I Can Traverse Multiple Worlds-Chapter 94 - 93: 5 Years in a Flash, a Terrifying Discovery

Chapter 94: Chapter 93: 5 Years in a Flash, a Terrifying Discovery

Wang Xiao sensed the faint Divine Soul Thought inside his Mud Ball Palace, and his heart sank.

This Divine Soul Thought wasn’t particularly strong. Without a careful probe, he would have never even noticed it.

In fact, Wang Xiao could dispel it with a single thought.

However, Wang Xiao didn’t act rashly. He simply allowed the Divine Soul Thought to remain inside his Mud Ball Palace.

’For Zhang Lingxiao to plant a Divine Soul Thought in my Mud Ball Palace at a time like this... he must have some ulterior motive.’

’If I just get rid of it, Zhang Lingxiao will surely notice.’

’And at that point, there’s no telling what might happen.’

’I’d better pretend I don’t know it’s there for now and wait for the right opportunity to remove it in one fell swoop.’

’Besides, the Divine Soul Thought isn’t having any effect on me for the time being.’

"Well, Senior Brother, I’ll be leaving then."

Shou Chengzi, holding Wang Xiao, bowed to Zhang Lingxiao.

"Alright, go on. If you have any problems with this Ghost Infant, you can come find me at any time," Zhang Lingxiao nodded.

"Yes." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Shou Chengzi didn’t linger. Cradling Wang Xiao, he turned and left the courtyard.

After Shou Chengzi had gone, Zhang Lingxiao finally let out a soft sigh, his gaze burning.

"With this Ghost Infant’s talent, he’ll fully mature in sixty years at most. When the time comes for his tribulation, that will be the day of my Dao Entry."

"I never would have thought... The opportunity for Dao Entry that I’ve waited a lifetime for actually depends on an infant. Life is truly unpredictable."

...

"Child, this will be your home from now on."

Carrying Wang Xiao, Shou Chengzi arrived at a cave residence in the Dragon Tiger Mountain Range.

The scenery was breathtaking, Spiritual Qi filled the air, and a thick white mist drifted all around. It was a veritable paradise on earth.

Generally speaking, High-level Practitioners from Dragon Tiger Mountain who reached the Lifebound Realm no longer had to live within the Celestial Master’s Mansion like other Cultivators.

Instead, they could venture out and establish their own cave residences.

Shou Chengzi carried Wang Xiao into the training room and placed him on a meditation cushion.

"My Senior Brother said you survived because of your natural Talent, but I believe it’s because Miss Xiaodie is watching over you from the heavens, protecting you."

"Of course, regardless of the reason, it’s enough that you’re alive. It’s enough. Now, I can say I haven’t failed the task Miss Xiaodie entrusted to me."

"Now, I will perform a Washing the Marrow on you to cleanse the Ghost Qi from your body. In a few years, you’ll be able to join the sect and become a disciple of our Dragon Tiger Mountain."

"Speaking of which, Miss Xiaodie didn’t give me a name for you when she left you in my care. What should I call you?"

Shou Chengzi thought for a moment before speaking.

"How about I give you one? You were locked in the Exorcism Tower for a year, so coming out today is like a rebirth. I hope that you will grow like the morning sun, so I will call you Chongyang. What do you think?"

As he spoke, Shou Chengzi smiled. "Chongyang, little Chongyang. I will raise you well."

Magical Power surged within him, and he began to perform Purifying the Body and Mind for Wang Xiao, washing away the faint traces of Ghost Qi from his body.

Hearing the name Shou Chengzi had given him, the corner of Wang Xiao’s mouth twitched.

’That name... It seems I’m destined to be at odds with Dragon Tiger Mountain.’

Pushing the thought aside, Wang Xiao silently focused on the Magical Power from Shou Chengzi that was pouring into his body.

It seemed to contain a dense Spiritual Power, as well as a unique spiritual quality.

Its quality was even higher than the True Qi he had wielded after achieving the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit to become a Celestial Being.

