Chapter 0242: The Power of Hope
Yan Yueshuang seeing Yan Yue standing up with an unhappy expression, hastily pressed down his hand and spoke up, “It is all for the benefit of the Yan Clan, we should not create a petty dispute amongst us on such an issue. Elder Huan’s thoughts are only for the betterment of the Yan Clan, and I believe Yan Yue also thinks of the Yan Clan. As I see it, Yan Ji seems to be caught up in a difficult to explain situation, and for her to naturally sober up will take a long time. Since Yan Ji has had her entire body scoured by the True Spirit Nectar Wash, she will now become the focus of training of the entire Yan Clan.”
“However Elder Huan’s proposal is also good, if we can catch Ning Cheng, with that much True Spirit Nectar Wash on him, it will not provide the Yan Clan with just a tiny bit of help. Besides if we help the Blue Cloud Academy catch Ning Cheng, then with this act we would come to not only be at even better terms with the Blue Cloud Academy, but at the same time use this opportunity to befriend the Gui Yuan City.”
Yan Youhuan and Yan Yue were both elites of the Yan Clan, as such, the Clan Head Yan Yueshuang could only hastily make out a few promises in order to appease both sides and bring the discussion to a conclusion.
……
This was already the ninth month since Ning Cheng had escaped into the Yi Xing Ocean, although Gui Yuan City carried out sweeps with monstrous anger in order to catch Ning Cheng, but eventually all they could do was to swallow up their anger and return back to Gui Yuan City. During these nine months, they could not even find the slightest whiff of him. If Ning Cheng was not already eaten by a monstrous beast, then the only possible outcome was that he really had successfully fled into the depths of the Yi Xing Ocean.
Although even if Ning Cheng successfully fled to the depths of the Yi Xing Ocean, in their opinion it would only end up in a dead end. But because Gui Zong could not personally catch Ning Cheng, it caused his heart to be very uncomfortable at all times.
After a long time Ning Cheng finally opened his eyes once again, as he looked at the ashes of more than two million Spirit Stones that he had completely absorbed in one go. Nine months had already passed by, but his cultivation did not increase by even half a point, but the True Essence in his Core Lake was now much thicker than compared to before.
To this, Ning Cheng could only sigh helplessly, especially because as he continuously absorbed the Spiritual Qi for his cultivation practice, his Core Lake was growing increasingly large in direct proportion. This made it extremely difficult for him to advance. Fortunately, as his Core Lake grew larger, it was able to accommodate more and more True Essence. Although he did not advance, but his strength had grown increasingly formidable with it.
Ning Cheng swept out with his Spiritual Consciousness, and found that although the water on the outside was still in constant movement, but it was not as rapid as before.
Should he continue with his cultivation practice, or should he go out and have a look?
Ning Cheng had just thought of this idea, when he found that the fish had suddenly stopped, even though Ning Cheng was still inside the ring, with his Spiritual Consciousness he could perceive that the fish was actually trembling in fear.
Not much time passed, when Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness detected a strong flow of water brush past his Spiritual Consciousness. The aura contained within this water flow immediately let Ning Cheng understand that this aura definitely belonged to a terrifying advanced level monstrous beast.
Whether to get out or not, Ning Cheng closed his eyes once again, but this time in distress. He was more than sure that the fish that he was in was not a powerful monstrous beast; it was just that it had a relatively larger volume compared to other fishes. The advanced level sea beasts living deep underwater might not show any interest in this fish, but it would not mean that it would not eat him.
This fish was just an ordinary fish, as such sea beasts not eating them would be considered normal. But he was a cultivator; a sea beast would definitely be interested in taking a bite off him. Unfortunately, Gui Yuhai’s ring did not contain any flying type magical weapons. If there was a flying type magical weapon, he could sit on the flight type magical weapon and give a shot at flying at a high altitude.
For a cultivator like Gui Yuhai, if he did possess such a magical weapon, then it was absolutely impossible for someone like him to possess something similar to a lower level flight type magical artefact.
No, this Gui Yuhai was the premiere genius of the Gui Yuan City. How could he not possess a flight type magical weapon? Did he miss something? Not to mention about Gui Yuhai, if it was him in his place he would have at least a flight type Spiritual Artefact. There has to be one.
Ning Cheng once again took out all the things he obtained from Gui Yuhai and checked them one by one thoroughly. He found several copies of Escape Talismans, and each one of them was not worse than the one given to him by Kong Pengpeng, but even so, he could not find a single flight type magical weapon.
