Nearly 200 merits were by no means a small amount. Some cultivators might not accumulate so much in ten or even twenty years. Yet, compared to the massive debt Yu Ci owed, these 200 merits were still far from enough.
Bao Guang wasn’t foolish. His gaze kept lingering on the bundle on Yu Ci’s back, full of suspicion.
Seeing his expression, Yu Ci chuckled, “Did you forget something?”
“Huh?” The young daoist was momentarily confused. After a pause, he suddenly remembered his treasure.
“The demonic Silk Cloud!”
Yu Ci smiled knowingly. “Take out your Merit Token first.”
Though baffled, Bao Guang complied, handing his Merit Token to Yu Ci. In return, Yu Ci balled up the demonic Silk Cloud and handed it back.
“Hey, be gentle!” Bao Guang quickly took it back, visibly distressed. But upon unfolding it, he noticed something amiss. “Wait… blood?”
His voice shot up an octave. Just then, the crisp sound of a “ding” caught his attention. Turning to look, he saw Yu Ci handing back his Merit Token.
“Apologies, Junior Brother Bao Guang. I couldn’t get the bloodstain off. Now that it’s returned, I hope this token of apology suffices.”
Using the method taught by the elder daoist Yu Zhou, Yu Ci transferred 100 merits to Bao Guang’s Merit Token. This wasn’t just compensation but also gratitude for Bao Guang’s generosity in lending the treasure. Whether it was for rushing back or escaping from Sky Rift Valley, the demonic Silk Cloud had been invaluable. Repaying him with 100 merits was only fair.
Bao Guang accepted the token absentmindedly, barely registering the change in merit count. Instead, his widened eyes locked onto Yu Ci. “Senior Brother Yu, are you hurt?”
Interacting with someone like Bao Guang truly put one at ease. Yu Ci patted his shoulder with a smile. “No, it’s someone else’s blood…”
The young daoist’s eyes lit up immediately. “Then, Senior Brother, your trip to Sky Rift Valley must have been thrilling! Tell me about it!”
Children who’d never left home always had a unique perspective. Yu Ci was momentarily taken aback before bursting into laughter. Linking arms with Bao Guang, he said, “It was indeed exciting. Let me tell you all about it…”
***
“Truly harrowing.”
The speaker was the elder daoist Yu Zhou, who stroked his beard as he sighed after hearing Yu Ci’s account. For an elder who’d lived 300 years and faced countless trials, such an appraisal was no small feat.
Yu Ci felt a sense of pride.
That said, the elder seemed more intrigued by Yu Ci’s personal experiences than the larger events, like the demon incursion or the abnormal cold surge at Sky Rift Valley. He mulled over these matters but didn’t seem overly surprised.
Yu Ci understood. For a colossal force like the Rifting Earth Sect, special intelligence channels were a given. More than ten days had passed since his return to Heart Prohibition Monastery. If the elder had prior knowledge, it wouldn’t be unusual. What remained uncertain was how the sect planned to respond.
With that in mind, Yu Ci joked, “I must have been riding a wave of luck; otherwise, I’d have died in that valley a dozen times over and wouldn’t be here bragging now.”
“Luck indeed,” Yu Zhou replied earnestly. “In situations where nine out of ten perish, survival often depends on strength or talent. But in absolute death traps, where ten out of ten should die, coming out alive is undoubtedly due to fortune.”
Yu Ci smiled but kept silent about the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror. He had deliberately kept his account concise and omitted details unless necessary. To Yu Zhou, he only shared three key points:
1. Demons had invaded Sky Rift Valley.
2. He had clashed with the Sun Light Sect.
3. The valley experienced a bizarre cold wave, leading to chaos.
More specific details, like the battles between demonic beasts and the twin-headed demon, the connection between the Twin Immortal Sect and the Pure Water Altar, the attempt to seize his soul by the “Spirit,” the demonic beast lair, or saving Monk Zhen Yan, were all withheld as they pertained to the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror. This approach better aligned with his identity as a typical Divine Connectivity level cultivator.
