Chapter 410 - 378: Pioneering

Chapter 410: Chapter 378: Pioneering

「Six months later.」

In the center of Chixia City, inside the Teleportation Hall.

It was late at night, and the hall was as empty and silent as ever, with hardly a soul in sight.

The dozen or so Chen Family Cultivators standing guard were mostly loitering around the hall with nothing to do.

The Teleportation Hall was located in Chixia City, so naturally, only some Low Tier Cultivators were assigned to guard it on a typical day.

Bored out of their minds, they weren’t particularly formal.

At some point, a faint ripple of spatial energy flickered, and several figures materialized on the Teleportation Array’s platform.

Below the platform, a man who had been chatting idly with a fellow Cultivator immediately shut his mouth and instinctively moved to greet them.

"Elders..."

The man spoke respectfully, but his voice trailed off as soon as the word left his lips.

Sensing that the three people on the platform were only in the Qi Cultivation Realm, he couldn’t help but stare, dumbfounded.

’Even Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators find the cost of using a Teleportation Array painful. Since when could Qi Cultivation Realm Cultivators afford it?’

While the man was surprised, the three on the platform were clearly anxious about arriving in Foreign Lands for the first time.

"Friends, the teleportation is complete. You can come down now."

Seeing that they weren’t moving, the man below finally couldn’t resist urging them.

At his words, the three of them hurried down from the platform. They walked out of the Teleportation Hall in a daze, and a fantastical, dazzling city came into clear view.

"Dad, Mom, is this the Chixia City that Uncle Chu told us about?"

The young-faced man among them turned to the man and woman beside him, clearly excited.

"Honey, has Brother Chu replied?"

Xia Yu asked softly, looking at Xu Yuan, who was holding the Sound Transmission Order.

"There’s no reply from the Sound Transmission Order."

Xu Yuan shook his head. Staring at the dazzling city of Chixia before him, he couldn’t help but feel a knot of anxiety in his stomach.

They had crossed more than half of Great Chu, and even with multiple teleportations, it had taken them a very long time.

What they had seen and heard along the way was enough to tell him one thing for certain: the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World and the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World were two completely different worlds.

’The cruelty of this Cultivation Immortal Realm definitely exceeds my imagination...’

Xu Yuan suppressed his unease. As the head of the family in these Foreign Lands, he couldn’t show the slightest fear.

"Let’s find a place to stay for now and wait for Brother Chu’s reply..."

Xu Yuan looked around, making arrangements in an orderly fashion.

But just as he finished speaking, the Sound Transmission Order suddenly vibrated. Immediately after, a strange voice sounded from it.

Listening to the unfamiliar message, the expression on Xu Yuan’s face changed visibly.

Surprise, confusion, suspicion...

"Dad, what is it?"

Xu Jinhua asked eagerly from the side.

"The message just now came from your Uncle Chu’s Sound Transmission Order, but the voice and aura were unfamiliar. The person said your uncle is in seclusion and told us to contact him when we arrived in Chixia so he could come pick us up..."

Xu Yuan spoke slowly, his tone clearly uncertain.

The situation seemed normal, but in these Foreign Lands, he couldn’t help but overthink it.

"Dad, what are you worried about?"

"The three of us just got here. We haven’t offended anyone..."

"Besides, Uncle Chu is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and an Artifact Refining Master. Isn’t it normal for him to be in seclusion for half a year or so?"

"That’s right, Brother Chu..."

"Fine. I’ll contact him and have him come get us."

Persuaded by his wife and son, Xu Yuan no longer hesitated. He nodded in agreement and sent out a sound transmission.

The three of them waited for only a moment before Chang Er hurried over.

"Excuse me, are you Elder Xu Yuan?"

Chang Er recognized him at a glance, rushed forward, and bowed respectfully.

Being called "Elder" immediately caught Xu Yuan off guard. He waved his hands repeatedly. "I don’t dare to be called Elder. ’Friend’ is fine."

"Elder, this lowly one is Chang Er. I have come to welcome you on Elder Chu’s orders."

"Then I’ll have to trouble you, friend."

Seeing that Chang Er wouldn’t change his form of address, Xu Yuan could roughly guess the man’s relationship with his Brother Chu and didn’t insist.