Thinking for a long time, Ning Cheng once again unwillingly picked up the True Brahma Sword, which not only was a Quasi-True Artefact, but also a Buddhist magical weapon. But because he was not compatible with Buddhist Magical Weapons, as such he had only refined it by a half, and did not continue with the refinement.
No matter what, whether or not this sword was a flight type magical weapon, he could only find it out when he completely refined it.
After another full day flew past, Ning Cheng finally finished completely refining the large True Brahma Sword. Only at this moment did he finally understood why had he not found any flight type magical weapons in Gui Yuhai’s ring. That was because the True Brahma Sword in his hands was originally a flight type magical weapon.
Even Ning Cheng had not thought that the True Brahma Sword in his hands was not only a flight type magical weapon, but at the same time, it was also an actual low grade True Artefact. Before this, he had assumed that this True Brahma Sword was just a Quasi-True Artefact, and this was because he had not completely refined this sword. Now that he had completely refined this sword, he found that this sword was actually a low grade True Artefact.
Ning Cheng, whether for good or for evil, had not lived in the Yi Xing Mainland for a day or two. He was well aware that owning and controlling a low grade True Artefact in the Yi Xing Mainland was not a simple thing. One had to have an extremely powerful and stable mind, or at the very least be a Soul Essence Cultivator in order to use it. He could not imagine how Gui Yuhai with his few skills, was actually able to wield the low grade True Artefact.
The True Brahma Sword in his hand was a two in one Buddhist Magical Weapon. When used as a flight type magical weapon, it had another name, True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel. But this True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel not just needed one’s True Essence and Spiritual Consciousness to drive it, but also needed something called as the ‘Power of Hope’.
Ning Cheng had never heard of what was called as the “Power of Hope”, not to mention about any talk regarding using this ‘Power of Hope’ to control the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel.
The heritages of the great sects and clans was really not something a rogue cultivator like him can be compared to, as such even if this kind of thing was gifted to him, he would not be able to use it because of the lack of knowledge.
Ning Cheng tried to use his True Essence and Spiritual Consciousness to control the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel, and even after trying to stimulate it for half a day, he was only able to produce a few huge flickering shadows, as such wanting to use this True Brahma Sword to fly was something he could not even think about for the time being.
After unsuccessfully trying continuously for a few days, Ning Cheng could only helplessly put away the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel to one side. Although he knew that if he were able to control this flight type magical weapon to fly, then its speed would absolutely be top class, it was a pity that he really did not have this kind of an ability.
Once again going over the things he obtained from Gui Yuhai, and finding nothing else that was good, Ning Cheng ended up being quite disappointed in his heart.
Continue to stay inside the maw of the fish; up to what time would he be able to do that? If he had tens of millions or even several billion Spirit Stones, it would only be equivalent to throwing them down the drain. During this period, even though he had a few million Spirit Stones, it would not be enough for his cultivation to even last a year. What would happen after one year? Or even two years later?
Ning Cheng scratched his head, he was well aware that he would not be able to sit inside here doing nothing. He could use this time to study Alchemy or continue refining Talismans, right? Even so, he might just go insane. The only one accompanying him was Grey Toottoot and was someone who could not speak, so how was it any different to being confined to a place in complete isolation aah?
Even if Ning Cheng was not interested in continuing with Alchemy, but as to continuing with refining Talismans, it was something that he had to do. As two more months passed by, Ning Cheng helplessly put down his hands; he finally was not able to endure it anymore today.
Taking out his Five Elemental Treasure Fall Copper Coin, he used another dozen days to refine it, and was finally able to grind down the restrictions on it to the eighth layer, before finally finding that he could no longer continue with refining it.
He then took out a mirror, it was one of the things left behind by that Han Xian, as Ning Cheng looked at it with concentration and he could not discover anything that made this mirror different from any other ordinary objects. As for the bead inside the mirror, it had disappeared when he had thrown it into the Mysterious Yellow Bead.
Putting down the mirror, Ning Cheng then grabbed the Imperial Jade Seal, if not for being bored, he would have forgotten about the Imperial Jade Seal. The Imperial Seal that seemed to be made out of jade was something he had obtained from the desert.
The Imperial Jade Seal had a touch of light golden color to it, and was not only incomparably exquisite, it was also extremely heavy, and at the same time incomparably hard yet extremely flexible. There was a bird carved above the Imperial Jade Seal, and even now, Ning Cheng was not able to figure out what monstrous beast was this bird. At the bottom of the Imperial Jade Seal, there were also the words ‘Lan Yi Country’ engraved. Ning Cheng, when he was still in the True Condensation Realm, had tried to refine this thing a few times, but it ultimately did not have any effect on it.
