I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 358: Chapter 321: (Cultivation) Entering the Dao Through Numbers

The top floor of the library is extremely simple, with a single room surrounded by wordless stone tablets, guarded by the Four Beasts: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird.

The floor is crisscrossed with patterns, dotted with stars. Jiang Yuebai, who could not comprehend it the last time, now sees a hidden Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Array with star maps, yet this star map is larger and more complex.

So, True Monarch Fuyi came here many times and even owed a huge debt of Contribution Points, yet didn’t think of sketching the star map on the floor to study later?

Indeed, it’s Zhao Tiezui who never yields.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yuebai didn’t rush into comprehension but took out a Shadow Refining Jade to meticulously record the star map on the floor.

After finishing, she sat cross-legged in the center of the surrounding stone tablets.

The so-called comprehension involves reflecting on what one truly desires, which the stone tablets sense and then provide what is sought.

This time, Jiang Yuebai’s mind was filled with the Great Derivation Fifty Numbers, unlike last time when she was entirely confused about what she wanted, eventually receiving the Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Array map.

She had scarcely sat for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when her Golden Core trembled, a sudden burst of golden light shot from her brow, and the four stone tablets began to ripple like water waves, gradually revealing strange symbols—so astonishing that Jiang Yuebai nearly leapt to her feet.

”Numbers! Aren’t these the numbers on the Immortal Cultivation Panel?”

Indeed, the one who gave her the Immortal Cultivation Panel was the Sect’s founder, Lu Xingyun, and the Green-Clothed Female Immortal she encountered was Lu Xingyun!

She had been certain yet uncertain before, for Lu Xingyun had ascended for a hundred thousand years; how could he appear in the Earth Spiritual Realm, guiding a child like her on the Immortal Path?

But various signs later pointed to Lu Xingyun.

Now, it was confirmed directly!

As for why someone who should have ascended appeared before her, Jiang Yuebai did not know and had nowhere to inquire.

Jiang Yuebai was so excited her whole body went numb; she pinched her hand and scanned the four stone tablets to see several lines of text on one of them.

”All things are numbers; numbers carry the Dao; enter the Dao through numbers; break the Dao with numbers!”

”One plus one is always two; the relationship between numbers, like the stars in the sky, has been unmovable since ancient times. Grasp the mystery of their operations, and the principles of calculation can investigate the universe, search above and below, regardless of how numbers are infinite or how puzzles change endlessly, with one Dao to command them.”

The numbers on the stone tablet shifted, and Jiang Yuebai’s pupils trembled. Moments later, she covered her eyes, swayed, and plopped down.

”No, dizzy!”

From childhood, she thought she was quite smart, and those around her always said she had good perception, but facing these complex and bizarre symbols, she felt like a fool!

Simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and chicken-rabbit problems she could solve, but the rest...

”Forget it, I better record it first.”

Jiang Yuebai took out a Jade Scroll and quickly recorded all the symbols and formulas on the stone tablet, inscribing the characters for ”Great Derivation Calculation Scripture” with the Dragon Scale Dagger.

”If I can understand this Calculation Scripture, perhaps those inscrutable things in the Great Derivation Scripture will be easily resolved?”

The stone tablet returned to tranquility, and the door behind her opened on its own. Jiang Yuebai respectfully bowed three times before leaving.

She borrowed some artifact refining-related books downstairs and headed straight to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

After taking the two Magic Treasures promised by the Sect Master, she began her daily routine of training at the three locations: Heavenly Cry Peak, Ten Thousand Laws Hall, and the Hundred Weapons Hall.

The Hundred Weapons Hall is where she learns artifact refining, starting as an apprentice. Among her peers, Yun Shang, Ge Yuchan, and Song Zhi’ang were all at the Hundred Weapons Hall.

”Back and haven’t seen them yet, I’ll go later.”

The old cultivator guiding her brought Jiang Yuebai outside the storeroom where the Fifth-Grade Magic Treasures were stored in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and made a gesture of invitation.

”The Sect Master has sent word to let Master Wangshu personally choose two Fifth-Grade Magic Treasures.”

The Lower Three Grades are Magic Artifacts, the Middle Three Grades are Magic Treasures, and the Upper Three Grades are Spiritual Artifacts.

Typically, Golden Core Cultivators use Sixth-Grade Magic Treasures, so Jiang Yuebai being able to directly take two Fifth-Grade ones is a great favor from the Sect Master.

The old cultivator temporarily withdrew, and Jiang Yuebai stepped into the somewhat dim storeroom, looking at a dozen rows of display shelves, momentarily unsure where to begin.

Chirp chirp~

Jixiang popped its head out from the small basket at her waist, sniffed around eagerly, eyes lit with excitement.

”Almost forgot, you have Treasure Hunting Rat bloodline, but don’t gnaw on anything here; if you chew on something, dissembling you into eight pieces wouldn’t be enough to compensate. Go find me two Magic Treasures, pick the ones you think are best.”

Chirp!

Jixiang jumped onto the nearest display shelf, sniffing left and right, searching up and down; if there was nothing here, it went there.

Jiang Yuebai leaned against the door, taking out the ”Artifact Dao Basic Method” she just borrowed to browse through.

The Spiritual Rat squeaked, and the sound of flipping pages rustled.

