Chapter 497: Nine Fishery Treatise on Talent

Hehuan Sect, the Ancestral Master's Grotto-Heaven.

In the windowless, enclosed chamber, on the soft couch where Master Mei Zu often reclined to rest.

Xu Xing sat with his eyes closed in quiet meditation.

He had previously discussed the matter of the "Dao Wang" with Master Mei Zu, but the harvest had been ordinary…

So he prepared to calm his mind and think it through carefully on his own.

Along the way, he would also sort through what the Sword-Intent Spirit Body had seen, and synthesize the conditions of the other worlds within the Chaotic Sea.

Wasn't this for picking worlds of suitable energy levels for the Ascension Envoys?

Golden Core, Nascent Soul, or even Soul Transformation level worlds were easy enough to speak of—worlds of that energy level were everywhere, and finding suitable ones wasn't difficult.

But worlds at the Return-to-Void energy level were different. Setting aside how few there were, what mattered more was that some worlds didn't even have a human race at all.

Precisely because of this, finding at least seven suitable Return-to-Void energy level tempering worlds was truly no easy task…

And because Master Mei Zu's place didn't have a quiet room specifically for seated cultivation, he could only make do here.

According to her reasoning.

Once cultivation reached their level, why bother with outward form—why care about where one happened to be?

So when she first established this Ancestral Master's Grotto-Heaven, she had never once considered putting such things in.

emm…

Of course, there was a certain logic to that.

It was just that, throughout his cultivation to date, Xu Xing had grown accustomed to thinking in relatively quiet spaces.

……

……

Meanwhile.

In another side hall of the Ancestral Master's Grotto-Heaven.

A thoroughly modern decor style, warm yellow light filling every corner.

Before a computer leaning against the wall, Master Mei Zu sat cross-legged on a wide chair; the computer screen displayed rows upon rows of rubber-duck emoji packs she had just finished making not long ago.

But at this moment she wasn't looking at the screen—she was looking at the Mysterious Light Water Mirror, which sat a little higher than the screen and shimmered with rippling light.

In the water mirror was a woman with an expressionless face and ear-length short hair, her eyes utterly unruffled, gazing calmly at her.

Ji Yin Xue.

Still seated behind a small table.

Upon it sat an incense burner, a desk lamp, and the four treasures of the study—paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.

On the paper spread out before Ji Yin Xue, dense lines of tiny, neat characters were written—perfectly aligned, pleasing to the eye at a single glance.

As an exceedingly rigid and upright person.

Every time she contacted her master, she would choose this location; for all these years it had never changed.

"Yin Xue, why do you suddenly have time to contact your master today?"

As she spoke, she also tilted the water mirror's angle up slightly, to avoid her own disciple finding fault again.

"In three days, this disciple will be able to hand over the procedures and return to the sect."

"…" Master Mei Zu blinked, "Well that's good. It's been so many years since we last met—your master actually misses you quite a bit too."

"But hadn't this matter already been discussed before? You wouldn't contact your master specifically just to say it all over again, would you?"

If it were someone else's disciple, it might be possible, but she knew perfectly well what temperament her own disciple had.

"Senior Xiang Jianzong should have already arrived at the sect by now, correct?"

"Mhm, mhm." Master Mei Zu tilted the water mirror down a little more, "Your master even specially changed into a different style to go out and greet him. Does it look good?"

"It looks good." Ji Yin Xue's tone remained utterly calm.

Anyone else hearing it would probably think she was brushing her off.

"But the pattern on the cuff should have one more line, symmetrical with the existing pattern—that would be better…"

Hearing this, Master Mei Zu hurriedly tilted the water mirror's angle back up again, and interrupted:

"Let's get to the main business quickly—your master still has to dual-cultivate with your Senior Xiang Jianzong later…"

As she spoke, she put on a bashful expression.

"Master, you may deceive yourself if you wish, but please don't deceive me." Ji Yin Xue's face remained expressionless.

Then, she went straight to the reason she had contacted her.

"During this large-scale Cang Clan attack, this disciple, together with the other Garrison Envoys, captured alive a human who had once defected."

"Oh?" Master Mei Zu was somewhat surprised.

One had to know that defecting humans were not easy to catch.

To seal off information about the other shore of the starry sky, those Cang Clan would have the Dao Soldiers and Strange Beasts controlled by defecting humans send them straight back to the other shore of the starry sky the instant they collapsed.

Added to which, the Dongzhen Cang Clan would all guard with strict vigilance, so after all these years, only a handful had ever been captured.

"Who was caught?"

"Yi Feng."

"The one from the Xiang Jianzong?"

"Mm."

"emm…" Master Mei Zu paused briefly in thought, "Then this haul is indeed passable."

Defecting humans who fled to the Cang Clan were not treated as equals by those Cang Clan, nor even by other defecting humans, after crossing to the other shore of the starry sky.

Depending on their realm and their status before defecting, the treatment they received also differed.

Those captured previously had all been marginal small fry, and the information they knew was quite limited.

But Yi Feng is different.

According to the memories of those traitorous humans previously captured.

Someone like him, born in the Xian Sect, possessing extraordinary innate talent and having completed bloodline transformation, is truly a "core"!

