A battle concluded, and Jiang Wang gained a deeper understanding of the Unhindered Smoke Armor technique.
Indeed, it was a Dao technique eminently suited for such dense profound environments.
“After applying it personally, are there any problems now?” Zuo Guangshu asked, his eyes wide with expectation.
Just as Jiang Wang was about to speak, the youth earnestly added, “If there are problems, raise them; don’t conceal anything. The Mountain Sea Realm is very important to me.”
The last sentence dispelled Jiang Wang’s playful thoughts.
He mused for a moment and, with equal seriousness, said, “The Unhindered Smoke Armor is an excellent Dao technique, but perhaps… its significance is not that great.”
Zuo Guangshu fell silent for a time.
Well, well. When praising, he was effusive; when criticizing, he directly denied the technique’s very existence.
In the end, he was not one who couldn’t bear criticism, and with a proper attitude, he asked, “Why do you say that?”
“The Unhindered Smoke Armor was specifically created for extremely dense profound environments, its application space is inherently narrow. And even in extreme profound environments, when should this technique be applied? It’s surely not something you can activate at all times?” Jiang Wang said sternly, “It must be used in a combat state, but during a brief burst of combat, under the state of Five Mansions Aligned, I can also resist the influence of a hundred times the profound environment. Why go through the extra trouble?”
Zuo Guangshu was silent for a moment, then said, “I created the Unhindered Smoke Armor Dao technique to be activated at all times… We need to ensure we are in our optimal state at all times, to be able to react at the peak of our ability at any moment. This is the significance of the Unhindered Smoke Armor. It only consumes Dao Yuan, not extra energy, and simultaneously guarantees our state.”
Speaking of this, Zuo Guangshu added, “The Mountain Sea Realm is extremely dangerous!”
Jiang Wang frowned, “Then the consumption of Dao Yuan will be a major issue. How long do those participating in the Mountain Sea Realm usually stay there? If the time is too long, the Unhindered Smoke Armor, which constantly consumes Dao Yuan, becomes a burden.”
“It could be a day or two, or it could be a month or two,” Zuo Guangshu said, “But these are not problems. We will bring sufficient Origin Stones with us.”
The word “sufficient” instantly rendered Jiang Wang speechless.
Perhaps this was the limitation of his way of thinking.
He realized he was that person gazing at a sliver of the sky.
Only thinking about how to endure the long passage of time, how to reduce Dao Yuan consumption…
After all, using Origin Stones to maintain abundant Dao Yuan was truly an extravagant act.
Considering the terrifying consumption of the Unhindered Smoke Armor in an environment with a hundred times the profound force, it would devour an Origin Stone in approximately one day. Calculated over a month, one person would consume thirty Origin Stones, and two people would consume sixty.
What concept did sixty Origin Stones represent?
Equivalent to sixty High-Grade Meridian Opening Pills, twenty exquisite Squirrel Boxes!
Even a True Man of this era like Yu Beidou, when asked to perform a task, the reward in Origin Stones was counted in the tens. And in the end, he didn’t even receive them…
When Jiang Wang left Qi for Chu, traveling such a great distance, he shamelessly approached Chongxuan Sheng to “withdraw” travel expenses, and Chongxuan Sheng only stingily produced a few Origin Stones. This was even after their Desheng Commercial Firm had developed and Chongxuan Sheng’s pockets had become full.
And now, without having seen anything yet, Zuo Guangshu was already prepared to throw sixty Origin Stones into the Mountain Sea Realm.
“Then I have no problems,” Jiang Wang said. “With sufficient Dao Yuan, the Unhindered Smoke Armor is very suitable.”
Zuo Guangshu said, “Even so, we must still try our best to adapt our physical bodies to similar environments. We must consider the possibility of excessive Origin Stone consumption or losing our storage boxes. Of course, unless one lives in such an environment for many years, no matter how much the physical body adapts, it will certainly not be as free as under the Unhindered Smoke Armor.”
“Naturally. But speaking of which…” Jiang Wang looked around, “How is the dense profound environment here created? Does the Zuo Clan also have someone who possesses the profound profound ability?”
Zuo Guangshu explained, “A part of it relies on Profound Stones, rare ores that naturally strengthen or weaken nearby profound forces. Another part relies on profound arrays produced by the Profound Profound family.”
Ores that naturally strengthen or weaken nearby profound forces…
Jiang Wang immediately thought of Suspended Empty Temple.
“Suspended Empty Stones?” he asked.
Zuo Guangshu said, “Also called Suspended Stones or Feather Stones. They are, of course, one of them, but now they are almost extinct.”
Suspended Empty Stones were actually extinct. Was that saying, “Exhausting all Suspended Empty Stones under heaven to complete the Suspended Empty Temple,” not an exaggeration after all?
Such precious stones could actually be monopolized by the Suspended Empty Temple…
Jiang Wang couldn’t help but wonder.
The past of the Suspended Empty Temple might have been even stronger than it is now.
