Lord Shenxiu
Chapter 257: Contemplation (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Contemplation (Please Subscribe)

Looking at the Heavenly Show System, Zhong Shenxiu couldn’t help but recall the Blood Moon Night, the Headless Earl, and that... indescribable ancient god—Myriad Doors!

"Even with concealed awareness techniques and the Heavenly Show System as a shield... as a mortal to make contact with an ancient god still caused profound effects, but I don’t regret it. Without doing so, I would have died long ago..."

"Self-pity and self-blame are useless. All that’s left is to think about how to remedy the situation..."

In the end, Zhong Shenxiu took one last look at the vast misty scenery of Daze City, raised his hand, and sent out a streak of Sword Qi, then left without turning back, soaring away on his sword.

Moments later, he rode the light of teleportation and arrived in a wilderness.

It was once again the season where spring gave way to summer, with flowers blooming brilliantly across the hills, a riot of purples and reds flashing past under his gaze.

Zhong Shenxiu chose a patch of green rocks to land and sat down cross-legged in meditation.

Around him were several scattered clusters of flowers, emitting a faint fragrance.

While absorbing and exhaling qi, he silently pondered all that he had learned in life, and ultimately he sighed, "Could it be... that I also need to take the path of the Outer Elixir Method?"

Zhang Taiyi had originally sought to form an elixir through the heterodox path and had committed countless evils for it, ultimately reaping a full harvest of bad karma.

"All else aside, I was an onlooker throughout his Core Formation process from start to finish. That inexplicable failure at the end just goes to show there were major flaws in his Outer Elixir Method."

That was why this method remained in Zhang Taiyi’s memories while Zhong Shenxiu had merely glanced over it once and disdained it.

But now, a somewhat desperate Zhong Shenxiu found he had to pick up this dropped Outer Elixir Method.

"My foundation is impure, and my body incapable of pursuing cultivation... but the Outer Elixir Method is different, forming the core outside the body, instilling the Divine Skills inversely into the Primordial Pill. Thus, the materials that constitute the Primordial Pill are where my foundation lies; the foundations of this body don’t actually count for much..."

"To refine an Outer Elixir, the best materials would be a Demon Core of the same level, a Spirit Pill, or even the Primordial Pill of a Primordial Pill Old Monster..."

"In that regard, even Zhang Taiyi didn’t dare to entertain the thought, only able to search for a large number of precious materials, concocting an elixir embryo with the Gang Sha Qi to suffice."

"As for me... I can’t defeat any Primordial Pill Old Monsters either, but if the final defect of the Outer Elixir Method is due to a problem with the Cultivation Technique, then I could use Heavenly Show Points to fix it, after all, fixing an existing technique consumes less than deriving a brand new one from scratch..."

"Another advantage is that swallowing an Outer Elixir is akin to having the power of a Primordial Pill Old Monster, and even if I can’t progress directly along the paths of the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect’s techniques, it’s still hugely informative for deducing the Outer Dao Primordial Spirit Method, Outer Dao Dharma Body... in the end, perhaps it would be necessary to verify an alternative path to immortality? Maybe... after forming the Outer Elixir, I won’t even need significant changes to my technique?"

Zhang Taiyi’s Outer Elixir Method was basically still based on the inheritance of the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect, an alternative approach using the "Taiyi Dragon Tiger Control True Seal Divine Method."

After the success of the Outer Elixir, it might still be possible to cultivate according to this classic text with very little modification needed.

Zhong Shenxiu continuously calculated and then thought of Master Ming Xue’s anomaly in the end: "Ultimately, this move may allow me to escape the madness of the Primordial Pill Old Monsters and other drawbacks..."

Otherwise, even if I were to forcefully break through using the Heavenly Show System, there would be no direction to follow.

"Of course... I could also continue to wait and see if the Myriad Doors might lead to truly powerful Cultivation Worlds, where I could gain other inheritances."

