Chapter 471 - 432: Shackles and Gathering

Chapter 471: Chapter 432: Shackles and Gathering

After many years, the Spirit Fields had grown to a considerable scale. Brimming with life, they covered nearly ten acres, where hundreds of types of Spirit Medicines of varying ages were planted in neat rows.

The Spirit Fields were all of superior quality. Each was equipped with a Spirit Nourishing Array, which not only prevented the fields’ Spiritual Qi from dissipating but also drew in external Spiritual Qi to nourish them.

Moreover, every month, a Spirit Plant Puppet would fertilize the Spirit Fields on schedule to maintain the power of the Spirit Soil.

This fertilization, of course, was not fertilization in the mundane sense. It involved rare fertilizers made from various Spiritual Materials. Different types of Spirit Fields also required Spiritual Fertilizers with different effects.

His nearly ten acres of Spirit Fields, for example, were all a type unique to the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World: flesh-and-blood Spirit Fields. These were created through a special Secret Technique that involved refining the flesh and blood essence of Demon Beasts into the Spirit Soil.

The greatest advantage of such Spirit Fields was their ease of maintenance. One only had to apply the refined flesh and blood essence to the fields periodically to guarantee the power of the Spirit Soil.

This was unlike the common Spirit Fields of the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, which all required various rare Spiritual Materials to be refined and consumed.

Of course, where there were advantages, there were naturally disadvantages.

For one thing, the efficacy of these flesh-and-blood Spirit Fields was considerably lower than that of the Spiritual Material-based fields in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World. The greater disadvantage, however, was that because the fields were made from flesh and blood, they were more likely to breed Spirit Insects that destroyed the Spiritual Plants. The Spirit Insects that emerged were often more ferocious, destructive, and difficult to handle.

In the past, the fields had only been used to grow Low Tier Spirit Medicine with ages of a dozen or several dozen years. But now, with the expansion of the True Understanding Pavilion, there were clearly many more Spirit Medicines of advanced age within the fields.

Spirit Medicines that were hundreds of years old were not in short supply here.

Chu Mu strolled through the fields, his fingertips twitching occasionally. Bursts of Finger Snap Blade Qi shot out, annihilating the various Spirit Insects that had appeared in the Spirit Fields.

After making a round to check on the growth of the Spiritual Plants, Chu Mu leisurely passed through a covered walkway and entered the rear courtyard.

"AWOOOO..."

The moment he stepped into the courtyard, a massive figure shot toward him with an excited roar.

A smile touched Chu Mu’s lips. He raised a hand, catching the pouncing Wangcai, and ruffled his head with a hearty laugh.

As Chu Mu walked, Wangcai trotted closely behind, occasionally lifting his head to affectionately nuzzle the corner of Chu Mu’s robes.

"Come."

He sat down in the courtyard and beckoned. Wangcai obediently lay down before him.

Chu Mu’s expression grew slightly solemn. In an instant, his Divine Sense enveloped Wangcai’s Demon Body, meticulously examining its condition and bloodline, as if peeling silk from a cocoon.

Though he had been away from Chixia for many years, he obviously couldn’t just leave Wangcai to fend for himself.

All the Spirit Stones this True Understanding Pavilion in Chixia earned each month, aside from what was needed for basic operations, were used on his orders to support Wangcai’s Cultivation.

He was fed a daily, uninterrupted diet of flesh, all from Tier Two Demon Beasts. With the incessant wars in recent years, they had even managed to procure the flesh of Tier Three Demon Beasts for Wangcai’s meals.

Fueled by such abundant resources, several years passed, and Wangcai’s Cultivation was now not far from reaching Tier Two Perfection.

Although his Cultivation progress was good, with Chu Mu’s knowledge of bloodlines, it was not difficult to see that the limitations of the Vajra Wolf Bloodline were already becoming apparent.

The Earth Tier Lower Grade Vajra Wolf Bloodline basically doomed Wangcai’s potential to peak at Tier Three Lower Grade.

And now, with Wangcai’s Cultivation at Tier Two Late Stage and approaching Tier Two Perfection, he was clearly nearing the ultimate limit of his Vajra Wolf Bloodline.

Breaking through to Tier Two Perfection might not be difficult, but as for undergoing Core Formation and transforming into a Tier Three Demon Beast, the chances were infinitesimally small given the potential of his Vajra Wolf Bloodline.

Under his meticulous observation, this prediction became increasingly clear.

After more than a decade of a constant daily diet of flesh, Wangcai should have, by all logic, already broken through to Tier Two Perfection.

But now, the massive amount of Blood Qi from his meals was accumulating in his body, yet it struggled to transform from quantity into quality. The situation was like a bottleneck.

The once-smooth path of his Cultivation was growing ever narrower and more treacherous as he approached his bloodline’s limit. Eventually, it would become an insurmountable chasm.

"Vajra Wolf Bloodline..."

About an hour or so later, Chu Mu slowly withdrew his Divine Sense, muttering thoughtfully to himself.

’The problem of Wangcai’s bloodline limitation isn’t difficult to solve.’

’I’ve already mapped out the Vajra Wolf Bloodline’s lineage, and I have plenty of experience with bloodline fusion experiments.’

’As long as I can find a compatible bloodline of the same origin, I can induce a fusion and transformation, ultimately triggering an Ancestral Return. His bloodline’s potential will expand, and that insurmountable chasm will naturally turn back into a smooth path.’

’The only problem is finding a bloodline that shares the same root as the Vajra Wolf.’

’Back in the Secret Realm, I wandered for more than half a year, partly to find a chance to heal my injuries, and partly to find an opportunity for Wangcai’s bloodline to evolve.’

