Stealing The Heavens
chapter-298

It was a huge spirit cave covering several acres of area and plunging ten thousand miles deep into the ground, a place where nine underground energy veins met. Copious amount of energy would come rolling and rocking up from those energy veins, gathered by a 'Ninesky Immortal Aura Condensing Formation', which would also purify and compress them. They would finally go through a silver pearl the size of a human head placed in the center of the formation, transformed into the purest immortal aura.

Very carefully, Wu Qi avoided many restrictive spells on the way. There were a few times he had to reveal himself, using innate earth element escape art to compress his body and make it as thin as a strand of hair. Only then he could pass through the densely overlapping restrictive spells. When he finally arrived inside the Ninesky Immortal Aura Condensing Formation, Wu Qi looked around and observed the formation. Without showing any courtesy, he picked up the silver pearl and shoved it into Black Dragon Spirit Ring.

Actually, there were some higher grade formation maps in Scroll of Stealing which Wu Qi could use to transform natural energy to the immortal aura. However, these formations could only be constructed with some unique and rare natural treasures. The name of the silver pearl was 'Energy-Condensing and Immortal-Ascension Ball'. It was made by some almighty experts using extremely precious materials, with the sole function of transforming ordinary natural energy into the immortal aura.

After all, only a few blessed spots were so fortunate enough to have an underground energy vein that could produce immortal aura. When those ordinary ancient Heaven Immortals wished to have an immortal abode with a rich immortal aura, they would have to rely on various formations that could transform the natural energy. And thus, this Energy-condensing and Immortal-Ascension Ball' was created specifically for those lower-grade Immortals who did not have the rights to occupy an immortal aura energy vein.

With this precious pearl, Wu Qi would be able to construct a similar formation himself, allowing himself to enjoy an immortal abode in the future. However, judging from some black specks found on the silver surface of the pearl, it was only a lowly grade item. Thus, it could not be used to construct an immortal abode of supreme quality. Nevertheless, it was more than enough for Wu Qi in his current state.

After taking away the core of the formation, carefully Wu Qi ascended to the surface.

Above the formation was the Treasures Pagoda of Cang Ao Immortal Abode. Since it was an important place where all the treasures were stored, there were many extremely complex restrictive formations here, a total of thirty-six of them, which were tightly interlocking and overlapping with each other. But too bad that all of these formations were found in the Scroll of Stealing with detail explanation. Even with both eyes shut, Wu Qi could still find out the ways to bypass them using the methods mentioned in the Scroll of Stealing.

Therefore, without too much of an effort, Wu Qi bypassed all thirty-six layers of the restrictive formations, and reached the most important place in Cang Ao Immortal Abode, the Treasures Pagoda.

It was an elegantly and anciently designed spacious hall, with a stairway that led to the upper floors located right in the center. Wu Qi sent his divine will to the upper floors, and discovered that there was a total of seven floors in this pagoda. On the current floor where he was standing right now, apart from rows of emptied wooden racks, he did not find anything else. He shook his head, then through the stairs, he went up to the upper floor. There were less wooden racks on the second floor, yet they were all emptied too. Not even a single item could be found.

Wu Qi went on and continued climbing up the stairs, up until he came to the seventh floor of the pagoda, which was also the topmost floor. There he saw a row of three pale-red tables made with jade, with a few items loosely placed on top of them. These items were emitting faint gleams, and although Wu Qi was standing several tens of feet away from them, a vague pressure emanating from them made him feel heavy and hard to breathe. Obviously, there were all immortal treasures with pretty decent quality. Judging from some scratch marks on the surface of the tables, there should be some other treasures placed in this place. But, it seemed most of them were taken away by someone.

Wu Qi reckoned that the master of this place must have given most of the treasures to his disciples during the war, so they could use the treasures to fight against the invaders. After that, none of them returned with the treasures, thus leaving behind only a few treasures here. It was not tough to tell that these few treasures here must be of the most inferior quality, and perhaps even the master of the place did not attach too much importance to them, hence leaving them here.

