Chapter 38: You Capture the Jellyfish Holy Son, What Does That Have to Do With Me?

Cui Jian struggled violently to break free, involuntarily stepping back as if he were somewhat afraid of Luo Zhou.

However, the Spirit Grain Porridge had to be drunk!

Even if he had to sell his charms, he had to drink it!

Having obtained the Spirit Shards, he called someone over to buy the porridge.

For some reason, Zuo Sanguang hadn't shown up today, but Zhang Quan was there.

When he had resolved his conflict with Zhang Quan last time, Zhang Quan had completely seemed like a different person, no longer bullying his classmates.

Unexpectedly, the prodigal son's return made him even more attractive.

Having already established prestige among his classmates, many students who used to avoid him now liked to hang around him, giving him the faint impression of replacing the Senior Brother, Cui Jian.

Luo Zhou scanned his surroundings and was also momentarily stunned when he saw Zhang Quan.

Zhang Quan, Body Tempering Level Six, Talent: Bull Demon Transformation (Sealed), Talent: Brute Bull Strength.

He actually had a sealed talent too!

What was going on?

Luo Zhou checked once more; among the many students, there was another person, Yuan Feifei, who also possessed a sealed talent.

It was from her that Luo Zhou had obtained the characteristic "Insect Control."

With three people in a single class, this was a widespread phenomenon; there had to be a reason.

Curiosity gnawed at Luo Zhou. Unable to restrain himself, after finishing his Spirit Grain Porridge, he went to seek answers from his teacher.

He didn't notice that in the past, he would never have approached to ask; he would have only searched cautiously when given the chance.

But now, he truly could not endure the curiosity in his heart.

In this world, every advantage comes with a disadvantage!

Since he had obtained the omniscience of the Primordial Golden Chapter, he must inevitably be affected by that very omniscience.

He did not know of this matter, but the omniscience wanted to know; the influence forced him to go and ask.

It was just like when he obtained Li Haitian's memories and was influenced by them, leading to the incident of fishing for the Blood Parrot in the city's back garden!

In heaven and earth, what is gained must be lost!

Upon arriving at the Dean's office, he performed his salutations, engaged in a bit of small talk, and then voiced his question.

Dean Zhao glanced at Luo Zhou, let out a long sigh, and said

"How should I put this... have you noticed the common trait among them?"

A trait?

Luo Zhou immediately recalled, and the omniscience instantly provided the answer

"Their family background?"

Whether it was Cui Jian, Zhang Quan, or Yuan Feifei, their families were not ordinary in Cuiling City.

They either had some influence within their clans, or their parents held official positions; they were not children of ordinary families.

Don't be fooled by Cui Jian's greed for the porridge; his father was a government clerk with considerable power. Otherwise, how could he act as the class Senior Brother with no one daring to speak up against him?

Dean Zhao nodded and said

"If your parents were still alive, you would know the reason.

Actually, this is a taboo for everyone!

The Ascension Ceremony is approaching. The sixty-one disciples of our Dao Academy's Immortal Sprout Class Three participating in the ceremony will basically all return in failure.

Only four or five can complete the ceremony and ascend the Entrance Heavenly Ladder.

To participate in the ceremony and fail the trial, one must pay a price—and that price is one's own spirituality.

If one only possesses a single strand of spirituality, losing it turns one into a mortal. Even if they return with the status of an Immortal Citizen, it is very difficult to find good work.

Families like theirs have already given up hope on entering the sect. They seal off their divine abilities and talents, leaving behind a more ordinary strand of spirituality.

When they return in failure and lose that spirituality, they can then unseal their divine talents, which won't affect their future cultivation or employment."

Luo Zhou understood instantly; this was a method of "lying flat" to cope with the Ascension Ceremony.

Dean Zhao hesitated for a long time before finally saying

"Actually, there is no right or wrong. For many years, with ceremonies held every five years, I have sent twelve batches of students to immortality!

Although almost everyone returns in failure, they all return alive, and they all greet me with respect as 'Dean.'

I watch them marry and have children, see their descendants flourish, their families surround them, and watch them fall ill and die of old age...

I am still very happy.

On the contrary, those children who successfully ascend almost all die upon the Entrance Heavenly Ladder. Only three have successfully entered the outer sect of the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect.

But, so what...

Old Fang's daughter went home to recover from a serious illness for a few years, but she passed away a few days ago.

Sigh, the affairs of this world are hard to say!"

Hearing this, Luo Zhou broke into a cold sweat!

Twelve batches, sixty years. Every batch had four or five successful ascensions.

But they all died on the Entrance Heavenly Ladder. In sixty years, only three had successfully entered the Dao Sect's outer sect, and one of them was Fang Ningshuang...

Is this cultivation? Is this an entrance?

It felt more like stepping into a purgatory, queuing up to go to one's death!

Is the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect actually a Heaven and Earth Demon Sect? Why does it feel so terrifying?

Returning home, Luo Zhou kept contemplating whether he should participate in the Ascension Ceremony!

Finally, he let out a long sigh. Thinking too much was useless; in cultivation, only one's own strength is real.

In truth, Luo Zhou could currently advance to the Great Perfection of Body Tempering, but he preferred to cultivate step-by-step according to the proper order.

To build a solid foundation!

