May 15, 2017, Sunny
On the third day in the New World, due to Li Qingming cultivating the Immovable Tyrant Body, resulting in a back injury, she had to rest bedridden. With nothing to do, Wang Jiu began to construct the second array in the Sword World.
Shape Manipulation Array.
This is an array that can remotely control external objects. During the Immortal Demon War, Wang Jiu once gathered thirty-eight million Shape Manipulation Arrays within the Sword World to remotely seize a Demon Race's war fortress and then throw it far away, wiping out a formal Demon Race regiment like a meteor from beyond the heavens.
Unfortunately, those thirty-eight million Shape Manipulation Arrays have been wiped out, and Wang Jiu can only start from scratch, restoring them one by one. A single Shape Manipulation Array is weak, coupled with Wang Jiu's body power almost reduced to zero, what he can manipulate weighs no more than twenty pounds, and the speed can't keep up.
But relying on this array, it can allow him to regain a bit of mobility.
Although he doesn't particularly care about the strength of his own power, the Whiteboard Dull Sword is still too weak and inconvenient, and it's difficult to move freely. The Celestial Divine Sword of yore, could instantly traverse Jiuzhou and transform into human form, chatting and joking with people — something nearly impossible when he was still human. But now, he can't even stand up relying on his own strength.
The New World is so wonderful, lying in bed with a foolish mount is really too boring and a waste of life. So Wang Jiu absorbed a few ancestral Exorcism Talismans hidden under Qingming's bed, and with a bit of her Qi Blood, he transformed it into pure Spiritual Power, sketching the outline of an array stroke by stroke on the blank ground.
As a Divine Sword Spirit who once reigned over the world, sketching the most basic Shape Manipulation Array is truly simple. In a matter of moments, a square foot-sized array is completed. Energy circulates within it, ceaselessly, and Wang Jiu uses this power to successfully levitate himself.
At first, it was a bit wobbly, but after two or three breaths, the Whiteboard Dull Sword was floating steadily and freely. Although the speed was slow, almost not worth calling it flight, it undoubtedly had mobility.
Wang Jiu floated around the room for a while, completely unsatisfied with such sluggishness, and began contemplating how to construct a second Shape Manipulation Array. Qingming's ancestral Spirit Talismans were gone, and given her poverty, he couldn't expect more talismans in the short term. The only thing to rely on would be her own cultivation.
If Li Qingming could break the Wind Barrier, controlling Qi into Wind, entering the Wind-Rising Realm, the cycle of power could become self-generating. Wang Jiu could share part of it to construct his own array, with the best among them being the Wind Gathering Array. With this, he could gather the world's Spirit Wind for his own use, just like a cultivator controlling Qi into Wind, having continuous power.
As for whether Li Qingming can break through the Wind Barrier, Wang Jiu thinks in theory it shouldn't be a problem. Even if the Immovable Tyrant Body just reaches the First Heaven... no, even if just stepping one foot into the First Heaven, it would be enough to drive the true qi within to flow like wind and break through the Wind Barrier.
Having the bloodline inheritance of Jiu Immortal Venerables and such a renowned mentor as the Celestial Divine Sword, the only thing that could limit this little girl's future achievements is her intelligence.
This matter has troubled Wang Jiu for a long time; since the first moment he saw this little mount, he has been doubting her intellect, and dragging it until today, Wang Jiu feels like he might explode.
He must give her an intelligence test, and conveniently, he has an advanced method for testing.
This test was designed by the most innovative and spirited Shang Lanfei among the Jiu Immortal Venerables, specifically used to test the intelligence and comprehension of new cultivators. During the Immortal Demon War, it indeed discovered many promising talents.
Of course, it also embarrassed quite a few colleagues she didn't favor...
In short, after spending a whole morning, Wang Jiu overcame many inconveniences of the Single Operation Array and finally completed the entire preparation of the intelligence test before Qingming woke up.
