Chapter 158 - 152: Eye Ability

Chapter 158: Chapter 152: Eye Ability

Jiang Zuo no longer concerned himself with Huangfu Xi’s affairs. He had said what needed to be said and owed Huangfu Xi nothing.

After confirming the effects of the new cultivation method for the Golden Qi Jade Body Skill on Liu Hongshang, Jiang Zuo began preparing to re-cultivate his techniques after promoting to the Innate realm.

Once he began to re-cultivate, he would have to simultaneously practice five different Cultivation Techniques.

Without finding a way to shorten the process, it would consume a great deal of his time.

However, for now, he had the Blood Mist Pill for the Blood God Skill and the fruit of the Divine Tree for the Blood Sea Creation Skill.

He didn’t have enough Divine Tree fruits on hand, but when the time came to harvest the fruit from the Seventh Layer, Jiang Zuo could also gather the rest of the fruits in abundance.

As for the Golden Qi Jade Body Skill, Jiang Zuo planned to start storing large amounts of Gold Qi and Jade Qi in his body immediately.

Storing them would be simple.

The crystal shells from the Heaven and Earth Primordial Power Ore.

Since they could store Heaven and Earth Primordial Power, using them to store Gold Qi and Jade Qi would be a simple matter.

After he began his re-cultivation, Jiang Zuo would be able to quickly master these three techniques again.

That left the Life Essence Returning Skill and the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill.

In the Cyan Wood Secret Realm, Jiang Zuo had obtained the Cyan Wood Spirit Fruit, which was likely the world’s most supreme item for awakening a Spirit Root.

Jiang Zuo felt that with the Life Essence Returning Skill, he wouldn’t need to re-cultivate many times to refine his Wood Spirit Root to a nearly ideal state.

As for the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill, a pure Earth Attribute Body Cultivation technique, the better one’s physical aptitude, the faster one’s Cultivation.

As long as his body could withstand the strain, he could cultivate almost without stopping.

Naturally, his cultivation speed would be quite fast.

And when it came to physical aptitude...

Jiang Zuo’s aptitude as a mortal was already unprecedented in history.

Even those Ancient Sacred Beasts were not necessarily his match.

It wasn’t just the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill; re-cultivating any of the techniques Jiang Zuo had previously mastered would be a swift process.

...

「Five years passed in the blink of an eye.」

In another two years, Jiang Zuo would be able to fully develop the Venus Fish’s innate talent.

During those five years, Huangfu Xi’s pursuit of Cultivation grew ever more extreme.

While he hadn’t yet begun to neglect his court duties entirely, many of his subordinates, eager to cater to his obsession, had plunged the Venus Kingdom into utter chaos.

Any court official who dared to voice dissent against Huangfu Xi’s actions was, at best, stripped of their post and, at worst, thrown into the Celestial Prison.

Many people pleaded with Jiang Zuo to intervene and persuade the emperor, but Jiang Zuo always insisted there was nothing he could do.

However, not everything in those five years concerned such external affairs.

For over two decades, Jiang Zuo had been raising a large number of Venus Fish in Wangyue Lake.

Jiang Zuo’s relationship with the Venus Fish in the lake was far closer than that of the Huangfu Family.

An elderly Venus Fish, on the verge of death, communicated briefly with Jiang Zuo.

It was the only Venus Fish of its generation to have awakened a special ability.

After communicating with it, Jiang Zuo learned that the abilities awakened by the Venus Fish were almost always related to their eyes.

Looking at the Venus Fish’s unusual eyes, Jiang Zuo wasn’t surprised.

After their conversation, the old Venus Fish transferred its awakened eye ability to Jiang Zuo.

Immediately after transferring the ability, the Venus Fish perished.

The Venus Fish had their own customs. Those that died of old age would be escorted by the younger fish to be buried at the bottom of the lake.

Jiang Zuo watched as a group of young Venus Fish escorted the elder one’s body into the depths, only then turning to test the eye ability he had just received.

’Could it be that the Venus Fish knew I was a physician and transferred this eye ability to me for that reason?’ Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but wonder.

