9ooo Chapter 233 The Madness of the Final Moments (Part 1)
The eldest disciples of the elders were all surprised that the Grand Elder would allow Xuan Qing to marry into the Old Small Realm, causing quite a stir. Could the outside world really be better than this place? Like a celestial realm? Most people's first thought was whether the outside world was a paradise for cultivation, which stemmed from their ignorance of the outside world.
No one told them. The outside world is now in the industrial age, with severe global pollution, pervasive exhaust fumes, and spiritual energy so thin that it's only one-tenth of what it is in this world. All kinds of precious resources have been destroyed, making it a terrible environment.
That's fair to say. On average, a cultivator would need to cultivate in the outside world for twenty days to equal one day of cultivation in the cultivation world. The outside world can hardly be called a cultivation paradise.
However, the elders kept this a secret and didn't tell their disciples. They only warned them that going to the outside world was a great opportunity for training, to help them adapt to different environments, and to prepare them for hardship.
This is significant. It's certain that cultivation outside will be difficult. But no one considered the scarcity of spiritual energy and resources. Otherwise, if they knew, no one would have dared to speculate. Regarding the "house" advertisement in *Yin Xiao Dang Shuo*, before Xu Wenbo and the other four received their soul-planting, the five elders inquired about the outside world, including its natural environment, and knew it couldn't compare to this place.
It was a society that relied on external resources for development, with a population of seven billion, no one cultivating, and an extremely high reproductive capacity.
These are things that the plant cultivation world lacks but desires! The reproductive capacity of humans outside is far greater than here; such a large population is a potential source of plant cultivation disciples; these two factors alone make it worthwhile for the Qingxuan Sect to spend a great deal of money to establish a branch lineage outside.
Moreover, the outside world is where the ancient cultivators originally lived, which is also a major reason!
As soon as Xuan Qingban and Qingzhu stepped forward and stood side by side with Qi Hui, the remaining twelve senior disciples looked at each other and stirred. At this moment, a person stepped forward. It was Zhou Xie, the senior disciple of the Fourth Elder. He was a relatively low-key young man with a strangely handsome appearance and a touch of effeminacy.
As soon as Zhou Xie appeared, another person stepped out from the crowd. It was Han Peng, the eldest disciple of the Twelfth Elder, a burly man who was two meters tall. His muscles were bulging, and he looked very fierce.
With the appearance of these two, a third person quickly appeared: Huyan Qingtong, the Ninth Elder's eldest disciple, a compound surname. He had a cold and stern face, and his golden hair flowed down his shoulders; he was also an arrogant person.
At this moment, the Second Elder hesitated for a moment, glancing at his grandson Zhao Jun. Everyone knew that this boy liked Xuan Qingji. This was a good opportunity; since the eldest brother was letting Xuan Qingji return to the outside world, he naturally had to be willing to part with his grandson.
This is another opportunity!
But Zhao Jun stood there, torn between two options. He naturally wanted to win the beauty's heart. Every time he saw Xuan Qing lose, Zhao Jun felt a surge of desire, a rising urge to conquer. But this time was different. Zhao Jun also hoped to obtain the position of Seventh Elder. Without Xuan Qing's competition, it was practically his for the taking.
Obtaining this position would provide a better cultivation environment, more elixirs and magical artifacts, allowing him to grow stronger much faster. He might even surpass Xuan Qingban and become the top expert among the younger generation, truly reaching the strength standard of an elder.
Faced with this choice, Zhao Jun knew he had to give up one. After hesitating for a long time, he resolutely decided that he couldn't relinquish the position of Seventh Elder! Xuan Qingying was beautiful, but she looked down on him now. If he could become powerful, he could make Xuan Qinghui take him seriously. Besides, Xuan Qingban had only returned to the outside world. Who could be worthy of her? He was confident that Xuan Qingban wouldn't even look at anyone!
So, thinking about it this way, Xuan Qinghui was still his own. He was even less in a hurry.
Naturally, when the Second Elder, who was also his grandfather, looked over, he pretended not to see him. He kept his head down and didn't show himself.
"This kid!" The Second Elder frowned, having roughly grasped his grandson's intentions. It seemed he was determined to get the position of Seventh Elder.
