NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40: The World Is Too Complicated
Chapter 40: The World Is Too Complicated
Xu Lian followed the Quarry patrol inspector through the forest. Naturally, the white fox deliberately slowed its pace; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up.
They crossed mountains and ridges and traveled about twenty miles before they reached a secluded valley. The white fox stopped.
“Could the Yi Sect be hidden in this remote place?”
Xu Lian was full of doubts.
The white fox raised a small paw and released a beam of white light.
With a faint humming sound, the ground trembled slightly, and a mystical gate appeared in the middle of the valley. It was crystalline and transparent, like glass.
“This is a barrier,” the white fox explained casually before stepping into the gate.
Xu Lian quickly followed.
The moment he passed through, his vision became blurred. The scenery in the valley changed completely. The trees and wild grass disappeared, replaced by an ancient pool.
The moss around the edges of the pool was as long as a woman’s hair, giving it an eerie appearance. The water of the pool was milky white, like a basin of milk.
The White Fox instructed, “Enter the pool and sit cross-legged.”
“For what purpose?”
Xu Lian was puzzled. “Is it some kind of ritual bath before joining the Yi Sect?”
The white fox glanced at him and said, “In the Yi Sect, everyone uses avatars to join. There’s no need to know each other’s true identities. The water in this pool is liquefied earth flesh. By sitting in the pool, you can condense an avatar. Understand?”
Xu Lian was stunned – the Yi Sect operates entirely through avatars?
To put it in modern terms, everyone here is using alt accounts?!
Now he finally understood the purpose of the spiritual material Earth Flesh – it was used to create avatars.
“Quarry Patrol Inspector, is your current form also an avatar condensed from Earth Flesh?” Xu Lian asked cautiously.
“Of course,” the white fox replied.
Xu Lian became curious. “Quarry Patrol Inspector… what is your real identity?”
The white fox replied, “As I said, there’s no need to know each other’s true identities.”
But you know my true identity while I don’t know yours – that’s unfair… Xu Lian grumbled silently. It felt like chatting online: he had turned on his camera while the other party was only typing back.
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the white fox nonchalantly added, “I could be your neighbor’s daughter, an elderly person in their eighties, someone from the Su, Pei, or Fang families, or even a resident of Pingyang County. It’s not out of the question that I’m a high-ranking figure in the Yin Dynasty.”
Could it be Sister Xiya… or Chan’er, Chuntao… or even Pei Zhaoxi?
Or perhaps… Wang Cuiyun?
Oh my god, could Wang Cuiyun secretly be a master in disguise?!
Xu Lian felt his world view shattering. This world was too complicated, the waters were too deep. He just wanted to go home.
The white fox continued, “I’m telling you this so that you understand: after joining the sect, trust no one except me, not even the sect master.”
Xu Lian nodded. “I’ll remember that.”
The white fox also warned, “One more thing – don’t ask others about their true identities. It’s easy to cause misunderstandings.”
Xu Lian nodded again.
The white fox gestured to the pool. “Go now. Condense your avatar.”
With no more questions, Xu Lian walked step by step into the pool and sat cross-legged.
After a moment, the milky-white water began to bubble as if it were boiling, but the temperature didn’t rise – it didn’t actually boil.
The tiny white particles in the puddle began to accumulate, gradually forming a mass. Then the mass merged into a single entity that stretched outward and took the form of a white cat. Its eyes, however, were hollow and lifeless.
“Is that white cat my avatar?”
Xu Lian felt a strange connection, as if his blood were linked to it.
The White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector said, “Drop a drop of blood onto the center of the avatar’s forehead, and you will be able to control it as you wish.”
Xu Lian bit his finger and dropped a drop of blood onto the white cat’s forehead.
Immediately, the blood sank into the Avatar.
The cat’s hollow eyes lit up with life.
“Multitasking, controlling two bodies… this… is such a strange feeling.”
Xu Lian stepped out of the pool, and the white cat followed him.
The white cat’s movements were stiff and unsteady, as if it had just learned how to walk. It still wasn’t used to multitasking.
The Quarry Patrol Inspector said, “You’ll get used to it eventually. Your main body can go back to the mine. Just leave the avatar with me.”
Reluctantly, Xu Lian left and returned to the mine, leaving the white cat behind.
“Follow me.”
