Chapter 46: Spiritual Artifacts, Magic Artifacts, Dao Artifacts, and Immortal Artifacts
“Those are imitations of the Brahma Tower and the Great Scholar’s Manuscript!”
Among the passengers, someone with sharp eyes recognized the treasures that Buddha Wuzhi and Wang Bian had just used.
The supreme treasure of the Mount Sumeru lineage in the Buddhist sect was the Brahma Tower. It was said to be as heavy as a miniature world, incredibly dense, and when hurled with full force, even a Tribulation Stage cultivator wouldn’t dare take it head-on. Some even claimed it had the power to tear through space, allowing its wielder to travel freely between dimensions.
The Great Scholar’s Manuscript might not hold the same prestige, but it was nonetheless a genuine Immortal Artifact of the Confucian Sect. By simply inscribing a character on it—such as “Restrain,” it could immobilize an enemy; “Battle,” and it could summon Confucian protectors to fight on its behalf. Other inscriptions like “Speak,” “Hasten,” or “Escape” made it an incredibly versatile artifact.
Of course, since both were Immortal Artifacts, the Buddhist and Confucian sects wouldn’t let their juniors carry the originals. They had only given them replicas for self-defense.
“Even as imitations, they’re incredibly powerful! They may not match the originals, but they definitely qualify as Dao Artifacts!”
The passengers were awestruck. Dao Artifacts were so precious that even if everyone on board were sold together, they wouldn’t be able to afford a fragment of one.
The Nine Provinces classified treasures into four tiers:
Spiritual Artifacts – Basic weapons that most Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed. They weren’t particularly powerful—sharper and sturdier than mundane weapons, but lacking significant mystical properties.
Magic Artifacts – Items that even Nascent Soul cultivators would spend half their fortune to acquire. Stronger than Spiritual Artifacts, they could be controlled with a cultivator’s spiritual will, allowing for remote attacks. At this stage, these artifacts could even develop minor spiritual intelligence, enabling them to assist their wielder autonomously.
Dao Artifacts – Extremely difficult to forge, requiring a cultivator with profound insights into the Dao. Examples included the Dao of Time wielded by the Great Zhou Imperial Clan, the Dao of Space mastered by Mount Sumeru, and the Dao of Dreams practiced by Meng Chun. Moreover, the materials capable of bearing these Dao laws were prohibitively expensive—only wealthy Soul Formation cultivators could afford them, and they were mostly wielded by Body Integration cultivators.
Immortal Artifacts – No one in the Nine Provinces could forge these. Aside from the Yin-Yang Heaven Seal, which was crafted by the Dao Ancestor before his ascension, every other known Immortal Artifact had been brought from the Celestial Realm by immortals in the past. These were exceedingly rare, numbering only a handful.
The most famous Immortal Artifacts included the Yin-Yang Heaven Seal of the Dao Sect, the Brahma Tower of the Buddhist Sect, and the Great Scholar’s Manuscript of the Confucian Sect.
“That Great Scholar’s Manuscript is definitely a replica, but the Brahma Tower…”
Holy Maiden Jingxin hesitated, turning to Jiang Li for confirmation.
She herself possessed a Dao Artifact, the Twelve-Petaled Azure Lotus, making her quite knowledgeable about them. Something about the Brahma Tower felt different—it didn’t seem like a Dao Artifact.
Jiang Li nodded, equally puzzled. “You’re not mistaken. That is the real Brahma Tower. Does Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru trust this new Buddha Child so much that he dares let him carry it around?”
In truth, the passengers didn’t actually understand the difference between Immortal Artifacts and Dao Artifacts. They simply assumed that sects would never allow their disciples to carry true sect-defining treasures, so they took it for granted that these were replicas.
And indeed, Wang Bian’s Great Scholar’s Manuscript was a replica—but Buddha Wuzhi’s Brahma Tower was the real deal.
Though Buddha Wuzhi’s cultivation was still low, preventing him from fully unleashing its power, the Brahma Tower could automatically defend him if he were ever in true danger, instantly killing any threat. Even Body Integration cultivators would die if they so much as touched it.
