Chapter 317: The Three Major Concurrent Paths of Cultivators
Soon, the elders and chieftain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had gathered together.
Zhong Yue was present as well.
Reasonably speaking, even if he was the chief disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, he was no supposed to be a part of such a meeting. Even so, he was both a witness and victim of the incident, which was why he was allowed to listen in, just as he was needed to enlighten the others about certain circ.u.mstances.
But aside from him, the weakest amongst those present was Yuan Spirit-advanced.
Among them, the Senior Elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had veins of aura flowing over his body, having clearly reached Convergence.
And aside from the Senior Elder, Zhong Yue’s father, Zhong Wanshan, as well as a middle-aged man carrying a bronze bottle gourd over his back were Convergence-tier as well. In fact, the man with the bronze bottle gourd was also vice-chieftain and equal in rank to Zhong Wanshan, although his ability was a cla.s.s above Zhong Wanshan’s.
The bronze bottle gourd was itself quite famous, since it was a Sword Cultivating Bottle Gourd and a superior-grade sage item.
On the other hand, the chieftain looked like your typical middle-aged Daoist.
Presiding at the main seat, his aura went as deep as the ocean, and his presence felt like a keen sword that could be unsheathed at any given moment—he would look normal if he did not unleash his own power, but if he did, he would cut through the skies itself.
Being a Sufferance elite who had weathered seven retributions, he was just a notch beneath the Taixu sect chieftain in cultivation. Even so, the stronger and the weaker would only be known after a duel, not to mention that the Ten Thousand Swords Sect a.s.sumed the path of sword cultivators, a cla.s.s that was adept in attacking and killing in the first place, which meant it was not difficult for sword cultivators to kill individuals of equal rank.
“Zhong Yue!”
The Ten Thousand Swords Sect chieftain spoke then, and turned toward Zhong Yue, who was sitting at a corner of the great shrine. “Tell us what happened and remember not to spice it up. You shall be punished with ten years’ worth of reflection in the Ten Thousand Swords Cave if you prove to be lying in any way.”
Clearly, the chieftain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect knew how important the matter at hand was.
Though the secluded immortal sects were powerful, the might Jiang He had displayed meant his future potential was inestimable. Moreover, the chieftain knew how prideful and self-important Zhong Yue was and if he was acting like that in their sect, it was only imaginable how he would behave when encountering a commoner cultivator.
If it really were Zhong Yue’s fault, it was absolutely not worthwhile to have crossed a prodigy with the disposition of an elite.
Indeed, Zhong Yue could not help shuddering upon hearing the word Ten Thousand Swords Cave.
It was a forbidden ground of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and any who entered shall suffer the agony of ten thousand swords stabbing into their hearts. It was even possible that they would lose their mind at once if their Daoist heart proved lacking.
He quickly changed his phrasing and wording he had prepared beforehand so his story was closer to the truth. Even so, the real facts had left the many Elders of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect furious!
“An outrage!”
“This is an outrage!”
“Speaking while standing over him? A disciple of our Ten Thousand Swords Sect is offering him immortal cultivation! What is the problem with talking while standing above him?”
“That Jiang He brat is really belittling us! Chieftain, I am willing to go to the mortal realm and capture him.”
“Yes!”
That was when Zhong Yue’s tone then changed and he said, “Jiang He had learned sword array as well. If my eyes serve me right, it must have been the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array of our own sect.”
“What?”
The shrine was once again left shaking as the many elders were stunned. In fact, even the chieftain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect changed, and he asked with a frown, “Did you really see that?”
“True Habitant, I absolutely would not be mistaken.”
Zhong Yue spoke with utter confidence, “I had cultivated the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array after reaching Yuan Spirit tier as well. Though I have yet to fully grasped it right now, I’ve seen my parents and our sect elders cast it more than once—I definitely wouldn’t be mistaken.”
The chieftain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect turned silent at that, his expression turning somber.
It was only after a dozen seconds later that he stood up and somberly said, “Zhong Wanshan, you shall lead some among our ranks to the mortal realm tin three days and invite Jiang He here. The Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array is our secret technique that only our core hierarchy are permitted to cultivate, and even I, the chieftain, do not have the right to teach it to an outsider. How could a commoner cultivator be allowed to grasp it?”
