Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 37

After a night of being shined upon by the blue light, all of the spiritual plants clearly entered the adult state, experiencing more than three years of natural growth!

After all the excitement, Qin Yu quieted down, quickly starting a new experiment . If the Little Blue Lamp has a second ability, what stopped it from having a third, or a fourth? Thinking of this possibility, Qin Yu's somewhat smothered happiness, once again ignited .

After three days Qin Yu's experiments came to an end . With over a hundred of items shined upon by the blue light, with the results making his burning heart cool down a little .

Little Blue Lamp's function of increasing the growth of spiritual plants, is able to make all the plants that receiving the blue light show change as if they were transformed . But regarding its ability, it couldn't improve a creature, materials for refining, treasures nor spirit stones .

Qin Yu was a bit disappointed but soon realized, that the current abilities of Little Blue Lamp are heaven defying . If it wore any more powerful, he was afraid the Heavens would not allow it to exist in this world, so he should be content with just this .

Having this second function of growing spiritual plants, it relieved his future problems related to the higher-grade ingredients needed for pill making . With its pitiful range of only a foot, unable to use it on a large scale, he would have to be content by using high grade plants, like the Thousand Gold Tree . In The Art of Medicine it is recorded that this spiritual plant needs a thousand years to be able to evolve into a Great Sun Tree and ten thousand years to evolve into an Immemorial Celestial Tree .

The Great Sun Tree is capable of rearing the Blue Winged Ants, with a certain chance of evolving them into one of the hundred ancient insects list, number 24, the Heaven and Earth Ants . Its two wings, one black one white, allows it to be unafraid of the five elements, incredibly ferocious and of terrifying killing power, making even a Nascent Soul cultivator flee for his life .

As for the Immemorial Celestial Tree, the reason for its name is because on each of its leaves appears a starry sky . Rumor has it, it even contains the power of the stars, that are used to raise the Heaven and Earth Ants, with a chance to evolve them into Ancient Converged Ants(1) . This ant is the sixth on the list of most ancient insects, capable of using the five elements to fly when appearing among the Heaven and Earth Ants . In the ancient times, when an ant disaster came, wherever it passed not even a blade of grass remained, its power unfathomable terrifying!

Qin Yu wiped the saliva from his mouth, deciding that at some point he will need to make a visit to the Ancient Immortal Valley . And if he could obtain the Blue Winged Ant, at the time it evolves into a killing weapon, he would use the Beast Manipulating Art to showcase its talents!

But going now when he is just in the Foundation Establishment stage, it won't be any different from throwing his life away . The important thing at the moment, is to reach Golden Core stage so he can defend himself .

Letting the two Thousand Gold Trees continue improving in the wooden support, after a short rest Qin Yu began concocting pills, refusing to believe he can't smash the door to Golden Core by throwing huge amounts of pills at it!

After three months .

A startling noise erupted, even the ground shook, with the wooden room used as a cultivation area shamed to pieces, countless wood fragments sent flying and landing in the medicine field crushing some spiritual plants . As the dust spreads, a series of coughing sounds came from within, the severe extent of it makes one believe he is coughing up a lung .

Qin Yu was alternating between coughing and spitting blood, countless fine cracks appearing on his body, as if he was a ceramic urn overcooked in the oven, covering him in blood . Only later did he manage to stop himself, caching his breath, while each time he inhaled knives seemed to cut at his throat and lungs, making his vision go dark from pain .

The seventeenth try to reach Golden Core stage, failed!

This time's wounds went beyond Qin Yu's predictions . If it weren't for the resilience of his Demon Body, he would now be a pile of meat . Though his body is in one piece, there are wounds all over it . Any other person in this state would become a cripple if he doesn't hurry to use medicine to cure himself .

With the power of his body and the help from the pills, after a month he could begin moving, and only after four months did he recovered fully . But doesn't dare to try again, and even stopped cultivating .

Qin Yu has is now incredibly close to reaching Golden Core stage . The purity of his energy in his Dantian reaching unimaginable heights, that with just a slight urging began boiling, while thinking of the next time he would try when he will be using this force to break through .

The result ain't bad, but if he failed… the scene of him popping like a firecracker into a beautiful blast, made him covered in cold sweat .

Standing in the valley, and raising his head to look at the shining disk like moon, Qin Yu faintly sighed, "How can breaking through to Golden Core can be so… so damn hard! Seventeen times! Ah, seventeen times, bastard! It's a miracle that young master, I, haven't died yet!"

In the end he still couldn't bear it, his angry roar echoing in the mountain forest, causing many of nocturnal ferocious beasts to run with their tail between the legs .

Pheasant King shrank his head, making up his mind not to return for now, to avoid being the target of his anger and end up plucked and stewed .

Venting his anger, Qin Yu was a bit pleased, then turned around to sit in front of the wooden house .

This night he started pondering for a long time, finally settling on leaving the mountain . He must find the reason why he can't form the Golden Core, and thoroughly eliminate it!

Inspecting the formation, and supplying the bamboo dragonfly with energy, then gathering the Little Blue Lamp, the pills and even the Thousand Gold Trees in his storage bag, he climbed the perilous mountain in relaxed manner . As the sun was shining above him, he took one last look towards the valley in which he stayed for three years then with big steps, left .

…

"Perhaps some people haven't heard of Ancient Immortal Valley, but everyone knows my Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion . " This, coming from a shopkeeper from a big city inside the Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion, its name spread far in the Southern Nation's territories . Standing opposite is someone from the always arrogant and overbearing number one sect in Southern Nation, not making a peep as if validating the credibility of those words .