“But for two juniors to rely so heavily on treasures at such a young age… that’s not good. Are these so-called sect prodigies seriously unable to defeat a mere flying beast demon without relying on artifacts?” Jiang Li sighed, feeling somewhat concerned for the state of the Nine Provinces.
“It’s not just them. Most cultivators are like this now. They spend everything they have just to buy a single powerful treasure and use it immediately whenever they face an enemy, rather than honing their own skills. True strength comes from oneself, not from one’s artifacts.”
Holy Maiden Jingxin fumbled for a rebuttal. “But, but… treasures are really useful! You can’t expect everyone to be like you, leaving a Divine Halberd to collect dust without ever using it.”
“I understand that, but still… sigh…”
Jiang Li had more to say, but seeing Holy Maiden Jingxin’s pitiful expression, he decided to drop the subject.
Meanwhile, the eagle demon continued suffering under the combined torment of Buddha Wuzhi and Wang Bian. It felt itself oscillating between enlightenment and righteousness—one moment ready to shave its head and become a monk, the next moment eager to sacrifice itself for the country. It was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
As Buddha Wuzhi and Wang Bian’s voices grew louder and more fervent, they completely forgot their surroundings, fully immersed in their mission to convert the eagle demon.
The passengers, hearing their words, began falling under their influence. Slowly, they split into two groups—
One group gathered behind Buddha Wuzhi, sincerely worshiping the Buddha and chanting sutras. Feeling deeply remorseful for their sins, they emptied their pockets, offering all their wealth to Buddha Wuzhi in hopes of accumulating good karma and reincarnating into a better life.
The other group formed behind Wang Bian, their patriotic fervor igniting. They swore that as soon as they returned home, they would devote their lives to their country or sect, serving with unwavering loyalty until death.
“…I don’t recall Buddhism or Confucianism being this extreme. Is this some kind of forced indoctrination?” Holy Maiden Jingxin murmured, disturbed by what she was witnessing.
“It only lasts for a while,” Jiang Li said calmly. “Once those two stop preaching, the brainwashing will wear off.”
Jiang Li had seen this before. Buddhist and Confucian scriptures contained strong persuasive power, and if recited improperly, they could easily lead to mass brainwashing.
There had even been an incident where a Buddhist monk accidentally brainwashed an entire town while mindlessly chanting scriptures as he walked. The monk eventually reached the Eastern Sea and continued walking on water—and the brainwashed townsfolk followed.
Since they couldn’t swim, they all drowned.
Realizing his catastrophic mistake, the monk fell into despair, abandoned Buddhism, and descended into demonic cultivation.
Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru had been reluctant to deal with him, so he had asked Jiang Li to put him down.
That monk had been the previous Buddha Child—the one Daoist Nun Qingyu had secretly admired.
Jiang Li stood up. “Still, we should intervene. These two kids are deviating from the orthodox path. If they continue, they’ll fall into demonic cultivation.”
The eagle demon suddenly screamed, “HEY! Are you guys Buddhists and Confucians or some damn cult?! How can you just forcibly alter people’s thoughts like this?! LOOK BEHIND YOU, DAMMIT!”
Buddha Wuzhi and Wang Bian had been secretly competing to see who could convert the eagle demon first.
At that moment, someone from the corner of the ship stood up, strode over, and delivered a sharp karate chop to the tops of their heads.
“You two idiots, wake up! You’re straying off the path—one more step and you’ll fall into demonic cultivation!”
Buddha Wuzhi and Wang Bian snapped out of their trance. Seeing the mass brainwashing they had accidentally caused, they were filled with guilt and quickly dispelled their powers, restoring everyone’s minds.
“…And you are…?” They looked at Jiang Li with respect.
“Jiang Li.”
Their eyes widened in shock.
The eagle demon’s eyes nearly popped out of its skull.
It had only wanted to rob someone—how did it end up encountering a Buddha Child, a Confucian Sect Envoy, and even the Human Sovereign Jiang Li?!
Was this good luck or bad luck?!