Chapter 35 The Commanding Platform
In the following days, the two kept a close eye on the situation.
Perhaps because he directly used two Soul Essence and Spirit Heart as nourishment, Wu Shaogan's demand for Soul Nourishing Pills, although still high, was very stable, around two hundred pills per day.
According to Wu Shaogan's estimate, it would take at least three to five days, and at most half a month, to completely replenish the spiritual power required for the Secret Gate.
However, just in case something unexpected happens, Zhong Cai still insists on refining Soul Nourishing Pills, and can still refine 72 top-grade pills and 144 superior-grade pills every day.
Seeing Zhong Cai busy with his work, and then kicking him out of the cultivation room because he was replenishing his spiritual power, and even demanding that he stop making talismans these days and only do things that do not consume his spiritual power... Compared to this, Wu Shaogan felt very comforted by the care he received, but at the same time, he was a little restless.
On this day, Zhong Cai had just finished producing a batch of pills.
Wu Shaogan leaned against the door of the cultivation room and knocked.
Zhong Cai casually said, "Old Wu? Go play somewhere else."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and said, "Let's go out for a walk together to clear our heads."
Zhong Cai wanted to reply that she was too busy.
Wu Shaogan added, "If you don't come with me, I'll keep thinking that you're tired at home and you won't enjoy playing by yourself."
Zhong Cai looked up and glanced at him suspiciously: "You seem to have a pretty good attitude."
Wu Shaogan curled the corners of his mouth: "Do you really want to hear me say a few cheesy things?"
Zhong Cai was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized and burst into laughter.
"So you feel bad about being idle and worry about me working so hard? Sigh, at least you're thoughtful." Zhong Cai sighed dramatically, her tone changing instantly. "But don't overthink it. Just wait a few days, and see how I boss you around!"
Wu Shaogan: "Do whatever you want with me."
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows high and said, "That's more like it!"
Then, Zhong Cai tossed the medicinal herbs in her hand into the basket and stood up decisively.
Wu Shaogan smiled.
Zhong Cai stretched and said, "Then I'll go out with you!"
The two of them went out happily together.
·
A true relaxation is one where you unwind.
Zhong Cai walked lazily beside Wu Shaogan, her face brushed by a gentle breeze, and she couldn't help but squint slightly.
Wu Shaogan also strolled leisurely.
When quiet, Wu Shaogan's expression was indifferent, only occasionally softening when he caught a glimpse of Zhong Cai.
The cultivators coming and going on the road were not very strong, but they were all very energetic. Every now and then you could see several young men and women chasing each other, most of them carrying some first- or second-tier savage beasts, competing with each other to see who had the better hunting skills.
Zhong Cai looked around, feeling quite pleased.
Wu Shaogan looked at Zhong Cai with a smile on his face.
The two were strolling around casually when they noticed some unfamiliar fruits in front of a general store, so they went over to take a look.
Zhong Cai recognized them as sweet fruits, which contained little energy but tasted quite good.
Wu Shaogan asked, "How many should we choose?"
Zhong Cai casually replied, "Sure, you can join too."
Wu Shaogan readily agreed, and even encouraged, "Let's see who picks the best flavor!"
Zhong Cai scoffed, "You'd better not regret this."
Wu Shaogan had nothing to regret; after all, it was just a competition, and no bets were placed.
The two of them actually started making their selections.
Before long, they each took three kinds of fruit and selected one of each kind.
After paying the bill, the two walked to the side and tacitly took out their Rainbow Immortal Fruits. They took a bite of their own fruit first, and then exchanged them, each taking a bite of the other's.
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows: "I won."
Wu Shaogan snorted, took out the second type of fruit, and took a bite.
Zhong Cai also took a bite and said with a grin, "Old Wu, you just won't admit defeat."
After the exchange, Zhong Cai still won.
In the third round, Zhong Cai still won.
Zhong Cai was beaming with pride.
Seeing him so animated, Wu Shaogan couldn't help but laugh.
At that moment, a hesitant male voice sounded from the side.
"Brother Zhong, Brother Wu?"
The two heard the somewhat familiar voice and turned around together.
Huang Qing was standing not far away. After recognizing them, he smiled with delight: "It really is you two. I was just about to thank Brother Zhong for his help that day, which was of great assistance to me." He paused for a moment, then added, "The friendship between the two of you is still so enviable."
In the past, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan would have thought that Huang Qing was expressing his admiration for their brotherhood, but recalling the secret location information that Huang Qing had specially given them before, they were a little less sure.
