txolops Chapter 73 Calm
Chapter 73 Calm
This is the disadvantage of having average spiritual root aptitude. If it were a cultivator with exceptional spiritual root aptitude, they could probably advance to the late Foundation Establishment stage in less than five years, and reach the Core Formation stage in another ten years, which is several times faster than ordinary cultivators.
He has now swallowed the Heaven-Mending Pill, but because it has been so short, he has not noticed any significant difference from before. He knows that this pill has a subtle and gradual effect, and it is estimated that it will take decades to fully take effect.
Since cultivation can't be rushed anyway, he stopped thinking about it. A flash of spiritual light appeared in his hand, and a miniature banner appeared, which was the Thousand Demon Banner from the Spirit Control Sect.
He hadn't had time to refine this banner until now, when he was ready to study it thoroughly. He had a deep understanding of its power; if it weren't for his many methods of countering the formation that controlled a large number of demon souls, he would have suffered a great loss under its influence.
Among magical artifacts and treasures, items like cauldrons, mirrors, banners, and lamps often have strange functions that are difficult to defend against. On the contrary, magical artifacts like knives, swords, and spears are much easier to defend against because these types of magical artifacts are the most numerous, and cultivators have already figured out all their techniques and moves, making it difficult to come up with any new ways to fight.
When it fought Dongmen Xiao, this banner displayed several effects. The first one was controlling a large number of demon souls to search and track Luo Ming, who was hiding in the Wind Spirit Veil. This was a very useful function.
The other is to condense a large number of demon souls inside to form a huge ghost claw, which is also very powerful.
Then there's the demon soul's soul attack, and the soul defense, culminating in the final move that takes Luo Ming into the banner's inner space—all demonstrating the banner's comprehensive functionality.
Moreover, he could tell from the materials of this banner that it was extraordinary, probably like his Xuanhuo Mirror, both of which were cultivated with the aim of becoming magic treasures.
"In any case, this banner is now mine. As for its supernatural powers, I'll explore them slowly later."
Luo Ming played with the Thousand Demon Banner for a while, reluctant to put it down, and then began to slowly erase Dongmen Xiao's magical imprint by channeling his magic power into it.
The process of refining the Thousand Demon Banner was not smooth. It took Luo Ming half a month to use his magic power to cleanse the inside of the banner. Controlling it with magic power was very difficult, even after a large number of demon souls inside had been destroyed by Tian Leizi.
"I didn't expect an empty shell to be so difficult to activate. Dongmen Xiao seems to control it with much less difficulty. Is there some special method for controlling it?"
Luo Ming put away the Thousand Demon Banner with some frustration. He was thinking that he had gained another powerful magic weapon. If he were to fight someone in this state, he would be killed several times over before he could even activate it.
However, having something is better than having nothing. Perhaps when he advances to the late Foundation Establishment stage, he will be able to forcibly control it. Moreover, he now understands how to enhance this treasure: hunt a large number of demonic beasts and extract their souls to absorb into it. The more demonic souls there are, the greater the power of this banner will be.
Of course, Luo Ming wouldn't go to his death right now; he'd wait until he advanced to the Core Formation stage.
After putting down the matter of the Thousand Demon Banner, Luo Ming came to the outside of his cave. Since his cave was close to the sea, it could be considered that Luo Ming's wish for a sea view room had come true.
In front of the cave dwelling is a small pool formed by a natural spring. The water is clear and the spiritual energy, though not abundant, is still more concentrated than outside, making it a perfect spot for the Azure Dragon and the Black Tortoise to frolic.
Next to it were the nests of the Fat Sun Bird and the Wind Fox Beast. Now, one of them is dozing on a stone pillar, and the other is lazily sunbathing.
The Azure Dragon was extremely fond of this sea area and often dived into the deep sea, returning the next day. Each time it returned, it would bring back some strange and unusual sea creatures, such as some kind of mineral containing water elemental power or a few rare deep-sea algae. Today, it even brought back a spirit clam the size of a washbasin, glowing with fluorescent light.