Qin Yu, soon after he left the mountain, chanced upon this information, then rushed for thousands of lis, arriving in front of Juxia City . There are many cultivators entering the city today, with nervous expressions and in a rush, because the war in the southwest spread in these three years .

Built at the side of a thousand zhangs wide valley with no bottom in sight, Juxia City is at the edge of the warzone, making many great sects send their cultivators to gather here, wanting to borrow the favorable location of this city and fight the war against demonic cultivators .

Qin Yu entered along with the crowd of people inside the city, and from a simple inquiry, he found the imposing, longstanding and uncommon three-story pavilion .

Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion!

On a big and wide red sandal wood board, these three grand words were inscribed, containing a spirit as big as the sun, making everyone avert their gaze . Seems imposing enough, but dealing in information, claiming to be all-knowing isn't it intriguing?

This boldness, and the Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion's behavior, simply don't match at all .

Feeling apprehensive inside, Qin Yu stepped into the building . With the developed system of receiving guests, a pretty female cultivator came to welcome him, smiling charmingly . She made an old fashioned bow revealing her somewhat ample chest, with a white valley entering his eyes, "Welcome guest to the Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion . If you would like, please follow me so we can speak in private . "

Qin Yu calmly nodded and followed behind, looking at her undulating willowy waist, quickly arriving at an empty room .

A maid came with tea while she gestured, "Please sit . What would you like to know?"

Qin Yu creased his brows lightly .

But the smile of the female cultivator remained, "Please be at ease . This establishment has been operating for over a thousand years, never divulging a guest's information . "

Qin Yu hesitated a bit, then, "I would like to know, the reason for not being able to break through to the Golden Core stage . "

The female cultivator's smile grew, not minding Qin Yu's cautious behavior . She has met some people who were even more guarded .

"Guest has to be aware, everyone's experience and capabilities are different, therefore the reason also varies . You must thoroughly explain your situation, so that I could find the information suited for your case . "

Qin Yu refused, "It is inconvenient . "

The female cultivator thought for a moment, "Then there is only one way . The Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion has many information regarding this matter and could all be given to guest, but this way would be very expensive . Since the information is different from other things, once sold it is hard for it not to spread . "

Qin Yu was unfazed, "How much?"

The female cultivator paused, running some numbers in her head, then parted her red lips, "Five thousand spirit stones . "

This price is truly excessive, with not even normal Golden Core expert would have this amount upon himself, not to mention Qin Yu with his lower cultivation .

The female cultivator doesn't think highly of Qin Yu, but the next moment her pupils widened slightly .

Qin Yu nodded, "Alright . " Then casually moved, making others feel amazed by his bearing .

The female cultivator recovered very fast, "Guest, according to the rules of Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion…"

Qin Yu took out the storage bag and dumped a small mountain in the form of five thousand spirit stones .

The female cultivator checked, her voice becoming more respectful, "Please wait . "

She left the room and quickly returning with a jade slip .

Qin Yu sent his thought inside, the information it contains is incredibly vast, with all kinds of reason for not being able to condense the Golden Core exceeding his imagination . Even so, he still doesn't dare to be careless, thoroughly examining if there are any similarities with his situation .

Soon, an information appeared: if the cultivator took to many pills, the residues from the pills remain in the body, blocking the process of condensing one's Golden Core .

Qin Yu's heart sank, but doesn't show it on his face as he finished the rest of the information . And when he took back his thought, the jade slip turned to dust with a light sound .

The female cultivator apologized, "The information of Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion can't be taken outside . Please forgive me . "

Qin Yu frowned, "I understand . " And after a pause, "There is some more information I would like to know . "

He immediately chose four reasons from the jade slip, with the one regarding pill residues left inside the body among them .

"Each is two hundred spirit stones . "

"Ok . " He waved his hand and eight hundred spirit stones appeared .

The female cultivator was prepared this time, sending the information into an empty jade slip, "Please check . "

Qin Yu directly read the method regarding excessive pill usage: Heavenly Thunder Bamboo, a rare and ancient spiritual plant, that can discharge thunder removing the impurities in the body . Although he is interested in only this, Qin Yu deliberately searched for a longer time, and when he raised his head the jade slip crumbled .

"Farewell . "

He got up intending to leave, while the female cultivator opposite of him smiled, "Guest made suck a big purchase at out Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion that I am inclined to give an information for free . Every sect of the Southern Nation has cultivators fighting the demonic cultivators, and to increase the morale they have taken out many treasures, with the Heavenly Thunder Bamboo among them . "

Qin Yu was unmoved, "Many thanks . "

Waiting for him to leave, the female cultivator took out a jade slip, writing inside: "The mysterious Grandmaster's disciple , from the Sacred Mountain Sect, Qin Yu, today at five, entered Juxia City's branch, spending five thousand and eight hundred spirit stones regarding four reasons for not being able to condense a Golden Core, deducing that it should be because of the residues left behind by the pills . " Marking the date, she touched the wall and threw the jade slip in the round whole which appeared .

Qin Yu, who left the Heavenly Inquiring Pavilion, doesn't know of this . He only turned around and frowned, 'was it a coincidence?' He shook his head lightly, pressing down his worry and quickly departed .

Coincidence or not, what is important is the value this information, regarding the Heavenly Thunder Bamboo, has for him .

(1) 万古归一蚁, can't seem to find a better name

P . S . : final delayed chapter