The ability the old Venus Fish had transferred to him wasn’t particularly powerful.

It simply allowed Jiang Zuo to easily discern the approximate age of medicinal herbs upon sight.

To his eyes, herbs of different ages emitted faint, distinct auras.

Discerning the age of herbs this way was extremely accurate, leaving almost no room for error.

Though it wasn’t an especially powerful ability, Jiang Zuo was quite satisfied to have gained it for nothing.

「Another year passed.」

It was already past eight o’clock in the evening.

At this hour, most people in the palace were already preparing to rest.

However, an elderly eunuch arrived at Jiang Zuo’s residence.

"Imperial Physician Zhou, His Majesty requests your presence at the Inquiry Immortal Hall."

Eunuch He said respectfully to Jiang Zuo.

Eunuch He was the eunuch who had served Huangfu Xi the longest. He knew full well that in the entire Imperial Palace, aside from the Emperor himself, the one person you could not afford to offend was this Imperial Physician Zhou.

Jiang Zuo himself wouldn’t do anything to those who offended him, but the Emperor would.

He might put on airs with others, but in front of Jiang Zuo, he wouldn’t dare show the slightest disrespect.

"Oh? For what reason does the Emperor summon me at this hour?"

Jiang Zuo asked.

"His Majesty says he has found a Cultivation Technique. In his joy, he wishes to share the news with you, Imperial Physician."

Eunuch He had clearly heard the reason from Huangfu Xi, so he answered Jiang Zuo’s question immediately.

"I see. In that case, please lead the way, Eunuch."

Jiang Zuo nodded and waved a hand, signaling for Liu Hongshang to go and rest on her own.

Eunuch He led Jiang Zuo toward the Inquiry Immortal Hall.

The Inquiry Immortal Hall had been built by Huangfu Xi a few years prior, specifically for the pursuit of Cultivation.

Jiang Zuo had never been to see it, but it was said to be even more magnificent and resplendent than the Jinluan Hall, its construction having consumed vast amounts of manpower and resources.

Outside the Inquiry Immortal Hall, several squads of the Imperial Guard stood watch. Jiang Zuo followed Eunuch He inside and saw Huangfu Xi seated on a dragon throne at the far end of the hall.

Standing beside him was an old Daoist holding a Duster.

’A Cultivator?’

’After so many years of searching, has Huangfu Xi actually found one?’

Cultivators were vastly different from mortals, and Jiang Zuo confirmed with a single glance that this Daoist was, without a doubt, a Cultivator.

Furthermore, his Cultivation level wasn’t low; he was nearly at the Perfection stage of Qi Cultivation.

"Teacher, you’ve come!"

"Mo Daoist, this is Imperial Physician Zhou of our Venus Kingdom. His medical skills are superb, and he is also my teacher."

"Teacher, this is Mo Daoist, a true Cultivator!"

Huangfu Xi chuckled, personally introducing the two to each other.

He was clearly in an excellent mood tonight.

Jiang Zuo and Mo Daoist exchanged a nod by way of greeting.

"Your Majesty, is this Mo Daoist the one who will teach you Cultivation?"

Jiang Zuo asked.

"That is what Mo Daoist claims, yes. But in your view, Teacher, are his words true or false?"

Huangfu Xi paid no mind to Mo Daoist standing right beside him, smiling as he questioned Jiang Zuo.

"I believe Mo Daoist is likely a genuine Cultivator. However, I have told Your Majesty before that on this land, no one can practice Cultivation."

Jiang Zuo sighed and said once more.

’This Imperial Physician Zhou seems to know things about the Cultivation Realm?’

Hearing this, Mo Daoist looked over at Jiang Zuo.

However, he didn’t say anything, merely maintaining the faint smile of a venerable master.

’It doesn’t matter what this Imperial Physician Zhou knows. There’s no need to argue. As long as Huangfu Xi believes me, that’s all that matters.’

After Jiang Zuo once again denied the possibility of Huangfu Xi cultivating, the atmosphere in the grand hall instantly grew heavy.

