Chapter 553 - 551: This Must Be Su Dan Sheng, I Presume?
Chapter 553: Chapter 551: This Must Be Su Dan Sheng, I Presume?
After Su Qing discovered a way to repay his karmic debts, he began performing an Inference on the rather domineering-sounding concept of a "Shared Grand Thousand."
’Just what is this all about?’
Filled with doubt, Su Qing began his Inference.
[Shared Grand Thousand: Take all karmic debtors and creditors and help them ascend to the Great Thousand Realm together.]
"..."
After the Inference yielded its result, Su Qing was utterly dumbfounded.
’It sounded domineering, but the reality was even more so.’
’Help everyone I have a karmic tie with—whether they owe me or I owe them—achieve the Grand Thousand Realm.’
It was already a near-impossible task for Su Qing to reach the Great Thousand Realm by himself, yet this path required him to help everyone else do the same.
Su Qing felt it was an infinitely impossible task.
Time and space are constantly evolving, not static.
On his journey to achieve the Shared Grand Thousand, Su Qing would inevitably incur even more karmic debts.
Thus, achieving the Shared Grand Thousand was incredibly difficult.
It was so difficult it would require one to overcome the fundamental nature of all living beings.
Therefore, it was unrealistic. It was impossible to achieve the Shared Grand Thousand.
"What the hell is this Shared Grand Thousand?"
"Don’t tell me some powerhouse has actually succeeded at this?"
Su Qing was perplexed.
He just had to perform an Inference to find out.
...
...
[Yes.]
At the Standardized prompt, Su Qing was stunned for a moment.
But he shook his head. ’I can’t possibly achieve the Shared Grand Thousand.’
’Unless every living being within the Space-Time Veins I pioneer listens to my arrangements and follows my will.’
But that was impossible.
’If everything was based solely on my own will...’
’...then the Space-Time Veins I pioneered would be useless.’
Utterly useless.
In truth, the Shared Grand Thousand was also a way of repaying karmic debt; it was just that the price was enormous.
’I owe you a karmic debt, so I’ll help you ascend to the Grand Thousand.’
’That’s more or less the gist of it.’
The price to be paid was simply too great.
Most importantly, it would require him to disseminate his teachings for everyone to enter the Grand Thousand Realm together.
’Disseminate my teachings...’ Su Qing fell silent for a long time.
’As for how to break through to the Great Thousand Realm, the Shared Grand Thousand path must be the most powerful.’
’No, that’s not right. If I cut off all karmic ties and then disseminate my teachings, at the very least, I’d still be repaying karma to ascend to the Grand Thousand.’
’The Great Thousand Realm isn’t that easy to break through to.’
Su Qing left the spot.
He had been standing in the main hall for a long time.
He still had to cultivate.
「The next day.」
Zhang Baiyuan unexpectedly arrived at Su Qing’s main hall.
Su Qing materialized on his seat in the main hall. "What do you have to report?"
"My Lord, it’s about the matter concerning Sui Jinhao from yesterday."
"And?" Su Qing’s tone was perfectly flat. ’Sui Jinhao couldn’t possibly cause any major trouble.’
"Elder Sui of Zuyang Peak wishes to implore you to release Sui Jinhao. He says that one month in the Ice Nether Prison can easily cripple a man," Zhang Baiyuan said respectfully, stating the facts.
"This is a token of respect from Elder Sui."
Zhang Baiyuan took out a Storage Ring and handed it to Su Qing.
Su Qing took it and glanced inside. Two Tier Seven Spirit Medicines.
Su Qing mulled it over for a moment. "What is Elder Sui’s Cultivation?"
"Sixth Realm Entering the Void. Sui Jinhao is his great-grandson."
"In that case, I’ll grant him this favor."
"But if I see this happen again, don’t blame me for being ruthless."
"You are dismissed." Su Qing remained expressionless.
That flat tone of his made Zhang Baiyuan feel even more pressure than when he faced the Saint Lord.
"My Lord."
"There is one more matter. In seven days, a Secret Realm in the Taiqing Sacred Land will open. Should the disciples of our Zuyang Peak participate?"
"In the past, the disciples of Zuyang Peak focused more on their crafts and less on combat prowess, so we generally haven’t participated in Secret Realms where disciples must compete for resources."
"We’ll participate."
"These are Spirit Stones for the rewards. Go and make the arrangements." Su Qing materialized a Storage Ball, placing a million Spirit Stones and a Tier Four Spirit Medicine inside.
"Yes, Peak Lord."
Zhang Baiyuan departed respectfully.
Su Qing’s figure dissipated.
It was merely a trivial matter.
Su Qing was still in the process of refining poisons to increase his strength.
「Five days later.」
From the residence next to Su Qing’s, a burst of scorching flame erupted, so intense it seemed to penetrate the body and sear the very soul.
It stopped after a short while.
Su Qing figured that Su Qianyou must have finished refining the Stone of Evil.
