Chapter 93: Chapter 88: Nuclear Power Plant and Coincidence
What followed, naturally, was Zhang Hai formally initiating Chu Bamboo into the sect.
But as the initiation proceeded, Zhang Hai started to feel a bit dazed. He even had the strange illusion that... even without being told, Chu Bamboo already knew the next step of the process. It was as if Chu Bamboo had been initiated more than once...
’No, how is that possible?’ Zhang Hai quickly shook his head, banishing the ridiculous thought. ’It must be that Mr. Zhu is just a quick learner...’
But for some reason, Zhang Hai inexplicably recalled the scene at the All-Powerful Association’s Mass, where Chu Bamboo had calmly taken over Xue the Third’s duties and led the ceremony to a successful conclusion...
...
It was the same inner hall of the church as before.
The sunlight today was just as brilliant and bright.
"So, this is the Immortal Cultivation Technique?" Chu Bamboo murmured, his expression unreadable as he caressed the yellowed book.
The book was frighteningly thin; holding it, one might even suspect it was just a greeting card. But the texture on its surface, the feedback from his fingertips, gave it the feel of an antique.
Chu Bamboo studied its cover. Written from top to bottom in a flamboyant, cursive script were three words: Great Brightness Technique!
"Look, look... once you’re done memorizing it, you have to give it back to me immediately!" Zhang Hai stared intently at Chu Bamboo, a wide grin on his face and a cheerful tone in his voice. "But, well, you can only memorize it... As for actually practicing the Cultivation, I won’t be guiding you!"
In any case, Chu Bamboo had joined the sect now, so what was there to fear?
"By the way, when are you going to report this? When are you telling Captain Li and the others?" Zhang Hai asked hurriedly. The mere thought of the look of pure disbelief on Li Kang’s face as his composure shattered made him feel as refreshed as putting on a new pair of underwear on New Year’s Day.
’I have to hold it in, I can’t laugh out loud in front of Chu Bamboo. But... I just can’t!’
The corners of Zhang Hai’s mouth twitched uncontrollably upwards. ’Hee hee hee, Li Kang, oh, Li Kang, this is it... This is the exact expression I want to see on your face!!’
"Soon." Chu Bamboo flipped through the book rapidly, finishing in ten minutes. He then closed it, shut his eyes to ponder for a moment, opened it again, quickly read through it once more, and closed his eyes again.
Chu Bamboo repeatedly compared it with the Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique he had obtained from Nuwa Base last time.
In terms of content, the God Worship Sect’s Immortal Cultivation Technique was about twice as long as the one from Nuwa Base. However, the similarity was over twenty percent...
’No, it’s more accurate to say that the Great Brightness Technique was likely derived from the Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique... I just don’t know if the other Cultivation Methods were derived in the same way.’
"...That said!" Chu Bamboo suddenly opened his eyes and stared intently at Zhang Hai. "I have the Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique. Can you tell me... what’s the difference between cultivating the Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique and cultivating the Great Brightness Technique?"
"?" Zhang Hai was dumbfounded. ’Wait, you already have a Cultivation Method... so why did you force me so hard to give you this one? No, could it be that Mr. Zhu has long been drawn to the God Worship Sect and just needed an excuse to join?’
While fantasizing, Zhang Hai explained, "Well, how should I put it... If you practice the Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique, then after you enter the First Realm, the Divine Technique you awaken could be anything! It’s randomly awakened based on your essence, your desires."
"Sounds pretty amazing, right? But... the randomness is just too great! While the upper limit is high, the lower limit is ridiculously low."
"However, with the Great Brightness Technique, the Divine Technique you awaken... will definitely be a Light Domain-type Divine Technique... If all goes as expected, it should be one of the twenty-seven Divine Techniques of the Light Domain!"
"And for the development of these twenty-seven Divine Techniques, our predecessors have long since summarized enough experience... You just have to follow the path they laid out!"
"I get it!" A look of realization dawned on Chu Bamboo. "The Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique is like pulling from the standard, unlimited gacha pool... but the Great Brightness Technique is a rate-up banner with a pity system!"
Zhang Hai: "...?"
’What the heck? What are you talking about? Why can’t I understand him at all!’
"I have another question!" Chu Bamboo’s eyes burned as he looked at Zhang Hai. "Let’s say, just for the sake of argument... the thing I desire when I do my Cultivation today is different from the thing I desire when I do it tomorrow! Does that mean that by cultivating at different times on these two days, I could awaken different Divine Techniques?"
Zhang Hai: "???"
’What kind of questions are these?’
’How... how would I know?’
"Let me ask you this," Chu Bamboo continued, "If I use the Basic Cultivation Technique to successfully reach the First Realm, and then I simultaneously cultivate the Great Brightness Technique and succeed... can I awaken two different Divine Techniques? And what if I cultivate other Dharma Gates..."
"No!" Zhang Hai’s face turned green as he hurriedly cut him off. "What kind of questions are you asking... Also, Divine Techniques are unique."
"How could you possibly have several Divine Techniques at the same time? At least in the lower realms, like the First, Second, and Third, don’t even think about it!"
"Oh?" Chu Bamboo picked up on the key point. "So you’re saying there’s a chance after breaking through the Third Realm and reaching the Fourth Realm?"
Zhang Hai froze for a moment, then fell silent.
’Interesting!’ Thoughts churned in Chu Bamboo’s mind. Even though Zhang Hai had said all that, he still planned to test all of his theories—after all, who else had so many lives to spare?
’If I can really awaken several Divine Techniques in the First Realm... that would be fantastic!’
