"Old Ancestor, whatever heavenly treasures you desire in the future, just tell me, and I'll go get them for you. I'll make sure you can eat your fill every day." Xiao Man was in a good mood after obtaining the precious item, and her gaze towards Elder Qin softened considerably.
Elder Qin's mood immediately turned delightful: "You're a filial girl. As a spirit, I require a vast amount of spiritual energy for nourishment. Send any spiritual objects brimming with spiritual energy my way, and the Old Ancestor will surely not treat you unfairly!"
"Yes, Old Ancestor. Once I succeed in establishing my foundation, I will transplant many spiritual objects for you to consume!" Xiao Man said, plucking the ripe Scarlet Mystic Spiritual Fruits. "Right, Old Ancestor, the flow of time in the Heaven-Piercing Tower is different from the outside. The Scarlet Mystic Spiritual Fruits should have ripened long ago within."
"Once spiritual objects enter the Heaven-Piercing Tower, their growth rate accelerates. However, when they mature, the Heaven-Piercing Tower will keep them in their ripened state. Therefore, you don't need to harvest them all at once. You can pick them whenever you wish to eat them."
"The Heaven-Piercing Tower is too heaven-defying. No wonder Feng Mo Ran schemed so hard to obtain it!"
When Xiao Man reappeared, she carried the ripe Mystic Fruits.
Upon seeing the Mystic Fruits, Bamboo Green immediately darted to Xiao Man's shoulder, its eyes fixed greedily on the fruits in her hand. Xiao Man glanced at it but ignored it, giving one fruit to each person.
"These are Mystic Fruits. They are very beneficial for cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage. Consume them quickly and digest them, and I will guard you."
"Thank you, Boss." The group ate their Mystic Fruits in a few bites and began to cultivate.
Xiao Man sat at the cave entrance, guarding them. She gave Bamboo Green another Mystic Fruit, which it happily swallowed in one gulp before floating to the side to rest. Su Dan Novel Network
While guarding, Xiao Man began cultivating the Primordial Chaos Heart Method. This cultivation technique was given by a Nascent Soul stage expert, and as the Old Ancestor of the Qin family, it was undoubtedly the most suitable for her. Moreover, the Primordial Chaos Heart Method was profound. She wondered what level she could reach if she cultivated it to perfection.
The Primordial Chaos Heart Method was specifically for cultivating the Myriad Poison Golden Body. It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to cultivate, but for someone with the inheritance of the Myriad Poison Golden Body, it was not difficult to get started. It was relatively simple to begin, but achieving minor success would still require time.
"Xiao Man." As Xiao Man was engrossed in her cultivation, she suddenly heard a voice, one that was exceptionally familiar.
Xiao Man's eyes snapped open, and she scanned her surroundings. Besides Xiang Jian and the others who were still cultivating, there was no one else. Here, other than Elder Qin, she had not revealed her true name to anyone.
Puzzled, Xiao Man closed her eyes again and continued cultivating the Primordial Chaos Heart Method. After circulating the technique three times, Xiao Man heard someone call her again. This time, she saw clearly who was calling her – it was the Old Madam Xiao.
"Old Madam?"
"Xiao Man, you heaven-forsaken wretch, why have you gone out causing trouble again!" Old Madam Xiao fiercely struck the ground with her walking stick, glaring at her through gritted teeth, as if her walking stick was not hitting the ground but her very backbone.
Xiao Man watched the furious Old Madam Xiao quietly, saying nothing.
"Eldest Sister, why have you angered Grandmother again? Hurry and apologize to Grandmother. Grandmother, please don't be angry with Eldest Sister anymore. Eldest Sister has always been..." The young ladies of the Xiao family stood beside Old Madam, ostensibly trying to mediate but actually taking sides and fanning the flames.
"Wretch, why aren't you kneeling down!"
"Eldest Sister, you should listen to Grandmother and quickly kneel and apologize. Father and Eldest Brother are not at home now, so there's no one to back you up."
"This is a past memory. Old Madam is currently in Yusheng and no longer possesses her former ferocity. This is all an illusion."
Xiao Man remained unmoved, as if nothing could touch her heart. The surroundings immediately changed and returned to their original state. She was still sitting at the cave entrance, as if everything she had just experienced was a phantom.
"The Primordial Chaos Heart Method cultivates the heart. With each layer entered, one must face the inner demons. Only by dispelling these inner demons can one ascend to the next level."
"You child, your comprehension is quite high," Elder Qin's voice echoed in Xiao Man's mind. "The inner demons of the first layer of the Primordial Chaos Heart Method are the weakest. The further you progress, the more powerful the inner demons you face will be. At the ninth layer, your inner demon will be yourself. Only by overcoming yourself can your Primordial Chaos Heart Method achieve minor success."
"Old Ancestor, does the Primordial Chaos Heart Method reach its perfection at the ninth layer?"
"If the Primordial Chaos Heart Method were such a useless technique, would I teach it to you?" Elder Qin snorted. "The Primordial Chaos Heart Method grows; it is an unfinished technique. I cultivated to the eighteenth layer in my prime and became a Nascent Soul stage expert. However, I could never find a way to successfully traverse spatial rifts, so I became engrossed in artifact refinement and eventually became the artifact spirit of the Heaven-Piercing Tower. Otherwise, do you think you could have safely crossed the spatial rift to Cang Xuan Continent?"
"So, the Heaven-Piercing Tower deserves great credit for our safe arrival on Cang Xuan Continent."
"Naturally," Elder Qin said with immense pride. "The reason the Heaven-Piercing Tower became a coveted divine artifact by all is precisely because it can withstand attacks within spatial rifts and protect those who traverse them."
"Then what happened to the others who came with me?"
"This..." Elder Qin fell silent. He had no idea. After the Heaven-Piercing Tower was completed, he fell into a deep slumber and had no chance to test it. He had no way of knowing what happened to the others during the spatial rift traversal. He could only guarantee Xiao Man's safety!
"So, you also don't know what happened to the others?"
"Probably, perhaps, should be fine."
"Old Ancestor!"
"Oh dear, I only just woke up. When you crossed the spatial rifts, I was still asleep. If it weren't for your blood waking me, I'd still be asleep. How would I know what happened to the others."
"Then how can I find them?"
"If they are still alive, they are bound to be on Cang Xuan Continent. While you are searching for them, they will surely be searching for you as well. They will find a way to reach the highest point. Only by standing at the highest point can everyone know of them. Similarly, if you stand at the highest point, they will know where to find you."
"Old Ancestor, what exists at the pinnacle of Cang Xuan Continent?"
"A Nascent Soul stage expert can annihilate a city with a flick of their finger."
Xiao Man lowered her gaze. This meant that the force that annihilated the former Qin was a Nascent Soul stage expert?
"Old Ancestor, how many Nascent Soul stage experts are there on Cang Xuan Continent?"
"I don't know how many Nascent Soul stage experts there are now. When I was alive, there were only three Nascent Soul stage experts on Cang Xuan Continent. One was me, and the other two were old monsters from sects: one from the Heavenly Sword Sect, and one from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect. These two rarely left their sects. Calculating the time, their lifespans are likely nearing their end."