Zhong Wanshan rose to his feet and accepted his orders, asking, “Chieftain, what if Jiang He is reluctant to come?”
“Have him cripple his Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array technique on the spot if he does not comply.”
The chieftain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect disappeared from the great shrine in a flash, although his voice continued resounding beside everyone’s ears.
Beneath the great shrine, delight showed in Zhong Yue’s eyes. Still, he soon remembered the scene when Jiang He released the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses, after of which he promptly said, “Father, that Jiang He brat has learned another stronger sword array and he can unleash Convergence-tier combat ability even if he is a Yuan Spirit-novice. Perhaps several other Elders are needed to capture him.”
Zhong Wanshan frowned.
Was that doubt toward his ability?
Nonetheless, he did not throw a fit immediately since it was his own son, and promptly turned toward the other Elders.
In response, the Third Elder, Sixth Elder and the Seventh Elder all stepped forth and said, “We’re with you, Chieftain Zhong.”
As a matter of fact, there were factions within the Ten Thousand Swords Sect too.
According to sect rules, once the chieftain weathered the Ninth Retribution and reached Mahayana, they would resign their post of chieftain and Supreme Venerable Elder. After that, the new chieftain would be picked among the two vice-chieftains.
The three elders who happened to come forward all belonged to Zhong Wanshan’s faction and Seventh Elder was Zhong Yue’s mother herself.
Of the remaining six elders, three of them belonged to the vice-cardinal who carried the bronze bottle gourd.
On the other hand, the other three elders and the Convergence-tier senior elder were all neutral.
***
Meanwhile, Jiang He had no idea at all that the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the Penglai Immortal Sect were ready to attack him. Right then, he was sitting at a corner of his farm, munching on sunflower seeds and drinking Origin Fluid.
There was a golden field of rice ahead of him and Jiang He felt joy at the sight of the heavy grains dangling from the tip of the stalks.
“Is this the bliss of harvest?”
After having a sip of Origin Fluid to moisten his throat that was a little dry from munching sunflower seeds for a long time, Jiang He could not help barking out, “What the h.e.l.l are you doing?! Seven brothers! Yes, you! Harvest the rice right now!”
[Ding!]
[+1 Farm Point.]
[Ding...]
System Notifications jingled relentlessly in his head.
He had only managed to plant over a hundred catties of rice last time and harvested over 280,000 Farm Points in return. Now that he had planted several hundred catties, this harvest alone had earned Jiang He over a million Farm Points.
Instructing Dumbo, Trumbo, and the Seven Bottle Gourd Brothers to harvest every last grain of rice, Jiang He then had Dumbo cast its earth-type powers to plough the land and Trumbo to water it with its water-type abilities before planting more rice.
“If we keep this up and plant every last grain of rice, this thousand over catties of rice would earn me three million Farm Points... one rice stalk is one Farm Point, so if there are over three million catties of rice, and one rice stalk ultimately produces one catty worth of Dragontooh Rice...”
Gasp!
Jiang He could not help inhaling sharply.
He... had actually harvested over three million catties of rice?
Even if Dumbo, Trumbo, the Seven Bottle Gourd Brothers and his two golden eaglets were all accounted for, it would at least last them over a hundred years even if they ate over a hundred catties of rice every day, would it not?
Moreover, they also had wheat to plant and they certainly could not eat rice everyday...
Even both were served in the afternoon as plain rice and noodles in the evening, it would last them over 200 years!
“Actually, calculating it like this is incorrect, since I would occasionally forget about eating and perhaps only eat once after three to four days after my cultivation strengthens. That is why this 300 over catties of rice could last me 500 years.”
Jiang He then turned to look at another corner.
The Jiang-Style Pellet Refinement, Jiang-Style Item Refinement, and array were ripe.
On the other hand, the sword that had speckles of rust which was delivered courtesy of w.a.n.g Hou... had just sprouted.
The sword tip had just breached ground, with an immortal radiance flowing around it.
Jiang He did a double take before sensing it closely, and could not help changing his expression. “Immortal light... immortal powers? Could this be Heavenly Master Xu’s Mosquito Cutter, and an Immortal Weapon at that?”
