Chapter 427: Mentorship Gift Pack, Creation of the Void Straw Man

Killing another practitioner of the Primordial Grass Figure technique could mend soul defects and lead one to the demigod realm? Was this the reason why Zuo Qiyu was betrayed by his disciple?

After Emperor Five Poisons revealed this secret, Zhao Xing was initially somewhat shocked. However, he quickly regained his composure. The Self faction, after all, had seen stranger things; this was just another one. He and Old Liu had even engaged in a great Dao dispute when they first entered Shangluo for the first time.

The Primordial Grass Figure technique was incredibly potent; it could even block others' grass figure spells, and Zuo Qiyu could even prevent others from progressing at the very source of the Dao. His disciples, upon seeing a chance to mend their defects, would naturally be driven to madness.

Emperor Five Poisons explained that Zuo Qiyu had passed the technique to him due to an agreement with Emperor Red Star and Gu Luohe. He noted that Zuo Qiyu had a cold demeanor when he advised him not to regret it, likely prepared for yet another 'master-killer' to emerge. In Zuo Qiyu's view, it would be better not to involve emotions or karma from the start.

After hearing Emperor Five Poisons' words and recalling Zuo Qiyu's words and expressions at the time, Zhao Xing finally understood. He wondered if he himself were to truly cultivate to the Reincarnation Emperor Realm, and Zuo Qiyu's true spirit reached its limit, would Zuo Qiyu also be tempted to test the rumors and kill a disciple to attain the Dao?

"Don't worry," Emperor Five Poisons reassured him. "Zuo Qiyu hadn't managed to kill that traitor back then, nor had the traitor killed him. You can relax about this; there aren't many instances of such infighting."

"Master, we don't have this kind of situation, do we?" Zhao Xing hadn't even considered such a possibility, but as soon as Emperor Five Poisons offered comfort, he couldn't help but ask.

"No," Emperor Five Poisons replied with a benevolent smile. "While our Self faction has its share of strange practices, Zuo Qiyu's technique is the only instance where the cultivation method itself is so extreme. At most, I just make my disciples act as test subjects or experimental assistants, which can be a bit strenuous for them."

Zhao Xing was speechless, watching Emperor Five Poisons who had almost spilled the beans. Fortunately, he had been well aware of Emperor Five Poisons' eccentricities before becoming his disciple. Under Emperor Five Poisons, it was inevitable for disciples to test poisons on themselves. From a spell category perspective, the Farmer profession itself possessed a type of identification skill that required self-experimentation with poisons, such as the Body-Melting Identification method from the era of the Xuanhuang Realm.

To determine the effects of an unfamiliar native species, one could cut off a small portion and taste it personally for a more detailed understanding. However, this spell skill was quite punishing; many Farmer players were terribly poisoned. Some even self-deprecatingly joked that the ultimate fate of a Divine Farmer was to die on the path of tasting poisons. All in all, Emperor Five Poisons merely enjoyed using his disciples to test poisons, which Zhao Xing did not consider particularly extreme.

"Disciple, now that you have officially become my protégé," Emperor Five Poisons said casually, "I don't have anything else to give you. Directly gifting points is not allowed in the Primordial Realm, so I will give you an Origin Divine Weapon and an Emperor-tier seedling instead."

"What?" Zhao Xing was startled, then asked in pleasant surprise, "Master, is that true?"

Emperor Five Poisons feigned displeasure. "Would your master possibly deceive you?"

"Thank you, Master!" Zhao Xing was almost moved to tears. It truly hadn't been easy. Since entering the Primordial Realm, he had apprenticed twice. Gu Luohe, acting on Old Qing's request, merely considered it a task and offered nothing. Zuo Qiyu, his 'teacher,' was even worse; he had spent a millennium passing the TaiXu Pass only to find that Zuo Qiyu could not be relied upon, and might even become an adversary in the future.

Now, having apprenticed to Emperor Five Poisons, his new master immediately bestowed generous gifts. The apprenticeship gift package was incredibly substantial: an Origin Divine Weapon and an Emperor-tier seed, items that even ordinary Reincarnation Realm cultivators might not possess. It truly moved Master Zhao almost to tears.

