Still, how was Song Shuhang able to get his clone out of the ‘Ninth Stage Heavenly Tribulation Realm’?
Scarlet Heaven Sword had been alive for so long, but it had never seen anyone who’d been able to throw themself out of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, and seemingly so nonchalantly at that… Was Song Shuhang really transcending a tribulation, and not just taking a vacation?
While lying with his head on the table, Senior White’s clone asked using group sound transmission, “What about your main body?”
Too lazy to speak, he turned to the secret sound transmission technique with which he could simply transmit his thoughts to those he was conversing with in order to consume less energy.
But suddenly, Senior White’s clone felt that even thinking was quite tiring…
“My main body should be able to last for 30 days.” Song Shuhang glanced at Lady Kunna, and continued, “Within 30 days, my clone has to raise its strength to the Sixth Stage Realm, and then suck my main body out of the Ninth Stage Heavenly Tribulation Realm!”
Scarlet Heaven Sword asked, “How are you going to suck it out?”
Hell, I’ve never heard of anything remotely close to such a thing in my life.
Song Shuhang replied, “I don’t know, maybe it will be pulled out like ramen?”
“…” Scarlet Heaven Sword.
Senior White’s clone asked, “Are you sure you can pull through?”
Song Shuhang solemnly announced, “Mm-hm, 30 days should be plenty. So, I’ve decided to close up!”
Senior White’s clone said, ”Mm-hm, it is the right choice to close up before ascending.”
At the side, the old tribal chief couldn’t help but curiously ask, “What do you mean by ‘close up’?”
Due to the presence of the old tribal chief at the side, Song Shuhang and Senior White had actually been using the language of the Black Dragon World when they were communicating.
Song Shuhang replied, “Closing up… Hmm, it refers to long-term meditation and practice. Short sessions can last around half a month, while the longer ones can last up to several hundred years, or even several thousand years.”
The old tribal chief: (⊙o⊙)
Long-term meditation and practice?
If it was half a month, he could understand as there were indeed times when one would need to bitterly meditate and practice in order to achieve a breakthrough.
But when it came to hundreds of years… or even thousands of years, wouldn’t the person in question need to eat?
Wouldn’t they starve to death?
Water was essential for survival too, right?
What about when you needed to excrete waste? Was there a toilet where you’d go to meditate and cultivate?
In addition, wasn’t it going to be boring solely focusing on cultivating for hundreds of years?
People weren’t wooden blocks; they had many thoughts in mind, right? Doing nothing for hundreds of years besides cultivating, wouldn’t one feel lonely?
Could it be that they were merely referring to publicly announcing that they were going into seclusion for 100 years, during which time they would secretly go out to have fun?
…The collision of two different systems would inevitably result in times where it would feel like the practices of the other were simply incomprehensible.
The old tribal chief curiously asked, “Then Mr. Shuhang, how long are you going to close up for?”
Song Shuhang replied, “I’m planning on… first try closing up for around half a month, hoping to break through. But if that doesn’t work, then I’ll still have another half a month left to make a breakthrough.”
“Oh, I just recalled.” Senior White’s clone suddenly raised his head. “Shuhang, you’ve never closed up ever since you began cultivating, right?”
Song Shuhang nodded, and said, “Yes, Senior White. There are many firsts in one’s life. I feel that now that I’ve already cultivated to the Fifth Stage Realm, it’s time for me to try closing up.”
At the side, Senior Scarlet Heaven Sword wished that it had a pair of dexterous little hands right now so that it could use them to make a ‘bitter facepalming’ expression
There are indeed many firsts in a person’s life. However, you’re a Fifth Stage Spiritual Emperor, and you’re saying that you’ve never closed up in your life? How have you even cultivated to this point?
If other Fifth Stage cultivators were to hear your words, they’d probably be so angry they’d turn into pufferfish.
Song Shuhang asked, “By the way, Senior White, what do I have to prepare for a seclusion?”
Senior White’s clone yawned, rubbed his face with one hand, and put his cheek in one hand. “Tiring, I don’t want to speak.”
“!!!” Song Shuhang.
This feeling of familiarity from this sight before him was getting increasingly strong…
He thought for a while, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Song Shuhang got up and ran to the bed in the next room, took another sheet, and then went back to cover Senior White’s clone with it.
Then, he asked again, “Senior White, as the closing-up madman of the ‘Nine Provinces Number One Group’, do you have any tips and tricks that you can tell your junior for his seclusion? For example, what are things to pay attention to before the seclusion? How can one make the seclusion more efficient?”
“?” Scarlet Heaven Sword.
You only covered Fellow Daoist White with a sheet. Such a low level of courtesy, will it really work?
Moreover, if you have the time to be this courteous, you might as well have looked for a set of clothes to put on yourself. Although your body is in its smoky form, you still have nothing on, okay?
…Shiet, It really worked!
It saw the face of Senior White’s clone fill with satisfaction before moving to squat down on the table. He then tightened the sheet on his body, and began to communicate using group transmission. “First of all, you need to find a good place with plenty of spiritual energy. A good location can increase the efficiency of your seclusion greatly.
“Besides that, in terms of pills and spirit stones, bringing some ‘calming pills’, ‘breakthrough pills’, as well as other medicinal pills that can help increase your chances in breaking through, would let you get twice the results with half the effort. I believe that I don’t need to talk about the importance of spirit stones.
“Magical treasures are also very important. Some magical treasures can enhance the effect of a seclusion. For example, your ‘enlightenment stone’.”
Song Shuhang sighed. “My magical treasures are on my main body. And my enlightenment stone is in the Inner World, which is currently in hiding.” His heart felt tired.
