"Senior Zhang, why don't we just let this go?"
Yuan Wuxing asked tentatively, shrinking his neck.
"Are you afraid?"
"Who would be afraid of those beasts from the Jiang Family? Just thinking about those bones now fills my chest with rage."
Yuan Wuxing stiffened his neck, veins popping on his forehead, but then he immediately wilted.
"But if we really affect the faith in the Human Emperor, and in turn affect the fight against the Heavenly Demons, then we'll truly be sinners for all eternity."
The deaths of several hundred infants was certainly a major event, but the Human Emperor guarding the Nine Provinces was an even greater matter. If Yuan Wuxing had to choose, he would most likely choose the latter. Jiang Li chuckled, "You're overthinking it.
My Sect Master once told me that the current Human Emperor's talent is outstanding, far surpassing all previous generations. For Human Emperor Jiang, the power boost from the Power of Faith is nice to have, but it doesn't really matter if he doesn't have it." Yuan Wuxing was immediately relieved.
What Jiang Li didn't say was that he grew stronger every time he transcended a Lightning Tribulation. After he transcended his fourth tribulation, the Power of Faith had already become useless to him. One hundred and sixty years ago, he forged a Bronze Cauldron and placed it in the Human Emperor Palace.
All the faith directed at him from the Nine Provinces would no longer empower him, but would instead enter the Bronze Cauldron, to be left for the next Human Emperor to use. ...
"System."
In the dead of night, Jiang Li called out the system interface.
[Congratulations, Host, for experiencing arduous cultivation and difficult struggles to defeat Jiang Yixing. Settle rewards?]
The corner of Jiang Li's mouth twitched. He really wanted to ask the system just when this "arduous cultivation and difficult struggles" it mentioned had taken place. Suppressing the urge to retort, Jiang Li said, "Settle rewards."
A stream of pure power descended from the void and poured into Jiang Li's body.
"This power..."
Jiang Li showed a surprised expression, "...it's not even as much as I generate in a single breath. Oh, it's for the Qi Refining Stage. Never mind then."
By Jiang Li's estimation, if he could have used this power back then, he would have reached the "perfect" realm during his Foundation Establishment. This was a treatment only the core disciples of major sects received. Their foundation was much more solid than that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, and their combat power was several levels higher.
"Good stuff," Jiang Li praised, then expelled the power from his body.
What a joke. Who would refine a power of unknown origin? Next, a bamboo scroll tied with a thin red string dropped from the void.
Its name was "Dragon-Tiger Arhat Strength," a body tempering cultivation art. According to this art's introduction, as one's cultivation deepened, it would gradually change the cultivator's blood. When emotionally agitated, one would erupt with unparalleled strength.
The cultivation levels were divided according to animal strength, for example, the strength of one bull, one tiger, one elephant, one jiao-dragon, one dragon, and so on.
The standard for minor completion was having the strength of one tiger, the standard for intermediate completion was the strength of one dragon, and the standard for major completion was to fuse the powers of the dragon and tiger. Cultivating to major completion, one could wrestle with a True Dragon in a state of extreme anger. It was extremely tyrannical.
He spent two minutes reading the introduction and three minutes making some simple deductions. Jiang Li's conclusion was: a waste of his five minutes. This body tempering art was very strong.
Even a Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator would treat it like a priceless treasure upon seeing it. However, it was completely useless to Jiang Li. Currently, an art called "Jiang Li's Human Emperor Strength" was popular among the Four Seas Dragon Clan.
It was said to have been personally compiled by the Four Seas Dragon King. Cultivating it to major completion, one could wrestle with one of Human Emperor Jiang Li's hands. From what he had seen, Jiang Li had yet to see any dragon who could win against one of his hands.
As for other things like pills with Pill Cloud and Pill Fragrance, or some Mid-grade Spirit Sword, Jiang Li couldn't muster any interest at all. He specially set aside an area in his Storage Ring for the system, piling these pills, treasured swords, and body tempering arts together.
