novelraw Chapter 590 - 589 Enlightenment Stone
Chapter 590 - 589 Enlightenment Stone
Coming out of the ancient teleportation array, Jiang Yuan was still lost in thought, pondering whether the Eighteen Layers mentioned by You Meng had any connection to Hell.
Just then, a flash of brilliance erupted from the teleportation array, and Hu Zhile led a team back from Carefree City.
"Venerable Family, last night we launched a surprise attack on a demon beast nest," Bai Yunqi boasted as soon as he saw Jiang Yuan, "Look at these demon cores, we can definitely make a huge profit at the Market!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a handful of round and plump demon cores from his storage bag, each one indeed a fine specimen.
Hu Zhile quickly added, "I heard that the Demon Realm Alliance has some major plans. They’re forming a team and recruiting many demon cultivators, but the realm requirements are quite high.
Many demon cultivators, wanting to break through in a short time and get a share of the benefits, but having no money or chance to buy elixirs, resorted to simply consuming demon cores outright, causing the prices of demon cores to rise significantly in the past few days.
Bai and I figure, in these few days, we should strive to hunt more demon beasts and collect demon cores, and seize this opportunity to earn more spirit stones!"
Speaking of earning spirit stones, the three were all excited, feeling they could finally contribute more to the courtyard.
After all, they were proper demon cultivators, who would want to freeload all day and be treated like pets?
"Demon core prices rising? Then I’ll put them in the shop later to check if the prices are suitable." Jiang Yuan contemplated where to find a few main ingredients; seizing this chance to refine more batches of elixirs for sale should be more profitable.
Reflecting on past experiences, the most earned from selling elixirs was during the Wo Hu Temple Immortal Peach incident, where elixir prices were hyped to absurd levels; another time was selling elixirs to the lord above the wilderness.
Unfortunately, wealthy patrons are hard to come by, coupled with most recent public orders randomly rewarding building materials, the amount of high-grade ingredients is scarce, without main ingredients the alchemy room is struggling to keep up.
Yun Shu’s high-price acquisition of rare ingredients in Cloud City has yet to yield any news.
Should I use an acceleration card to hasten the ripening of several spirit medicines? Or patiently wait for a couple of months for the spirit field’s harvest season?
Alternatively, in the coming days, venture to the second layer of the World Tree’s mine to industriously search for more century fruits, refine some longevity pills to sell at Golden Chicken River Market. Such items are bound to fetch high prices!
Also, the rainbow gems used to increase favorability with the little elf You Meng are deeper in the second layer, needing to dig twenty thousand meters deep. Work hard and dig through soon to increase favorability quickly and obtain better blueprints.
"Xiao Bai, how much do you know about the Netherworld? For instance... the situation with the Eighteen Layers of Hell." Taking the demon cores, Jiang Yuan suddenly remembered this topic and casually asked.
Bai Yunqi nodded then shook his head, "How should I say, I know some but not particularly well. Which aspects of the information does the Venerable Family wish to know?"
Rarely able to contribute, the prideful Xiao Bai immediately perked up, even the crimson horn thorns slightly stood.
He, a dignified great demon, had originally agreed to become a Family Immortal to receive incense offerings and protect Venerable Family’s safety, but was exposed by Hu Zhile as merely a pet, truly intolerable.
But the problem is, Venerable Family’s power is unsealing so fast it is beyond serpentine’s defense; previously, he could at least act as the main force, but now he’s increasingly useless.
No matter how hard he trains, he can’t catch up; Venerable Family has strength, money, and is skilled in all cultivation techniques and skills, lacking nothing and worrying about nothing, even if he wants to impress, he can’t find the opportunity.
Finally able to utilize his past experience from roaming around to solve queries, Bai Yunqi secretly decided, if there are unknown secrets, for the sake of providing an answer, he might as well proactively go find that person!
In any case, having resolved to follow Venerable Family and break ties with his original body, diligently dealing with the mess also counts as the avatar exhausting efforts.
"I previously worked for the lady and often stayed in the Netherworld, perhaps there are messages the Venerable Family wants to know." Hu Zhile, unwilling to be outdone, hurriedly spoke up.
Speaking of which, that place was once his old base camp, knowing quite a bit of information from various sources, if he could help Venerable Family a little, his heart would feel much better.
Yun Mo shrunk his neck without joining the conversation, in this lifetime not daring to go to the Netherworld, even more without channels to understand the situation there.
But he was very curious, winged and followed the trio, as they settled at the pavilion by the Spirit Pool, with Yun Mo’s massive build he crouched by the shore, ears perked up, listening intently.
Jiang Yuan, for a moment unsure where to start, said, "I’ve heard that there was an escape from the Eighteen Layers of Hell by fierce ghosts, so much so that Yin Mountain’s Lady Tang Qin and many ghost cultivators were recruited by Yin Messengers to join the search operation.
But so far there seems to be no news, I’m a bit curious, what kind of fierce ghost could escape after being sent to Hell? And moreover, I’ve heard the escape is minor, but what it stole is significant, what treasures could the Eighteen Layers of Hell hold?"
According to his conventional understanding, isn’t hell akin to a prison in the human world?
Death sentence is imprisonment for a while then executed; fixed-term imprisonment serves time in prison then released.
Hell should be similar where those eternally deprived of rebirth are akin to the death sentence, others punished accordingly, after serving time according to their transgressions, they reincarnate based on specific situations.
The difference is a small portion can reincarnate as humans, but the vast majority can only enter into animal paths, not even getting to be humans.
Since it’s a prison underground, escapes aren’t unusual, a vast world always has standout elites.