“Then bring Fellow Daoist Scarlet Heaven Sword and Fairy Creation with you. Fairy Creation is outside catching butterflies. When you close up later on, taking her and Fellow Daoist Scarlet Heaven Sword with you should provide an effect not any worse than an enlightenment stone’s,” Senior White’s clone lazily said. “Right, you can bring me too. Although I’m a clone, the effect I provide shouldn’t be any worse than an enlightenment stone’s as well.”
“…” Song Shuhang.
Fortunately, True Monarch White Crane wasn’t nearby.
Otherwise, if it heard Senior White’s clone’s words, it’d definitely carry Senior White’s clone away, making sure that nobody else could take him.
Senior Scarlet Heaven Sword remarked, “He isn’t wrong. After all, I am a divine weapon, and I do contain Scarlet Heaven’s law of immortality and his path. However, Fellow Daoist White, I keep on feeling like there’s something wrong with the way you’re speaking.”
Senior White’s clone said, “Finally, the formations where you choose to close up are very important. By this, I’m referring to spirit gathering formations, defensive formations, barriers, and other formations. It’s best to set up several of these. I can teach you… Nevermind, forget it, I’m too tired to teach you. You’ve only reached the ‘One Bolt’ Realm in the Lightning Drawing Technique of the ❮Heavenly Master’s Techniques—Lightning Chapter❯, showing that you are totally unsuited for learning magical techniques. You’re still best suited to learning saber techniques and all kinds of body-tempering techniques.”
Song Shuhang burst into tears. Senior White, your words are too heart-rending. You didn’t even bother using an arrow, and instead went straight to using a spear to viciously shatter my heart.
Senior White’s clone said, “Find a place to enter seclusion, then bring me, Fairy Creation, and Fellow Daoist Scarlet Heaven along with you. I will arrange the formations for you.”
Teaching Song Shuhang how to set up formations and him having to set up the formation would be very tiring. However, if he were to set the formations up himself, it would at least save some effort.
Song Shuhang humbly asked, “Senior White, how am I to look for a place with sufficient spiritual energy?”
If there was a first, then there was likely to be a second. And if there was a second time, a third would soon follow.
After entering seclusion once, he would definitely close up more times in the future.
Gathering more experience would definitely be useful in the future.
“Hmm, looking for a place with sufficient spiritual energy comes down to how skillful one is. There are many daoists in the world of cultivation who would choose to practice the ‘Geomancy Searching Secret Dragon Technique’ in order to find a place with sufficient spiritual energy. As for those without such a secret technique, they more or less have their own unique way of looking for a place to close up at. Of course, I am no exception,” Senior White’s clone said. “Every time I look for a place to close up, I would choose to throw a dice to determine the general direction. I then use branches to determine the finer details. By doing so, I generally manage to find a good place to close up at.”
Song Shuhang looked up at the sky.
Senior White’s method of looking for a place with sufficient spiritual energy wasn’t something that could be learned.
“Senior Scarlet Heaven Sword, how about you?” Song Shuhang turned his gaze to Senior Scarlet Heaven Sword.
Senior Scarlet Heaven Sword replied, “Don’t ask me. I don’t need to cultivate like human cultivators. Ever since I was born, I was already a sword spirit that possessed consciousness. Scarlet Heaven had already been plenty wealthy at that time, having a multitude of private immortal caves and secret realms. If I wanted to close up, I could simply choose any of those places.”
“…” Song Shuhang.
This style also wasn’t something that could be learned by others.
“Your Inner World is actually a good place to enter seclusion, but it’s a pity that it has hidden itself,” Senior White added.
The old tribal chief, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said, “Although I don’t exactly know what Mr. White means when he says ‘sufficient spiritual energy’, I’m guessing it’s a place with ‘plenty of energy’, right? There are several locations in our tribe that should fit that criterion. In fact, when I chose to establish a tribe in the Dadamar Forest, it was partly because of some locations that have a lot of energy.”
Song Shuhang heard this, and his eyes shone brightly. “Tribal chief, can you take me to see these places?”
The old tribal chief smiled, and said, “Of course, no problem.”
❄️❄️❄️
In this way, a place for Song Shuhang to close up at was found.
Behind the Dragon Blood Tribe, there was a place called [Scarlet Dragon Cave] where trials were usually held.
It was a cave filled with flames.
Song Shuhang had a physique with the attributes of lightning and fire. This place was very suitable for him to close up.
So, after Song Shuhang changed his clothes, he first carried the butterfly-seeking Fairy Creation into Scarlet Dragon Cave, then brought Senior Scarlet Heaven Sword in, and finally Senior White’s clone.
“Mr. Shuhang, should we prepare food and water for you?” The old tribal chief was still slightly worried.
Song Shuhang replied, “Don’t worry about that, old tribal chief. In fact, I’m just a clone. I can’t starve to death.”
Hearing this, the old tribal chief felt that his words were very reasonable. As such, he left satisfied, and planned on checking back here in half a month.
Inside the Scarlet Dragon Cave.
Senior White’s clone strenuously bolstered his spirit to set up a formation suitable for Song Shuahng’s seclusion.
A powerful spirit gathering formation, a restoring formation, a soundproof barrier, and a 33-layer defensive formation were all quickly set up.
After these formations were laid out, they would be able to remain intact for a thousand years without any problem.
With that, the Dragon Blood Tribe had unknowingly acquired an Eighth Stage level shelter.
“Time to close up.” Song Shuhang felt a little nervous.
During this first seclusion of his entire life, he hoped that everything would go smoothly.
