Chapter 99: Travel Revitalizes the Cultivation World (99% complete)
“That’s it. I’ve once again made a brilliant appearance at the moment when the host needs me most.” 444’s tone was full of pride.
"As expected of you, you're always so reliable, no matter what." 10086 gave a thumbs up.
996 rolled his eyes: "It's just a way to fool 10086."
Just then, a few new dishes were served. 10086 sniffed and its eyes lit up, but it didn't know how to use chopsticks and was very anxious. In the end, it simply took its bowl and ran to the next table, begging Shui Fan to help it pick up some food.
"I want this, this, and this."
Shui Fanle, also a food critic, offered his help: "This is delicious too, you should try it."
Not long after, it returned with a full bowl of vegetables, looking quite satisfied. It picked up its chopsticks and began to poke at the vegetables with great effort.
996 stared in disbelief, and after a long while, turned to the side and said, "Is it really possible for someone to have such poor learning ability?"
The 444 next to it couldn't care less about arguing with it anymore; its eyes were filled with disbelief.
“Honey, we can’t expect all systems to be as adaptable as you two.” 1314 glanced at them.
10086 ignored what they were saying, happily cupped its face and exclaimed, "My host really didn't lie to me, human-made food is a million times tastier than data-generated food!"
12345 was speechless: "Hey, as a system, can you please be more precise with the data quantification? Ten thousand times is too exaggerated."
10086 snorted defiantly, "These are common rhetorical devices used by humans. You're not human, so you won't understand."
"I feel like you're indirectly insulting me, just because my overall internship rating is one point higher than yours?"
"Even a single point is worth bringing up repeatedly!"
"If you want to fight, you can go outside. This is a restaurant, and you'll have to pay for any damages. We're penniless right now," 1314 said, pretending to try and mediate.
1818, who had been silent until now, suddenly looked up: "Huh? Didn't you use your private points to exchange for spirit stones before you left?"
The entire system fell silent instantly.
"Or did your host not leave you any points for yourselves?"
With a naive and innocent remark, it accurately swept through all the systems.
"Shut up, I know your host is the richest!" 444, who even paid off its host after the mission, covered its mouth.
The systems were making a ruckus for a while, until they started gossiping about their absent colleagues, at which point they gradually quieted down.
"Have you heard? 3344 went to see its ninth host for a quick look, and then went to do its next mission."
"It's something it's capable of doing."
"At the time, 666 and its host happened to be there. They heard that 3344's host was crying so hard, as if she had been abandoned, but even so, they couldn't bring 3344 back."
"His heart is as hard as iron."
“3344 was probably the first among us to start looking for a job.”
"Yeah, it picked a really difficult task and left, super carefree. Not long ago it started posting on the system forum to live stream the progress of the new task."
"I've been busy on vacation with my dog Qiqi lately and haven't been browsing the forums. Let me take a look."
A group of systems immediately gathered around, pointing and commenting on the transparent panel.
444 clicked his tongue: "It shared its experience, saying that you shouldn't look at how difficult the task is, but only how strong the host is. Tsk, that's definitely its style."
"What kind of world is this? How can there be a food shortage?" 10086 shuddered. "There is such a small world. It seems I have to set off a little earlier, otherwise I can only take on missions that no one wants. It's too terrible that there is no food."
It continued reading the background shared by 3344: "In this world, humans can also mutate into another kind of man-eating monster. Wow, I got goosebumps."
"Goosebumps, do you have something that high-end?" 12345 raised an eyebrow.
10086 Bai Ta: "That's why I said you're not human."
"Want to fight?!"
The system desktop started acting up again.
At another table, a group of people were clinking glasses and chatting animatedly.
"Xiao Yao's restaurant is really something else, it has even more variety than Bai Niang Qian Wei Lou." Shen Suqi ate very happily.
Nan Rongjiao said with a smile, "The jewelry currently popular in wealthy families in the capital was designed by Xiao Yao in the past."
"I remember the master craftsmen in the shop were quite innovative, how come they haven't changed in so many years?" Su Xiaoyao frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Nan Rongjiao explained, "The capital city has more connections with the cultivation world than the outside world. Ever since the news of your succession to the Xuantian Sword Sect came, your shop has started to launch your old designs, saying they are retro styles."
