Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Dragon Roar on Hanging Rock Island
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The little ghost departed. Chen Shi took advantage of the sky not yet brightening to calm his mind and carefully sense his Nascent Soul.
The Nascent Soul Realm was divided into five stages: Great Medicine, Yellow Sprout, Infant Formation, Soul Projection, and Great Completion. From the moment Chen Shi stepped into the Golden Core Realm, his Golden Core had undergone constant sevenfold returns, eight transformations, and nine restorations, feeding back into his body and nurturing the Great Medicine of the human form.
His foundation was incomparably solid, his vital energy and blood abundant and vigorous. He did not need to refine external pills as Great Medicine like other cultivators to aid in breakthroughs.
Moreover, his Heavenly Gate had long been opened, making Soul Projection a natural progression for him.
In forming his Nascent Soul this time, he had leaped over the Great Medicine and Yellow Sprout stages in just a few short days, directly entering Infant Formation and Soul Projection!
What he lacked was merely nurturing the Nascent Soul, allowing it to reach Great Completion soon.
Once the Nascent Soul grew to about a foot tall, it would achieve Great Completion, and he could charge toward the Soul Transformation Realm.
Chen Shi circulated his Nascent Soul.
From the Nascent Soul's perspective, as the Eight Gates Golden Palaces rotated, the Nascent Soul rose from the tailbone within Chen Shi's body, soaring upward, passing through layer after layer of heavens—called the Thirty-Three Heavens, though it was merely leaping over thirty-three vertebrae.
Yet in the Nascent Soul's vision, the Thirty-Three Heavens truly existed, shrouded in clouds and mists, though much of it was filled with filth.
Upon reaching the back of the brain, it was like entering a heavenly palace.
The Nascent Soul arrived at the crown of the head, where the skull resembled the Great Luo Heaven. Above the Great Luo Heaven, stars dotted the sky, the Milky Way wound around, resplendent in every way.
At the center of the Milky Way lay the Heavenly Gate, a portal standing tall. Within the portal, starlight swirled and rotated, profoundly mysterious.
Crossing this portal allowed Soul Projection.
After projecting, the Nascent Soul's circulation became the Grand Circulatory Heaven, with Golden Palace portals standing at the eight extremities of heaven and earth. Golden light swirled within the portals, condensing into spheres.
If the Nascent Soul wandered within the body, rising from the dantian, tiny like a yellow sprout, soaring from the body, it would pass the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, like leaping over the Five Great Mountains, displaying majestic splendor.
The ascent passed through the Scarlet Palace (heart), over the Golden Mansion (lungs), into the Twelve-Story Tower (throat), straight to the Jade Pond (mouth), across the Divine Bridge (tongue against the hard palate), into the Heavenly Abyss (nasal cavity), rising to the sun and moon (eyes), entering the Heavenly Court (forehead and cranial interior), flying into the Great Luo Heaven (crown).
If the mouth opened while crossing the Divine Bridge, one could spray white light from the mouth.
When circulating to the nasal cavity and entering the Heavenly Abyss, one could exhale the Hum and Ha breaths from the nose.
When refined to the eyes, the eyes could shoot two beams of light, reaching dozens of feet away!
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul rose to the Great Luo Heaven and projected out of the body. Outside, he felt as if another self had appeared, like gaining an extra body.
The Golden Core also had vision, but it was unclear, hazy, like viewing things under moonlight—visible, yet indistinct.
The Nascent Soul, however, was like an additional spherical field of vision, seeing front and back, up and down, left and right—a most peculiar sensation. Even at night, vision was extremely clear.
Even more peculiar, he could see his own internal organs!
The Nascent Soul reached out, passing through his body, ignoring clothes and skin, touching his organs. It seemed he could pluck out anything from his belly without damaging clothes or skin!
The Nascent Soul could even remove a person's brain without touching the skull!
The reason for this peculiar ability was that the Nascent Soul existed in the void, not standing in the real world.
Chen Shi thought to himself.
From this, it was clear how dangerous the Nascent Soul was—especially Nascent Soul Realm cultivators at the Soul Projection stage. Killing and taking treasures was as easy as reaching into a bag!
Chen Shi had previously eliminated many Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and hadn't found the Nascent Soul Realm so terrifying.
Only now that he had cultivated to the Nascent Soul Realm did he realize how correct it had been to pre-arrange talismans to summon thunder and gales, or use pregnant livestock to ambush Nascent Soul Realm cultivators during past clashes.
Without wind, thunder, pregnant livestock, or such aids, allowing a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator free rein, he would have died cleanly!
"I’ve formed my Nascent Soul, yet I must still beware of pregnant women, livestock in labor, stormy weather with gales and thunder, and other cultivators’ wind-and-thunder talismans."
He mused inwardly.
He himself was an expert at ambushing others. If he fell to such tricks and went to the underworld, the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators he had slain would surely mock him.
Of course, those cultivators' souls had been devoured by the demon in his sea of consciousness—he just didn't know it.
