The Mysterious White Orb
Let's see who wins, Baek Cheong hummed cheerfully as she returned to her residence. Just the fact that she was free from that hellish pill refining tutoring made her feel like she owned the world. The moment she flopped onto her bed, habit took over, and she extended her divine sense to access the Moomyeongbang.
The debate(?) over the "Shu-Seon Baek-Ye" she'd ignited was still raging.
The Dou's had devolved to one-dimensional trash-talking.
"Puhuhu. Now that's more like a gallery." Baek Cheong grinned in satisfaction, spectating the dogfight on the trashed Moomyeongbang.
She was deep in her gallery-browsing trance when...
"Cheong-ah, are you inside?"
Her father's voice came from outside the door. Baek Cheong jolted in surprise, frantically cutting her Moomyeongbang connection and jumping to her feet.
"Yes, Father!"
Baek Mujin entered, his expression somewhat puzzled.
"Elder Gok suddenly locked the pill refining room and entered secluded cultivation. Do you know why? He said he'd teach you pill refining with utmost rigor, yet now he's barring everyone to focus solely on it..."
At her father's question, Baek Cheong inwardly cheered. The pill refining method she'd tossed out had hooked Gok Elder, so she was safe from pill hell for a while.
"Oh, that. While checking my cultivation, Grandpa Gok seemed to have a major realization. He was thrilled, muttering about the 'realm of chaos' and 'Taiji's orbit' and all that."
Baek Cheong answered nonchalantly, playing innocent.
Baek Mujin nodded, letting out a deep sigh of admiration.
"Haha, what an extraordinary man. Already at the pinnacle of pill refining, yet gaining insights even while guiding cultivation—constantly advancing. His unwavering dedication is a model we should all emulate."
As her father got weirdly moved by Gok Elder's scholarly zeal, Baek Cheong sighed in relief inwardly at dodging the bullet.
But then his gaze turned to her, sparking a bad premonition.
"Perfect timing. With Elder Gok in seclusion, you have some free time now."
Baek Mujin smiled warmly and continued.
"This father will soon hand all family affairs to your uncle and enter secluded cultivation. Before that, there's something I must give our precious Cheong-ah. Come along now."
Baek Cheong's face froze for a split second, but she quickly smoothed it out.
Why can't I just gallery in peace!
She'd finally gotten some precious gallery time like a drought-ending rain, planning to gorge on Moomyeongbang, but now Father was stealing it away. No excuse to defy him, though, so she followed tearfully, blood tears in her heart, swallowing her mustard.
And so Baek Mujin led Baek Cheong to the family vault. Deactivating layers of powerful guardian formations and opening the heavy stone door let in a rush of cold air thick with spiritual energy.
"A true cultivator must carry at least one fine dharma treasure to protect themselves and subdue foes."
Inside the vault, hundreds of display cases showcased artifacts gleaming with iridescent light.
"You've reached 5-star Qi Refining, but as a Qi Refining body, handling dharma treasures is still taxing. So I'll pick a suitable 1st-tier mid-grade one from the family vault."
Baek Mujin guided her to a display rack on one side. There lay top mid-grade 1st-tier artifacts, neatly arranged: a blue gourd, silver flying sword, multicolored feather fan, cracked copper mirror.
"Examine each one and feel their energy. Choose the one that harmonizes best with you."
Baek Cheong approached with mild curiosity, picking them up one by one.
Infusing qi into the blue gourd sprayed a weak water stream. The silver flying sword oozed feeble sword qi, the feather fan stirred a light breeze. The cracked copper mirror gave no special vibe.
"These feel kinda... like toys."
Baek Cheong set them down, disappointed. Even at 5-star Qi Refining, her superior dantian and divine sense made mid-grade 1st-tier ones feel lightweight.
"Toys, huh..."
Baek Mujin pondered her reaction, vaguely understanding her state.
"Hm, given your vessel, mid-grade does feel lacking. Then check these 1st-tier high-grade ones."
He retrieved three jade boxes from deep in the racks. Fewer items, but scanning with observation arts revealed auras far superior to the mids.
A jade-tinged gourd, black iron flying sword, palm-sized golden bell.
Baek Cheong infused qi again. The jade gourd exhaled chilling frost, the black iron sword flashed sharp intent as it hovered, the golden bell emitted mind-shaking sound waves with each shake.
But she still tilted her head.
"Hmm... definitely better than before, but still kinda lacking."
They suited her level perfectly—usable alongside spells without overtaxing qi. Yet her vast divine sense left her wanting more.
"Any higher-grade ones? Even a 2nd-tier if not a dharma treasure."
Baek Mujin shook his head firmly at her request.
"Even 2nd-tier artifacts are for Core Formation elders. Designed to hold a true core, forcing it with shallow Qi Refining qi could drain you dry, turning you into a cripple."
Baek Cheong smacked her lips in regret. Safety first, no helping it. Nothing caught her eye anyway, and picking was a hassle—she was about to grab anything and go.
"Come to think of it..."
Her father suddenly headed to the vault's darkest corner, carefully extracting a dusty old wooden box.
"This is something Grand Elder acquired in his youth."
"Grandpa's?"
Opening the lid revealed a fist-sized pure white orb, smooth and plain without patterns or decorations.
"It seems to be a 1st-tier artifact, but its exact grade and use are unknown. Even Grand Elder studied it for decades without uncovering its origins."
An unknown artifact even Grandpa couldn't identify. Baek Cheong's curiosity ignited, eyes sparkling.
"Can I take a look?"
"That's why I brought it out—handle it freely."
With trembling hands, she picked up the white orb. It felt cool to the touch. Scanning with divine sense yielded no resistance or info. Infusing five elements qi got zero reaction—no light, no vibration, nothing.
What the—it's really empty.
Deep curiosity stirred for the unresponsive orb. It looked useless, but dusty mysteries like this often awakened with insane power later.
"This intrigues me... Can I pick this one?"
Baek Cheong clutched the white orb to her chest.
Baek Mujin looked flustered by her quirky choice.
"If you really like it, take it. But if you can't use it, swap for another 1st-tier anytime—I'll tell the steward."
At her father's generosity, Baek Cheong bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Father!"
Leaving the vault, her steps felt much lighter. Back at her residence, she plopped on the bed and wrestled with the orb.
"What are you?"
It resembled a giant pearl or the dragon's wish-fulfilling jewel at times. But those would've reacted to spiritual energy or divine sense.
"Try blood?"
Recalling bloodlines, she nicked her finger and smeared blood on it. The drop just rolled off the smooth surface.
She heated it with fire, soaked it in water, even bit it—unscratched.
"Let's see who wins."
Resolve hardened, she forgot Moomyeongbang entirely, deploying every trick to crack the enigmatic orb artifact.