At that moment, both of them felt a little hot in the ears, but they quickly shook off the discomfort.
Zhong Cai waved her hand: "You're too kind. I only said a few words. The rest is all thanks to your own efforts."
Beside Huang Qing were several young men and women.
Zhong Cai looked at it and realized it looked quite familiar.
The girl among them was Liu Xia'er, who was the first to emerge from the family competition, and she was quite pretty.
The other two young men were both in their twenties. They looked like brothers, with similar features, but their temperaments were quite different.
The younger one, isn't that Wu Yousong, the one who sold the courtyard?
His brother is most likely Wu Youbo.
Wu Yousong was already thin, but his whole demeanor was somewhat flashy and not very composed.
Wu Youbo, on the other hand, had a slightly serious expression and a rather righteous air about him.
The brothers' breathing was still somewhat labored, likely because they were still recovering from their injuries.
Huang Qing introduced his companions one by one, and it turned out to be them.
The group of people came out this time to accompany Liu Xia'er on her shopping trip.
Liu Xia'er's prospective husband, Huang Tao, is Huang Qing's cousin. She wanted to buy Huang Tao a gift, so she asked Huang Qing, the most good-tempered member of the younger generation in the Huang family, for help.
Huang Qing has been spending a lot of time with the Wu brothers lately, so Liu Xia'er simply invited them both.
·
Zhong Cai glanced at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan nodded slightly.
Huang Qingzheng said with a smile, "After I went back, I mentioned it to Yousong and Youbai, and only then did I realize that Yousong had such a connection with the two of you."
Wu Yousong also said, "Thank you both for your patronage, which has saved me a lot of trouble."
Zhong Cai said, "We're new here, and we just happened to find a suitable courtyard, which is convenient for both of us."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries.
Zhong Cai gestured and said, "I wonder if Brother Huang is available now? It's related to what happened last time, and I need to talk to you about it."
Huang Qing immediately understood and felt somewhat embarrassed.
Seeing this, Liu Xia'er took the initiative to speak up: "Brother Huang Qing, I've already bought what I needed to buy. Now that you've met a friend, I'll head back first."
Huang Qing said apologetically, "Alright."
Liu Xia'er then walked away briskly.
Huang Qing relaxed and said to Zhong Cai, "Brother Zhong, please speak."
The Wu brothers also intended to leave, but Huang Qing did not allow them to leave.
Zhong Cai didn't care about any of that and said directly, "We have already returned from the secret place. Now that cave has collapsed and only ruins remain."
Huang Qing was startled, then realized, "It's because of the two of you..."
Zhong Cai nodded and said, "I have already received the inheritance from the cave owner."
Wu Shaogan understood and took out a large box.
Huang Qing hesitated for a moment: "This is..."
Zhong Cai said succinctly, "It's for you."
Huang Qing quickly refused: "How can I take what the two of you gained from exploring the secret place? Please take it back."
Wu Shaogan simply threw the box over.
Huang Qing was a little flustered.
Zhong Cai then pulled Wu Shaogan away.
This matter had nothing to do with the Wu brothers, so Wu Youbai could only help Huang Qing hold the box, while Wu Yousong didn't know whether he should stop Zhong Cai and the other two.
After Huang Qing regained his footing, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan had already walked far away, whispering intimately to each other.
For a moment, Huang Qing didn't know whether to call out to them or to catch up with them.
Holding the large box, which was taller than a person, Huang Qing said helplessly to the Wu brothers, "Let's go to a restaurant and find a private room."
Wu Youbo: "The closest one is Keyun Restaurant."
·
Inside the private room, on the table.
A large, gleaming crimson spear lay across the room, exuding an imposing aura.
An elegant light blue wooden fan also exudes a very sharp and imposing aura.
There are also highly versatile cultivation methods, highly adaptable secret techniques, and other resources.
Huang Qing and the Wu brothers looked at each other, both of them shocked.
They didn't even dare to get too close to the table, lest they be injured by its imposing presence.
Wu Yousong's throat bobbed, and he said with some difficulty, "A second-tier Xuan weapon, a second-tier cultivation technique... just like that, you're giving them all away to Brother Qing?"
Huang Qing smiled wryly, "If I had known it was these things earlier, even if they were an eyesore, I would have chased after them."
Wu Youbai frowned and said, "You mentioned that the secret place was left behind by a senior in the Palace Opening Realm."
Huang Qing nodded: "That's what the stone tablet says."
·
Before the competition was over, Wu Yousong was handed over to his parents. As soon as they received the antidote, he immediately fell into a coma.
