Chapter 608: Chapter 509: Cultivating Gu (Happy National Day, Daily Update of 10,000 Characters Begins)_6
"They’re all dead?" Yang Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, if they were still alive, they would definitely be sent out; it’s the only explanation," Yang Cha sighed and shook his head in annoyance. "The most important thing is that we also can’t figure out what exactly happened inside."
"Have you been inside? Do you remember anything?" Yang Cha looked at Yang Xiao as if seeking help.
But before Yang Xiao could speak, Yang Cha, as if suddenly remembering something, smiled bitterly. "Asking you is useless, Yang. Everyone who comes out has their memories of being inside wiped clean."
After some consideration, Yang Xiao tentatively asked, "Do you know what it’s like inside?"
"Inside are unknown worlds that shift periodically, possibly a village, a skyscraper, or even a forest, snowfield, or wilderness. Any world that exists in the real world might appear." After pausing, Yang Cha added, "In a sense, the Contemplation Pavilion is a miniature Nightmare World, except unlike the Ghost Script, it doesn’t provide clues beforehand. You only know what you’re facing once you’re actually inside."
"But generally, the difficulty of this Nightmare World is much lower than that of the Ghost Script, and the pace is much faster. Ghosts might not appear throughout, and the biggest threat inside are the teammates who enter with you. Here, helping each other is foolish; it’s all about hunting."
After finishing, Yang Cha frankly admitted that all this was inadvertently revealed by the family elders; he had never been inside, and this secret competition was designed for desperados.
"Hmm...May I ask a question, don’t take it to heart, but if everyone’s memory is erased after entering, how do the academy elders know what it’s like inside?" Yang Xiao followed the logic and asked a basic question.
Hearing this, Yang Cha was startled, apparently not expecting Yang Xiao to spot the flaw so quickly. After a moment of deliberation, he divulged, "Yang, you’re not an outsider, and I won’t hide it from you, but you must keep this absolutely secret; this matter involves a secret of the Academy."
"May I listen?" Yang Xiao perked up his ears involuntarily at the mention of a secret.
Yang Cha hesitated for a moment, his gaze unconsciously turning towards the door before he lowered his voice and disclosed, "This Contemplation Pavilion hasn’t always been like this; every once in a while, strange things happen here, and by strange, I mean not only dangerous, but also..."
"Also what?" Yang Xiao asked curiously.
"Opportunities," Yang Cha whispered.
A moment later, Yang Cha asked, "Yang, do you know where this Contemplation Pavilion is located?"
"A mysterious place. Before entering, a middle-aged man explained to me that there was a piece of green jade inside, which barely counts as a safe spot. I think...that so-called jade is the Resentful Eye that triggers the supernatural worlds inside the Pavilion."
"Exactly, that Green Venerable Tourmaline is the Resentful Eye, and it’s a high-rank and extremely mystical one at that. Its function is to gather lost ownerless Resentful Eyes, awaken the ghosts within them one by one, creating various Nightmare Worlds, allowing these ghosts to hunt down the intruders while also gradually enhancing and strengthening themselves."
"Like cultivating Gu?" Yang Xiao’s heart trembled.
"Yes, just like cultivating Gu. Every year, those who come to participate in the dark competition are the Gu worms, or more precisely, what is needed is the Resentful Eye they carry," Yang Cha stated bluntly.
"So... you want to cultivate a supremely powerful ghost?" Yang Xiao was also startled by Yang Cha’s remarks. He had not expected that the Yang Family of Yun Qi City, one of the Upper Three Schools, would be capable of engaging in such reckless acts behind the scenes.
Noticing the subtle change in Yang Xiao’s tone, Yang Cha smiled and said softly, "Yang, nobody engages in a losing trade. We at Ru Lin Academy provide the opportunity, and we do not force anyone to participate. Everyone signs up voluntarily because they want something. Moreover... of those who come to participate in the dark competition, if you randomly execute ten people, nine and a half of them would not be wronged."
"Of course, I’m not talking about you, Yang. You are my friend, and I know what kind of person you are," Yang Cha explained further.
After calming down, Yang Xiao tentatively asked, "Then what do you need the ghost for?"
Yang Cha waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, you misunderstand. What do we need a ghost for? What we want is the Resentful Eye, the Resentful Eye represented by the final ghost that is cultivated."
Yang Xiao took a deep breath. At that moment, he finally understood the origin of that mummified fierce ghost. It had been cultivated by the Yang Family of Yun Qi City, utilizing countless Angel Envoys’ bones and Resentful Eyes. Moreover, those who could participate in the dark competition were not ordinary individuals; naturally, the Resentful Eyes they carried were all top-grade.
No wonder that mummified ghost was so powerful. But... could such a thing really be controlled by humans?
"Could this strange event you mentioned... could it be the doing of the fierce ghost you cultivated?" Yang Xiao asked cautiously.
Hearing this, Yang Cha shook his head, "I don’t know. Contemplation Pavilion only cultivates a ghost every so often, which is actually a High-Order Resentful Eye, generally every six to eight years, but it’s not absolute. For example, it’s been almost 15 years since the last Resentful Eye was cultivated."
"15 years?" Yang Xiao’s tone involuntarily rose.
"Yes, I remember it’s about that time. I heard from the elders in the family that many strange events popped up during this period, and what exactly happened isn’t something a junior like me would know. However, according to the elders’ calculations, it will still take at least three more years for the next cultivation, so this anomaly is probably not related to that," Yang Cha assured.
Though Yang Cha sounded confident, Yang Xiao had seen that mummified ghost cloaked in a tattered purple gold Taoist robe. He did not believe that it was not yet fully cultivated; if it continued cultivating for a few more years, it might become an even more powerful spirit. Once released, even if Ru Lin Academy was filled with experts, it might cause total chaos, possibly even leading to the extermination of the clan.
Yang Xiao’s primary concern now was the level of this ghost. He was eager to know how it could be dealt with. "Brother Yang Cha, the ghost... I mean, the Resentful Eye, that you normally cultivate in six to eight years, how powerful can it be?"
"It varies. Normally, it starts at the Ghost Level Middle, and with some luck, it could reach Ghost Level Upper or even the peak of Ghost Level," Yang Cha patiently explained. "However, whether it can be recaptured, and how much loss must be endured during the recapturing process, that’s the key. If the recapture fails, many good fighters might be sacrificed, and we might end up not securing the final product."
Yang Xiao took a deep breath, the terrifying image of that mummified old ghost flashing through his mind. A Resentful Eye of Ghost Level Upper or even the peak of Ghost Level might be cultivated in just six to eight years. Damn, that old ghost had been cultivated for fifteen years; how could it possibly be just a ghost?