Su Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly: "It's no longer my shop, but the marketing strategy is still the same."
Before she left, she gifted the shop to her old partners who had helped her build the business from scratch. On this return trip, she made a special trip to visit them, and all her old partners who had worked with her before were doing very well.
Of course, I didn't forget to visit my enemies, but unfortunately, many years have passed and there are not many left. It's a little regrettable that I have nowhere to show off.
"You really don't plan to return to the cultivation world?" Helian Yi asked again, still unwilling to give up, looking at Wenren Juan and Nan Rongjiao.
Both of them shook their heads.
"His Majesty has given us a second chance at life."
Su Xiaoyao said in a lighthearted tone, "When you have time to come and play in the cultivation world, I will host a banquet for you at the Xuantian Sword Sect."
"Okay," Nan Rongjiao replied with a slight smile.
After their trip to the mortal realm, the group, led by Tong and Shui Fan, dived into the deep sea.
"Won't our parts get wet?" 1818 asked.
“The physical objects we use now are not mechanical, so there’s no need to worry about that.” 996 is much more relaxing and comfortable.
“Looks like you know something.” 1818 moved closer to it.
996 didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "We have passed through the clear path of the Heavenly Dao in this world. Our physical form is provided by the Heavenly Dao, giving us an extra layer of protection."
"What we do on missions is essentially a transaction between the Supreme God and the Heavenly Dao of the Small World." 444, not wanting to be in the limelight while 996 was working, added the information he knew.
Su Xiaoyao overheard this and pondered, "When I ascend, I wonder if I'll be able to go to other small worlds."
She wants to go back to her original world when she has the chance.
996 immediately replied, "Of course, the flow rate varies from world to world. Usually, the flow rate is the slowest in low-level martial arts worlds. By the time you ascend, Xiao Yao, perhaps only three to five years will have passed in your original timeline."
Freed from the constraints of the contract, it no longer needed to hide much and appropriately revealed some of the things it knew.
They chatted and swam along the way, gradually entering the dark sea, where there was almost no light around them.
"It's kind of scary," Shen Suqi said.
"It feels really good," Shui Fan said.
Shen Suqi: "...There's probably a bit of a generation gap."
Above their heads, spots of light flickered, like shattered starlight.
Shen Suqi's eyes reflected the light and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. She used her divine sense to investigate and found that it was a group of glowing fish.
"Huh? So you couldn't see anything at the bottom of the sea?" Shui Fan suddenly realized. "I thought divine sense could see everything."
"Divine sense can only perceive the existence of objects. Your ability to see underwater is purely a racial talent, okay?" Shen Suqi was speechless.
Upon learning that they could not see the underwater scene, Shui Fan quickly took remedial action.
He controlled the spiritual energy to lift up countless luminous pearls, illuminating the pitch-black deep sea and opening the door to another world for them.
As the light shifted, schools of red-tailed fish darted past, like flowing flames.
A huge whale swam silently past where they were standing, creating a gentle current in the water, and the surrounding fish scattered to avoid it.
Su Xiaoyao led the way down the dive, following the whale's movements.
She gestured upwards, and Shen Suqi took out a recording stone while communicating with her using her divine sense.
"Dear friend, you can talk to me."
Su Xiaoyao was used to being a modern person and hadn't spoken a word since she went into the water, so she had forgotten that she could communicate with her divine sense.
"You've caught the verbal tic from the Xiao family system."
“Yes, that’s right.” Shen Suqi snapped a bunch of photos of her, then tossed the photo stone to the person behind her, “Take some group photos for us.”
Xiao Tingyuan worked hard without complaint.
"What a stunning sight!" Su Xiaoyao stared at it for a while, then remembered that the bronze cauldron was still trapped in the storage space for cultivation, so she quickly took it out.
"Hey bro, don't stay cooped up, come out and have some fun."
Then she saw a flash of white light, and the summoned bronze cauldron sank rapidly.
"Holy crap!"
She forgot there was no ground!
Bronze tripod: "..."
After she finally managed to grab the handles of the bronze cauldron, she caught a glimpse of a city at her feet.