Wu Youbo was originally bedridden, but when he saw his younger brother being brought back like this, he was eager to ask why.
Wu's parents took out the precious antidote and prepared to give it to Wu Youbai.
Wu Youbo immediately realized that his younger brother had risked his life for him, and his emotions suddenly became turbulent.
Fortunately, Huang Qing arrived in time after purchasing the medicinal herbs and immediately explained how to help Wu Yousong recover.
Wu Yousong lay on the couch beside him, and after taking the medicine, his condition immediately improved.
Wu Youbai was relieved to be detoxified and learned the whole story from Huang Qing's subsequent narration.
Huang Qing also mentioned the secret location.
Wu Youbo felt guilty because his two brothers had caused Huang Qing to lose a legacy.
Huang Qing then mentioned that he had originally planned to explore with Wu Youbo, and it would be appropriate to use it to save Wu Yousong now.
Wu Youbo met Huang Qing's gaze and listened to the contents of the stone tablet...
At that moment, they both understood each other's feelings.
Wu Yousong, who had finally woken up from his coma, also learned that his older brother and his friend had an ambiguous relationship.
·
Because they all knew this, when they saw that there were so many resources in the large box, they all realized that the essence of the inheritance was probably all here.
Wu Yousong's gaze fell on the booklet with its rather new cover. After a moment's hesitation, he picked it up and opened it.
"Smack!"
Wu Yousong quickly closed it.
Huang Qing and Wu Youbo both looked over: "What's wrong?"
Wu Yousong pushed the booklet towards the two of them and said, "It's a dual cultivation technique." He cleared his throat, "It's a handwritten copy."
Huang Qinggang also opened the booklet.
Wu Youbo sat close to Huang Qing and originally watched the show with him.
Upon hearing Wu Yousong's words, both of them had complicated expressions.
It's actually quite normal to receive the inheritance of dual cultivation techniques in the cave dwelling of a married couple...
Wu Yousong's mind worked quickly. He realized something and immediately said, "In my opinion, the reason those two gave their inheritance to Brother Qing is probably because they already had better cultivation methods and didn't care."
"Look, this dual cultivation technique is clearly a newly copied version, meaning they kept the original. So, those who truly value it will keep it, and they specifically gave Qing-ge a copy, probably because they thought it was effective, and they also know that Qing-ge and Big Brother are... right?"
Huang Qing pondered, "It seems to make some sense?"
Wu Youbo nodded hesitantly.
Huang Qing sighed and said, "Then let's accept it. I think those two are decisive and don't like trouble. If I go to them to push this matter again, I'm afraid they'll dislike me."
The Wu brothers thought about it and agreed.
Huang Qing handed the head-protecting pill to Wu Yousong and said with a smile, "You will be tempering your skull in a while. Here, take this and you will have a better chance of success."
Wu Yousong quickly refused: "The Head Protection Pill is so precious, how can I accept it? Brother Qing, please take it back!"
Huang Qing said gently, "Take it. I don't need it anymore, so it's perfect for you." Seeing that Wu Yousong was about to refuse, he added, "Don't make Youbai worry about you."
Wu Yousong paused.
Wu Youbo said in a deep voice, "Aqing, thank you."
Huang Qing smiled at him.
·
The journey from the fourth to the fifth floor was truly a life-or-death ordeal.
In the small town, many cultivators dare not advance any further after reaching the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, simply because too many have died.
Every year, there are cultivators who, unable to find the rare medicine, force themselves to break through, and the slightest carelessness can result in their skulls exploding and them dying.
Although Wu Youbo is now the eldest son in his family, he originally had an older brother.
When Wu Youbai was only four or five years old, his elder brother died during a breakthrough, which shocked Wu Youbai for quite some time.
Huang Qing understood Wu Youbai's inner conflict, and since Wu Yousong had almost ruined his future because of Wu Youbai, he extended his affection to Wu Yousong as well. Now that he had the elixir, he was naturally willing to provide Wu Yousong with an additional layer of protection.
It's understandable that Huang Qing, who has no siblings of her own, would feel closer to Wu Yousong.
·
Huang Qing acted decisively, and after taking stock of all the resources, he handed over the spear, spear techniques, and martial arts manuals to Wu Youbai.
Wu Youbo did not refuse.
Huang Qing smiled and said, "Make a copy of the martial arts manual and spear techniques. I originally wanted to take the original back with me."
Wu Youbo said, "That's natural."
Wu Yousong was very happy to see this.
