Chapter 52: The Answer

Chapter 52: The Answer

"Are you alright?" Chu Jingxi asked, turning his head after tidying himself up.

Almost at the same time, Yan Zizhan also looked at him. Though he didn't speak, he was checking on him too.

Confirming that both of them were safe, Yan Zizhan suddenly said, "Stand further away."

Reverse currents were continuously surging up from below—this place wasn't safe. While moving, Chu Jingxi was multitasking, pondering the six words left by the Barbarian King.

"No matter how much things change, the core stays the same." A great cultivator had no need to speak in riddles—this should be the literal meaning.

The essence of the Rustless Copper Bell...

"Bell." Yan Zizhan, who had been watching him, spoke up, and Chu Jingxi's fingers tightened.

"Right!" Setting aside the hype about innate spiritual treasures, the Rustless Copper Bell was fundamentally just a bell.

In a broad sense, bells are a type of idiophone.

Following the Barbarian King's order of thinking—to advance the Rustless Copper Bell, it first needed to die and come back to life, then develop in the direction of sound-wave attacks.

The first condition had already been fulfilled thanks to Xuan Lu and the Ghost King. Once he got back, he'd focus on developing the sound source.

Just as he was thinking, a meteor shower burst up from underground.

Cultivators were shooting up from the depths like a fountain. Chu Jingxi was about to grab them all before they hit the ground, but caught something out of the corner of his eye and stopped.

The ones flying backward were soon supported by a force from afar—each one regained their balance mid-air, instead of face-planting into the white sand.

Having just narrowly escaped death, everyone on the ground barely had time to catch their breath before going on guard.

Something was clearly closing in from farther off!

As everyone braced themselves, someone finally recognized who they were and said, "They're with us."

It was the great cultivators who'd been stationed outside the Despair Wasteland.

Soon after, more teams from farther out converged on the commotion.

Right there, no one was excited or thrilled—just a twisted, bitter pain.

Now of all times? We just barely escaped with our lives, and they all show up?! This was too much... they couldn't even find words for how suffocated they felt.

Their faces were all scrunched up like they'd been through something traumatic.

The more miserable the cultivators looked, the more dreamy the warriors' expressions got. Even a sliver of insight that leaked from the Barbarian King's fingernails was enough to benefit these warriors for a lifetime—each one looked like they were dreaming.

The Immortal Alliance Executive who'd arrived quickly noticed this bizarre contrast. He was shocked that so many warriors had actually survived the Despair Wasteland.

Even more surprising, they looked way better off than the cultivators, with faint but powerful blood-qi swirling around them.

The whole area was a mess—traces of ghost clan aura lingered outside the deep pit. Total chaos.

The Immortal Alliance Executive asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

Someone quickly answered.

"Mm-mm-mm..." A cultivator whose tongue had been shattered earlier—also a member of the Immortal Alliance—hurriedly fumbled for a Recording Stone upon seeing the higher-ups arrive.

The recording showed everything from Chu Jingxi's arrival to everyone falling down.

Chu Jingxi's lip twitched.

You Immortal Alliance folks might as well carry cameras everywhere.

The great cultivator carefully studied the footage in the Recording Stone. The Barbarian King's hollow gaze seemed to pierce right through the crystal, like he'd long noticed the secret recording.

The Immortal Alliance Executive's expression shifted slightly—the build made the race obvious. So ordinary cultivators really did get lucky in the Despair Wasteland, actually making it to the Barbarian heritage site.

When they saw Chu Jingxi pick the low-difficulty trial, the great cultivators exchanged looks. A good apple from a rotten tree?

The Chu family actually produced a real saint?

Chu Jingxi stood there silently, letting everyone stare at him. Halfway through his fight with the Undead Guard, he'd realized he was probably the target audience for this niche choice.

The core heritage would delay his body-explosion crisis—way more useful than any pill.

But he had no regrets. If he had to do it again, he'd make the same choice.

Before the skill reset, betting on getting beaten to death to try the extreme difficulty? Only if he was crazy.

Noticing the great cultivators' focus had drifted, Chu Jingxi glanced at the Demon Clan Elder. This time, the truth wasn't in camera range.

"Seniors, the Barbarian King matter is settled."

Quit staring!

The Dao Source issue was what really mattered.

The Demon Clan Elder clearly agreed, shifting back to human form and starting to explain the Dao Source matter.

When the blood sea's inflow was mentioned, not a single sound came from anyone there.

