Chapter 1 A Bit of a Fortune

After working as a jailer for a while, Ye Chu Xiao had accumulated a bit of a fortune.

Thanks to the selfless contributions of some corrupt officials, Ye Chu Xiao had collected five types of spiritual roots.

In comparison, the previous warden, Xu Biao, had struggled for more than a decade and only managed to obtain a low-grade spiritual root for himself, barely entering the Neng realm (Energy realm), which seemed rather pathetic.

In the end, it was all about lacking the means to control prisoners with real confidence and capital.

The five spiritual roots in Ye Chu Xiao's possession were the Yu Mo Zhu (Jade Ink Bamboo) corresponding to talisman cultivators, the Lei She Guo Shu (Thunder Serpent Fruit Tree) corresponding to law cultivators, the Fei Lin Cao (Flying Fern Grass) corresponding to Qi refiners, the Gui Wen Hua (Ghost Tattoo Flower) corresponding to curse cultivators, and the Yuan Yang Mu (Primal Yang Wood) corresponding to martial cultivators.

Among them, the Lei She Guo Shu was the most valuable, and the Gui Wen Hua was the highest grade.

The Lei She Guo Shu was valuable because spiritual roots required by law cultivators were the most sought-after and in demand, and even a lowest-grade one would be snatched up.

As for the Gui Wen Hua, it was the only spiritual root among the five that reached the middle-low grade.

Among the five spiritual roots, only Yuan Yang Mu and Fei Lin Cao could be used by Ye Chu Xiao now, but he had to choose one.

As for the Yu Mo Zhu… Ye Chu Xiao's talisman cultivation's Bitter Sea had not yet been crossed.

After returning to Da Heng, Ye Chu Xiao's cultivation progress had slowed down considerably.

Although crossing the Bitter Sea of talisman cultivation was easy enough for Ye Chu Xiao, it wasn't that fast.

Each cultivator can only integrate one spiritual root, and once integrated, it is almost impossible to change it.

Therefore, even though Ye Chu Xiao had five spiritual roots, he was still hesitant and wavering, and not in a hurry to enter the Neng realm first.

Some spiritual roots can accommodate multiple attributes, corresponding to multiple types of cultivators.

They help cultivators better master the output and use of energy with multiple tendencies.

However, spiritual roots with multiple attributes are often of middle grade or higher.

The more attributes, the higher the value.

Ye Chu Xiao had crossed the Bitter Sea three times, and spiritual roots with three attributes would at least be of middle-high grade.

It would be even rarer to find one that happened to combine the three attributes of sword cultivator, Qi refiner, and martial cultivator.

If he only integrated a low-grade single-attribute spiritual root, it would be a waste of his previous accumulation.

And although both are entering the Neng realm, drawing and borrowing energy from heaven and earth, the effects of different grades of spiritual roots are vastly different.

If a low-grade spiritual root only borrows the equivalent of a tank of water from the energy of heaven and earth at a time, then a high-grade spiritual root can borrow the equivalent of a small lake in an instant.

Cultivators in the same realm, possessing spiritual roots of different grades, facing each other, no matter how thick the output end's water pipe is, the high-grade spiritual root's storage is here, turning into a turret constantly bombarding, and can also form a crushing situation.

Of course, real combat is not just a matter of firepower output.

Specific problems require specific analysis.

However, having a larger firepower base is undoubtedly more advantageous.

It is also extremely helpful for subsequent cultivation.

In the midst of this difficult choice, Ye Chu Xiao encountered this 'trans界者' (cross-worlder) prisoner. In order to obtain Ye Chu Xiao's help to escape Da Heng, he revealed a 'Spiritual Root Visualization Method' to Ye Chu Xiao.

The focus of this method is to sort out one's own physical condition, and after fully understanding the properties of some spiritual roots, to virtually visualize a non-existent spiritual root as a basis for drawing energy from heaven and earth and entering the Neng realm.

After all, only cultivators who have entered the Neng realm are considered 'real' cultivators.

With a wave of their hand, they have the power to split mountains and break rocks.

Before the Neng realm, all methods consume one's own true Qi accumulation. Even if the accumulation is great, how can it compare to the power of heaven and earth?

Conversely, the purpose of cultivators needing spiritual roots to enter the Neng realm is to imitate, learn, and simulate spiritual roots, and to graft the 'instinct' that originally belonged to the spiritual root into their own instinct.

