. Take them all!"
Ji Xia's figure flickered rapidly through the treasury, continuously storing countless treasures into the Mystic Square Pouches. Once a pouch was filled, he tossed it into the Dark Void Ring.
Soon, he had thrown over thirty filled pouches into the ring.
Standing before the now-empty shelves, Ji Xia stroked his chin.
"These jade shelves seem valuable too. Why not take them as well?"
Without hesitation, he dismantled the shelves and stored them in the pouches. By the end, only the tens of thousands of spirit crystals on the ground remained.
Ji Xia used his spirit essence to sweep up the crystals, filling three Mystic Square Pouches.
"With this many spirit crystals, Taisang won't need to worry about spirit crystal shortages for a long time."
Having emptied the treasury, Ji Xia left the Shrine of Sacrifice without lingering. At the door, he activated the Waterdrop Gemstone, causing the gates to open automatically and revealing a passageway.
At the end of the passage, he emerged into the field of black flowers under the bright midday sun, where three suns hung high in the sky.
He didn't hesitate. Taking out the Mystic Mirror, he aimed it at the Waterdrop Gemstone.
Scenes of the Dark Priest appeared in the mirror, along with the drop of corpse water.
A message then entered Ji Xia's mind:
Corpse Water Stone Details:Formed from ordinary corpse water separated from the Dark Priest's body.Acts as the key to the Shrine of Sacrifice, allowing its bearer to enter or exit.Usable only by those who share the Dark Priest's essence.If the Dark Priest comes within 500 miles, he will reestablish a connection with the stone.
"Only usable by those with the same essence?"
Ji Xia had initially thought of using the key for another purpose, but upon seeing these details, he felt a twinge of disappointment.
Casually tossing the Corpse Water Stone to the ground, he returned to his residence at Misty Township Pavilion, wrote a letter, and sealed it carefully.
Later, he stopped a vendor in the market and instructed him to deliver the letter to the Summoning Division the following day.
The vendor hesitated until Ji Xia tossed him a spirit crystal as payment. Overjoyed, the man eagerly agreed.
However, when Ji Xia infused golden spirit essence into the vendor's body, causing him pain, the man's expression turned pale.
"Why, my lord?" he asked, trembling.
Ji Xia replied, "I don't fully trust you. If you deliver the letter on time tomorrow, nothing will happen. If not..."
The vendor nodded frantically, fear written across his face.
Ji Xia continued, "Still, threatening you leaves me in the wrong. Once you deliver the letter, demand ten spirit crystals from the recipient. Tell him Qin Ji promised this payment; he will pay you as compensation."
The vendor's fear turned to delight. "Thank you, my lord. I'll ensure the letter is delivered on time!"
Ji Xia nodded and departed.
By noon, as the gates of the Rising Sun Upper Palace opened, he exited the palace and then the city of Fengfu.
Standing outside the massive city, he looked back and resolved, "Next time I return, it will be as the ruler of Taisang!"