Chapter 89 - 88: Harvest
That was the first sentence, but the next one contradicted it completely.
"I have a grandson. He’s so filial. He’s a core disciple of the Moyun Sect, and his cultivation has reached Qi Cultivation Perfection."
....
The diary documented seventeen different grandsons, detailing how they had joined the Moyun Sect, along with their current cultivation and strength. Yet it all struck Zhao Zuo as utterly absurd.
The truth was... all of Xue Liang’s so-called grandsons were figments of his imagination. The man who had never hesitated for a moment in battle was actually a madman, unable to make sense of his own jumbled memories.
The earliest entry in the diary looked ancient. This meant that Xue Liang’s memory problems had started many, many years ago.
Finally, Zhao Zuo picked up the last scroll.
"Root-Seizing Technique."
This was another rather evil Secret Technique. It required a combination of many materials, including the blood of a close relative to draw an Array on the ground. Then, at midnight, when the yin energy was at its peak, the Secret Technique was used to seize that relative’s Spiritual Root, thereby allowing one to step onto the path of Cultivation.
’Perhaps Xue Liang’s Spiritual Root wasn’t the Five Spirit Roots that are activated by Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power after reaching the Innate Realm. Instead, he must have used this Secret Technique to steal the Spiritual Root of a blood relative. That’s how he became a Cultivator.’
’Cold and heartless, greedy and cruel, utterly selfish... He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.’
The items in the Storage Bag gave Zhao Zuo a much clearer picture of Xue Liang’s true nature, and it sent a chill down his spine. Who would have guessed that the seemingly kind old man, who was usually so lazy and always talking about his grandson, had actually turned his real grandson into a stepping stone for his own Cultivation many years ago?
Perhaps that was why he had conjured a non-existent grandson from his memories.
Zhao Zuo immediately set the diary and the Root-Seizing Technique on fire. The complete destruction of these two Evil Techniques lightened his mood and, at the same time, solidified his resolve.
’I want to become an Immortal who has feelings, who knows right from wrong.’
’Not a monster in human skin that just calls itself an Immortal.’
’Even if the day comes when my body is broken and my life is at its end, I will never use an Evil Technique to extend it!’
This was his original motivation for Cultivation, his most precious true self. Along his journey, he had gradually adapted to the cruelty of the Cultivation Realm, growing accustomed to the deceit and slaughter. But the nature forged in his soul over more than twenty years was too deep-rooted to change.
That was... the essence of his soul.
Take Xue Liang, for example. He used an Evil Technique to obtain a Spiritual Root and embark on the path of Cultivation. His future seemed bright, but wasn’t that act his very own Heart Demon? He could never forget stealing the Spiritual Root of his own kin... It chased him like a nightmare.
With a mentality like that, Xue Liang was destined never to achieve true immortality.
A Cultivator could be heartless or passionate, they could act wantonly and do as they pleased, but they must never betray their true self. Otherwise, it would inevitably create a knot in their heart. The Immortal Dao was vast and nebulous; how many people failed to see their own true nature? In this, Zhao Zuo was already far ahead of many others... by a huge leap.
But... what Zhao Zuo didn’t know was that all Xue Liang had sought was a chance to practice Cultivation. At the time, he couldn’t have cared less about a Heart Demon, nor how far he could go. All he wanted was a chance, and he was willing to pay any price for it.
Zhao Zuo picked up the final scroll and found it was also a Secret Technique, called the Wine God Curse.
This curse was rather unique. It had to be used in conjunction with Spirit Wine. While drinking with a target, one would use the Wine God Curse to infuse "Intoxicated with Wine Aroma" into their body. Over time, one could then activate the Wine God Curse to control this "aroma," plunging the enemy into a drunken state. With the addition of verbal cues, one could achieve complete control.
Zhao Zuo had fallen for this very technique unknowingly. The "Intoxicated with Wine Aroma" didn’t refer to the literal fragrance of the wine. Instead, it was a special substance, a form of manipulable energy contained within the Spirit Wine that had been transformed by the Wine God Curse.
Of course, the technique’s advantage was its extreme stealth, making it difficult to defend against. Its disadvantage was the long preparation time and its relatively weak effect. It was really only useful for bullying Loose Cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Stage who had weak souls.
