txolops Chapter 50 Finding a Baby
Chapter 50 Finding a Baby
Inside the top-tier room at Home Inn.
Han Xiaoliu casually took out a jade bottle from his storage bag and tossed it to the reserved-looking boy in front of him.
"Take the Yellow Dragon Pill and refine it. If you run out, come back for more."
Shen Gongbao hurriedly caught the jade bottle, looking at his young master with a blank expression. It wasn't until Han Xiaoliu impatiently shoved a handful into his hand that he snapped out of his daze. His fingertips touched the cool bottle, and a sense of reality welled up in his heart.
"Take your drugs without worry, I have plenty of them." Han Xiaoliu leaned back in his chair, his tone as calm as if he were talking about cabbage. "In time, you'll naturally understand that following me is the greatest opportunity of your life."
"Yes!" The boy stepped aside, looked down at the pill in his hand, then glanced at Long Kui, who was making faces at him, and at the nonchalant young master. He gritted his teeth, his eyes gradually hardening, poured out a pill and swallowed it, then immediately sat cross-legged and began to refine it using his cultivation technique.
After seeing Shen Gongbao off, Han Xiaoliu took out the materials he had obtained during the day and the ancient Bagua furnace. He opened his mouth and spat out a wisp of alchemical fire, which instantly enveloped the furnace with a deep blue flame.
This time, he was going to refine simplified versions of the beginner magic treasures "Soul-Guiding Banner" and "Soul-Startling Bell".
Han Xiaoliu had his own plan: first, refine a usable embryo, and then let them find the materials to incorporate into it themselves. This would not only increase the power of the magic weapon, but also save him a lot of effort. Although it was a simplified version, the refining process was still quite time-consuming.
In the following days, Shen Gongbao continued to disguise himself as Hyacinth and go out to gather information. To be absolutely sure, Han Xiaoliu also temporarily handed over his natal Soul-Guiding Banner to Long Kui, instructing her that if she encountered any crisis, she could directly call upon the Jade Maiden who was in seclusion within the banner for help.
A day later, Shen Gongbao brought back crucial intelligence.
"Young Master, there is a teleportation array on the island that leads to Jade Balance Island, one of the twelve inner islands of the Chaotic Star Sea. However, the array will not be connected for seven days, and it will only last for two days after it is activated."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiaoliu was secretly delighted.
Once you reach the inner island, you can head straight for Tianxing City. There, you can rent a cave dwelling on the island and use the rich, high-level spiritual veins of Tianxing City to cultivate in seclusion. This will not only help you achieve the Core Formation stage as soon as possible, but also allow you to practice the skills you've lost in your previous body.
In particular, the secret technique for opening up the three dantian is of paramount importance.
Han Xiaoliu rubbed his chin, then remembered that he hadn't used his "Inverted Five Elements Array" array plate for a long time. He decided to take this opportunity to try cultivating in the array and see just how fast he could absorb the five elements spiritual energy.
Three days later, Shen Gongbao sent another message, having discovered twelve shops run by low-level cultivators. These shops were all buying century-old medicinal herbs, with prices ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 spirit stones.
Han Xiaoliu secretly pondered: Going to Tianxing City requires spending spirit stones everywhere, even the permanent residence ring costs two thousand spirit stones each, it's time to get some spirit stones to replenish the treasury.
On the fifth day, the fire in the stove gradually died down.
Han Xiaoliu finally finished crafting the two simplified versions of the magic weapon and gave them to Yu Niangzi and Long Kui respectively for self-defense.
Just then, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind:
"Ding! Helped the player craft basic magic items: Soul-Startling Bell and Soul-Guiding Banner. Sect Contribution +60!"
"Sect Contribution Points: Can be used to learn sect secret techniques and exchange for special rewards."
The "Yi Wood Immortal Escape" and "Netherworld Earth Escape" are just some of the secret techniques. But that's not all. Each sect has many unique secret techniques, all of which require sect contribution points to exchange for.
In the newly formed Dream World, building a sect is the fastest way to earn contribution points. It seems I need to help Han Li complete some construction tasks!
After all, he has so many sect secret techniques to learn, it's time for him to bury himself in hard work!
In the cultivation system of the Dream World, the path to growth of magical treasures can be described as having a humble starting point but an unpredictable and distant end.
Its initial form is merely a chaotic, undeveloped embryo of a magical treasure. It requires rare materials that resonate with the power of the five elements as a catalyst to solidify its shape and establish its foundation. Once the magical treasure is initially formed, the cultivator must nurture it day and night with their own spiritual power. When its spirituality is abundant, it can be infused with a wondrous object containing the power of the four elements, allowing it to undergo a complete transformation and advance to the level of a spiritual treasure.
