The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 37: A Strange Encounter

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: A Strange Encounter

More than a hundred people swaggered up to confront Mo Xingtian, who was busy causing destruction everywhere. Just as one of them was about to throw out some harsh words—whoosh!

A thick wooden beam, wielded like a javelin by Xingtian, instantly skewered one of them into oblivion.

The Jie Sect Immortals present immediately had their eyes turn blood-red. Dropping all pretense, they whipped out their magical treasures and hurled them like madmen at Xingtian.

Treasure beads, flying knives, fire, water, lightning—all sorts of attacks crashed onto Xingtian’s body. A dazzling flash of mana illuminated the scene, but Xingtian stood there completely unscathed.

Though their magical treasures hadn’t caused any real damage, it did succeed in enraging Xingtian. Axe in one hand, he rushed forward, forcing his way through the ranks—one strike, one man down.

"Daoist Li Sen!"

"Brother Wang Lin!"

"Zhu..."

"Form a formation! Quickly—form a formation!"

The Jie Sect Immortals weren’t completely helpless. Drawing on their resources, they managed to cobble together a severely weakened version of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, which miraculously managed to trap the enraged Xingtian.

Xingtian hammered at the formation relentlessly, as if he had an infinite wellspring of strength. The terrifying force was evenly distributed among the hundred-odd Immortals, leaving each one coughing up blood.

Yet, for the time being, the scene was stable—though no one knew how long they could hold out.

Meanwhile, Nezha was still refining materials. The divine fire in the Qiankun Cauldron blazed fiercely, steadily purifying the minerals that Shi Ji had prepared and the bones salvaged from demon beasts. Everything was being refined to a level capable of withstanding the corrosion of chaotic spiritual energy. As for the gaping hole at the bottom, only the Five-Colored Stone would suffice.

Unfortunately, Nezha’s current cultivation wasn’t advanced enough to produce such high-grade materials.

With all preparations complete, three dust-covered figures set to work.

First, they embedded the refined demon beast bones around the edges of the Five-Colored Stone, carefully piecing it together like a puzzle until the opening was sealed shut. Then came layers of reeds ashes and Divine Stone refined by Nezha. It took them over three years to complete the task.

Nezha circled around and inspected the finished product thoroughly, confirming that there were no mistakes before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

As heavenly merit descended, Nezha took sixty percent, Shi Ji received twenty percent, Nuwa got ten percent, and Taibai another ten percent.

Taisu Heavenly Lady, Nuwa, didn’t even spare a glance at the merit floating her way—she had more than enough of it already.

Nezha casually infused his share of merit into his Bright Silver Spear.

Shi Ji and Taibai were thrilled.

Despite Taibai’s resemblance to a mud monkey during this ordeal, his earnings were substantial. The merit alone was equal to thousands of years’ worth of Heavenly Court wages, not to mention some extra profit. At this point, everything about Nezha seemed highly agreeable to him.

"Brother Nezha! I’m heading back to the Heavenly Court to report—but come find me when you’re free. I promise to give you a warm welcome!"

With that, Taibai rode off on his cloud.

Shi Ji, however, seemed awkward and unsure of himself. He felt guilty for gaining so much while hardly lifting a finger. On the other hand, the benefits he received were just too enticing to give back, leaving him somewhat conflicted.

Seeing Shi Ji’s hesitation, Nezha extended a hand and motioned for him to come closer. Puzzled, Shi Ji approached—only to be struck without warning.

Hiss!

Slap!

Nezha tilted his head upward with a casual gesture, as if saying, "You’re good to go now."

Shi Ji rubbed his sore rear indignantly—how could someone behave like this? Three steps away, he kept looking back reluctantly, before finally riding his cloud away in embarrassment.

Sending off the other two, Nezha finally allowed himself to relax. Glancing around, he confirmed that he was still in the underworld. Since he was already here, why not take a stroll?

He wandered aimlessly for a while, noting how barren and neglected the underworld appeared—devoid of construction or anything remotely interesting. It wasn’t until Nezha suddenly felt his spine grow inexplicably warm that his curiosity was piqued.

