Chapter 080

Chapter 80: Seems Close to Burning Out

A moment later, Star Marsh and Dream Spirit crouched on the stone steps, looking very wronged. Compared to Star Marsh’s black stone body, Dream Spirit was still wrapped in red talisman lines like a tied rice ball; it struggled to poke out hands and feet from the silk threads and glared at Star Marsh with clenched teeth. Star Marsh drooped its head and turned away, not answering.

Illusory Dream Elder was still pondering the nature of spirit life.

Ye Wan Wan glanced over at the three spirits and sighed in her heart: [So I picked up three bundles of trouble.]

She steadied her mood, shut out all distractions, cast five talisman lines, set a Guardian Array, and sat under the tree to run the Spirit Refining Art. As she circulated her art, ten Golden Cores drifted out of her body and followed a path she had mapped outside herself, moving along like they were in external meridians.

Seeing this, Illusory Dream Elder and Dream Spirit both turned their heads at the same time: “Golden Core Externalization.”

It wasn’t their first time seeing it, but each time it still shocked them. A cultivator should only have one Golden Core, then transform it to break through to Nascent Soul, then step by step reach Divine Transformation, Void Refinement, Fusion, Tribulation, Great Ascension, and finally Ascension. After passing Ascension, one becomes a true immortal.

But the girl’s path was different.

She had ten Golden Cores, and maybe even more in the future.

Right now, the ten Golden Cores moved along the route she had designed. Well informed as he was, Illusory Dream Elder could tell that Ye Wan Wan’s layout extended directly from the meridian routes inside her body. It was a full map of meridians. It was like she had built a huge meridian web outside herself, and she was leading these Golden Cores to conquer that web and make it her own.

That was also why Dream Spirit would be dominated whenever it got near Ye Wan Wan’s space. In this space, Ye Wan Wan alone created the rules. There was an even better word for this place: “Domain.”

A Golden Core Stage cultivator had awakened a power that Divine Transformation Stage cultivators only discover, and she was using that Domain Power well. How could that not count as genius?

Dream Spirit muttered under its breath, but it was completely cowed this time. Shen Nan Zhou had already destroyed the Dream Realm, and it had nowhere else to go. Following Ye Wan Wan at least meant it could still get by; following Shen Nan Zhou meant waiting for death. That brat was even more terrifying.

Illusory Dream Elder spoke softly: “Give her time to grow, and I can’t even imagine how far she will go.”

He truly didn’t know what Ye Wan Wan’s next step would be. He only felt that this girl would bring the Cultivation World great surprises, or maybe great scares.

Out of the ten Golden Cores, five were cracked. Ye Wan Wan gathered those five in front of her and set her first goal on the Fire Core. She took out a level four Fire Mystic Crystal and set it to float in midair. With nine Golden Cores rotating and spiritual power urging, she squeezed the energy out of the Fire Mystic Crystal bit by bit. The Fire Core twined with it, and under the flow of power, the pure fire force mended the Golden Core.

The work was dull and tiring. It took Ye Wan Wan a month and a half to succeed with the first one, but with that experience the second, the Water Core, went much faster. It took only twenty days.

With two Golden Cores repaired, the five little puffs of elemental energy inside her body also advanced. Water and fire roots: Qi Refining layer thirteen. Wood spiritual root: Qi Refining layer six. Metal and earth: layer five.

Ye Wan Wan clenched her fist and thought: [No wonder level four spirit medicine is so strong. It not only repaired two Golden Cores, the leftover power even pushed my Qi Refining to the next threshold. I’m just one step from Foundation Establishment.]

But after looking at the remaining three elemental clusters, she didn’t rush to break through. To keep the five elements in balance, it was best to advance them together, so she held back.

She counted the time. Sixty five days had passed in the cave abode. Outside, thirteen days had gone by, almost half a month. She should go take a look.

Ye Wan Wan drew all the Golden Cores back into her body and stood. She saw Dream Spirit and Star Marsh asleep on opposite sides of the steps, a wick and a stone, each guarding its own little territory. Illusory Dream Elder had already fallen asleep inside the Spirit Bead.

She put them all away. Looking at the dim Remnant Soul in the Spirit Bead, she spoke quietly: “You can’t hold on much longer, can you.”

He was in such a rush to find an heir because he couldn’t wait anymore. The secret realm was collapsing, and his road was at its end.

Ye Wan Wan lightly rubbed the Spirit Bead with her index finger. Maybe she could find some spirit herbs that nourished the soul. Black Sour Fruit could help, but Illusory Dream Elder couldn’t eat it directly. Just absorbing its aura would be too weak. Better to refine a Soul Nurturing Pill.

She thought it over and decided to add alchemy to her daily practice. One hour a day should be enough. If not, then she would add more. Time can always be squeezed out.

Ye Wan Wan left the Spirit Market. This time she walked the stalls and found that Mystic Spirit Grass still had no buyers. She didn’t mind. She simply put out two new talismans she had just drawn.

No sooner had she set them down than someone bought one.

“Clang clang clang, congrats, stall keeper: buyer Not Short on Money purchased your Fire Control Talisman. 14,000 coins credited.”

Ye Wan Wan thought: […] Again?

Before she could reply, the rich young master struck first and scolded: “Hey, little stall keeper, what’s with you? It’s been so long with no new stock. Don’t want to do business? Got enough Spirit Stones already? You don’t want money?”

Ye Wan Wan gathered herself and answered, calm: “I was out dealing with something recently.”

He clicked his tongue twice: “You cultivators are such trouble. So tell me, what does this talisman do?”

“Fire Control Talisman, offense.”

Not Short on Money scoffed: “Sounds useless. Ordinary Attack Talismans are everywhere in the Spirit Market. You’re selling it this pricey to gouge me?”

Ye Wan Wan said: “Buy the other one too.”

“Clang clang clang, congrats, stall keeper: buyer Not Short on Money purchased your Water Channeling Talisman. 14,000 coins credited.”

Ye Wan Wan thought: […] He really is not short on money. He buys the moment I say so.

He asked, puzzled: “Why fire and also water?”

Ye Wan Wan said: “Ever played water and fire clash?”

Not Short on Money hesitated: “You mean, use them at the same time?”

Ye Wan Wan said: “Yes, use them together. One plus one is greater than three. This pair of Attack Talismans can land a strike on a Nascent Soul cultivator, but only one strike.”

She added: “Throw them and run. The water mist created by the Talisman Arts will help you escape. It lasts twenty breaths.”

Not Short on Money fell silent for a long, long time before he spoke again, his voice tight: “Can that mist block a Nascent Soul’s Primordial Spirit search?”

Ye Wan Wan heard it and knew he understood the key at once. She smiled: “Yes. So this set is sold as a combo. It’s not only for attack. It also saves your life.”

Not Short on Money’s voice sank a little: “Any more? I want ten sets.”

Ye Wan Wan said: “No stock. If you want them, place a preorder.”

“Clang clang clang, congrats, stall keeper: buyer I’m Just Looking preordered ten sets of your Fire Control Talisman and Water Channeling Talisman. 280,000 coins credited.”

Ye Wan Wan: [Huh?]

Not Short on Money: “Huh?”

Not Short on Money turned and saw the figure standing nearby. He shouted: “Hey! Brother, how many times is this now?”

Every time he came by, that “brother” stubbornly followed his buys. And he always looked sneaky.

“I’m Just Looking” spoke softly. It was the first time Ye Wan Wan had heard this customer’s voice. Compared to the lively rich young master, this voice sounded like an old man at dusk. It was clearly a very young voice, but it felt like a lamp running out of oil.