CHAPTER 408: CHAPTER 403 DEFYING HEAVENLY TREASURE BODY! MYSTERIOUS HEAVENLY SPIRITUAL TREASURE?_1

Whether Ancestor Ji Kong was willing to accept disciples still depended on his own intentions; Zhuo Chengdao could not overstep his bounds and make the decision for him.

Zhuo Chengdao did not stay long and left after a brief chat.

Today was exceptionally busy, with visitors coming and going incessantly, leaving no moment of peace.

Not long after seeing off Ye Yuan and Zhuo Chengdao, Ma Zhongyuan came looking for him.

"Senior Brother Jia, your fame has spread far and wide recently! I’ve come specifically to congratulate you," Ma Zhongyuan said, arriving in the Taoist robe of the Lingbao Sect instead of his previous grey Protector’s robe, his face brimming with smiles as he entered.

His ’younger brother’ status had changed to that of a ’Junior Brother’ in the sect, as if Ma Zhongyuan feared Jia Ren was unaware that he himself had become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Lingbao Sect.

When life grants you joy, you must savor it to the fullest.

Ma Zhongyuan felt he had reached the pinnacle of his life, and naturally, he wanted to share such joyous news with his close friend. He also had a more important matter he wanted to verify with Jia Ren: Did the birth of his son with heaven-defying aptitude have anything to do with Jia Ren?

"How did Brother Ma become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Lingbao Sect?" Jia Ren asked, looking at Ma Zhongyuan with a peculiar expression.

So, he’d successfully relied on a woman for a comfortable life and riches, huh? Li Linghua was merely an Inner Sect Disciple; she wouldn’t possess such great influence. Could the family backing Li Linghua have intervened? Jia Ren didn’t know the extent of Li Ruhua’s family’s power, but Ma Zhongyuan was, after all, just a Protector. His ambiguous relationship with Li Ruhua, coupled with impregnating her before they formally became cultivation partners, was a serious matter. It wouldn’t just have prevented him from becoming an Inner Sect Disciple; they would likely have flayed and skinned him. Li Ruhua and Ma Zhongyuan had left the Giant Forest Secret Realm because her childbirth was imminent. Was the change in Ma Zhongyuan’s status related to the child that was born? Jia Ren hadn’t forgotten that Ma Zhongyuan had consumed Holy Infant Carp Soup. Judging by the timing of the birth, this child was born after that. The flesh of the Holy Infant Carp could enhance one’s own Spiritual Root and that of one’s offspring, so the answer seemed obvious. Could it be that he became a disciple of the Lingbao Sect through his son? The Lingbao Sect had extremely high requirements for Spiritual Root Aptitude; only those with Top Grade Spiritual Roots or special physiques would be admitted. What kind of Spiritual Root Aptitude could possibly change Ma Zhongyuan’s destiny and allow him to bask in such fortune?

For a moment, countless thoughts surfaced in Jia Ren’s mind.

"This matter is a secret within the Sect, and a gag order has been issued; very few know about it," Ma Zhongyuan said. "Brother Jia, you’re one of us, so I won’t hide it from you. My newborn son, Ma Tianbao, possesses a Top Grade Spiritual Root and the Heavenly Treasure Body. This attracted the Chief of the Lingbao Sect and several Body Integration Realm Elders, who are all vying for him."

If it were anyone else, Ma Zhongyuan certainly would not have revealed this secret. As soon as the words left his mouth, he stared intently at Jia Ren, as if trying to read the answer he sought from Jia Ren’s face.

"Top Grade Spiritual Root and Heavenly Treasure Body?"

A Top Grade Spiritual Root alone wasn’t too shocking. While rare, the Lingbao Sect had a fair number of disciples with such roots. Jia Ren was no stranger to the Heavenly Treasure Body. The Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique was created by the Sect’s founder, and it was not recommended for cultivation by anyone other than those possessing the Heavenly Treasure Body. Jia Ren, possessing the Demon-Sealing Tower, could improve the grade of Spiritual Treasures himself and wouldn’t be overly affected by this limitation. He never expected to actually encounter someone with a Heavenly Treasure Body, let alone for it to be connected to him...

At this thought, Jia Ren’s expression became strange.

He sincerely exclaimed, "Junior Brother Ma, you are indeed deeply fortunate to be blessed with such a Kylin-like son."

