Chapter 112 - 103: Repairing Spring and Autumn Cicada

Chapter 112: Chapter 103: Repairing Spring and Autumn Cicada

Shen Yunjiao went to the kitchen to light the stove and cook. Before long, the aroma of food began to waft out.

Inside the Earth Fire Chamber, Zhao Zuo took out the Spring and Autumn Cicada and placed it in the palm of his hand. After being baptized by the Qi of Time, its pale golden body now held a hint of vibrant green, as if a long-decayed tree was being revived.

The Spring and Autumn Cicada was originally a peculiar creature, born between heaven and earth. It lived in the Poison Swamp Forbidden Land, a place rarely visited by people, avoiding both Cultivators and secular folk.

The path their species sought was to transcend the river of time and reach a state of eternal indestructibility.

A hundred years marked a cycle, a thousand years an epoch. One disaster, one tribulation... there was no end.

They sought Transcendence, yet they never saw an opportunity for it.

After dying while Crossing the Tribulation, their bodies would transform into the husk of a Spring and Autumn Cicada. These husks also possessed the ability to resist the flow of time, so... when worn, they could extend the wearer’s life.

The more tribulations the Spring and Autumn Cicada experienced, the more powerful its effects would become after its death.

Zhao Zuo locked the wooden door from the inside before pulling the Spring and Autumn Cicada from his robes and lightly tapping ’Upgrade.’

When he first found the Spring and Autumn Cicada, although it looked quite extraordinary, it exuded the emptiness and pallor of a creature on the verge of death. It appeared old and bleak.

But after a few upgrades, the fine scars on the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s surface had all healed. It now had a bit more Spiritual Light than before, and was small, exquisite, and warm and smooth to the touch.

Under the sunlight, it gave off a faint glow, looking exceptionally soft.

A gray light spread out, enveloping the Spring and Autumn Cicada. Meanwhile, the dual-colored black and white aura entwined around its body began to radiate a crystalline glow under the Golden Finger’s influence. It shone like a gemstone emitting a dazzling and captivating luster as intricate patterns intertwined upon its body.

The rays of light were like countless threads, weaving a magical and complex design.

Zhao Zuo noticed that the design faintly resembled the phantom of a cicada. It was pale gold all over and seemed to be beating its wings in flight. Its body even appeared to be gradually growing larger, and its pale golden exterior became brighter, glittering with a dazzling light like pure gold.

Every inch of it overflowed with light, which flowed with a jade-like luster. The fine patterns on its surface grew clearer, spreading across the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s body to form markings as beautiful as a work of art.

Throughout the process, the Spring and Autumn Cicada gained more substance. Its surface seemed to be plated with a shell brimming with Life Force, radiating a lush Vitality like that of wild grass. At the same time, the cicada’s wings also became fuller, each marking on them as delicate as exquisitely carved colored glass.

Its illusory wings trembled gently, exuding an elegance that transcended the mortal world. Every time they opened and closed, they seemed to disturb the flow of time, creating a dreamlike and illusory sight.

Finally, the Spring and Autumn Cicada completely absorbed the dual-colored gray and white power of time. It revealed its perfect form, its pale golden exterior filled with a noble and pure aura.

The gray light gradually dissipated. At the same time, the Golden Light from the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s surface became the only source of light in the chamber. The cicada slowly drifted toward Zhao Zuo’s palm and landed gently.

It felt warm and smooth to the touch. Inside, two points of green light could be faintly seen circulating, and at its very core, countless golden threads formed an arcane and complex Spirit Pattern sigil.

[Upgrade Description: Extends the wearer’s life by fifteen days each year.]

The text quickly vanished, and a transparent panel appeared.

[Level: Middle Grade Magical Treasure · Spring and Autumn Cicada]

[EXP: 0/2000]

[Status: Not Upgradeable]

[Spirit Seal: Substitution]

Zhao Zuo’s gaze sharpened. The first change was that the "damaged" note at the end of its level was gone. Second, all the experience points the Spring and Autumn Cicada had previously accumulated had vanished.