The most impractical part of this technique was the exorbitant price of Spirit Wine. To Zhao Zuo, spending several hundred Spirit Stones just to plot against one person was far too costly. He couldn’t bear to part with that many Spirit Stones to set such a trap.
In the end, Zhao Zuo placed the technique into his Storage Bag. Although he didn’t plan on learning it, he could still keep it in reserve. Who knew... he might have a use for it one day.
Finally, there were the talismans.
There were eight One-Tier Intermediate Vajra Talismans.
The Vajra Talisman was a standard life-saving talisman for Loose Cultivators; basically everyone had a few on hand. What truly surprised Zhao Zuo, however, were the precious One-Tier High Level talismans. They used Demon Beast hide for the talisman paper, and their Spirit Ink was made from Demon Beast blood mixed with other materials.
Not only were they powerful, but they could also be stored for a very long time.
Among them were twelve One-Tier High Level Ice Talismans.
Eleven One-Tier High Level Blazing Talismans.
And only three One-Tier High Level Divine Wind Talismans.
Zhao Zuo didn’t bother counting the remaining Low-Tier talismans. These talismans alone were already worth around a thousand Spirit Stones, and that was before adding the few bottles of Purifying Spirit Pills... It was a massive haul.
Of course, Zhao Zuo planned to keep a few of these talismans for emergencies and sell the rest for Spirit Stones. Although talismans were a common combat method for Loose Cultivators, they didn’t align with Zhao Zuo’s personal path of development.
After he finished sorting everything, Zhao Zuo put the valuable items into his Storage Bag. As for the miscellaneous junk, he burned it to ash and buried it at the roots of two trees.
Although the day’s battle had been brief, it had left him physically and mentally exhausted. He decided to take the day off. After a simple late lunch, he lay down on his bed to rest.
For the first time in two months, Zhao Zuo was actually resting in a bed. He slept straight through until nightfall. When he woke up again, the wounds on his body were mostly healed. A cool sensation was still emanating from his abdomen.
The Source Water Pearl and the Clear Heart Jade Pendant were continuing to do their work. The former healed the external injuries on his body, while the latter focused on nurturing his spirit and meridians. Although the Clear Heart Jade Pendant had already broken down most of the "Intoxicated with Wine Aroma," some residue remained... and it was now being purged by the energy the pendant was emitting.
Zhao Zuo briefly assessed his body’s condition. He determined that the remnants of the "Intoxicated with Wine Aroma" would be completely purged in another day or two.
Furthermore, his current condition no longer hindered his meditation and Cultivation.
Zhao Zuo took out a Purifying Spirit Pill he had purchased from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. He didn’t dare to casually consume any of the Pill Medicine he’d taken from Xue Liang’s Storage Bag. As an Alchemist, it would have been all too easy for Xue Liang to hide undetectable traps or fatal poisons within them.
He planned to wait until his injuries were fully healed, then take them to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion to be sold. The Pavilion would naturally have people inspect the Pill Medicines for hidden traps, saving Zhao Zuo the trouble.
Zhao Zuo first closed his eyes and composed himself. Once his mind was calm, he placed the Purifying Spirit Pill in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. He had discovered that chewing the Pill Medicine increased its absorption efficiency and was more beneficial for increasing his cultivation.
A rich medicinal efficacy spread through his abdomen, transforming into pure Spiritual Power as it traveled through his meridians. After a simple Refinement, it settled in his Dantian. He quickly entered a state of deep meditation. His perception of the outside world vanished completely, leaving only the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power that surrounded him.
A faint, uncontrolled Spiritual Pressure began to spread out from him. Pure white Spiritual Power draped over Zhao Zuo’s body like a transparent veil. With each breath, two pillars of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power were drawn into his body, eventually settling in his Dantian.
The amount of Mana in Zhao Zuo’s Dantian was increasing at an incredible rate. The flow of Mana faintly formed a high-speed, rotating vortex, and his meridians grew tougher and stronger as the Mana washed through them.
That night, Zhao Zuo gained a new understanding of the basic Qi Cultivation Spell. His Cultivation speed rose to another level. He estimated that in another two months... his cultivation would be able to break through to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.
Zhao Zuo himself was oblivious to his current state. He was completely immersed in the process of his cultivation increasing, having forgotten his own existence.
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