Chapter 493: Cloud deduction
Considering Ji Kongkong was still young, these words were definitely the result of Ji Zhi’s long-term indoctrination, so Jiang Li put this debt on Ji Zhi’s account.
“Back when I impersonated the Dao Sect Envoy, it was Ji Zhi who leaked it to Bai Hongtu. Old Bai still teases me about it to this day. I already settled that score with Ji Zhi the night before the Spiritual Treasure Appreciation Conference, so that one can be crossed off.”
“Ji Zhi wrote ‘Jiang Li, give up, you can’t learn time manipulation’ in front of all books related to time dao. That debt still hasn’t been settled yet.”
“Now even Ji Kongkong has learned bad habits from Ji Zhi—that’s another debt to add.”
“Settling accounts with Ji Zhi one by one would make me, the Human Sovereign, seem too petty. Better to wait until he causes trouble again, then I’ll add one more debt and settle all three together. Not a bad idea.”
Jiang Li smiled as he patted Ji Kongkong’s head, sending her back before dissolving the consciousness space.
After leaving the consciousness space, Jiang Li discovered Bai Hongtu and Yu Yin were still there.
“Is something the matter?”
“Do you remember that psychic controller superhuman we encountered in Weigu World, the superpower world?”
As soon as Bai Hongtu said this, Jiang Li understood his meaning.
“I remember. That person had mediocre strength, far from the Nascent Soul stage, but his superpower involved developing the Spirit Platform. We originally planned to return to Nine Provinces and research a method to let cultivators train their Spirit Platform early based on this concept.”
“But then the Superhuman Cult’s High Priest sent me nine thousand years into the past, and I got busy and forgot about it.”
Bai Hongtu showed an envious look—why couldn’t he travel the River of Time? “Exactly that. Since the three cultivation geniuses are gathered here, why not take this opportunity to research it?”
Yu Yin nodded. “I have no objections.”
“Neither do I,” said the Wishful Gourd that had been hanging at Yu Yin’s waist all along.
The three looked down at the Wishful Gourd, which proactively left Yu Yin and flew back to the Tianyuan Dynasty on its own.
The three flew up among the clouds. Jiang Li plucked several clouds, kneading them into chairs, tables, tea sets, and calligraphy scrolls. Bai Hongt u set up a concealment array so passing cultivators couldn’t see their figures or hear their conversation. Yu Yin took out her favorite tea leaves, gracefully brewing tea with practiced ease—all using cloud-made tea sets.
Once seated among the clouds, the three began conversing, their postures somewhat relaxed.
Jiang Li casually constructed the internal structure of the Spirit Platform, analyzing what aspects of current Spirit Platform cultivation methods could be improved.
“The Spirit Platform is the foundation of spiritual sense. If one could use spiritual sense earlier, it would improve cultivation efficiency.”
“This is an ordinary cultivator’s Spirit Platform, and this is the psychic controller superhuman’s Spirit Platform.”
Yu Yin said, “The superhuman’s Spirit Platform is different from a cultivator’s—several areas have been modified, formed through later development.”
Bai Hongtu added, “The existence of superhumans partially proves the correctness of the Five Elements Creation Theory. This superhuman probably used his superpower to alter his Spirit Platform, enabling early cultivation and early use of spiritual sense.”
“Would changing the Spirit Platform’s structure cause forced growth that hinders later cultivation?” Yu Yin expressed concern.
“Then let’s simulate it.”
Jiang Li employed magic arts, assuming this superhuman could cultivate and reach both the Tribulation Transcendence stage and even the Earthly Immortal stage without the Spirit Platform being affected.
“Seems this method is viable. But while changing Spirit Platform structure is effortless for us, it’s incredibly difficult for low-level cultivators.”
“Here’s my thought: this superhuman probably used the Five Elements creation principle, combining the five elements to alter his Spirit Platform structure. We could mimic this approach.”
“Most cultivators have four spirit roots. How would they imitate it?”
