Section 23: Seeking Guidance from Azure Emperor
2014-06-18 Author: Gu Zhenren
“He won, he won again. Young Master Wuming has defeated Grandmaster Hongtu!”
“Amazing! From morning to afternoon, he has achieved three victories, and his opponents in each match were renowned Alchemy Masters. Yet, in every match, he secured victory with a significant advantage.”
“No wonder the Hu Family Patriarch personally invited him.”
“I heard such a genius was actually abandoned by the Chen Family and kicked out of their ranks. How foolish. No wonder the Chen Family suffered defeat and plummeted from a first-rate family to a second-rate one.”
To implement his plan, Chu Yun displayed his true strength. He possessed Emperor level spirit light and extraordinary comprehension, learning anything at an astonishing pace. Furthermore, with the meticulous guidance of the Blissful Immortal Consorts, his pill refining techniques advanced by leaps and bounds. He not only reached the level of an Alchemy Master but was also only a few steps away from Grandmaster level.
Coupled with his joining the Hu Family’s team and facing elite opponents, these three victories caused a sensation.
This sensation spread throughout the entire Hundred Families Alchemy Meet.
Titles such as a pill dao genius rarely seen in centuries, a true prodigy, and a future Alchemy Grandmaster were all bestowed upon Chu Yun, making him the most dazzling rising star of the Hundred Families Alchemy Meet, unmatched by anyone.
“Brother, your judgment was absolutely correct. This Young Master Wuming is truly formidable!” Yun Xiaoai exclaimed excitedly from within the crowd.
Yun Baishen dotingly stroked his sister’s head, a flicker of imperceptible surprise in his eyes.
He had been observing Chu Yun for a long time and had an inkling of his great strength, but when Chu Yun revealed his true prowess, he was still astonished.
This surpassed his expectations.
Chu Yun was only nineteen years old. This was irrefutable; the Hundred Families Alchemy Meet had reliable methods for verifying age.
A nineteen-year-old Alchemy Master, and not just any ordinary master, but a peak master, only slightly inferior to himself.
What did this concept imply?
Yun Baishen, at twenty-seven, was hailed as a rare talent of the Yun Family in a thousand years, surpassing his peers among the eight great families and being the undisputed number one.
Yet today, he encountered a young man whose talent in alchemy was even more exceptional than his own.
Regardless of the circumstances, this person must be recruited into their Yun Family.
A divine light flashed in Yun Baishen’s eyes as he made up his mind. He would not wait for the Hundred Families Alchemy Meet to officially conclude; he would have a private meeting with Chu Yun that very night and extend the most sincere invitation.
That evening.
“The Yun Family?” Chu Yun raised an eyebrow, looking at Yun Baishen before him. He thought to himself that his luck was truly good.
“Do you know of the eight reclusive great families?” Yun Baishen cut straight to the chase, first honestly revealing his origin.
Chu Yun nodded. “I have heard a little.”
Yun Baishen smiled, not doubting Chu Yun’s answer. The existence of reclusive families was an open secret among the higher echelons of Danzhou.
“I, representing the Yun Family, sincerely invite you to join us.” Yun Baishen wasted no time and directly stated his purpose.
Chu Yun pondered for a moment, then nodded and agreed. “My participation in the Hundred Families Alchemy Meet was also for the purpose of joining a reclusive family and further refining my pill refining skills. Since that is the case, I shall join the Yun Family.”
A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Baishen’s eyes. Chu Yun’s straightforward answer was exactly to his liking. For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity every time he saw Chu Yun.
Human interaction could be so peculiar. Some people, after knowing each other for most of their lives, remained mere acquaintances. Others, after meeting only a few times, could become sworn brothers.
The Hundred Families Alchemy Meet had not yet ended, but over the next few days, Chu Yun did not participate in any more competitions, only observing.
This action puzzled most people. Only a select few understood.
The other seven great families, who had intended to recruit Chu Yun, saw this and realized the Yun Family had already made their move. They wisely refrained from disturbing Chu Yun.
Chu Yun’s conduct immediately garnered Yun Xiaoai’s favor. His low-key demeanor was very similar to her brother’s. Yun Xiaoai deeply admired Yun Baishen, and by extension, she found Chu Yun very agreeable.
The Hundred Families Alchemy Meet was the grandest event in Danzhou. As it progressed, the competition intensified, with more experts emerging. Xingzhou, being the youngest world, had a less profound foundation and was unable to match Danzhou in the field of alchemy.
Chu Yun was greatly enlightened. Under the guidance of the Blissful Immortal Consorts, his pill refining techniques continued to advance by leaps and bounds. However, while masters were easily found, grandmasters were rare. The transition from master to grandmaster required enlightenment and opportunity; it could not be forced.
Chu Yun was not in a hurry, as pill refining was merely his secondary pursuit. With the Blissful Immortal Consorts as his capable assistants, his presence or absence made little difference.
His attention was focused on his Immortal Pouch World. While contemplating the laws, he was also considering the migration of the first group of demonic creature species.
Although his Immortal Pouch World possessed extraordinary potential, it remained a low-level, foundational world. Migrating humans was out of the question, and demonic beasts were also temporarily not under consideration. This left demonic soldiers and demonic plants.