He had considered using the flesh of the Holy Infant Carp. If he established a large family and his descendants multiplied, geniuses would surely emerge, and the family would undoubtedly flourish. The simultaneous appearance of a Heavenly Treasure Body and a Top Grade Spiritual Root might have an element of luck, but it also confirmed his suspicions. This path might actually be viable... Unfortunately, managing a family was too laborious and mentally taxing. If the family clashed with other powers, could he just stand by and do nothing? If he provoked an unbeatable enemy, his own death wouldn’t be far off.

Ma Zhongyuan, his eyes fixed on Jia Ren, chuckled. "Speaking of which, I really have to thank you for that fish soup, Brother Jia."

"That soup wasn’t simple, was it?"

They had known each other for a long time and had a good relationship, so Ma Zhongyuan didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

The simultaneous appearance of a Heavenly Treasure Body and a Top Grade Spiritual Root was exceedingly rare, an event that might only occur once in ten thousand years. Combined with the fish soup he had consumed, which had noticeably revitalized certain aspects of his body—at the very least, it had a virility-boosting effect—Ma Zhongyuan suspected Jia Ren was involved.

At this point, Jia Ren had no choice but to offer the explanation he had prepared in advance. "Your guess is correct; this matter should indeed be related to me."

"Have you ever heard of the Infant Carp?"

"The soup you drank was Infant Carp soup, brewed with a special recipe."

Infant Carp? Ma Zhongyuan had heard of Infant Breath Pills, a special elixir that enhanced the aptitude of one’s offspring, coveted by countless powerful cultivators. Were Infant Breath Pills refined with Infant Carp as the main ingredient? It wouldn’t be difficult for him to verify this, and he believed Jia Ren wouldn’t deceive him.

"Haha, I knew I wasn’t wrong!" Ma Zhongyuan exclaimed, growing excited now that he knew he had guessed the truth. "Brother Jia, your kindness is immense! It’s as if you’ve given me a new lease on life!"

He was just an ordinary Protector, with no particular skills other than sponging off others. Even by latching onto Li Ruhua, Ma Zhongyuan hadn’t had much confidence in becoming a Lingbao Sect disciple. A pot of fish soup had completely changed his destiny, and now he had a Kylin-like son with heaven-defying aptitude and limitless future prospects.

"You have done Ma Zhongyuan and my son a service akin to giving us new lives! From now on, this child will acknowledge you as his godfather. As long as he remains in the Sect, there will surely be a place for you here in the future."

"You may not know this yet, but the Heavenly Treasure Body is related to the Sect’s cornerstone, the Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. Once my son grows up, he will undoubtedly take control of it."

"Becoming the Sect Leader of the Lingbao Sect in the future will be a simple matter for him."

Ma Zhongyuan shared the information he had managed to gather.

Others might become envious and plot against him, but he believed Jia Ren would never do such a thing. With him and his son alive and thriving, Jia Ren’s future in the Lingbao Sect would only be brighter.

Jia Ren listened quietly, his expression a fascinating mix of emotions.

Things that others could only dream of, Ma Tianbao possessed from birth... His starting line in life was unimaginably high. Ma Tianbao would be his godson, ensuring a good relationship, and he might be able to benefit from his rise in the future. This wouldn’t be a Lü Bu-style godson, would it?

"I’m very curious, what are the special abilities of the Heavenly Treasure Body?" Jia Ren finally asked.

The Lingbao Sect’s Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique and its records don’t mention a ’Spirit Treasure Body’. So, what exactly are the wondrous uses of this Heavenly Treasure Body that have the Lingbao Sect so agitated? The Heavenly Treasure Body was extremely rare, and the Lingbao Sect had deliberately erased information about it. Ma Zhongyuan, being one of the few privy to this, should have the answers.

"Ordinary cultivators can only possess one Life-bound Magic Treasure. The Heavenly Treasure Body... has no limit on the number of Life-bound Magic Treasures. That’s one aspect."

"Secondly, cultivators typically need to use Elixir Fire and Infant Flame to refine their Magical Treasures. However, the Heavenly Treasure Body can directly utilize nature’s spiritual energy to refine Life-bound Magic Treasures. This efficiency is on a completely different level compared to ordinary cultivators. This means they can refine Life-bound Magic Treasures quickly, possess more formidable treasures, and exhibit extreme combat strength among their peers."

