Chapter 287: The Pea is About to Give Boons
“LIttle tyrant, have we entered the barrier?”
“Uh… Yes!”
“Are you certain?”
“Certain… I think?”
The corner of Zhu Yao’s lips twitched. The breakthrough detachment had finally escaped those strange beasts outside and successfully entered barrier. Then… They saw even more strange beasts.
-Flips table!- Why are there so many terrifying creatures, hey!?
“Hohoho… Why are you two looking at me? Run.” Zhu Yao threw away the iPhone N and hurriedly got onto her flying sword. Pulling the two youths who had long expended their spiritual energy, she began to flee with her family in tow. In her mind, she was already throwing over a hundred curses at the person who created the barrier. When normal people place down barriers, they were either used to protect something, or to hide something. This barrier? After they managed to enter through great difficulties, they realized both inside and outside of it were the same. She really wanted to ask the person who created this barrier just what in the world was he thinking? Was he bored? Or was bored he? Or bored was he?
However, after flying wildly for a few kilometers, Zhu Yao had stopped pondering about such a philosophical question, because she had run out of juice too. The spiritual energy in her body was already in a severely depleted state. In just a few more moments, she would no longer be able to hold on either.
At this moment, a floating mountain could be faintly seen in front of her, and a spiritual light was actually flashing at the mountaintop. Ever since they came into this barrier, the spiritual energy was extremely scarce, yet the mountaintop actually carried spiritual light. It could be seen just how dense the spiritual energy was over there.
Zhu Yao did not ponder for a long, as she immediately flew in the direction of the floating mountain. The moment she landed, the dense spiritual energy in the surroundings came circling their bodies, and even the fatigue on her body had dissipated quite a bit.
Just as she was about to find a place to hide and recover her spiritual energy, Little Bai suddenly pointed to the back and said with a stunned look. “Grandma, look. The demonic beasts are…”
When she turned around to take a look, the large amount of demonic beasts that were still chasing after them relentlessly earlier, had suddenly stopped two to three kilometers away from the floating mountain. They no longer approached, and were simply roaring with rage while facing in their direction.
“What’s wrong with them?” Zhu Yao carefully sensed her surroundings. “There’s no formation on this spiritual mountain blocking them though? Why don’t they dare to approach us?”
Little tyrant and Ye Qingcang exchanged glances as well.
“There might be something in this mountain that they are afraid of?”
“… I don’t care anymore.” Zhu Yao sat cross-legged. “This place is safe for now, let’s first restore our spiritual energy. This way, we can flee faster later on.”
The two youths nodded and followed her lead, taking up their meditating positions.
“Pea~” The pea rolled towards Zhu Yao. It suddenly opened its mouth and spat out two bottles.
(⊙▽⊙)
Doraemon gave a boon again!
“What is this?” Zhu Yao picked up the bottle and shook it. Realizing that a liquid was stored in it, she opened to bottle cap. A fragrant scent suffused into the air, instantly lifting up her spirits, and even her spiritual energy had recovered by ten percent in an instant.
“Could this be Spiritual Spring Jade Dew?” Ye Qingcang said with an astonished look.
“You recognize this?”
Ye Qingcang said. “I have merely heard others mention it before. It’s spring water formed by compressing spiritual energy. It’s more than a hundred times denser than regular spiritual energy.”
“It’s that mystical?” Zhu Yao stroked the pea. “Nobita sent you, right? Why do you have everything on you?”
“Pea!” The pea leapt up, landing on her thigh.
“Also…” Student Ye continued. “Unlike spiritual energy where we have to refine and guide it into our own bodies, there’s no need to do so for this spiritual water. Just by drinking it, it can immediately replenish the spiritual energy in our bodies.”
It’s that effective? Isn’t that the mana potions in games then? And it’s even instantaneous. She must give it a try!
“However…” Student Ye recalled with all his might. “I have heard the spiritual energy of spiritual water is too powerful, and usually, a single drop of it is comparable to the amount of spiritual energy needed for the Foundation level. That is why it shouldn’t be drunk too…”
Zhu Yao who had already drunk it all: …
“Young man…” Zhu Yao pulled Student Ye’s collar. “Do you know you can kill someone if you don’t speak everything at one go?” I have already drunk down the entire bottle, yet you’re telling me I’m only supposed to drink a single drop!?
“I… I never expected that granny would drink it so quickly?” He said with an astonished and self-blaming look. “Granny… you drank it all?”
“What do you think!?” Gaah! Do you think it’s oreo!? I have to first lick it, and then dip it!?
Puaah…
She puked out a mouthful of bad blood.
“Grandma!”
“Granny!”
Zhu Yao immediately sensed the expanded spiritual energy in her body wildly charging into her Dantian. Zhu Yao had no time to explain philosophies with the youth any longer, as she hurriedly meditated in order to digest the spiritual energy within her body.
The two youths were left with no choice but to sit next to her to keep a lookout.
Though the spiritual energy in Zhu Yao’s body was of immense quantity, it was not like the spiritual energy from before. The spiritual energy presently was much gentler than before, and it was obediently staying within her body, constantly charging into her meridians and Dantian. Just like a very orderly traffic jam, what constantly shrank was the distance between the cars, no one was crossing through the tight passages or turning out of the way.
