166: Weird fate

Chapter 165: Eccentric Fate

Returning to White Jade Capital, Zheng Yi was still pondering the reason why the number of humans with Spiritual Roots in the Spirit Pool World was several times that of the Great Yu world.

Indeed.

Whether ordinary people possessed Spiritual Roots had any relation to the abundance of Spiritual Qi in the world they lived in, Zheng Yi did not know.

But... the proportion of Mortals with Spiritual Roots in the Spirit Pool World was simply too high!

In the Great Yu world, fewer than one in ten thousand Mortals possessed Spiritual Roots.

He had launched a recruitment of palace maids in the areas surrounding the capital, searching among hundreds of thousands of people to find over five hundred talented, intelligent, and beautiful maidens. Among them, only two possessed Spiritual Roots.

Yuechan and Zhuang Yuheng.

Within the entire imperial palace, the only ones with Spiritual Roots were Consort Cui, Chen Liancang, Dongyun Jie, and Dongyun Yu—four people in total.

His own Spiritual Roots were obtained from Consort Cui, Yuechan, and Zhuang Yuheng.

As for his ten daughters, he had only tested the first five princesses from the eldest to the fifth, two of whom possessed Spiritual Roots.

The remaining five had not yet been tested.

In other words, counting every single person in the entire imperial palace, there were only nine people with Spiritual Roots.

What about the Spirit Pool World, then...

He recalled that the last time he entered the Spirit Pool World, in Grade Yi Spirit Pool No. 7, there were intermittently three to four thousand children living inside.

Most children without Spiritual Roots would be sent away in advance.

Those with Spiritual Roots would stay in the Spirit Pool to Cultivate until they were twelve years old, and then be given to the various Yao Race for consumption.

But even so, Zheng Yi clearly remembered that back in Grade Yi Spirit Pool No. 7, the number of children who could stay and Cultivate until the age of twelve was well over a hundred!

Having lived in Grade Yi Spirit Pool No. 7 for twelve years, more than a hundred people had Spiritual Roots!

What kind of concept was this?

Inside the Yao Race Spirit Pool, where did so many children with Spiritual Roots come from?

Were they born with them?

Or could it be... that the Yao Race had some method to mass-produce Spiritual Roots?

Thinking of this, Zheng Yi could not help but become even more excited.

If he could acquire this method of mass-producing Spiritual Roots, or uncover this secret.

It is decided!

The next time he entered the Spirit Pool World, he would find a way to uncover this secret.

There was no need to blindly chase after Liu Linger.

"Before entering the Spirit Pool, I still have some matters to resolve."

Zheng Yi murmured, "Every closed-door cultivation session takes at least twelve days. Since that is the case, then..."

He took out a writing brush and imperial decree paper from the bookshelf, and began to copy down the Yellow Springs Scripture from the Jade Slip based on his memory.

Of course, it was only the Qi Training Chapter.

He planned to give the Yellow Springs Scripture to Chen Liancang to Cultivate. If possible, he could also have him secretly search for those endowed with Spiritual Roots among the Shadow Guard, and Cultivate under the premise of absolute loyalty!

Soon, as the sky began to brighten, Zheng Yi stopped his hand.

"Old Chen."

"Your Majesty, this old servant is here."

Zheng Yi placed the two sheets of paper in front of Chen Liancang and said, "I have two Cultivation Techniques here. See which one you choose."

"Whichever book Your Majesty tells this old servant to Cultivate, this old servant will Cultivate."

"Hahaha, you slick old ghost."

Zheng Yi laughed, casually tossing the two cultivation manuals to Chen Liancang.

"Take them both, and decide carefully."

"Also, ask Consort Cui for a few Spiritual Detection Talismans, and test the Shadow Guard as much as possible to see if anyone possesses Spiritual Roots."

Zheng Yi instructed, "If there are any, once their loyalty is confirmed, the Cultivation Techniques can be bestowed upon them in batches."

"This old servant obeys the decree!"