But saying that they stole significant treasures during the escape is strange, what treasures could hell possibly have? It’s unlikely they carried away fiery mountains and seas.
"Such a thing?!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yunqi and Hu Zhile exchanged a glance, and saw the shock in each other’s eyes.
"Venerable Family may not be aware, but of course, Hell has great treasures!" Bai Yunqi first spoke: "We’ve both been to the Netherworld, surely you’ve seen the map of the Netherworld. When you calculate its area, how big is that place?
The entire Netherworld manages the life and death of all living beings in worlds other than the Celestial Realm. Consider how large an area is needed to operate it.
So, the Netherworld isn’t merely one place. Or rather, the Netherworld has many layers. And the treasures connecting these layers are located in the Eighteen Layers of Hell."
Hu Zhile hurried to add: "I’ve heard that even this area now wasn’t part of the original Netherworld.
It’s said that back then, when there was a True God in charge, the Netherworld was a place of no return, a place devoid of Ghost Cultivators, where only Ghost Messengers had the right to cultivate. Different ghosts were assigned to live in different regional cities.
The current Netherworld, adjacent to the Demon Realm, is actually from the time when ghosts were near and gods were far, occupying a part of the Demon Realm."
Bai Yunqi nodded in agreement, "That’s right, I’ve heard the same thing. There are rumors that the true Netherworld was sealed;
others say the Netherworld underwent a mutation, possibly due to the Power of Faith causing fusion between separate forces like the Taishan Underworld, Underworld, and Netherworld, leading to the abandonment of a part, thus forming the current Netherworld."
Sealed? Abandoned?
Upon hearing these words, Jiang Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if it might have been sealed by the World Tree?
Could it be that the ghost wasn’t just talking nonsense, and the mine really was once Hell?
"Back when Jian Shichu served as the Demon Nether Envoy with a leopard tail, there was some enmity with my main body." Bai Yunqi frowned slightly reminiscing, "Although at that time I hadn’t yet formed this avatar, I was roaming the Netherworld when that guy sensed my aura and came to pick a fight.
Unable to defeat me, he sought assistance from the proxy Ghost King Lu Qingyan and Impermanence Yan Ning. I vaguely heard them mention that if it weren’t for seeking proximity to the treasure for some luck, they preferred the carefree life of Ghost Cultivators.
Now thinking about it... could it be that the treasure they all coveted was stolen? Otherwise, given the number and strength of Ghost Cultivators in the Underworld, there’s no need to even recruit Loose Cultivators like the Yin Mountain Madam. Such commotion indicates that the Underworld truly lacks available people, and it might be in chaos internally!"
At this point, he straightforwardly asked, "Does Venerable Family want to meddle in this matter? If needed, I can go to the Netherworld to gather information!"
Isn’t it just about cleaning up the main body’s mess;
Isn’t it just about lowering face to meet the subordinate loser who became a Ghost Official, as long as Venerable Family needs it, what’s the big deal?
"Not needed for now, I was just curious," Jiang Yuan quickly waved his hand, refusing, as he could vaguely guess his contracted pet’s intention—besides meeting the former underling loser, there was no need to bother the hidden bosses, wasn’t it not that important anyway.
No need to have the contracted pet groveling to gather information, it doesn’t look good on him as the master.
Jiang Yuan had a clear view of "pet", meant for spiritual purposes rather than economic ones.
Just like in the modern world, adopting a stray dog or cat, providing for their needs, and in return, receiving emotional feedback. Occasionally they might help out, which would be an unexpected joy.
Originally adopted as a pet, the system also marked it in the handbook as needing to be raised as a pet for both parties to foster affection and tacit understanding.
If really involved, letting the contracted pet help investigate would be fine. Now, without his own matters, it’s best to mind his own small plot and not worry too much.
After a lively breakfast, the bluebird happily jumped onto the stool proudly, cleared her throat, "My dear brother has spared no effort for our cultivation, and look, he acquired a treasure for us to use during cultivation."
With that, she cautiously took out the polluted Enlightenment Stone from the Storage Bag, delicately wrapping it in a layer of Ice Flame.
"This is..." Bai Yunqi, who was knowledgeable, suddenly sensed a special force. His crimson slit pupils immediately gleamed yet were hesitant. "It feels a bit like the aura of an Enlightenment Stone..."
Enlightenment Stone?!
Upon hearing these three words, Hu Zhile, Hu Jiu, and Yun Mo simultaneously looked at the seemingly unremarkable stone, then turned hopeful eyes to Jiang Yuan, waiting for a definite answer.
"It is indeed an Enlightenment Stone, but this one has been strangely polluted," Jiang Yuan patiently explained, "Bluebird’s Ice Flame has the ability to purify and suppress pollution aura, however, controlling how to wrap the pollution aura without leaking it and still allow the stone’s energy to cover the largest area is hard to manage.
These days, Bluebird tried countless times, and finally managed to allow everyone to enjoy the Enlightenment Stone’s energy without fearing pollution. However, she can’t maintain it long, so everyone should seize the time, cultivating by the stone for one incense stick’s duration daily is better than none."
Hu Jiu felt like she was dreaming again, that was the legendary Enlightenment Stone! Even the Pavilion Master of Treasure Pavilion in Wo Hu Temple Market had never seen such a Divine Artifact!
I can actually cultivate by the Enlightenment Stone for one incense stick’s duration daily?
Heavens and Earth! What an opportunity this is! If I, Hu Jiu, still can’t master the Charm Technique, then I’m the biggest fool in the world!
Heavenly Dao helps me, first Charm Technique then Enlightenment Stone, the young lord bestowing them will all become the stepping stones on our Dual Cultivation path!