Zhao Jun did not appear. Looking around, two more people stepped forward from the remaining group.
"Zhao Jun is here. My chances of winning are slim, so I might as well go out and try my luck!" This was the mindset of Feng Nie, the eldest disciple of Elder Nian.
"Even if the eldest sister goes out, there might be opportunities outside later," said another person. The fifth elder's eldest disciple was a female disciple. A graceful young woman named Lan Xinyu also came out.
After a long pause, seeing no one else volunteering, the Grand Elder nodded slightly, giving Zhao Jun a focused look, clearly somewhat disappointed. In truth, the Grand Elder also favored Zhao Jun as his granddaughter's husband, but in Xuan Qingxuan's eyes, this man was not a suitable match. Between power and Xuan Qingxuan, he chose the former.
That one glance chilled the hearts of the Second Elder and Zhao Jun; the First Elder clearly had a problem with him.
"Fifteen senior disciples. Eight of you step forward. Good, those eight are the best! The rest of you senior disciples, go down and keep this a secret!" The Grand Elder glanced at the eight with satisfaction, then waved his hand. Zhao Jun and the other six walked out of the back garden with slightly complicated feelings. From this moment on, they would be separated.
No one dared to disobey the Grand Elder's warning, so the seven of them immediately went into seclusion to cultivate after they went down, awaiting the selection of the elders.
"Ah, we're finally free!"
Zhang Guodong and his sixteen men were finally liberated, and they could live freely for a few days. However, they were not allowed to leave Fengdu City to avoid any danger.
The elders kept Xuan Qingban and the other eight behind and gave them instructions, but this was something that outsiders like Zhang Guodong couldn't know. All he knew was that since Xuan Qingban and the others were the eldest disciples sent out by the Qingxuan Sect to establish a branch lineage and ensure its continuation, they would naturally be given many valuable gifts.
These are good things. Who wouldn't want them? Thinking about it, they realized they'd acquired quite a few good things themselves. The elders naturally wouldn't be stingy with the eight, including Xuan Qingban, since the spiritual energy concentration outside was far lower than here. Cultivation was extremely difficult.
Back at the courtyard, undisturbed, Zhang Guodong was finally able to calmly examine the unknown items in the intermediate storage bag.
In addition to the conditions agreed upon by the Grand Elder, the intermediate storage bag also contained three jade talismans and one hundred low-grade crystals. The three jade talismans, in particular, were for recording information and were called memory talismans; their capacity was considerable. Normally, a basic memory talisman in this area could hold a book of a million words, demonstrating its impressive capacity.
"Methods for refining basic magic artifacts? Attack magic artifacts, defense magic artifacts, oh, I praise you, Elder!" Zhang Guodong was startled and overjoyed when he saw it. This memory talisman contained the methods for refining basic attack and defense magic artifacts, as well as the requirements for materials, their names, shapes, and characteristics.
It's a pity there are no methods for crafting intermediate or even advanced magical artifacts!
After looking at it for a while, Zhang Guodong was still not satisfied. However, there were only these items inside, so he picked up the second memory talisman. The advertisement for the "house" in the novel "Yin Xiao Dang Shuo" was as expected. The Grand Elder had gifted him two pill formulas, both for beginner-level pills: a Qi-boosting pill and a Yuan-replenishing pill. One formula was for treating injuries, especially those inflicted by cultivators, while the other was for replenishing depleted life force. Although crystals could also replenish it, pills could do so much faster, but the only drawback was that pills were too expensive.
The Grand Elder's intention was probably to enable Zhang Xiandong to better research new elixir formulas, so he was generous in giving them away.
However, since the Grand Elder has given away the pill formula, why not also give him a pill furnace in return? Although he has a comparable intermediate-level medicine cauldron, that's his own.
The third memory talisman sent a jolt through Zhang Guodong's heart. It contained a diagram of a basic spirit-gathering array, explaining clearly and in detail how to construct it. But that wasn't all; it also contained a diagram of a teleportation altar—no, more like a small teleportation array—and instructions on how to create teleportation talismans, all clearly marked with numerous profound symbols!
