Chapter 225: The Situation and an Attempt to Repair

Chapter 225 -165: The Situation and an Attempt to Repair

Five days later, two topics were being discussed throughout the Cultivation Realms of the neighboring kingdoms.

The first was that Chen Xiaorong, a genius seen only once in a millennium, was confirmed to have had her Realm fall. Most of the Meridians in her body were damaged, and with the Spirit Patterns on her Lifebound Sword completely destroyed, she had lost all hope of ever returning to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The once-in-a-millennium genius had fallen from grace.

The second topic was Li Ge, the Moyun Sect’s strongest genius of the last decade. He had heavily wounded Xue Wuxing—an expert at Foundation Establishment Perfection from the Blood River Sect—in the Yunlan Mountain Range. It was now suspected that Li Ge possessed the greatest strength below the Golden Core Realm, replacing Chen Xiaorong as the most prominent figure in the Cultivation Realms of the three surrounding kingdoms.

Furthermore, Li Ge was very different from Chen Xiaorong. He already possessed the combat strength of a Top-Level Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator. In an era where Golden Core masters restrained one another, he could not be easily plotted against and eliminated.

Traveling day and night for a total of five days, Zhao Zuo and Shen Yunjiao returned to the Moyun Market. They first stopped at a teahouse to gather some news. When he heard that Chen Xiaorong had been brought back safely by her master, Zhao Zuo breathed a sigh of relief.

All the rushing, killing, fighting, and hardship of their journey felt immensely satisfying in that moment. He had participated in the clash between the Righteous and Demonic Paths, and though his own power was small, he had influenced the final outcome. Most importantly, his gains had been substantial.

Of course, the price had also been steep.

“Now that you’ve confirmed she’s safe, can we go back and get some sleep?” Shen Yunjiao asked, her tone a little sour and laced with exhaustion. They had barely rested during this time. Even Cultivators weren’t made of iron; they too would get tired and feel sleepy after going so long without rest.

“Let’s go. We’re heading back.” Zhao Zuo stood up, setting his teacup upside down on the table. He took out a few Spirit Stones and tossed them to the teahouse owner as a tip. After all, he was in a good mood today.

“Well, look at that. The sun must be rising in the west,” Shen Yunjiao immediately teased, though her expression was not entirely friendly.

“Let’s go.”

About ten minutes later, the two arrived back at their residence in the core district. They agreed to divide their gains after they woke up, and Shen Yunjiao headed up to her room on the second floor.

Zhao Zuo returned to his own room. Thanks to the cleaning Array, the room wasn’t covered in dust despite having been empty for a long time. Of course, it was also possible that Landlord Shen cleaned it regularly.

He took off his leather boots, swapping them for a pair of loose, breathable cloth shoes. He then used a Cleaning Talisman to remove the odor from his boots and feet. After all, he hadn’t taken his boots off in over ten days. The skin on the tops of his feet was somewhat pale, only regaining some color after a few minutes.

He wiggled his toes, enjoying the feeling of freedom and relaxation. He took the Spring and Autumn Cicada from his robes, a flicker of pain and reluctance in his eyes as he gently tapped the upgrade option.

A familiar gray ball of light spread out. The first thing to separate from it was a bit of the Qi of Time from within. It split into numerous faint green motes of light that began to repair the cracks on the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s surface. At the same time, it transformed into wisps of sweet dew, awakening the Vitality within as the fissures were mended.

Its dim body began to emit a Spiritual Light, and he could even feel a vibrant aura, as if he were lying on the grass, basking in the gentle sun, feeling the warm breeze, and enjoying the beauty of nature.

The Vitality on the Spring and Autumn Cicada grew stronger. Golden motes of light converged toward its core. Zhao Zuo guessed that this must be the second Spirit Seal in the process of gestating, but based on how these things usually went, it probably wouldn’t finish forming until the Spring and Autumn Cicada upgraded from a Magical Treasure to a Spiritual Artifact.

Zhao Zuo took a shallow breath, then held it, Concentrating his Spirit to observe the cicada’s transformation. As the upgrade Energy flowed in, the patterns on its wings grew even more intricate, even developing layers, and a hint of spirituality emerged.

The upgrade didn’t take a long time, but it certainly wasn’t short, either. As Zhao Zuo watched, he was also learning, experiencing the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s changes and the natural growth of its golden patterns, trying to comprehend what lay behind them.

This was perhaps the pinnacle of the Path of Artifact Refining, but unfortunately, Zhao Zuo ultimately couldn’t grasp the profound mysteries behind it.

As time went on, the gray ball of light seemed to come alive, pulsing like a heart. With each contraction and expansion, it absorbed the Spiritual Power between heaven and earth, using it to wash over and baptize the Spring and Autumn Cicada.

When it was all over, Zhao Zuo opened his hand, and the Spring and Autumn Cicada fell into his palm. The Spiritual Light it emitted gradually receded. Now, however, its exterior was completely free of cracks. Its form had even become more refined—exquisite and ingeniously crafted.

The familiar transparent interface gradually materialized before his eyes.

The changes from this upgrade weren’t significant. The lifespan it provided each week had only increased slightly. Clearly, the more this ability that defied the natural laws of heaven and earth was upgraded, the more resources it would require.

[Level: Middle-Grade Magical Treasure +2 · Spring and Autumn Cicada]

[EXP: 2344/8000]

[Status: Not upgradeable]

[Spirit Pattern: Substitution]

‘It’s a shame. There’s only one wisp of the Qi of Time left.’

Normally, an upgrade wouldn’t consume Qi of Time. This time, however, it was used to repair the damage the Spring and Autumn Cicada sustained from blocking a fatal attack, which was why it cost an extra bit.

The Spring and Autumn Cicada now only stored a single final wisp of the Qi of Time, which was nowhere near enough to upgrade it to an Upper-Grade Magical Treasure. But as for the source of the Qi of Time…

‘Since it was recorded in the books of the Scripture Pavilion, I can definitely obtain the Qi of Time from other places. For that reason, I hope I won’t have to get it from Shen Yunjiao again. But sometimes… things just don’t go as planned.’