Emperor Five Poisons was very pleased with Zhao Xing's expression. He believed that the master-disciple bond was cultivated by the master first nurturing the disciple, and the disciple later showing filial respect, thus creating a reciprocal relationship. Origin Divine Weapons and higher-tier Reincarnation Dao Weapons were crafted from non-renewable materials. While Zhao Xing could not currently wield Reincarnation Dao Weapons, an evolving Origin Divine Weapon could be nurtured now, and the Emperor-tier seed could be cultivated as a seedling. What Emperor Five Poisons had given was enough for Zhao Xing to use until he reached the Life-Death Dao Domain realm. After that, it would depend on the disciple's fortune whether he could comprehend life and death and enter the Reincarnation Realm.

With a flick of his hand, Emperor Five Poisons sent a world ring flying toward Zhao Xing. "The items are inside," he said. "You are intelligent, so I don't need to explain how to use them. You have too much to absorb right now, so you don't need to visit often; once every hundred years is sufficient. Once you become a Coral-tier member, your master will guide you in formal cultivation."

Zhao Xing respectfully accepted the world ring. Weapons were categorized into Boundary Star, Lunar, Solar, Origin, Reincarnation, and Divine Artifact tiers. This ring, a top-tier Solar Dao Weapon, demonstrated Emperor Five Poisons' immense generosity; even a world ring casually given was a valuable item.

"Thank you, Master. Your disciple will not forget your instructions, will diligently cultivate, and strive to become a Coral-tier member as soon as possible."

Emperor Five Poisons nodded in satisfaction. "The empire is about to make a major move," he said, "and the Primordial Realm will inevitably be involved. A grand event will also occur then. The sooner you become a Coral-tier member, the sooner your master can bring you along to get a share of the benefits. If you are too slow, it will be difficult for your master to arrange things. Go now, and become a Coral-tier member as soon as possible."

"Yes," Zhao Xing replied. He didn't ask further questions, understanding that since Emperor Five Poisons hadn't elaborated, it meant he couldn't be told yet.

In the Sophora Willow Courtyard of Algae City, Zhao Xing returned to his cultivation chamber and sat cross-legged, calming his mind. He had gained too much that day; first, he had acquired the precious TaiXu Grass Figure technique from Zuo Qiyu, and then Emperor Five Poisons had also given him a generous gift package.

"After 1558 years in the Primordial Realm, only today has my path truly broadened!" Zhao Xing sighed with emotion, then picked up the world ring. Space storage equipment like Qiankun rings came in many types, some purely for storage and others multi-functional. For example, the Evasion Soul Ring left by Immortal Su, a top-tier Boundary Star Dao Weapon, could not only store items but also conceal souls and facilitate evasion. There was also the external space Dao Weapon, Grand View Realm, which could manifest an oasis. The world ring was also multi-functional.

"A world ring, a top-tier Solar Dao Weapon." Zhao Xing picked up the ring; its surface was red and blue, and its band was pale gold. As his spiritual sense entered it, he immediately found himself in a vast world. Inside, there was a vast and vibrant land, with a Solar Star in the east and a Lunar Star in the west. These were top-tier Yin-Yang twin star fragments, cut from the origins of top-tier Solar and Lunar bodies, forming a binary star system within the space. The land had a radius of 1.25 billion kilometers, and its soil composition, spirit mountains, spiritual energy rivers, and lakes were all meticulously crafted according to formation diagrams. An internally stable spiritual energy space at this level was already capable of accommodating life.

A Farmer's origin space could still not house living beings; it required reaching the Reincarnation Realm for the origin space to transform into an inner world. However, the world ring already possessed this capability.

"Not only was the space vast and the spiritual energy high, but the Four-Pillar Mountains beneath the continent were actually four legs of the Mysterious Void Divine Tortoise. Impressive." The Mysterious Void Divine Tortoise and the Four-Pillar Mountains, combined with the Great Earth Formation, could amplify the Self faction Farmers' World Law. With the amplification from this ring, Zhao Xing's great divine ability, Yin-Yang Divide, could even open his origin space before a Life-Death Dao Domain realm cultivator.

After putting on the ring, Zhao Xing felt terrifyingly powerful. Of course, the world ring was just an extra perk; the main treasures were the two items suspended in the center of the continent.

