Covering the Sky: I, a mortal, ascended to the throne step by step.

Chapter 25 Petrified Stars, Vermilion Bird's Elixir of Immortality

They cut more than a dozen stone tools.

It's all empty.

Li Xian stopped using the cleaver, showing no signs of anxiety.

He crouched down, placed his palms on the pile of rubble, and activated his Source Technique.

The reason for the emptiness is simple—these stone tools did not belong to Master Zhang.

In Shizhai, a village of several dozen households, the stone rollers and millstones they use daily are mostly made of ordinary, locally sourced stones.

The jade gambling techniques left by Master Zhang Lin for future generations were only hidden in his own tools.

Li Xian stood up, his gaze sweeping over the remaining pile of stones, identifying them one by one based on his memory of visiting Zhang Wuye's house over the past few days.

The stone pier, the one where the Zhang family sits at the entrance of their courtyard.

Stone lock, an old object used by Master Zhang to practice his strength.

The stone platform, the cutting board Lei Ying used for chopping vegetables.

Stone troughs, stone benches, stone mortars...

Fourteen items were all selected.

Li Xian wasted no time with the remaining fifty-odd items, sweeping his dagger across them all in one go.

Stone chips filled the air.

"As expected, they are all ordinary stones, without even a trace of Origin Qi fluctuation."

Li Xian walked to the fourteen stone artifacts and picked up the first one—

The stone platform in the Zhang family courtyard.

The knife cuts into the stone, leaving a smooth cut.

Peel back the outer layer of stone to reveal a hollow interior.

A cavity the size of a washbasin, its walls as smooth as a mirror, retaining a faint aura of holiness.

In the corner of the cavity wall, there were a few tiny, sesame-seed-sized, glistening white fragments.

Fragments of divine origin.

Li Xian used the tip of his knife to pick off the fragments one by one and put them into the jade box.

The quantity is too small to be worth mentioning.

However, the shape of the cavity and the residual odor indicate—

There was once a divine source, at least the size of a fist, sealed inside, which was completely devoured from the inside by some being.

"Source God, Source Demon."

Li Xian remained expressionless as he cut open the second piece.

The stone lock is not hollow inside, but it encloses a small tree.

The tree was no more than half a foot tall, with slender branches and leaves like stars. It was petrified, grayish-white and stiff, without a trace of life.

Li Xian's hand stopped.

He recognized the herb.

The Elixir of Immortality from the Stars.

In the ancient times, after the Immortal King perished, his divinity remained, transforming into the most supreme divine medicine in the world.

Each immortal herb is a unique entity, possessing its own consciousness and capable of traversing the world.

This Star Immortal Medicine had followed Li Xian for a long time in the original version of the storyline, which featured the first-generation divine body.

Although this version had no connection with that version, seeing the familiar little tree petrified into a withered skeleton, Li Xian felt a surge of emotions.

It's not sadness, it's anger!

"A perfectly good immortal herb, worthy of a Celestial King, was eaten into a specimen by two beasts."

He mentally added another entry for the Source God and Source Demon.

"You've eaten so much, that's just right. When we catch you later, you'll be perfect for refining pills."

The third stone artifact is a stone bench.

After cutting it open, there is a sphere in the core, which is severely petrified and cracked on the surface, but the outline of the fruit can still be vaguely identified.

Earth Life Fruit, also known as False Dragon Pearl.

Its effects are comparable to an elixir of immortality, capable of transforming a cultivator.

It was also drained of its essence, leaving only an empty shell.

The fourth item is a stone mortar.

Inside was a withered plant, strangely shaped with feather-like branches and leaves, which turned dark red after petrification.

Li Xian looked at it over and over for a long time.

"Its shape resembles a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings... the Vermilion Bird's elixir of immortality?"

I'm not entirely sure, but it's pretty close to the truth.

He collected the petrified Star Immortal Elixir and the suspected Vermilion Bird Immortal Elixir into the Sea of ​​Bitterness.

The elixir of immortality was created by a celestial king, and its vitality is unparalleled in the world.

Even if it is petrified for thousands of years, as long as the foundation is still there, there is a glimmer of hope for revival.

It was nourished day and night by the life-giving spring of the Bitter Sea, and further nurtured by the creative power of the incomplete "Heaven-Mending Immortal Scripture".

"It can't be rushed, but it's worth the investment."

Fourteen stone tools were cut into four pieces, all of which were remnants ravaged by the Source God and Source Demon.

After Li Xian eliminated all the stone artifacts belonging to other families, only eight stone artifacts remained in Zhang Wuye's family.

He took a deep breath and raised the knife.

The first item is a stone mill.

The knife cut into the stone core, and gray powder flowed out in a fine stream, like sand.

Li Xian rubbed the powder between his fingers—it dissolved instantly upon contact with his hand, emitting a very faint medicinal fragrance, but its essence was completely gone.

'It might be some kind of miraculous medicine that can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, and its essence has been completely consumed.'

obsolete.

The second item is hollow.

The third item is petrochemical residue.

The fourth item is also hollow.

Four attempts were made, but no results were found.

Li Xian gripped the monk's knife, his face calm, but inwardly he was grinding his teeth.

"Source Gods and Source Demons, your ledgers are getting thicker and thicker."

The fifth stone tool is a thick, bluish-gray stone block.

The cleaver made a cut, barely creating a slit—

A chilling aura surged forth.

It wasn't the cold of winter, but the bone-chilling cold found only in the depths of a tomb, in the eternal night of antiquity; even the array flags and light screen trembled.

Li Xian didn't back down; instead, she moved closer to take a look.