After Chen Liancang withdrew, Zheng Yi summoned Liu Chengen.

"Your Majesty."

"Where has Xu Xuanwu been escorted to?"

Liu Chengen replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, Xu Xuanwu is being escorted by Lords Chen Zhong and Chen Yi. According to the latest news, he has already entered Jing Province and should return to the capital in about half a month."

"Half a month, huh..."

Zheng Yi murmured; that would be enough.

"I am going into closed-door cultivation, so affairs of the court will be left to the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Cabinet to handle."

"Understood!"

"As for military affairs, proceed according to the plan previously discussed with the Grand General."

"Understood!"

"Dismissed~"

Liu Chengen left, and Zheng Yi closed his eyes.

Currently, he possessed three Cultivation Techniques.

The Great Five Elements Life and Death Scripture, Yellow Springs Scripture, and Spirit Eating Art.

Among them, he planned to Cultivate the Great Five Elements Life and Death Scripture himself, although his current Spiritual Root Aptitude was only four Spiritual Roots, lacking the Fire Attribute Spiritual Root.

But he believed that as long as he found a woman with a Fire Attribute Spiritual Root, he could immediately acquire a Fire Attribute Spiritual Root.

As for the Yellow Springs Scripture, it was to be given to Chen Liancang and other Shadow Guard members who possessed Spiritual Roots to Cultivate.

This technique belonged to the Yin attribute, making it very suitable for eunuchs to Cultivate.

Moreover, he held all the contents of the Yellow Springs Scripture from the Qi Training Chapter all the way to the Nascent Soul Chapter. Cultivators practicing this technique must be loyal to him and work for him if they wanted to obtain subsequent chapters.

In this way, he could control these Shadow Guards under his command.

As for the Spirit Eating Art, Zheng Yi did not plan to Cultivate it himself; he would still give it to his subordinates.

After all, it only had the Qi Training Chapter.

Furthermore, this technique originated from the Spirit Pool World and was given by the Yao Race to the farmed Human Race for cultivation. He did not know if there was anything fishy about it, nor would he risk himself personally.

The problem now was... Princess Yao and Zheng Yuhuan, his two daughters, did not have Cultivation Techniques.

But there was no rush.

His two daughters were only around five years old now and still young; it would not be too late to find suitable Cultivation Techniques for them in a few years.

Right now, Zheng Yi's task was to enter the Spirit Pool World and try to find out why the Human Race in the Spirit Pool World possessed so many Spiritual Roots.

Zheng Yi's spirit grew steady, and soon he contacted the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror.

Starlight remained as before. The moment he touched the star representing the Spirit Pool World, his entire spirit was once again sucked into it.

After a few breaths, he reappeared in an empty space resembling chaotic clouds.

In a daze, he once again discovered dozens of different 'Auras' swirling densely before him.

Some of these auras were golden, some purple, some blue, and others white.

"This is..."

Only then did Zheng Yi recall that when he first entered the Spirit Pool World, he seemed to have also touched these mists.

What he touched back then were three white auras!

Mortal Rank Fate: Permafrost. After death, the corpse enters a frozen state and remains uncorrupted for a thousand years.

Mortal Rank Fate: Directionally Challenged. You are directionally challenged and can get lost even walking during the day.

Mortal Rank Fate: Little Strong. Extremely tenacious vitality, not easily killed.

"Fate?"

Zheng Yi murmured, his eyes flickering as if recalling something.

"The last time I entered the Spirit Pool World, I fused with these three auras, which were three Mortal Rank Fates."

"Among them, Permafrost and Little Strong had no effect at all... Only Directionally Challenged took effect, causing me to get lost in the Spirit Pool World, and subsequently walk to the edge of the Spirit Pool, where I ran into the hidden demons and monsters!"

"Could it be... these mists of different colors represent Fates of different strengths?"

"The white aura is the most ordinary, and the fate is also the trashiest."

"And these blue, purple, golden ones... do they represent stronger fates?"