So though Zhu Yao felt that her expanding meridians were a little unbearable, it was not like the previous time where she had to hold on in a state where her blood and flesh were meshed together. Instead, her cultivation was beginning to rise at a rhythmic pace. From the fifth level of Foundation, to the sixth, seventh… all the way to the Paragon level.
And up to this point, not even a tenth of the spiritual water she drank had been digested. She decided to just form her Azoth Core. She converted all of the spiritual water in her body into spiritual energy at one go, and then began the forming process.
To someone like her who had formed her Azoth Core countless of times, like an university graduate going back to take a primary school examination, it was simply too easy. Her Azoth Core began to grow firmer. However, the strange thing was that the transparent spiritual energy that had been staying within her body the entire time, had also seeped into her Dantian as well. In the beginning, she did not feel any anomaly. However, after the shape of the Dantian was formed, she realized that the Dantian which was supposed to be of varied colours, had actually turned into a transparent glass ball.
Could it be that the strange spiritual energy was used as a dye?
Unfortunately, she no longer had the time to think. Because after the formation of her Azoth Core, the spiritual energy in her body was actually still expanding, and it expanded all the way till she was at the Azoth Core Paragon level. Only eighty to ninety percent of the spiritual energy from the spiritual water was expended.
Now, here came the problem. Should she continue to nourish her Nascent Soul? Or should she die from self-imploding due to the expansive spiritual energy?
However, if she were to nourish her Nascent Soul now, this bit of spiritual energy was far from enough. Not to mention she had just finished forming her Azoth Core. If she were to shatter her Dantian now to nourish her Nascent Soul and guide the spiritual energy into her body, her frail meridians would not be able to bear them. It would basically fail.
Both her advance and retreat paths were sealed. Could this be the price for being a glutton? She had rather wished that she could fatten up by three kilos!
The spiritual energy was beginning to fill up, and even if she wanted to suppress the expanding spiritual energy with all her might, she was unable to stop the intense pain within her meridians and Dantian. She was done for. It seemed like she had truly eaten to death this time.
“Pea…” Suddenly, the pea, that had been quietly laying on her leg the entire time, called out. In a blink of an eye, the incantation of some sort of mystic art could be faintly heard within her mind. The pea began to emit out a green light. She simply felt the spiritual energy that had been squeezing tightly in her meridians was being pulled away, scattering out of her body and entering the pea’s body.
In but a few moments, the pain she was feeling had completely dissipated, and her meridians had been restored to normal. She felt as if she had taken a laxative after being constipated for several days. Her entire body felt relaxed, and even her spirits were refreshed.
After surviving this tribulation, she definitely had to eat more oreos in the future.
Taking a deep breath, she woke up from her meditative state. She looked at the pea that had grown considerably, her heart was filled with excitement. “Peapea, tell me honestly. Do you still have another name called Doraemon. Dorbemon is fine too…”
The mystical Peapea’s reply was, “burp…”
It let out a resounding burp.
“Grandma!” Little tyrant ran over with an agitated look. “Grandma, you’re awake. I even thought… Fortunately you formed your Azoth Core.”
Zhu Yao stroked his head. “Don’t worry, grandma’s life is pretty sturdy!” Speaking of which, this seemed to be the most relaxed formation of her Azoth Core. “How long was in a meditative state?”
“Five days!” Little tyrant said.
Zhu Yao was astonished. “Five days!? Then you…” Wouldn’t that mean they had starved for seven to eight days?
“Grandma, don’t worry. I still have one final Hunger Dispelling Pellet. Furthermore, while you were forming your Azoth Core, the spiritual energy in the surroundings was very rich. My cultivation had risen as well.”
Zhu Yao took a closer look. As he had said, he had already reached the Paragon level of Essence, and was just a little off from establishing his Foundation.
“Not bad, little one.” She patted on his back. “Oh right, what about Ye Qingcang?”
Little tyrant was stunned for a moment, before looking towards her back. “Junior-martial brother is still in a meditative state.” His tone carried slight envy. “Two days ago, while grandma was forming her Azoth Core, junior-martial brother Ye comprehended a hint of the Heavenly Dao, and thus went into meditation. He instantly leapt from the fifth level of Essence to the eighth level!”
As expected of the main protagonist. He could actually raise his cultivation just by watching someone else form her Azoth Core.
“Though junior-martial brother Ye’s aptitude isn’t really good, his comprehensive abilities are phenomenal. Even I… can’t compare to him.” After saying that, he glanced at Ye Qingcang.
Zhu Yao however could faintly sense a hint of desolateness, as she patted heavily onto his shoulder. “Little tyrant, what are you thinking about? Are you envious of him?”
His expression stiffened, and his eyes moved about for quite a while. “He’s… indeed really incredible.”