"Furthermore, when the Heavenly Treasure Body is combined with the Lingbao Sect’s Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, a qualitative transformation occurs, leading to astonishing cultivation speed. Cultivators can, at most, refine Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures; beyond those are Immortal Artifacts. As long as a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure is nurtured without issue, its power is not inferior to that of an Immortal Artifact."

"Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasures are mostly born from nature and cannot be crafted artificially. The Heavenly Treasure Body, also known as the ’Heaven-Bestowed Dao Treasure Source Body,’ is the only known way to bypass this limitation. Once a cultivator with this body reaches the Mahayana Realm, they can expend their bloodline essence and use heaven and earth as a furnace to forge a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. Unfortunately, the consumed bloodline essence cannot be recovered, and in one’s lifetime, only one Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure can be forged."

Ma Zhongyuan held nothing back, recounting all the information he knew. Towards the end, his tone carried an unmistakable hint of envy.

When combined with the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, the Heavenly Treasure Body allowed for an incredibly rapid increase in cultivation speed. If it were merely about rapid cultivation, the Lingbao Sect would value such a peerless genius highly, but it wouldn’t cause such a stir or provoke major defensive measures. The ability to forge a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure was what the Lingbao Sect truly coveted, as it strengthened the Sect’s very foundation. If news of a Heavenly Treasure Body’s birth reached rival sects, they would undoubtedly do everything in their power to prevent the child from rising.

Jia Ren listened quietly, his mind reeling as if struck by colossal waves.

His prior understanding of the Heavenly Treasure Body had been superficial; he had thought it merely allowed for accelerated cultivation using the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique. With the Demon-Sealing Tower, his efficiency in improving Magical Treasure quality was definitely superior to that of a Heavenly Treasure Body. But now Jia Ren understood. No limit on Life-bound Magic Treasures, refining them with nature’s spiritual energy, and even forging naturally occurring Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasures—it was truly heaven-defying. No wonder the Lingbao Sect placed such immense importance on the Heavenly Treasure Body. If Ma Tianbao could utilize the founding ancestor’s legacy and then forge another Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure himself, possessing two such treasures would make his combat power almost invincible. Unlimited Life-bound Magic Treasures, plus Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasures... If he also possessed a Heavenly Treasure Body, with multiple Life-bound Magic Treasures aiding him, to what heights would his cultivation speed soar? As far as Jia Ren knew, there were no methods to transplant an innate Dao physique. The only feasible way was... body seizure.

Jia Ren forcefully shook the thought from his mind.

He couldn’t forge Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasures himself, but by relying on the Bizarre Demons working in the Demon-Sealing Tower, his own treasures might one day be upgraded to Immortal Artifacts.

Thinking this, Jia Ren gradually calmed down.

"Brother Jia, you’ve given me a great opportunity, and I intend to return the favor," Ma Zhongyuan said earnestly. "It’s rumored that the cultivator who donated a treasure on your behalf is from the Heavenly Palace Sect. If you could obtain the Golden Scale Wind-Riding Technique and invest it in my son, his cultivation speed would surely advance by leaps and bounds daily. He was born because of you; this is a tremendous opportunity for you."

Ma Zhongyuan, having consumed the precious Infant Carp soup, was deeply grateful and was already thinking of how to repay this kindness. He believed that if his son successfully switched to and cultivated the Golden Scale Wind-Riding Technique, his rise would be unstoppable. This would be difficult for others, as it was a cultivation technique of the Heavenly Palace Sect, and switching allegiances was not easy. However, Jia Ren had a significant connection with the Heavenly Palace Sect and might be able to obtain this technique.

"You don’t need to worry about this matter. I appreciate your kind intentions," Jia Ren replied.

If he hadn’t already learned the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, he might genuinely have been tempted. Jia Ren’s progress with the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique was already astonishingly fast. After reaching the Divinity Transformation Stage, he could achieve similar effects to the Golden Scale Wind-Riding Technique regarding speed, without being beholden to anyone. The Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique suited his needs far better than the Golden Scale Wind-Riding Technique ever could. Besides, Jia Ren suspected that Ma Zhongyuan himself desired the Golden Scale Wind-Riding Technique even more than he wanted it for his son...

"Brother Jia, we’re so close... Do you... happen to have any more of that Infant Carp soup? Could you spare me another cup?"

Only then did Ma Zhongyuan finally reveal his true intentions.