Chapter 45: Chapter 45

In the following days, Lan Xiaohui is in a bad mood. She is distracted to the point that even her sporadic cultivation does not improve much.

We head deeper into the forest, and her pace lacks the kind of strategy and reconnaissance that it had before. She heads straight south, but at least she rests when she feels her stamina approach a point where she would suffer disadvantage in combat.

During these trips, we only come across one demonic beast that does not flee from her — as far as I can tell with my limited perception — and after a lengthy battle she brings it down. I am pleased that her mood does not affect her combat prowess, or makes her forget that she is putting her life on the line here, but I can also tell that even this triumph brings little joy to her heart.

That afternoon, we come across a stream and she follows it to a small pond with many water lotuses on its surface. Though these lotuses are only of the Earth grade, the water itself is filled with spiritual energy.

I use my [Critical Analysis] on it and discover its mysteries.

[ Analysis: Crystal Spring Water is a Sky grade treasure. It can soothe the mind and reverse the flow of chaotic Qi. It contains a strong presence of calming ice Qi and powerful Yin energy. ]

It is a shame that it is a liquid. In its current molecular state it would take up too much space in my internal storage. Even more regrettably, ice is less dense than its liquid state. The same phenomenon that allowed creatures to live on planets, underneath the water during many Ice Ages, is also the same phenomenon that now conspires to prove difficult to transport this treasure.

It is a pity. This water would’ve been useful for alchemical recipes. Many of the pastes and pellets that Lan Xiaohui used had this calming quality. This quality did not refer to the state of mind, but rather the balancing force in recipes that harmonized essences of opposite affinities.

Though, with how shallow my Dao of Alchemy is, I simply cannot tell if this water is useful for anything other than drinking. And considering that Lan Xiaohui was taking off her clothes to bathe in the pond, I add bathing to the list of this spring water’s usefulness.

I wonder if Lan Xiaohui even knows that she is about to take a dip into a rare spiritual treasure.

She shivers as she steps into the pool, and concealing her upper body, she reaches over to me, grabs me by the hilt and pulls me into the water.

My body is now at the Dao Vessel realm, I do not accumulate dirt anymore. Not easily or accidentally at least. Falling into the mud won’t make it stick to me, but crushing bones and drinking blood might leave a mark.

Still, I do not raise objections. Perhaps performing maintenance on myself and herself will distract her. Having a task is always useful.

But that is not the only reason.

The moment I submerge into the water, I feel a change in my internal processes.

[ Refinement process: 1.94 BP/min | 1.04 SP/min ]

Even the queued up processing time is cut in half, while the abstract resources I obtain more than double.

This Crystal Spring Water was not ordinary. It had a secret that even my [Critical Analysis] could not discover.

Time control? Entropy manipulation? The options were limitless and getting more and more unrealistic.

I pull up a log of my Talents and a single entry returns.

[Sky] Critical Analysis: Grade D (98%)

It was so close to improving. Lately, I have used [Critical Analysis] extensively, especially on all the materials my internal storage was producing.

As Lan Xiaohui washes her hair, I repeatedly use [Critical Analysis] on the water, trying to detect any changes both to the output or my sub routine. As my sea of consciousness begins to diminish — using the Talent was not effortless or free — I begin to think that perhaps using it on the same object either has no result or diminished effects.

Just then, I notice an improvement. The percentage ticks up to 99%!

It takes about ten minutes of time, and most of my sea of consciousness before the final percent is reached, and my sub routine fires, filling me with joy.

[ Critical Analysis: Grade D -> Grade C ]

Immediately, I turn it towards the Spring Water and observe the result.

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[ Analysis: Crystal Spring Water is a Sky grade treasure. It can soothe the mind and reverse the flow of chaotic Qi. It contains a strong presence of calming ice Qi and powerful Yin energy. It also aids in the decomposition of corpses, or their preservation if frozen into ice. ]

[ BP/hour: 0.87. SP/hour: 4.64. Processing time per cubic meter: 48 hours. ]

I am not sure if I am pleased with the result or not. On one hand, I am disappointed that this Spring Water does not include some dimensional closed-loop array artifacts to displace time or intervene with the Laws of Thermodynamics, and, while it has a considerable processing time and high soul point yield, its only good use is to help me process corpses. On its own, it is not very useful.

Still, I am pleased that my [Critical Analysis] can now determine the value of materials placed in my internal storage, and discern hidden attributes. I wonder what kind of information it can provide on my arrays now.

My consciousness is too diminished to attempt it at the moment.

I am certain that with a deeper cultivation base, my consciousness would also expand. Perhaps it could also give me the ability to perform physical feats, like Lan Xiaohui can when she makes me float in the air.

Even though the most natural avenue of optimization is to cultivate, it takes me but one glance at Lan Xiaohui to know that this is currently not possible.

I do not have tactile senses — I cannot feel her touch — but I know that she is gentle in the way she cleans my already pristine surface with the base of her palm. Even with this inappropriate sensory method, I detect that Lan Xiaohui is distant, and that her inner heart cannot support the dual cultivation function.

Now that we are so deeply connected, I can sense her Dao Heart, and I know that she does not regret not killing Zhao Wei. Yet even so, her sense of self is diminished.

“Why did you not resist that individual immediately?” I ask her. “The Yin-Yang Grass Wine had no effect on you.”

She is startled out of her maintenance function and her hand now rests on my black jade core.

“I still have many devils in my heart,” she says.

“What devils?”

Her expression changes from one of distracted distance to one of darkness. She inhales deeply. “I felt like no matter what I did, no matter how hard I try, I would always be worthless.”

“Your value is several orders of magnitude greater than that individual’s. You are incomparable entities.”

She cracks a smile at my words. It is a faint thing and ultimately a meaningless gesture. Her Dao Heart is still wounded. This wound — I can see it now — it is much older and far deeper than anything Zhao Wei could’ve inflicted.

“I was someone’s concubine once,” she says in a much quieter voice. “That will never change.”

I don’t comprehend her logic. I was a warship once. Am I, too, supposed to somehow feel diminished now?

“You were deceived by lesser entities because your heart is kind and pure. Your change in social status has nothing to do with your Dao. Whether you are a concubine, prostitute or queen makes no difference, or affects how far you can walk on your journey. You are an ideal companion.”

Her brows furrow and her lips press together. Then she nibbles on her lower lip and nods, tears glimmering in her eyes. “I am your… ideal companion?”

“Yes.”

Maybe she misunderstands. I am largely referring to her abnormal battle talent. She truly is a monstrous existence that is uniquely suited to feeding me Blood Points.

She laughs in a very peculiar way. She tangles a finger into her black locks. “That makes me feel a bit better.”

I will slay the devils in her heart.

I am not entirely sure if that is more for my benefit or hers. But as long as we both benefit, I suppose it doesn’t matter.

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