Was it a mistake by the Grand Elder? Did he give it to you without checking it? Or was it intentional on the Grand Elder's part?
After a moment of surprise, Zhang Guodong finally realized that perhaps the Grand Elder had given it to him intentionally. Couldn't the Grand Elder simply tell what was inside the memory talisman with a glance?
I just can't figure it out. But whatever, I'll just let it go. Anyway, I'm the one who benefits from this.
"No! I do have the small teleportation array diagram, but I don't have a single piece of the material used to build the teleportation array and teleportation talisman—Space Jade. That's how the process of falling from the clouds to the mortal realm occurred."
Zhang Guodong's hopes were dashed. Without the spatial jade, the teleportation array couldn't be built.
Where can I get spatial jade?
This problem is difficult to solve.
The spatial jade and some materials used to construct teleportation arrays mostly originate from the turbulent void of the universe. Materials that can exist in extremely dangerous void turbulence are all treasures. However, these treasures are mostly controlled by sects and powerful factions, and individuals rarely possess them.
Not to mention that you can buy it in a counterfeit market, that's just wishful thinking.
Zhang Guodong put away the three memory symbols, then took out a jade talisman of even higher quality, which he had obtained from Monkey Mountain. At that moment, a force blocked Zhang Guodong's path—it was a seal!
They actually placed a restriction!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Just then, someone knocked on the door outside the courtyard. Zhang Guodong glanced at the jade talisman and helplessly put it away. Perhaps his current strength was simply insufficient to open the jade talisman. Green Bamboo? Now that he was inside the room, he could also know everything around him.
Qingzhu was a little unhappy at the moment. Her round face showed her annoyance, and she kicked a stone, making a clattering sound as it hit the door.
Zhang Guodong broke out in a cold sweat and quickly got up to open the door.
"Senior Sister Qingzhu, what brings you here?" Zhang Guodong asked happily. Indeed, calling her "Senior Sister" this time made a real difference. After all, he was now a plant cultivator, even if his cultivation level was rather low.
There's something I need to point out. Although Zhang Guodong is already a plant cultivator, the Grand Elder didn't say which generation of disciples Zhang Guodong should belong to, or whether he should be considered a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect. This left Zhang Guodong puzzled.
Xu Ming and the others are now all sixth-generation outer disciples, while he himself is still an unregistered disciple. He felt utterly helpless.
But regardless, the Grand Elder planted a soul within him and bestowed upon him many gifts. He must repay this kindness.
Seeing Zhang Guodong, Qingzhu felt slightly better. The two entered the courtyard, and Zhang Guodong closed the gate before following her.
“This time, Senior Sister is going out. Naturally, I have to go out too, but that means I won’t be able to see Master anymore,” Qingzhu said with a troubled expression.
Zhang Guodong almost burst out laughing without thinking, but thankfully he held it in. Liu Na and Qingzhu, with their childlike innocence, were actually troubled by everyone's...
"Oh, the Grand Elder asked me to give you this." Qingzhu suddenly remembered that she had something to do, and a pill furnace appeared in her hand. It was about a foot and a half tall and covered with blue patterns.
"A pill-making furnace? What level is this?" Zhang Guodong's eyes lit up. He had thought the Grand Elder had some ulterior motive for sending the pill formula but not the furnace, but here it was, delivered right to his doorstep.
Qingzhu looked at Zhang Guodong with a strange expression as he accepted the alchemy furnace, which made Zhang Guodong feel uneasy. She then frowned and said, "This shouldn't be the case. The Grand Elder actually gave you an alchemy furnace?"
"What do you mean by 'tell the truth'?"
Zhang Guodong hurriedly said, "Lady, lady, you must maintain your ladylike demeanor! I immediately said, actually, the Grand Elder took pity on me and I like alchemy, so I asked the Grand Elder to give me an alchemy furnace. I didn't expect the Grand Elder to actually give it to me!"
"Is that really so? Well, it's just a basic alchemy furnace, and the Grand Elder is very easy to talk to!" Qingzhu said.
"You're saying this is just a beginner-level alchemy furnace? Not an intermediate one?" Zhang Guodong said disappointedly.
"Hehe, you want the intermediate level?" Zhang Zaidong nodded.
