Shrouded Sky

Chapter 344 - The Spirit Within The Godsource

“Senior, do you know what it is?” someone beside the old man asked respectfully.

From this alone, one could tell how extraordinary the status of the Ji Clan’s Stone Workshop guardian was, even some aged elders regarded themselves as juniors before him.

He stood tall and majestic, silver hair flowing like a waterfall, skin as white as jade, clearly a man of incredible cultivation.

“This little golden creature…” he said, frowning slightly, seemingly uncertain.

Everyone held their breath and listened intently. To everyone’s surprise, even the golden little being tilted its head curiously, as if it too were paying attention.

The silver-haired old man examined it carefully, then nodded slowly. “It should be a God-Silkworm from the Primordial Era.”

The crowd gasped. A silkworm? Impossible! It looked exactly like a young dragon, how could it be an insect?

The golden little creature blinked its big eyes, appearing confused, as if it didn’t agree with the old man’s words.

Everyone was puzzled, full of questions. Yet they all knew this old man’s identity was extraordinary, he would never speak nonsense.

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like a dragon hatchling, not a silkworm,” someone muttered quietly.

The silver-haired elder said, “Indeed, one could also call it a beast, but long ago, a Celestial Source Master named this type of lifeform a God-Silkworm, and that name has been passed down ever since.”

“Why is that?” someone asked, even more confused.

“According to that Celestial Source Master,” said the elder, “its first form is that of a silkworm. The word ‘god’ was added before ‘silkworm’ because it was far from ordinary, one could call it a sacred insect.”

The silver-haired man continued slowly. No one interrupted; everyone was listening attentively. The little golden creature behaved itself, listening just as seriously.

“This kind of being is extremely special, it can continuously evolve. Its first stage truly is that of a silkworm, its body golden and translucent, feeding on source energy and possessing an extraordinary lifespan. It is said that after its first transformation, it sheds the form of a silkworm and becomes a small golden serpent. In total, throughout its life, it can undergo nine transformations. Each one is a complete rebirth, like a nirvana, with its power soaring with every change. However,” the elder continued, “under normal circumstances, it’s already remarkable if it can transform once or twice, for each transformation requires unimaginably harsh conditions.”

“What will the God-Silkworm become after nine transformations?” someone asked.

“It will become a being beyond imagination,” the silver-haired elder said solemnly. “Even in the Primordial Era, it could roam the heavens and the earth without rival.”

“A divine insect could evolve to that level?!” Many were skeptical.

“It truly can,” the old man affirmed with a nod.

These secrets, he explained, came from a Celestial Source Master who once roamed ancient mountain veins and unearthed countless great mines, his understanding of primordial creatures was unmatched.

Still, even the silver-haired elder only knew part of the truth. The rest was lost in the dust of endless years, history buried too deep to uncover.

“Normally, a God-Silkworm can only transform once or twice… but if it truly completes all nine, wouldn’t it become a true dragon?”

Hearing this speculation, everyone looked shocked and turned their eyes toward the little white-clad nun’s shoulder, where the golden creature perched.

Its whole body glowed with golden light, it really did resemble a baby dragon. Its big innocent eyes seemed to plead, ‘Please, stop staring at me!’

The silver-haired old man shook his head. “No one can say for certain what it would ultimately become.”

“Long ago,” he continued, “a Celestial Source Master said that the result of the ninth transformation was utterly unpredictable, no one could foresee what kind of existence it would take. He speculated that some humanoid kings among the ancient races might have been born from such a being’s final transformation. Of course, that was only conjecture. There’s no proof. But the Celestial Source Masters were the most authoritative when it came to ancient lifeforms, they had discovered many secrets in the depths of the earth and ancient mines that no one else knew.”

After hearing all this, the cultivators were shocked. They all stared at the little golden creature with different expressions. If it truly could undergo all nine transformations, it would one day become a supreme overlord!

“How many times has it transformed?” someone finally asked.

“Likely... twice,” said the silver-haired elder.

But the crowd still felt confused, because the little golden spirit seemed completely lost, as if it didn’t understand anything being said, showing no sign of recognition.

“It’s like a blank slate, so pure and naive, as if it has no knowledge of itself.”

“Yes, it really looks clueless, like it doesn’t know anything.”

The silver-haired man sighed. “Each transformation is a true rebirth. Not only does its body change, but its memories are completely erased, it starts anew every time.”

“So it’s basically lived nine lives?!” even some old men cried out in astonishment.

“Exactly. That’s why it can eventually dominate the heavens and earth,” said the elder.

Someone pondered aloud, “I recall an ancient scripture from the Eastern Region, long lost, that resembles this Nine Transformations God-Silkworm. In that scripture, there was an ‘Immortal Regeneration Technique’, within the dying shell of an old body, a divine embryo is born, achieving rebirth through destruction.”

Now, Ye Fan had actually cut out such a living creature from the source, it shocked everyone. Many were filled with envy and awe.

“Even if it’s an ancient being, it may not be more precious than Brother Tuoba’s Godsource,” said Wu Ziming suddenly.

“Indeed,” Li Chongtian agreed. “It can hardly evolve further. One or two transformations are already its limit. How could it compare to a Godsource worth fifty thousand jin?”

They were sore losers, unwilling to admit defeat or pay Ye Fan the owed source stones.

