Chapter 35: Chapter 35

With my initial systems check complete, I turn my attention towards the present, overall situation.

The Qi here is strong, signifying that we are either much deeper into the Forbidden Ancestral Hunting Ground, or that this place is somehow special. Possibly both, even. If it is the latter, I would like to find out why.

Even at the demonic ape society, we managed to temporarily create a place of abundant Qi. On our journey towards the cliffs, we found a few places that had rich Qi — enough to grow strong spiritual plants. Clearly, there are exceptions or dead-spots in the formation that focuses this area’s Qi.

If I could find several more such examples, I could possibly develop a theorem about it, and disrupt it in such a way that it benefits us. That is, assuming my Dao of Arrays is sufficient.

I pull up a log of my current Dao.

 

 

The arrangement is pleasing and the categorization gives me a few hints about the deeper laws that govern my existence. Though, I am unsure about the Samsara category and how its lonely member relates to it. I come up with several theories, but with no way to prove them at the moment, I focus on the more relevant matters.

“Where are we?” I ask her directly after exhausting all hints present in the environment and realizing they won’t lead to an answer.

Lan Xiaohui pauses in her processing, letting go of the dead snake’s head, and then runs the back of her forearm across her forehead.

“I’d say we are approaching the edge of the middle ring of this Forbidden Ancestral Hunting Ground,” she says.

That somewhat explains the Qi in this area and, for now, I am satisfied with leaving it at that.

“I tried crossing in deeper, but there are demonic beasts of the third rank in this area.” Third rank means Foundation Establishment. “I think they are the weaker ones, driven out by others. Here, they reign supreme, and though I have encountered a few, I was not able to match their strength and was forced to retreat.”

She explains all of this like she is reporting to her superior officer, or a teacher.

Her encounters with the demonic beasts explain her more recent wounds, but even so, I am slightly surprised she has managed to survive at all. If they truly are the weakest members, perhaps I can see ways in which her encounters are not fatal. But had she met something like Wukong, she likely would be dead.

“I have used some of the Yin-Yang Grass to advance my cultivation base, and have just now broken through into the Mid stage of Qi Refining. It took ten days, but even so, I don’t know if that is enough to cross into the middle ring of the forest.”

First of all, it only took her ten days to get to Mid Qi Refining? Even if I account for her talent, that speed is rather shocking. This Yin-Yang Grass must truly be something special if it could help her cultivate that quickly.

Second of all: ten days? How long was I standby mode?

“I did not know that you could refine and process materials. It has been of great help. Though, if I may point out,” she says. “Your array seems to be slightly defective.”

“Defective?” I ask. “Explain.”

She sits down on her knees, and raises her head proudly. She reminds me of someone addressing another of higher station.

“I was hoping to extract the blood and bone powder, to create some kind of ink and paper — for talismans — but your array produces neither of those, nor any soul cores I can use. Perhaps, I thought,” she pauses here for a moment and then shrugs. “I thought there was an issue with your array.”

I check my array with my consciousness — perhaps there was a side-effect to my modifications earlier that I am not aware of — and confirm that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the array. It is pristine and I can only see a few points where I could optimize it — meaning that, according to my understanding, it is close to perfect.

“How long have we been here?” I ask.

She pouts her lips, tilts her head slightly, and then shrugs. “After I found this place, I collapsed from exhaustion and fever. I don’t know how long I was in this state. I remember treating my wounds and using the Yin-Yang Grass to cultivate.” Another pause. “I would say about fifteen days in total.”

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“How long has it been since we last spoke?”

This time, she replies nearly instantaneously. “About twenty days.”

I reach out with my consciousness and attempt to use [Critical Analysis] on the dead snake. The sub routine immediately informs me of a problem.

[ Critical Analysis is unavailable. Recovery time: 6 days, 11 hours, 48 minutes, 07 seconds. ]

Even though the required time has passed, the talent has not recovered from its damage. I find this odd. Clearly, my arrays are functional and my sea of consciousness has recovered, but the talent has not.

I note this discrepancy in my records and make a mental note to investigate it later, as soon as possible. If I find out what led to this situation, I may be able to learn more about the properties of my existence.

“How much longer do you plan to stay here?”

Lan Xiaohui’s gaze becomes distant as she ponders the question. “I think I would like to try to advance into the middle ring today, or tomorrow. There is a snake of the third rank that has been barring my path. I wounded it in our last duel, but it still managed to overpower me. I ended up needing to use a large amount of our supplies to heal and expel its poison, and were it not for this physique you have given me, it would have been not enough to save my life.”

Perhaps that explains how she could cultivate so quickly. It makes sense to me now that with her improved physique, the efficiency of herbs and medicinal pastes would be much greater. I should experiment to find out if they would have an effect on me also.

“I would prefer to have some armor before I attempt it, but I do not know anything about craftsmanship, nor whether or not your Array would be capable of Forging or Weaving.”

I know, instinctively, that my [Workshop] modification would allow for basic operations of such types, and with my Dao of Meta, I also know that I have expansions to its functions available to me — namely, specializing in the various disciplines of Craftsmanship.

Unfortunately, I also know that my Array is currently too small to support such an addendum.

“We will head out tonight and terminate this reptile,” I tell her, while pulling up my Point Exchange.

I immediately become aware of two things.

First, my Blood Points and Soul Points have increased.

[ Blood points: 8,913 ]

[ Soul points: 4,529 ]

When I investigate this to attempt to find a transaction log, I come across a sub routine.

[ Refinement process: 0.67 BP/min | 0.48 SP/min ]

That simultaneously explains where I have obtained my points and possibly why my Array does not produce refined blood or soul cores. In fact, considering the raw amount of points I am getting — as opposed to if I had absorbed them directly — I wonder if this is how I was meant to consume life in the first place.

But what has my attention the most is not the expansion of my internal storage, or the upgrades to my internal workshop, but a Talent I had not seen before.

[ Talent ] Nooparallelism (25,000 BP)

In an instant, I know exactly what it does. With this talent, I would be able to divide my sea of consciousness and operate multiple processes at the same time. It is expensive, and I understand why.

Its grade is Emperor.

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