Could it be—still in this era, hidden treasures that have yet to surface?

With a thought, a snow-white lotus whisker, glimmering with golden threads, appeared spinning in his right hand, pointing Nezha in a certain direction.

Following its guidance, Nezha flew for an unknown interval until arriving at a crystal-clear pool that seemed bottomless, despite its transparency.

Watching the impatient movements of the lotus whisker, Nezha reached a hand toward the lake. The snow-white strand coiled around his hand like a miniature dragon before plunging headfirst into the depths.

After about three hours had passed, the previously tranquil waters began to ripple. A snow-white nine-petal lotus, cradling three jade-like lotus seeds, was successfully retrieved by Nezha’s lotus whisker.

"Huh!"

Nezha: "???"

"Master?"

At Nuwa Palace, Nuwa puffed out her cheeks regretfully. "Careless, truly careless."

"These are three lotus seeds and a lotus offshoot of the Pure World White Lotus. I once fished for the Pure World White Lotus long ago, but alas—it was not meant for me. I only managed to retrieve a single seed, which I crafted into the Treasure Lotus Lamp."

"Then, Master, should I refine these lotus seeds into treasures too?"

Nuwa stroked her chin thoughtfully. "It’s not strictly necessary. Treasure power is so-so anyway."

"What if we eat them? Master, have you ever eaten one of these?"

"Never."

Nuwa was momentarily thrown off by Nezha’s peculiar train of thought. Which Immortal would willingly consume such rare treasures? Surely eating them would never even cross their minds!

Nezha, however, reasoned that planting one seed in Taihuangtian would suffice. One for himself and one for his master to taste—a filial gesture for the kind treatment he had received from her.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Nuwa finally agreed. "Alright, then."

With that, she extended a slender hand toward Nezha. Without a second thought, Nezha placed a lotus seed in her palm.

Stashing away the lotus and lotus seeds, Nezha then ate one himself, biting it without hesitation. It was tasteless—felt like a glass marble.

Immediately, overwhelming mana surged through Nezha, his body seeming to be scorched by the Great Sun. He instinctively sat down to refine the power coursing through him.

Nuwa glanced at Nezha and then at the lotus seed in her hand. Tilting her head, she pondered aloud, "Why didn’t I think of eating it before? Instead, I refined it into a relatively useless treasure."

With a light finger stroke, she peeled back the layers of the lotus seed, ate the pulp, and concluded: "Hmm, it tastes... like lotus seed."

For Nezha, the immense spiritual power within the seed was potent, though for Nuwa, a Saint, it was but a drop in her vast ocean of divine power.

Seeing Nezha deep in concentration, Nuwa couldn’t help but reflect on herself. Perhaps she’d relaxed too much lately. With a shift in focus, she suddenly said to Lishan Old Mother, "Old Mother, you’ve gotten too lazy. Start cultivating immediately!"

Lishan Old Mother, who had just finished a long cultivation session and was taking a sip of tea, scowled darkly. Of all people—here’s Nuwa, obsessively monitoring Nezha under the pretense that her disciple’s cultivation is weak and requires protection, but in reality just watching for kicks. And now she’s reprimanding me?

Nezha spent three full months refining the lotus seed, skipping several centuries’ worth of hard work for mana accumulation in the process. And that was merely an auxiliary benefit.

His Eight-Nine Profound Skills shot up fifteen levels, reaching a total of sixty. His physique underwent a purification process, elevating his root bone and innate talent further. Additionally, he gained a passive ability: the Pure Body.

Adjusting to the changes in his body, Nezha entered Taihuangtian, opening up a barren area to establish a Lotus Pond. Planting the seeds from the Nine-petal White Lotus along with the unused seed, he carefully cultivated the area while partially refining the white lotus itself.

Though Nezha wasn’t particularly fond of the lotus’s aesthetic, its incredible capabilities made it a formidable magical treasure.

By the time Nezha had finished processing all his gains, a significant stretch of time had passed.