Calming himself down, Jiang He could not help smiling as delight filled his face. “I really owe Old w.a.n.g big for this one if it really is an immortal item... from an elite’s perspective, a real immortal item is priceless.”
Jiang He stepped forward and plucked a jade scroll from one of the jade trees.
[Ding!]
[+100,000 Farm Points.]
A System Notification jingled in his mind.
It was the Jiang-Style Pellet Refinement.
[Ding!]
[Would you spend a million Farm Points to cultivate Jiang-Style Pellet Refinement, Host?]
Jiang He did not grade his pellet refinement technique at all.
Such ha.s.sle was unnecessary anyway.
The pellet refinement is mainly a refinery method. Once mastered, he could refine any medicinal pellet with sufficient materials and the right pellet recipe.
“It’s just a million Farm Points—spare change. Cultivate!”
[Ding!]
[-1 million Farm Points.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered Jiang-Style Pellet Refinement.]
At the same instant that the System notification jingled in his mind, substantial information surged into his mind, and Jiang He gained an epiphany... He is a master pellet-refinist from this day forth, and one who innovated the discipline at that!
Of course, said innovation mainly refered to the shape of the pellet being refined....
“By the way...”
Jiang He suddenly remembered something then.
Don’t other pellet-refinists use pellet cauldrons?
Screw me...
“I actually forgot about the cauldrons when I developed the pellet refining method... Wait, no... I’m using molds to shape my pellets, so doesn’t that mean my molds are my cauldrons?”
Even as he thought, Jiang He plucked off the jade scroll from the next jade tree.
[Ding!]
[+100,000 Farm Points.]
[Would you spend a million Farm Points to cultivate Jiang-Style Item Refinement, Host?]
“Cultivate!”
[Ding!]
[-1 million Farm Points.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered Jiang-Style Item Refinement.]
Jiang He felt a humming sound in his head once again as voluminous information streamed inside his mind once more, and he muttered, “So, not only am I a master pellet-refinist, I’m a master item-refinist too?”
Well...
Weren’t the refinement techniques for item-refinement and pellet-refinement a little too easily learned?
But why would those novels all describe masters of item-refinement and pellet-refinement being a super rare-breed, with some even unable to refine high-grade medicinal pellets after training in that discipline throughout their lives?
‘What a coincidence. I was about to get pellet recipes from Elder Mu in two days after I head overseas. I could ask for some pellet materials as well and experiment with cooking some pellets,’ Jiang He thought as he turned towards the third jade three.
It had a jade scroll dangling on its branches too.
[Ding!]
[+100,000 Farm Points.]
Another System Notification jingled after he plucked the jade scroll, and he could not help scowling and cursing, “d.a.m.n it, isn’t this System too shady? If each array costs five hundred thousand Farm Points to learn, wouldn’t learning all four cost me two million Farm Points?”
Though he had thought that a million Farm Points was spare change just a while ago, how did it turn into four million in the blink of an eye?
“Learn!”
“Learn all four arrays!
Jiang He clenched his teeth, and more System Notifications jingled in his head—
[Ding!]
[-2 million Farm Points.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered the Great Nine Heavens Array of Dragon Sealing (sealing array).]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered Nine Heavens Thunderflame Array (death array).]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered Earthen Black Tortoise Array (guard array).]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered Ten Thousand Phenomenon Array (illusory array).]
Jiang He could not help feeling amused as various profoundly mysterious knowledge about arrays streamed inside his mind.
With that, aside being from a master pellet-refinist and item-refinist... he was a master of arrays as well.
‘I’ve grasped the three major paths for all cultivators now, and what’s next is to create array flags and array boards, as well as to cast one protective array over my house in two days. I could also put up around ten arrays at the Stargate entrance, and I can sleep easy after that.’
‘Hmmm...’
‘I remember promising the Martial Arts Academy some crops. After I’m done harvesting my rice, I’ll plant cuc.u.mbers and some other vegetables.’
‘After that, I’ll plant the array flag and array board, as well as get everything else done in two days. Then, I’ll head overseas to help the Superpower Research Department catch some Ferals...’ Jiang He thought to himself, stuffing his schedule full of arrangements over the next two days.