“You have merely seen his present capabilities, but you have not seen his past hardships.” Zhu Yao strongly stroked his head. Little tyrant was an Inner Sect disciple from birth, and his aptitude was above average as well. Yet, he was set to roam free on his own by his master, and he had been lacking a senior that could guide him the entire time. This was why he had such a strong personality. This was obvious just by looking at how fast he was cultivating compared to his peers of the same generation. However, after suddenly seeing Ye Qingcang whose cultivation was shooting up like a rocket, it would be hard not to possess unbalanced feelings about this. Furthermore, he held the penta spirit veins. It was very normal for him to give birth to self-doubts. However, if such doubts continued to stay buried within, it might possibly turn into inferiority complex one day. Zhu Yao did not wish for such unbalance to become the knot in his heart in the future.
“Listen to me, little tyrant.” Zhu Yao sighed. “Do you think Ye Qingcang is really incredible for being able to raise from the first level of Essence to the eighth level in just half a month with his penta spirit veins?”
“Mn.” He obediently nodded.
“Then how long did it take you?”
“Three years!” Furthermore, he was cultivating daily. He never dared to slack off in the least, which led to him possessing such speeds.
“Then what about from the first level to the second level of Essence?” Zhu Yao continued to ask.
Little tyrant was stunned for a moment, as he looked at her a little perplexedly. “The first three levels of Essence are extremely easy. It is possible to reach the third level just by taking in spiritual energy into the body for half a month. Back then, I naturally used only two days to reach the second level.”
“Oh.” Zhu Yao pointed to Ye Qingcang on the ground. “But he took five years.”
Little tyrant was dumbfounded for a moment, before regaining his senses and refuted. “This is different!”
“What’s different?”
“…” LIttle tyrant was unable to point it out. Indeed! Mortal disciples usually entered sect at the age of ten, and just a few days ago, Ye Qingcang was still at the first level of Essence. In other words, he had indeed spent five years.
“Little tyrant…” Zhu Yao said with a stern look. “That’s why I said that you have merely looked at the achievements he had made today, yet you have not seen the view behind it. He had similarly worked hard for many years. You are about the same age as him, yet you’re already at the Essence Paragon level, while he is merely at the eighth level. The one who should be envious is him, not you.”
Bai Zhiyuan looked down and pondered for a moment, as if he had understood something, yet was still a little confused.
“Furthermore.” Zhu Yao continued. “You are envious of him reaching the eighth level from the first level of Essence in just a few days? Why aren’t you envious of me rising to the Azoth Core Paragon level from intermediate stages of Foundation in the past five days then?”
Little tyrant instantly widened his eyes.
Zhu Yao laughed, pinching his cheeks and pulling them to the two sides. “Little tyrant, what’s important is not to be envious of others, but understand what you yourself possess. Look at yourself more. Your Dao is built by you alone, not others. No matter how talented he is, it’s not going to help you walk your own life.”
Little tyrant raised his head and looked at her, the confusion on his face disappeared bit by bit. His eyes brightening bit by bit, and were much clearer than before. A smile slowly surfaced on that face of his which still carried a bit of innocence, as he nodded his head. “Grandma, Little Bai understands now.”
Only then did Zhu Yao heave a sigh of relief. These feelings of being envious of other children were something she greatly understood, after all, she had lived under a shadow like this since young.
Wait a minute!
Other children…
Zhu Yao’s eyes brightened. She was a little agitated for a moment. The hell! I know how I should deal with the bug now!
So it’s like that!
“Granny.” Ye Qingcang woke up at this moment as well, as he respectfully greeted her.
“Hi, other child… Ah pui, Little Cang.” After finding the method to deal with the situation, she instantly felt that the main protagonist looked more pleasing to the eye than before! “Speaking of which…”
“Pea…” Just as Zhu Yao was about to speak up, Peapea stepped in, squeezing right between the two of them as it playfully rubbed against her chest. Zhu Yao simply felt her arms sinking, and even her legs were about to collapse.
When did this pea become so much fatter? She could barely hold it up now.
Pea pea pea pea pea!” It nudged wildly. Zhu Yao felt as if her arms were about to break. Suddenly, it flew out of her embrace, and then flew in a direction for a few moments, before flying back.
Was it telling them to go that way?” What’s over there?”
“Pea!”
Zhu Yao frowned. Summoning her flying sword, she instructed the two good youths, and then followed Peapea in that direction. She wondered what the pea had found, and she had to head over to take a look. Maybe it was an exit!
When they entered earlier, they flew straight to the mountaintop, the pea was bringing them towards the foot of the mountain. They had only flown for a while, yet Zhu Yao was stunned few moments later as she stopped in mid-air.
“Grandma?” The two youths turned back with a puzzled look.
Zhu Yao clenched her fists, and said with a sunken voice. “Establish defensive barriers, hurry!”
Scent of blood!
She caught wind of a very heavy scent of blood!
Even during the battle between Gods and Demons, she had never smelled such a thick scent. Furthermore, when she caught a whiff of it earlier, she even felt a sense of desolateness enough to suffocate her.
That emotion was very inexplicable, and it was as if her heart was clenched tightly by someone or something, causing her mysterious pain and agony. It seemed like there was something waiting for her upfront, something absolutely depressing.