Chapter 313 - 289: Beating Them at Their Own Game

Chapter 313: Chapter 289: Beating Them at Their Own Game

They knew the Spiritual Qi for the infusion was immense, but they had no idea just *how* immense. They could only guess.

Another day passed in the blink of an eye.

"Just how vast is this kid’s Qi Sea?"

"It’s been almost a full day! The low-grade Spirit Vein in the Cyan Wood Secret Realm is nearly drained, and he still hasn’t reached the Perfection stage of the Three Flowers Realm!"

"Let alone breaking through to the Dao Fruit Realm!"

The three of them stared at the scene, completely dumbfounded.

After Jiang Zuo had wantonly plundered the Cyan Wood Secret Realm, a little over half of its Spirit Vein had remained.

Building the Great Array of Purifying Body and Soul had then depleted a significant portion of that.

And now, after nearly two days, the remaining Spirit Vein had been almost completely drained. After being refined by the Array, all of it had been poured into Jiang Zuo’s body.

To maintain the Secret Realm’s stability, the Spirit Vein couldn’t be drained completely dry.

In other words, this Spiritual Power Infusion probably wouldn’t even be enough for the boy to reach the Perfection stage of the Three Flowers Realm.

This was a far cry from the late-stage Dao Fruit Realm they had initially projected.

Sure enough, a moment later...

The operating Array rumbled to a halt.

The Withered Wood Vines binding Jiang Zuo’s hands and feet released him, setting him back on the ground.

After landing, Jiang Zuo stood motionless, seemingly lost in deep thought.

Ge Fangrong and the other two elders approached, circling him warily.

When they were still several dozen meters from Jiang Zuo, Ge Fangrong suddenly uttered a few strange syllables.

Jiang Zuo, who had seemed lost in thought, paused for a moment before replying with a few similar syllables of his own.

’What a dirty trick! There’s even this step. This Upper Realm brainwashing technique is no simple matter!’

’If I hadn’t used my Visualization Body to take the brainwashing, and had tried to fake it myself, my cover would have been blown in an instant!’

Watching all of this from within his Sea of Consciousness, Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

"Very good. You don’t need to think anymore. You are a long-lost disciple of our Divine Wood Sect, and today, you have officially returned."

"The three of us are all elders of the Divine Wood Sect."

"You may now recall your past, but you must remember that you are a disciple of our Divine Wood Sect!"

Hearing Jiang Zuo’s reply, a smile touched Ge Fangrong’s lips as he continued.

According to the information passed down from their Ancestral Master in the Upper Realm, a Cultivator who had undergone the Purifying Body and Soul ritual would first enter a blank state, understanding nothing.

After being triggered by the special syllables, specific words could be used to turn them into a Divine Wood Sect disciple.

The final step would allow them to recall their entire past.

However, a new identity would be superimposed on top of everything else.

This way, the person’s behavior patterns and memories would not change significantly, but they would be absolutely loyal to the Divine Wood Sect.

"Yes, Disciple Gu Changqing greets the three Elders!"

A strange light flickered in Jiang Zuo’s eyes as he spoke with a smile.

"Changqing, was your master truly from the Upper Realm?" Yan Wenbo asked eagerly.

"It’s true. When my master first descended to the Lower Realm, he had no intention of taking a disciple. But upon seeing my extraordinary aptitude, he was moved by my talent and accepted me."

Jiang Zuo nodded.

"Did he mention his purpose for descending to the Lower Realm?" Yan Wenbo asked again.

"No, he didn’t even tell me his name."

"He only told me that if I could one day ascend to the Upper Realm, we would naturally meet again."

"And if I couldn’t ascend, then there was no need to know."

Upon hearing this, Ge Fangrong and the other two elders all nodded.

This kind of behavior was indeed typical of someone from the Upper Realm.

"How high is your aptitude? And is your Qi Sea truly that vast?" the slender elder asked next.

"I have dual supreme-grade Spirit Roots, Wood and Fire, and dual Spirit Bodies, also Wood and Fire. As for my Qi Sea, it’s about a hundred times larger than that of an ordinary Cultivator," Jiang Zuo added.

"What?"

"Dual supreme-grade Spirit Roots and dual supreme-grade Spirit Bodies?"

"A Qi Sea a hundred times larger than an ordinary Cultivator’s?"

Jiang Zuo had already drastically understated his own aptitude and the state of his Qi Sea.

And Ge Fangrong and the others had already been mentally prepared for something astonishing.

But hearing his words still made them turn pale with shock.

"An aptitude and Qi Sea like yours are simply unheard of! No wonder your master couldn’t resist taking you as a disciple upon meeting you!" Ge Fangrong exclaimed in amazement.