Luo Ming reached out and caught the spirit clam in his hand. He felt that the clam was rich in spiritual energy, and it seemed that something was being nurtured inside.
Could it be a century-old spirit pearl?
With a slight movement of his magic, he pried open the hard shell of the spirit clam, revealing a spirit pearl, about the size of an infant's fist, brimming with spiritual energy, lying quietly inside.
"Is this the Hundred-Year Spirit Pearl?" Luo Ming couldn't help but think of the information he had learned before.
This place is called Lingbang Island because the surrounding waters are rich in these kinds of clams. Due to over-harvesting in recent years, clams that are over a hundred years old are now rare.
"I've heard that this bead is naturally aquatic, making it an excellent material for crafting water-attribute magical artifacts, and even allowing runes and magic arrays to be inscribed directly on it."
Luo Ming was in a good mood, so he took out the spirit pearl and returned to his cave, intending to tinker with it for a bit.
The Azure Dragon stared blankly as Luo Ming came out and took away the treasure it had just found. It was somewhat dissatisfied with its master's thieving behavior, but there was nothing it could do. It could only set off again for the deep sea, preparing to find an even bigger one.
Deep in the pool, the Xuan Turtle blew a bubble and continued sleeping. For the Xuan Turtle, sleeping was cultivation.
Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Lingzhu Island underwent some changes after Luo Ming arrived, and the biggest contributor to this was the Azure Dragon. Because this dragon often roamed around Lingbang Island, under its intimidation, all the low-level demonic beasts and ferocious fish in the nearby seas fled far away.
This also resulted in the nearby fishermen not encountering any danger in the past year. The boat captain that Luo Ming had met before spread the fame of Lord Qingjiao to the surrounding area, and for a time Qingjiao's reputation on the island soared, even overshadowing Luo Ming, who was stationed there.
The islanders live in peace and contentment. Thanks to Luo Ming's low profile, fishermen who used to be afraid to approach the main peak have gradually become more willing to farm and rest near the foot of the mountain.
His cave is shrouded in mist all year round, and ordinary people who accidentally enter will only wander around the edge without getting hurt.
That afternoon, the warm sun shone through the clouds onto the foot of the main peak, and the sounds of children laughing and playing could be heard from the lush vegetation.
Several ordinary children, carrying bamboo baskets, chased each other across the grass. Some clutched freshly picked wildflowers, while others held colorful seashells they had gathered. Their clear laughter echoed around the tree trunks.
Not far away, several women sat on a rock mending fishing nets, occasionally glancing up to offer a few words of advice, their eyes filled with peace and contentment.
Among the crowd, a little girl with her hair in two buns stood out. She was about five or six years old, dressed in a light blue coarse cloth dress, holding a white flower with a yellow stamen in her hand, but her gaze was firmly drawn to the mist in the distance.
The mist was different from the morning mist in the mountains; it was as thin as a veil yet never dissipated. Sunlight shone on it, giving it a hazy silver glow, and it flowed slowly in the wind, as if it had a life of its own. The woman was chatting and laughing with her neighbors when, in the blink of an eye, she saw the little girl toddling towards the mist with her short legs, full of curiosity.
"Moon, don't go too far!" The woman's voice came as the little girl had already stepped into the fog.
The moment she entered, she could still hear her companions' laughter, but after taking a few more steps, the surrounding fog suddenly thickened, and all the sounds around her disappeared, leaving only the echo of her own footsteps in the empty forest.
The wildflowers in her hand fell to the ground, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her originally curious eyes filled with panic—all she could see was a vast expanse of white, the outlines of the grass and trees became blurred, and no matter which direction she walked, it was as if she were going in circles, the illusion of the maze had completely disoriented her.
The little girl felt a lump in her throat, and she tried to hold back her sobs, stumbling along as she groped her way forward, tears welling up in her eyes.
Just as she was about to cry, a soft "meow" sound came.