Zheng Yi's eyes grew increasingly bright: "In other words, these fates are actually the 'Golden Fingers' in my Illusory Truth World!"

"The stronger the fate chosen, the stronger my strength and potential in the Illusory Truth World will be!"

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and immediately rushed toward the furthest golden aura.

To successfully survive the Spirit Pool World, of course he had to acquire the strongest fate!

Right at this moment, the auras on his body churned, and the three auras he had chosen last time actually floated out as well.

Zheng Yi immediately noticed this and quickly understood something.

"Every time a fate is acquired, the fate acquired last time is also reset, and then re-chosen?"

Although he was thinking this in his heart, his physical movements did not stop.

By a careless slip, he actually re-absorbed one of the white auras back into his body.

"Damn it! It's white aura again..."

Zheng Yi frowned. The three Mortal Rank Fates last time were useless; he hoped he wouldn't run into Directionally Challenged or Permafrost again.

With a mental stir, he discovered that the white aura absorbed by him was startlingly the Mortal Rank Fate, Little Strong!

"Little Strong? Still somewhat useful..."

He rushed toward the distant golden aura again, but there were simply too many white auras blocking the way, and he accidentally touched another one.

Damn it!

Zheng Yi cursed inwardly, immediately executing his movement technique to whip up a clear breeze from flat ground, actually blowing away the three white auras about to touch him.

His figure moved forward again, but another aura accidentally brushed against his side.

Blue?

Zheng Yi let out a long sigh. Forget it, blue is always better than white; it'll have to do.

The phantom of the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror appeared before his eyes once more, and lines of text appeared within it.

Mortal Rank Fate: Little Strong. Extremely tenacious vitality, not easily killed.

Mortal Rank Fate: Premature Aging. Your body is extremely weak before the age of ten, and the probability of accidental death such as dying of illness or falling is greatly increased.

Yellow Rank Fate: Heavens Wrath and Human Complaint. Upon death, you will randomly experience underworld tortures such as the Mountain of Knives, Sea of Fire, Oil Cauldron, Tongue Ripping, Insect Devouring, Lingchi, Steamer, and Sawing. The intensified pain will act upon your own Soul, and your own pain and resentment can cause drastic changes in the surrounding heavenly phenomena.

"Eh?"

Looking at these two newly acquired fates, especially the Yellow Rank Fate acquired first, the corners of Zheng Yi's mouth twitched slightly.

What kind of nonsense is this.

Premature Aging?

Could die prematurely before the age of ten?

And Heavens Wrath and Human Complaint?

What heinous crime did I bloody commit to be subjected to all sorts of punishments in the eighteen layers of the underworld after dying?

Zheng Yi shook his head; it was the only way.

At worst, he could start over.

Anyway, he still had over five thousand years of lifespan left, which was enough for him to enter the Spirit Pool World hundreds of times.

He refused to believe he couldn't conquer a mere Spirit Pool World!

Endless rays of light flashed before his eyes again, and his spirit was quickly sucked into a colorful passage, soon disappearing.

In an instant, his spirit once again became hazy and muzzy, just like a dream, unable to freely control himself.

Not knowing how much time had passed, when he opened his eyes, he found himself being held by a familiar figure.

That is...

Wang Momo?!

Zheng Yi gave a sudden start and looked down.

Right now, he was still in the appearance of a little baby.

And the Wang Momo before him was still as kind-faced and young as last time.

He was back again.

Moreover, it was still the exact same time point as his birth last time.

Time reset?

Or... every time he entered the Spirit Pool World, was it a fixed time point?

Just as this thought popped into Zheng Yi's mind, his entire being grew hazy again, held by this world's mother as a warm mass was stuffed into his mouth.

"Wuwawawa..."

In a daze, a thought suddenly popped into Zheng Yi's heart.

"Turns out... every time I enter the Spirit Pool World, it is at a fixed time point."

"Illusory Truth, Illusory Truth, this world really is fake...!"