"No way! Most of the elders have mid-level alchemy furnaces. Only the Grand Elder has a high-level one. Do you think anyone can just get one whenever they want?" Qingzhu gestured as she spoke. "Don't underestimate this basic alchemy furnace; it's very expensive. Ordinary people can't afford it! It costs at least four thousand low-grade spirit stones!"
"So expensive?!" Zhang Guodong was truly moved. Four thousand low-grade crystals! He only had one thousand one hundred crystals now, no, even with the one hundred given by the Grand Elder, it was one thousand two hundred crystals. He couldn't even buy half a pill furnace.
Crystal? Zhang Guodong's eyes lit up. How could he forget about it?
There's no sign of that thing outside. If we really go back, where will we get the crystals? You know, replenishing the energy of the formation requires crystals—they're really valuable. We should get more!
"Guodong, you're up to no good. Are you thinking of some naughty idea?" Qingzhu waved her jade hand in front of Zhang Guodong's eyes, her face showing an excited expression that said, "I'm very interested in participating." She grinned mischievously.
Zhang Guodong looked at Qingzhu. He thought to himself that he was still unfamiliar with this place, and if he could team up with Qingzhu, with whom he had a good relationship, his gold rush plan would go much more smoothly.
"Senior Sister Qingzhu, how much wealth do you have? I mean, how many crystals do you own?" Zhang Guodong asked.
Qingzhu instinctively protected her storage bag, watching Zhang Guodong warily. Her storage bag was also a mid-level storage bag, purple in color; basically, every plant cultivator hid their precious items inside it.
In Qingzhu's storage bag were some unusual items belonging to a young lady, including crystals, magical artifacts, and medicinal herbs.
After a while, seeing that Zhang Guodong didn't seem to be after her storage bag, Qingzhu said dejectedly, "It's so-so, less than 1,600 yuan, low-grade stuff. I've saved this up for many years. Why are you asking about this?"
Zhang Guodong was taken aback. Sixteen hundred yuan? That wasn't a small sum. But then he thought about it again; he'd acquired twelve hundred low-grade crystals in relatively little time, quite easily.
"Would you like to have an inexhaustible supply of crystals?"
"Of course I've thought about it. But it's useless. Even if we go to mine for crystals, we might not find many, and we have to hand over twenty crystals a day. Twenty! If we're unlucky, we might even lose money. The crystal mine is managed by the Ninth Elder, and we can only enter if he approves," Qingzhu said.
"Crystal ore?" Zhang Guodong had intended to say that he would sell pills and then give Qingzhu some reward. But Qingzhu could actually contact large merchants.
Purchasing and selling medicinal herbs really requires a helper like Qingzhu; otherwise, it would be difficult for this gathering crystal to accomplish such a task in a short period of time.
But the girl misunderstood and reminded Zhang Guodong that the crystal they were using was mined from a crystal mine. This made his financial plans waver. Should they go mining?
However, judging from Qingzhu's words, this mine is not easy to mine, and it may even result in losses.
"How about this then? Let's try mining first. If it's really difficult, I'll pay your share. If we're lucky, we can mine for half a day and then think of other ways to earn some money. What do you think, Xiao?" Zhang Guodong pondered for a moment before speaking.
Qingzhu was initially skeptical. A hundred low-grade spirit stones a day or half a day wasn't a small sum for Zhang Guodong, was it? But when Zhang Guodong revealed his mid-grade storage bag, Qingzhu was dumbfounded. The Grand Elder had actually rewarded Zhang Guodong with a mid-grade storage bag? And a pill furnace too?
Regardless, Zhang Guodong's display of one hundred low-grade crystals reassured her. Thinking that it wasn't her who was taking the crystals, she happily led Zhang Guodong to a newly discovered small crystal mine outside the city belonging to the Qingxuan Sect.
Note: The main text is 4600 words. First update! Please subscribe; if you're able, please subscribe. Thank you!
The next update is being revised. Coming soon! I welcome all votes, reviews, and tips. When will the Heavenly Dao be envious of having an elder? To be honest, even if no one tips me afterward, the Heavenly Dao would be happy to have an elder. Hehe.
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