Chapter 72: Preparations

Early the next morning, atop the summit behind the mountain villa.

Here, mist wreathed the air, peaks layered upon one another, and four colossal pillars soared straight into the clouds. Li Yang sat cross-legged, robed in garments of black and white—neither wholly Daoist nor wholly secular. To his left and right sat Zhao Yuehua, clad in a deep-hued Daoist robe, and Ren Tingting, dressed in the attire of an ancient maiden.

The three of them faced east, eyes half-closed, and as Li Yang inhaled and exhaled, a vast tidal wave of energy surged forth, engulfing them in an instant. Above Li Yang’s head, a golden cloud of auspicious fortune hovered and billowed, enveloping both women beside him.

Under this baptism of energy, Ren Tingting was the first to falter; after all, her days of cultivation had been short, and the energy drawn by Li Yang contained too many alien strains—pure spiritual qi of heaven and earth accounted for only a small portion, making it wholly unsuitable for ordinary cultivation. Zhao Yuehua managed to persist for a quarter of an hour before her cheeks flushed crimson and she opened her eyes, drunk on the energy, before reluctantly withdrawing to the side.

Li Yang sat in the current of energy, his face flickering with a dazzling spiritual glow.

A sudden hissing and low wailing arose. The golden cloud above his head twisted, transforming into a massive six-winged golden centipede that raised its head and screeched skyward. Its maw opened wide, swallowing all the swirling energy like a whale drinks water, before it turned into a beam of golden light and plunged straight into the crown of Li Yang's head.

After half an hour, Li Yang finally let out a satisfied belch, exhaling a mouthful of grey miasma.

The energy gathered by this Four Symbols Spirit Gathering Array over a week was just enough for a single session of my cultivation. How troublesome...

Sensing that he had devoured all the surrounding energy, Li Yang frowned and voiced his mild complaint. Since merging with the six-winged golden centipede, he was no longer limited to absorbing only the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, but this also meant that the amount of energy required for his further advancement was now enormous.

After all, fusing with the golden centipede symbolized that Li Yang’s very constitution had surpassed the human limit, requiring far more energy than before. Among all living beings under the heavens, even at the same realm, the deeper the heritage and the greater the innate talent, the more energy was needed.

Glancing at the now-absent Zhao Yuehua and Ren Tingting, Li Yang took out a sheet of gold foil inscribed with the method of the Blissful Spirit House and studied it intently.

“How ignorant—a complete reversal of priorities!”

Seeing the technique that employed a method to convert material space into a spiritual realm to lower the difficulty of opening a celestial dwelling, Li Yang sneered, his face full of disdain.

There are many types of dimensional spaces. For instance, the material realm—the world of the living—is the main body of the world, able to contain all things, representing pure yang and ultimate balance. Then there are spiritual realms akin to the underworld, not suited for human survival but only for spirits—everything illusory, like a moon reflected on water. Without outside interference, such places are barren and empty, a domain of pure yin.

Beyond these two principal realms, the world is surrounded by various dimensions—elemental, energy-based, or even minor worlds such as the Heavenly Court or Western Divine Kingdom, each attached to the main world.

In Li Yang’s view, the true value of the Blissful Spirit House technique was not in the haphazard methods added later, but in its core—the art of world creation.

This method proposed a theory: with a space as vessel and sufficient power, one could open an entire world.

This was truly defiant of the natural order. For the world is divided into yin and yang; only with the balance of heaven, earth, and man—the three powers—can it be considered a complete world. Such a world was far beyond any minor realm, capable of truly existing independently, self-sufficient, drawing energy from the void and chaos, and sustaining itself.

Though incredibly difficult, if not impossible to achieve, Li Yang felt that this was the most precious aspect of the method.

After carefully pondering the core elements of the technique, Li Yang tucked the gold foil away with great caution.

Relying on the six-winged golden centipede’s innate spatial talents, Li Yang’s consciousness floated like a fish, probing the fluctuations of the space around him. Faint black lines shimmered in and out of existence in the void, opening and closing unpredictably.

“Opening a dimensional space is truly not as easy as it seems!”

After half an hour, Li Yang opened his eyes, sweating profusely, and smiled bitterly.

Creating a new world was beyond his ambition, but he had thought that opening a small dimensional pouch should be within reach. Yet reality proved him overly optimistic.

…

Upon returning to the villa, Li Yang saw Zhao Yuehua seated in the pavilion. Thick-skinned, he approached her with a smile, “My lady, are you still angry with me?”

“How would I dare be angry with you? The grand decisions of Lord Li are not for the likes of us womenfolk to contest,” Zhao Yuehua shot him a look, her expression betraying no emotion.

“My lady... Alas! I know this coming separation pains your heart, but—” Seeing her look, Li Yang hesitated, his tone uncertain.

“I may feel sorrow at parting, but I understand your concerns. It’s just that I cannot shake a sense of foreboding from my heart,” Zhao Yuehua said softly, reaching out to smooth the deep furrow between Li Yang’s brows.

“You worry too much, my dear. Since our marriage, I’ve never truly spent time with you or Tingting. While I have this chance, I’d like to take you both to see the beautiful rivers and mountains of our land,” Li Yang suggested, gently clasping her hand.

“But what about the elixirs needed by Lord Ren? We’ve only just opened the market!” Zhao Yuehua’s face showed interest, but she still voiced her concerns.