’Although there were beings in the Secret Realm that shared an origin with the Vajra Wolf Bloodline, their bloodline Grades were all too low. They were no match for the Vajra Wolf Bloodline, so there was no hope of an effect where the sum was greater than its parts, let alone completing a fusion and transformation.’

As his thoughts swirled, Chu Mu waved his hand, and a blood-stained Demon Body dropped into the courtyard.

It was the torso of a snake, inky-black in color. Though it was only half a body and had been dead for a long time, the sharp aura of its Tier Three Cultivation still lingered faintly.

Wangcai seemed somewhat startled, but seeing that it was just half of a dead snake, he suppressed his fear. He looked up at Chu Mu, and after getting a nod of encouragement, he wagged his tail and stepped forward to begin devouring the Tier Three Demon Body that Chu Mu had acquired at a trade fair.

Then, as if remembering something, Chu Mu took out the Sound Transmission Order from his robes. As expected, a message was flashing on it.

After a moment’s thought, he leaped into the air and vanished into the sky. A few dozen breaths later, he slowly descended again.

This time, however, he was no longer at the True Understanding Pavilion, but had landed outside a great hall in the city center.

The hall was named Cyan Wood, the Golden Core Mansion of one of Chixia’s guardian cultivators.

After Celestial Cloud True Master fell all those years ago, it was this Cyan Wood True Master who took his place as Chixia’s guardian.

It was said that his Cultivation had also reached Golden Core Perfection. In Chixia City today, aside from the elusive Nascent Soul Great Power who rarely showed their face, this Cyan Wood True Master was arguably the de facto ruler of Chixia.

When Chu Mu returned to Chixia, he had received an invitation to meet with Cyan Wood True Master on just the second day. Through that meeting, he came into contact with the many Vast Sea Golden Core cultivators currently gathered in the city.

The times being what they were, Cyan Wood True Master would also invite the various Golden Core cultivators to gather from time to time, usually to discuss the war in Chixia and exchange information. Naturally, these gatherings also included discussions about Cultivation.

Exchanges of Cultivation experience and resources made it a special kind of trade meet.

Although he had not fully participated in Chixia’s war, as someone who had just entered the Golden Core Realm, he would not miss out on these Golden Core Level exchanges.

"Senior, this way please!"

Just as he arrived outside the hall, several Maids came forward to greet him.

Chu Mu gave a calm nod and followed the Maids into the hall.

The hall was majestic, but its interior was a world unto itself. Pavilions, small bridges, and flowing streams were all laid out within, as if a separate, tranquil courtyard had been constructed inside the grand building.

"Fellow Daoist Chu."

Just as he entered, a voice called out from the side.

The speaker was a child in a brocade robe who looked like a mortal toddler. But obviously, there could be no ordinary mortal children in a Golden Core Mansion.

The Five Poison Child!

From what Chu Mu had gathered recently, this person was quite famous in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World.

Legend said his bloodline was a special type of Poisonous Toad bloodline, ranking at the Celestial Tier, and that he cultivated the exceedingly rare Poison Dao.

Perhaps because of this special bloodline, the Five Poison Child had maintained this childlike appearance ever since he rose to fame.

Though only at the Early Stage of Golden Core, his rare Poison Dao Cultivation was enough to make anyone wary.

Chu Mu, however, wasn’t worried. ’My Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency is the perfect disguise.’

’After all, who would believe that a master with exquisite skills in both Artifact Refining and Alchemy could also possess formidable Combat Power?’

’Even though my Puppetry Skill is also well-known, anyone would subconsciously assume that my abilities are confined to the path of Artifact Refining.’

’No one would be too wary of me.’

’Even when Cyan Wood True Master repeatedly invited me to join the war against the Demon Beast invasion in Chixia, that "participation" was purely for my Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency. He didn’t want me fighting to the death on the front lines.’

’After all, Golden Core True Masters aren’t rare in Chixia these days, but an Artifact Refining Master and an Alchemy Master at the Golden Core Realm? That is undoubtedly a rarity.’

"Come, come, Fellow Daoist Chu, let me introduce you. This is True Master Muban from Gangzhou. Just like you, Fellow Daoist Chu, he also came from the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World and has been settled in the Vast Sea for many years."

"Muban, I’m sure you’re no stranger to Fellow Daoist Chu. His Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency is famous throughout the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World."

The Five Poison Child made the introductions excitedly. A middle-aged man in a light-blue long robe also gave Chu Mu a slight nod.

After a round of pleasantries, once they were acquainted, the Five Poison Child abruptly changed the subject.

"I hear you’ve recently been searching for a High Tier bloodline that shares the same origin as the Vajra Wolf Bloodline?"

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow and looked at the Five Poison Child. "Do you have news, Fellow Daoist?"

"HAHAHA, how would I have any? If I did, I would’ve brought it out to trade with you, Fellow Daoist. I recently hunted a Tier Three Celestial Water Turtle and was hoping you could help me process it..."

"However, at this gathering, you should be able to get your wish."

The Five Poison Child pointed toward the inner part of the hall with a mysterious expression, as if he held a winning hand.

"You mean to say..."

Chu Mu’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Hahaha, I didn’t say a thing."

The Five Poison Child waved his hands dismissively and changed the subject. "A Tier Three Celestial Water Turtle Shell... what kind of Magical Treasure do you think it could be refined into, Fellow Daoist?"

Chu Mu glanced toward the depths of the hall, toward the gathering area. The most eye-catching object there was the Cyan Wood Seat, which was said to be refined from a thousand-year-old piece of Cyan Wood and was a rare Support-type Magical Treasure.

A glint appeared in his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he finally turned to the Five Poison Child and began to discuss the matter of Artifact Refining...

...