CHAPTER 365: CHAPTER 235: HUGE CHANGES IN XUANXING IN HALF A YEAR!_2

"Freedom Country also consolidated its status as a major nation with this, as, after all, unlike martial arts that require continuous effort, with talent alone, there’s a chance to step into it. Genetic cultivation is simpler—just overcome the fourth stage, and there’s a chance to pilot a mecha, battle against powerful sixth-stage Mutant Beasts, and become a hero revered by everyone. The cost of such effort is much lighter than that of martial arts."

It’s just a pity that once they know I have returned to announce the general outline of martial arts, prompting Martial Artists in Xia Country to spring up like bamboo shoots after a rain, I wonder if those who have defected to Freedom Country will regret their decision?

After casually watching the mecha video, Jiang Shu switched to another page. Even Wang Yan, who could break through the void, immune to gods, condensing the Holy Embryo, and reaching the Fetal Breathing Realm—a being referred to as a celestial—found these mechas troublesome.

In his eyes, they were nothing but a pile of scrap metal.

As long as his own mastery was sufficient, and he could fully refine a Spirit Rank Puppet, he wouldn’t even need to act personally; the puppet alone could crush these so-called mechas like smashing with a hammer.

Not to mention, the "Heavenly Intent True Self Fist" in his hand had already broken limits, fully on par with some Spirit Rank Divine Skills, making his fist invincible.

Compared to mechas, what really makes Freedom Country powerful is its technology and military. The current research on mechas aims to better explore the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm. This is especially true because there are realms in the deep sea that may be even more vast than Grade A realms. Future competition among major nations will extend from land to sea. Mechas are Freedom Country’s only chance to catch up by cutting corners, and even if it means drinking poison to quench thirst, they must do so.

Anyway, no matter what, they have nuclear weapons as their last card up their sleeve. They can’t lose too badly.

Even though he had reached the Furnace Fire Realm, Jiang Shu’s wariness of nuclear weapons hadn’t lessened one bit.

Even in the Furnace Fire Realm, one couldn’t achieve Blood Rebirth.

Only upon reaching the Nirvana Realm and surviving the Wind Tribulation, Fire Tribulation, and Heavenly Tribulation could one truly be considered immortal.

And to go from the Furnace Fire Realm to the Nirvana Realm, who knows how many years it would take.

Now, among the Outer Disciples, Ye Jiankong, whose name was very prominent, had been enduring hardships in the Furnace Fire Realm for more than a decade and was only potentially about to make it onto the Divine Skills list, with a slim chance of stepping into the Primordial Pill Realm in the future.

Cultivation becomes harder the further one goes; mastering a single Divine Skill can take years. Fortunately, Master Ming Lei left behind a Primordial Pill and a sufficient accumulation of Pure Essence Pills to cultivate to the Primordial Pill Realm. Otherwise, even for me to reach the Divine Skills list, it would take at least three to five years.

This time returning to Xuanxing, the first thing is to use Xia Country’s resources to collect various materials, study the Spirit Rank Puppet Refining Technique to entry-level or higher, and refine the first Spirit Rank Puppet as quickly as possible. If there’s a chance, I might even refine one more to protect my parents.

Second involves mastering the Heavenly Mechanism Puppet Technique, a Divine Skill. With this skill, a Spirit Rank Puppet will truly display strength rivaling an ordinary Furnace Fire Realm practitioner.

Third, and most important, is to advance my realm, fully refine the Divine Skills within Master Ming Lei’s Primordial Pill, and make them my own.

I just don’t know if, on this return, Xia Country has made any further progress in their research on the Spiritual Cultivation method from the cosmic center. If they have, I can also see if I can cultivate to the middle-upper stage within Fetal Breathing. Nianxi, I believe, should only be stronger than the ordinary Detachment Realm.

To match, or even surpass the Furnace Fire Realm, I certainly need to cultivate to the Spirit Breath and Mixed Element Breath Realms.

Jiang Shu’s thoughts whirled swiftly in his mind; his spiritual power was now so colossal, his processing ability even more terrifying than a supercomputer.

The various news articles on the tablet were swiftly browsed by him, turning directly into useful information, allowing him to thoroughly understand the changes on Xuanxing over the past six months.

DING.

Just as Jiang Shu closed the news, preparing to log on to the Martial Artist Alliance to check on the martial arts developments in Xia Country, the fingerprint lock was undone. With the sound of the door creaking open, Jiang Yongyi and Xu Lizhi returned together, only this time, there was someone else with them—Ye Zhenzhen.