The whole time, Chu Jingxi could feel eyes occasionally sweeping over him, but he just wanted to rest.

Sensing his exhaustion, Yan Zizhan looked at a Holy Land Elder he'd dealt with before. The old man said to the others, "I'll take these kids back first."

The Immortal Alliance Executive glanced at Chu Jingxi and finally nodded—asking the Demon Clan Elder about the key details would work just as well.

They'd suffered all the way there; the trip back was way smoother.

For the last ten thousand li, Chu Jingxi lay down in the Bamboo Cart to rest, with Yan Zizhan quietly by his side.

The Devouring Bloodline still showed signs of going berserk now and then. He kept forcing it down with sword qi, overloading his meridians and causing dull pain to flare up now and then.

When his brows started to furrow again, a hand still dusted with white wasteland sand reached out and gently settled on his wrist.

"It'll heal."

A voice so soft it was almost inaudible, like a whisper, sounded by his ear.

In those three words, Yan Zizhan heard absolute certainty.

Chu Jingxi didn't even open his eyes—he just gave a reassuring pat, and it worked better than any sword qi.

Wasteland plants occasionally attacked from underground, making the Bamboo Cart jostle. Once they'd fully left the collapse zone, a series of chimes went off in Chu Jingxi's mind.

"Side quest complete."

"Daily task completed"

"Now settling the score..."

The process took a while, and Chu Jingxi saw the panel again for the first time in ages.

The familiar drop-down notification appeared.

"...Level: You are a Nascent Soul

Talent Ability 1: Deception

In passive state, the common language of foreign realms costs 2 spirit stones per minute, while the domestic one costs 3 spirit stones per minute

When you actively deceive someone three realms above your cultivation level, the foreign common language costs 7,000 spirit stones per minute, and the domestic one costs 10,000 spirit stones per minute"

Deception's success rate rose to sixty percent, the threshold for Qi deviation dropped to eighty percent, and the accuracy of Words Become Law increased to ten percent.

"←Cultivation Method +→

Divine-grade cultivation method: 'Silence, Fellow Daoist' (Level 6, 0.1 XP to next level)

Any enemy who attacks you will involuntarily leak personal information for 20 seconds before making their move.

Cooldown: 3 hours

Dao Path: Space-Time Dao (Level 3)"

The familiar "one slash" prompt came again.

The System: "I adjusted your Qi deviation, so I had to balance things out elsewhere."

Every debit must be balanced by a credit. Facing the master of balancing the books, Chu Jingxi knew he was in the wrong. If the System had burned away the panel's damage and he had to endure it himself, the outcome would probably have been disastrous.

Fortunately, the gains this time were substantial. After unfolding the Golden Emperor Art, the first five forms had reached the proficient level, and the most absurd was "Spring Blossoms," where the Healing Art had reached the pinnacle of mastery.

No beating was in vain!

Just as Chu Jingxi was feeling proud of himself, the Bamboo Cart had already left the Hopeless Wasteland far behind.

Behind them, white sand rolled like waves. The martial artists who had traveled with them wanted to formally thank him, but they never got the chance to see him get off the cart.

By the time they finally moved to approach, the green light had already shot straight into the sky.

One in the sky, one on the ground, the distance between them stretched infinitely wide. Once, seeing cultivators tread the void had stirred resentment and discontent, but now that sense of disparity was gradually fading.

The martial artist holding the sheepskin scroll suddenly spoke: "If the Wangdao Tower could handle it, why hand it to us?"

The original message was meant to be copied and spread quickly, as if they were afraid the Wangdao Tower wouldn't think of it.

"Perhaps..."

Exchanging glances, they both thought of the same possibility: the Wangdao Tower could further expand its authority and prestige by spreading the cultivation method. If they sent it over, the Tower would likely reward them with some benefits.

That would be enough to support the martial artists' early cultivation needs.

With that thought, the martial artist fell silent, resolving that if he ever achieved success in the future, he would also help those still struggling to survive.

**

The Bamboo Cart covered ten thousand miles a day. Three days later, above the Endless Sea, the Clan Guard saw the familiar green light and their expressions grew complicated.

That immortal lord of the Taiqing Sect had first come just a few months ago. Now, even the Bamboo Cart, every time he came and went from the Chu family, it was as familiar as coming home.

"Watch your words," a nearby Clan Guard reminded upon hearing the discussion. "The Taiqing Sect, along with the Formation Masters, is conducting some kind of investigation."

The Chu family had also pulled people in to participate; maybe they'd go too.