"Elder, this way, please."

Chang Er led the way respectfully.

Before long, the group arrived at Moonlight Street, and the towering True Understanding Pavilion came into view.

"Elder, that True Understanding Pavilion is the shop opened by Elder Chu. It’s quite famous in Chixia City."

Chang Er pointed to the bustling True Understanding Pavilion, his words filled with an unconcealable pride.

As they say, even a gatekeeper at a prime minister’s manor holds influence. Elder Chu didn’t bother with trivial matters, so Chang Er was in charge of all the affairs of the True Understanding Pavilion.

With so many people coming and going, everyone called him ’friend’ or ’little friend’. Those who used to look down on him and bully him no longer dared to act arrogantly in his presence.

Xu Yuan gazed at the towering True Understanding Pavilion, watching Cultivators with extraordinary auras enter and exit the shop, and the anxiety in his heart grew a little stronger.

Beside him, Xu Jinhua and his mother were visibly thrilled, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Noticing the change in their expressions, a flicker passed through Chang Er’s eyes, and his own expression returned to a calm state.

"Elder, please."

He gestured with his hand, leading the three of them into the shop.

The shop was spacious, with shelves neatly arranged. Elixirs, Magical Artifacts, Spiritual Artifacts, Puppets—the dazzling array of rare treasures almost overwhelmed their senses.

"Dad, Mom, look at that Magical Artifact! Doesn’t it look a lot like the one Uncle Chu gave us before?"

Xu Jinhua’s excitement was palpable as he pointed to a Magical Artifact on a nearby shelf.

Xia Yu was about to reply, but before she could speak, Xu Yuan snapped at him.

"Quiet."

Xu Yuan glared at Xu Jinhua and scolded him again, "You’re a grown man now, stop being so impulsive!"

"Have you forgotten the meaning behind the name your Uncle Chu gave you, Jinhua?"

"To speak and act with caution, and to hold reverence in one’s heart."

Xu Jinhua shrank back timidly and mumbled the words.

"As long as you remember. Your Uncle Chu dislikes impulsive people the most!"

Xia Yu tried to soothe him in a gentle voice, "That’s enough. Jinhua is still young and doesn’t know any better..."

"Still young?"

Xu Yuan was furious. "Can we protect him for his entire life?"

At his sharp rebuke, Xia Yu fell silent, and Xu Jinhua hunched his shoulders, not daring to make a sound.

Chang Er looked a bit awkward. It wasn’t his place to comment on such a family matter, so he could only try to change the subject. "Elder, you must be tired from your journey. Please, rest for a while."

"Elder Chu has been in seclusion for over half a year. He should be coming out soon..."

Xu Yuan reined in his anger and forced a smile at Chang Er. "My son is immature. I hope we haven’t made a fool of ourselves in front of you, friend."

"Not at all, not at all..."

Chang Er didn’t dare continue the conversation. He quickly led the three to their lodgings in the front courtyard and then scurried away as if he’d been granted amnesty.

In the courtyard, the family of three gathered. Xu Yuan’s earnest admonishments and patient teachings drifted through the air, creating a scene of familial harmony.

Meanwhile, in the rear courtyard, just a single building away, a completely different scene was unfolding.

Vast patches of blood stained the rear courtyard crimson. Severed limbs and body parts were strewn across the ground. Chu Mu stood amidst the gore. Inside a cage lay a Demon Beast—he had lost count of how many he’d used as test subjects—slumped listlessly, as if in a death-like slumber.

Despite the gruesome scene, Chu Mu watched the Demon Beast’s every physical trait with the cautious excitement of someone who had just found a Supreme Treasure.

A Silver Thorn Fish. In the Endless Vast Sea, they were practically everywhere.

Even if purchased from a Marketplace, with mass artificial breeding, one would only cost a few hundred Spirit Stones—an extremely cheap price.

But this particular Silver Thorn Fish was clearly not ordinary.

This was a Silver Thorn Fish that he had cultivated, one that had evolved from a Bone-piercing Fish according to a bloodline lineage chart.

The appearance of this Silver Thorn Fish was undeniable proof that his bloodline lineage theory was not just fantasy.

Evolution according to bloodline lineage was not impossible.

This also proved that his previous speculations now had a solid, viable basis.

