AWB Chapter 28: A Battle of Titans
Chapter 28: A Battle of Titans
Lin Yue and Xiao Hui had some peace and quiet for the past month, but things were really lively on Lao Xiao's side. Many people at the hot pot restaurant were constantly watching Lao Xiao. Lao Xiao lived a very simple life, going between the hot pot restaurant, his company, and his home. Many eyes were fixed on him, but they just watched without taking any further action.
As for Lin Yue and Xiao Hui, after coming down from the mountain, Xiao Hui went home and discussed with Lao Xiao that they planned to go back to Xiao Hui's hometown for a visit. Lin Yue took her three children home and discussed with Gong Yong that they also planned to take their three children back to her parents' home for a visit.
With the remaining month on her hands, Xiaohui kept her child incredibly busy, arranging for her to learn Latin dance, guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither), Chinese dance, and more. Lin Yue, on the other hand, took her three children back to her hometown to visit their grandparents for three or four days. Then she brought the children back and started enrolling them in intensive training classes in swimming, guzheng, tennis, programming, and more. She arranged everything that the two children could participate in, focusing on activities that interested them.
The children's holiday life suddenly became rich and colorful. Xiao Hui's children shuttled between different dance and music classrooms every day. Although it was hard work, their eyes sparkled with a thirst for new knowledge and skills. Lin Yue's children also explored various interest classes with great enthusiasm. The excitement in swimming class, the focus when playing the guzheng, the energy on the tennis court, and the thinking when programming all filled their holiday with the atmosphere of growth and progress.
Lin Yue and Xiao Hui felt incredibly gratified to see the children so actively engaged in learning and cultivating their interests. They hoped that these arrangements would equip the children with more skills and qualities as they grew up, laying a solid foundation for their future development.
During her three or four days visiting her grandfather in her hometown, Lin Yue also experienced a series of wondrous encounters. The remnant soul Xueyang took Lin Yue to witness a breathtaking duel between powerful figures—a duel between Xiao Rizi and a top Taoist priest from the inland region.
The remnant soul Xueyang, carrying Lin Yue's soul, ascended to the high sky, watching the magnificent battle below. Xueyang said to Lin Yue, "I hope you can accelerate your cultivation." Lin Yue asked, "Is there not enough time?" Xueyang replied, "I can't calculate the nature of this world either, but time seems to have sped up." Lin Yue said, "Isn't it said that higher dimensions don't have the concept of time?" Xueyang said, "Time is something that lower dimensions measure against themselves; in reality, higher dimensions are eternal."
Lin Yue listened to the remnant soul Xueyang's words and fell into deep thought. Gazing at the intense battle below, a sense of urgency welled up within her. The Taoists' spells shone brightly, each move containing immense energy and mysterious power. Lin Yue knew that behind this seemingly peaceful world lay countless unknown secrets and challenges.
The passage of time seemed to become even more blurred and uncertain at this moment. She couldn't help but think of her cultivation path, with so many unknowns waiting for her to explore and so many difficulties to overcome. The words of the remnant soul Xueyang rang in her heart like a warning bell.
Back in reality, Lin Yue secretly resolved that no matter what the future held, she would work even harder to cultivate and improve her strength in order to cope with any possible changes.
The old man from the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron said to Lin Yue in her soul, "Lin Yue, you can now use my alchemy furnace to refine some first-grade pills. Whenever you have time, find some spiritual flowers and herbs to refine them."
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "What are you thinking about, old man? Where are there any spiritual flowers and herbs in this world? They've all turned into ordinary crops."
The old man Huoyun Xianding said, "It's better if I use it to refine ordinary crops."
The remnant soul Xueyang asked, "Will ordinary medicines grown from the soil inside the Sumeru Ring transform back into the original spiritual flowers and herbs?"
The old man from the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron said, "The variability is too great. Perhaps this herb is used to detoxify and clear heat in the ordinary world, but with the blessing of spiritual energy in the virtual space, it may evolve into a completely different function. Lin Yue does not have the ability to discern this function at present."
