Chapter 350 - 304: The Art of Forgery

Chapter 350: Chapter 304: The Art of Forgery

Jiang Xu wandered between the stalls, his gaze falling upon the seemingly broken and incomplete Ancient Artifacts.

They were either chipped and broken, covered in rust, or so severely damaged it was clear they had lost their original function and form.

Although Jiang Xu could feel the powerful energy they once held, in their current state, it was hard to say if they had any practical value.

These damaged Ancient Relics could probably only serve as historical references, or be seen as materials by High Tier Cultivators with the ability to repair them, to be smelted down and reforged.

But when Jiang Xu turned his gaze to the Ancient Artifacts that appeared intact, he discovered they had their own problems.

Some Magical Artifacts had gleaming exteriors, but the Spiritual Power within was a chaotic mess, making them difficult to control.

Some Cultivation Method Books looked complete but were actually missing key Chapters; practicing them would make it all too easy to suffer from cultivation deviation.

Those seemingly powerful Magical Treasures also had major flaws; once used, they were highly likely to cause a backlash against their owner.

Just as Jiang Xu was beginning to doubt the quality of these Ancient Artifacts, his hand inadvertently brushed against a small, bronze-cast tripod.

This tripod had three rounded feet and an ancient-looking patina. Although slightly worn, he could still feel the profound Spiritual Power contained within.

He was just about to take a closer look when the stall owner, having keenly sensed his interest, immediately began a spirited introduction.

"Fellow Cultivator, you have a truly discerning eye!"

The stall owner’s face was wreathed in smiles, his words dripping with flattery.

"This is an Ancient Divine Artifact, the Earth, Soil, and Metal Tripod!"

"In Ancient Times, tripods represented the highest, supreme power! I snatched this three-legged, round tripod from the hands of seven or eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators. It was an incredibly dangerous affair..."

The stall owner’s narrative was vivid and infectious.

He described how he, relying on both wits and courage, had defeated all rivals and finally taken the Earth, Soil, and Metal Tripod for himself.

The tense and fierce battle scenes, the life-and-death moments of crisis, and the joy and pride after successfully seizing the Divine Artifact—all were described by the stall owner with lifelike detail.

Jiang Xu wasn’t moved by the stall owner’s extravagant tale. Instead, he refocused his attention on the small bronze tripod.

Although the stall owner was speaking a mile a minute, Jiang Xu just treated it as a story. ’I’ll have to rely on my own judgment,’ he knew.

At first glance, the tripod did indeed seem extraordinary.

A faint Spiritual Light shimmered around it, twinkling like stars in the night sky.

The patterns on the tripod’s body were ancient and mysterious, with smooth, powerful lines.

Although time had left its marks on the surface, that didn’t stop it from exuding a precious and extraordinary aura.

Jiang Xu closed his eyes, his fingertips gently tracing the tripod’s body as he tried to perceive its internal pathways with his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense.

In an instant, a deep and powerful fluctuation of Spiritual Power surged into his perception, like an ancient torrent crossing through time and space, carrying the weight of ages.

This network of Spiritual Power, though it had weathered the vicissitudes of time, remained strong, like a giant beast slumbering within the tripod. Though it had not awoken, its latent, immense power was already being transmitted through the tripod’s walls, inspiring awe.

But Jiang Xu was not fooled by appearances. He used his Spiritual Eye Technique, his vision piercing through the Spiritual Light on the tripod’s surface and reaching its very core.

The network of Spiritual Power, which he initially thought was a legacy of Ancient Times, now revealed faint traces of deliberate fabrication.

That ancient and powerful energy did not originate from the passage of time, but had recently been forcibly infused into it by someone with a superb Magic, disguised to look as if it had weathered the ages.

This discovery made Jiang Xu let out a wry laugh.

He was reminded of a joke from his past life: someone would pompously show off a "Shang and Zhou Antique," only for it to turn out to be a brand-new forgery made just last week.

’So this "Earth, Soil, and Metal Tripod" is no different, is it?’

’On the surface, it’s an Ancient Divine Artifact, but in reality, it’s just a recently crafted fake. An attempt to pass off a forgery as genuine and swindle Spirit Stones from the ignorant.’

Looking at the small tripod before him, its age so clearly faked, Jiang Xu couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

’A carefully designed scam,’ he thought. ’Exploiting a cultivator’s curiosity and yearning for ancient secret treasures, passing off junk as quality goods to make a huge profit.’

’I’m lucky I have the Spiritual Eye Technique,’ he mused. ’Otherwise, I would’ve been fooled by appearances and fallen right into the trap.’

Even though Jiang Xu had already seen through the Earth, Soil, and Metal Tripod’s disguise, he didn’t immediately turn and leave.

Instead, he stood his ground, his gaze falling once more upon the tripod.

The look in his eyes was no longer one of wariness and derision, but of intrigued curiosity.

At this moment, what attracted him wasn’t the so-called value of the tripod itself, but the superb Magic that concealed its true nature.

If Jiang Xu hadn’t relied on his Spiritual Eye Technique, which he had cultivated to the Perfect Level, this meticulously crafted illusion would have been nearly impossible to see through.

Even with his current Cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage, if he had relied solely on an ordinary Divine Sense Investigation, he probably would have been deceived by this illusion and mistaken it for a genuine Ancient Relic.

After all, the lifelike appearance of the Spiritual Light, the simulated ancient aura of the Spiritual Power pathways, and the sheer immensity of the energy fluctuations—everything about it perfectly aligned with what an Immortal Cultivator would imagine an ancient secret treasure to be.

At this moment, an idea sparked in Jiang Xu’s mind.

’If I could master this Forgery Technique and cultivate it to the Perfect Level, couldn’t I create a whole batch of Ancient Artifacts convincing enough to pass for the real thing?’

’Once I grasp this skill, I could use it not only for self-defense and misdirection, but it could even become my ace in the hole here in the Cultivation Realm.’

’Those Cultivators unable to distinguish real from fake might fight to the death over a single "antique," while I could sit back and reap the rewards from behind the scenes.’