Chapter 170: Chapter 152: Cultivating with Pills, White Flame Market!
Seven days later, a streak of Escape Light approached from the horizon, rapidly descending upon an island lush with verdant bamboo waves.
"The king has returned!"
"Quick, quick, quickly bring the freshly picked ’Bamboo Heart Tea’ to the king!"
"And the ’Purple Cloud Fruit’ as well, it’s the best for relieving fatigue, bring it to the king quickly!"
As soon as the Escape Light landed, the Little Demons on the island immediately started bustling about. Under the lead of an Old Turtle, several Peach Blossom Little Demons, beautiful in their transformed forms, carried jade discs and delivered the Spirit Tea and purple fruit to the front of a Cave Mansion carved into a rock face.
Outside the Cave Mansion, several newly set Array Banners shimmered, forming a simple invisible barrier that protected the Cave Mansion securely.
Seemingly sensing the arrival of the Little Demons, the barrier slightly opened, revealing a passageway. The Peach Blossom Little Demons hurriedly carried the jade discs in, entering in single file before quickly departing.
Inside the Cave Mansion, Gu Yuan sipped some tea and ate a purple fruit, and his restless mood slightly calmed.
"That Jade Water Fire-Eyed Ape has such ruthless methods, to be able to teleport someone so far..."
Thinking back on the intelligence he gathered at the Flying Fish Market over the past seven days, Gu Yuan couldn’t help but sigh.
This place is the Western Sea Realm, the domain of the Ten Thousand Islands Sea, more than ten thousand miles away from the South Mountain Domain. Even Golden Core Cultivators, traveling at maximum Escape Light speed, don’t know how many days it would take to traverse such an expansive territory.
With Gu Yuan’s current level of cultivation, there is only one way to return to the South Mountain Domain, and that is through the method of "Space Transmission."
Only the Power of Space, which can instantly move one countless miles, would allow Gu Yuan to return to the Daoist School within his lifetime. Otherwise, merely traveling would exhaust his lifespan.
And the Ten Thousand Islands Sea is a unique domain, considered a "Pocket World" of the Western Sea Realm.
A terrifying thunderstorm, which has persisted for ten thousand years, surrounds the region, never relenting, enclosing an endless sea. Within the thunderstorm, countless bolts of terrifying Thunder flash for ten thousand years; even if a Golden Core Cultivator falls into it, they might perish.
To cross through the thunderstorm, there is only one way, which is to wait for the once-every-fifty-year "Awakening Year." During this year, the Thunder Power within the storm dissipates slightly, and numerous passages emerge, allowing cultivators to leave the Ten Thousand Islands Sea and return to the continent of the Western Sea Realm.
And only on the continent of the Western Sea Realm can you find the method of "Space Transmission."
However, there are still ten years left until the next "Awakening Year."
This means that Gu Yuan has to stay in the Ten Thousand Islands Sea for at least ten full years.
"Ten years can be short or long; it’s just that this is a crucial time for my cultivation. Without the support of the Daoist School, there are some inconveniences..."
Gu Yuan sighed inwardly.
After many years of cultivation at the Daoist School, he gained numerous opportunities and had six Foundation Establishment followers under his command. He even made connections with Golden Core Ascendants, and it should have been smooth sailing. But suddenly being teleported here means starting everything anew.
This made Gu Yuan somewhat annoyed.
The Foundation Establishment followers and Spirit Meridian of the Spirit Island, to Gu Yuan, are all expendable; they were merely auxiliary supports, nice to have.
But the opportunities from the Sword Fox Immortal were precious things, and losing them like this made him sigh uncontrollably.
Yet as things stand, he can only accept it.
The path of cultivation is destined to be full of many difficulties; the mere loss of the Daoist School’s foundation is still bearable for him.
"It’s just... without the Golden Core Eye, should I cultivate this Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy or not?"
Gu Yuan took out a shimmering Golden Register and a lightning-laden Demon Pill, showing a contemplative look on his face.
Ever since arriving in the Western Sea Realm from the South Mountain Domain, Gu Yuan has engaged in Magical Combat many times, undefeated, allowing him to confidently say that his ability in Magical Combat is formidable.
He cultivates three dharmas simultaneously, seizing countless opportunities.
The only thing troubling him is his cultivation speed.
With three dharmas practiced simultaneously, his mana is vast, far surpassing others in the same stage, and many extraordinary Dharma Seals cannot be effectively used against him. However, accumulating mana and breaking through realms have become drastically more challenging. Gu Yuan has been in the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment for a while, yet the mana in his Dantian shows no sign of increasing.
A small sign can show the whole; Gu Yuan cannot afford to wait until his lifespan approaches its end before finding ways to increase his cultivation. He must plan ahead.
Now, he faces two paths: The first is to consume pills, increasing his cultivation with their power, condensing his mana bit by bit.
The second is to cultivate the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy, practicing both dharmas and speeding up his cultivation pace.
However, the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy seems rather baffling, and Gu Yuan always harbors some unease in his heart.
Obtaining the Demon Pill by slaying the White Worm was merely a backup plan.
"Well, let’s first cultivate using pills, and test the effects. Moreover, the Stone Liquid will soon condense once more..."
After pondering for a while, Gu Yuan finally decided to first pursue cultivation with pills.
Over the past half month, he has frequently visited the Flying Fish Market, firstly to gather intelligence and understand the current region to find a way back to the South Mountain Domain.
Secondly, to sell the White Worm and various Demon Beasts from the Red Moon River, in exchange for the necessary pills for cultivation.
Currently, he possesses six or seven types of pills that enhance cultivation.
With a wave of his hand, a red pill fell into his palm, which he then swallowed, beginning his cultivation.
...
...
As a cultivator, the most important thing, at any time, is always cultivation.
Only continuous diligent cultivation can offer a glimpse into the Dao.
Gu Yuan was abruptly teleported to the Western Sea Realm, catching him off guard. Yet, after understanding the situation slightly, he immediately seized a Spiritual Land and continued his cultivation.
This cultivation lasted two months.
Two months later, Gu Yuan looked at the empty pill bottles underfoot and the slightly increased mana in his Dantian, unable to stop himself from sighing.
He took out a small portion of the "Purifying Aperture Spring," consuming and refining it to dispel a trace of weak Pill Poison, before taking out the Golden Register once again.
"I was too naive..."
"Practicing three dharmas simultaneously is extremely difficult; it’s beyond merely choosing between pills and Dharma Gates. To speed up cultivation, both paths are indispensable!"
Gazing at the radiating Golden Register, Gu Yuan sighed inwardly.
He already tested the method of pills, which did provide some benefits, but it was still insufficient for him. Breaking through to the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment by relying on pills would take at least several decades, not to mention the cost of pills and the issue of Pill Poison.
As for breaking through to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, who knows how long that would take. Further along in cultivation, the augmenting effects of pills grow weaker, making progress harder unless supplemented by mystical Spirit Medicine from millennia past.
"Originally, I didn’t want to proceed this way, but over the past two months, even after consuming Stone Liquid twice, no opportunity has presented itself. I can’t wait idly any longer."
"I’ll visit the White Flame Market to buy the spiritual materials needed for Cultivation Pills, and change sites to see the Stone Liquid once more. If it still proves futile, then I’ll have to begin cultivating this method."
After a long contemplation, Gu Yuan finally resolved himself.