“No need to worry. Father-in-law is busy with the move to Hong Kong for now. The elixir business can wait,” Li Yang smiled, pulling Zhao Yuehua into his embrace, breathing in her delicate scent, his heart settling into a rare tranquility.

Since coming to Ren Family Town, his days had been consumed by cultivation, alchemy, and seeking resources to feed his three exotic beasts. Zhao Yuehua had never complained, always understanding, but deep down, Li Yang felt he owed her.

…

The next morning dawned bright and cloudless.

“Are my two ladies ready?” In the courtyard, seeing Ren Tingting and Zhao Yuehua brimming with excitement, Li Yang asked gently.

This journey was meant to be a leisurely excursion, so he packed only a little money for expenses along the way. Ren Tingting, since hearing of the trip, had been bubbling with energy, packing eagerly. Even the reserved Zhao Yuehua, though silent, could not hide her anticipation.

“No need to rush, husband. We’ll be camping in the wild, so we must prepare. We’ll need several carriages as well! Help us pack, won’t you?” Ren Tingting pouted, approaching him playfully.

“Who said we’d be camping? You need only pack a change of clothes. Nothing else is necessary,” Li Yang replied indulgently, tapping her nose with a smile.

“Then where will we stay along the way? Surely we’re not walking?” Ren Tingting blushed, glancing at Zhao Yuehua who was still packing inside.

“You needn’t worry about that. Your husband has his ways,” he replied, leading the two women to the courtyard, holding their hands gently. “Are you both ready?”

At their nod, Li Yang’s figure flickered, and in the next instant, they appeared atop a lofty mountain.

“Wh-where is this?” Ren Tingting cried out in alarm at the sheer cliffs below, clinging tightly to Li Yang’s arm.

Zhao Yuehua, though a little tense, was far calmer.

“Don’t worry, this is just the back mountain, we haven’t gone far,” Li Yang reassured her, then activated his powers again, and they vanished in a flash.

…

Even with spatial abilities to speed their journey, in half a month Li Yang and his companions only managed to tour the whole of Guangdong Province. Though they felt a lingering sense of wanting more, the expressions of the two women showed their satisfaction. For women of this era, travel was a rare privilege, and though much of their time was spent on the road, every moment was fresh and exciting to them.

…

Upon returning to the villa, Li Yang sent the two women, along with Jinling and Xiaotuantuan, ahead to Hong Kong. He spent the remaining days in the lab with the three doctors, learning the basics of scientific research.

In the laboratory, Li Yang pored over the research materials the doctors had compiled.

Currently, the lab worked in four main areas. The first was Dr. Erskine’s “Super Soldier Serum,” a grand project requiring vast amounts of data and time—still far from completion. The second was comparing gene fragments from the golden toad and the shell of the Furious Rooster egg with Li Yang’s own genes, to create a hormone that could temporarily allow the cells to assimilate—just like the one used when Li Yang fused with the golden centipede. This hormone was relatively easy to produce.

Its simplicity lay in the fact that Li Yang did not require a permanent fusion—merely a temporary one to serve as a guide. In nature, many substances could temporarily break down the barriers between cells, but with serious side effects. Li Yang, however, could ignore these, as once the initial guidance was achieved, he could use other means to make the fusion permanent, with no backlash or gene collapse.

The third line of research involved hormones to trigger the awakening of ancient bloodlines, with formulas provided by Li Yang. The third version of this hormone was already much more effective than its predecessors.

The fourth area aimed to use modern equipment to lower the difficulty of refining elixirs, possibly to the point where ordinary people could make them. This was still in the research phase—some medicinal liquids and ointments could be produced with current technology, but the success rate was low. As for true spiritual pills, making them available to the masses was a challenge unlikely to be overcome soon.

“Li, these are the hormones we’ve produced over the past half month. But remember, never use too much at once, or it will damage cellular potential,” Dr. Rick said, approaching with a small case as he saw Li Yang recording data at a nearby workstation.

After Li Yang decided to relocate to Hong Kong, he had the three doctors focus on producing these gene-activating hormones as a precautionary measure.

“These should suffice for now. Dr. Rick, do you think I could learn to make these hormones myself in a short time? I don’t need to know the theory—just the process to produce them smoothly!”

After stowing the hormone vials, Li Yang asked.

“Li, it’s not difficult at all! You may not know Western physics or chemistry, but you’re an outstanding Eastern alchemist. I believe synthesizing this hormone will be no trouble for you,” Dr. Rick replied without hesitation, understanding the Eastern mindset and not pressing for reasons.

“Very good! Then I’ll be in your care for the coming days,” Li Yang said, pleased with Dr. Rick’s attitude. After all, no one likes subordinates who question their orders, even if those orders are wrong.

“Li, these are the hormones resulting from the fusion of your cells with the two ancient specimens. Look, they’re truly beautiful!” Dr. Puths handed two transparent syringes to Li Yang, admiring the fiery red and deep black liquids with genuine awe.

“All right, Doctor! Beautiful things may enchant us, but we mustn’t neglect our work.”

“Oh, Li, never doubt my devotion to science!” Dr. Puths replied, still eager to express his unwavering commitment to scientific inquiry.

“I’d like to learn how to make these hormones too, Dr. Puths. Will you teach me?” Li Yang asked as he put away the syringes containing the golden toad and Furious Rooster cell hormones.

“Of course! You’re not only my employer but my guiding light on the path of science. It would be my honor to serve you!” Dr. Puths answered enthusiastically, eager to exchange knowledge about alchemy with Li Yang.