However, no matter how insignificant were they in the eyes of their master, these were still the treasures used by Immortals, they were of the immortal item grade, which Wu Qi would never feel ashamed to take away.

He came before the tables excitedly, then gave these few treasures a careful examination. The first treasure he observed was a clump of mist, about the size of an adult's palm. Every now and then, there would be some tiny wisps of electric arcs darting out from it. He reached out to it carefully, but before his finger could touch the mist, a tiny electric arc bolted out and smote him. Wu Qi howled painfully as he was knocked several tens of feet backward, having his head smashed into a wall behind his back, and his body twitch and struggle for quite a while before he could regain the control.

It was actually a ball of heavenly thunder essence extracted from the thunder tribulation at a high altitude. With utmost caution, Wu Qi walked back to the table. Standing there, he pondered for a while, and finally pulled out the Cold Electric Mirror. He found this treasure in Catfish-flood-dragon's cave, and he believed it must be a treasure left behind by some ancient Immortal as well. As it was also a treasure with electric characteristic, Wu Qi thought it might be able to...

Right when the Cold Electric Mirror was taken out, before Wu Qi could bring it closer to the Heavenly Thunder Essence, the clump of mist transformed into an extremely tiny electric arc abruptly and shot into the mirror. Immediately, the Cold Electric Mirror began to shine with a dazzling radiance, and the once solid surface of the mirror slowly transformed into a layer of plasma that looked like water. A great amount of electric arcs kept flashing and bolting out from the surface of the mirror, while deep, muffled thunderclaps were heard coming out from the rippling plasma endlessly.

A faintly and barely noticeable consciousness was born inside the Cold Electric Mirror, and carefully reached out to Wu Qi. After absorbing the Heavenly Thunder Essence, the Cold Electric Mirror suddenly gave birth to a very clear consciousness, that had the intelligence like a newborn baby> With that, this treasure mirror was abruptly elevated to the level of a spirit item. Wu Qi was struck with great joy. Without hesitation, he sent out a thread of divine will into the mirror, then carefully fused it with the newly born item spirit, pure as a sheet of plain paper. An emotion of excitement and joy could be sensed coming out from the mirror, as it suddenly transformed into an electric arc and shot into Wu Qi's body, leaving behind only a tiny and barely visible purple-blue mark in between his brows.

With just a thought in his mind, the barely visible mark immediately disappeared without a trace. However, Wu Qi could clearly feel that the Cold Electric Mirror was now hiding in between his brows, and was ceaselessly absorbing the pure innate five elements energy in his body to temper itself. While doing that, the Cold Electric Mirror kept transmitting a satisfying spiritual ripple to Wu Qi, expressing that it was enjoying the improvement brought to it by the innate energies.

"It seems I've found myself another good treasure!"

Wu Qi smiled, then turned to look at the other few items placed on the tables.

Right in the middle of the table was a long purple rope, as thick as a thumb and measuring roughly ten feet long. Three vermilion talismans were attached to it. Wu Qi felt a very strong resistance when he touched the rope, while a very powerful force rushed into his arm and made him numb, even slowing down the circulation of his divine will. Luckily, he was cultivating a very magical technique, as all ten Gold Cores immediately burst out a great amount of innate energies and dispersed the strange force that turned him numb in an instant, giving him back the ability to move.

It was an immortal item used to bind the enemy, disabling the enemy's ability to move. However, the item spirit inside this spirit item was sending forth a wild and unyielding air, as if it were the mightiest existence under the heaven and no one could do anything to it. With an item spirit such as this, it was no wonder that this rare immortal item which could be used to restrict enemy's movement was abandoned by its master. After all, if an unyielding immortal item such as this were brought to the battlefield, and it refused to obey the master's order to bind the enemy, the master would have to suffer a very miserable fortune.

After a moment of silence, Wu Qi shot out five jets of innate energy of different colors from his fingertips, then coolly told the long rope, "I know that an immortal item can only be called an immortal item after its item spirit has cultivated to the realm of Heaven Immortal by itself. Now, look at the characteristic of my energy. If you are willing to fuse with me and obey my command in the future, you'll be able to receive the nourishment from my innate energy essence, which might make you..."

