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Chapter 222: Cocoon
Chapter 222: Cocoon
Chapter 222: Cocoon
Chu Liang had surprised Jiang Yuebai countless times. Every time she thought she wouldn't be surprised again, Chu Liang would find a way to astonish her once more.
She couldn't help but recall what it had been like for her when she first started practicing Dimension Compression.
Back then, she had just reached the beginning stage of the Golden Core Realm. When her esteemed teacher taught her the immortal art, there was no expectation of her mastering it quickly. Her esteemed teacher simply hoped that she would try to comprehend the Great Dao.
However, Jiang Yuebai studied really hard. She spent days and nights learning to understand this and eventually understood the existence of the Dao of Distancelessness within less than three months.
Half a year later, she was able to practice the Immortal Art: Dimension Compression with ease.
Back then, her teacher even praised her constitution of the Transcendent Spirit, saying that it was as expected of someone with a constitution beloved by the spirit world.
But what does it mean when Chu Liang is progressing at such incredible speed?
It has only been a month since I taught him Dimension Compression, yet he is already able to move swiftly and appear in different locations, Jiang Yuebai thought to herself.
After mastering the Dao of Distancelessness, she recalled needing to practice for an entire month to control the direction. Why did it seem like he didn’t need to do the same?
Even though he mastered it so quickly, he still appeared really unimpressed and dissatisfied.
This was maddening.
As Chu Liang faced Jiang Yuebai’s anger, he appeared innocent.
Jiang Yuebai paused for a moment and said, "Nevermind. I won’t bother with these things. I came here for a serious matter. I heard that Yang Yuhu of the Penglai Supreme Sect has sought you out before."
"Yes," Chu Liang responded as he nodded.
It wasn't surprising that his movements in Misty Waters City had been noticed by others. After all, Lin Bei had been with him at the time.
"He probably wanted you to join Penglai, right?" Jiang Yuebai asked, "Did he promise that all resources will be provided without limit? Did he mention that you could focus solely on cultivating, free from worries, and achieve the Dao Attainment Realm twenty years ahead of schedule?"
"Eh? Senior Sister, how did you know?"
Chu Liang froze for a moment. He did not mention his conversation with Yang Yuhu to Lin Bei.
"The member of Penglai had said the exact same words to me. But in reality, they would try to recruit every talented figure in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten," Jiang Yuebai explained.
"Hmm..." Chu Liang pondered. The truth was not exactly what Jiang Yuebai had said.
What Yang Yuhu really said was that he would be able to achieve the Dao Attainment Realm ten years ahead of schedule...
He’s looking down on me... Chu Liang thought to himself.
"I'm just reminding you, don't get caught up in this trap," Jiang Yuebai continued. "Penglai may offer enticing conditions, but if your progress slows even a bit once you're in, and you don't advance as swiftly as before, all the special treatment will disappear. Plus, as an outsider, they won't show you any patience. Countless geniuses have ended up as mere mediocrities there."
"I see." This was the first time Chu Liang had heard about this.
Everyone’s growth in cultivation was different. Some might advance from the Spiritual Awareness Realm to the Golden Core Realm at an incredible speed and once they reach the Golden Core Realm, they would display mediocrity. It was also normal for the Penglai Supreme Sect to not show any more patience toward an outsider.
As long as they could recruit talented cultivators from the other immortal sects and ensure that these talented figures wouldn’t weaken the ranking of their own sect in the future. As for the future development of this person, they wouldn’t care much.
This was a very cunning competitive strategy.
Penglai's primary concern wasn't acquiring another talented cultivator for their sect; rather, they aimed to diminish the talent pool of their competing sect.
There wasn't much to discuss about those who departed for their own interests and were subsequently forsaken for the same reasons.
Mount Shu Sect wouldn't abandon a disciple simply because they remained at a certain cultivation level for an extended period, unless the disciple decided to leave the sect on their own terms. However, if one were an outsider initially, equal patience and treatment might not be extended. As Chu Liang previously remarked, leaving one's place of origin could make him someone who had lost his root.
"Don't worry," Chu Liang smiled, "I won't leave Mount Shu. Does Penglai Supreme Sect have such a beautiful and gentle senior sister like you?"
"Heh, Xi Miaoxian from Penglai is renowned for her unparalleled beauty. Some even claim she's the most stunning woman of our generation," Jiang Yuebai remarked with a playful blink and a smile.
"Is that so?" Chu Liang's expression shifted to one of deep contemplation. "Yang Yuhu never brought this up to me..."
Jiang Yuebai's smile gradually sharpened, as if concealing a hidden saber within.
"Haha, just kidding," Chu Liang interjected hastily. "How could I not have heard of Xi Miaoxian? I've long known that she and Yang Shenlong grew up together. Who would dare have eyes on her? Besides, I firmly believe there's no woman more beautiful than Senior Sister Jiang in this world! As long as you remain at Mount Shu, so shall I!