He stuck a label on them, on which was written: Useless Thing No. 2 from the Lonesome Counterattack System The previous Novice Gift Pack was naturally No. 1. [New Mission Issued: After you joined the Cloud Transformation Sect, the grandson of the Cloud Transformation Sect's Supreme Elder, Yun Bo, believed that your Five Elements Spirit Root lowered the sect's average spirit root level and made things difficult for you at every turn.
Please defeat him with overwhelming power.]
[This mission can be abandoned] [This mission's rewards: One opportunity for spiritual enlightenment, one fragment of a mysterious map, one High-grade Spirit Tool of any style (upgradeable)] This time, Jiang Li could quickly recall who Yun Bo was.
The Cloud Transformation Sect was a small sect near Green City, with a late-stage Golden Core Sect Master and five Golden Core elders. Back then, Jiang Li's Heavenly Spiritual Root had concealed itself, only displaying the worst Five Elements Spirit Root, so no sect wanted to take him in.
By observing the shopping lists of the Cloud Transformation Sect's disciples when they went down the mountain, Jiang Li deduced that the sect was short on funds. He then took the opportunity to speak with the Sect Master, analyzed the local economic situation for him, and told him methods to make money.
The Sect Master was astounded and, against all objections, put Jiang Li in charge of finances, under his own supervision. Jiang Li did not disappoint. He turned the Cloud Transformation Sect's deficit around and even acquired a few smaller sects.
After finally obtaining the Cloud Transformation Sect's core cultivation art and guidance from the Supreme Elder, Jiang Li once again set off to travel through Great Zhou. During this period, Yun Bo formed cliques to bully new disciples. Jiang Li discussed it with the Supreme Elder, and they had the elder feign his death.
The people following Yun Bo scattered like birds and beasts. After experiencing the coldness of the world, Yun Bo finally understood that cultivation was the most important thing. He then mended his ways and cultivated diligently.
"When I returned to the Cloud Transformation Sect three hundred years ago, Yun Bo had already cultivated to the Nascent Soul Stage. With the few Longevity Pills I gave him, he should have no problem living until now."
Jiang Li felt he shouldn't abandon this mission just yet. That fragment of a mysterious map attracted him.
[New Function Unlocked: Shop] Jiang Li was delighted.
Finally, an interesting function. He called out the shop, and a light screen like a computer monitor appeared in his mind. On the screen, products were neatly arranged in great numbers.
When his consciousness focused on a product, a description of it would appear on the light screen. However, Jiang Li quickly became a little disappointed. The products displayed on the light screen were all things that existed in their world.
There were no cell phones, computers, nuclear bombs, or satellites from his previous life, nor were there any special products from the Immortal Realm. Cell phones or not didn't matter, he mainly wanted to see what it felt like to withstand a nuclear bomb with his physical body.
"System, are there no products from other worlds?"
[Please have the Host travel to other worlds first] Jiang Li pouted.
Another useless function. If he could go to other places, what would he need this system for?
"System, help me sort the items by the number of Source Points required, from highest to lowest."
The number of items on the light screen quickly changed. At the very top were the cultivation arts of their Human Emperor Palace, followed by the Dao Sect's Sect-Guarding Treasure, the Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal. After that were the ultimate treasures of other sects and imperial cities, things like Tribulation Transcendence Stage puppets, Immortal's Manuscripts, and the like.
These things were good, but Jiang Li had either used them before or had no use for them. For example, when fighting the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, the Dao Sect had lent the Taiji Heavenly Seal to Jiang Li.
Jiang Li used the seal to strike a few times, but later found that his own weapons were more comfortable to use, so he returned the Heavenly Seal to the Dao Sect. Tribulation Transcendence Stage puppets were even more useless to Jiang Li.
He was a dignified Mahayana Stage expert, what use would he have for a Tribulation Transcendence Stage puppet? And as for the Immortal's Manuscript, he had already read it in exchange for sharing his cultivation experience. Moreover, Jiang Li suspected that these things didn't appear out of thin air, but were stolen from the sects.
(End of this chapter)