Chapter 236: Chapter 5: Holy Pilgrimage
A gentle female voice could be heard. It suggested a normally placid disposition, but on the matter of cultivation, she wouldn’t yield an inch. "So what if it’s a scam? What harm can it do? The experts all said the placebo effect is the most important thing. As long as I think it works, my cultivation efficiency will improve!"
"What’s more, my cultivation efficiency really has improved lately. And not just that, but at night, I think I can hear some strange sound. Maybe it’s the Spirit Sound of a Spirit Awakening?"
It was a very common argument about cultivation.
Ever since Zhengguo made Cultivation Methods public and opened self-service Spirit Talent testing centers in major cities, many unscrupulous merchants had tried to cash in. They began rolling out all sorts of health supplements that claimed to enhance one’s aptitude and improve cultivation efficiency.
As for their credibility... Hah, didn’t the girl say it herself? It was just the placebo effect. At the end of the day, they were just starch tablets in various flavors, not much different from the brain-booster pills that sold like crazy before the Holy Ascension Selection Test. One side was willing to sell, the other willing to buy—what could anyone do?
But for some reason, Chen Zhicheng felt a chill run down his spine. ’This fanaticism for cultivation... If someone were to exploit it...’
’I hope they really are just starch tablets.’
「Meanwhile.」
On the same stretch of beach.
It was now high noon. The sun hung in a bright sky, and the golden sand radiated a gentle warmth. Coupled with the balmy sea breeze, it felt as if every trace of cold and gloom had been driven from one’s body.
Su Zhou lay on a beach chair, wearing sunglasses and a pair of swim trunks. With his hands behind his head, he basked in the coastal sunshine.
It had to be said that Su Zhou’s lean, solid musculature and handsome features attracted no shortage of envious and fiery gazes. It wasn’t that no one wanted to strike up a conversation; however, the moment anyone even considered approaching him, a sudden chill would wash over them, instantly extinguishing the thought.
—Even the slightest leak of a Transcendent’s Spiritual Pressure was enough to feel like a splash of cold water to an ordinary person.
Yara, disguised as an ornament on the frame of Su Zhou’s sunglasses, was also enjoying the sunlight.
"Yes, yes, that’s it! This is the feeling!"
Nearby, Shao Qiming was almost completely buried in sand, while an annoyed-looking Shao Shuangyue shoveled more of it onto her brother.
"This feeling of being buried—I can feel it!"
Shao Qiming’s deadly serious voice could be heard. "Is this what it feels like to be a plant? Rooted in the earth... I’m getting the feeling, I’m getting the vibe!"
Hearing this, Shao Shuangyue—a pretty girl in a swimsuit with her hair in a ponytail—frowned. She couldn’t resist tapping Shao Qiming’s head with her little shovel before turning to yell at Su Zhou, "My brother is acting like a lunatic who wants to be buried in the dirt, so what’s your deal, Su Zhou? Are you trying to get a tan?"
"Unfortunately, I’m the type who doesn’t tan," Su Zhou replied lazily from his beach chair, absorbing Spiritual Qi as he spoke. "Besides, I’ve just discovered that the Spiritual Qi along the coast is a bit more active than it is inland. It’s perfect for cultivation."
These were none other than Su Zhou and the Shao siblings, on vacation in the South Sea.
Because of the Spiritual Energy Revival, the number of tourists worldwide had dropped significantly. Everyone was afraid of encountering the kind of widespread, global climate anomalies that had occurred at the end of last year.
As a result, even the South Sea’s Golden Beach had far fewer visitors than usual. The shore, which should have been a sea of people, now had less than a hundred visitors.
"Wait, is there something wrong with you two?"
Glancing at the nearly empty seaside, Shao Shuangyue looked back at her two "brothers"—one lying on the beach chair like a salted fish, and the other buried in the sand. She couldn’t help but twirl a finger at her temple. "We finally make it all the way to the beach, and neither of you wants to go for a swim?"
"I can’t swim," Shao Qiming answered, which was understandable. His health had been poor in the past, so he never went in the water. Since he’d only been well for less than a year, it was clear he wouldn’t know how.
"I can. But it’s no fun swimming when the water is this calm." Su Zhou was the other extreme; he thought the daytime waves weren’t big enough. "I’ll go for a dip tonight when the tide comes in... Shuangyue, why aren’t you getting in the water yourself?"
"I can’t swim, and I’m scared to go alone!" came the unabashed reply.
"Sigh... Fine, I’ll go with you." Since things had come to this, Su Zhou couldn’t help but sigh. He prepared to get up and take his little sister for a swim.
’Even if she weren’t as flat as a board, he wouldn’t feel a thing for her. He’d watched Shao Shuangyue grow up, and she was like a real sister to him. She was pretty, sure, and could even have the air of a refined young lady when she put her mind to it. But most of the time, she was a carefree, sharp-tongued contrarian—just like him. There was no way he could ever see her that way.’
Although Su Zhou always seemed to be teasing her, it was really just his way of showing he cared. Shao Qiming was the same way. As far as Su Zhou knew, the only reason Shao Shuangyue’s grades hadn’t plummeted despite her gaming addiction was that Shao Qiming tutored her, preparing comprehensive notes on all her subjects. Otherwise, the game-addicted girl would have become a problem student long ago, with no hope of getting into a magnet school.
Just as Su Zhou, holding a floatie, was leading Shao Shuangyue into the water to teach her how to swim, he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked toward a yacht in the distance.
"What is it, Brother Zhou?"