This incident made Wu Yousong realize that the relationship between his elder brother and Qing Ge was quite deep and could withstand the test. They had spent a considerable amount of time together before, so it's almost certain that they will get married in the future.
The Huang family is far more powerful than the Wu family, so it's definitely his elder brother who will enter the Huang family... As for whether he will marry into the family or marry into it, he thinks both are possible.
His elder brother, Huang Pin, possessed superior talent and his accompanying treasure was the fourth-tier, fourth-stage Moon-Embracing Horse, a rare beast soul.
Horse-type beast souls have limited attack power and are primarily used as mounts.
Moreover, the integration of beast souls requires a lot of time. In the early stages of cultivation, his elder brother was only slightly more agile than ordinary cultivators of the same realm.
Before this, his elder brother practiced general techniques and learned the best sword skills of their Wu family—reaching the peak of the first rank.
However, his swordsmanship is suited to light swords, which doesn't quite match his elder brother's style.
Now that Brother Qing is passing on his marksmanship skills to his elder brother, it is quite beneficial for his elder brother.
Brother Qing's meaning was clear: the spear technique and martial arts belonged to the Huang family, but a copy was also given to the Wu family.
In other words, this was a very substantial betrothal gift.
It was also a subtle way of proposing marriage.
His older brother didn't refuse at all, and his attitude was very clear: he agreed to the marriage proposal.
After the two married, the Wu family was finally able to possess this second-tier inheritance.
His elder brother was one of the few with the best aptitude in the Wu family. The Wu family would have been reluctant to part with him, but once the inheritance was announced, they were too embarrassed to make any other demands.
·
As Wu Yousong's mind raced, he smiled and said, "Congratulations, elder brother, congratulations, Qing-ge."
Huang Qing and Wu Youbo exchanged a glance and smiled.
The two were making very quick progress, but they had been through life and death together, so let it be as fast as it can be.
·
Afterwards, Wu Youbo quickly copied down the spear technique's lineage.
Huang Qing took the remaining resources and returned to the Huang family.
The Huang family's secret treasury contains only one third-tier cultivation technique, which very few people can cultivate.
Most members of the Huang family choose second-tier cultivation techniques, with a total of eight options.
Huang Qing brought back a martial arts technique and two secret skills, adding another possibility for the Huang family.
However, that dual cultivation technique...
After studying it, Huang Qing did not add it to the cultivation manual.
He had a vague feeling that since Brother Zhong and Brother Wu had only given him handwritten copies, he should just stick to cultivating with his beloved.
·
A few days later.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were eating at the table.
Bichen and Qiaohong, standing not far away, joined in, vividly recounting the news that had been circulating in the town recently.
"The Huang family and the Wu family have formed a marriage alliance, reportedly with a second-tier inheritance as the betrothal gift..."
"Many second- or third-rate families are going crazy, they all envy the Wu family for having such good luck."
"The atmosphere at the Wu family was quite joyful. It is said that the betrothal gifts included many other resources, but since the Wu family already possessed the cultivation techniques, they did not accept these and instead added them to the dowry of the Wu family's daughter."
"In recent months, a young man from the Huang family is about to get married, and a month after that, a young man from the Wu family will enter the family..."
"Besides these marriages to prominent families, there was a second-rate family, the Ke family. Their young prodigy offended someone and was killed. Only a corpse returned. The Ke family was furious, but the person who delivered the body directly explained the reason: it turned out that this young prodigy had tried to force himself on a young girl, but a woman discovered it and sent her subordinates to eliminate him."
"The Ke family has no face to lose, and they can't afford to offend that woman... The body was brought back by that woman's subordinates..."
The two listened, nodding occasionally.
After Bichen and Qiaohong finished speaking, they withdrew.
Zhong Cai's expression was a bit strange: "So the 'friend' Huang Qing mentioned wasn't a real friend."
Wu Shaogan had already guessed this, but he was so stunned by Zhong Cai's words that he forgot to say it.
Zhong Cai snorted, "That guy just likes to beat around the bush. What's wrong with saying it? He could have just said he was bringing his lover, wouldn't that have been enough? We even suspected him back then." Then she couldn't help but boast, "Look at me, how frank I am!"
Wu Shaogan wholeheartedly agreed.
Azalea is truly very frank.
·
Two days later, Huang Qing came to visit.
He came to express his gratitude and also brought a handwritten invitation.
Huang Qing left quickly without disturbing her further.
Zhong Cai looked at the invitation and was a little surprised.
Although they did share some items with Huang Qing, the secret realm itself was Huang Qing's domain, and they didn't put in much effort to retrieve the inheritance... their relationship wasn't that close.
