Archfiend

Chapter 356: Spirit Addiction (1)

In the night, the wind seemed drunk.

The private doctor of the Li Family hurried over to a mansion. Yet inside the most lavish room of the estate, Master Tian and Li Mingfang were both standing ahead of a seat with reservation. They didn’t dare to sit.

In front of them, a cup flew up, light as a feather. Afterwards, a quiet sipping noise rang out, and the teacup lid moved. Li Mingfang and Master Tian tightly pursed their lips, hearts beating like drums.

This was the unknown. Towards the unknown, men held an instinctual fear, as explained by psychological specialists. And yet… this was in kind a serendipitous chance!

Maybe… possibly… if by chance… 

So long as there was a shred of opportunity, it would be the Li Family’s time to rise!

“Sit.” Xu Yangyi sipped his tea and set down the cup. “Tell the truth. I don’t like outsiders being over-cautious. All I want to do is chat with you two.”

Cultivators didn’t believe in ghosts or gods, only honoring themselves. In not even believing these supernatural beings, then why so much esteem for other humans? Xu Yangyi disapproved of groveling and sycophancy.

Nevertheless, no one dared to sit.

“Sit down.” Xu Yangyi was somewhat impatient, and his voice became a fraction lower. Only then did Li Mingfang and Master Tian clench their teeth and sit. They didn’t take the lead to speak first, however.

“Please help me find a set of clothes.” Xu Yangyi gave his three measurements. “There’s no other meaning in me not showing myself now. I don’t make it a habit to see other people half-naked. That’s disrespectful.”

Li Mingfang faintly sighed in his heart and immediately had someone do the task.

The clothes were delivered quickly. An ordinary white shirt, trousers, and leather shoes. Xu Yangyi finally took off his camouflage that was mixed with blood and mud. A cleansing technique traveled over his entire body. He then understood why so many seniors had multiple sets of clothing when they took missions.

In front of Li Mingfang and the old man, azure light flashed. A tall, young man slowly appeared in the azure light. His looks were obviously not gentle. His brows were like swords and his eyes were stars, containing the slight hint of a bladed edge. His entire person sitting there, however, gave people a sense of… 

Having transcended the secular world?

This word inexplicably surfaced in Li Mingfang’s mind, but he felt it was exceptionally fitting.

Master Tian’s gaze sparked acutely. So young… Xu Yangyi was truly young! Was this through some other technique?!

“I have a few questions that I hope you can explain.” Xu Yangyi set aside his cup and became serious-faced. “First, explain to me what a spirit-master is. Afterwards, tell me about this so-called Guardian-Magus of the State. What’s his realm?”

It wasn’t necessary at all for him to explain to them why he wanted to ask these questions. This was the reflection of power.

As expected, a tinge of doubt flickered through the old man’s and Li Mingfang’s eyes. Shortly, Master Tian first bowed slightly and answered in a low voice, “A spirit-master can store spiritual force inside the body and moreover use it. Presently, so long as one passes the Spirit-Master branch’s exam, you can be awarded the medal of junior spirit-master.”

“Master.” Aware of the situation, Master Tian discreetly followed up, “There aren’t many spirit-masters. In the entire Clearcloud Realm, the figure is only a little north of a thousand. The State of Shangchen is a power of the Clearcloud Realm. It has over 300 spirit-masters, but 500 million citizens. It is no exaggeration to say that one spirit-master comes from ten million. Therefore, there are only Spirit-Master branches in Baizhai City and two or three other major cities.”

“And there are a total of three Guardian-Magi of the State. Master Mu Yang, Master Cui Xusheng, and Master Zu Huai’en. Their realms…” he mumbled to himself for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, though, Xu Yangyi cut him off with a raised hand.

“Can they fly?”

“No!” This time, not only did Master Tian speak, but Li Mingfang also immediately said, “There’s never been a spirit-master in any record that can fly.”

Xu Yangyi nodded and continued asking, “Can qi leave their bodies? And cause injuries?”

“That’s a no, as well,” Master Tian said certainly. “Any spirit-master’s combat methods all rely on physique arts. Spirit arts can be used in addition to physique arts to create an even greater and intenser attack. Furthermore, reaction, eyesight, and hearing are increased by a wide margin. There are records of a spirit-master who took down an enemy stronghold alone, because he had a top-notch physique art.”

The Great Circle Of Qi Condensation.

After asking these two questions, he already had a figure in his heart. In addition, this Great Circle wasn’t very solid.

Even if he was in the Qi Condensation realm as well, he could mold his qi, for example the Ten Cardinals Red Lotus. These were all essential arcane efforts. Even Heavens Law’s fundamental arcane effort could attack with many forms, like a dragon, a half-moon, and a tiger. Presently, though, these people actually couldn’t accomplish this feat.

Perhaps… if they encountered an elite like Chu Zhaonan on Earth, the gunslinger would be enough to overturn these “Guardian-Magi of the State”. And Earth’s “Guardian-Magi of the State”… if they arrived here, maybe the people here wouldn’t call the Core Formation ancestors anything but an “immortal”.

“Then…” he asked his last question, “What inheritance arcane efforts do the spirit-masters have? Such as some kind of great magik, to amplify qi. Is there some systemic method of cultivation, offensive divine abilities, defensive divine abilities, supplementary magiks that can be said to be an entire set of secret cultivation arts?”

Even Master Tian looked at him as if he’d seen a ghost. He said after ages, “Master Xu, this… I’ve never heard of these kinds of secrets arts… I think that if they do exist that it would perhaps kick off a national war…”

Xu Yangyi smiled, and his slender finger beat the table neither slowly nor hurriedly.

“Is it like that outside the country, too?” he asked again a few seconds later.

“Yes, the entire Clearcloud Realm is like that.”