The Nascent Soul had many more uses, but dawn had broken, and Hu Feifei was up making breakfast, so Chen Shi didn't continue exploring.
He lit incense for the Wuwang Spear, grabbed the weapon, called Blackie Pot, took out some silver notes and handed them to Hu Feifei.
"I'm heading out for a few days. Big Sis Feifei, take care of the little one."
"If it's inconvenient, go to Uncle Hu's place."
"I'll pick you up when I return."
Hu Feifei held the little one's hand and saw him off to the village entrance.
"When will you return?"
"Not certain yet."
"Head back."
Chen Shi waved goodbye. After lighting incense for Godmother and Scholar Zhu, he arrived at Gangzi Village.
A few days prior, he had given the Judge's Dragon Whisker Brush and the underworld's map to Granny Sha. She should have cross-referenced the geography of the yin and yang realms to calculate its approximate location in the yang world.
"This item's corresponding location should be around Hanging Rock Island."
Granny Sha summoned the map of the Nine Provinces of the Underworld, not spreading it on the ground. The paper faded, leaving only the underworld's mountains, rivers, and lakes.
She then took out the map of West Ox New Continent and overlapped them, pointing to a spot in the continent's heartland.
There were five ocean-like lakes called the Five Great Lakes.
Granny Sha's finger pointed to the southernmost end of South Lake: Hanging Rock Island.
Chen Shi checked the map, confirmed the route, memorized it, and said,
"Granny, I'll need to enter the underworld again on this trip."
"Can't do it without your help."
Blackie Pot could freely travel between yin and yang, but carrying Chen Shi meant his flesh body had to stay in the yang world.
Granny Sha had once performed a ritual to take Hu Xiaoliang and Qingyang into the underworld in the flesh to find Chen Zhongdu. They had encountered danger, saved only by Blackie Pot.
Chen Shi had been there and knew of it.
In spellcasting, Granny Sha surpassed even Blackie Pot.
Granny Sha hesitated.
"Little Ten, to be honest, I've been struggling these days—no business, can't make ends meet, owe a pile of debts."
"Planning to lay low a few days, earn some money to pay them off..."
She had her own life, yet bound by her promise to Chen Yindu, she had to protect Chen Shi's safety.
Every time Chen Shi rushed east and west, she followed, and her savings were long spent.
Chen Shi smiled.
"How much do you need? I'll give it to you."
"We're all from the Heavenly Court now. In the future, if you need money, just draw from me."
He pulled out a thousand taels in silver notes.
"Enough?"
Granny Sha beamed, saying repeatedly,
"Enough, enough! Never seen so much money in my life."
She wasn't exaggerating.
Cultivation was a bottomless money pit: daily practice, buying pills, spirit beast meat, materials for treasures—all cost money.
At high realms, buying mountains to build blessed lands required immeasurable wealth.
Ordinary cultivators with a hundred or so taels were considered rich.
Since ancient times, power and money were intertwined. Cultivators seeking progress often joined governments or great clans for resources to advance.
Or they took many disciples, founding sects like Peaceful Gate or Luban Gate to occupy mountains, receiving filial piety from disciples.
Or leveraged skills to run businesses like rouge alleys or pleasure groves.
Without such means, some resorted to killing for goods, burning, looting.
Of course, the court forbade this. Offenders faced pursuit by constables, becoming fodder for soul banners.
Cultivators like Granny Sha, law-abiding with no income streams, scraped by with soul-summoning and divinations for meager earnings—barely enough to eat, no surplus.
"After paying debts, plenty left over."
Granny Sha looked at Chen Shi like a proud son, very satisfied.
"Granny can't go out like that pauper Qingyang."
"Your Uncle Qingyang has no money for food? He chews grass. But Granny starves? Only cold water."
Chen Shi helped her into the cart, smiling.
"Isn't Granny raising five ghost kings? Why not have them fetch wealth?"
Granny Sha sat in the cart, noting the soft green cushion Chen Shi had laid—prepared specially for her, very thoughtful. She smiled.
"I cultivate the Dao, and virtue too. How could I do such heaven-defying things?"
Chen Shi sat in the cart too. Blackie Pot led ahead, the wooden cart gradually starting, speeding faster toward South Lake.
At peak speed, clear winds rose beneath the wheels, no longer touching ground—like traveling in the wind, no bumps felt.
Granny Sha marveled, peering down.
"Little Ten, what talismans on this cart?"
"Still Galloping Horse and Divine Travel Talismans."
Chen Shi said.
"Worried the journey's long, so I retraced them with Blackie Pot's blood."
Granny Sha eyed Blackie Pot ahead, her old eyes flickering.
"This doggie..."
"Growing more formidable... Could you get me some black dog blood? I want to try setting an altar with his blood—see the power."
"How much?"
"Not much. A bucket like this."
Blackie Pot sprinted madly ahead, soon vanishing.
By dusk, Blackie Pot stood afar, gazing their way, not daring approach.