Su Qing went out to check and discovered that Su Qianyou’s Cultivation had surprisingly regressed.
She had fallen from the Foundation Establishment realm to the Third-Layer Qi Cultivation.
However, her foundation had been elevated to a whole new level.
’Decisive.’ Su Qing hadn’t expected Su Qianyou to actually abandon her Cultivation.
Su Qianyou came out of her residence and saw Su Qing. "Brother."
"Mm. Your Cultivation has regressed, so you’ll need to train a bit more. In two days, a Secret Realm in the Sacred Land is opening. Do you want to go?"
Su Qianyou nodded. "I’ll go."
"Then in these next two days, try to cultivate to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer or higher." Su Qing was surprised that Su Qianyou had agreed to go to the Secret Realm.
Suddenly, Su Qing noticed something unusual about Su Qianyou.
He grabbed her arm.
"The scars... so many of them are gone."
"On your hands, only the skin itself is still a lacquer-purple color," Su Qing said in surprise.
"Mhm. The scars on my body are my good friends. A lot of them went into that stone."
Su Qing smiled. "That’s a good thing."
"You could try using your ’friends.’"
"I don’t want to," Su Qianyou said, shaking her head.
"They’re my friends."
Su Qing’s expression faltered. "You’re right. They are your friends."
’People always say that friendship is based on mutual benefit.’
’Now Su Qing understood. This was true friendship.’
’A being of Pure Goodness befriending the Pure Evil Flame.’
’It was his own perspective that had been too narrow.’
"Alright, I’m going back to my Cultivation."
Seeing that Su Qianyou was alright, Su Qing returned to his own Cultivation.
「Two days later.」
Su Qing brought Su Qianyou to a large plaza within the Taiqing Sacred Land.
Numerous Flying Ships were already gathered there.
Su Qing landed directly on one of them.
These were the Flying Ships bound for the Secret Realm, tasked with transporting the disciples of the Taiqing Sacred Land.
"Long time no see, Fellow Daoist Su."
The Saint Lord himself had appeared.
"Long time no see," Su Qing replied with a faint smile.
"Are you taking your sister to the Secret Realm this time?"
"Of course."
"The Secret Realm is treacherous. I fear there could be... accidents," Qi Wansheng said, giving Su Qing a preemptive warning.
’He was worried about what would happen if an accident truly occurred.’
’Su Qing might leave the Taiqing Sacred Land in sorrow.’
’In truth, he was hinting that Su Qing should give Su Qianyou more defensive, life-saving treasures.’
’Otherwise, it would be too late for regrets.’
"Haha, rest assured. This sister of mine is a bit special. Even if I were to die, she might not," Su Qing said with a light chuckle.
Qi Wansheng took this as a joke and chuckled lightly. "Fellow Daoist Su, you certainly have a unique sense of humor."
"I’m just a rather honest person, that’s all."
Su Qing knew the other man was just laughing it off.
So Su Qing decided to play along.
...
When the time was right, the Flying Ships took off.
They arrived over a vast, boundless ocean.
Here, there was only a single, tiny island. It was just a few meters across, completely empty, without even a blade of grass—nothing but sand.
They were surrounded by Flying Ships.
And not just from the Taiqing Sacred Land.
Qi Wansheng went to negotiate with the other parties.
A short while after the negotiations, an enormous entrance to a Secret Realm appeared.
Su Qing stared, stunned. ’There’s a Pocket World here, too?’
’Why haven’t I seen any of them collect this Pocket World?’
’Could it be they look down on the Spiritual Qi it produces?’
’That’s unlikely.’
’A Pocket World is a treasure.’
’I’m afraid the Pocket World within is different from the ones I’m familiar with.’
"Everyone, you may enter." At the word of the leaders from the various powers, countless Cultivators flooded into the Secret Realm.
Su Qianyou went in as well.
Su Qing wasn’t the least bit worried.
Now, only five people remained on the scene, including Su Qing.
Three men and two women, all of them powerful cultivators at the Ninth Realm.
A young man with handsome features and a scholarly air approached the Taiqing Sacred Land’s Flying Ship.
"I presume you are the renowned Su Dan Sheng. With your power alone, you’ve cut off twenty percent of the Elixirs our Holy Medicine Palace supplies to the Taiqing Sacred Land."
Though his words sounded like praise, his meaning was clear: ’You, Su Qing, have made an enemy of my Holy Medicine Palace.’
’Stealing someone’s livelihood is sometimes akin to murdering their parents—an unforgivable feud.’
Su Qing smirked. "The Holy Medicine Palace? Are you that impressive? The fact that I could take your business just by refining Seventh Grade Elixirs proves that your Holy Medicine Palace still has a long way to go."
Before the man could even respond, Su Qing let a sliver of his power leak out, revealing a strength at the Ninth Realm.
This left the other three powerful cultivators slightly astonished.
...