"The Xiang Jianzong's Sheng Ji has suffered heavy injuries and will return to the Xiang Jianzong to recuperate; he will bring Yi Feng along to be imprisoned there."

"Oh oh." Master Mei Zu nodded slightly. "And besides that?"

This matter, while acceptable, shouldn't have prompted Ji Yin Xue to personally contact her at this moment—after all, they're returning to the sect in three days.

"Jie Ye has already come. After this matter, he plans to return and meet with the Xiang Jianzong."

Ji Yin Xue carefully folded the sheet of paper covered in writing and placed it aside: "Earlier, Master, you said the Xiang Jianzong should be arriving at the sect soon, so I'm letting you know."

"Jie Ye…? He's coming to the Hehuan Sect?"

"No, Jie Ye said he'll go to see the Xiang Jianzong only after the Xiang Jianzong returns to the sect."

That's more like it!

Though they're contemporaries, she truly doesn't know this person well.

emm…

Or rather,

"Alright, alright, your master knows. Be careful on your way back to the sect."

"Yes, disciple will be cautious."

Saying this, Ji Yin Xue rose from the small table and bowed respectfully to Master Mei Zu.

"Then disciple will end the connection."

"Fine, fine, fine! We'll chat again when you return."

With those words, the suspended Xuan Guang Water Mirror dissolved, transforming into a small droplet that fell precisely into the cup.

The rosy aura swirling at the cup's rim trembled slightly, releasing faint, crisp notes of wine fragrance.

Master Mei Zu gazed at the computer screen before her, where rows of yellow duck emoji packs filled the display.

"These are sufficient for now."

Satisfied, she closed the current interface.

When little Yin Xue returns, I'll get her to help me too!

This thought didn't come out of nowhere.

Just before speaking with little Yin Xue, while chatting with her Dao-brother, they mentioned how she and the Sword Sovereign often exchanged emoji battles.

She learned that the Sword Sovereign's emoji packs weren't made by her alone—sometimes she even had her two disciples help create them…

As if no one else had disciples!

Thinking this, she jumped off her chair and walked barefoot toward the previous room.

She needed to check on how Dao-brother was doing.

…

…

Starry sky, Southern Star Region.

Somewhere along Interstellar Route #1457 of the Fuyao Star System.

The starship floated silently in the dark, profound expanse of space.

Inside the starship, at the control room.

Chi Chi Chi Chi Jiuyu was clearing her desk, returning used test spiritual items to her storage ring.

During the cooldown period of the jump engine.

After eating something, she resumed testing her innate talent in other cultivation professions, using the "Guide to the Hundred Arts of Cultivation."

After spending over ten hours, she finally tested all the more traditional cultivation professions—spirit refining, divination, and so on.

As for the results… they were all much like her earlier result for artifact forging: a little talent, but only a little.

Though not as absurdly lacking as her array talent, it was impossible to make a living from any of these.

"Yu Yu~ Master!"

The emerald-gold longsword circled Chi Chi Chi Chi Jiuyu, its youthful voice tinged with concern.

She feared her master couldn't bear the blow…

"Don't worry!" Chi Chi Chi Chi Jiuyu, however, wore an unconcerned expression and declared confidently, "The results are exactly as we predicted!"

Huh?!

The emerald-gold longsword was utterly shocked.

Has her master truly broken under the blow? Has her already abnormal mind gone mad?!

Chi Chi Chi Chi Jiuyu continued: "Your master is the number one prodigy of the myriad worlds, walking at the forefront of the new era—it's perfectly normal that I don't suit these traditional cultivation professions!"

She spoke with conviction.

"I tested these traditional cultivation professions first precisely to verify my theory."

"Look, the results match my expectations exactly!"

"The old-era Hundred Arts of Cultivation cannot carry me—the number one prodigy of the myriad worlds!"

The more she spoke, the more certain her tone became.

The emerald-gold longsword: "…"

As a sword that had been trained since the moment it gained sentience, her cultural knowledge was far from low.

Every cultivation profession that has endured to this day has continuously evolved.

Alchemy and artifact forging, two of the oldest professions among the Hundred Arts, are now more prosperous than ever.

But the Master has always been an optimistic soul; it's only natural for her to think so!

And perhaps, as the Master says, she is truly better suited for the new profession of this new era!

"Yu Yu~ Master! Test! First place!"

The long sword hummed, encouraging its own Master to continue testing.

Chi Chi Chi Chi Jiuyu suddenly changed the subject: "No rush! I'm already tired from so many tests."

"Besides, the jump engine is almost done cooling down—I still have a mission to attend to; I need to review the mission data again to reinforce it."

The emerald-gold long sword fell silent.

Not testing anymore?

Didn't the Master always think this mission was boring?

And with a Soul Transformation cultivator's memory, wouldn't those details be fully memorized after just one look?

"Alright, go restore your state quickly—southern star region isn't safe these days; you might run into trouble any moment…"

Though still doubtful, the emerald-gold long sword, under Chi Chi Chi Chi Jiuyu's persistent urging, returned to the Shadow Secret Realm to be nurtured.

Huh~!

Seeing her soul blade return to the Secret Realm, she exhaled softly and pulled the crystal card from the desktop interface. (End of Chapter)