DNDAS

Chapter 44: Spiritual Essence

Zhang Ke watched dazedly as Song Yu and Fu Li blew human figures into being. The mass of 'Fu Li, Song Yu, and Zhang Ke' figures morphed into green smoke and drifted out the window. Zhang Ke nearly tumbled down the hotel's bed. Were all great yao so powerful?

"No worries, they're similar to doppelgangers; all the things they've done will become part of our memories when they're back," Fu Li explained, thinking that Zhang Ke was worried about their work. "They act on our will, so it's equivalent to us completing the task personally."

"Fu ge, it'll have been good if I'd known you during high school," That way, he could have his doppelganger attend class while he slept in. He wouldn't have to do homework and practice magic at night either; that would practically be a beautiful paradise.

"Your cultivation base is too weak, forget about relying on it as a shortcut," Song Yu exposed him without the slightest shred of mercy. "Although you can't be faulted either. The human cultivators nowadays are all very weak."

"Oh," Zhang Ke's expression was indifferent.

The Suanyu was willing to ingratiate himself to Fu ge, but had never been tactful when conversing with anyone else. However, their social structure was based on strength, so he chose to accept it with a smile.

Coming to terms with this, he adopted a positive attitude and changed the topic. "Then what will we do now?" Were they just going to remain in the hotel and wait for the doppelgangers to finish registering the cultivators in Sichuan before heading to the other provinces?

"I have some personal things I would like to do, would you like to tag along?" Fu Li asked Zhang Ke, a broad smile on his face.

"Sure, sure," Zhang Ke nodded repeatedly.

He was young after all; he would have a stronger sense of curiosity.

Fu Li carried Zhang Ke and flew to the top of a tall mountain. Trembling, Zhang Ke wrapped both arms around himself. Stepping on the snow beneath his shoes, he dared not move recklessly. All of a sudden, the winds grew turbulent, and the clouds in the sky seemed to turn into an immense vortex. There was a sense of terror that the sky was on the brink of collapsing.

"S-Suanyu..."

"Call me Song ge."

"Song ge," Zhang Ke tugged on Song Yu's sleeve and watched Fu Li, who was flying in the sky. His voice shook. "What does Fu ge want to do?"

"I think he wants to gather the mountain's spiritual essence. What does he want with something meant for amusing children?" Song Yu was confused. To yao cultivators, this sort of spiritual essence was akin to the milk favored by little children. Fu Li was nearly four thousand years old, had he still not been weaned off it?

"What is s-spiritual essence?" Zhang Ke's teeth chattered nonstop. Only after sticking multiple talismans on his body did the shivers ease.

"It's a spiritual liquid produced only after a mountain with spiritual qi undergoes a thousand years of change. It congeals after a thousand years and then becomes a stalactite if its not taken by anyone within a hundred years," Song Yu observed that Fu Li's movements weren't practiced despite the fact that he had sufficient cultivation and was using the right method. From this, he could tell that Fu Li had never done such a thing in the past.

"Will it still have any use if it becomes a stalactite?" Zhang Ke felt that something that only formed after a thousand years had to be very impressive. It would be quite a pity if no one took it.

"The fruit produced by a tree becomes dry and bitter if they aren't plucked. Do you think those have any use?" Song Yu clicked his tongue. "Things past their expiration date are completely useless."