At this moment, Ning Cheng’s cultivation had already reached the 7th Level of the Profound Congealing Realm, plus with nothing else to do, he once again took the time to take out the Imperial Jade Seal and take a look at it once more.
With Ning Cheng using his Spiritual Consciousness to create a connection with the inside of the Imperial Jade Seal, he made an astonishing discovery. He found that this Imperial Jade Seal had loosened up somehow. He immediately used this opportunity to let his Spiritual Sense to seep into it.
A one of a kind and yet matchlessly dignified aura covered him up the moment his consciousness arrived inside, while at the same time he could also sense countless pious people facing a resplendent Imperial Palace giving of bright golden lights as if they were paying their sincere respects to it. Then he caught sight of countless people seated in the middle of Lan Yi Country’s temples observing their religious rites, these temples were all built around a statue at its centre which seemed to quite similar.
These statues seemed as if they were actual people and were giving off the same majestic aura, moreover these statues of the seemingly majestical man were holding the Imperial Jade Seal in their hand. Immediately Ning Cheng was once again enamoured, along with the worshipping of countless people, the Imperial Jade Seal in the majestic man’s hands gave off increasingly brilliant golden light, while at the same time the aura coming from the man’s body also was becoming increasingly strong.
Power of Hope? A few months ago, Ning Cheng did not understand what this Power of Hope was, but at this moment, he finally was able to get a clear picture of what these two characters represented. The Imperial Jade Seal that seemed to contain infinite power was actually filled with the “Power of Hope”, it was the combined Power of Hope of the national subjects.
Hoping to come out, the Imperial Jade Seal’s interior hid the Power of Hope; didn’t this mean that he could use this Power of Hope in the Imperial Jade Seal to drive the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel? Ning Cheng instantly became excited as he rose up, he did not expect that the Imperial Jade Seal that he always on his body that was actually filled with the Power of Hope.
However, Ning Cheng was also sure that this Imperial Jade Seal absolutely did not have just the simple function of storing this Power of Hope; this Imperial Jade Seal definitely would have other uses.
Knowing that the Imperial Jade Seal contained the Power of Hope, something that would help him in controlling the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel, Ning Cheng continued to refine it day and night. After a month, Ning Cheng stopped refining the Imperial Jade Seal, as he found that with his strength he would not be able to further continue refining the Imperial Jade Seal.
Ning Cheng had a vague feeling, that no matter how much he tried to refine this Imperial Jade Seal, he would be unable to completely refine this Imperial Jade Seal. Fortunately, he did not care much about it at the moment, as long as he was able to mobilize the Power of Hope stored in it.
Now that he was exposed to the Power of Hope, Ning Cheng immediately recalled the several jade boxes filled with women’s undergarments that he had seen. He opened one of the boxes, and picked up one of the pieces of underwear that was as thin as cicada wings, and swept it with his Spiritual Consciousness. Sure enough, there was a hint of the Power of Hope on it, although it was very faint, but it could not escape Ning Cheng.
“Unfortunately, I simply know too little, and really don’t understand why the undergarments that Gui Yuhai stashed away had a touch of the Power of Hope on it.” Ning Cheng spoke a sentence to himself, as he proceeded to put the undergarment in his hand back into the box. He then opened the jade box in which he had placed the blood stained panties, from this pair of panties he could actually not feel even the tiniest hint of the Power of Hope from it, only a deep resentment. If he had not come into contact with the Power of Hope, Ning Cheng would never have been able to feel this aura, and now he was immediately able to perceive it.
Now that Ning Cheng was convinced that he could use the Imperial Jade Seal to control the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel, he already did not want to remain inside the fish. Finally coming out of the ring, and wearing the ring back on his hand, he directly brought out the Profound Break Spear. With a spear in hand, he ripped open a bloody hole on the abdomen of the fish, before rushing out of the opening.
Not to mention that he could come out after being ‘eaten’ by the fish, even if he himself took the initiative to go ‘down’, in order to escape, Ning Cheng would not hesitate to tear open a hole in the fish.
This huge fish was actually hundreds of meter in length and when Ning Cheng tore open a hole in its abdomen, the pain caused it to roll up forming a bunch of whirlpools, before it instantly rushed out, and in just a twinkling of an eye disappeared from the range of Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness.
Ning Cheng directly came out of the sea; he was just about to bring out the True Brahma Buddha Fire Wheel, when a berserk aura with a fishy smell swept over him. Ning Cheng’s face immediately changed, he did not think that his luck would be so bad, that just as he came out he would end up meeting a Class 6 monstrous beast.