The Prodigies War

In the following time, Lin Xun and Jintian Xuanyue didn’t rush their journey.

They were traveling slowly either through the vast mountains and rivers or amongst the cities.

Their minds were relaxed like they were taking a vacation.

The Primordial Chaos World was beyond vast with each state having its own features. They existed in all styles and forms, even the ones that people might find quite odd.

An instance was Spirit State that the two visited on their way. It was several times larger than Qing State, and most of the cultivators here were ‘spirit cultivators.’

They were famous for tempering their spirits and utilizing the power of their soul essence.

Spirit State was also known for being the closest to the definition of the underworld as all of its cities presented a ghostly vibe.

In the eyes of mortals, this place was indeed creepy. The treasures as well as the techniques used by its cultivators all came with phenomena that involved demons and ghosts.

It was only after arriving at Spirit State did Lin Xun learn there was a forbidden zone here called Yama’s Underworld. There, even Emperor experts would have to face imminent death at any time.

Rumor had it that the core inheritance of Yellow Spring Sect, the number one sect of Spirit State, had been obtained from Yama’s Underworld many eons ago.

Regardless of the credibility of this rumor, Yama’s Underworld was indeed an extremely famous land shrouded in mysteries. It was considered one of the Eight Forbidden Zones of the Primordial Chaos World.

When Lin Xun and Jintian Xuanyue stopped by Star State, it was an entirely different scene.

This state had many ravines. Even some of its cities were built into them.

It was rumored that a long time ago, two heavenly experts had engaged in an intense battle here, cutting down the stars with every wave of their hand!

Those stars smashed into the earth and created those huge ravines.

Interestingly, the fallen meteorites contained all kinds of strange but miraculous materials and ores. This attracted many cultivators from outside to come and explore Star State over these countless years.

For this reason, it was also known as the ‘Mining State’ that was rich in various kinds of divine resources. As a result, it produced a large number of outstanding grandmaster blacksmiths.

……

All in all, whether it was Qing State, Spirit State, Star State, or any other state, they all seemed to cover an infinite area and have their unique style and cultivation civilization.

The journey had been an eye-opening experience for both Lin Xun and Jintian Xuanyue as they continuously enriched their knowledge of the Great Primordial Chaos World.

On the way, they spent a great deal of money on all sorts of bizarre specialties.

One of those was the Ghost Consonance Puppets abundant in Spirit State that were created by refining the soul essence of Qingfu Insects. When two cultivators each carried one of these puppets and activated it with a secret method, they would be able to sense each other’s presence no matter how far apart they were.

Another specialty was the Mirage Soul Bead. After burying this bead in any place of choice, one could leave and would still be able to see the record of everything happening in the area no matter where they went.

It was like a ‘mirage’ that could be accessed at any time.

There were also the Jade Spirits that were sold everywhere in Star State. They were actually snow-white spirits of only three inches in height, who had a pair of hammer-shaped arms. These tiny creatures could identify all types of jade around the world.

Aside from the ones listed above, there were many other unusual gadgets.

Such as Fire Spirits who could help blacksmiths control the temperature of their fire, or Nanliang Jade Pillows that could create a variety of beautiful dreams for cultivators to immerse themselves in…

There were just too many of those to count.

Cultivation was not only about fighting and meditating. It had also spun off an array of civilizations and products that took care of various aspects of the cultivation life.

This in turn added colors to the cultivation world, making it brilliant.

However, these little gadgets were extremely expensive. Buying them along the way had caused dao crystals to run out from Lin Xun’s pocket like water.

For example, a pair of high-quality Ghost Resonance Puppets cost around a hundred thousand dao crystals. Meanwhile, the price of a Nanliang Jade Pillow was even more outrageous at around 1.9 million dao crystals, not to mention how difficult it was to find them on the market.

……

Two months sped by as Lin Xun and Jintian Xuanyue proceeded with leisure.

Today, they arrived at Snow State and decided to stop at a city called Thousand Streams.

Snow State, as the name suggested, was a world covered in ice and snow all year round, and that included all the rivers and mountains.

Thousand Streams had been built with a single material, Mythic Ice, making the city crystalline and magnificent.

“Young Master, these are all the documents and records about Snow State available on the market,” reported Jintian Xuanyue after she returned to the inn where they were staying with a big pile of jade slips.

Lin Xun picked the slips up and read them one by one.

Every time he arrived at a place, he would collect records on its history, civilization, geography, and other knowledge, and study them.

Every book read was a mile traveled.

Without the knowledge, one might visit famous monuments and still wouldn’t know a thing about their history as well as the significance attached to them.

In that case, no matter how many places one walked, it would be no different from having a quick glance at the flowers while running past them on horseback. Such superficial trips wouldn’t do anything to add to their experience at all.

The Primordial Chaos World was the number one great world on the Ancient Nebula Road that was also regarded as the birthplace of all daos. Acquiring as much knowledge on it as possible was bound to give inestimable benefits to Lin Xun’s cultivation for a long time to come.