’Shou Chengzi is a Lower Rank Lifebound, so his strength should be at the first level of Limit Breaking. And he’s been stuck in this realm for nearly two hundred years. It seems that this world’s cultivation techniques allow for rapid progress early on, but the speed of cultivation slows drastically after reaching the Lifebound Realm.’

Wang Xiao continued to ponder. He knew that the Lifebound Realm was generally divided into three ranks: Lower, Middle, and Upper.

To reach the Lifebound Realm, after the stage of Entering the Hall, a cultivator had to refine a Magical Treasure and then integrate a Spirit Talisman—engraved with their personal information—into it, making it their lifebound item.

The higher the quality of the Magical Treasure, the stronger the resulting Lifebound Realm!

The lifebound item Shou Chengzi had refined was a Low Grade Magical Treasure of the lowest tier.

To raise its rank, one needed to continuously temper the Magical Treasure with Magical Power.

This was a slow, grinding process that required immense patience.

The only exceptions were special opportunities, such as finding some Heavenly and Earthly Treasure to directly refine a Top Grade Magical Treasure, or using the immense Power of Incense and Candlelight to temper one’s treasure.

Such opportunities were a matter of pure luck and could not be sought out.

Most Cultivators in the Lifebound Realm were like Shou Chengzi, forced to rely on time and slow, patient work to gradually improve the quality of their Magical Treasure.

Fortunately, Cultivators in the Lifebound Realm also possessed extremely long lifespans.

Even a Lower Rank Lifebound cultivator could live for at least five hundred years.

Even with the slow, grinding process of tempering the Magical Treasure, there was still a chance of it undergoing a transformation.

’For now, aside from the hidden danger of the Divine Soul Thought Zhang Lingxiao left in my Mud Ball Palace, I’m temporarily safe. Before I officially join the sect, I can use this opportunity to learn more about cultivation techniques from Shou Chengzi. I’ll see if I can deduce the techniques for the last two layers of the Spiritual Domain, and maybe even the technique for the Limit Breaking Realm!’

Wang Xiao mused.

「For a while after that.」

Shou Chengzi performed the Washing the Marrow on Wang Xiao twice nearly every day.

He didn’t stop even during the last few days, while Dragon Tiger Mountain was holding the Grand Celestial Sacrifice.

Nourished by the Magical Power, Wang Xiao felt his body growing ever stronger, and his Spirit became more and more condensed along with it.

’This Magical Power really is extraordinary.’

’Unfortunately, to wield Magical Power, one must first receive a Layman’s Certificate.’

And receiving a Layman’s Certificate required Incense.

The thought of Incense reminded Wang Xiao of what Ghost King Hua Guiying had once said.

Incense is poison!

Wang Xiao still didn’t understand what those three words truly meant.

He would likely only understand their true meaning once he came into contact with Incense himself.

However, with Wang Xiao’s current status, his only chance to come into contact with Incense would be when he joined Dragon Tiger Mountain and received his Layman’s Certificate.

He could only wait.

And so it went.

Wang Xiao settled into life at Shou Chengzi’s cave residence.

During this time, nothing unexpected happened.

The higher-ups of Dragon Tiger Mountain’s Pro-Emperor Faction didn’t come looking for trouble again either.

They all assumed Wang Xiao had died long ago in the Exorcism Tower.

Wang Xiao was perfectly happy with this arrangement. His days consisted of eating, sleeping, and pooping.

Then, once he was a little older, he began to feign learning to talk, and then to read and recognize characters.

「In the blink of an eye, another five years passed.」

Wang Xiao was now a six-year-old boy.

Dressed in a Daoist Robe, he held a book in his hands, poring over its contents.

’So that’s how it is. It seems the Celestial Human Temple and the Incense Fire God Creation Path share some remarkable similarities. I’ve finally managed to deduce the cultivation techniques for the last two layers of the Spiritual Domain: Divine Travel and Inner Scene. All that’s left is to break through to the Celestial Human Realm and test if my theories are correct.’