What was the Suspended Empty Temple like during its even stronger, more glorious period, when it is still a top sect today?
“The Profound Profound family actually sells array discs to Chu?” Jiang Wang asked about another matter of concern.
“Many forces build complex profound environments to aid cultivation. Profound array discs are considered a pillar industry for the Profound Profound family,” Zuo Guangshu said with some surprise, “They have made a fortune from this. Don’t you know?”
“I haven’t paid attention to these things,” Jiang Wang shook his head, “Furthermore, since it’s said to be a pillar industry, Chongxuan Sheng probably isn’t qualified to take over this kind of business yet.”
Zuo Guangshu nodded, “That’s also true.”
The two stayed in the extremely dense profound environment for three days, then temporarily ended their adaptive training.
It wasn’t that their bodies couldn’t endure it, but rather that Jiang Wang had initially adapted.
Counting Jiang Wang’s journey thus far, the Four Spirits Body Forging Technique laid the foundation for his physical body. Later, he took the Stone Gate Grass gifted by Old Madam Li, enjoyed the Heavenly Bath at the Hot Spring Palace before the campaign at View River Platform, had the unique Five Mansions Aligned body forging of Heavenly Mansion cultivators, and also completed Starlight Tempering in the Outer Mansion Realm under extremely abundant star power…
Unconsciously, his physical body had become quite formidable. Although it might still be inferior to Chongxuan Zun, who could press Na Liang and pound him, it was already no worse than that of a typical military cultivator.
With such a level of physical body, coupled with his familiarity with profound force, he adapted to the profound environment at an extremely fast speed.
Zuo Guangshu was very pleased.
According to his original estimation, Jiang Wang would need about six to ten days to fully adapt to an environment with a hundred times the profound force. The prodigy who was invited to assist them previously took fifteen days.
Therefore, as soon as he received Jiang Wang, he rushed to Luoshan, not even holding a welcoming banquet, in a great hurry.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wang completed the adaptive training in just three days, which saved them time for their subsequent training—
Yes, in addition to training in extreme profound environments, there were many other types of training afterward.
The Mountain Sea Purgatory that the Zuo Clan imitated the Mountain Sea Realm environment and built regardless of resources was not just a few rooms that created extreme profound environments.
To be precise, an environment simply crushed by profound force could not be called “purgatory”…
Jiang Wang happily finished training in the profound environment, with no room for rest, and was pulled by Zuo Guangshu to open other crystal doors one by one—
Upon entering, skin cracked, and blood began to spurt in the Purgatory of Metal…
Giant trees entwined with branches, enemies everywhere in the Purgatory of Wood…
With ten thousand tons of pressure, a suffocating Purgatory of Water…
In addition, there were the Purgatory of Fire, Purgatory of Earth, Purgatory of Wind, Purgatory of Thunder…
Various extremely harsh environments were staged one by one in this secret base in the Luoshan Valley.
Jiang Wang could be said to have climbed the mountain of knives and descended into the oil cauldron. The legendary eighteen layers of hell were probably not much worse. Before even entering the Mountain Sea Realm, he had already suffered greatly following Zuo Guangshu.
With his tenacity, he also frowned every day and then slumped his face.
In just half a month, Jiang Wang had almost forgotten the purpose of coming to Chu. How could he be here to assist? He was clearly here to serve time!
He relied entirely on a spirit of not wanting to lose face in front of his little brother to maintain his basic dignity.
In contrast, Zuo Guangshu, who entered various extreme environments with him, was full of energy every day.
So much so that Jiang Wang even suspected whether the Mountain Sea Realm was really that difficult. Was Zuo Guangshu deliberately tormenting him? Was this retaliation?
But no matter how difficult it was in the Mountain Sea Purgatory, Zuo Guangshu was present for every training session. As an older brother, he really had no reason to avoid it.
Speaking of which, the disciples of top aristocratic families had world-class cultivation resources and various enjoyments. But they also endured no less hardship in tempering themselves.
The most important point was that they could safely endure hardship and safely temper themselves.
Take Zuo Guangshu as an example.
The resources required to build a Mountain Sea Purgatory were something Jiang Wang could not imagine.
With this Mountain Sea Purgatory, Zuo Guangshu could adapt to various difficult environments in advance at home, in a completely safe situation…
Those with humble backgrounds could naturally only adapt when they encountered them.
And all environments that were difficult for extraordinary cultivators were also environments that would truly bring life-threatening danger.
In most of life’s harsh environmental predicaments, the former only required consuming resources to adapt, while the latter could only consume one’s life.
This was the difference.
So why is it said that those aristocratic families can generally produce geniuses? Because their geniuses can definitely grow into geniuses. And those geniuses with insufficient backgrounds may not be able to wait until they shine.
Of course, at the level of peerless prodigies like Dou Zhao and Chongxuan Zun, it’s not just about having a good family background to cultivate them.
Talent, effort, aptitude, and opportunity are all indispensable.
After eighteen full days of adaptive training in the Mountain Sea Purgatory, the time to emerge finally arrived.
