Only at the Mahayana Stage Does the Reversal System Appear - Chapter 106

Chapter 106 The Contribution of Yin Yang Seal

As Jiang Li had anticipated, other nations couldn’t simply copy the Lingbao Law. Different national circumstances necessitated different approaches.

Other nations also understood their own laws; to call them merely decorative wouldn’t be entirely accurate; rather, they served both aesthetic and practical purposes.

Therefore, they chose to learn the Dao Sect’s teachings on the art of contracts, using them to define the relationship between spiritual treasures and their owners.

With Jiang Li’s guidance, the Dao Sect had already prepared everything necessary to teach the art of contracts, from instructors to textbooks to contract templates. The

Dao Sect was the first faction to study in the Great Zhou. They needed to base their contracts on the Lingbao Law, defining the general content of the contracts. Other dynasties would then modify the templates to create their own unique contracts.

Beyond the Nine Provinces, there were also sects, which also needed to regulate spiritual treasures through contracts, even more so than the dynasties.

Jiang Li had once lamented that modern cultivators relied too heavily on spiritual treasures, neglecting their own abilities. This situation was far more severe in the sects than in the dynasties.

Even without spiritual treasures, the nation still had its military and national fortune as its fighting force. Sects, from patriarchs to outer disciples, relied on spiritual treasures for battle. Now that most of their spiritual treasures were disobeying their commands, their fighting power was greatly weakened.

Various nations and sects sent personnel to study the art of contracts and brought contract templates back to their own factions, a two-pronged approach designed to quickly surpass the Great Zhou.

However, some factions considered the Great Zhou’s conditions for spiritual treasures excessively generous. These included requirements such as a day off every six days, a monthly payment of spirit stones, and the prohibition of damage. If a spiritual treasure was seriously damaged through the owner’s fault, the treasure had the right to request termination of the contract.

This made no sense. Did the fact that spiritual treasures possessed intelligence make them human? There was no need to treat them with excessive kindness; they were just objects.

Many factions disagreed with the terms of the contract and amended it, significantly reducing the benefits afforded to spiritual treasures. The Great Yong Dynasty was the most extreme, placing the contracts under state control. Cultivators within the state were forbidden from creating their own contracts, and all cultivators using them were required to hand over a proportional amount of spirit stones.

At this point, not only would the Lingbao flee to the Great Zhou, even the Lingbao’s owner would want to leave the Yong Kingdom.

“Emperor Yong, if I ask the Great Zhou to return the Lingbao, what if the Lingbao defected again?”

“Of course, I’ll ask the Great Zhou to return the Lingbao!” Emperor Yong argued confidently, not seeing anything wrong with his words.

“Then I suggest that you, the Yong Kingdom, implement a closed-door policy.” Jiang Li glanced at Emperor Yong. This fellow had risen to power through frame-up and other palace intrigues, and his governance was among the worst of all the Yong Emperors.

“Next, who else has questions?”

Jiang Li no longer wanted to interfere in the conflict between the Yong Kingdom and the Great Zhou. Once the Yong Kingdom’s Lingbao had been lost to a significant extent, Emperor Yong would naturally understand what was wrong. There was no need for him to intervene personally in such a matter.

“Wait, wait, I have another question!” Seeing Jiang Li ignored him, Emperor Yong addressed Bai Hongtu, “Please ask Dao Zong to eliminate the intelligence of all spiritual treasures in the Great Yong Dynasty!”

He didn’t want the spiritual treasures to leave the country, nor did he want to grant them power. If that was the case, why not simply return to the original state? As long as the spiritual treasures were devoid of intelligence, all problems could be solved!

While other dynasties and great powers weren’t as extreme as Emperor Yong, they didn’t want to follow the example of the Great Zhou and grant spiritual treasures so much power. They were just tools, so why treat them so well?

If Dao Zong agreed to Emperor Yong’s proposal, they would also eliminate the spiritual

treasures’ intelligence. However, most of those present were clear-headed, especially Yu Yin, who knew the terrifying power of intelligent spiritual treasures.

The Ruyi Gourd was a prime example: intelligence and non-intelligence were two completely different things. An intelligent Ruyi Gourd was incredibly powerful, capable of slaying even a terrestrial immortal!

The contract Yu Yin promulgated within the Tianyuan Dynasty was the closest to the Great Zhou. Although many cultivators wondered why such generous treatment of spiritual treasures was necessary, they were forced to agree under Yu Yin’s authority and pressure.

And it turned out… it worked quite well.

Some within the Tianyuan Dynasty also sought to forge their own contracts, claiming their own contracts were superior to the official ones. Yu Yin didn’t prohibit them, but those cultivators who sought to exploit spiritual treasures discovered that spiritual treasures were shrewd and could discern whether a contract favored them or not.

Contracts require mutual agreement; if one party disagrees, the contract cannot be concluded.

Ultimately, after much wrangling, the contract was revised and amended, surprisingly resembling the official standard contract promulgated by Yu Yin. Due to their lack of expertise, loopholes were even found in the contract, allowing spiritual treasures to exploit them.

“If Emperor Yong is willing, then of course it’s possible.”

“Then…” Emperor Yong was overjoyed. He had assumed Bai Hongtu would disagree or take advantage of him, but he hadn’t expected such an easy agreement.

Dao Zong was generous, and they, the Great Yong, couldn’t be stingy either. Emperor Yong decided to verbally thank Bai Hongtu afterward.

“But there’s one thing I need to mention first.” Bai Hongtu raised his hand calmly, and after Jiang Li nodded gently, he continued.

“Our Tianyin Patriarch has developed a cultivation method that can only be used by spiritual treasures. Everyone is welcome to bring their spiritual treasures to Dao Sect to learn, or have them come and learn on their own.”

“Who is Tianyin Patriarch? Reliable…” Emperor Yong retorted subconsciously. He had never heard of Dao Sect having a Tianyin Patriarch, but he quickly realized and quickly stopped talking.

What Tianyin Patriarch? Isn’t that the Yin-Yang Tianyin!

Bai Hongtu’s words shocked everyone.

Spiritual treasures can be cultivated?!

Jiang Li was also a little surprised. He had indeed heard that the Yin-Yang Tianyin was secretly researching a method for spiritual treasure cultivation, but he didn’t expect it to be developed so quickly.

“It’s not as exaggerated as you think.” Bai Hongtu remained calm. Everyone could see that he was teasing them, but who could control him?

“Just as we can’t become immortals, our spiritual treasures haven’t yet reached the level of immortal artifacts. Furthermore, our current cultivation methods are still crude, barely raising our spiritual treasures to a small level.”

“For ease of explanation, we’ve divided magical instruments into nine levels, from the lowest to the highest. The spiritual treasure cultivation method developed by Tianyin Patriarch can raise spiritual treasures from the lowest to the lower middle grade.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If someone suddenly announced a method that could elevate a spiritual treasure from the lowest, lower-grade spiritual artifact to an immortal artifact, it would be truly terrifying.

Even so, the news Bai Hongtu brought was astonishing. Remember, this was only the result of a few months of research. In a few more years, perhaps even a method to raise a spiritual treasure to a large level could be developed.

More importantly, Dao Zong is willing to share this method!

Other factions should ask themselves: if this method existed, even if Emperor Jiang Renhuang advocated for a universal cultivation method, they would definitely keep it hidden and not reveal a single word.

(End of this chapter)