There are no completely identical spiritual roots in the world, so naturally there are no completely identical methods for borrowing and intercepting the energy of heaven and earth.

Once this essence is understood, the 'Spiritual Root Visualization Method' of creating a virtual spiritual root is actually easy to understand.

It is to summarize an independent set of rules after figuring out the 'instinct' of spiritual roots to absorb energy from heaven and earth, and to transform oneself into a spiritual root, rather than completely copying the instinct of a spiritual root and merging with it.

This kind of method sounds very remarkable at first glance, and worthy of being promoted extensively among cultivator groups.

But the problem is that the cost-effectiveness ratio is not high.

Just as Ye Chu Xiao said, it takes several years to create a low-grade spiritual root. This is because he has good talent, and has been enhanced by Dao rhythm twice, breaking the original bottleneck restrictions.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, it might take more than a decade to condense a low-grade spiritual root.

With this time, it is better to earn some money and buy a ready-made one.

If he wanted to create a high-grade spiritual root, it would take Ye Chu Xiao at least several hundred years with his current calculation and comprehension abilities.

Most cultivators, even martial cultivators who tap into the potential within their bodies, have lifespans that are not much different from ordinary people before entering the Miaojing (Subtle Realm).

For example, martial cultivators have better physical fitness, so they live a dozen or twenty years longer than ordinary people, but there is no fundamental change.

Of course, Ye Chu Xiao has the Strong Life talent and the Nine Deaths Demonic Art, so in theory he can live longer.

But he can't waste hundreds of years!

Strong Life is not immortality.

"That's because you haven't learned the unique spiritual grafting method of my Linggan (Inspiration) Sect. Once you learn this method, you can establish your own cultivation sect and gather disciples to visualize the same spiritual root together, so that you can gather the power of the masses for your own use," the prisoner raised his head, looked at Ye Chu Xiao, and said with a strange smile.

Ye Chu Xiao did not ask eagerly after hearing this.

He did have some expectations for this Spiritual Root Visualization Method, but that didn't mean he was a fool, letting himself be easily deceived.

Ye Chu Xiao had learned from a large number of corrupt officials.

He knew that the secret of spiritual roots lies in their unique 'instinct.' Visualizing a spiritual root together and then turning the power of the masses into one's own power sounded beautiful, but it was full of flaws.

Because once the masses participate, the uniqueness no longer exists.

Even if a so-called high-grade spiritual root is condensed, it will be a 'waste spiritual root' with no practical use.

After taking a glance at the prisoner who wasn't telling the truth, Ye Chu Xiao turned around and signaled to the two jailers behind him that he could not see or hear what was about to happen.

After a round of unwriteable, unmentionable prison methods, when Ye Chu Xiao turned around, he couldn't help but frown and show a disgusted expression when he looked at the prisoner's appearance.

He waved his hand to let the jailers leave the cell.

Ye Chu Xiao whispered in the prisoner's ear, "You came from another world, wandered through three states, and committed acts of extermination and slaughtering villages. The statistics show that you have harmed as many as seven hundred and nineteen people. What you are doing should be more than just making a name for yourself and seizing life force!"

"Is it related to your Spiritual Root Visualization Method?"

The prisoner, who was half-conscious from the torture, trembled upon hearing this, and his spirits suddenly became fierce, looking at Ye Chu Xiao with a surprised expression.

"Let me guess!"

"You are indeed gathering the power of the masses to refine a spiritual root, but not in a simple spiritual grafting way, but by using some kind of name to deceive, such as… invoking the name of ghosts and gods."

"As long as the abilities and authority of the ghosts and gods are set in advance, the direction of the spiritual root's shaping is defined. When there is an effect, you kill those who helped you shape it to prevent them from continuing to interfere with or pollute the spiritual root, and then refine it for a period of time to put your own label on it, and repeat this process… to improve its quality."

The more Ye Chu Xiao said, the more horrified the expression on the prisoner's face became.

Obviously, Ye Chu Xiao guessed right!

Ye Chu Xiao didn't know what the complete version of the Spiritual Root Visualization Method was, but he not only had a relatively rich accumulation of knowledge, but also had a large number of corrupt officials in the dungeon acting as his 'think tank.'

These corrupt officials, who were able to become officials in the past, were mostly elites among cultivators.

Under normal circumstances, they are still very useful.