108 Maidens of Destiny

Chapter 28: Blooming Water Divine Thunder

Chapter 28: Blooming Water Divine Thunder

After a certain period of time, a tired An Suwen finally ended the healing, soaked in a sweet and fragrant sweat.

“How is she?” Su Xing asked, concerned.

“Young Master can be considered amazing, you know? Sister Yingmei’s Star Energy is an unending stream. Suwen could only recover a small fraction of it.” An Suwen knew in an instant that Lin Yingmei’s Star Energy was extraordinary. Words could not express her respect and wonder.

“Could it be that even you, the Divine Physician, doesn’t have a solution?” Wu Xinjie asked.

An Suwen lightly smiled: “I will go and mix some more herbs for some Recovery Potion. With the aid of my ‘Spiritual Aura Distribution,’ it will probably take a little more than ten days to fully heal. However, going by this means that the young master will have to stay in Heavenly Water City for some time.”

When Su Xing heard that it would only take around ten days for Lin Yingmei to recover, he breathed a sigh of relief. This was far better than seven months.

“I’ll have the shop assistants arrange a guest room for the young master.” An Suwen said An Suwen as she wiped her sweat. It seems her fatigue was not light.

“Please do.” Su Xing said.

After she left the room, Wu Xinjie shadily smiled: “Young Master, the Divine Physician is great, isn’t she.”

“Is she really not going to sign a Star Duel Covenant?” Su Xing could not understand. He had always thought all the 108 Star Maidens were required to do so.

“It seems Young Master is completely mistaken.” Wu Xinjie shook her head. But in fact, this wasn’t the case. When the Maiden Mountain launched the 108 Stars, the Star Duels could only be considered a curtain raiser, and the prologue was the signing of a Star Duel Covenant between Star Maiden and Star Master. The Star Generals that successfully signed a contract had the qualifications to rush to Maiden Mountain. However, signing a Star Duel Covenant definitely was not a necessary condition. In fact, besides being able to split Star Energy and having a companion to lend a helping hand, the reason why Star Generals would contract with Star Masters is that only after signing a contract are they qualified to reach Maiden Mountain’s actual peak.

In the Star Duels of the past, there were actually many very pretentious Star Maidens that disdained and spurned the contract.

The Majestic Star Panther Head Lin Chong is considered the best example of this. Since the beginning of the very first Star Duel, every generation’s Star Maidens didn’t sign a contract with just anyone; but Star Duel rules dictate that when the sky is filled with a requisite number of Crimson Stars, only then will Maiden Mountain open. Therefore, there is only one ending for those that didn’t sign contracts–if she didn’t kill every single Star Master, then she would become the footstool of one.

“Even Young Master saw this. An Suwen doesn’t have it in her to kill people at all. Star Masters that sign a contract with her will inevitably become a target for all of Liangshan Continent to kill. How, then, would anyone be willing to do such a thing?” Wu Xinjie sighed.

After hearing everything the Knowledge Star said, Su Xing had a deeper understanding of the cruelty of the Star Duels for Maiden Mountain.

What was going on in the head of the Liangshan Maiden when she created the Star Maidens? Su Xing was indeed curious.

Aware that the mood had taken its ups and downs, Su Xing sat cross legged and took out the “Heart Like Mirrors Absolute Sincerity Soul Technique.” After trying just five seals, a warm aura, like running water, passed through his internal organs. All of a sudden, Su Xing felt tranquil. His eyes bright, he realized that his body’s Star Energy had also increased greatly.

This “Heart Like Mirrors” Technique was indeed a Soul Technique that countless people all over the Liangshan Continent pursued for hundreds of years. Soul Techniques had three realms, each level consisting of ten techniques. The first level, “Stable Heart,” cultivated the mind. Whatever happened, one must keep still and unshaken. Using the Absolute Sincerity Technique didn’t only help him absorb the Deviance Star’s Star Energy, it was even indispensable for when he cultivated the Chaotic Tail Escape. The pain of death was not like a tranquilizer, and the two complemented each other [1] to the point that practicing them together was like putting a fish back in water. [2]

During these past three months, Su Xing not only broke through the twenty-eighth gate stage, even his Star Energy rushed to Stardust Late Stage in one fell swoop. Now, Su Xing could clearly feel that the dusty Star Energy in his body was currently slowly fusing and condensing into something more cloudy. He had already arrived at the critical juncture where “Stardust” condensed into “Nebula.”

He tried again and again to condense everything, but his Star Energy would always disperse in the end.

“It looks like refusing to use the Six Senses Recovery Pill won’t work.” Su Xing opened his eyes, helpless. The Six Senses Recovery Pill was a pill he found when searching through Wen He’s Astral Bag. It was a miracle drug that was used to break through bottlenecks. This Elder Wen He seemed to have been approaching Nebula Middle Stage, and most of the ingredients for the recipe had already been collected. He was only missing a Mist Cloud Seed. However, now that he was dead, this worked to Su Xing’s benefit.