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "His own body hasn't been cultivated to the level of inner and outer vision, so what use is the medicine he refines?"
The old man from the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron said, "We can practice making first-tier pills to help him achieve Foundation Establishment. Isn't she not yet at Foundation Establishment?"
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "Pushing him to the Foundation Establishment stage so quickly isn't good for his health. He finally managed to repair his body."
Old Master Huoyun Xianding said, "There's no time to lose."
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "This body is my body, I am her, and she is me."
The old man from the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron said, "Then let's practice with other pills. What about beauty pills, foundation-building pills, and all sorts of other pills? Let's practice a lot more of those."
"Stop, stop, stop," Lin Yue said. "Stop, stop, stop, you two big shots, stop arguing. I want to say that I don't know anything about alchemy, I don't have any books on it, and I don't have any teachers who can teach me."
The old man, Huoyun Xianding, said, "Do you think I'm dead? Aren't I still here?"
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "Mingyue, the old man should have books and techniques on this subject. Why don't you ask him to teach you?"
The old man Huoyun Xianding said, "Alright, I'll spit out two books for you to study carefully. Once you've thoroughly understood them, we can start practicing."
Lin Yue said, "I'm being watched by all sides now. If you ask me to refine that pill, won't the cultivators on that side go even crazier? I don't have the ability to protect myself yet."
The old man, Huoyun Xianding, said, "You should learn it first. As for whether you can master it, sell it, or give it to others, that's up to you. We'll see how you feel at the time."
Lin Yue was somewhat troubled by the endless debate raging within her soul. On one hand, she was well aware of the immense opportunities and advancements that alchemy could bring; on the other hand, she worried that her own strength was insufficient to handle the potential troubles. However, faced with the insistence of Elder Huoyun Xianlin and the suggestion of the remnant soul Xueyang, she understood that this might be a rare opportunity. Lin Yue secretly resolved to first diligently study alchemy and improve her abilities; as for what to do next, she could only wait and see.
Autumn is a season of harvest, when the outside world is covered in snow and laden with fruit. Lin Yue's Sumeru space is also brimming with fruit, welcoming its own harvest season. All kinds of fruits are ripe, each with its own unique effects. For ordinary people, these fruits are simply delicious and beneficial, cleansing the body of impurities—an effect akin to cleansing the marrow and tendons. But for cultivators, it's a different story. While most fruits are of the wood element, they also contain other attributes. Therefore, the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) are all represented within the fruits, corresponding to the five internal organs of the human body. The type of fruit consumed nourishes the corresponding organ.
As Lin Yueyue studied the ancient texts of Master Huoyun Xianding, she increasingly felt that this was exactly the same as the Eight Principles of Differentiation in modern Traditional Chinese Medicine. "My goodness," she exclaimed, "it's all part of the same system!"
The old man Huoyun Xianding said, "The human body is structured the way it is. No matter how you change it, it won't be the same. It's all about cultivation. Don't cultivators get sick? They do too. Look at that book; it's mainly about cultivators seeking medical treatment."
Lin Yue said, "Why is it for treating cultivators?"
Master Huoyun explained, “It means that there are deviations in the process of cultivation, and the body has problems, so a doctor is needed. What you are learning now is not to treat ordinary people’s illnesses, but to see if a cultivator has made mistakes, gone wrong, or developed problems in the process of cultivation, and needs your help to heal them. These are problems that current medicine cannot solve, but your appearance can solve them.”
Listening to the old man's words, Lin Yue felt both curious and a great sense of responsibility. She knew that the knowledge she was learning was in a realm difficult for ordinary people to access. Thinking about the complex and troublesome physical problems that she might face in the future, she became even more focused on studying the ancient texts, hoping to grasp their essence as soon as possible and provide help to those who encountered difficulties on their cultivation path.
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "There are some highly accomplished Taoist priests around you who can cure diseases that traditional Chinese medicine cannot. This is because their cultivation has reached a certain level, allowing them to see things that ordinary people cannot. Ordinary people can only see less than 5% of the things in this world; 95% of the matter is invisible to our eyes. Do you understand?"
