Chapter 10: Map of the Ruins

Chen Fan asked, "What is the connection between these Spirits of All Things and the Intent Elixirs?"

The star spirit nodded. "The so-called Intent Elixirs are generally refined from certain 'Spirits of All Things'."

With a wave of his hand, an illusory projection of a pill, ethereal and dreamlike, condensed in his palm.

"Intent Elixir is merely a collective term. For instance, this Profound Blazing Fire Pill is an Intent Elixir that helps one master the Intent of Fire! It can also be redeemed within the Yuanshang Secret Realm, and is considered the least rare among them. Most Intent Elixirs possess common attributes!"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. "This kind of pill must be of Heaven-grade or above, right? Is it even possible for me to redeem it?"

In truth, during the ancient Shang Dynasty, pills were not classified into Heaven, Earth, and Mortal grades; rather, they used a much more detailed and cumbersome grading system, entirely different from the current one.

However, Chen Fan was not wrong in his assessment. Compared to the present day, this caliber of pill was at the very least of Heaven-grade or higher!

The star spirit chuckled and shook his head. "You underestimate the value of this mysterious bird feather, and you overestimate the Intent Elixir... The lowest-tier Intent Elixir in the Yuanshang Secret Realm can be redeemed for just ten feathers, and such elixirs generally maintain their efficacy for a very long time!"

"However, I must remind you: rather than saying an Intent Elixir helps you comprehend intent, it is more accurate to say it grants a martial artist the ability to wield intent. You haven't comprehended it yourself; you are merely capable of utilizing it."

"While ordinary people can indeed leverage this to pry open the power of heaven and earth, achieve the Grandmaster realm, and integrate the power of heaven and earth to complete themselves, the comprehension of intent does not belong to you personally. Many Grandmasters who break through via Intent Elixirs find it difficult to make any further breakthroughs in their intent for the rest of their lives..."

Hearing this, Chen Fan shook his head in disappointment.

If it were those sixth-level martial artists who had lost all hope of reaching the Grandmaster realm, they would probably be willing to pay any price to exchange for one.

Especially those martial artists nearing the end of their lifespans.

This was a treasure that even the Heaven-grade elixirs of the Martial Academy lacked!

Yet, for Chen Fan, it was entirely different.

To be forcibly granted the use of intent rather than helped in comprehending it meant that you did not understand it, only that you could use it. Without a shred of personal comprehension of intent, improvement was naturally out of the question!

Chen Fan pondered whether he could directly use his idle-progression system on the intent if he were to redeem an Intent Elixir.

He found no answer in his heart.

Whether it was martial arts or intent, the abilities Chen Fan could advance through his idle-progression system were all things he had genuinely and solidly "comprehended."

The lowest-valued Intent Elixir cost precisely ten feathers. If it failed to allow him to idle-progress his intent and instead restricted his future growth in intent, he would take a massive loss!

After much deliberation, Chen Fan still shook his head.

The risk was simply too great!

The fact that achieving the unity of martial arts and technique was easier for him than for ordinary people also meant that the difficulty of comprehending intent was lower for him. Once his strength grew in the future, he would naturally have more channels available to aid him in comprehending other intents.

The star spirit looked at Chen Fan and blinked slightly. "Since you look down on the Intent Elixirs, it seems you are indeed confident in your ability to comprehend intent on your own. Understandable; to have broken through this layer of trial, you must have at least stepped into the half-step unity and are close to comprehending intent."

Genuinely talented individuals capable of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm through their own efforts were entirely unwilling to consume these Intent Elixirs.

Unless they genuinely had no other way to break through!

Although the star spirit seemingly possessed divine sense, no matter how formidable he was, it was impossible for him to discern Chen Fan's realm of comprehension without Chen Fan utilizing his intent!

Chen Fan nodded helplessly.

The star spirit continued, "Actually, given your current state, if you could acquire some Spirits of All Things with matching attributes, they would indeed be far more useful than an Intent Elixir..."

Chen Fan nodded, a gleam in his eyes, and asked, "Are there Spirits of All Things among the rewards of the Yuanshang Secret Realm?"