After reading over ten pages, Jixiang jumped onto her from the side, and Jiang Yuebai came back to her senses, following Jixiang into the storeroom.

Jixiang first led her to find a white long-necked porcelain bottle, simply outlined with a lotus flower and two small fish. Beside it lay an explanatory jade scroll, which Jiang Yuebai picked up to examine.

”Lotus Purification Bottle, when sacrificed, can form a lotus pool nine zhang wide around the body. Those who step in will be counterattacked by the lotus flower, with their spiritual energy and spell damage absorbed by the pool water. It should be considered a defensive magic treasure. There’s a line of small text at the end... It can be enhanced by adding special Spiritual Water through sacrificial refining, increasing extra damage from the lotus pool.”

Jiang Yuebai smiled, realizing it was a growth-type magic treasure. Jixiang did a good job.

Squeak squeak!

Jixiang continued to run inside, and this time Jiang Yuebai was momentarily stunned by the magic treasure Jixiang chose.

It was a smoke rod with a brass body, ancient and tangible.

This object suddenly reminded Jiang Yuebai of her grandfather. Although much time had passed, looking back, she wasn’t overly saddened, just a bit wistful.

Jiang Yuebai smiled faintly, picked up the explanatory jade scroll beside the smoke rod, and checked it.

The smoke rod was named ’Night Condensation’; a single puff could exhale a mesmerizing smoke. Its function was ordinary by itself, similar to the Lotus Purification Bottle as a growth-type magic treasure, capable of refining various poisonous miasmas into new toxic smoke.

”This thing complements Smoke Escape; coincidentally, I still have some Laughing Spring Breeze and Poison Dragon Miasma to refine together.”

Jiang Yuebai collected the two items, rewarding Jixiang a wisp of Golden Spiritual Energy, and left with it from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

She went to the Hundred Weapons Hall to find Yuu Qiuqi and Yun Shang. Upon arrival, she heard that today Song Zhi’ang suddenly vomited blood and fainted during artifact refining. Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan, who were attending the class with Yuu Qiuqi, took Song Zhi’ang to the Supreme Elder for treatment.

Jiang Yuebai remembered Song Zhi’ang had Water and Fire Dual Spirit Roots, and his constitution was poor due to the conflict of these elements. It was rumored he later found a way to remove the Water Spirit Root, leaving only a Single Fire Spiritual Root.

”I hope he’s alright. That guy can be a bit strange at times, but he’s not a bad person. The Supreme Elder has awoken; I can visit her tomorrow to inquire about matters of the Upper Realm. Wonderful!”

At dusk, Jiang Yuebai made her way back to the peak, hiding her presence at the entrance of Heavenly Cry Peak for a while. Not noticing any ambush by Fang Yuxing, she then confidently returned.

After True Monarch Fuyi left, Sword Lord Guanhan became the backbone of the Heavenly Interence Sect. If she beat Fang Yuxing to tears, where would the Sword Lord’s dignity go?

If she deliberately lost to Fang Yuxing, where would her reputation and dignity as someone who formed her Golden Core at twenty-nine go?

Whether fighting and losing or not fighting and winning, Fang Yuxing better realize this sooner.

Ultimately, these disturbances were incited by True Monarch Cang Huo. Why couldn’t Sword Lord Guanhan invite True Monarch Cang Huo for a good match to settle this inexplicable grievance?

”Master Wangshu.” Qii Ming came from the other mountain path, panting, ”I’ve been looking everywhere for you, True Monarch Jiuchuan wants you to see him after you return.”

Jiang Yuebai sensed something was amiss but didn’t show it in front of Qii Ming. She asked, ”How did today’s recruitment of disciples go? Did anyone solve my problem?”

Hearing this, Qii Ming couldn’t help but laugh helplessly, ”Even True Monarch Jiuchuan can’t solve your problem, so he has abolished that assessment. However...”

Qii Ming took a piece of paper out of his sleeve, with pencil scribbles covering its back.

”Someone asked me to tell you, that problem is unsolvable because your question is incorrect.”

Jiang Yuebai’s pupils shrank as she quickly took the paper, ”How could the question be wrong? I clearly checked against... Wait!”

Ice Arrow Technique is a spell from the Qi Cultivation Stage, with a clear casting process. She matched each part numerically according to the reference numbers in the ”Great Derivation Scripture.”

Logically, these numbers should cancel each other out, leaving a result of fifty, conforming to the numerical patterns of Heaven and Earth in the ”Great Derivation Scripture.”

But whatever she calculated, the result wasn’t fifty.

She always thought she made a mistake somewhere, but could it actually be that the problem itself was wrong?

Jiang Yuebai remembered wondering since childhood why spellcasting in ancient times was so simple while it’s complicated now.

Could it be additional unnecessary parts were appended to the Ice Arrow Technique? If removed, could it become a simple yet powerful spell like in ancient times?

Studying the equations on the paper carefully, she found an equation provided afterward, which corrected the errors from the original problem.

This equation was the way to improve the Ice Arrow Technique!

If even the most basic Ice Arrow Technique could be improved, might high-level spells and cultivation techniques also be improved?

Jiang Yuebai felt a brand new gateway to the heavens opening before her, filling her with excitement.

Grabbing Qii Ming’s arm in her thrill, Jiang Yuebai asked, ”Who is this person? Where are they now?”

Qii Ming smiled, ”It’s Shi Xiaowu.”