In his dreams, Luo Zhou felt as if there were another version of himself carefully reviewing his entire life experience.

Everything he had ever heard, seen, from his past life and his present, was being reviewed repeatedly.

The memories of the parasitic cultivator who died in his hands were also being reviewed, studied, and summarized!

The omniscience was growing and evolving bit by bit!

When he woke up, it was the fourth of the seventh month!

Luo Zhou was jolted awake by the sound of firecrackers!

Because yesterday, the third of the seventh month, no one died!

No families were exterminated!

This meant that the "Third Day Demon" had encountered trouble!

At the very least, he hadn't killed anyone yesterday. Although he might appear next month, many people had an intuitive sense that the Third Day Demon would never appear again.

It wasn't just him; the Magnetic Demon, the Eye-Eater Demon, and the Yellow Earth Demon had not appeared for a long time.

Only the Head-Popper Demon was still active.

Luo Zhou let out a long breath and lay on the bed, reluctant to get up.

Unexpectedly, in his daze, a voice appeared in his mind!

"Luo Zhou, please pay attention!"

"Omniscience?"

"Yes, I am the mental projection of the Primordial Golden Chapter to you. I belong to a part of you—your mind, your self, your consciousness, your claws and teeth. We are one, eternally inseparable.

However, please note that my help is merely auxiliary; my cognition is not necessarily entirely correct.

Furthermore, if you are killed by another Golden Chapter holder, I will be devoured and vanish completely, and you will also die completely!

When facing other Golden Chapters, Golden Seals, or Golden Sutras, if they do not discover your identity as the master of the Primordial Golden Chapter, you can be reborn even in death!

Similarly, if you do not discover their identity, you can only kill them; they can also be resurrected or reincarnated!

Therefore, you and I must win every battle and remain eternal. If failure is unavoidable, you must prepare a way out to start anew!

Remember this, remember this!"

"I remember!"

"Great calamity is upon you!"

Luo Zhou froze, asking in his mind

"What calamity? What's happening? Could it be the True Person of Cuiling?"

"No, it has nothing to do with her. Based on your memories, I have analyzed the situation of the True Person of Cuiling.

She is currently in secluded cultivation and will not pose a threat to you for several decades.

Additionally, since she sent her divine sense here and saw many old friends and relatives die because of her, she will not contact Cuiling City for a long time due to her guilt.

As for the True Person of Nanchun, she didn't care even while Fang Ningshuang was alive.

Now that she is dead, she will care even less; she might even have forgotten.

Selfish people find it very easy to forget the bad things they have done!"

"Your greatest danger comes from the Holy Son of the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace!"

Luo Zhou asked hesitantly in his mind: "He knows Liu Changlong's death is related to me, so he is taking revenge in secret?"

"No, it has nothing to do with him personally!

With Liu Changlong's identity as a member of the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace exposed, it will inevitably trigger investigations from multiple parties.

The Cuiling City officials are useless, but the remnants of the Jellyfish will trigger investigations by the Liang State officials and even the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect.

They will certainly investigate Cuiling City thoroughly, and may even discover traces of the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace Holy Son's existence."

Luo Zhou thought to himself: "What does this have to do with me?"

"The Jellyfish Heavenly Palace Holy Son is hidden extremely deeply; they certainly won't find him.

But they will find a youth who once possessed Heavenly Water Qi, Heavy Water Qi, Weak Water Qi, and Tide Water Qi, and now possesses ninety-nine years of Tide Water Qi.

A youth suspected of mastering the divine ability 'Turning Rivers and Seas,' the 'Three Thousand Weak Waters,' and possessing the secret manual *'The Azure Waters Flow East and Return Here'*!"

Luo Zhou couldn't help but scream in his heart: "I'm being framed! It wasn't me!"

"After an in-depth investigation, they may find that you might truly be innocent and not the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace Holy Son."

Luo Zhou said: "Heaven has eyes; it really wasn't me!"

"And then they will discover that you are the Holy Son of Demons, a target that the Daoist Sect must eliminate!

Once they discover a Holy Son of Demons, the entire Heaven and Earth Dao Sect will celebrate for three days!"

Luo Zhou was numb. He asked speechlessly

"Then what should I do?"

"My suggestion: memorize the secret manual *'The Azure Waters Flow East and Return Here,'* destroy it completely, disperse the ninety-nine years of Tide Water Qi, and wash away your identity as the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace Holy Son.

Although you currently only have Tide Water Qi, and possessing it isn't a huge deal, your volume of Tide Water Qi is too large—far exceeding what a Body Tempering youth should possess.

Why do you have so much? Why do you have so much?

Once they weigh it and investigate closely, the more they investigate, the more trouble there will be!

At the same time, destroy the Dragon-Slaying Thorn, stop hunting dragons, and respond cautiously.

It is even possible to suspect that an investigative special envoy has already secretly arrived in Cuiling City!"

Hearing this, Luo Zhou felt a bit reluctant.

"Luo Zhou, spiritual energy can be refined, but you only have one life!

No, you have two!

But no matter how many lives you have, once your identity as the Holy Son of Demons is exposed, there is only one word: death!

Luo Zhou, your greatest task now is to disguise yourself, live peacefully, participate in the Ascension Ceremony, advance to the Qi Refining stage, and begin formal cultivation!"