"An Origin Divine Weapon, the Golden Cicada Dao Robe?" Zhao Xing arrived at the center of the world ring, where three metallic great trees stood, forming an equilateral triangle. A dense network of lightning threads suspended a pale blue, egg-shaped object in the center of the triangle. Upon closer inspection through the blue light, it resembled the discarded shell of a cicada, though its true color was pale gold. Zhao Xing seemed to experience a hallucination; he saw it still breathing in and out as if alive, distorting the surrounding space as if it could break through the void and fly away at any moment.

"Truly wonderful," Zhao Xing muttered, withdrawing his gaze and sighing with emotion. The Golden Cicada Dao Robe was crafted from a wondrous cosmic species known as the Ancient Dao Golden Cicada. It lived deep within the third layer of the void, the Ancient Dao Layer, and could only be captured in regions at least fifteen ren deep. It was named for its ability to survive in the Ancient Dao Layer. However, this species went extinct before the Desolate Realm era, and there were no living Ancient Dao Golden Cicadas left in the world, thus it was a non-renewable, precious resource.

A robe crafted from it could traverse the Ancient Dao Layer, allowing one to leap into its depths for refuge if encountering powerful enemies. Ordinary Reincarnation Realm cultivators would not be qualified to pursue, Zhao Xing thought to himself. The true bodies of the Self faction were mostly quite vulnerable, and no matter the school of thought, all feared harm to their true body. By wearing the Golden Cicada Dao Robe, his true body could leap into the deep void and escape danger. He could even use this method to exit perilous areas. Emperor Five Poisons had essentially given him a lifeline.

Zhao Xing immediately dripped a drop of heart blood, which passed through the electrical net and landed on the Ancient Dao Golden Cicada. A thump resounded, and a heartbeat immediately emanated from within, gradually synchronizing with Zhao Xing's own. The next moment, the Golden Cicada Dao Robe flew out and enveloped Zhao Xing. A cool sensation spread over him, and Zhao Xing felt as if he could vanish into the void at any moment, and even the world ring couldn't stop him. A Golden Cicada imprint appeared on Zhao Xing's back, its wings flapping, appearing lifelike.

"What amazing craftsmanship; it can actually grow with my strength." The most crucial part of the Golden Cicada Dao Robe was the Golden Cicada imprint on the back, which was actually a Soul Transfer Mechanism crafted by an artificer. The blacksmith had integrated the excavated origin of the Ancient Dao Golden Cicada into the Soul Transfer Mechanism, thereby binding Zhao Xing to this Origin Divine Weapon. If he died, others would not be able to use it; instead, it would be destroyed along with him. As he grew stronger, the origin of the Ancient Dao Golden Cicada would also expand, eventually reaching the quality of a top-grade Origin Divine Weapon.

"It's as if the talent of the Ancient Dao Golden Cicada has been extracted and grafted onto a human cultivator. Originally, I could only reach the third ren of the Dao Manifestation Layer, but thanks to the Golden Cicada Dao Robe's protection, I can now directly enter the first ren of the Ancient Dao Layer." He mused, "However, equipment is equipment, not my innate ability, so during cultivation, I still need to go to the Dao Manifestation Layer for comprehension." With a thought, the robe flowed like liquid, instantly retracting into the Golden Cicada imprint on his back.

His gaze then shifted downward, resting on a small depression where only the sharp tip of a bamboo shoot was visible. "An Emperor-tier combat species seedling, the Seven Realms True Spirit Bamboo," he murmured. "Emperor Five Poisons truly treats me generously." Zhao Xing sighed with emotion once more upon seeing this Emperor-tier combat species.

The Seven Realms True Spirit Bamboo, also known as the 'Reincarnation Bamboo' or 'Transmigration Bamboo,' possessed innate abilities that rivaled Reincarnation-tier secret techniques. It had two main functions: in offense, striking an opponent could directly send them into reincarnation; in defense, it could self-detonate to protect its master by sending them into reincarnation. It could be said that once fully grown, it could be used as a powerful combat species or considered a Reincarnation Dao Weapon. Its only limitation was its range; its reincarnation effect covered a fixed area, approximately between 100,000 and 2 million astronomical units.

He considered that if it were in a desolate region with no life within its range, reincarnation would fail, leading to severe consequences, even complete death. Furthermore, this range was not vast; if a deranged pursuer were to slaughter all life within 2 million astronomical units, reincarnation would still not avert death, merely postpone it, Zhao Xing thought to himself. Nonetheless, its flaws didn't overshadow its merits; the Seven Realms True Spirit Bamboo was still considered a rare treasure among Emperor-tier combat species.