It was a similar case for the so-called cultivation.

Reflecting on the world and what it held allowed one to truly understand oneself!

Only by identifying everything and comprehending their wondrous great dao therein, and observing all living beings and fathoming the ups and downs of life, could one ascertain their role in this world and progress on the path of great dao!

Those like Lin Xun who had gotten so far on their cultivation needed more than just hard work to break through to the next stage. What was even more important to them was elevation in the mindset!

To cultivate, seclude oneself. To temper and train, go out to experience the world.

The only true purpose of all this was to advance on one’s dao path.

While Lin Xun flipped through the records on Snow State, Jintian Xuanyue, who had gotten used to being around him, didn’t idle around. She picked up the teapot and began to make tea using a handful of freshly collected Snow Dew.

A while later.

The refreshing and ethereal aroma of aeth tea permeated the air. Lin Xun stretched his limbs and accepted the cup she offered.

After taking a sip, he sighed, “I have to say, this period is the most quiet and relaxing time I’ve ever had.”

Jintian Xuanyue smiled slightly. Despite still wearing the Spiritual Form of All Beings, her typically pretty face exuded a different kind of charm.

She was also feeling emotional. When she had boarded Whirlwind Ship, she had never imagined a future when she would be touring the Great Primordial Chaos World as a companion of Lin Xun.

During this time, she had almost forgotten about all worries and everything else to travel in peace. Like a mere passer-by, she had been calmly watching worldly affairs, enjoying the charms of various places, and observing the many ways of life.

After finishing the tea, Lin Xun leisurely got up and headed out. “Let’s go.”

Jintian Xuanyue nodded and caught up with him. As she did, her heart suddenly trembled.

For a split second, she saw a marvelous transformation in Lin Xun’s figure. He was strolling, but she felt as though he was blending in with heaven and earth and harmonizing with nature!

He was right there in front of her but could not be captured by her spirit sense in any way. His presence was just like that of the great dao: invisible, impenetrable, but omnipresent!

The ground outside the inn was paved with Mythic Ice, so smooth and clear it could be used as a mirror. The streets were filled with pedestrians and drifting feather-like snowflakes.

Lin Xun walked along the street with his hands on his back like the most ordinary and inconspicuous man.

It was as if he had completely fitted into this place and its residents. Although ordinary, he was like the invisible great dao standing right there.

Jintian Xuanyue found herself asking, “You broke through, Young Master?”

“Mhm,” Lin Xun casually confirmed her doubt. His black eyes were profound as he walked in the wind and snow, his heart idyllically quiet.

What he had seen, felt, and learned during the past two months of their voyage had all transformed into a kind of breakthrough power, allowing his cultivation to smoothly climb into the intermediate Supreme Saint-King Stage!

From start to end, he had never forced it. The breakthrough had come naturally.

It was like how water overflowed from a full cup.

He was walking with a casual posture, but in fact, the spirit, qi, and strength inside him were all undergoing astonishing changes.

It was just that neither Jintian Xuanyue nor the pedestrians around were able to peek into this magnificent spectacle of cultivation breakthrough.

Even so, it still shocked Jintian Xuanyue immensely.

She had witnessed numerous cultivation breakthroughs and read many descriptions on them since the start of her cultivation.

However, this was the only time she had ever seen one occurring so naturally and soundlessly!

For something so significant to happen so casually, it was just like an invisible elephant. Those who got to know of its existence, in turn, would feel an indescribable impact on their mental state.

In this moment, Jintian Xuanyue was so moved by it that she also came to some realizations. As she looked back on the recent journey, all sorts of thoughts surfaced in her mind.

In the end, she gazed at Lin Xun’s distant back and laughed silently in the middle of this bustling, snow-filled street.

She had a vague epiphany, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it yet.

However, she knew that...she was close to breaking through as well…

Upon walking out of the city, Lin Xun suddenly paused and said, “Since I’ve broken through, there is no need to roam around anymore. Let’s head to Cloud State right away.”

Jintian Xuanyue naturally had no objection.

Not far outside the city, there was an ancient teleportation array that led right into Cloud State.

Quite a number of cultivators were paying to use it.

Lin Xun and Jintian Xuanyue, after paying a considerable amount of dao crystals, were about to enter the array.

Suddenly, Lin Xun had a feeling that propelled him to turn his head and look in the direction of the city gate.

In front of the gate, there stood an old man and a young man. The old man, who looked frail and had gray hair and beard, was waving a feather fan.

The young man was clad in black, had black hair and black eyes. He looked comely, but his lips were slightly pursed in a cold and unsociable arc.

Noticing Lin Xun’s gaze, the old man seemed a little taken aback before nodding at him with a smile. With a voice warm and mellow like a spring breeze, he said, “Congratulations on your breakthrough, little friend.”