Inside a certain deep, dark cave, a pair of eyes glistened brightly. Simultaneously, a small, transparent bead, the size of a thumb, floated in the pitch-black space. Ripples of magical power emanated from the tiny orb.

  "The Dharma Orb!" Inside the cave was Leo, who had activated his Mystical Sight Technique. The allied family cultivators who had searched the small lake had found nothing, leaving them utterly perplexed. They had concluded that a member of one of the families must have secretly taken the orb, which was why it had evaded their search.

  After all, all the ordinary loose cultivators had been checked, and the Dharma Orb couldn't be refined in such a short time. If someone had swallowed it, it would have been detected. Thus, the families fell to suspecting each other, and the dispute nearly came to blows. But since no one could be certain who had taken it, the conflict eventually fizzled out.

  The loose cultivators by the lake had also dispersed. There was still time before the major sects began recruiting disciples, so they had to continue as before, scouring the mountains for spiritual herbs, ores, and the like. The Crystal Toad and the Dharma Orb were just topics for idle conversation.

  No one could have guessed that Leo's body contained another space, allowing him to spirit the orb away without anyone noticing. Now, he stared excitedly at this tiny bead that could drive countless people mad. It was undoubtedly a priceless treasure. If it appeared in the Moonwatch Immortal City market, it would cause an immediate sensation and fetch an unimaginable price—enough to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill, easily. After all, the rarity of a Dharma Orb far surpassed that of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

  But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain what would happen if a three-year-old walked around carrying a gold ingot. The cruelty of the cultivation world was even more bloody than mortal conflicts. He was merely a mid-stage cultivator, with no background. If news got out that he possessed a Dharma Orb, he'd be schemed against and killed before he could even spend the fortune. A treasure coveted even by Golden Core Masters was not something he could openly possess.

  That left only one option: use it himself. A flicker of smug satisfaction arose in Leo's heart. The prize that so many had failed to seize would be his to enjoy. It was a feeling beyond words.

  Leo opened his mouth and swallowed the Dharma Orb. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, he let it sink into his elixir field, where it stood out somewhat. He channeled the spiritual energy from his elixir field, enveloping the orb completely. Turning his spiritual sense inward, he saw that the Dharma Orb within his elixir field seemed to have five dark compartments. His spiritual energy was now attempting to enter the first one.

  He sat like this for three days. Finally, the Dharma Orb fused completely with his elixir field. Leo's eyes snapped open. If he weren't still in the mountains, wary of attracting the attention of ill-intentioned cultivators, he would have burst out laughing.

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  "Time to test the orb's power." After a moment's thought, he released the few head ants. Having been raised by Big Forehead Freak for so long, these ants were accustomed to sucking blood. After several days without food, they were extremely agitated. The moment they were released, a few started fighting each other, some tried to flee the cave, and two lunged at Leo.

  A faint smile played on Leo's lips. He extended his right index finger and pointed into the empty air. A ripple spread from his fingertip—it was like the wind whistling across an icy plain, or the crisp sound of water striking stone.

  Ever since Leo refined the Dharma Orb and his spiritual energy entered its first compartment, he had comprehended a new spell: "Ice Soul Mystic Sound."

  It could directly affect a person's consciousness through sound waves, plunging them into a dazed, confused state, creating an opportunity for the caster to attack.

  Having just refined the orb, he decided to test its effect on these head ants.

  As the ripples spread, the ants caught within them froze mid-motion and fell plap plap from the air to the ground. Leo was delighted. It was quite effective against these weak spirit insects. Moreover, as an innate spell of the Dharma Orb, it consumed even less spiritual power and spiritual sense than a low-grade spell.

  In the following days, Leo roamed the wilderness, constantly familiarizing himself with the use of Ice Soul Mystic Sound. He discovered, however, that the spell was only significantly effective against cultivators and demon beasts whose strength did not exceed his own. Against those with higher cultivation, it had little offensive power; it couldn't even cause a slight delay. The reason the Crystal Toad had instantly affected dozens or even hundreds of cultivators was that it was a fourth-grade demon beast, far more powerful than any of them.

  Leo smiled wryly. It seemed this awakened Dharma Orb hadn't granted him an exceptionally powerful ability. But any skill was better than none, and it was something. At the very least, against insect cultivators, this move was more effective than any other spell.

  Having mastered the orb's use, Leo, like other loose cultivators, devoted most of his energy to searching for spiritual items required for the sect missions. Occasionally, he would clash with other cultivators. But Leo was exceptionally cautious, always doing his utmost to avoid being surrounded and outnumbered.

  The sun had slipped behind thick clouds, casting the landscape into shadow. Beneath an ancient tree in a sandy area, a few spiritual herbs swayed in the breeze. A dark figure darted swiftly into the tree's shade. Its form was still somewhat blurry. It rapidly reached for the herbs.

  Swoosh! A large net dropped from above, trapping the figure.

  "Got him!" Excited shouts rang out as several cultivators sprang from the camouflaged pits they had dug in the earth, swords and sabers in hand. They surrounded the net, ready to kill the trapped fool. But they were shocked to find the figure inside suddenly disintegrate, like a splash of water scattering into countless droplets, then vanishing completely.

  "What the...? Where'd he go?"

  "Damn it! Someone's playing tricks! How cunning! This is infuriating!" another cultivator cursed angrily.

  "Idiots. You're allowed to set traps, but others aren't allowed to use tricks?" Behind a large boulder dozens of meters away, Leo cautiously observed the scene. Another trap. With so many enemies, those spiritual herbs were hopeless.

  Leo sighed. That dark figure was a shadow doppelg?nger he had condensed using his spiritual power after learning the "Puppet Shadow Art." Having only recently begun practicing, the shadow was still blurry, appearing from a distance as just a dark silhouette. On a sunny day, even the lowest-level cultivator would see through it instantly. But today's gloomy weather, combined with the shadows under the ancient tree, provided decent cover. Coupled with its considerable speed, it had fooled the ambushers.

  Leo was about to leave, but luck was with him. Another team also had its eye on those herbs. When they sent someone to collect them, they clashed with the ambushing team. Several people died on both sides as the fight raged fiercely. Leo's fingers itched with temptation. While the two teams were locked in combat, unable to spare anyone, he crept closer, snatched a single herb with lightning speed, and fled.

  The two teams cursed him loudly, but there was nothing they could do. Locked in a deadly struggle, neither side was willing to divert forces to chase after this interloper. He seemed reasonably strong, and splitting their numbers could mean defeat. Besides, Leo had only taken one herb. The two teams, locked in desperate combat, had handed him a cheap prize.