Wang Xiao’s heart burned with excitement.

Over the years, he had deliberately avoided breaking through the Heaven-Breaking Pass to reach the Celestial Human Realm in order to avoid exposure. But he hadn’t been idle; he had been constantly reading and researching all sorts of cultivation texts.

Using his Analyze All Things Talent, he had finally deduced the cultivation techniques for the final two layers of the Spiritual Domain from the Celestial Human Temple manual.

The Eighth Layer, Divine Travel, involved fully understanding the structure of the Yin Spirit, allowing one to disperse and reassemble the thoughts that comprised it at will.

This would allow the Yin Spirit to exist indefinitely between Heaven and Earth.

The Ninth Layer, Inner Scene, was to construct a unique Inner World of one’s own within the Mud Ball Palace.

This Inner World could communicate with Heaven and Earth, allowing one to perceive the various spiritual currents between them.

’Now, all I have to do is wait for the Incense and the Layman’s Certificate ceremony. Then I can use that opportunity to break through to the Celestial Human Realm.’

Without Incense, one couldn’t open the Mud Ball Palace; this was the common consensus among this world’s cultivators.

If Wang Xiao were to break open his Mud Ball Palace without the aid of Incense, he would inevitably attract unwanted attention.

Therefore, to be on the safe side, it was best to wait until he obtained the Incense and use the opportunity of refining it to break through to the Celestial Human Realm.

Come to think of it, his chance to acquire the Incense should be arriving in the next few days.

Just as Wang Xiao was preparing to pick up another book,

Shou Chengzi rushed back in, looked at Wang Xiao, and said:

"Chongyang, come with me. You can receive your Layman’s Certificate today."

Wang Xiao’s eyes lit up. "Yes, Master."

He had been waiting for this day for five years!

The opportunity had finally arrived.

Without wasting another moment, Wang Xiao followed Shou Chengzi out of the cave residence, and the two of them rode Shou Chengzi’s Flying Sword straight toward the Celestial Master’s Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

「A moment later.」

Shou Chengzi landed with Wang Xiao before a grand hall shrouded in swirling green smoke.

This was the Incense Hall of Dragon Tiger Mountain!

All the Incense offered by the common folk was gathered here.

Shou Chengzi led Wang Xiao into the Incense Hall with practiced ease.

"Hall Master."

"Greetings, Hall Master!"

The Daoists inside the hall all bowed respectfully upon seeing Shou Chengzi.

Shou Cheng-zi nodded slightly and led Wang Xiao before a large statue. He formed a hand seal and began to chant:

"Yang Shoucheng, tenth-generation disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain, has brought eleventh-generation disciple Wang Chongyang to pay respects to the Daoist Ancestor Celestial Venerable. We pray that the Celestial Venerable will bestow a portion of Incense to aid Wang Chongyang in receiving his Layman’s Certificate."

As soon as he finished speaking, the statue suddenly emitted a burst of light.

SWOOSH!

Then, wisps of green smoke curled and spiraled out, forming a fist-sized cloud of mist that Shou Chengzi caught in his hand.

He turned to Wang Xiao and said,

"Chongyang, the Celestial Venerable has bestowed the Incense. You may now use this Power of Incense and Candlelight to receive your Layman’s Certificate."

"Yes."

Wang Xiao stared at the Incense he had awaited for five years, his Analyze All Things Talent already activated.

[Analyzing...]

[Analysis Successful]

[Portion of Incense, Saint Level First Grade. Contains powerful Wish Power and faith. Refining it has numerous wondrous effects on the Divine Soul.]

[Warning: Also contains a wisp of a thought from a Tier Seven Life. Risk of assimilation upon refinement. Please handle with extreme caution.]

Reading the last line of the notification, Wang Xiao’s pupils contracted violently.

’A thought from a Tier Seven Life? What does that mean?!’