Chapter 81: Leveling Up While Walking
Haagen-Dazs City—on its bustling streets.
Shops lined both sides of the thoroughfare, their colorful signboards fluttering in the sunlight.
Pedestrians rubbed shoulders as they passed, their calls of commerce, laughter, and the clatter of carriages weaving together into a vibrant tapestry of sound.
Jiang Bai and his companions walked amidst the teeming crowd, drawing considerable attention.
Leading the group was a youth—handsome, upright, and walking with a steady, measured stride.
Following close behind were four women, each possessing a distinct charm and a breathtaking beauty that was truly stunning.
There was the aloof, peerless beauty with silver hair and icy-blue eyes; the vivacious, sprightly maiden with jade-green hair and golden eyes; the radiant, noble lady with golden hair and crimson eyes; and the gentle, tender soul with emerald hair, soft as flowing water.
Their presence caused passersby to turn their heads repeatedly to steal a glance; yet, they were simultaneously awed by the extraordinary aura faintly radiating from the group, daring not to approach too closely.
As they walked, the group casually observed the shops and stalls lining the street.
Jiang Li’er, filled with curiosity about the many novelties of the human world, would occasionally tug at the Ice Empress’s sleeve or point excitedly at something, chattering away like a little bird.
Though these two had initially been at odds with one another, they were now the best of friends—getting along famously.
The Snow Empress, meanwhile, wore an expression of serene detachment; it was as if the surrounding bustle held no relevance to her, and she simply followed along in quiet silence.
As they continued walking, Jiang Bai suddenly came to a halt.
A surge of energy—pure, gentle, yet incredibly vast and majestic—erupted without warning from the very depths of his being!
This energy coursed rapidly through every limb and bone, scouring his meridians, nourishing his flesh and blood, and finally—without the slightest obstruction—converging into his Dantian, his Sea of Qi!
The barrier of his Soul Power—poised at the very peak of Level 49—was quietly breached, propelled forward by the force of this pure, surging energy.
An aura—tangibly more potent than before—flashed briefly around Jiang Bai, only to be swiftly reined in and concealed.
Level 50!
There was no violent struggle to break through the bottleneck, no sense of instability or hollowness in his foundation, nor even any need for deliberate guidance.
Everything had unfolded naturally and effortlessly—as if reaching this milestone at this very moment was precisely what was meant to be.
However, the four companions by his side—whose senses were honed to the absolute limit—detected the subtle yet distinct change in him almost simultaneously.
Jiang Li’er turned around, her crimson eyes staring unblinkingly at Jiang Bai; her small mouth hung slightly open, her face a mask of utter disbelief.
"You... how on earth did you... just reach Level 50?!"
The Ice Empress couldn’t hold back; she darted forward in a few quick steps to stand right in front of Jiang Bai. Tilting her small face upward, her emerald eyes were filled with profound bewilderment.
"Weren’t you just Level 49 a few days ago? How much time has actually passed since then?!"
She circled around Jiang Bai once.
"Don’t tell me... you’ve been meditating and cultivating even while walking?!"
Even she herself found this conjecture a bit far-fetched.
Bi Ji also stepped forward, her gentle eyes holding a mix of concern and a faint, almost imperceptible pang of heartache. She spoke softly, "The path of cultivation requires balance—a rhythm of exertion and rest. To push yourself like this... is simply too extreme. Both your body and your spirit will eventually give out."
She recalled the conversation they had shared by the campfire that night, and that inexplicable sense of tenderness and worry resurfaced in her heart.
Jiang Bai himself was actually somewhat surprised as well. Yet, he took a moment to sense the soul power coursing through his body—solid, condensed, and devoid of any hollowness—along with that pure energy which had not yet fully dissipated, appearing capable of sustaining him through even further breakthroughs.
He nodded impassively, thereby tacitly confirming the conjectures of Bi Ji and the Ice Empress.
Though, in truth, he wasn’t entirely certain himself.
Jiang Li’er furrowed her delicate brows, fixing her gaze on Jiang Bai as she voiced her skepticism: "But doesn’t meditation require you to sit cross-legged? Otherwise, your mind can’t fully focus, and your soul power won’t circulate properly!"
The common knowledge she possessed certainly affirmed this. Meditation demanded absolute concentration—guiding one’s soul power through a full circulatory cycle to absorb the primordial energies of heaven and earth.
Sitting cross-legged was the most stable posture, the most conducive to mental focus, and it also aided in the more efficient circulation of soul power.
No matter how she looked at it, she felt certain Jiang Bai was lying!
That guy must have secretly consumed some rare, heavenly treasure beforehand—its medicinal potency lying dormant until now, when it suddenly erupted to propel him through his breakthrough!
That had to be it!
I refuse to admit that his innate talent is even more absurd than mine—an Imperial Auspicious Beast!
Hmph!
Jiang Li’er tried to rationalize things to herself, striving to maintain the pride befitting an Imperial Auspicious Beast.
Jiang Bai watched her with that little expression—the kind that seemed to say, "I’ve seen through everything all along"—and found it rather amusing.