To mass-produce demonic soldiers, the White Emperor’s model was the most mature. It required a production base similar to Sky City and substantial resources. Chu Yun did not possess these conditions.
Chu Yun’s available resources were scarce. Even though he could mass-produce Innate Original Essence, the Emperor Dark Meeting had long concluded. Even if another Emperor Dark Meeting were to be held, he would not intend to sell Innate Original Essence. This item held too much significance, and introducing large quantities into the market again could alert those with ulterior motives.
Thus, after careful consideration, only one path lay before Chu Yun—migrating demonic plants.
Mass-producing demonic soldiers could form immense offensive capabilities in a short period. Cultivating demonic plants, on the other hand, excelled in defense. Much like the Azure Emperor’s Immortal Pouch World, which possessed excellent defensive and recovery capabilities, its offensive power was somewhat weaker.
Chu Yun did not mind this aspect.
Every development path had its advantages and disadvantages. Striving for all-around development would result in mediocrity and vulnerabilities everywhere. Developing demonic plants was also well-suited to Chu Yun’s current situation. After all, he had only recently ascended to Emperor level. Self-preservation before seeking development was key; impatience and trying to achieve everything at once were unrealistic at the Emperor level.
However, there were countless types of demonic plants. In Xingzhou alone, they were innumerable. With the addition of the other eight continents, the number would be even greater. Chu Yun was at a loss as to which to choose, feeling quite bewildered.
He sought guidance from the White Emperor through the Xingzhou Token. The White Emperor also found it difficult to advise. “Brother Chu, my development direction has always been demonic soldiers. I have little experience with demonic plants. If I give you incorrect advice, it could lead to trouble. However, I can recommend someone to you; she focuses on cultivating demonic plants.”
Chu Yun asked who it was, and the person recommended by the White Emperor astonished him—it was the Azure Emperor!
“Don’t be surprised. Star Saint has joined forces with Soldier Saint. We and the Bingzhou faction have temporarily allied,” the White Emperor responded.
Chu Yun was speechless. They were fighting each other not long ago, and now, after only a few days, they had transitioned from enemies to allies. The White Emperor’s earlier words, “The entanglement of the Nine Saints makes the situation complex and ever-changing,” truly resonated with him now.
With the White Emperor as a facilitator, Chu Yun contacted the Azure Emperor.
Chu Yun felt somewhat awkward facing the Azure Emperor, but the Azure Emperor was very nonchalant, explaining that such situations were common and that Chu Yun should get used to them.
Chu Yun frankly stated his confusion and sought advice from the Azure Emperor.
The Azure Emperor was indeed a master in this field and immediately expounded at length. He discussed which continent’s demonic plants were easiest to survive, which spread the fastest, which had the highest environmental requirements, and which had significant economic benefits.
Not only that, but the Azure Emperor then spoke about the synergy between different demonic plants. After all, not all demonic plants could coexist. Some were inherently suited to be paired, creating unique effects.
After discussing compatibility, the Azure Emperor began to speak about development. Some demonic plants grew rapidly in the early stages but significantly depleted soil fertility, hindering later development. Some, though extremely expensive, were more beneficial for later stages the earlier they were planted.
Chu Yun was overwhelmed. The sheer volume of information was so immense that even with his Emperor level spirit light, he found it chaotic and difficult to sort through.
The number of demonic plants was countless, and the number of combinations between any two was astronomical. Combinations of three, four, and so on, accumulated to a terrifying and unimaginable figure.
Furthermore, each combination had to consider specific environments, such as the Net of Law and the unique characteristics of the Immortal Pouch World. Beyond the specific environment, the element of time had to be considered. Long-term development was crucial, preventing any single entity from dominating.
All these factors combined made Chu Yun’s head spin. He finally understood why generally only Emperor level powerhouses began to possess Immortal Pouch Worlds. The wisdom of King level cultivators was simply insufficient to analyze the myriad of complex relationships involved.
“Given your current circumstances, choosing the demonic plant route is undoubtedly an extremely wise decision. This is the Divine-Demonic Secret Gate, which can summon large numbers of acquired chaotic demonic creatures to test your pairings. Generally, surviving three waves of attacks from these creatures is considered passing.” Finally, the Azure Emperor transmitted a demonic soldier to Chu Yun.
Chu Yun was greatly surprised. Only innate demonic creatures could survive in the Sea of Chaos, so how could there be acquired chaotic demonic creatures?
The Azure Emperor explained, “There is nothing strange about that. Many innate demonic creatures that survive in the Sea of Chaos have self-contained spaces within them. Much like the Land Whales of Xingzhou, their internal worlds host numerous demonic creature populations. These acquired demonic creatures survive within the innate demonic creatures and are collectively referred to as acquired chaotic demonic creatures.”
“When Emperor level powerhouses like us explore the Sea of Chaos and encounter innate demonic creatures, we generally infiltrate their bodies and establish Divine-Demonic Secret Gates. Once opened, the Divine-Demonic Secret Gate can communicate between two worlds, attracting large numbers of acquired chaotic demonic creatures into the Immortal Pouch World. By killing these acquired chaotic demonic creatures within the Immortal Pouch World, they transform into nourishment, enriching the entire Immortal Pouch World and increasing the cultivation of the core eye demonic creature. This is the most common method of daily cultivation for Emperor level powerhouses.”
(To be continued)