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and guessed, "Perhaps... it's still a feeling of fate?"
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps the smooth progress of his marriage is also related to the inheritance we gave him."
Zhong Cai thought it made a lot of sense and couldn't help but chuckle: "Looks like we're still the wingmen?"
Wu Shaogan chuckled: "It's a favor to help others achieve their goals."
·
As time went by, Wu Shaogan's aura changed again.
Besides refining elixirs, Zhong Cai spent her days inquiring about Wu Shaogan's condition.
If he was still occasionally interested in gossip a few days ago, these past two days he hasn't wanted to do anything but talk about Young Master Wu.
On this day, Wu Shaogan sat cross-legged in the center of the cultivation room.
The entire cultivation room was empty; the alchemy furnace, medicine cabinet, and many large baskets for storing medicinal herbs had all been put away.
Zhong Cai sat opposite Wu Shaogan, continuously replenishing the Soul Nourishing Pills into the box in front of him.
Wu Shaogan has reached a critical juncture.
As the gate to the secret realm became more and more solid, his need for Soul Nourishing Pills gradually decreased, but in the last two days, it suddenly surged again.
However, no matter how much the supply increases, the number of Soul Nourishing Pills will still be sufficient.
Wu Shaogan grabbed handfuls of pills and put them into his mouth.
Almost without needing to swallow, as if drawn by a strange attraction from the depths of his soul, the pills quickly transformed into a warm current in his mouth, flowing into the core of his divine soul.
The Soul Nourishing Pills were decreasing rapidly at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Three hundred... five hundred... one thousand...
Zhong Cai's heart was pounding, but she was also filled with joy.
The more nutrients it needs, the greater the potential of the accompanying treasure!
finally!
When only three or four hundred Soul Nourishing Pills remained, Wu Shaogan's aura surged, and his black hair moved without wind!
Immediately, the gust of wind howled and dispersed.
Wu Shaogan slowly exhaled and said, "The Gate of Secrets is full."
Zhong Cai held her breath: "So..."
Wu Shaogan revealed a gentle smile and said, "So, I'm going to unlock the secrets of the divine soul."
·
Under normal circumstances, cultivators will have a premonition when the secret treasure of the soul is about to be opened and will quickly prepare accordingly.
Just like Zhong Cai before, it was impossible to suppress it by force, and he had to immediately summon his companion treasure.
After a cultivator is crippled, sometimes they are like normal cultivators, and they must open the gate of their soul immediately after it is formed; in other cases, the gate of the soul is not stable, and the cultivator can open it, but if they replenish their soul power in time and in large quantities, the gate of the soul will absorb a large amount of soul power and temporarily suppress its opening.
In the latter case, many cultivators do not lack the resources to summon treasures until they have replenished their reserves, but they simply do not have enough resources to suppress them and can only let them be activated.
Wu Shaogan, on the other hand, was successfully nourished to the point of being full of vitality.
Therefore, when the pills were stopped, the fluctuations of the secret gate could no longer be suppressed and had to be opened immediately.
·
The moment the words left his mouth, Wu Shaogan's face turned deathly pale.
Zhong Cai blurted out, "Old Wu!" He was very anxious, "Why does it hurt so much again? What happened?"
Wu Shao's lips were pale, but he could still manage a slight smile.
“No need to rush…” He breathed softly, his voice calm yet tinged with excitement, “This is just the inevitable pain of opening a new secret treasure… Remember? I’m the same as you…”
Zhong Cai suddenly recalled.
The day after he married Lao Wu, he summoned the altar!
He was in a lot of pain at the time, so much so that he was rolling around in bed. It was only when his husband held him down that he felt a little better.
Zhong Cai suddenly realized what was going on, patted the mustard seed bag, and released a very spacious bed.
Then he picked up Wu Shaogan without hesitation.
Wu Shaogan: "..."
Zhong Cai moved with extreme speed; in the blink of an eye, she had already tumbled onto the bed with Wu Shaogan in her arms.
Then, Zhong Cai quickly stripped off their clothes, just like Wu Shaogan had done last time, and used all four limbs to hold him down.
The whole process was completed in one go.
After a moment of stunned silence, Wu Shaogan hugged Zhong Cai tightly, their limbs wrapped around each other as if by vines.
Zhong Cai rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Old Wu, don't worry, I'll be with you this time!"
Wu Shaogan could imagine that if A Cai hadn't been so busy with her limbs, she would have been patting her chest as she made that promise to him.
The two were close together, feeling each other warmly.