"Mount, mount, I just remembered an exceptionally powerful cultivation technique. It's perfect for someone like you who primarily cultivates the Immovable Tyrant Body. Cultivating both together enhances each other with infinite uses. You can break through the Wind Barrier in basically three days."
"Eh? Really?" Bedridden Li Qingming immediately became interested, forcing herself to sit up despite the back pain, "What cultivation technique?"
She had already experienced the might of the Immovable Tyrant Body taught by the Sword Spirit; just the first movement of warm-up exercises had bedridden a top-notch Martial Arts master for a day... But on the other hand, during this half day she was bedridden, the increase in physical power was very noticeable, and the operation of true qi within her meridians had smoothed somewhat. The unbreakable Wind Barrier for four years seemed a bit loose, as if a powerful force from deep within her bloodline was being awakened. This gave Li Qingming some confidence in the Sword Spirit.
Seeing the girl's cooperative response, Wang Jiu said, "It's like this: there's a Divine Skill named Vajra Subduing Demon. It was created by the Zen Sect during the Immortal Demon War, and then refined and popularized by the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Aside from the exceptionally challenging first stage of cultivation, the path thereafter is smooth. Occasionally facing challenges, with your Immovable Tyrant Body, you can tread as if on a flat surface."
"The first stage is exceptionally challenging? Then, wouldn't I have a problem?"
"That depends on you," Wang Jiu explained. "The difficulty of the first stage isn't due to high requirements for bone talent or external aids like elixir pills and spirit talismans. In fact, the cultivation threshold for Vajra Subduing Demon is very low, everything depends on your subjective initiative."
Li Qingming gritted her teeth, "Does it mean cultivation will be accompanied by great pain? No problem, I can bear any pain. Just go ahead and test me."
"Very well, eat this."
After speaking, Wang Jiu wobbled and floated up, unveiling the prepared appetizer on the table.
Li Qingming barely had time to marvel at Wang Jiu actually floating by himself, before being stunned by the sudden strange scent filling the room, halting her breath.
Then, holding her breath, she asked in a sweet voice, "Wang Jiu, isn't this thing a bit unusual? Do I really have to eat this to learn Vajra Subduing Demon?"
Wang Jiu didn't speak, just remained silent.
Li Qingming furrowed her small brows, questioning, "But this is too smelly!"
"Afraid of smell when cultivating immortality?" Wang Jiu retorted, "Even you humans shouldn't be this weak, should you? During the Immortal Demon War, your predecessors endured not just stench, but also mountains and seas of fire for the sake of becoming stronger."
Described so lightly by Wang Jiu, Li Qingming immediately felt defeated and thought she was being excessive. To cultivate immortality means to forge ahead, defy destiny, how could she be so delicate? Besides, consuming Heavenly and Earthly Treasures wasn't meant to be enjoyable; never mind the stench, many treasures cause excruciating gut-wrenching pain upon ingestion, yet for the sake of cultivation, one must endure it?
Li Qingming, oh Li Qingming, you have vowed since childhood to succeed in cultivation and honor your mother, can you really not overcome even this small obstacle? Is your determination and willpower only at this level?
Encouraging herself, Li Qingming mustered courage again, approached the table, attempting to endure the overpowering stench, gulped... and felt her stomach churning, as if every part of her body was rejecting her approach.
Nearing the target, just as Li Qingming was about to touch the dish, she couldn't resist asking a question.
"This, this smell, why, why does it smell like... poop?"
Wang Jiu replied, "Because it is poop, of course it smells like poop, or should it smell like curry?"
"What!?"
Li Qingming was so shocked that she almost overturned the table, causing a mess of poop and urine flying everywhere.
"You want me to eat, eat this stuff!?"
Li Qingming looked in disbelief at the foul-smelling brownish-black object in front of her, then turned to look at Wang Jiu.
"You must be kidding me!"