"I have another question. It says here that you need Radiant Stones for Cultivation! Where do I get those?" Chu Bamboo asked, waving the Cultivation Technique manual.
"...Don’t expect me to give you any of those!" Zhang Hai’s face was full of vigilance.
"I’m just asking," Chu Bamboo said noncommittally.
Zhang Hai hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Um, that stuff... it’s considered a resource controlled by the Daqian government, I think?"
"...Controlled?"
"Yeah... Although the various sects also have some places that produce these resources, I’m afraid that only the total output of all the sects combined can barely surpass the Daqian government’s..." Zhang Hai sighed. "There’s nothing to be done about it. Who else can we blame when all the land in this country belongs to Daqian?"
Chu Bamboo narrowed his eyes. ’Did I miscalculate before? Is the number of Transcendents in the Daqian government... actually comparable to the sum of all the Orthodoxies?’
’It’s a very basic principle... even if the Basic Immortal Cultivation Technique has an extremely high ceiling and low floor, in the face of absolute numbers, the various Orthodoxies should be easily crushed!’
’Resources are the key to determining a faction’s true power.’
"But, due to various issues, the Daqian government sells most of these resources to us. So... you don’t need to worry too much about not having enough Cultivation Resources in the future," Zhang Hai said reassuringly.
Chu Bamboo: "..."
’Never mind then.’
’Useless Daqian.’
Chu Bamboo almost laughed. ’How on earth did they manage to play such a good hand so badly?’
’If this were the Real World... the iron fist of the state would come down. It would have all the Orthodoxies begging like dogs, and they’d have to get on their knees and thank their masters for the privilege.’
"So, where exactly? The production sites..." Chu Bamboo asked casually. "You can’t possibly not know, right? Even if it’s a bit sensitive..."
"...Lots of places, I guess!" Zhang Hai said nonchalantly. "If I remember correctly, it seems... our very own Jinghai City is one of the production sites? I just don’t know where exactly they’re dug up from! Probably somewhere in the wilderness..."
"?" At that moment, Chu Bamboo fell silent, a storm suddenly brewing in his heart.
Countless thoughts collided in his mind at that instant.
’Nuclear...’
’The supposedly abandoned nuclear power plant...’
’Jinghai City is a production site for these nuclear-related Cultivation Resources...’
’The key hidden in the black box at the Agricultural Bank...’
’A key that, once touched, would cause the Captain’s Office to dispatch officers at lightning speed.’
Chu Bamboo’s eyes gradually glazed over. ’No, it can’t be, right? Could it really be such a coincidence?!’
’No, it wasn’t really a coincidence,’ Chu Bamboo quickly realized. ’Even though I didn’t know about the Extraordinary, I did know about most of the major events in Jinghai City. So, the number of suspicious targets... was already quite small to begin with!’
He murmured, "Perhaps... it’s time to go test it out..."
"?" Zhang Hai looked at Chu Bamboo in confusion. "Test what? Wait, didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t culti—"
In the next instant, Chu Bamboo clenched his jaw, swallowed the poison, and then... he dropped dead, plain and simple.
Zhang Hai: "?"
Zhang Hai: "?!!!"
His first reaction was actually that Chu Bamboo was messing with him. ’I just contradicted you once, do you really have to play dead?’
But when he truly sensed Chu Bamboo’s life force beginning to wane, his face turned ashen...
"WAH, DON’T YOU DIE ON ME!!!"
...
Chu Bamboo slowly opened his eyes.
Even now, he could seemingly still hear the sharp, desperate shriek Zhang Hai had let out just before he died.
"Good morning, Zhang Zihai." Chu Bamboo nodded at Zhang Hai, who was sitting by his bed, then got up and washed his face without any expression.
Zhang Hai, who was sitting calmly with his arms crossed, felt his eye twitch. ’Wait, why aren’t you in a hurry at all? You’re not even pushing me?’
’No... he must be deliberately suppressing it! Hmph, if you won’t bring it up, then neither will I! We’ll see who can hold out longer.’
Zhang Hai still maintained his posture.
"Have you found out anything about the Moisture Teaching?" Chu Bamboo asked after finishing his morning routine, stretching lazily.
"...Mo Ban is out of town right now. He’ll probably be back in Jinghai City in about three days! Probably?" Zhang Hai’s words were uncertain, because even the person from the Moisture Teaching who gave him this answer had used a questioning tone.
"Understood. So he’ll be back within a week!" Chu Bamboo nodded. He might not understand the inner workings of the Moisture Teaching, but he understood Mo Ban, and he understood the project deadlines of Brother Tu Mu from the Dream World!
’Basically, just double whatever time they give you, and you won’t be far off!’
"In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to keep holding that assassin! We’ll talk again in a week... I’m heading out." Chu Bamboo waved his hand and left directly.
"?" Zhang Hai forced himself to remain silent, repeating in his mind, ’He’s definitely fighting for the upper hand. There’s no way he’s not actually anxious. It has to be, it must be...’
One minute, two minutes, three minutes...
His Divine Thought perceived Chu Bamboo walking further and further away, his steps light and unhurried. The leg Zhang Hai had crossed over his knee began to jiggle faster and faster. Finally, just as Chu Bamboo was about to leave the range of his Divine Thought, his face turned green.
"Hey, I pulled an all-nighter just to get your Cultivation Technique application approved... What are you... Don’t be in such a hurry to leave!!!"
...
After rejecting the utterly distraught Zhang Hai, Chu Bamboo walked cheerfully in the direction of the Police Chief Bureau.
But as he walked, his pace grew slower and slower...
Finally, Chu Bamboo came to a stop. He stroked his chin, gazing at the distant Industrial Development Bank as he fell into deep thought.
