"Your intentions, I already know."
Xu Chengfeng slowly turned around, appraising the young man before him with a smile.
On the day the latter arrived at the Nine Xuan Sect with the Xuan Tian Temple's destiny, he had been present in the grand hall of Yun Xia Peak. Even then, he had found the boy agreeable.
He had never expected that after only a few months, the youth would bring such a surprise to the sect.
A magical artifact capable of absorbing spiritual energy from all directions, condensing it into a liquid comparable to spirit crystals, and suppressing the sect's destiny.
Even within the Nine Xuan Sect, there were few such items. Even if this treasure was incomplete, it still held unimaginable value.
While it might be important to ordinary sects, it wasn't an absolute necessity. For them, however, the more of such treasures, the better.
Given the Nine Xuan Sect's immense destiny, a mere one or two magical artifacts wouldn't suffice for its suppression. Only an extreme treasure with thirty layers of innate restrictions, and made of special materials, might have a slight chance.
"Bring out the item," he commanded, nodding slightly.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan immediately complied. He took a leather pouch from his waist and opened it, revealing a damaged cauldron resting in his palm.
When inactive, the cauldron looked no different from an ordinary object. However, the spiritual liquid contained within continuously emitted ripples and shimmered with multicolored auspicious light.
Xu Chengfeng's gaze sharpened. He then extended a finger, and a streak of flowing light shot out, entering the damaged cauldron.
Immediately, the damaged cauldron in Ji Yuan's hand floated up on its own, slowly drifting between the two men. It spun continuously in mid-air, its surface illuminating with peculiar patterns.
An astonishing radiance gradually appeared in Xu Chengfeng's eyes, and streams of incomparably pure spiritual energy surged from within him, enveloping the damaged cauldron before him.
Seeing the other party's increasingly serious expression, Ji Yuan dared not interrupt and could only wait silently by the side.
At the same time, he secretly observed. If his memory served him correctly, Xu Qiqi's father was this very Peak Master Xu.
The thought of that decisive and mischievous girl, and their experiences in Qian Yu City, slowly surfaced in his mind.
Though it hadn't been long, they had certainly gone through a great deal. It could be described as incredibly eventful; ordinary cultivators might not have such a rich past even after decades.
Unknowingly, nearly an hour had passed.
Xu Chengfeng slowly withdrew his spiritual energy and, with a wave of his hand, the damaged cauldron landed in his palm.
"This treasure's rank is even higher than I estimated."
His eyes flickered, seemingly surprised but more so delighted.
He had initially thought the cauldron had at most a dozen layers of innate restrictions, but it turned out to possess twenty-seven. Furthermore, its material was extremely special, granting it a powerful effect in suppressing destiny from birth.
Ji Yuan was also slightly stunned upon hearing the explanation, not expecting the damaged cauldron to be of such a high rank, which far exceeded his earlier estimations.
"With such a magical artifact, if you were to give it to Yun Xia Peak, it would be enough to earn you a spot in the forbidden ground."
Xu Chengfeng said slowly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Sensing the underlying meaning, Ji Yuan didn't rush to speak and quietly waited for the other party's next words.
Indeed, after a long pause, Xu Chengfeng spoke meaningfully, "However, if you were to present this item to Lei Ze Peak, this seat can grant you three quotas to enter the Lei Pond."
He could not bring himself to forcefully seize something from a junior. However, the current Lei Ze Peak indeed required a sufficiently weighty magical artifact to suppress its destiny.
The destiny of the Nine Xuan Sect was not merely that of one branch; it was a convergence of ten lineages.
In the past, Lei Ze Peak had its own magical artifact to suppress destiny. But with the Nine Xuan Sect on the verge of promotion to a sect, that single artifact was now somewhat insufficient.
However, magical artifacts capable of suppressing destiny were rare and hard to come by. One couldn't simply find a master of artifact crafting and have one made.
Even if such a magical artifact were specifically crafted, the idea of directly using it to suppress Lei Ze Peak's destiny was fanciful.
The damaged cauldron in his hand, however, was different. Although partially incomplete, its internal restrictions were still quite complete, showing no signs of damage.
Coupled with its special material and its past use in suppressing destiny, and having endured thousands of years of refinement, it was more than sufficient to suppress Lei Ze Peak's destiny.
Even after the Nine Xuan Sect's promotion to a sect, it would still easily suffice.
"I know you wish to enter the forbidden ground to increase your chances of forming a core within thirty years."
Seeing Ji Yuan's hesitant expression, Xu Chengfeng slowly said, "But who told you that entering the forbidden ground increases the chances of forming a core?"
At these words, Ji Yuan's expression became one of bewilderment. This was common knowledge among inner disciples, a widely known secret.
"The reason people who enter the forbidden ground eventually form a core in a short period is that their cultivation, realm, and even their talent and aptitude are already sufficient to support the successful condensation of a golden core."
Xu Chengfeng shook his head, slowly revealing the truth.
The so-called increased chance of forming a core by entering the forbidden ground was both true and false.
Those who could enter the forbidden ground already possessed the qualifications to form a golden core; the forbidden ground merely served to provide some additional foundation.
But if one lacked the qualification to successfully form a core, even living in the forbidden ground for decades would not help them successfully condense a golden core.
"Therefore, rather than relying on the forbidden ground, you should try your best to improve your own cultivation and realm first."
He smiled helplessly. Such situations had occurred before.
He recalled that some of his personal disciples had also raised similar questions, having heard rumors from somewhere that the forbidden ground could aid in forming a core.
"In fact, for you, the best option would be to offer this cauldron to Ku Mu Peak or Liu Xia Peak."
"The former can solidify your Dao foundation, laying the most solid groundwork."
"The latter can enhance your cultivation, and with a bit of luck, you might even enter the rare state of enlightenment."
Xu Chengfeng said with a smile, "As for our Lei Ze Peak's Lei Pond, its effect is merely to temper the physique and spiritual energy."
If he were dealing with an outsider, he would certainly not have spoken so much, and offering some mediocre opportunities would already be considered quite generous.
However, the young man before him was ultimately one of their own and had replenished the sect's missing destiny.
Moreover, ever since his daughter's return from Qian Yu City, she had frequently mentioned how much this young man had helped her.
If not for this, Xu Chengfeng would not have pushed the treasure he had acquired towards the other two heritage peaks.