The star spirit replied, "Yes, and quite a few of them, but you cannot afford them right now! Although the spirits of all things in heaven and earth are not as rare as natural spirits, their inherent value is even higher. Even the lowest-grade spiritual item can be refined into several Intent Elixirs, making their value extraordinarily high!"

Although this star spirit was not the physical spirit of the Yuanshang Secret Realm itself, his understanding of the realm's treasures was remarkably profound; he even knew about the rewards Chen Fan could not yet redeem!

It seemed that the geniuses of the Star Sect in the past had indeed broken through to higher-level trials!

Chen Fan clicked his tongue in silent frustration, shook his head helplessly, and asked, "Then can I save these mysterious bird feathers and redeem them next time?"

"You can... but there is no need," the star spirit replied, shaking his head. "Doing so would simply be a waste of resources. When you reach the seventh level and possess the strength to pass its trial, the rewards you receive will be more than ten times greater than those of the sixth level!"

"You might even gain access to areas other than the Grand Treasure Hall. By then, the items these ten feathers can redeem for you might be readily available at your fingertips, amounting to nothing at all... But for you right now, ten feathers hold immense value."

Chen Fan nodded in agreement.

While he was confident he would soon break through to the Grandmaster realm, he did not possess the same level of confidence regarding the seventh-level trial; he might need another two or three years of tempering.

By that time, with his higher baseline strength, the items redeemable with ten feathers would naturally become negligible!

He spread his hands with a wry expression. "Yet I have nothing in particular that I need, other than wanting to break through to the Grandmaster realm as soon as possible..."

The star spirit wore a subtle expression. "Pity. Back when the Star Sect still existed, we could refine Heavenly Origin Pills—as many as one could want. But now, that is no longer possible..."

Without the corresponding elixir, disappointment washed over Chen Fan, but upon hearing the star spirit's words, his eyes lit up once more.

He fixed a burning gaze on the star spirit. "Senior Star Spirit, since you are a member of the Star Sect, you must know enough about it, right?"

"I know a thing or two," the star spirit's expression paused slightly.

"Senior, you must know that the Star Sect once had an underground palace used for tempering its disciples, correct?"

Chen Fan immediately informed the star spirit about the ruins of the Star Sect's underground palace.

The star spirit nodded, then smiled with sudden realization.

"So that's how it is. No wonder the token of the Yuanshang Secret Realm fell into your hands; it seems to have drifted out from the underground palace. The underground palace was not merely a place for tempering disciples; it was quite a special place indeed..."

"The underground palace is filled with countless mechanisms and complex terrains; even ordinary Grandmasters could easily get lost entering it. You are quite lucky. Though my memories are fragmented, I happen to possess a complete map of the underground palace..."

As he spoke, the star spirit extended his hand once more and tapped gently. Instantly, a massive amount of information flooded into Chen Fan's mind.

A detailed map of the underground palace, along with all its mechanisms and secrets, appeared within Chen Fan's consciousness.

Spanning five levels, the underground palace contained over a hundred trial grounds, each housing elixirs of at least the Earth-grade or higher.

In certain hidden locations, there were even Heaven-grade elixirs and Superior Spirit Artifacts!

The star spirit spoke calmly, "After all these years, many areas within the underground palace have likely been discovered and their rewards plundered... But there are always some hidden corners that remain undiscovered. Since you practice the *Star Body Refining Technique*, you can be considered half a disciple of the Star Sect, which grants you more advantages than outsiders. You should be able to enter the vast majority of places within the underground palace..."

Joy surged in Chen Fan's heart.

Armed with this map, achieving the Heavenly Origin Pill was no longer his only prospect; he could potentially acquire other hidden treasures left behind by the Star Sect.

Although the lion's share had long been divided among the Great Gan Dynasty and several major sects, whatever scraps remained would still be enough to fill Chen Fan's pockets to bursting!

Take Yuan Kuanglin for instance—merely a sixth-level martial artist, yet he managed to obtain the token of the Yuanshang Secret Realm. While the surface value of the token might not have seemed high, the significance it represented was priceless!

On this trip, leaving aside the rewards for passing the Yuanshang Secret Realm trial, this map alone meant he had struck a massive fortune!