The realm of spiritual treasures is not the end. Cultivators must draw upon the power of the laws of heaven and earth to repeatedly temper and inscribe spiritual treasures, so that they resonate with the Great Dao, in order to break through the shackles and ascend to become immortal artifacts.
From then on, magical artifacts needed to be nurtured with immortal energy in order to grow continuously, and their potential was far beyond that of ordinary magical artifacts.
Magical artifacts are incredibly powerful, but the price is also extraordinary. To cultivate a basic magical artifact to the level of a celestial weapon requires a considerable amount of resources.
……
The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the Black Serpent City market in gloom.
The sea breeze, carrying a mixture of salty and spiritual scents, swept through the narrow streets, causing the lanterns of the shops on both sides to sway erratically, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone pavement in a dim, yellowish light.
The distant sea merges with the night sky, with only scattered fishing lights floating on the surface like fallen stars, making the island night even more profound and tranquil.
There were also many vendors on the street, who spread coarse cloth on the ground and displayed all sorts of odds and ends—faded talismans, broken jade slips, and unknown animal bones. Occasionally, a cultivator would squat down to look through them, which would attract a burst of enthusiastic shouts from the vendors.
The air was filled with a complex mix of scents: the fragrance of spiritual herbs, the bitterness of elixirs, the fishy smell of seafood, and the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from the cultivators.
Occasionally, a cultivator dressed in a tight-fitting outfit would flash past the alley entrance, the swords at his waist making a slight clinking sound, or a cultivator riding a low-level flying magic weapon would fly low overhead, creating a breeze that made the flags on the roadside flutter.
A woman wearing a straw hat quietly stepped into a shop with few customers.
The black veil hanging from her conical hat concealed her face, but it could not hide the alluring charm she exuded.
She glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the dusty items on the shelves before finally settling on the shopkeeper behind the counter. With a flick of her wrist, an antique wooden box shot out and landed with a "snap" in front of the shopkeeper. Her voice was crisp and clear: "Exchange for spirit stones!"
After a short while, Lady Yu walked out of the shop.
A night breeze rustled the stray hairs at her temples. She turned and walked deeper into the street, taking her daughter's hand as she waited beside her. The mother and daughter spoke in hushed tones, their footsteps ringing out clearly in the quiet night.
A short while later, a boy emerged from the alleyway and joined them. The three of them walked side by side toward another shop.
Tonight, they need to gather enough spirit stones to travel to Tianxing City.
By late at night, the hustle and bustle of the market had long since dissipated, and only the sound of the waves crashing against the shore became increasingly clear.
When the number of spirit stones in their storage bags exceeded 20,000, the three of them stopped and turned to walk towards the inn.
"Huh, what's that?" As Yu Niangzi strolled down the street, a strange sound suddenly swept past her ears, like a faint humming mixed in with the waves.
She frowned slightly, and her divine sense quietly probed out, passing over the houses in the market and extending towards the coast.
At this moment, moonlight shone through the clouds onto the sea, making it sparkle like a layer of shattered silver. Scattered on the beach were seashells and seaweed washed ashore by the waves, and in the distance, reefs stood tall, their menacing outlines etched in the night.
Her consciousness was focused on a blurry shadow beside the reef.
Longkui's face was full of joy, her eyes shining like they were filled with starlight, and the corners of her mouth turned up, revealing two shallow dimples.
She ran up to Han Xiaoliu, her skirt billowing in the wind, gesturing wildly with her hands, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Young Master! I've found a treasure! A super big treasure!"
Han Xiaoliu was sitting at the table wiping his sword when he heard this. He looked up and saw her excited expression, so he couldn't help but smile and put down the cloth in his hand: "Oh? What treasure? Let me see it quickly."
"You wait!" Long Kui nodded vigorously, turned, and ran out the door, her steps as light as a deer's. A moment later, she rushed back, carefully cradling a small object wrapped in soft cloth in her arms. Strands of hair on her forehead were damp with sweat, clinging to her smooth skin, but she didn't seem to care. She ran to Han Xiaoliu, gently placed the package on the table, braced her hands on the surface, and stared intently at him, her voice filled with a mixture of expectation and trepidation: "This, this… can we take her in?"
Han Xiaoliu looked down and saw a beautiful baby sleeping soundly with its eyes closed in a soft swaddling cloth. The baby's face was rosy and its mouth was slightly pouting. It looked extremely cute.
His smile froze instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his expression changed rapidly—first shock, then astonishment, and finally solidified into a solemn look.
He abruptly looked up at Long Kui, pointing at the baby in the bundle, his voice rising several decibels: "Holy crap, a baby?! This is unacceptable! Wait... where did this baby come from? Where are the baby's family?"
"I found it." Longkui blinked, looking completely matter-of-fact, and gently poked the baby's chubby cheek.