Bai Hongtu scratched his chin and chuckled lightly. “That’s not a problem. They can use external objects, like collecting five different elemental spiritual plants and herbs.”
He took five common spiritual herbs from his storage ring.
“Five Elements creation isn’t the same as Five Elements spirit root creation—everything can be substituted.”
Jiang Li performed simulations, converting these five spiritual herbs into numerical values, finding the measurement ratios for the five attributes and usage methods, proving the feasibility of Bai Hongtu’s idea.
“This would lower the threshold for Spirit Platform cultivation from Nascent Soul stage down to Core Formation stage—no, the minimum could reach Foundation Establishment stage.” Jiang Li was surprised—this was truly an unexpected result.
“Though Qi Refining stage still won’t work. The Spirit Platform at Qi Refining stage isn’t mature enough to withstand this level of change.”
“The Foundation Establishment stage really lives up to its name—establishing the foundation, the base of cultivation.”
Jiang Li’s rapid progress in cultivation was also greatly related to awakening his Heavenly Spirit Root during the Foundation Establishment stage.
Seizing the momentum, all three began simulating commonly available Five Elements spiritual plants and herbs in Nine Provinces, controlling prices to ranges affordable for low-level cultivators with multiple substitution methods.
“Mission accomplished!” Bai Hongtu clapped his hands, compiling the simulation results from all three into a series of synthesis formulas. He dared guarantee that even the poorest Foundation Establishment cultivator could use this cultivation method.
Bai Hongtu looked at Jiang Li and said, “The Spirit Platform can be categorized into several forms: mist, water droplets, streams, rivers, and oceans. The stronger the Spirit Platform, the higher its form.”
“Mine and Yu Yin’s Spirit Platforms are lakes. If we could obtain immortal power and ascend to immortality, they would transform from lakes to seas with leapfrog improvement. Jiang Li, what does your Spirit Platform look like?”
Bai Hongtu was referring to Spirit Platforms at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. He had also seen Immortal Elder Changcun’s Spirit Platform—a vast Spirit Platform ocean that took long flight to find its edge.
Jiang Li showed a teasing smile. “Want to take a look?”
Unable to resist their curiosity, Bai Hongtu and Yu Yin released their Yang Spirits, which entered between Jiang Li’s eyebrows.
“Gurgle—gurgle—” As soon as Bai Hongtu entered Jiang Li’s Spirit Platform, seawater flooded into his Yang Spirit’s seven orifices.
Yu Yin had anticipated this and wasn’t as unprepared as Bai Hongtu, but when she truly saw Jiang Li’s Spirit Platform, she still couldn’t help widening her beautiful eyes.
No matter how vast an immortal’s Spirit Platform might be, it was still just a body of seawater with space above it for flight.
But Jiang Li’s—forget how large it was for now—the shocking thing was that seawater filled all directions above and below his Spirit Platform without a single place to stand. No wonder Bai Hongtu’s Yang Spirit got drowned immediately upon entry.
The two Yang Spirits couldn’t breathe in the Spirit Platform ocean. Just as they were about to withdraw, the seawater disappeared, replaced by Jiang Li’s smiling figure.
“Where’s the seawater? What exactly is your Spirit Platform made of?” Bai Hongtu asked, confused.
“When I reached the Mahayana Stage, my Spirit Platform was indeed seawater. As my cultivation time continuously increased, the seawater kept growing until it filled the entire Spirit Platform. Then the seawater transformed into solid matter, and finally the solid matter disappeared, becoming malleable substance. This substance can transform into ocean, disappear entirely, or take other forms—all according to my thoughts.”
To prove his words, Jiang Li willed a thought, and the Spirit Platform underwent earth-shaking changes. Six continents appeared, each far larger than the Nine Provinces Continent. The six continents connected pairwise, forming a cube. Jiang Li transformed into a sun, illuminating all six continental faces.
This was completely unrealistic scenery, yet under Jiang Li’s transformation, it appeared utterly authentic.
Bai Hongtu remained dazed for a long while before slowly uttering his reaction.
“Fuck.”