Wu Shaogan had suffered pain from the trauma to his soul many times before, but it wasn't as bad as Zhong Cai's back then. Now that he could feel a little better, he was naturally even happier.
However, Wu Shaogan's patience was too strong.
Despite the constant, persistent pain, Wu Shaogan listened more carefully to Zhong Cai's breathing.
In the silence, Zhong Cai's presence was amplified.
Wu Shaogan's thinking has gone a bit astray.
As he veered off course, his body began to feel slightly warm...
The two were too close; if anything seemed amiss between them, they couldn't hide it from each other at all.
Zhong Cai blinked and whispered, "Old Wu, are you feeling agitated?"
Wu Shaogan reacted almost simultaneously, his face flushing red.
Zhong Cai touched Wu Shaogan's cheek to cheek, understood, and comforted him, "You're young, it's normal."
Wu Shaogan wanted to turn things around.
Zhong Cai quickly stopped her: "Hey! What are you shy about? It's okay, it'll be fine in a bit."
Wu Shaogan raised his head and stared at Zhong Cai's face.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but chuckle, bumping his forehead against Wu Shaogan's and bursting into laughter.
Wu Shaogan had no choice but to stay there.
Zhong Cai hugged Wu Shaogan and rubbed against him, then patted his back and continued to comfort him, "Now we're the same, are you happy?"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
Happy or unhappy?
·
This little incident actually made both of them feel more relaxed.
More than half an hour later, Wu Shaogan's pain gradually subsided, and he gently pushed Zhong Cai away.
Zhong Cai put her clothes back on.
Wu Shaogan was equally swift, and at the same time, a ray of light appeared between his brows.
Zhong Cai moved closer to Wu Shaogan and asked curiously, "What is this?"
Wu Shaogan lightly touched the ball of light with his finger.
The ball of light grew larger, transforming into a small, dark red building that looked like it was made of stone.
Because there was a large bed in the training room, and the building didn't have enough space, it crashed into the bed with a bang, smashing it to pieces.
Zhong Cai's eyes widened: "Doesn't this look... a little familiar?"
Wu Shaogan was stunned: "...Is that so?"
The two looked at each other, both shocked.
At first glance, this thing looks quite like Zhong Cai's altar.
However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the similarity in color and material creates this illusion.
It was actually a wide stone platform with only one high wall and eighteen steps in front, but it didn't have a base like an altar.
The character "帝" (Emperor) is written on the high wall.
Below the characters is a majestic stone base, and a large drum hangs from the armrest of the base.
To the left of the stone platform was a weapon rack, which was divided into two levels.
The first floor is very high, with a swirling, hazy halo of light hanging above it, as if something is brewing.
The second floor is empty, but its structure is diverse, and all kinds of weapons can be placed inside at will.
To the right of the stone platform are several stone benches, which are also very simple.
There is a depression directly in front of the stone seat.
Black flames burned inside the crater.
—This dent looks familiar too.
·
Zhong Cai murmured to herself, "Could this also be an altar? But it doesn't seem like it..."
Wu Shaogan pulled Zhong Cai along as they walked up the steps.
The moment he stepped onto the stone platform, countless pieces of information flooded into Wu Shaogan's mind.
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan nervously.
Half an hour later, Wu Shaogan came to his senses.
Zhong Cai became even more nervous: "Old Wu, how is it?"
Wu Shaogan pulled Zhong Cai along and sat down on the stone seat with him.
Zhong Cai was taken aback; this action seemed familiar.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "My usage is somewhat similar to yours."
Zhong Cai: "Just because I'm sitting here doesn't mean you've given me special access?"
Wu Shaogan nodded, his expression subtle, and said, "It's also a Sumeru Mustard Seed type, a top-grade level 5 item, and it completely defends against attacks from cultivators at the Suspended Illumination Realm and below. Once access is granted, it can be entered at will..."
Zhong Cai's expression also became subtle.
Wu Shaogan pointed to the dent.
"Even the way that thing is used is somewhat similar to your altar."
Zhong Cai's lips twitched slightly: "But it shouldn't be called an altar, right? What is it called then?"
Wu Shaogan: "Commanding Platform".
Zhong Cai stared in disbelief, involuntarily pointing to the character "帝" (Emperor).
"so……"
Wu Shaogan coughed lightly: "It's just a simple identity document."
Zhong Cai couldn't help but tease, "How cringeworthy..."
Wu Shaogan understood, his face flushed slightly, and he looked at Zhong Cai strangely.
Zhong Cai suddenly became alert: "What are you doing?"