He cleared his throat and, putting on a perfectly serious air, said, "Theoretically speaking, once one’s mastery over their own soul power reaches its absolute peak, their insight into the primal energies of heaven and earth becomes sufficiently profound, and their mental will is honed to an incomparable sharpness, it is indeed possible to meditate while walking, sitting, or lying down. As the saying goes, ’walking, sitting, and lying down are all forms of Zen’; once one reaches an advanced stage of cultivation, the specific form or posture ceases to matter."
"Theoretically?!" Upon hearing this, Jiang Li’er huffily raised her little fists and delivered a light, playful thump to Jiang Bai’s arm.
"Aha! So you were lying to us all along! ’Walking, sitting, and lying down are all forms of Zen’—that sounds like total nonsense you just made up on the spot!"
She crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her chin upward, and wore a smug expression that seemed to say, "Just as I suspected!"
Her crimson eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.
"Spill it! Did you secretly consume some rare heavenly treasures, spiritual herbs, or immortal elixirs? Is that why you suddenly broke through now—because the medicinal effects finally kicked in? Tell me! Do you have any left? If you do, I want a share!"
Uh... come to think of it, I actually have consumed quite a few things like that...
Jiang Bai mused inwardly.
The Qiluo Tulip... the Whale Glue... weren’t they all incredibly potent tonics?
Though, the medicinal effects of the Qiluo Tulip had likely been fully absorbed long ago, and the Whale Glue served primarily to temper the physical constitution; it didn’t provide quite such a dramatic, direct boost to soul power.
Nevertheless, seeing the look of eager impatience on Jiang Li’er’s face—as if pleading, "Just tell me the truth already!"—he felt a sudden urge to tease her.
He grinned broadly, flashing two rows of pearly-white teeth.
"Guess?"
Jiang Li’er was so exasperated by his attitude that she stamped her foot again; yet, the moment she thought about the potential "treasures" that might be involved, she instantly switched gears, adopting a soft, pitiful, and utterly helpless expression.
She reached out to tug gently at Jiang Bai’s sleeve, her voice dripping with a sweetness so cloying it could give a person cavities.
"Oh, come on, Jiang Bai! Pretty please, Jiang Bai? Just tell me! Is there really some kind of miracle item that can rapidly boost one’s cultivation? If there is... get me a share, too! I want to get stronger quickly, just like you!"
She, too, wanted to experience that sensation of "leveling up just by walking around"!
How exhilarating that would be!
Suppressing a laugh, Jiang Bai put on a stern face and uttered two words: "Not giving!"
"Aha!" Jiang Li’er’s eyes lit up as she seized upon his slip of the tongue. "So you do have something! Tell me—what is it? Where are you hiding it? Sharing the joy is far better than keeping it all to yourself!"
"..."
Watching the two of them bicker, Bi Ji—who was trailing behind—shook her head helplessly, though a gentle smile played upon her lips.
The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, meanwhile, wore expressions that suggested they were entirely accustomed to such antics.
...
The group found a hotel that looked quite grand and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch.
Naturally, Jiang Bai would never skimp on food or lodging for himself or his companions.
After the meal, they rented three premium rooms: one for the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, one for Bi Ji and Jiang Li’er, and one for Jiang Bai alone.
Upon returning to his room, Jiang Bai first took a long, relaxing hot bath to wash away the dust and fatigue of their journey.
Then, having changed into fresh clothes, he sat cross-legged upon the soft, spacious bed.
He needed to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the true origin of that pure, potent energy that had aided his recent breakthrough.
He had already examined his own body repeatedly; there were no anomalies—his soul power was solid, and his meridians were robust. With his own physical condition ruled out, the source most likely lay within... his Martial Soul Space.
Could it be a form of "back-feeding" from his little dragons?
With a shift of his intent, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda materialized in the palm of his hand; its crystal-clear structure rotated slowly, shimmering with a radiant nine-colored glow.
Jiang Bai took a deep breath and immersed his consciousness into the pagoda.
The moment he entered the miniature world within the pagoda, the sight that greeted him left his mind reeling and his jaw dropping in sheer astonishment!
Standing in the distance were two colossal eggs.
One was a fiery crimson from top to bottom, appearing as if it had been forged from molten magma, with golden flame-like patterns swirling across its surface. The other egg was entirely ice-blue, appearing as if carved from ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, its surface covered in intricate and exquisite patterns of deep-blue ice crystals.
The two colossal eggs stood in silent stillness—one radiating heat, the other cold—yet both exuded an aura of immense power and vastness, harboring a heart-shuddering vitality and an ancient majesty.
But what shocked Jiang Bai even more were the two massive, ethereal dragon souls hovering nearby!
To the left, a dragon soul—fiery red like burning embers—coiled in a long, sinuous form, radiating a fierce yet majestic presence.
To the right, a dragon soul—ice-blue like jade—moved with an air of elegance and nobility.
The remnant souls of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings!
Although they were mere phantoms, the oppressive aura of dragon royalty—looming high above all mortal beings—still caused Jiang Bai’s consciousness-form to tremble with an inexplicable mix of awe and reverence.
"Is that you?" The Ice Dragon King turned its massive head, its ice-blue eyes fixing upon the direction where Jiang Bai’s consciousness-form stood.
"The master of this spatial realm."