novelraw Chapter 388: Let’s Beg Together
Chapter 388: Let’s Beg Together
Yu Zhao approached Monk Silence, requesting a quiet room.
Without a word, Silence led her to a chamber’s entrance.
Yu Zhao expressed her thanks before slipping inside. She crossed her legs and sat, taking the Heavenly Divination Shell from her storage bracelet. Her fingers caressed its rough surface, and a wave of emotion surged within her.
Despite possessing the shell, she had never used it. If not for Su Ming’s reminder, she might have forgotten entirely about this powerful artifact for a long time.
Yu Zhao held the shell, ready to consult it, but a flicker of hesitation crossed her face. Could this ancient relic, forged by a great divination master of old, truly reveal the method to repair the Heavenly Ladder? If it failed, she would waste its last use.
Her brows furrowed for a moment but quickly smoothed as resolve replaced doubt. She could afford to waste the divination—but not the chance, however slim, to repair the Heavenly Ladder.
Closing her eyes once more, she gripped the shell tightly and began to shake it. Once, twice… until the sixth shake. Yu Zhao stopped and placed her hand on the shell.
Several breaths passed, yet no information came. Confused, Yu Zhao opened her eyes, suspecting the divination had failed. Suddenly, a rapid cracking sound echoed in the room. She looked down to see web-like cracks spreading across the shell.
With one final crack, the shell shattered into four or five pieces, lying quietly in her hand.
Yu Zhao stared in shock, her expression tinged with disappointment. Not only had the divination failed, but the Heavenly Divination Shell was also destroyed.Bang!
The shattered fragments transformed into countless points of light, surging into Yu Zhao. A complex torrent of profound information poured into her Sea of Consciousness, leaving her dizzy and overwhelmed.
Time passed, and gradually, clarity returned to Yu Zhao’s vision. She sat in a daze for a long while before letting out a wry chuckle.
The result had been unexpected, to say the least. She wasn’t sure whether to call the divination a success or a failure. Instead of a clear answer, the shell had imparted a mysterious formation—an intricate array structure composed of countless smaller formations. Just a few glances left her head spinning and eyelids drooping.
If it were merely complex, Yu Zhao could seek guidance from elders proficient in array formations. However, the crux lay in the fact that the formation required Spirit Cores as its foundation—forty-nine of them, to be precise.
And what were Spirit Cores? They were the essence of Spirit Veins. As long as a core remained, a vein could regenerate Spirit Stones after depletion, making it an inexhaustible resource.
Who in the cultivation world would be willing to use Spirit Cores as formation bases, let alone forty-nine of them?
Yu Zhao’s smile grew bitter. Even if she looted the treasuries of One-Sect Two-Schools Four-Factions, she might not gather enough Spirit Cores.
Still, no matter how difficult, she had to try. But where should she begin?
An idea soon struck her.
…
“How many did you say?”
“Forty-nine.”
“Forty-nine what?”
“Forty-nine Spirit Cores.”
“And what do you need forty-nine Spirit Cores for?”
“To serve as formation bases.”
Abbot Jie Tan visibly flinched at Yu Zhao’s words.
They sat facing each other in silence for nearly half an hour before Jie Tan finally spoke.
“Forty-nine Spirit Cores is no small matter. It would likely take half the cultivation world’s efforts to gather them,” he said solemnly.
Yu Zhao nodded in agreement, not daring to utter a single additional word.
Jie Tan gave her a pointed look. “Spirit Cores are not just the foundation of Spirit Veins; they’re crucial to the overall spiritual energy of the cultivation world. This must be handled with the utmost caution.”
Again, Yu Zhao nodded obediently, refraining from any further commentary. Her silent compliance caused Jie Tan to inwardly sigh. The girl had deftly passed this thorny issue onto him, knowing he couldn’t ignore it.
Despite the daunting task, Jie Tan couldn’t shirk responsibility. From the moment Yu Zhao entered Harmony Sound Temple, this matter had intertwined with him, the temple, and the cultivation world at large. No one could remain uninvolved.
After reciting a sutra and fingering his prayer beads for a long while, Jie Tan steeled himself. “Harmony Sound Temple is willing to provide three Spirit Cores.”
The words left Jie Tan’s face nearly bereft of its usual compassionate smile. Though he often preached the insignificance of material wealth, the temple required substantial Spirit Stones for its daily operations and acts of charity. Generosity ran deep among its monks, but their resources were already stretched thin.
To Jie Tan, offering three Spirit Cores felt akin to cutting away three chunks of his flesh.
Yu Zhao, however, didn’t immediately accept the offer. Instead, she began calculating aloud. “If the Seven Great Sects each contributed three Spirit Cores, that would total twenty-one. We’d still be twenty-eight short.”
Her innocent expression as she looked at Jie Tan was both guileless and pointed.
Jie Tan’s heart bled. “How about… four?” he said, his voice trembling slightly.
Yu Zhao shook her head. “That still leaves twenty-eight to go.”
Taking a deep breath, Jie Tan finally relented. “Five. Not a single one more!”
Any more, and Harmony Sound Temple’s monks would be forced to roam the streets, begging for survival.
“Thank you, Abbot. The entire cultivation world will remember your generosity,” Yu Zhao said earnestly, rising to bow deeply.
Jie Tan waved her off weakly, too dispirited to speak further.
Seeing his dejection, Yu Zhao hesitated, then posed a question to cheer him up. “Abbot, which of the remaining sect leaders do you think will be the easiest to persuade?”
Jie Tan’s eyes brightened at the prospect. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Convincing them with just your words might be difficult. I’ll accompany you to save time and lend credibility. Let’s start with the Five Elements Dao Sect. Sect Master Ji Yuan values you highly and will likely listen to your plea. From there, we’ll head north to the Green Wood Sect, then the **Heavenly Sword Sect…”
In a short time, Jie Tan had planned the entire route. He even retrieved a Wooden Alms Bowl from his storage space and handed it to Yu Zhao, his tone brimming with enthusiasm.
“When the time comes, you carry the bowl, I’ll carry you, and together, we’ll beg door to door!”