So many people returning caused quite a commotion. Many collateral disciples gathered in the sea city to watch the commotion, watching figures constantly flying toward the immortal domain: "It's like a dream. This time Chu Jingxi went out, and there's no news of 'death before dishonor'."

Fighting the Ghost King in the demon town, battling the Golden Immortal at the realm barrier, refining demon pills in the tournament.

But this time alone was so peaceful, peaceful to the point of... the calm before the storm!

After saying this, the collateral disciple shook his head, thinking he was losing his mind for coming up with such a strange conclusion.

"Better go back, take a Mind-Clearing Pill, and cultivate."

The Bamboo Cart landed in the immortal domain. Elder Feng, who had been waiting, exchanged pleasantries with the Holy Land Elder who had escorted the group back, then immediately looked at Chu Jingxi: "Go to the Council Hall. Someone is waiting for you there."

Chu Jingxi nodded.

On the way back, he had received a message from the clan leader ordering him to return at once. As for the main body of the Rustless Copper Bell, Gold Immortal Fulu would bring it from the medicine factory.

Before stepping forward, Chu Jingxi said to Yan Zizhan: "Remember to see the Spirit Pharmacist first."

The aftereffects of the bloodline secret art were nothing to joke about.

Yan Zizhan: "I'll go in a bit."

"Now."

Yan Zizhan corrected himself: "I'll go now."

Only then was Chu Jingxi satisfied, heading toward the Council Hall with familiar ease.

Having recently experienced the two inheritance bone pillars underground, he paid special attention to the pillar with traces of beast activity near the entrance before entering.

He barely craned his neck forward when a massive flood dragon head suddenly emerged from within!

"Ho..." Chu Jingxi forced a breath: "Fellow Daoist Dragon."

The likelihood of danger inside the Council Hall was low. If a demon beast had broken its seal, the commotion would have been far greater than this, so he judged it to be an ally.

The flood dragon's scales nearly brushed against Chu Jingxi's face.

The mud-red head gently nudged him forward. If the force had been any greater, Chu Jingxi would have rolled twice on the spot like a snowball.

Chu Jingxi: "..."

Thirty years on the east bank, just you wait!

"Don't bully the younger generation," a voice he had never heard before came from inside the hall. Chu Jingxi followed the sound and found that today's host wasn't the clan leader.

The figure was half-solid, half-illusory, with an indistinct face, seemingly just a manifestation of Spiritual Sense.

Differences in cultivation often brought absolute suppression, but when this Spiritual Sense spoke, Chu Jingxi felt no sense of distance at all—instead, there was a strange... sense of familiarity?

"This is my spiritual pet, Dragon," the Spiritual Sense said, seemingly anticipating Chu Jingxi's question the moment it spoke. "It named itself 'Dragon'."

Chu Jingxi kept a smile on his face.

If you want to be something, just change your name?

At the same time, he figured out who the spiritual sense was—even the Grand Elder wouldn't dare sit in the clan leader's seat. Only one person could: the Chu Clan's mysterious Legendary Patriarch.

Just as he was about to call out a greeting to the patriarch, the spiritual sense interrupted: "Come, sit down and talk."

The seats beside him were reserved for Golden Immortals and elders—was it really okay for him to sit there?

The spiritual sense above waited patiently. For the sake of politeness, Chu Jingxi had no choice but to sit down—which felt rude in itself.

They were less than three feet apart. The spiritual sense spoke gently: "Now that you're back with the clan, are you settling in okay?"

Chu Jingxi answered stiffly: "Everything's fine."

The family scions all had their own agendas, but they stuck together when dealing with outsiders.

After that, it was mostly the patriarch asking questions and Chu Jingxi answering, with the conversation revolving around everyday stuff.

For some reason, even though the clan leader and the others were nice too, talking with the patriarch always felt more natural and intimate to Chu Jingxi.

After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the spiritual sense seemed ready to leave. When it got up, Chu Jingxi instinctively stood up too.

The spiritual sense smiled at that: "Any problems with your cultivation?"

This was a rare chance, so Chu Jingxi quickly tested the waters: "So, do you think I've got what it takes to be an emperor?"

Whoosh—the flood dragon inside the pillar blasted out a mouthful of murky breath.

It literally burst out laughing.

Chu Jingxi's eye twitched.

Dragon breath naturally carried toxins. The spiritual sense waved it away with a warning look, and the flood dragon obediently slunk back into the pillar.