In addition, the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s effect had improved. From this day forward, Zhao Zuo’s year... would be fifteen days longer than a normal person’s. He believed that with future upgrades, the effect could be enhanced even further.

Finally, the Spring and Autumn Cicada had gained a special Spirit Seal effect. Zhao Zuo guessed that the so-called Spirit Seal was the perfect pattern formed when the golden threads finished their construction. Just to upgrade the Spring and Autumn Cicada this time... he had spent a full one hundred Creation Points. Including his previous expenses... it seemed each Golden Pattern Spirit Seal cost about one hundred and fifty points in total.

With a hint of anticipation, Zhao Zuo tapped on the ’Substitution’ entry.

[Spirit Seal · Substitution: Exchange life for death. When the wearer suffers a fatal attack, the Spring and Autumn Cicada will shatter on its own, dropping in level and losing its spirituality to form a barrier that blocks the current attack. Further upgrades can reduce the cost and increase the barrier’s Defense Power.]

"A game-changing Divine Skill," Zhao Zuo commented lightly.

With the Substitution skill, the last of Zhao Zuo’s defensive shortcomings was covered. In the future, the Clear Heart Jade Pendant would be responsible for defending his Soul and Divine Thought, the Golden Light Mirror would defend against frontal attacks, and finally... the Substitution skill would act as his ultimate safety net.

Zhao Zuo held the Spring and Autumn Cicada in his hand, toying with it for a moment. He observed the flowing green light points and complex golden patterns within, and couldn’t help but marvel at the miraculous power of his Golden Finger.

About five minutes later, Zhao Zuo tucked the Spring and Autumn Cicada into a pocket in the inner lining of his clothes, placing it snugly against his chest. Next to it was the Clear Heart Jade Pendant, which sped up his Cultivation.

With a wave of his hand, he took out the Spirit Wood and the Artifact Refining Secret Record and continued practicing how to draw the Heavy Mountain Spirit Patterns. His study and practice during this period had given Zhao Zuo many insights into the Heavy Mountain Spirit Patterns.

Out of fifteen attempts, he could successfully draw it about three times. However, his proficiency wasn’t high enough yet, and he couldn’t complete the drawing within the required five seconds.

However, Zhao Zuo believed that if he kept practicing, he could completely master the Heavy Mountain Spirit Patterns in another month. At that point, he would be able to start a business selling Defensive Magical Artifacts.

Although the price of Lower Grade Magical Artifacts was around sixteen Spirit Stones, the demand for Defensive Magical Artifacts was higher. After all... after just a few battles, dozens of clashes between magical artifacts could cause the Spirit Patterns inside a Defensive Magical Artifact to break, forcing it to be replaced.

Combat Magical Artifacts were different. As long as one was careful to avoid head-on collisions with other magical artifacts or enemies, they could usually accompany a Cultivator for a very long time.

Take the Golden Light Mirror, for example. In the battle against Second Lei, it had suffered several heavy blows. Although it wasn’t destroyed on the spot, its internal Spirit Patterns were damaged. However, the Sky-Breaking Saber, an Attack Magical Artifact, had not sustained any damage at all in that fight.

About another thirty minutes passed. After several hundred practice attempts, Zhao Zuo’s Mana was depleted, and he had no choice but to close his eyes and start meditating to recover.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Time to eat." Shen Yunjiao knocked on the chamber’s wooden door from outside.

"Coming!"

Zhao Zuo got up and went to the kitchen. Shen Yunjiao had prepared a lavish meal: six dishes in total.

Four of them were meat dishes: sweet and sour Demon Beast meat, braised Demon Beast meat, a roasted Spirit Dove, and meat stewed with Spiritual Charcoal. The remaining dishes were Spirit Bamboo Shoot Threads tossed in vinegar and a flowering cherry fruit platter... There were even two bottles of Spirit Wine and dessert for after the meal. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Zhao Zuo would never have believed that Shen Yunjiao was such a good cook.

"Today, I plan to tell you about my past and my origins," Shen Yunjiao said, her tone somewhat complicated.

.....