"So, what can this thing do?"
Xitu circled the bowl, his curiosity piqued. What could he do to uncover the secrets of this so-called treasure?
"First, let's test it again."
Saying so, he took out a Spirit Stone and placed it into the bowl. About 10 seconds passed before a sudden flash of light flared, and the stone vanished.
"Did it absorb the Spirit Stone as energy? Maybe it is broken and needs a charge to fix itself. Or is it a spatial artifact, like a storage pouch? But I've placed other things in it before, and this has never happened."
Frowning in thought, he grabbed a different item: a Body Protection Talisman from his recently acquired collection. Carefully, he laid it in the bowl.
This time, the reaction was different. The talisman didn't vanish.
Instead, it began to vibrate so quickly that the motion blurred, making Xitu dizzy just watching it. Before his eyes, the single talisman split into 2.
For a brief moment, he wondered if he'd somehow reincarnated into a science fiction world where cloning was possible. Two identical talismans now sat in the bowl.
"What kind of spiritual sorcery is this? Item duplication? I've never even heard of such a thing!"
Xitu stood frozen, jaw slack, dumbfounded by the miracle he had just witnessed. But clarity came quickly.
"Wait—what exactly can it duplicate? Is there a limit? If there's no restriction, then… this is a fortune beyond imagination. No number of Spirit Stones could compare to an artifact like this!"
"No, I need to test it more. I have to understand how it works!"
And so began a round of relentless experimentation. After a dozen trials, Xitu finally pieced together some basic rules:
1. The bowl could duplicate an item only once. You couldn't duplicate the copy either.
2. It could duplicate anything except for organic matter, like meat or fruit. (But weirdly, it could duplicate objects derived from them, like pills made from Spirit Herbs.)
3. It used Spirit Stones as a power source. After about a dozen duplications, the 'battery' was spent. He had to put another in. Higher-ranked items might consume more 'battery.'
"So, it's not entirely heaven-defying… maybe it's damaged and can't show its full potential. Still, even in this state, it's an incredible opportunity. If used right, no doubt it can help me amass wealth."
A plan quickly took form in his mind, simple but brilliant. He'd become a trade merchant.
With his savings as startup capital, he'd buy talismans and pills, duplicate them, and then sell the extras for a profit. Rinse and repeat. It wouldn't be long before he became a 'business raccoon.'
Once the idea took root in his mind, Xitu could no longer wait. He burned with urgency, knowing full well he was being hasty—but opportunities like this came only once in a lifetime. He had to act.
He dove into his 'secret stash' and began counting his assets.
"A Body Protection Talisman, 2 Golden Protection Talismans, 4 Fireball Talismans, 3 Floating Talismans, 1 Quickstep Talisman, 2 Evil-Suppressing Talismans, and 2 Qi Sword Talismans. A Low Rank, Normal Grade Spirit Artifact—the Steel Fang dagger. A bottle of Qi Harmonization Pellets, 2 bottles of Meridian Opening Pills, 2 bottles of Minor Healing Pills, and 1 bottle of Qi Recovery Pills (each bottle normally contained 10 pills). Finally, 42 Spirit Stones."
"If I duplicated and sold all of this, I'd earn well over 150 Spirit Stones! Plus my 42, I would have over 200."
"Ha… Hahaha! I've hoarded these treasures for years, too stingy to use them. But now, they'll be my first big payout! My stepping stones toward greatness!"
If anyone was here, they would see a person laughing loudly and talking to himself like a madman. Indeed, Xitu had turned crazy from excitement.
But who could blame him? After all, a man like him, lost and isolated on a path shrouded with uncertainty, suddenly a ray of light broke through—of course, he would claw at it desperately like a madman, refusing to let go.
Once his laughter died down, Xitu got to work. One item at a time, the bowl worked its magic. Soon, a second 'secret stash' appeared before him—neatly duplicated.
"Great! I only used 7 Spirit Stones as 'battery'. Deducting that, I would still earn a fortune!"
"Fancy courtyards, strong artifacts, delicious meals, beautiful ladies... Here I come!"
Just as his fantasies took flight, his stomach growled loudly. He was too absorbed in duplicating and daydreaming that he had forgotten to eat.
Blushing with embarrassment, he went to the kitchen and gave himself a light knock on the head.
"Oops... Stay sober, fool! Remember that this is a ruthless cultivation world! One moment of carelessness could lead to a disaster. I can only relax once I become powerful enough. Until then, this kind of treasure could lead to my death with just a slip of the tongue."
With that reminder, Xitu sat down and savored his ordinary meal. The familiar taste eased his excitement and cleared his thoughts.
He was still a weak ant of late-stage Vein Opening, still eating plain congee, still alone with no mysterious senior guarding him from the shadows. Any competent cultivator passing by could erase him from existence without breaking a sweat.
After dinner, Xitu began his meditation. For the first time in a while, he took it very seriously.
His mind entered a tranquil state, concentrating solely on the flow of Qi. He could feel the Qi traveling around his body like a gentle stream, cleansing every meridian and washing away impurities with soothing clarity.
Whether it was just his imagination or the effect of his elevated state of mind, the result was remarkable. He had unlocked several acupoints in one sitting. He was now very close to the 9th stage of Vein Opening.
One had to know: he was stuck in this stage for a few years already, with little to no progress.
'Just a few more acupoints to unlock, and I'll break through. Reaching the Qi Foundation Realm doesn't feel like a far-fetched dream anymore.'
'Good things all come at the same time. Did I burn through the next 10 years' worth of luck all at once?' Xitu mused.
"So be it. I'll take it one step at a time. What must come will come."
With newfound resolve, Xitu rinsed his mouth with herbal water and headed to bed. That night, he dreamed of a bright future ahead.