Chu Jingxi knew his question sounded crazy, but Yan Zizhan's bloodline issue was way too serious—he couldn't just knock the guy down from Heaven Immortal to a realm close to his own.

Besides, he was also stuck with his own realm limitations. No matter how fast he improved, he still couldn't hold his own against powerful opponents.

He was starting to get anxious.

This kind of urgency could easily lead to a bottleneck. Chu Jingxi knew he had to find a clear direction fast.

The flood dragon couldn't hold it in anymore and spoke through the pillar: "From today on, if you break through one major realm every half month, you might just barely make it to ordinary Earth Immortal by the end of the year..."

Its voice trailed off under the spiritual sense's stare.

The spiritual sense looked at Chu Jingxi again: "I saw the recording of you giving Xuan Lu a Heart Demon. I figure you used some powerful technique like Words Become Law."

Chu Jingxi didn't react at first, but 0.01 seconds later, his whole body jolted.

Was this old ancestor hinting that he should keep using that ability to custom-craft his own path to immortality?

Before he could even freak out that the patriarch had seen through his innate ability at a glance, Chu Jingxi's first thought was that if he actually tried to define something, he'd turn to ash the second he opened his mouth.

The backlash wasn't something to mess with.

"The more powerful the technique, the heavier the price. You need to figure out where that price comes from," the spiritual sense said patiently, guiding him along. "Then try to get rid of it."

Chu Jingxi followed that line of thinking.

Words Become Law redefined the very nature of things, forcibly twisting all the causes to get a result—basically going against the law of cause and effect head-on.

The so-called backlash was actually the law of cause and effect punishing him.

Chu Jingxi felt like he was missing something, like there was a flash of insight right there, but he just couldn't grab it.

He even started pacing on the spot. He hadn't been in the cultivation world that long—he must have seen or heard something about cause and effect somewhere.

So damn frustrating. Like when you're about to do something and then you forget what it was.

"Cause and effect, cause and effect..." He muttered it over and over like a madman, replaying everything that had happened recently.

The inheritance secret realm, Cangwu Demon Town, the alchemy factory... Chu Jingxi suddenly froze. Wait, the alchemy factory.

When his fanboy mode kicked in, the system had casually brought up something about cause, effect, and fate.

'Cause and effect is the law above fate, the most overbearing one besides the Space-Time Law. It shifts in a thousand ways every single moment.'

He hadn't paid much attention to that at the time, but now that he thought about it—could the system have been deliberately dropping hints for him?

In other words: Space-Time Law comes first, cause and effect second, and the former can suppress the backlash from the latter.

So his top priority wasn't to focus on raising his realm, but to improve his understanding of laws?

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

At the top of the panel was his talent ability that could easily cause qi deviation; at the bottom was the Space-Time Law that could blow him up at the drop of a hat.

Two negatives make a positive—damn, it was right under his nose the whole time!

Chu Jingxi looked up and let out a long sigh: "Within three meters, there's bound to be an antidote!"

The moment he figured it out, the panel suddenly dinged, and a '+' popped up next to the law section.

'Path: Space-Time Dao Level 3 (Thank your ancestors, you finally realized how awesome this is)

① Can alter the spatial coordinates of objects within six seconds.

② 30% chance to avoid backlash damage from word-spirit abilities.

③ When combined with word-spirit talent, can briefly boost combat power, allowing you to fight a Mahayana-stage opponent for one second!

Cooldown: Combat power seems to have briefly loved you—limited to one berserk state, no encore. Next update at Law Level 4.'

Ignoring the whole 'one-second man' thing, Chu Jingxi admired the new panel with only one thought: The days of rivers and mountains changing are over—no need to wait thirty years, he could already see hope for soaring.

"I really do have the bearing of an immortal emperor!"

A warm, familiar voice beside him asked: "So when does the immortal emperor plan to take over as the clan's leader?"

"Wasn't I always?"

The second the words left his mouth, realizing what he'd just said, Chu Jingxi: "..."

Author's note:

Mini skit:

System: Cause and effect, fate—when I was dropping hints left and right, did you really not catch on?

Chu Jingxi: I did. My thought was, I really am fate's darling, the child of destiny.

System: ...

This settlement came after a longer gap, so here's a quick recap: During the battle with the Chu Clan Young Patriarch→Mid Nascent Soul stage, breaking through from Nascent Soul to Spirit Severing at the realm boundary→qi deviation.

What the system said to Chu Jingxi: Chapter 45.