Wang Jiu leisurely said, "You're certainly entitled to think that."
"But, how could there be such a requirement!" Li Qingming shouted, "I've never heard of a cultivation technique that requires eating poop!"
"Yes, but hadn't you also never heard of Vajra Subduing Demon before? There are plenty of things you haven't heard of, have you heard of Celestial Soaring Dragon Scale Flash? Have you heard of Demon-Breaking Godslaying Cone? Have you heard of the Nineteen-Layered Clear Spirit Locking Golden Exquisite Tower?"
Wang Jiu asked a series of questions, and Li Qingming could only shake her head repeatedly, until she started doubting herself—could it really be necessary to eat poop to practice Vajra Subduing Demon... but it was just too hard to accept.
Li Qingming was torn between inner debate, looking down at the vile object on the table while thinking of the ambitions she set since childhood, and occasionally recalling her mother's unwillingness before passing...
Unconsciously, time ticked by, and Li Qingming suddenly realized her vision was blurring, as two streams of silent tears had already fallen.
"No, that's not right." Li Qingming cried, "I don't believe it, I don't believe this is true! You must be tricking me, you must be tricking me! Vajra Subduing Demon doesn't require such a perverted condition, you're deceiving me!"
Li Qingming was just crying, but in her heart, she finally made up her mind. Just as she was about to wipe her tears and charge ahead without hesitation, she noticed Wang Jiu slightly trembling in the corner, his sword hilt bumping against the pillar, creating a clapping-like sound.
"Congratulations, you've finally passed this round of intelligence test results."
Li Qingming was suddenly at a loss, wiping her tears while asking with a nasal voice, "Huh?"
"You've passed." After saying this, Wang Jiu's sword flashed, and the power of a gentle breeze swept across, instantly clearing the stench from the room, and the test material on the table crumbled to dust.
Li Qingming was stunned for a long time before realizing what had just happened.
"You, you really were tricking me!?"
"I didn't trick you. First, I never said you had to eat poop to cultivate; I was just misleading and suggesting, but each misdirection left a loophole for you, which you unfortunately didn't notice. Second, even if you never realized the truth, I would have stopped you. After all, having a mount that's eaten poop is a bit embarrassing for the owner..."
"You!?"
"This was a test," Wang Jiu explained, "There is indeed a divine skill called Vajra Subduing Demon, but it requires the cultivator's intelligence to be above a certain threshold to practice. Shang Lanfei designed this test to quickly determine if a cultivator is suitable for cultivation. Judging by your results, you barely passed. However, based on the time you took, your IQ score comes out to be 3.3, which is considered mildly mentally challenged, just barely meeting the requirements for Vajra Subduing Demon."
"You're the one who's mildly mentally challenged!"
"Apologies, my IQ score is 9, placing me in the top tier of the Jiuzhou IQ spectrum from 1 to 10, above 99.999% of humans, on par with the designer Shang Lanfei. Naturally, as the Celestial Divine Sword, it's a reasonable result."
"Pah, just a broken sword like you!?" Li Qingming fumed, "Let me ask you, what is 3154 multiplied by 3154?"
Wang Jiu immediately replied, "9947716... I have a question—you know the correct answer when you asked me this question?"
Li Qingming instantly fell silent.
"I think it's necessary to adjust your IQ score a little more."
"Don't adjust!" Li Qingming, unable to endure the mockery, quickly changed the topic, "Anyway, since I meet the conditions, teach me Vajra Subduing Demon."
Wang Jiu said, "Unfortunately, I can't teach it."
"What!?"
"I've never practiced it, so how could I teach it? The test was only to assess your intelligence."
"I'm going to kill you!"
"You can't take your disappointment in the test results out on the test administrator."
"I..." Li Qingming couldn't tolerate it anymore, she jumped off the bed to chase Wang Jiu, but as soon as she landed, a sharp pain struck her waist.
"Ahhhhh!"