"We're home." Shui Fan swam past her with ease as she scrambled around.
As soon as they stepped into the underwater city, they were amazed by the countless stunningly beautiful faces. The merfolk were all exquisitely beautiful, each one a beauty among ten thousand.
Even more surprisingly, this underwater city is no different from a land town, with merfolk selling things among the towering coral buildings, and the streets are very lively.
Every mermaid who passed by looked at them curiously, and the bolder ones almost pressed their faces against theirs to observe them closely.
They spoke in a soft but unfamiliar mermaid language.
Seeing their bewilderment, a hint of regret flashed in the eyes of the merfolk. They then turned to Shui Fan, greeted him in their familiar way, and swam away gracefully.
"What are they talking about?" Su Xiaoyao asked curiously.
Shui Fan chuckled and asked, "Why is the grain reserve I brought back growing so strangely? Can it be sold?"
Su Xiaoyao: "..." I should have known better than to ask.
“Only the royal family members who bear a mission can learn the language of humans. Most of us will never leave the seabed and have never seen humans,” Shui Fan explained. “Ten thousand years ago, we merfolk were hunted by humans and almost wiped out. With the help of the Dao Ancestor, we have lived here for generations. Everyone cherishes our current life. Even though our clan has grown and has the ability to deal with danger, we are unwilling to have too much interaction with humans.”
The history of the Merfolk is not a secret; everyone knows about it.
"People barter at the market, and spirit stones can also be used here."
Su Xiaoyao stopped at a stall and picked up a necklace made of seashells. The necklace was not only exquisitely designed, but it was also a defensive magical artifact.
The stall owner looked at her curiously, then boldly moved closer to her.
Su Xiaoyao thought for a moment, then took out a glass bead. This was an ornamental spiritual artifact she had developed some time ago. It used a technique similar to the "Hidden Universe in a Sleeve" technique. It looked only the size of a palm, but when you got close, you could see a complete underwater world with an octopus, a sponge, and a starfish. The owner could put any aquatic creatures that interested them inside for viewing.
She gestured for a long time until the merman finally understood. She slowly approached the glass bead, and upon seeing the scene inside, her light blue eyes widened immediately, like a kitten discovering something new.
Seeing this, Su Xiaoyao handed her the glass beads and made a gesture as if she were accepting the seashell necklace.
The merman nodded without hesitation and went to study the glass bead.
Shui Fan tilted her head: "She treats you like food, and you treat her like a pet."
This miscommunication is quite interesting.
They continued browsing the market, trying to talk to the vendors about anything that caught their eye.
"Money." 444 stared at Jiang Yun resentfully.
Jiang Yun awkwardly looked away and took out spirit stones for it.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant conch shell sound pierced through the seawater, startling the entire underwater city.
The merfolk on both sides of the street instantly became alert, their smooth, white skin covered with scales, and sharp claws replacing their long, slender fingers.
"What happened?" Shen Suqi asked curiously.
Shui Fan's lips curled into an excited smile: "Underwater beast tide!"
As everyone looked up, a shadow fell, enveloping the entire underwater city. The originally bright light suddenly dimmed, as if they had returned to the state when they first dived into the deep sea.
Shui Fan flexed her wrists, her eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, and turned to her friends, saying, "Want some seafood? It's a buffet."
"I want to eat grilled squid." 10086 raised his hand without hesitation.
“Perfect, there’s a fat one here.” Shui Fan replied happily.
Seeing this, other systems began ordering food from their own hosts.
444 gripped Jiang Yun tightly, his eyes narrowing dangerously, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "The number of people we've captured isn't... less than 996's!"
Jiang Yun smiled broadly: "Okay."
996 and Su Xiaoyao exchanged a glance, everything understood without a word.
"Me too! Me too!" 12345 jumped up and hugged Shen Suxi's neck, reaching her ear and howling.
"Yes, yes, yes." Shen Suqi hugged her system affectionately.
12345 turned around and proudly bared its teeth at the other systems.
See? The system that lets you act cute has the best life!
The systems immediately erupted, their competitive spirit unstoppable once it took hold, each clinging to its host, unwilling to be outdone.
And the mission takers... naturally experienced both pain and pleasure.
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