Xu Yangyi finally heaved out a long sigh.

The lowness of the realms is still reasonable. After all, the qi is too thin here. But… there aren’t any inheritances. It was Earth that obviously discovered this Lesser Thousand World, so why are there no inheritances?

If it was before, maybe a colony war began. However, its Cultivation Civilization now. Not to mention a Core Formation ancestor, even a peak genius like Sunnihilator would make this realm bow their heads if he came here. A cultural invasion is the best way to get them to fully merge into Earth’s confines. Even a young cultivator like me knows that, so how could the ancestors not?

He only pondered, but then gave up continuing to think. Somethings only needed a few seconds of reflection. Even with the bodhi seed helping him, he still couldn’t settle it. In addition, he was certain of this realm’s power system. He had a lot of time to settle his power here.

The Rootless Nine Bends Aqua, the Myriad Spirits Pill… the smelting god art, the Heavenly Opening Six Erosions, the supreme-grade spirit stone, the Voidspirit Immortal Physique, and Butterflymother Southflower’s remnant soul, all of this would require ten years, or an even longer period of time, to comprehend. On Earth, he, who had already brought forth a massive tsunami, just didn’t have such time. If he hadn’t left, the entire world’s Core Formation masters would’ve next ordered for him to be chased down and killed.

This place… was too fitting for the current him.

The spiritual force was weak?

It didn’t matter. With the supreme-grade spirit stone, a Spirit Focusing Formation would teach everyone who was top dog. [1] 

Heavenly treasures, all for me to take and use. A supreme-grade spirit stone in exchange for several decades of steady peace, and it won’t even be used up. It’s too worth it.

“Good.” He curbed his thoughts and looked at the duo. “Now, tell me, why does everyone have spiritual force? Why was Uncle Long able to transform into a cultiv… spirit-master in a second? Why would there be ‘Spirit Addiction’?”

Li Mingfang was quiet for a few seconds and looked meaningfully at Master Tian. “I think I’ll be able to explain this question more clearly than Master Tian.”

Xu Yangyi made an inviting gesture.

“In fact, everyone has a congenital weakness.” His first sentence caused Xu Yangyi to raise a brow.

“Each person in the Clearcloud Realm is like this. It’s unknown why, but everyone’s bodies get pretty ill. There was a scientist who speculated that the Clearcloud Realm wasn’t like this tens of millions of years ago. Maybe in the universe, there were other continents surrounding the Clearcloud Realm. Maybe there’s nobody or somebody, but they’ve all disappeared into the long, endless river of history. Maybe they were grinded up by the cosmos. It’s because we’re missing the help of these other continents that the constitution of the people from the Clearcloud Realm isn’t good.”

Xu Yangyi inwardly nodded. He didn’t care who this scientist was. Still, maybe it was because there was a moon and stars on Earth. Perhaps it was related or not. At the very least, the situation of Earth’s denizens was much better in comparison then what Li Mingfang spoke of the Clearcloud Realm.

He’d also heard pretty amazing things that he didn’t understand about the moon, tide, and so on. He moreover knew that any ecosystem was a ring. With one thing missing in the loop, another setting would emerge.

“Before qi was developed, about over 200 years ago, the basic life expectancy in the Clearcloud Realm was basically around forty years. Once they hit forty, a majority of people would experience organ failure and die. Because of this, our medical technology is very developed. But, we’ve never been able to crack this hard question. Over 200 years ago, though, well, to be exact, 212 years ago, a great hero emerged in the Clearcloud Realm!” 

As he reached this point, his voice carried a sliver of pride. “He was the Clearcloud Realm’s first spirit-master! He discovered the usefulness of spirit force and created a cultivation canon known as the modern spirit-master world’s peerless and majestic work in ten years—the Zhang Family’s Cultivation Magic! And once all of the Clearcloud Realm’s people cultivated the Zhang Family’s secret art, all of them would live past the chasm of forty years old!”

“After 34 years, the Zhang Family’s Cultivation Magic was spread to entire realm. It was given to all elementary schools, middle schools, and universities. The first chapter is considered a must-read. The Zhang Family became the realm’s most illustrious family! And at the same time, because of life prolongment, each nation exploded with incredibly powerful innovation ability and passion. The 160 years from the start to then are called the ‘Golden 160 Years’. The progress speed of science and technology even surpassed the sum of the past several centuries!”

Arriving at this juncture, Li Mingfang felt honored as a person of the Clearcloud Realm, as if he saw the Zhang Family that the entire realm thought highly of. The expression in his eyes was somewhat floaty.

Xu Yangyi nodded but didn’t object.

Since Earth had discovered this place, civilization had been imported, but it was unknown why it had been severed. Nonetheless… who could confirm that the number one figure of the Zhang Family hadn’t been taught Earth’s cultivation?

The cultivation system… was China’s 5,000 years of achievement! Thus was there a tenet of four: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul. Thus was there the myriad and varied arcane efforts of cultivation. Could it be that this figure of the Zhang Family surpassed the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors? What a joke!

The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were the accumulation of countless sages of the past. If this person truly walked Earth’s millennia of cultivation process in a span of decades, then perhaps it was merely one path. Xu Yangyi dared to say that this person hadn’t even cultivated to the damn Nascent Soul realm!

“What was his name?” Xu Yangyi asked coolly. 

“Zhang Guangyao! Grandmaster Zhang! The number one figure of the Clearcloud Realm! Only he alone can be called grand master!”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze brightened in an instant. Like a fierce beast leaving its cage, he stared daggers at Li Mingfang.

“You… say that again?”

1. “Would teach everyone who was top dog”. This is a particular Chinese slang that has root in web gaming (分分钟教做人”. Perhaps a more direct translation would be “Minute after minute teach you to be a man”. Supposed to be used in a kind of ridiculing manner.