The hole was about the size of a washbasin. Judging from the marks on its walls, it didn't seem to have been there originally. Rather, it looked like the Five-step Snake had dug it out itself after burrowing its way in here.
The inside of the hole was lined with a layer of dead leaves, likely brought in by the Five-step Snake from outside. On one of the earthen walls, there was another small hole about the width of a bowl. It was probably the snake's passage for entering and exiting, but there was no telling where it led.
Having learned from his previous experience, Zhao Yuan didn't use his hands to search for the treasure. Who knew what dangers might be hidden in that pile of dead leaves? So, he just used a wooden stick to poke and prod at the location of the Qi. After a few pokes, the dead leaves were pushed aside, revealing a string of prayer beads.
The Qi was emanating from this very string of prayer beads.
Zhao Yuan used the wooden stick to fish the prayer beads out of the hole.
Taking the prayer beads in his hand and examining them closely, he saw that the string didn't have the usual ten or twelve beads, but only six. Of these six, five were clearly damaged and decayed. Only one was perfectly intact, and it shimmered with a flowing, colorful luster, as if it had been handled and polished for many years, developing a thick, beautiful patina.
The Qi was coming from this one intact, beautiful bead.
Zhao Yuan mulled it over for a moment and figured out the origin of the beads.
'This string of prayer beads must have been buried underground as a warding object when the Earth God Temple was first built. To be used as a ward in a temple, it must have been a Magical Artifact from the start. Then, inside the Earth God Temple, it absorbed years of Incense Fire Wish Power, which finally nurtured this remarkable Qi. What a pity. Only one bead has nurtured Qi. It would have been great if the other five had Qi as well.'
Although there was some regret, he was more surprised and delighted.
"But why are there only six beads on this string?" Zhao Yuan muttered to himself as he toyed with the prayer beads.
Just then, a line of text automatically appeared on the Information Leaf. The first line was the name of these prayer beadsāthe Body Pearl of the Peach Wood Sixth Sense Beads.
Previously, when he had seen the Five Elements Gourd at Wang Qing's house, the Information Leaf had also automatically displayed a relevant introduction. So, Zhao Yuan wasn't the least bit surprised to see the text on the Information Leaf now; in fact, he was delighted.
'Looks like the Information Leaf really does have the function of identifying the name, origin, and use of Magical Artifacts. This is great. From now on, whenever I get a Magical Artifact, I won't have to worry about not knowing its name or how to use it.'
Zhao Yuan focused his eyes and continued reading the introduction on the Information Leaf.
"The Six Senses, also known as the Six Roots, are: Eye-Consciousness, Ear-Consciousness, Nose-Consciousness, Tongue-Consciousness, Body-Consciousness, and Mind-Consciousness. Eye-Consciousness governs sight, Ear-Consciousness governs hearing, Nose-Consciousness governs smell, Tongue-Consciousness governs taste, Body-Consciousness governs touch, and Mind-Consciousness commands the other five, allowing one to have thoughts and to distinguish between good and evil, beauty and ugliness. The Sixth Sense Beads have the effect of strengthening and enhancing the Six Senses..."
'Strengthen the Six Senses? So it's a buff-type Magical Treasure! But of this string of Sixth Sense Beads, only the Body Pearl is left. Does that mean it can only strengthen my sense of touch? But how do I get it to strengthen my touch?'
Zhao Yuan rubbed the crystal-clear Body Pearl, quickly consulting the Information Leaf to find the answer.
As expected, the Information Leaf did not disappoint him.
He soon found the relevant entry and, following the method it taught, sent a sliver of Wish Power into the Body Pearl.
A crimson glow immediately bloomed from the crystal-clear Body Pearl, as enchanting and captivating as a peach blossom in full bloom.
The crimson glow instantly entered Zhao Yuan's body.
Suddenly, Zhao Yuan was overcome by a host of strange and peculiar sensations.
First, he felt the various stimuli of the clothes on his skin. In some places, the fabric was very soft and felt comfortable. In others, it was slightly stiff, and the friction caused a faint discomfort.
He would never normally have these feelings, or if he did, they wouldn't be this distinct. For a moment, Zhao Yuan even wondered if his rough skin had returned to the delicate state of a baby's.
At the same time, a new sensation came from the fingers he was using to rub the Body Pearl.
He could clearly perceive all the extremely fine lines and uneven spots on the Body Pearlādetails that a normal person would never be able to detect with their fingers.
The enhanced sense of touch was marvelous and even fun. But as a medical student, and one who aspired to become a Witch Doctor, the first thing Zhao Yuan did was connect this enhancement to the art of medicine.
'Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis emphasizes Observation, Inquiry, Auscultation, and Palpation. Palpation, in this case, refers not only to Pulse Diagnosis but also includes tactile examination. Western medicine may not have Pulse Diagnosis, but it does have tactile examination. Now, with the Body Pearl from the Sixth Sense Beads, my sense of touch has been greatly enhanced. When I perform Pulse Diagnosis or tactile examinations on people in the future, I'll definitely be able to gather more information with greater precision! Combined with the Qi Observation Technique, my diagnostic ability will undoubtedly take a huge leap forward!'
Zhao Yuan was thrilled and immediately tried to take his own pulse with the enhancement from the Body Pearl.
He placed his right hand on his left wrist, pressing his index, middle, and ring fingers on the three pulse positions: cun, guan, and chi.
Ever since the *Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis* section had been unlocked on the Information Leaf, Zhao Yuan had been studying pulse diagnosis. He had practiced it many times on himself and his classmates, learning to identify changes in pulse conditions.
But to be honest, his progress had not been ideal.
He could identify weak and surging pulses, but more complex ones like the hollow, slippery, or wiry pulses were very difficult for him to distinguish. As for differentiating between several similar pulse types, that was completely out of the question!
After all, besides a solid theoretical foundation, pulse diagnosis required extensive clinical practice to truly master the technique and distinguish the subtle differences between various pulse conditions.
But now, with the Body Pearl's enhancement, Zhao Yuan was delighted to discover that his fingers' perception of the pulse was clearer than ever before!
'My pulse is surging and strong right now, which is clearly due to vigorous upright Qi and robust Qi and blood! The sensation is unbelievably clear. I can even distinctly feel the friction of the blood flowing through the vessels!'
At that moment, Zhao Yuan wished he could find a few people right away to test his pulse diagnosis skills, now enhanced by the Body Pearl.
After testing it for a while, Zhao Yuan deactivated the Body Pearl's enhancement and temporarily placed it into his Storage Ring, to be taken out again when needed. As for the other five broken beads, he removed them from the string and tossed them back into the hole.
"This trip was totally worth it!"
Zhao Yuan was overjoyed. After filling the hole with dirt, he walked over to the White Cat, which had finished its meal. He took a tissue from his pocket, wiped the snake blood from the White Cat's mouth, and affectionately rubbed its little head, lavishing it with praise, "Good kitty, you were a huge help this time!"
The White Cat puffed out its chest, meowed repeatedly with a proud look on its face, which made Zhao Yuan burst into laughter.