A strong purple beam flashed by, as the long rope squeezed itself into Wu Qi's palm impatiently, transforming into a tiny purple mark on his left wrist. After that, its item spirit opened up the core of its conscious, then transmitted an impatient spiritual ripple to Wu Qi, "Stop talking rubbish! You should have told me that you have innate energies earlier, as no one would refuse to be controlled by someone like you! Hurry up! Don't waste time and quickly refine me and gain the control. Also, don't forget to let me taste your blood essence!"

What the?! Wu Qi rolled his eyes, speechless. Without hesitation, he branded a seal onto the conscious core of the rope with his Nascent Divinity. With that, a huge amount of information immediately surged into his spiritual ocean, and branded into his Nascent Divinity. The name of this rope was 'Spirit-Restricting Rope', an immortal item which a Thirty-Third Tier Heaven Immortal crafted with great efforts. However, perhaps something wrong happened to the Heaven Immortal's brain, as during the crafting of the rope, he actually resorted to a technique of attracting the celestial fiends in the universe in order to improve its power. From the realm of Fiendish Demons, he drew out a fiend soul with a bizarre power, and made it as the item spirit of the rope.

‘As a Heaven Immortal, you were trying to control an immortal item crafted using the soul of a celestial fiend as its spirit item, who treated all Heaven Immortals as its mortal enemies? Are you kidding me?’

Unless there were some other mighty Heaven Immortals who completely destroyed the item spirit of this Spirit-Restricting Rope, this rope would never obey any orders given to it. Luckily, Wu Qi had the innate energy to lure it, or else, with his current cultivation base, there was no way he could refine a true immortal item.

Right after he finished the refining of the Spirit-Restricting Rope, Wu Qi felt his blood essence was immediately reduced by thirty percent. A purple gleam burst out from his left wrist, while the rope breathed out a long sigh satisfyingly and said, "This is damn delicious! Remember to supply me an equal portion of innate energy essence every ten years in the future, and I'll obey all your orders. If you fail to do so, I'll leave you immediately! After all, I do not owe you anything!"

Wu Qi was speechless, and could only shake his head. This was a rope with its own unique character, and the Heaven Immortal who crafted it must have suffered a brain damage for sure!

Fortunately, Wu Qi never attached too much importance to his own blood essence and energy essence, and thus, he just let the rope absorb as much as it liked.

After subduing the Spirit-Restricting Rope, there were still three items left on the table. There was a zither, which could play the tune of thunder and shatter the enemy's soul, a jade ring with an internal space ten times larger than the Black Dragon Spirit Ring, which could expand following the improvement of its master's cultivation base, and a ball with a clean and bright surface. It was soft to the touch like a sponge, and the size of a fist, with immeasurable clouds lingering inside it. Wu Qi did not know what the function of this ball was.

Every now and then, some Heaven Immortals would craft themselves items with very peculiar functions. Although the Scroll of Stealing did have the records of countless rare and precious treasures, it was impossible for it to include all the strange and bizarre toys that these Heaven Immortals crafted. Looking at the soft and spongy, half-transparent ball, Wu Qi's mind was filled with puzzles.

He shook his head, and decided to give the zither to Princess Zhang Le. But before he could think of a way to settle the jade ring, the dragon soul inside the Black Dragon Spirit Ring suddenly sprung out, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed the jade ring. A large sheet of bright light immediately burst out from Black Dragon Spirit Ring, and Wu Qi could clearly feel that the ring had begun to advance to the next level. He was once again rendered speechless, as he did not know that this ring could upgrade himself by devouring another storage treasure. Well, all dragons were covetous by nature indeed.

Carefully, he unleashed a tiny bit of innate five elements energy and lured the zither to fuse into his body, Wu Qi then picked up the ball and fiddled with it for some while, and finally shoved it into his sleeve.

Deep, muffled rumblings could be heard coming from the outside. Patriarch Jiang Yun and the others had finally arrived before the entrance to the Treasures Pagoda.