The white fox turned around and walked slowly, aware that Xu Lian wasn’t fully capable of controlling the Avatar yet.
They left the valley barrier, crossed the forest, and climbed over mountains and ridges.
As Xu Lian became more adept at controlling his white cat avatar, he found it quite interesting.
First of all, there was the perspective!
From the cat’s viewpoint, everything appeared so small – if the cat didn’t look up, it could only see the uneven ground.
However, despite being so low, the cat could see things in great detail. Even the smallest speck of dust flying by was clearly visible.
Next was agility!
The cat’s body was unbelievably flexible. It could climb cliffs and walls easily, and its reflexes were fast. A mosquito suddenly flew past, and the cat effortlessly swatted it out of the air.
Finally, there was physical strength!
The Avatar, made of the spiritual material Earth Flesh, was quite strong. Its strength wasn’t any weaker than Xu Lian’s Bone Refining stage body; in fact, it was even slightly stronger.
Seeing that Xu Lian was becoming more proficient, the white fox quickened its pace.
A fox and a cat raced through the forest.
After traveling an unknown distance, perhaps forty to fifty miles, they entered a deep, ancient forest.
Xu Lian saw a desolate old temple with strange, broken statues scattered about.
The White Fox led him into the temple.
A stone door slowly opened and they entered. The path went down, indicating that they were now in a tunnel.
Inside the tunnel, every time they walked a certain distance, a green flame would light up along the way.
As they continued walking, Xu Lian suddenly found himself in a vast stone hall. In the center was an ancient nine-colored altar that looked quite eerie.
The white fox led Xu Lian’s white cat avatar to the altar.
Without a sound, the nine-colored altar glowed with purple light.
“What is it?”
An ancient voice seemed to come from nowhere, as if separated by great distances, yet it also felt as though it was ringing right in his ears.
The white fox said, “I’m bringing in a new recruit for the Yi Sect.”
The ancient voice was silent for a moment before it replied, “Approved!”
With a soft “click,” three objects suddenly appeared in front of Xu Lian’s white cat avatar: a blue jade token, a wooden token made of an unknown material, and a small bamboo scroll.
“Take these and go,” the white fox said as it turned around and walked off the altar.
Is this how I join the Yi Sect? Xu Lian felt a little confused. He tried to hold the items with his two front paws, but it was difficult to walk like this, so he had to pick them up with his mouth instead.
Following the white fox, they came out of the tunnel and left the temple.
The white fox stopped and turned to him. “I know you have a lot of questions, so let me explain. If anything is still unclear, feel free to ask.”
“The blue jade token represents your rank within the Yi Sect. The Yi Sect has nine ranks, each represented by a different color: green, blue, red, black, white, purple, silver, and gold.
Green represents the lowest rank.
Blue is for new students.
Red is for disciples who have been in the sect for three years.
Black and white represent disciples who have made significant progress.
Purple means a disciple who has mastered the sect’s techniques.
Silver represents elders.
Gold represents the sect master or the highest elders”.
A purple jade token means a disciple who has mastered the sect techniques? Xu Lian blinked in realization. He finally understood that the white fox, the Quarry Patrol Inspector, had already perfected the Yi Sect’s main cultivation method. That’s incredibly impressive.
Of course, it all depends on how difficult the Yi Sect’s cultivation methods are.
The white fox continued, “The wooden tile represents your duties, specifically the duties of your avatar, the white cat. You need to remember that your main body still has its own tasks, which are separate from the avatar.”
Xu Lian placed the three items down and grabbed the wooden token with his little paw. It had six characters carved into it: Pingyang County Inspector.
He couldn’t help but ask, “What does ‘Pingyang County Inspector’ mean?”
The white fox paused, looking a bit surprised.
He took the token and examined it. “Strange… New disciples are usually assigned to small, unimportant roles in the city. How did you get such a high position?”
You’re asking me? Xu Lian thought to himself, feeling speechless. “So, what exactly does the Pingyang County Inspector do?”
The white fox handed the token back to him. “It means that you oversee the entire Pingyang County. You’re responsible for handling any disputes or conflicts. It’s like being a troublemaker.”
Xu Lian’s white cat avatar almost stumbled.
What?!
He thought he had misheard.
He, a new disciple at the Bone Refining stage, had just joined and already been given the task of overseeing the entire Pingyang County?