Granny Sha grumbled.
"The doggie's not even cooking."
They settled in Lingtai Town at the foot of Henggong Mountains. Chen Shi bought over ten catties of spirit beast meat in town to reward the dog. Only then did Blackie Pot draw near.
Lately, Blackie Pot's appetite grew huge—eating much, burning fast.
Chen Shi ladled a small half-bowl of black dog blood for Granny Sha.
"Blackie Pot's still growing. Can't take too much blood, or too often—lest he doesn't grow."
Granny Sha looked. The dog was sturdy as a calf, refusing raw meat, standing to breathe fire and roast it. Amazed, she said,
"So big and still growing?"
"Just three years old."
Chen Shi said.
"Four after New Year. Of course he'll grow."
Granny Sha summoned a ghost king to trace altar talismans. Chen Shi sought Lingtai Town's godmother.
This town's godmother had a goat head and human body, clad in Daoist robes. Standing, she was seven feet eight inches tall—most imposing.
Frequently bathed in moonlight, baleful energy invaded, adding ferocity to her mind. In a few years, she'd likely turn into an evil spirit.
Chen Shi, upon meeting, took her into his little shrine to aid his cultivation.
The goat-headed godmother panicked but, seated on the Divine Shrine, felt heaven and earth's righteous qi surge, refining her body's evil. Her Dao heart cleared, indescribably comfortable.
With her aid, Chen Shi's cultivation sped up.
As for Lingtai Town lacking a godmother's guard, no worry of evil spirits invading.
Any evil approaching was suddenly pounced by a black shadow before entering town, dragged to dark corners and devoured.
Granny Sha's five great ghost kings watched enviously, wanting a share—but even they couldn't match the dog's speed.
"This dog really is growing."
Granny Sha laughed.
On this trip, Chen Shi mainly refined his flesh body in places unreachable before—like the filth in the Thirty-Three Heavens of the spine. Previously unrefinable, now he mobilized the Nascent Soul to slowly purge the filth, restoring clarity to the Thirty-Three Heavens, extending his lifespan.
Granny Sha was a cultivation expert. Chen Shi asked about any puzzles; she answered all, resolving many issues.
But the Nascent Soul Realm was vast, with myriad intricacies. Some of Chen Shi's questions stumped even Granny Sha, so he consulted Matron Shiji.
Matron Shiji was another expert; her guidance propelled Chen Shi's cultivation forward by leaps.
After several days like this, they finally reached Hanging Rock Island.
Hanging Rock Island neighbored South Lake, famed for a suspended isle in the lake.
From afar, Chen Shi saw a massive island floating in the sky, linked to earth and South Lake by incomparably thick chains. The chains bore white stones overgrown with moss and shrubs.
Chains delving into the lake were invisible, but those anchored to ground were visible.
Passing a chain, Chen Shi dismounted to inspect closely. It plunged into the earth, unfathomably deep, pulsing with ancient power.
"This Hanging Rock Island is a relic from ancient times. We call such things remnants."
Granny Sha said wistfully.
"Remnants may predate even the True King. Existed before the Three Treasures Eunuchs landed in West Ox New Continent."
"Your grandpa and I came here back then, explored, found some scattered ancient odds and ends—nothing valuable."
Chen Shi remounted, gaze following the chain up to the suspended mega-isle in the lake, marveling at the ghostly craftsmanship.
"Before the True King era, did West Ox New Continent have civilization too?"
Chen Shi asked.
Granny Sha smiled.
"Little Ten, we haven't even figured the True King era—why fret earlier? But your grandpa and I did find many ancient remnants."
"Some remnants are astonishing, harboring inconceivable power!"
Her face grew grave.
"Among the scattered cultivators, Feng Feihua's golden needle is an ancient remnant."
"Master Kuzhu's golden body was peerless in this world, yet pierced by that needle."
Chen Shi's mind wandered, Nascent Soul flying free. He thought,
"What was civilization like before the True King era? Leaving such mighty remnants, their achievements must've been extraordinary! But why no trace of such an ancient civilization—only remnants?"
Granny Sha opened the West Ox New Continent map to pinpoint the Judge's Dragon Whisker Brush's exact yang-world spot. Suddenly, a thunderously resonant voice boomed from the lake—dull and shocking, rippling the surface, water shuddering nonstop!
The sound was like a dragon's roar: thick, piercing, heart-trembling.
Chen Shi stared in shock at the lake. Massive birds in the water took flight in panic, wings flapping.
Behind him, the shrunken Wuwang Spear suddenly vibrated, spirits urgent, as if ready to fly out.
"Granny, can underworld things come to the yang world?"
Chen Shi gripped the Wuwang Spear, suddenly asking.
"Could this Judge's Dragon Whisker Brush, like Wuwang City, appear in the yang world too?"
Granny Sha scanned around, face changing.
"Oh no! Your Uncle A'zhuo—who's turned evil spirit—is nearby too!"