If he hadn’t been concerned about his dignity in front of his little brother, Jiang Wang would have almost shed tears of joy.
He was not someone who couldn’t endure hardship. What kind of predicament hadn’t he experienced along the way? But he couldn’t stand this kind of constant variety…
So much so that his reverence for Huang Weizhen diminished greatly, and he even suspected whether Huang Weizhen had some kind of perverse hobby, to create such a deliberately tormenting Mountain Sea Realm.
With a casual grab, he drew away the water droplets that had soaked his and Jiang Wang’s clothes and hair. Emerging from the Purgatory of Water, Zuo Guangshu was visibly in a better mood than when coming out of other purgatories.
Because this was a purgatory where he could genuinely gain an advantage over Jiang Wang.
His eyes were bright, and his smile was lovely: “How was it? The training effect was very good, right?”
In the end, even his clothes and hair couldn’t be protected and were soaked by the water, fully demonstrating the difficulty in that purgatory.
Jiang Wang said indifferently, “It was alright.”
As Zuo Guangshu walked out along the corridor, he casually said, “We can go to Ying City now. First, to recuperate and adjust our state. Second, my grandfather has long wanted to see you.”
Jiang Wang, as a taciturn older brother, was concise and to the point—
“Okay.”
Leaving the Mountain Sea Purgatory, leaving that huge stone door behind.
Jiang Wang felt a strong sense of relief.
He really wanted to just lie down on the ground and sleep soundly under the open sky.
But after all, he had to maintain the dignity of an older brother, so not only did he not relax, but he wore an expression of lingering satisfaction, even frequently looking back with reluctance.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” Zuo Guangshu pulled him. “We’ll come again next time we have time.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, even if we don’t have time, I won’t insist…”
On the stone tower, “Uncle Scar” watched the two of them walk away expressionlessly.
The handsome youth in a watery blue ornate robe was about half a head shorter than the dashing young man in a green robe beside him.
The former pulled the latter’s sleeve as they walked out, chatting and bickering along the way.
With a large knife scar on his face, he watched for a long, long time.
The capital of Chu was called “Ying.”
Where ancient kings resided.
Naturally, it was the number one city in the Southern Region.
Not as tall and grand as Linzi City, but a beautiful and dreamlike city—
Houses like beautiful women, colorful.
See the flying eaves and corner ridges, soaring over the green sparrows.
There are妆月彩楼, with lanterns hanging all night.
See flying dragon boats, soaring through the sea of stars.
The Mountain of the Divine Lady, looking out over the Marsh of Cloud Dreams.
The Waterfall of Drooping Gloom, embracing the Rhinoceros with Frosty Horns.
Flower carts parade on the long streets, handsome men and beautiful women dance on large drums.
There are strong men pulling at the pipa, each sound as fierce as a battle.
The fiery red Zhurong trees, hundreds of zhang high, are said to have a history longer than Chu itself.
Wizards covered in painted faces, singing the songs of Chu that have not ceased for thousands of years.
Jiang Wang was well-traveled.
Suspended Empty Temple, a three-hundred-li magnificent city, a supreme royal court that could fly…
But no city, no building, was as splendid as Ying City.
Every detail of it was a favored work of inspiration, a materialization of beauty.
It could even be said that it reconstructed Jiang Wang’s impression of beauty.
How can one describe this city with words?
How can one express even one ten-thousandth of its magnificence!
The few lines of description in the “History Knife Carves the Sea” suddenly came alive after Jiang Wang witnessed this city with his own eyes.
“Once seen, it is unforgettable!” Jiang Wang couldn’t help but praise.
Sitting in the luxurious carriage with jade thread patterns, the young Duke of Great Chu looked at him, eyes wide, unable to take it all in, a smile appearing in his eyes. Yet he said, “You haven’t seen anything more beautiful. If you come on New Year’s Eve, the Divine Lady Peak will be shrouded in mist, the Frost Horn Rhinoceros will pass through the streets, and there will be phoenixes flying in the sky!”
Jiang Wang showed the astonishment of someone who had never seen such a sight: “Real phoenixes?”
The young Duke smiled proudly: “Naturally!”
Jiang Wang could only marvel, unable to imagine.
Speaking of which, he had spent almost all of the past few New Year’s Eves on the road, and had never truly experienced the atmosphere of any city’s New Year’s Eve.
The only indelible memory… was in the rain.
Zuo Guangshu’s carriage, in Ying City, naturally moved unimpeded.
So when it was stopped, it was particularly surprising.
“What’s going on?” Zuo Guangshu’s voice, though not very mature, showed great authority at this moment.
The coachman replied from outside the curtain, “Young Duke, it’s…”
“It’s your sister!” a pleasant voice said.
“Where have you been hiding these days…”
Jiang Wang’s eyes blurred, and a tall woman squeezed into the carriage.
She was also startled when she saw Jiang Wang.
The most difficult part of this chapter to write was the one hundred forty-eight characters describing Ying City.