Chapter 33
An average person, considering three meals daily, consumes about 240 kg of rice annually. For an average evolved individual, double that amount. A direct calculation amounts to five hundred catties. A thousand people consume half a million catties in a year. The vast basement easily accommodated this substantial food supply. Other items were also present.
As for their source? Didn’t all the Nanyang families previously send silver tickets? Wu Ping found no use in hoarding these items. He desired spirit stones and found purchasing from the firm’s owner in Nanyang Prefecture’s city more economical. Even prominent business figures offered discounts upon seeing Wu Ping as a buyer. Consequently, a plethora of goods arrived in a single night.
Cao Ke and the others were bewildered, wondering if Wu Ping had raided the national grain depot. “Alright, take a good look at these things. They’re sufficient for your sustenance and development. I hope to witness a transformed base. Remember, don’t perish.”
Wu Ping found it too troublesome to seek help for tree nurturing, prioritising aesthetics. Xu Feifei hesitantly, inquired in a soft voice: “Wu… Brother Wu, why did you return?”
“I don’t know. It depends on the situation. I’ll be back when I make money.”
Make money? Three puzzled faces stared at Wu Ping. They couldn’t comprehend his struggles. The magic tree required aura, and all his spirit stones were allocated to it, demanding more continuously. A demanding golden sinkhole. Yet, he had to nurture it, having planted it in a doomsday world devoid of aura. If only it were in the realm of cultivating immortals, it could absorb the free aura between heaven and earth. But here? Well…
“Alright, one by one. It’s not that I won’t return. Remember what I said. If any issues arise, go to the magic tree and convey them. I’ll be aware.”
“Okay, I’m leaving.” Facing the three teary-eyed individuals, Wu Ping turned away abruptly and vanished.
After he departed, Cao Ling leaned toward Xu Feifei, asking, “Sister Xu, do you like Brother Wu?”
Xu Feifei blushed instantly and replied softly, “Hmm…”
“Don’t you both like him?” Xu Feifei’s rhetorical question prompted the sisters to ponder. Safe, strong, mysterious, and handsome—despite their involvement in lethal actions, Wu Ping never treated them excessively and refrained from uttering harsh words.
Isn’t this gentleness merely a facade? Is Wu Ping not treating them well?
He saved their lives, provided them with nuclei, and ensured a constant supply of food and seeds. The only requirement was for them to nurture trees. In a world facing its end, who wouldn’t be grateful? Who wouldn’t appreciate it if it weren’t the end of the world? They found themselves unable to resist Wu Ping’s charm, even entertaining thoughts of recommending a comfortable spot for him. However, Wu Ping remained uninterested, not due to any fault of his own, but because he has numerous unresolved issues and can’t enjoy the tranquillity of Gentle Township just yet.
The most significant problem for Wu Ping was the constant fighting and killing he witnessed. Whether it was against zombies or other humans, the taste of blood and violence lingers, diluting any semblance of a tranquil life.
Returning to the Immortal Cultivation Realm, every breath feels smooth—a sensation brought by the presence of spiritual energy. “It’s comfortable,” Wu Ping remarked.
However, comfort didn’t equate to idleness, as two pressing matters awaited him. Firstly, he needed to break through to a higher realm, not just reaching the ninth layer of spirit induction but directly advancing to the soul palace realm. Secondly, he must refine the numerous living souls awaiting his attention to prevent potential repercussions.
Leaving Nanyang Prefecture’s city, Wu Ping casually found a hilltop, using his power to carve out a cave. Seated within, he allowed the eternal magic of Green Jue to draw in the surrounding aura. The nine-fold qi diversion unfolded as Wu Ping ascended to the soul realm, cultivating the second realm. This involved leading the soul away from the body, exploring the sea of knowledge, and opening the sky.
The chaos in the cultivator’s sea of knowledge must be addressed to advance. Geniuses were distinguished by the extent of chaos they could open—three points inferior, six points medium, and above nine points superior. Wu Ping contemplated how much chaos he could induce, acknowledging no definitive answer.
As Wu Ping was about to initiate a drastic move within his sea of knowledge, a loud bang resonated, accompanied by a curling floodbell sound. The sapling of the magic tree, bathed in golden light, entered Wu Ping’s sea of knowledge. There was a brief shock as the golden light burst, and chaos swiftly took over, reaching 99%. Before Wu Ping could fully comprehend this development, the sapling’s golden leaves produced countless veins that extended towards the remaining dark space in the sea of knowledge.
With a crisp sound, the knowledge of the sea reached 100%. The golden leaves dim, revealing their underlying red hue yet retaining a golden tint. The magic tree firmly roots itself in Wu Ping’s sea of knowledge space as the aura between heaven and earth rushed towards him. A funnel of aura formed, pouring into his body, facilitating his ascent to the soul realm.
Wu Ping was left bewildered by the sudden turn of events. What was the significance of the golden light, and why had the magic tree’s sapling appeared in his sea of knowledge? Wasn’t reaching 99% already considered the limit for opening up the sea of knowledge?