Not long after, An Suwen held a bottle of Recovery Potion and administered a dose to Lin Yingmei. In particular, she made clear that Star Energy could not be used within ten hours of ingesting the medicine.

Seeing her care so much for herself, Lin Yingmei also showed just a trace of gratitude.

“After all, the Star Breaker Golden Pill was refined by Suwen. Suwen should fulfill her share of the responsibility.” An Suwen definitely had a sense of duty befitting the Divine Physician.

Su Xing now recalled the time the fisherman spoke about Heavenly Water City, and he asked curiously: “Little Sister Suwen, do you know what the Blooming Water Divine Thunder is?”

“Blooming Water Divine Thunder?” An Suwen expressed surprise upon hearing this name, “So it turns out the young master also wants to obtain the Divine Thunder?”

“Is this Blooming Water Divine Thunder very powerful?” Wu Xinjie blinked her eyes.

“Even Sister Knowledge Star doesn’t know about this? But Sister drifted all over Liangshan Continent, so not knowing is normal, I suppose.” [3] An Suwen explained: “Creative Gold, Receptive Wood, Blooming Water, Clinging Fire, and Gentle Earth are Liangshan Continent’s Five Elements Astonishing Thunders, [4] and they are extremely powerful. If you can refine Blooming Water Thunder in your body, you can control it at will. Sister Xinjie should know what this means.”

Su Xing was very moved. Three months before, he was just able to experience fighting two Star Cultivators that could control lightning at Grand Border City. One was a Crying Thunder God, and one was Earthly Fire Heavenly Lightning. He’s suffered enough under lightning techniques. However, these two types of lightning techniques required close contact with the artifact’s own power in order to be used. Even so, their powers still could not be underestimated. [5]

If a Star Cultivator was able to refine the Divine Thunder, there was no medium needed to refine it. Just thinking about it was scary enough.

Wu Xinjie’s eyes shone. She had an idea.

“Is the Water and Land Assembly related?” Lin Yingmei asked.

“I heard the Water and Land Assembly is a smokescreen for the Blooming Water Sword Sect. Suwen has admitted many Blooming Water Sword Sect disciples, and I heard from their own mouths that every fifty years, the Heavenly River and the Dragon Flower Terrace will open a hole to the Dragon Flower Cave. The Blooming Water Sword Sect will send disciples into the ‘Flower Dragon Cave’ to go take Blooming Water Divine Thunder.”

“However, you thought that Young Master wanted to take the Thunder, why?” Wu Xinjie exposed her excitement: “Could you be saying that Young Master is also able to go obtain it?”

“To enter the Flower Dragon Cave, your Star Energy must form a cloud. Your lows and highs will all be resolved by the Blooming Water. For this reason at this time, not only are there the Blooming Water Sword Sect’s disciples, but the Ten Kingdoms of Liangshan, the Hundred Great Doors School, and thousands of ordinary Star Cultivators will all try to rush into the Flower Dragon Cave. Especially since the start of the Star Duels, everywhere fears that Star Masters will grow great in number. As far as Suwen knows, Heavenly Water City currently has at least four thousand Star Cultivators.” An Suwen shook her head and sighed. “The Blooming Water Sword Sect is also a powerful foe. It seems that when the time comes and it is set off, there will be a reign of terror.” [6]

Su Xing’s group was dumbfounded upon hearing this. This was actually fairly obvious. If Star Cultivators were to obtain the Blooming Water Divine Thunder, there was no doubt in the future that they would hold a great advantage in Star Duels. It was also obvious why it drew in so many people’s desires, and what Su Xing heard was all just around the corner.

“However, the Flower Dragon Cave will not allow any Star Generals to enter inside, so if Young Master wants to go, he must consider things clearly. Since ancient times, the number of Star Masters that fell are not few.” An Suwen reminded thoughtfully.

Su Xing nodded his head. The most pressing matter was definitely to first boost his Star Energy to the Nebula Stage, otherwise it was a waste of time to think of anything else.

“Oh, right, Sister Xinjie, Heavenly Water City’s south side recently revealed an ancient tomb puzzle. If you’re interested, Sister Xinjie can go try to solve it. The Star Cultivators that recently arrived all go there, but there hasn’t been a person able to solve that puzzle yet.” Having suddenly remembered this, An Suwen lightly smiled.

1. Recall that the Chaotic Tail Escape Technique is a very painful technique to practice. Thus, by using the two together, Su Xing is able to suppress the pain enough that he can practice the technique. ?

2. An idiom that means everything was made easier. ?

3. If she drifted all over the place, I don’t think it’s normal that she hasn’t heard about it. ?

4. “???????????????????????” I’ll have to be honest here. I have no idea how to translate these due to some ambiguity with the characters used. I haven’t much clue about how Bagua relates to the story thus far, so these names may change in the future. Also, contextually, I believe ? is being used as “Thunder” rather than as “weapon” in this context. ?

5. And this is why I believe it’s “Water Thunder,” and not “Naval Mine.” ?

6. “????” is “Foul winds and bloody rain,” an idiom for a terrible carnage. ?