The thought that someone with such heaven-defying aptitude had become a loyal disciple of the Divine Wood Sect sent a thrill of excitement through the three elders.

"Having a large Qi Sea isn’t all good, though. My Cultivation requires too many Spirit Stones, so my progress is much slower than other Cultivators’."

"This is especially true for the Nine Flames Reincarnation Technique my master passed down to me. When I don’t have enough Spirit Fire to refine, it’s impossible to cultivate at all."

Jiang Zuo sighed.

"Spirit Fire, you say? I recall the sect still has a Cyan Wood Longevity Fire in its stores..." Yan Wenbo mused.

"The Cyan Wood Longevity Fire is far too precious. Let’s not bring this up for now," Ge Fangrong said, shaking his head.

The Cyan Wood Longevity Fire was a fifth-rank Spirit Fire. Most importantly, it possessed an astonishing effect.

If a Cultivator could refine this Spirit Fire, it would automatically become a part of their body after they suffered a grievous injury, causing their strength to surge for a short period.

Furthermore, any injuries sustained while in this state would heal rapidly.

One could say that refining this Spirit Fire was almost equivalent to gaining a second life.

However, the requirements for refining it were exceptionally strict.

Although Jiang Zuo’s aptitude was astonishing, Ge Fangrong couldn’t just decide to give it to him on his own.

"You’re right. We should discuss this later."

Yan Wenbo knew it wouldn’t be easy and calmed down.

"Changqing, you earned a large amount of Spirit Stones by helping people with Beast Taming in the Immortal City," Yan Wenbo said.

"The sect is currently short on Spirit Stones, so you should contribute your surplus to support us."

’Damn it, you old bastard!’

’Not only will you not give me the Spirit Fire, but you also want my Spirit Stones?’

"Replying to the Elder, this disciple is naturally willing to support the sect."

"However, I won’t hide this from the three of you."

"Back then, my master also gave me a Pocket World Spirit Treasure specifically for raising Spirit Beasts."

"The more Spirit Stones I invest in it, the higher its grade becomes, and the faster the Spirit Beasts inside the pocket world can cultivate."

"I already have three fifth-rank Spirit Beasts, and maintaining their Cultivation requires an enormous amount of Spirit Stones."

As Jiang Zuo spoke, he summoned his three fifth-rank Spirit Beasts: Great Black, the Golden Giant Wolf, and the Pale Moon Ice Wolf.

The three Spirit Beasts appeared and stared menacingly at the three old men.

However, after a placating gesture from Jiang Zuo, they all lowered their heads.

"A Pocket World Spirit Treasure specifically for raising Spirit Beasts!"

The three men stared at Jiang Zuo, their composure faltering.

It was too outrageous!

Was this what it meant to be the disciple of someone from the Upper Realm? They could just give away anything!

"This Pocket World Spirit Treasure, what kind of Spirit Treasure is it? Take it out and let us have a look," the slender old man said, unable to resist.

"This disciple cannot. I remember my master telling me that this Pocket World Spirit Treasure is connected to my Spirit Body."

"It has no physical form, and no one can steal it. But he warned me repeatedly never to tell anyone about it."

"Otherwise, even if they couldn’t take it, they would try to destroy it," Jiang Zuo said.

With that, he took out a few storage bags and set them aside. Then, right in front of Ge Fangrong and the others, he recalled the three fifth-rank Spirit Beasts.

What kind of ability was this?!

Heaven-defying!

It was simply too heaven-defying!

Watching this, Ge Fangrong and the other two were completely convinced.

If they had harbored any doubts before, seeing this scene had made them completely believe Jiang Zuo.

This kind of ability was utterly unheard of.

Perhaps only someone who had descended from the Upper Realm would possess such an inconceivable power.

"Three Elders, how about this?"

"I can actually tame one extra fourth-rank Spirit Beast each year. From now on, Elder Ge can bring one to me, and I will deliver it back to you after it is tamed."

"That should help the sect alleviate its Spirit Stone shortage somewhat," Jiang Zuo continued.

He decided to make a show of loyalty to the Divine Wood Sect, all for the sake of the Cyan Wood Longevity Fire and the high-grade Spirit Vein.

"We’ll talk about this later."

"You’ve been away from the Immortal City for almost two days now. You should return there first."

"Otherwise, things might get complicated," Ge Fangrong said after a moment of thought.

Originally, his plan was that once Jiang Zuo was successfully brainwashed, he would not let him return to the Immortal City. Instead, he would have him go to the Divine Wood Sect and contribute to the clan.

But now that Jiang Zuo’s talent had proven so terrifying, his plans had to change.

Until they decided on a further course of action for Jiang Zuo, it was best to keep things as they were.