After a long silence, Huangfu Xi finally spoke, his voice faint. "Teacher, when you saved me all those years ago, I was just eight years old."

"In the blink of an eye, nearly forty years have passed."

"Compared to back then, you have hardly changed at all, Teacher."

"But I... I am already becoming an old man. I look almost older than you, Teacher."

"Teacher, can you understand how I feel?"

’This Imperial Physician Zhou... he hasn’t changed much in nearly forty years?’

Hearing this, Mo Daoist couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

"Your Majesty, you toil for the realm, pouring your heart and soul into your work. That is why you have aged quickly. I, on the other hand, spend my days enjoying life and preserving my health, which is why I do not appear old."

Jiang Zuo said, shaking his head.

He wasn’t lying. His life these past years had been exceedingly comfortable.

"Enough! Teacher, I didn’t call you here to listen to you spout this nonsense!"

"Mo Daoist, you tell me! Is my teacher a Cultivator or not!"

But this wasn’t what Huangfu Xi wanted to hear. He finally lost his composure, erupting in a furious roar as he pointed at Jiang Zuo and turned to Mo Daoist.

"Your teacher?"

"He is a mortal, of course. One hundred percent mortal!"

Mo Daoist was stunned for a moment, then replied with a tone of absolute certainty.

"A mortal? HAHAHA! A mortal!"

"Are you blind!"

"My teacher is a mortal? And *you* are the Cultivator?"

"Ridiculous!"

"You, this so-called Cultivator, aren’t even worth my teacher’s little finger!"

"You worthless trash! You have no idea just how powerful my teacher truly is!"

"In my eyes, Teacher is like the blazing sun, too brilliant to be looked upon directly!"

"And you? You are nothing more than a flickering firefly in the dark!"

Hearing Mo Daoist’s answer, Huangfu Xi began to laugh like a madman.

Then, completely disregarding Mo Daoist’s status as a Cultivator, he furiously berated him for being utterly blind.

Cultivators were lofty beings. In Mo Daoist’s eyes, what did it matter if Huangfu Xi was an emperor? He was nothing more than a slightly larger ant.

His willingness to even be here was already a great honor bestowed upon the emperor.

As a Cultivator, how could he tolerate a mere mortal spewing such filth at him?

"You’re courting death!"

A vicious glint flashed in Mo Daoist’s eyes. With a flick of his Duster, a fireball materialized from thin air and shot toward Huangfu Xi.

"Protect the Emperor!"

Eunuch He was horrified. He never expected Mo Daoist to be so brazen as to try and take Huangfu Xi’s life without a second thought.

But the Imperial Guard was too far away; it was already too late for them to rush in and protect their sovereign.

"Sigh."

Jiang Zuo let out a sigh.

He was, after all, a child Jiang Zuo had watched grow up. Jiang Zuo couldn’t bear to watch Huangfu Xi die right before his eyes.

With a flicker of movement, he appeared in front of Huangfu Xi.

He reached out a hand and simply crushed the incoming fireball, extinguishing it.

"You!"

Mo Daoist’s face went pale with shock at the sight.

Jiang Zuo then took another step, appearing before Mo Daoist. He grabbed the man by the neck with one hand and dragged him back in front of Huangfu Xi.

"Eunuch He, you and the Imperial Guard may leave us for now."

Jiang Zuo said, turning to the still-shaken Eunuch He and his men.

"Yes, Imperial Physician Zhou!"

Eunuch He glanced at the terrified, pale-faced Huangfu Xi. Seeing no objection from the emperor, he replied respectfully, then turned and led the troop of Imperial Guards out of the hall, closing the large doors behind them.

"Come now, Mo Daoist. Why don’t you explain to the Emperor why I said that on this land, no one can practice Cultivation."

Jiang Zuo patted Mo Daoist on the shoulder.

"Yes, yes!"

Terrified to his core, Mo Daoist nodded frantically. He then began to explain to Huangfu Xi about the human territories and the matter of the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array.