Yu Ci had carefully crafted this narrative during his return journey. It offered a coherent storyline while leaving room for ambiguity in details, which was understandable given the intensity of the situation. A perfect recollection would have been far more suspicious. If anyone insisted on an explanation, “luck” was the best answer.
Yu Ci also harbored a hidden thought: How does an ant view giants fighting?
The answer was simple: by climbing a distant mountain to watch.
Standing too close meant certain death.
He realized he’d delved too deeply into the Sky Rift Valley matter. Thanks to the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, things far beyond his level had imprinted themselves in his mind. Fortunately, the “giants” hadn’t noticed him, the “ant.” If he lingered too long near them, though, it would only end in disaster.
Playing dumb was thus a wise strategy.
Of course, the ultimate solution was to become a “giant” himself, or at least strong enough to observe from nearby. But that goal seemed far too distant.
‘I must keep striving…’ Yu Ci thought, his palm damp as it rested on the stone box containing the Dragon Fish Grass.
The elder daoist had arranged a welcoming gathering for Yu Ci in the western garden, the same pavilion where Yu Ci had once confronted the Sun Light Sect disciples. The setting, with its brazier for warming wine, snowy scenery, and blossoming plum trees, was elegant and intimate.
After Yu Ci’s tale concluded, Yu Zhou personally poured him a drink. Yu Ci, setting aside his doubts for now, drained the cup.
At this point, there was another matter he needed to address with Yu Zhou. Taking out the sealed Ghostly Image Flower and the stem of the Nether-realm Tree, Yu Ci handed them over, expressing his regret:
“I hadn’t expected the situation to change so drastically. In the rush, I could only secure these two materials. I’ll hold onto the jade slip for now and promise to gather the remaining ingredients later.”
These words were not mere courtesy. The old daoist had helped him open the door to the immortal path, yet he had failed to fulfill the task entrusted to him. He indeed felt guilty. However, Yu Zhou simply shook his head and smiled:
“That you managed to retrieve two ingredients is already beyond my expectations. Especially the stem of the Nether-realm Tree—it harbors Dragon Fish residing among its branches, exchanging innate Qi with it, which greatly enhances its medicinal properties. If I were to appraise it, it would be worth at least two hundred merit points. He must be quite satisfied.”
The last sentence was spoken ambiguously, causing Yu Ci to be slightly startled. However, he was no longer concerned about matters like two hundred merit points. He simply listened and moved on, taking a deep breath as he pushed the stone box he had taken out earlier toward the old daoist. Within it, the Dragon Fish still slumbered, but this little creature seemed to be entwined with his future destiny.
“Master Yu, with this Dragon Fish, could the matter of becoming an outer disciple be settled?”
Yu Zhou smiled without replying and downed the warm wine in his cup in one gulp. Strangely enough, though the old daoist did not answer directly, his smile reassured Yu Ci, making him feel a profound sense of certainty. He realized that the matter was already as good as settled.
In fact, from the moment he had captured the Dragon Fish, he had known there would be no more obstacles to entering the sect. But given the significance of the matter, he wanted to hear confirmation from the old daoist. Now, seeing his reaction, Yu Ci realized his own worry was unnecessary. Saying no more, he raised his cup and drank it all in one go.
Nearby, Bao Guang’s laughter crinkled his eyes and eyebrows.
After Yu Ci finished his drink, Yu Zhou tapped his fingers lightly on the stone box with a rhythmic beat. “I see that this Dragon Fish has excellent qualities—perfect scales and a prominent horn. It is truly top-notch. However, because of its superior qualities, using it to craft tools or refine medicine would be a great waste. A better solution must be found.”
Yu Ci laughed heartily. “No matter how valuable the Dragon Fish is, it is just an external object. It is of little use to me on my path to immortality. You may deal with it as you see fit, Master Yu.”