Wu Shaogan said, "I've already finished."
Zhong Cai became even more vigilant.
Wu Shaogan frankly said, "I have given you the authority, so in the consciousness of the Dao soldiers I summoned, I am the Emperor, and you are the Sovereign."
Zhong Cai: "..." Good grief! You've gotten a bit chuunibyou, but I can't escape it either, can I?
Wu Shaogan smiled.
·
The main function of the Command Platform is to summon Taoist soldiers.
How do I summon it?
It costs Mystic Pearls or Mystic Stones.
In Zhong Cai's words, it's "spending money on in-game purchases".
If you look closely at the pit, you'll find a small raised stone platform at the bottom, reaching half the height of the pit.
The black flames were burning on the small stone platform.
Wu Shaogan throws the Xuanzhu and Xuanshi into the pit, and the energy is absorbed into the black fire.
Then the black fire boiled, and a Dao soldier gradually appeared in the center of the flames.
·
Dao soldiers are divided into different ranks.
The lowest rank is the Ironclad Soldier, whose strength ranges from the eighth level to the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm when they appear.
If you provide him with enough Xuanzhu and Xuanshi, his maximum potential is the peak of the Pigong Realm.
Slightly higher are the bronze-armored soldiers, whose strength will be between the fourth level and the peak of the Palace-Opening Realm when they appear.
After providing energy, the upper limit is the peak of the Suspended Illumination Realm.
The next level up are the Silver-Armored Soldiers, whose strength ranges from the third to the peak of the Enlightenment Realm when they appear.
The upper limit is the peak of the Palace Construction Realm.
The highest level is the Golden Armored Soldier, whose strength is at the peak of the Suspended Illumination Realm when they appear.
The upper limit is the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm (seventh rank).
These four levels of Dao soldiers are all devoid of intelligence and cannot cultivate on their own; they can only improve their strength by being fed.
Feeding iron and bronze armor will not fail, but silver and gold armor have a chance of failure every time they break through a major realm—at that time, at best their Dao Soldier realm will fall back to the initial level, and at worst their realm will collapse directly.
When these ordinary Taoist soldiers are summoned, there is a certain probability that they will also be accompanied by a mount—it may be on land, sea, or air. They also lack intelligence and their species are relatively fixed.
There's also a certain probability that they carry weapons—anything is possible, all standard-issue weapons. But whatever it is, the Taoist soldier will inevitably be most skilled at it.
·
In addition, each level has special Taoist soldiers.
From iron armor to gold armor, the special soldiers were named as follows: squad leader, centurion, chiliarch, and general.
When they appeared, their strength was already at the upper limit of ordinary Dao soldiers of that level.
At the same time, special Dao soldiers are all transformed from obsessive primordial souls, and they will come with a mount that is compatible with them, of similar strength, and transformed from the soul of a rare beast—the variety of types is very diverse.
Special Dao soldiers are very similar to living people; they can only cultivate on their own and cannot be directly infused with Xuan Pearls or Xuan Stones.
They can remember the techniques they used in their previous lives, and they can also cultivate other techniques, but their upper limit is raised to the Nirvana Realm.
The same applies to rare beast mounts.
During cultivation, they may also fail and be severely injured—waiting for the "Emperor" to repair them, or gradually disappearing.
There is only one legendary Dao Soldier, which is the top-tier among special Dao Soldier. It may appear at any realm, but its upper limit is the Tongtian Realm.
·
Each Mystic Pearl can summon a Dao Soldier.
Each low-grade mystic stone can summon one hundred beings.
The mid-grade and high-grade Xuan stones are worth ten thousand and one million respectively.
The higher the grade of the Dao soldier, the lower the probability of its appearance.
Special Taoist soldiers have a relatively lower probability of appearing.
There is no guaranteed minimum return.
One hundred low-level ordinary Dao soldiers can be combined to create a higher-level ordinary Dao soldier.
If the synthesis fails, all Dao soldiers will disappear or only one Dao soldier of the original level will remain.
·
Wu Shaogan slowly explained all the rules to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai exclaimed in horror, "You're a gold-devouring tycoon! You're a glutton!"
He was completely numb. His buddy hadn't just been born with a treasure; he'd been born with an entire military camp!
To make this thing work, you have to spend money, you have to spend a lot of money!
Wu Shaogan pulled Zhong Cai along and pointed to the weapon rack on the side.
"I have something good to tell you."
Zhong Cai looked over in the direction he indicated.
The rosy glow atop the weapon rack had somehow formed into a large bow.