Bloodline fusion, evolutionary Ancestral Return...

Chu Mu extended his Divine Sense into a Jade Scroll, where years of bloodline experiment research had been compiled and recorded.

There were many taboos in bloodline fusion and evolution. The slightest mistake could lead to a Demon Beast’s bloodline running rampant, resulting in all sorts of gruesome deaths.

In half a year of experiments, a total of thirty-two Bone-piercing Fish were used as test subjects. In the end, only this one had succeeded. And even after its success... it was on the verge of death, its life hanging by a thread.

Though it was difficult, he had at least managed to figure out a roughly clear system for bloodline fusion and evolution.

Now, he just needed to use this core system as a foundation, expand upon the minor details bit by bit, and figure out all the remaining questions and uncertainties.

Once all that was done, this system of bloodline fusion and evolution would be truly complete.

However, the time required would inevitably be quite long.

Under the influence of the vast bloodline lineage chart, the taboos of bloodline fusion were simply too numerous, and there were far too many uncertain factors.

Reaching a state of perfection was almost impossible; he could only hope to achieve a level that was barely usable.

After all, he couldn’t possibly comprehend the entire bloodline lineage chart. For this Silver Thorn Fish, he knew at most its immediate ancestral and descendant bloodlines. To trace it further up...

...would likely lead to a vast, endless bloodline lineage chart, something far beyond the reach of his current Cultivation. Perhaps no one in the entire Cultivation Immortal Realm could ever grasp it.

’This is good enough...’

Chu Mu rubbed his forehead and let out a long breath.

Reaching this stage was already beyond his expectations.

According to his original predictions, this result would have required long years of research.

To have already figured out a rough system was, one might say, a monumental achievement.

If this Jade Scroll in his hand, which recorded the system of bloodline fusion and Ancestral Return, were to fall into the outside world, it would undoubtedly set off a bloodbath!

Bloodline evolution and Ancestral Return, whether for Demon Beasts or Bloodline Cultivators, was a heavenly opportunity, an almost unattainable dream!

In the endless Vast Sea, countless Bloodline Cultivators wasted their lives guarding their meager bloodlines. If they were told there was a Secret Skill that could evolve their bloodline, no matter how low the success rate, there would be no shortage of those willing to try.

Then, as if he’d thought of something, Chu Mu suddenly looked up toward the towering Immortal Mountains in the city center. The three Golden Core True Masters stationed in Chixia were said to reside on the peaks of those very mountains.

’In a Cultivation Immortal Realm with a history spanning countless millennia, where countless brilliant Cultivators have forged ahead on the Immortal Path, it’s impossible that no one of exceptional intelligence has ever explored bloodline evolution.’

’If I can create a Secret Skill for bloodline evolution and Ancestral Return, then without a doubt, such things must also exist elsewhere in the Cultivation Immortal Realm.’

’However, even if they do exist, they are clearly only accessible to a very small, select group of people.’

He wasn’t concerned about a monopoly on knowledge. What he was considering now was whether his bloodline evolution and Ancestral Return system, based on the bloodline lineage chart, was better, or if the bloodline evolution Secret Skills created by other Cultivators were superior.

Or perhaps, across the unknown span of ages, his own research direction... had coincidentally aligned with that of some unknown predecessor?

Chu Mu took out the Immortal Dao Sect’s Jade Scroll, the one that recorded the fragmented text on bloodline fusion.

This... also came from an unknown predecessor from an unknown time.

’A heaven-sent genius...’

His thoughts drifted, and Chu Mu seemed to be in a daze.

After a long, long time, he slowly came back to his senses. He glanced down at the Immortal Dao Sect Jade Scroll in his hand, then swept his sleeve. The bloodstains in the courtyard swirled together like a tornado and were finally sucked into a new Storage Talisman.

He lifted his hand and pinched. The Storage Talisman shattered, and everything within was annihilated in the unknown Spatial Turbulence.

Once everything was cleaned up, he glanced at the dying Silver Thorn Fish. After a moment of contemplation, he waved his hand, and the dying creature instantly became lifeless.

Wangcai leaped out, tearing into the corpse with its massive jaws. In just a few moments, it had devoured the Silver Thorn Fish’s entire body...

...