"With a loyal soul ignited by fervent blood, I shall remain a part of Mount Shu forever."
...
After descending from the Treasured Pagoda Peak, Chu Liang inspected the progress of the garden before retiring to his room to resume cultivation.
He retrieved the tiny silkworm that had now grown to the size of a palm, and placed both it and the remaining chunk of the Immortal's Cauldron of Inferno on the table, allowing the silkworm to chew and feed.
While he was about to start his cultivation, he decided to feed the silkworm as well.
He then closed his eyes, entering the space within the White Pagoda, where he joined the two Large-Headed Dolls already entrenched in dual cultivation every day and night. Together, all three of them synchronized their circulation of qi as they practiced the Qi-Circulation Technique.
As Chu Liang immersed himself in cultivation, he couldn't sense the passing of time. It was only when the chirping of birds startled him awake that he realized it was already afternoon.
A white crane threw a book on the table outside before hastily departing, offering a brief greeting before its departure. It turned out that the latest issue of the Seven Stars Gazette had arrived.
As he stood up to retrieve the book, he suddenly noticed that the little silkworm had devoured the last chunk of the Immortal's Cauldron of Inferno. What's more, it had already woven a sturdy golden silk cocoon and nestled itself within.
Wait...
Is this a cocoon?
It seemed his guess was correct. After consuming material with sufficient spiritual energy, the little silkworm had begun a new cycle of evolution.
He wondered what form it would emerge in this time.
After observing for a while, Chu Liang returned the golden cocoon to the space within the White Pagoda.
Even though he had hatched the little silkworm himself and has become a parent, he didn't know much about how the child might perceive the world nor much about the child at all. Apart from providing enough food, he couldn't do much to help and could only hope it would grow up healthy.
After stowing away the cocoon, he retrieved this month's issue of the Seven Stars Gazette from outside and brought it indoors.
As he opened the Gazette, prominent headlines caught his eye: "Monsters Rampant Across the Nine Provinces! Righteous Forces Stand Ready!"
During such eventful times, even the atmosphere conveyed by the Seven Stars Gazette took on a solemn tone.
As usual, he first looked at the "Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures."
In this issue of the catalog, there were no major changes, only a solemn declaration.
In Winding Mountain City, a new master swordsmith emerged, proudly presenting a legendary sword worthy of ranking among the top one hundred treasures. It was said that upon its creation, the sword successfully vanquished a greater demon of the world.
However, when disciples from the Celestial Pivot Pavilion arrived to verify it, they discovered that the sword did not possess the formidable power claimed, and the claim of slaying greater demons seemed to have been fabricated.
Therefore, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion announced that they would never include any works of this master swordsmith in the rankings.
Initially, the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures ranked enchanted tools solely based on rumors, without requiring verification. However, as the influence of the catalog grew, numerous unscrupulous individuals began exploiting it for personal gain.
For instance, individuals would claim to have defeated renowned enchanted tools listed in the catalog using ordinary ones, falsely promoting their own items. As a result, the ordinary enchanted tools would also receive high rankings, allowing them to profit from their sale.
Not every purchaser of enchanted tools possessed the ability to discern their authenticity. When buyers realized they had been deceived, they might hold the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures partly responsible. Over time, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion decided that every enchanted tool listed must undergo verification to maintain trust and integrity.
If anyone were to engage in false promotion or attempt deceit to manipulate their item's ranking, they would face permanent banning.
This news caught Chu Liang's attention because the description of that sword reminded him of the Crimson Executioner.
The Crimson Executioner had helped him, a third-realm cultivator, kill a strong cultivator at the sixth realm. This meant that the Crimson Executioner definitely deserved the title of "legendary sword." However, if someone were to verify its power, the likely outcome would be his own banning as well.
As he flipped through the pages past the "Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures," he delved into the "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces." To his dismay, he found that there were quite a few major events last month, and none of them were good.
Leading the list was the emergence of Taowu[1].
In the world of spirit beasts, there existed celestial beings like Baize alongside vicious creatures like Taowu, which thrived on malevolent qi and were feared for their terrifying, bloodthirsty, and cruel nature.
For years, Taowu had resided in the Evil Demon Mountain, a gathering place for vicious beasts, without venturing out. However, for reasons unknown, Taowu suddenly departed from the Evil Demon Mountain and went missing. This caused the vicious beasts in the Evil Demon Mountain to fall into a chaotic state, resulting in widespread devastation in the surrounding areas.
Following the news regarding Taowu, the Chronicles of the Nine Provinces then shifted focus to Cataclysmic Ba.
1. ?? (táowù) is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology known for its ferocious appearance and immense strength. It is often depicted as having multiple heads, eyes, and limbs, and is associated with chaos and calamity. ?