Free Web NovelChapter 342: Chapter 52: Professional Unlocking and the Dragon King Ruins
"Oh, come on, you can’t jinx this! How could I jinx this? I’m a professional commentator, alright? How could a pro commentator misread a situation like this? Contestant Danik’s Magic Power is naturally abundant, and his Fire Magic is absolutely unpredictable. He’s a natural counter to Vivani, an Exorcist who favors defense and lacks offensive power. Plus, his spell resonance is already stacked up. How can he lose? He’d win even if they just traded basic attacks! How could he possibly lose..."
"Oh, what the—Oh! Contestant Danik missed?! How did he miss! Contestant Vivani was just standing right there, she didn’t even move! Danik, what the hell are you even trying to predict?!"
"It’s fine! Missing is no big deal. Neither of them has much Spiritual Power left, and Danik still has the offensive advantage... Go, go, go! Don’t chicken out, just rush her! Vivani won’t be able to stop it!"
"Sigh... His desperate all-in attack was blocked by Holy Shield Technique... Well then, congratulations to contestant Vivani on her comeback victory, securing a spot in the finals of the Europe-America University Joint Exchange Tournament! Commentary for the next match will be handed over to the renowned Cultivator from Zhengguo, Professor Bai Canglang... Ugh, it wasn’t a jinx! How can you call Danik’s miscalculation a jinx? How am I, a commentator, supposed to know he’d whiff a predictive shot like that? I could’ve landed that with my eyes closed... I’m done talking. Let’s just watch the match!"
Whenever an unexpected situation like this occurred during his live commentary, Su Zhou would be struck by the impermanence of the Cosmos and the fickle nature of the world. He would realize that his own power was still far from the level where he could completely see through a battle. ’I’m still not strong enough,’ he would sigh. Then, Su Zhou would go and dedicate himself to Cultivation, striving to improve.
On Earth today, Cultivation was no longer some mysterious, esoteric concept. Every national power was doing its utmost to popularize and spread it to the masses. They even organized official programs and events, using Extraordinary Cultivation as an incredibly effective tool to direct public attention, soothe discontent, redirect aggression, and promote social cohesion.
The widely disseminated Cultivation Techniques were mostly of the balanced and gentle variety—civilian "turtle techniques" that emphasized Defense Power and endurance over offensive capabilities. To learn High Tier, complete offensive Cultivation Techniques, one had to either pass an official screening and application process or attend an Academy.
This way, even if private brawls between Cultivators broke out, it was nearly impossible for them to kill one another, preventing any serious or fatal incidents.
In fact, the popularization of these "turtle techniques" had even led to a decrease in accidental deaths from things like car crashes and falling objects. Crimes like robberies and thefts also became increasingly rare. With Cultivation becoming common for everyone, even a seemingly average office worker likely possessed surprising strength and tough flesh. It was difficult to kill or even threaten them with a knife, and a victim could easily sprint for over ten kilometers, making a successful robbery highly unlikely.
All in all, aside from the common complaint that people were spending more and more money on food, the social climate in the nations of the three major central regions was, surprisingly, continuously improving.
Su Zhou was very satisfied with the current state of affairs. After all, the fewer problems there were, the more time he had to grow.
Today, after finishing his latest commentary assignment, Su Zhou returned to Hongcheng and harvested the three second-generation Wisdom Fruits that had recently grown on his Wisdom Tree.
Ever since Su Zhou had obtained the Yaochi Jade Liquid and the Earth from the Kunlun Secret Realm, the Wisdom Tree had been nourished by these two Spiritual Objects and had undergone another growth spurt. This time, it had grown so large that it could no longer be considered a potted plant by any stretch of the imagination. Su Zhou had no choice but to move it to the backyard of the Shao Family’s old house on the outskirts of the city—the very same place where he had once performed the Orbit to advance his Cultivation.
The three second-generation Wisdom Fruits looked like a cross between an apple and a fig. They were wreathed in a faint, pure-white, flowing radiance, making them look quite extraordinary. After analyzing the state of his Wisdom Tree, Su Zhou also came to understand why the Peach Tree Forest beside the Jade Pool lacked the miraculous effects one would expect.
Meanwhile, the Wisdom Tree Essence Soul was humming a little tune, "La~la~dee-la-la~" It sounded very happy.
’The Wisdom Tree’s existence straddles both the physical world and the Spirit Realm. It is both a Divine Wood in body and an Essence Soul in spirit. The Wisdom Tree Essence Soul lives in my Soul Space, which means that as long as I don’t allow it, even if someone steals the physical tree, its Soul is still with me. They could never make it bear fruit... Tsk, why does that sound so dirty?’
Su Zhou clicked his tongue, now fully understanding the situation with the Peach Tree Forest. ’It’s obvious. The Essence Soul of the Divine Peach Wood was probably taken away by the West Mother Great Venerable. Over thousands of years, the decline of Spiritual Qi erased the original Mark, and then the stimulus of the Spiritual Energy Revival caused the Divine Wood’s physical body to nurture a new Essence Soul. But this new Essence Soul is still very weak. That’s why, despite being a Divine Wood, its fruits are merely excellent, not miraculous.’
The Wisdom Tree, however, had no such problem. Having received a wisp of aura from a Great Being—the Tree of the Great Dao—its Essence Soul and physical body were perfectly compatible. The effects of the second-generation Wisdom Fruits were also excellent. Even though this was the second time both Su Zhou and Shao Qiming had eaten one, they could still feel their Spiritual Energy and wisdom sublimate once more.
’The first bite is fragrant and the texture is crisp, but with just a little chewing, it instantly melts into pure Spiritual Power that lingers between my tongue and teeth.’
As he made his assessment, Su Zhou wore an expression of blissful rapture. It was a long while before he recovered. He then critiqued the Wisdom Fruit’s flavor as if he were a judge on a food show. ’This aroma, a fusion of milk and honey paired with the fresh scent of grass and trees, is a match made in heaven. It seeps into my Soul, causing it to sublimate, as if I were standing amidst the Starry Sky, feeling the vastness of the Cosmos and my own insignificance.’
