Chaotic World Book
Chapter 347 - 340 The Ring’s Secret

Chapter 347: Chapter 340 The Ring’s Secret

Xia Chichi referred to the traditional attire as old-fashioned, of course, from the perspective of a rival in love, nothing good is to be said. In reality, Yue Hongling’s red clothes were bold and stylish. The Vermilion Bird and Winged Fire Snake’s red ceremonial robes were also enchanting and mysterious, far from old-fashioned and in fact, quite appealing.

However, the set before her was genuinely old-fashioned. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it were actually a wedding gown, but it was baffling how everyday wear could somehow have a bridal air to it. Xia Chichi pondered where the Vermilion Bird Venerable had dug up such a thing; wearing it out would surely have the sect laughing to death.

The Venerable must be getting old; what kind of aesthetic is this...

Xia Chichi pitifully took a bath and put on the red dress her master bought with love, and she even had to thank her for it.

At mealtime, Vermilion Bird picked at her rice in small mouthfuls, occasionally glancing at her apprentice, "Not bad, not bad, Chichi looks pretty good in her little red dress."

Xia Chichi forced a smile, "The Venerable has good taste."

Seeing her miserable as she wore clothes she disliked and still having to thank her, was quite satisfying, but not completely.

To say ’pretty good’ wasn’t false, and unexpectedly, Xia Chichi was indeed still looking good in such old-fashioned attire... Just like the rest of the followers, including Liu Tuzhang, who found it only slightly odd that the Holy Daughter wasn’t usually in red, yet they didn’t think much beyond that.

Vermilion Bird was not familiar with the concepts of showing off to buyers and sellers. A beautiful person was like a mannequin; whatever ridiculous outfit placed on them looked good, which might not be the case for others. The anticipated effect was not achieved; it wasn’t as satisfying.

Instead, there was a hint of sourness.

That little wretch was truly beautiful, just her youthful vigor alone was enough to cause jealousy, no wonder he liked her so much.

Old already... Twenty-nine this year, the mere thought of crossing into the thirties was enough to send shivers down any woman’s spine.

He was right, she really hadn’t lived for herself in this lifetime, her youth had passed in the blink of an eye, and she hadn’t even tasted that sort of thing.

Vermilion Bird’s mind unconsciously drifted to last night’s entanglement, his domineering presence cloaked over her, her body was...

"Venerable, Venerable?" Xia Chichi’s careful voice came from across the table.

Vermilion Bird snapped back to reality, gazing with full menace across the table at the little wretch, "What is it?"

"I, I’ve finished eating, going to copy scripture."

"Mm." Vermilion Bird collected her thoughts, sighing, "Chichi..."

"Ah..."

"If you unlock the Second Secret Treasure, I will no longer forbid your affections."

Xia Chichi was stunned at first, then overjoyed, "Really?"

Having already softened her heart in decision, seeing her apprentice’s thrilled, disgusting joy made Vermilion Bird upset again. With a stern face, she said, "When you can suppress everyone beyond reproach, the sect rules are not unalterable in your favor. But before that, you must eliminate all distractions. The Second Secret Treasure is much harder to obtain than the first, and it’s not something you can fathom with your current wretched state."

Xia Chichi stood at attention and saluted, "Venerable, rest assured, I will definitely succeed!"

Vermilion Bird gave her a sidelong glance, slowly stating, "Looking at how you beam at the mere mention of men, do you think I can no longer wield a sword? Go then, the scriptures you copy tonight will be doubled."

Xia Chichi: "..."

...

Xia Chichi’s miserable life, where even eating could lead to being hooked and penalized with little shoes, had no end in sight. Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe had gone to relay the news of the Secret Realm to Chen Yi and then busied himself with cultivation for the entire day.

Ying Wu was after the Secret Realm Space itself, which basically wouldn’t conflict with anyone else’s interests. What would others want with that thing? As a result, his business model was truly "harmony brings wealth," and he could do business with anyone. Notables like the real person Yuxu and Ye Wuzong, were unlikely to seriously challenge Ying Wu, making it unnecessary for Xia to get involved.

Thus, the first collaboration with Ying Wu was satisfactorily completed. He provided the clue for the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng, and in return for the Secret Realm, a win-win situation emerged.

Ying Wu’s people were also reliable. Without Chen Yi’s reminder, Xia might not have realized that the Heavenly Spirit seed was worthless.

Where there’s a first, there’s a second. The initial cooperation having been so pleasant, Zhao Changhe looked forward to what clues Ying Wu might provide for the next worthy exploration.