In the crevice, a withered head lay quietly in the heart of the stone.

The skin and flesh of the skull had shriveled and clung tightly to the bones, making the facial features indistinct.

A few sparse, yellowish hairs grew on his head, like weeds in a wasteland.

The chilling aura emanates from it.

Beside the head, some fragments of divine energy were scattered, shimmering faintly in the cold aura.

Li Xian first removed the fragments of the divine source, then wrapped the skull again with stone skin and sealed it separately.

This head belongs to an ancient creature. Although the residual aura within it is weak, it possesses an aura of nobility that runs deep—it is suspected to be of ancient royal blood.

"I don't know which ancient emperor's descendant it is, nor how it was sealed inside a stone. Keep it; it will be very useful in the future."

The sixth stone tool.

As the cleaver fell, a faint, sweet fragrance wafted out.

A few drops of liquid seeped from the cut surface, crystal clear, and fell to the ground, shimmering with fluorescent light.

Li Xian immediately stopped cutting, took out a jade bowl, and carefully opened the stone artifact.

In the center of the stone, there is a shallow pool of water, enough for about two or three mouthfuls, emitting a delicate fragrance.

He carefully examined the shape of the puddle—

It has a rounded bottom and a narrowed top, resembling the outline of a fruit.

"The ancient divine medicine liquefied? Or perhaps it's the Human Essence Fruit, or some other divine medicine. It was sealed for too long, and the pulp turned into water, leaving only a trace of its medicinal properties."

The jade bowl was used to receive and seal the contents for preservation.

Although the medicinal power has been greatly reduced, even if only a trace of the ancient divine medicine remains, it is still an immense opportunity for cultivators in the Other Shore Realm.

The seventh item.

Li Xian gently tapped the stone surface; the tapping sound was dull and solid, indicating that there was something inside.

Carefully cut with the knife.

The moment the stone peeled off, a glimmer of purple light shone through.

It was not the sacred radiance of a divine source, but a restrained and subtle dark purple, like a gem sleeping in a deep pool.

At the heart of the stone, a walnut-sized, purple gall-shaped object floats quietly, its surface warm and smooth, with fine, flowing lines, exuding vibrant life.

Gallstones.

Li Xian's pupils contracted slightly, and sixteen characters appeared in his mind.

—The divine stone forms a gallbladder, which can brighten both eyes, greatly enhance divine perception, and naturally give rise to the Heavenly Eye.

The Heavenly Eye is the ultimate pursuit of the Yuan Tianshi lineage.

The Celestial Eye, the Dark Eye, and the Illusion-Breaking Eye are all variations of the Heavenly Eye.

Only when the generation of Yuan Tian Masters cultivates Yuan Tian Shen Jue to perfection can they generate a Heavenly Eye between their eyebrows, see through illusions, and directly see the origin.

To develop a third eye later in life, one must perform extraordinary deeds.

And the stone gall is the key to "comprehensive creation".

"What a pity," Li Xian said softly. "It's purple, not fully grown. If it were golden, it could have activated the Heavenly Eye on the spot."

Purple Gallbladder is of similar value to Human Yuan Fruit, precious, but not as valuable as the ancient divine medicine.

but--

Li Xian sealed the purple gallbladder into a jade box and placed it together with the soybean-sized divine source.

"Nurtured with divine essence, it can be accelerated to maturity. This thing is priceless to the Source Master, and for me... it's not bad either."

The last stone tool.

Li Xian raised his sword.

The cleaver fell, and the stone surface cracked.

Hollow.

There was nothing left, not even a crumb.

Li Xian sheathed his sword and remained silent for three breaths.

"...The thrill of opening blind boxes is truly addictive; one second it's heaven, the next it's hell."

He looked around.

More than eighty stone tools lay scattered on the ground, their cut surfaces in disarray. The light curtain was filled with various residual auras—sacred, cold, and fragrant—mixed together like the embers of an ancient ruin.

All cut up.

Li Xian sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.

A list came to mind—

1. One intact Human Essence Fruit, which can prolong life and is suitable for auction to exchange for a large amount of resources.

Second, two divine source grains (the size of soybeans, one usable and one sealed), equivalent to 100,000 catties of pure source, are enough to support cultivation in the first three heavens of the Dao Palace.

Third, a tuft of red hair, a cursed forbidden weapon, a Saint Lord-level trump card.

Fourth, a petrified ancient divine medicine fruit with complete Dao patterns, which can be studied.

5. One petrified star immortality elixir, with the potential for revival, is suitable for long-term cultivation.

VI. One suspected petrified Vermilion Bird Immortal Medicine plant, same as above.

7. One petrified Earth Destiny Fruit (fake Dragon Ball), its essence completely lost, its value yet to be determined.

8. A withered head of an ancient creature, of ancient royal blood, purpose unknown, preserved.

9. A small amount of Divine Source Fragments (from two sources combined), equivalent to 10,000 catties of Pure Source, to aid in cultivation.

10. A pool of what appears to be liquefied ancient divine medicine residue, still retaining medicinal properties, needs to be identified to determine if it can be used to aid in transformation.

11. A purple chalcedony, not yet mature, can be ripened with divine energy to help perfect divine perception and cultivate the Heavenly Eye.

12. A pile of gray powder, suspected to be the remains of a sacred medicine, its essence lost, useless.

Li Xian opened his eyes, cleaned up the scene, and put away the battle flags.

In the wilderness, the setting sun dyed the sky blood red. He stood up, turned, and walked towards the stone village.

He had only taken three steps when he stopped.

At the edge of the wilderness, a column of black smoke shot into the sky.

It's in the direction of Shizhai.