Lin Yue said, "I understand, it's just that what our eyes can see is limited."
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "Yes, when you cultivate to a certain level, your eyes can see the past and future, and even other life forms or objects. What our eyes can see are light-sensitive substances, while so-called dark matter is what may emit black light or not emit any light at all. Look at this starry sky. You see the stars shining brightly, right? The moon has light. But some things are there, they just don't emit light, you can't see them, but you can actually touch them. Some life forms you can't see or touch, that's the concept."
As Lin Yue listened to their words, she tried to imagine those unseen beings in her mind, her heart filled with both curiosity and a sense of awe. She knew that the path of cultivation was long and arduous, but this new knowledge was like a guiding light, attracting her to keep moving forward and exploring.
She looked up at the starry sky, trying to perceive the unknown hidden in the darkness through the twinkling starlight and the bright moonlight. Lin Yue knew that this was just the beginning, and many more mysterious realms awaited her discovery and understanding.
At this moment, she became even more determined to make continuous progress on the path of cultivation, longing to one day truly understand the whole picture of this world, transcend the limitations of the naked eye, and see the truth hidden beneath the surface.
The old man from the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron only said, "The myths in your 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' about moving mountains and overturning seas are things that cultivators can do when they reach a certain level, as can flying on a sword. And what else? The various rare and exotic beasts, rare flowers and herbs that you recorded once existed in this world. So why don't they exist now? Have you ever thought about why they don't exist?"
Lin Yue fell into deep thought, pondering the question the old man had raised. Why had these once-legendary wonders vanished without a trace? Was it due to environmental changes, or some irresistible force?
Perhaps, as time goes by, the rules of the world have changed, no longer suitable for the survival of those rare and exotic animals and plants. Or perhaps, it is human development that has led to the excessive exploitation of nature, destroying the environment on which they depend for survival.
The more Lin Yue thought about it, the more she felt that the reasons behind this were probably extremely complex and could not be determined by a single factor. She looked at the old man, hoping to get more inspiration and answers from him.
"My former master took me to the Elf Kingdom. Actually, some books in your world record that they existed—tiny creatures, about the size of an egg, with wings. But why, why are they practically invisible in this world? My former master also took me to the Giant Kingdom, which was many times larger than modern humans. You are only a little over two meters tall, while they were nearly 20 meters. Where did they go? When I saw the archaeological data on your computer, including giant bones, I wondered where those giants went?"
The old man from Huoyun Xianlin continued, "Actually, your world has shrunk." Lin Yue was a little confused; what did he mean by "shrunk"?
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "It has become smaller, and there are many places where land should exist that are no longer there."
Lin Yue frowned and asked in confusion, "How could this be? Could it be that some great disaster caused the land to disappear, and those strange races perished along with it?"
The old man, Huoyun Xianding, shook his head and said, "The specific reason is hard to know for sure, but the changes in this world are unpredictable and cannot be completely controlled by human power. Perhaps it is a change in the rules of heaven and earth, or perhaps it is the effect of some mysterious force."
Lin Yue fell into deep thought. She imagined the vast world that once existed, rich and colorful, full of magical races, and compared it with the current situation, a strange sense of loss welled up in her heart.
Lin Yue took the initiative to ask, "Old Master Huoyun Xianlin, didn't you say you came from some immortal-demon world, immortal-demon land, immortal-demon battlefield? How do you know about the past of this world and its previous events?"
The old man Huoyunxian smiled slightly and said, "Little girl, the worlds are not entirely unconnected. In the Immortal-Demon Battlefield, I came into contact with many ancient traditions and mysterious ruins, among which there were fragments about this world. Furthermore, when one cultivates to a certain level, one can perceive some information that transcends time and space. Although the past of this world is hidden, it is not entirely without traces."
Lin Yue seemed to understand but not quite, blinking as she continued to ask, "Could you tell me more about those mysterious ruins and ancient traditions?"
Grandpa Huoyun stroked his beard, lost in memories, and slowly said, "Those ruins contain endless secrets and powerful forces. Some can be traced back to ancient times, while others are related to the intersection of different worlds..."