But that was a matter for later. For now, Xia would focus on his own affairs.

Ever since Ye Wuzong provided the Control Crane Skill, Zhao Changhe had learned it superficially, purely to conveniently use the Storage Ring. Ye Wuzong had cautioned when he bestowed the Cultivation Technique that the technique itself was more important, which was not something Xia failed to understand; there simply wasn’t any time.

Right after getting the Control Crane Skill came the thief’s game, rushing to Kun Gang, venturing into the Secret Realm, breaking through to the Ninth Layer, and since emerging, Xia had been entangled in affairs of men and women to this day, leaving no time for anything else. The current Control Crane Skill was only convenient for grabbing the great Dragon Sparrow; for smaller objects, the current level of cultivation was hardly precise enough to grasp them.

Chichi was right—there shouldn’t be too much attention spent here, after all that training for nothing. Including the Vermilion Bird, countless predecessors advised against being entangled in romance, sharing the hard-earned wisdom of the past.

It was not only the Control Crane Skill that had gone unpracticed. In fact, when he first got the ring, there was a sword and a book inside that he couldn’t remove. Xia had waited to retrieve them for study after learning the Control Crane Skill; the skill had been learned, but the items in the ring had yet to be glanced at.

Now, with a more vigorous and refined spirit than before, Xia could see the space inside the ring more clearly and in greater detail. It seemed to be a kind of independent vacuum state, with all objects floating in mid-air. The Dragon Sparrow floated arrogantly in the centermost position, seemingly unconcerned with the half-forged sword nearby.

Of course, it was unconcerned. A closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t a complete sword, but a half-forged blade blank.

Activating the Control Crane Skill cautiously, Zhao Changhe moved the great Dragon Sparrow aside. His True Qi extended like a substantial arm, feeling as if it were an extension of his own arm, albeit crude and extremely taxing to use.

Such understanding of utilizing the technique hadn’t crossed his mind before... It truly was a skill that required repetitive practice to master, infinitely useful in actual combat.

Zhao Changhe even began to wonder, could this be a prerequisite for the Sword Control Technique?

He would ponder that in his spare time... Carefully controlling his True Qi to envelop the blade blank, he swiftly withdrew it from the ring, and instantly felt a significant drain on his energy. That was with a straightforward retrieval; what about when performing complex manipulations?

Shaking his head, Zhao Changhe examined the blade blank closely.

Since it was unfinished, it lacked any engravings or patterns, nor could it invoke the Dragon Sparrow’s arrogance, but Zhao quickly noted the foundational casting within, which embodied the intent of the myriad stars, laying the groundwork for Sword Intent.

The ring came from a revered spot on an altar in the Xuanwu Secret Realm. It was only logical that its contents bore the intent of the stars, possibly an unfinished treasure sword crafted by Xuanwu from a bygone era, interrupted by the epoch-ending cataclysm?

Was it necessary to offer this to the Four Symbols Sect? It seemed of little significance; after all, it was only a blade blank. To fully forge it would require numerous steps, and modern folk might lack the Ancient Times’ Casting Method and capability to complete it. Besides, Guigui had already acquired the Ancient Sword Dragon Emperor... It could wait for a suitable opportunity; for now, let it be.

Zhao Changhe returned the blade blank to the ring and proceeded to extract the book that seemed a secret book.

Initially expecting another secret book related to Xuanwu, Xia was surprised to find it was not, nor even a secret book at all.

This turned out to be a map book, titled "Mountain and River Atlas."

Flipping through the pages, each one depicted strange geographical features and noted exotic beasts and treasures, almost all of them unseen in this world. The geography was mostly unidentifiable, the creatures were unmapped, and the only familiar entry mentioned the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng as originating from Kunlun.

Zhao Changhe’s first thought was, isn’t this an Otherworld version of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas"?

But while the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" is beyond verification, the "Mountain and River Atlas" here could be a true account of the geography and resources from a past epoch.

His eyes landed on a particular page, where it unequivocally stated: "In the great mountain range that spans a hundred thousand miles, dwells the Gu Clan who call themselves the Spirit Clan. They practice Witch Gu as their art, pursuing the law of consuming living beings’ blood and flesh. Their laws are incomprehensible, bizarrely guarded, imbued with fundamental essence, somewhat worthy of observation. Their customs starkly differ from those of Central Earth. For instance, in matters of love between a man and a woman, they employ a ’Shared Heart Gu.’ Should one’s affection turn, the death that follows is too horrific to describe."