Zhong Cai was stunned and murmured, "...The Sun-Shooting Bow?"
Wu Shaogan nodded and said softly, "I am the master of the command platform and the commander of the Dao soldiers. Since Dao soldiers can carry their own weapons, I can naturally have one as well."
"That ball of light is the embryo. Even though my Sun-Shooting Bow has been destroyed, it can still be reborn there."
Wu Shaogan looked at the large bow with the joy of having it recovered.
"When I summon a certain number of Dao soldiers, as long as I invest enough resources, the Command Platform can be continuously upgraded, just like your altar, with no upper limit."
"And the weapons I can possess must be below the upper limit... therefore, at most they can only be top-tier Heaven-grade."
Zhong Cai: "The Sun-Shooting Bow is exactly—" He suddenly paused, "Then why is the Sun-Shooting Bow still just a phantom?"
Wu Shaogan remained silent.
Zhong Cai understood: "You still have to spend money."
Wu Shaogan nodded silently.
Zhong Cai took a deep breath.
Very well, summoning Taoist soldiers requires spending money, feeding Taoist soldiers requires spending money, upgrading the Command Platform requires spending money, and fully condensing the Sun-Shooting Bow still requires spending money.
In addition, this includes, but is not limited to, equipping ordinary Dao soldiers with mystical artifacts and providing cultivation resources for special Dao soldiers...
·
As Zhong Cai tried to analyze the usage of the command platform, he was completely overwhelmed.
Wu Shaogan immediately said, "The Dao soldiers will absolutely obey orders. We can send them out hunting, and we can also let them find resources on their own."
Zhong Cai paused, then said, "It seems so."
Wu Shaogan quickly added, "Even if they are just armored soldiers, they can earn at least five gold coins as long as they can hunt down a savage beast. If they focus on hunting savage beasts at the peak of the first tier, they can earn several thousand silver coins if they succeed. They don't need to eat or drink normally; they use their physical energy, and they can rest when they've used it up."
Zhong Cai breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"That scared me to death..."
Wu Shaogan rubbed Zhong Cai's head and said in a low voice, "I can only summon enough Dao Soldiers to upgrade, and I don't need to train them. If there are too many, I can synthesize them. They can be our helpers."
Zhong Cai sighed, shook his head, and said, "You still need to spend more money on your Command Platform."
Wu Shaogan understood Zhong Cai's thoughts at that moment, and his expression was very gentle.
Zhong Cai said directly, "When our cultivation level is still low, the more powerful people around us, the safer we are." His expression was very clear. "It is a bit expensive, but we can absolutely trust them, so it is already very worthwhile."
Even a death guard like Xiang Lin is very loyal, but those mindless Dao soldiers are even less likely to betray you.
·
Zhong Cai couldn't help but laugh again, and even quickly became smug.
"Luckily, I have an altar. I can sell some high-level resources and that will be enough to summon you for a long time! Once my alchemy skills improve, I can refine some pills and sell them—you can spend as much as you want!"
Wu Shaogan smiled, but still said seriously, "I will soon be able to return to the Enlightenment Realm. At that time, I will take my Dao soldiers to the mountains. Whatever you need, I will find a way to get it for you."
Zhong Cai felt a little embarrassed, punched Wu Shaogan lightly, and said angrily, "What kind of relationship do we have? Why are you being so polite with me?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "It's not that I'm being polite, it's just that I want to be nicer to you too."
Zhong Cai hooked her arm around his neck and said happily, "You were nice to me first, so I'm nice to you in return. Do you think I'm stupid?"
Wu Shaogan's gaze deepened slightly, but his smile softened even more.
He opened his palm, revealing a tiger tally, and handed it to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai played with it for a while, then returned it to Wu Shaogan.
However, at this moment, the tiger tally was split in two.
Wu Shaogan received one of them.
Zhong Cai was stunned.
Wu Shaogan said, "You can naturally command my Dao soldiers as well."
Zhong Cai: "Wow!"
·
Wu Shaogan kept his word.
After consuming a large number of top-grade Qi-replenishing pills, his profound energy continuously replenished his Dao Palace, and his strength quickly recovered to the peak of the Opening Palace stage.
After summoning his companion treasure, he gained an evolutionary, top-tier yellow-grade aptitude.
This aptitude certainly slowed his cultivation speed down considerably, but his soul was now very active, and the Enlightenment Realm was merely a stepping stone for him... So, after only a few days, his life soul successfully absorbed a wisp of Heavenly Soul.
His cultivation level also returned to the first level of the Enlightenment Realm.
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