"Uncle, Auntie, as always, before dinner I’ll first coach you on cultivation, and after forty minutes, we’ll..."

"Dad, Mom, Zhenzhen, I’m back."

Before Ye Zhenzhen could finish speaking, Jiang Shu stood up and spoke as he walked out from behind the porch, greeting his parents and Ye Zhenzhen. After half a year, Ye Zhenzhen’s strength had actually reached the Bone Forging Realm. Her cultivation speed was not slow at all.

"You’ve worked hard these days."

Spiritual communication echoed directly in Ye Zhenzhen’s mind, and without waiting for her shock to subside, Jiang Shu took the vegetables and meat from her hands and said, "Mom and Dad, we can talk later. You two should continue practicing martial arts with Zhenzhen. Under her guidance, I see that you both have broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, so don’t get lax just because your son has returned."

"I’ll cook today; let you taste your son’s cooking skills."

Watching Jiang Shu’s smiling figure entering the kitchen, Ye Zhenzhen couldn’t help but rub her eyes. It had been half a year. Not just half a year since they’d last seen each other, but a true half-year with no news from him at all. She had so much to say, but now, in front of her aunt and uncle, she didn’t know how to begin.

After a long while, she could only reply, "Hmm."

Then, looking at the somewhat dazed Jiang Yongyi and Xu Lizhi, who hadn’t reacted yet, she said, "Uncle, Auntie, let’s continue practicing. Follow my rhythm and channel your Inner Strength..."

In the living room, three figures practiced methodically, while in the kitchen, Jiang Shu, without putting on any airs, skillfully sliced the meat into strips.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Jiang Shu was cooking the mundane way; otherwise, with his current Primordial Power and spiritual power, even without relying on a wok and stove, he could magically turn the vegetables and meat into gourmet dishes instantly.

When my foundation is strong enough, perhaps I can buy a Spirit Rank Treasure from the True Martial Sect, the Sun and Moon Spirit Pot. Food cooked in such a Spiritual Pot, even ordinary meat, could rival that of a Mutant Beast.

With these thoughts, dish after dish was served on the table.

"Xiao Shu, with your return this time... when will you be going out again...?"

Without hurrying to eat, Jiang Yongyi glanced at Xu Lizhi and spoke first. No one loved their children more than their parents.

Once the inconspicuous kid, now the parents’ little pride.

And now, Jiang Shu had already become the pride of the nation, even the whole world. In Jiang Yongyi and Xu Lizhi’s hearts, this brought out complex feelings.

On one hand, they felt that their son achieving so much was a display of tremendous skill. They believed they shouldn’t be a hindrance to him and had to support him quietly.

On the other hand, each time they awoke from midnight dreams, they wondered what their son was doing out there. They had vaguely guessed that Xiao Shu might not have been on Xuanxing for the past half year but in the vast and unknown universe. What would he eat, drink, or use out there?

Many people only care about how high you fly.

Only parents genuinely worry about how tired you are.

"I’ll be staying at home for a while, and even if I do go out, I’ll come home every now and then. I still crave Mom’s cooking."

Having advanced to the Furnace Fire Realm, Jiang Shu’s spiritual power had grown even more robust. Now, it was as if he possessed the Divine Skill of Mind Reading; he knew what his parents were thinking without them even saying a word.

Previously, as a servant disciple, all my movements were recorded by the Sect’s stewards, depriving me of true freedom, similar to boarding school students.

Even leaving the Sect required being accompanied by an Outer Disciple.

But once promoted to Outer Disciple, one would no longer have stewards tracking their actions. This stage of discipleship marked the beginning of the Sect’s ’free-range’ nurturing. After all, advancement in realm isn’t just about grueling practice; it also requires boundless opportunities.

Without venturing outside the Sect, how could one speak of opportunities?

Outer Disciples are the Sect’s real investment—granted Divine Skills and resources, with the Sect merely waiting for them to step into the Primordial Pill Realm and become its true pillars.

"Mom, Dad, don’t just stare, I’m right here! Hurry and eat before the food gets cold. Rest assured, I’ll definitely stay for a significant amount of time this time and spend more time with you two. However, you should be cautious and not reveal the news of my return for now."

While talking, Jiang Shu began adding food to his parents’ bowls, finally casually pushing a dish that Ye Zhenzhen was particularly fond of towards her, saying, "Keep the news secret for as many days as possible; if it gets out, it’s unlikely we’d get any peace."

"After all, the current situation is not very peaceful."