Yu Zhou’s brows twitched slightly, and he shook his head. “Your detachment from external objects is commendable, but in your pursuit of the immortal path, this mindset is a mistake. Besides, who said the Dragon Fish has no use for seeking immortality?”
Yu Ci was taken aback, and a surge of curiosity arose. “What do you mean, Master Yu?”
Yu Zhou did not respond immediately. Instead, he smiled and remarked, “The wine is too bland; even with conversation, it feels lacking.”
He then turned to instruct Bao Guang, “Go to my courtyard’s wine cellar and fetch the jar of ‘Thousand-Day Drunk.'”
Bao Guang responded with a quick “Got it!” before hurrying off. Watching the young daoist’s retreating figure,
Yu Ci was puzzled, but Yu Zhou preemptively explained: “Bao Guang has a pure heart and has yet to be tempered by hardship. His disposition remains unsettled. He is not like us. Certain discussions would only harm him if he were to hear them.”
“Not like us?” Yu Ci found the phrasing strange.
At this point, Yu Zhou ceased tapping the stone box and raised a finger, gesturing for Yu Ci to focus. “Do you know the other name of the Dragon Fish?”
Yu Ci vaguely recalled Yu Zhou mentioning it before but couldn’t bring it to mind immediately, so he shook his head.
Yu Zhou’s faint smile deepened, the lines on his face carrying an air of profound emotion. “The Dragon Fish is also known as the ‘Dao Worm.'”
“The Dao Worm?” Yu Ci finally remembered. That day in this very pavilion, upon seeing the Dragon Fish, Yu Zhou had first referred to it as such.
“The Worm of the Dao, the Worm of the Great Dao, the Worm that destroys the Dao—all these names apply.”
His words drifted like a mist, enshrouding Yu Ci.
Yu Zhou didn’t expect him to understand immediately. Still smiling with a slightly tipsy demeanor, he casually traced his finger through the air. “The so-called Dragon Fish begins with the body of vegetation, transforming its skin into flesh and its sap into blood, gaining the spirit of a true dragon. Its vitality and essence evolve together. When it leaps through the Dragon Gate, it attains the true form of a heavenly dragon, walking every step along the Great Dao. Thus, it takes the name ‘Dao.’
“Conversely, from its vegetative origins, the Dragon Fish eschews its kind, instead stealing life force and devouring innate Qi. After transforming and altering its essence, it continues to absorb the vitality and blood of myriad beings, growing fat upon their essence. Along the way, who knows how many lives it has ruined, how much karma it has incurred? Thus, it earns the name ‘Worm.’ Combining the two yields the term ‘Dao Worm.'”
Yu Ci was stunned, though his shock had another cause.
As Yu Zhou traced his finger, a Dragon Fish with perfect scales and a prominent horn materialized amid the mist and clouds above the stone table. It swam gracefully as if conjured from nothing.
At first, Yu Ci thought it was an illusion, but his eyes and his senses told him otherwise. It wasn’t a conjured entity, nor was it an illusion. Rather, it was Yu Zhou channeling sword Qi with his finger, using it as brush and ink to create the image within the void!
Get More Chapters on Patreon: From now on, FSM Level 2 will become the CN WN Bundle. The price will remain the same which is $10. Also, the price for the KR WN Bundle will also be decreased to $10 to match this bundle.
With this I have gotten rid of the level system. The reason I am doing this, is because I plan to add more chapters to the $5 Patron tiers. Previously the readers got 2 advance chapters when they became a $5 Patron, but now I’ve increased the chapters they will get to at least 5 chapters and more. So the current updated tier system will work like this:
The Individual Tiers ($5) will give you access to 5 chapters or more. The Bundle Tiers ($10) will give you access to all the chapters of CN or KR webnovels. The Supreme Patron ($30) will give you access to all the webnovel chapters on Goblinslate.