NOVEL NEXT Chapter 248: Gathering the Ingredients
Chapter 248: Gathering the Ingredients
[Realm progression successful. Add one grain of Dustless Sand to advance to Return to Truth Realm Stage 1].
Like a beetle smashing its head against the void, Xu Lian traversed the space and arrived at the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land.
Entering the first layer of the small world, he headed straight for the Elders’ Hall.
Seeing that Xu Lian had returned only a few hours after leaving, the elder in charge asked, “Holy Son of the Nine Heavens, is there anything else you need?
Xu Lian bowed slightly and said, “I have come to collect the cultivation resources for the Return to Truth Realm-Dustless Sand.”
The elder on duty thought he had misheard. “Collect what? Dustless Sand for the Return to Truth Realm?”
Xu Lian nodded. “Yes.”
The on-duty elder spoke slowly, “Although it has already been approved that you will receive a portion of the cultivation resources for each major realm, you can only collect them once you’ve reached the corresponding cultivation level. For example, to collect the resources for the Return To Truth Realm, you must first reach the Return To Void Stage 9.”
Xu Lian raised his hand and released a surge of energy, allowing the on-duty elder to sense his cultivation level.
The on-duty elder’s eyes widened as if he were looking at a monster. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “Two months ago, you were only at Divine Source Stage 9. How did you reach Return To Void Stage 9 so quickly? Even the fastest cultivation speed in history can’t compare to yours!”
Xu Lian had no choice but to “fib” a little. He leaned closer to the elder on duty and whispered, “She was dual-cultivating with me.”
“Pfft!”
The on-duty elder nearly choked, his eyes turning red as he stared at Xu Lian as if he wanted to strangle him on the spot.
After taking a deep breath, the on-duty elder calmed down and looked at Xu Lian with a complicated expression. “Back in the day, the Goddess of Time was part of the same batch of disciples as us when we first entered the sect. She was the dream girl of all our fellow disciples.
Unfortunately, her talent was too high. She rose like a star, reaching near-supreme cultivation in less than a thousand years and even comprehending the laws of time, giving her strength comparable to a supreme being. All of us from that generation could only look up to her. Who would have thought… she would end up with a young genius like you?”
As he spoke, the on-duty elder’s tone grew somewhat melancholic, and he grumbled, “Even if the Goddess of Time chose you and got together with you, she shouldn’t have dual-cultivated with you. This is like pulling a seedling to make it grow faster – it’s not good for a promising cultivator like you.
“…” Now it was Xu Lian’s turn to stare wide-eyed. Looking at the white-haired, white-bearded on-duty elder and recalling the Goddess of Time’s youthful, stunning appearance, it was hard to imagine that they were from the same batch of disciples.
Seemingly reading his thoughts, the elder on duty sighed. “The Goddess of Time has reached a level of cultivation that borders on immortality. Although she hasn’t achieved true eternal life, her lifespan is incredibly long. For me, a thousand years is already the beginning of my twilight years, but for her, it’s just a small fraction of her long life”.
Xu Lian was still confused. “Elder, since you were chosen to serve in the Elder Hall, you must be at least a top-level expert, right? Your life span should be at least several thousand years. How can you be considered old after only a thousand years?”
The on-duty elder explained, “Because I was severely injured in my early years. Although I’ve slowly recovered, the hidden damage never fully healed, and it ultimately affected my lifespan. I can’t be compared to the top experts-even the ordinary experts of the Return to Truth Realm have a longer lifespan than me.”
“I see.”
Xu Lian understood. Many factors could affect one’s lifespan. Cultivation level was just one aspect; others were bloodline talent, personal physique, hidden injuries, and whether one had consumed life-extending pills or spiritual medicines.
The on-duty Elder took out his Elder token and sent a message to summon the Grand Elder. He explained Xu Lian’s request to collect Dustless Sand for the Return to Truth Realm.
As expected, the Grand Elder was also shocked and looked at Xu Lian as if he was a freak. “In just two months, you went from Divine Source Stage 9 to Return To Void Stage 9?”
The on-duty elder then explained that the Goddess of Time had dual-cultivated with Xu Lian, boosting his cultivation.
The Grand Elder was furious when he heard this. “How could the Goddess of Time do such a thing? She is ruining a promising cultivator!”
Xu Lian said, “I don’t feel any side effects.”
The Grand Elder scolded, “Of course, you feel fine now after jumping a whole great realm. But when you reach the Nine Tribulations Realm and beyond, you’ll start to feel the side effects. You’ll gradually fall back and become an ordinary cultivator!”
Fuming, the Grand Elder paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan. “No! I must report this to the higher-ups and have them stop the Goddess of Time from harming you. We’ll take you back to the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land to live, nourish your body properly, and strengthen your foundation. The Goddess of Time will not be allowed to come near you again.”
“…” Xu Lian realized a truth: telling one lie required countless more to cover it up. “Wait! Let me explain. There’s no need to report this.”
The Grand Elder coldly said, “Don’t be stubborn. Don’t get addicted to the short-term rapid growth of your cultivation and waste your great talent. Wake up and turn back!”
Xu Lian leaned closer to the Grand Elder and gestured for the on-duty elder to come over as well.
The on-duty elder had no choice but to lean forward, curious to hear what Xu Lian had to say.
Xu Lian lowered his voice and said, “Actually, it wasn’t exactly dual cultivation. She allowed me to absorb her energy, almost like using her as a cultivation furnace. For me, there are only benefits, no harm.”
Both the Grand Elder and the Elder on duty widened their eyes, their faces turning red. If looks could kill, Xu Lian would have died on the spot.
The Grand Elder angrily said, “How could you do this? Using the Goddess of Time as a cultivation furnace will cause her cultivation to decline!”
Xu Lian replied, “She said she’s been stuck at the peak of the Sage Realm for a long time, unable to break through to the Supreme Realm. Letting her cultivation drop a bit before pushing it back up might make it easier for her to break through to the Supreme Realm.”
The Grand Elder and the Elder on duty exchanged glances, their brows furrowed. They hadn’t reached the Sage realm themselves and didn’t understand the intricacies of breaking through to the highest realm, so they didn’t know what to say.
The Grand Elder said to Xu Lian, “I still think it’s better to report this to the higher-ups. The old supreme is getting old, and no new supreme has appeared. The Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands desperately needs the Goddess of Time to remain at her peak to deter our enemies. If anything happens to her, the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands will surely be coveted by many supreme beings,”
Xu Lian grabbed the arm of the Grand Elder. “That’s exactly why we can’t report this. Let’s keep this a secret between the three of us. If too many people know, the news might leak out, and that would be even worse.
The quasi-supremes above are already somewhat hostile toward her as they vie for control of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. Who’s to say they won’t take drastic measures if they find out?
Besides, she’s already left the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. How she cultivates is her own business. If the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands tries to interfere, she might not take it well, and that could strain our relationship.
As long as we keep this secret, no one will know. After some time, her cultivation will slowly recover, and she’ll return to her peak. No one will be the wiser.”
Using his silver tongue, Xu Lian came up with several reasons and finally managed to convince the Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder glared at him. “You better control yourself. If anything happens to the Goddess of Time, you’ll be the eternal sinner of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. And even if she willingly became your cultivation furnace, it’s not completely without side effects for you. Progressing too fast can lead to an unstable foundation. Remember, there are no shortcuts in cultivation. Don’t go down that path again.”
Xu Lian had no choice but to agree. His priority was to get his hands on the cultivation resources for the Return to Truth Realm. “I will remember your teachings, Grand Elder.”
Only then did the Grand Elder go to the secret vault to retrieve the Return To Truth Realm cultivation resources.