"If so, there’s no need to hang myself on this one tree."

Compared to walking the standard path, this road is inevitably harder.

The Heavenly Show Points it consumes and the risks involved are much greater, and the gains may not be as bountiful.

But Zhong Shenxiu had no other choice.

This reminded him of his past life when, many times, the choices our parents and elders made for us seemed callous, but in reality, they might have been the safest paths.

Taking other paths might have led to greater success, but there was also the possibility of facing the abyss of failure!

"Unfortunately... I have no choice, and the hope of acquiring the Primordial Pill Technique in the next world is too slim, I have to... prepare for the Outer Elixir Method."

Memorizing the spell for cultivating the Outer Elixir Method was something Zhong Shenxiu, as a Divine Power Practitioner, mastered long ago.

What really concerned him was the issue of containing the outer elixir.

This, like a cultivator’s foundations determining the success of Core Formation, greatly influenced the power and potential of the outer elixir based on its material quality.

’Where am I supposed to dig up a Primordial Pill Old Monster’s primordial pill?’

According to Zhang Taiyi’s records, the inner core of a Primordial Pill Demon Cultivator could also serve as a substitute.

Primordial pills are connected to one’s fruit of achievement and carry a profound and mysterious blessing; unless it’s a treasure of the same level, such as a Creation Spirit Pearl, it’s hard to replace.

If none of these can be found, one would have to pile up a massive amount of magical materials.

Zhong Shenxiu guessed that Zhang Taiyi’s eventual failure had a lot to do with this.

How could a common magical material with no intrinsic status be used to refine an outer elixir that requires such stature?

"Sigh... Primordial pill, primordial pill! This rank is probably equivalent to the fifth rank of the West, legendary... The former Headless Earl was of this rank, who could establish an Earl’s Country in the wake of the fall of the Yan Han First Empire."

"This shows that no matter East or West, it’s not so easy to achieve, but if one has the chance, switching cultivation methods is not impossible."

Zhong Shenxiu held no obsession over becoming immortal.

As long as he could live a life of immortality and ease, he was not averse to taking the Western path of cultivation.

Of course, a cultivator on the Western path would undoubtedly have a difficult time in the Second Yan Han Empire.

As he was contemplating, his brow furrowed, and he cast a spell.

A circle of divine light enveloped his body, gradually fading him from view.

Just as he completed this, several streaks of light flashed across the sky and disappeared.

Those were the flying lights of Divine Power Practitioners!

"Eh? It’s actually her! What’s she doing in this desolate place?"

Zhong Shenxiu recognized the middle-aged woman leading with a streak of flying light as ’Han Shanggong,’ whom he had met once before. His thoughts stirred, and with a touch to his face, he transformed into the appearance of Young Master Shen Xiu, his clothing changing accordingly, and he stealthily followed.

...

Han Shanggong maneuvered her flying light, her forehead drenched with cold sweat, her body trembling uncontrollably, clearly suffering from some injury. This caused her flying light to dim, gradually allowing the two blood-red lights pursuing her to catch up.

Suddenly, one of the blood lights shot out a large skull that belched poisonous smoke.

Wherever it passed, the grass and trees withered, and the invisible poison caught up with the tail of the flying light. Han Shanggong’s flying light grew even dimmer, falling to the ground, revealing her and the figure of Lord Qingyuan.

"Blood River Double Killers, you’ve got quite the nerve, daring to commit violence just outside of Daze City in Jade State!"

Han Shanggong, disheveled, looked up at the two Blood-clothed Cultivators in the sky, her tone icy cold: "Aren’t you afraid of being captured by the imperial court and having your Divine Souls extracted for the sky lantern?"

The leader of the Blood River Double Killers, grinning ferociously and utterly repulsive in appearance, sneered: "We are devils from the Blood Sea Sect and already on the wanted list; what’s there to fear? Besides, this time, someone has offered a high price for the girl you’re protecting!"