Zhao Xing cut himself again and fed it with his blood. To cultivate the Seven Realms True Spirit Bamboo, it had to be fed with the cultivator's own flesh and blood essence from a young age.

After processing Emperor Five Poisons' two gifts, Zhao Xing immediately exited the world ring. He laid out paper and pen and wrote a letter of gratitude to be sent to Emperor Five Poisons in Five Elements City, expressing his thanks and describing the process of subduing the items. He chose not to use star mirror communication to make it more formal. The words were few and the content simple, but Zhao Xing felt it was very necessary. Relationships, after all, were cultivated through such small details.

"Xinda, please deliver this letter to Five Elements City and give it to Emperor Five Elements," Zhao Xing transmitted to Xinda. "Yes, sir," Xinda replied. After giving the instructions, Zhao Xing began to ponder the jade talisman left by Zuo Qiyu.

"This is the main event," Zhao Xing thought, his eyes blazing. The TaiXu Grass Figure technique was an advanced method of the Great Yang Grass Figure technique. His current Great Yang Grass Figure ability had reached its limit, but if he could master the TaiXu Grass Figure, his abilities would undergo a qualitative leap, making it his most powerful spell.

"Once I master the TaiXu Grass Figure, it will be a major breakthrough, allowing me to surpass others. Even if my Dao field isn't as good as the top ten geniuses, I'll still be able to defeat them." The TaiXu Grass Figure was designed to match the combat power of the Dao Domain realm, but this specific Dao Domain realm corresponded to Ancestor Void! Who was Ancestor Void? He was one of the Five Emperors of the Profound Spirit Starfield, a peerless expert who shone throughout an era, considered invincible in every realm. The TaiXu Grass Figure technique was created based on Ancestor Void during his Dao Domain realm.

"I'll need to dedicate most of my energy to this." Holding the jade talisman, he activated it with a thought. Inside, a large quantity of practice materials provided by Zuo Qiyu, along with cultivation methods imbued with Dao essence, appeared. Regardless of Zuo Qiyu's cold demeanor, he was very meticulous in his dealings. The materials for practicing the grass figure technique were provided free of charge, supplied at regular intervals and in fixed quantities, which was generally sufficient for Zhao Xing's cultivation.

"The TaiXu Grass Figure is very difficult," he thought, "and to master it quickly, I'll have to rely on it to avoid detours!" With a thought, a panel popped up before him, and he began to focus intently on increasing his proficiency.

Time flowed, and cultivation was timeless; in the blink of an eye, over two hundred years had passed. It was now Zhao Xing's 1775th year in the Primordial Realm. In the tranquil Sophora Willow Courtyard in the East District of Algae City, it was a warm spring March.

A hum resonated as a two-meter-tall, predominantly black and gray grass figure flickered into existence in the Sophora Willow Courtyard. Half of its body slowly emerged from the void, its eyes tightly shut. As it fully disengaged from the void, a pair of gray eyes suddenly opened, six wisps of mist swirling to form its pupils. The grass figure's gaze was profound and vast, seemingly encompassing the cosmic void of all things.

On the 12th day of the fourth month of his 1775th year since entering the Primordial Realm, Zhao Xing's first TaiXu Grass Figure was successfully cultivated.

The moment the TaiXu Grass Figure was completed, an extraordinary tremor emanated from the less-than-two-meter-tall grass figure, spreading throughout the void of the entire Primordial Realm. On that day, all Farmers below the Reincarnation Realm across the Primordial Realm were astonished to find their controlled grass figures suddenly disintegrating. No matter how they cast spells, they couldn't make the fallen grass figures rise again, nor could they summon a second one!

Meanwhile, Farmers who were currently cultivating the grass figure technique suddenly saw the back of a man dressed in a dark golden robe appear in their vision.

"What's going on? Why did my grass figure suddenly fall apart?"

"Who is that figure? Am I hallucinating?"

"The grass figure technique suddenly failed, almost crushing me... Who, who did this?!"

"Something strange is happening..."

Waves of bewildered shouts erupted from various parts of the Primordial Realm's void. The entire body of Farmers in the Primordial Realm was in an uproar.