“Whether or not it can complete all nine transformations, its intelligence alone surpasses any Godsource,” said the silver-haired elder.

“It has intelligence?” someone asked, surprised.

“Yes,” the elder explained, “because it can produce Godsource itself.”

Ten thousand years ago, a Celestial Source Master had said that even without considering its potential to reach supreme existence, a God-Silkworm’s value alone was worth at least six hundred thousand jin of source.

Such creatures feed on source essence and can spin God-Silk to form cocoons of pure Godsource.

“Heavens! Really?”

The crowd was stunned. The idea that this little creature could produce Godsource was beyond belief.

In an instant, countless old men and cultivators’ eyes burned with greed. They all stared fixedly at the dragon-like little creature.

It blinked its big eyes innocently, still clinging nervously to a lock of the white-clad nun’s hair on her shoulder.

“Brother Gu Feng, name your price! I’ll buy this little spirit no matter the cost!”

“I must have it, whatever it takes!”

A crowd surrounded Ye Fan; he could barely get a word in. Their fervor was overwhelming.

“Senior,” Ye Fan asked the silver-haired elder, trying to divert attention, “how much source does it need to consume to produce God-Silk?”

“A great deal,” the old man replied. “It’s hardly worth it. For a young creature that’s only transformed once, it might need to eat a million jin of pure source just to produce God-Silk worth ten thousand jin.”

“What! That’s outrageous!” The crowd gaped in shock.

“For one that has undergone two or more transformations, the conversion rate improves somewhat,” said the elder.

Many immediately gave up, the creature was too expensive to raise, practically a bottomless pit.

However, for the great holy lands, it was a different story. Godsource had extraordinary significance and value. These supreme sects were more than willing to expend countless resources for it, even at enormous cost.

The silver-haired elder added, “Ten thousand years ago, the Jade Pool Sacred Ground possessed a God-Silkworm, gifted to them by a Celestial Source Master. Everything I know comes from that record.”

Many exchanged strange looks. Ten thousand years ago, that same eccentric Celestial Source Master had visited the Celestial City, gambling on stones until every holy land turned green with envy, yet none could best him.

“Were they ever able to raise the Jade Pool’s silkworm into a supreme being?” someone asked.

The silver-haired elder shook his head. “Almost impossible. Each transformation demands unimaginably harsh conditions. Even in the Primordial Era, it was exceedingly rare. Much less now.”

“Little one,” Ye Fan smiled, “I freed you from that stone. Come here, I’ll give you some source to eat.”

He took out a large chunk of pure source and waved it invitingly at the golden creature.

The little being puffed up angrily, turning its head away in defiance, refusing even to look at him.

“You’ve got quite the temper,” Ye Fan chuckled. “You already ate my Godsource, worth a hundred thousand jin.”

“No! You stole Little Cutie’s Godsource, that was hers...” the white-clad nun said softly, pouting.

In that short moment, she had already named the golden creature Little Cutie, and it seemed to accept the name. It stretched out a tiny paw, palm up, staring at Ye Fan as if demanding the source stone.

Ye Fan teased, “Listen, little one. I’m the one who saved you, so you’ll follow me from now on. If you don’t behave, I’ll sell you off.”

“Alright! I’ll buy Little Cutie!” the white-clad nun said happily.

The golden creature balled its little paw into a fist and silently waved it at Ye Fan in mock anger, then turned its bright eyes toward the Grand Xia princess, blinking playfully.

Ye Fan felt a headache coming on, what was he going to do with this little troublemaker?

He knew he couldn’t keep it easily. All the great sects, even the holy lands, were sending him secret messages, trying to buy the golden creature.

He couldn’t afford to offend any of them, and on top of that, the little one was a bottomless eater; half a head-sized piece of Godsource wasn’t even enough for a single bite!

“Should I really sell it? But if it truly completes the Nine Transformations God-Silkworm…”

Ye Fan shook his head, undecided, and turned toward Tuoba Chang. It was time to collect his winnings.

Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian stood nearby, faces pale, they had lost tens of thousands of jin in source stones again.

Elder Li Yishui of the Illusion Destruction Palace looked dizzy, he’d just fallen into a massive loss earlier, and now he had to hand over another eighty thousand jin. He looked ready to cough blood.

Ye Fan ignored them. What mattered most now was collecting the man-head-sized Godsource hovering before him. Though still wrapped in stone, dozens of divine rays pierced through, dazzlingly brilliant.

Tuoba Chang was furious but helpless, forced to watch as Ye Fan held the Godsource in his hand.

“Little one, I’ve still got a big piece of Godsource here,” Ye Fan said, tempting the golden creature. “Don’t you want it?”

“Whoosh!”

A streak of golden light shot over, faster than anyone could react. Luckily, Ye Fan had anticipated it; he quickly stored away the source and grabbed for the creature.

But with a flash of gold, it vanished, reappearing on the white-clad nun’s shoulder, glaring angrily at Ye Fan.

“The Nine Transformations God-Silkworm… could that ancient legend truly be coming to life?”

At that moment, Red Dragon Daoist appeared in the Stone Workshop, his pupils contracting as he stared at the golden little being.

At the same time, Blackwater secretly transmitted to Ye Fan, he had discovered that one of the strange stones had shifted position.