Chapter 977: Chapter 976 Why Is It So Dark?

Chapter 977 -976 Why Is It So Dark?

“Finally reached the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation,” Lu Yang sighed in the pitch darkness of his abode. As he opened his eyes, their bright pupils stood out in the dark space.

“Wait, why is it so dark?”

“Isn’t it because Immortal thought it would be more atmospheric without the candles, so I blew them out?”

Now that solar-powered lamps had become widespread, hardly anyone used candles anymore. Lu Yang’s abode was lit by mermaid candles, which he felt no need to replace just yet.

Lu Yang shook his head, resigned. With his current level of cultivation, whether or not the candles were lit didn’t really matter—he could see clearly either way. Since Fairy Eternity wished to blow out the candles, he let her be.

Lu Yang stretched leisurely. It had taken him three full hours to break through to the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation. Now that his seclusion was over, he felt much more relaxed.

He then sat back down.

“I’ll consolidate my realm.”

His foundation was solid; he only needed to reinforce it slightly.

As his realm stabilized, Lu Yang pushed open the doors of his abode, only to see Yun Mengmeng with her back to him, facing the chessboard. After a long pause, she picked up a black piece and, with a click, placed it on the board, signaling the end of the game.

“Five in a row, I win,” Yun Mengmeng cheered.

“Sister Mengmeng, Third Senior Sister, could you find another place to play chess?” Lu Yang asked helplessly. “Don’t block my abode’s entrance with your game. When I started my seclusion, you weren’t here. When did you come over?”

Gan Tian explained with a smile, “Mengmeng said the feng shui here is good. Being close to your abode, she thought she might absorb some of your luck to help her win.”

“How is my luck any good?” Lu Yang wondered. Was she referring to how he had been entangled with Fairy Eternity?

“Xiao Zhi said that demi-immortals and immortals are not as common in the outside world as I thought, and that you are lucky to have encountered them.”

“See, I told you your luck is good,” Yun Mengmeng said triumphantly, pointing at the chessboard. “Being near your abode and absorbing your luck, I won the first game.”

Next to the chessboard was a plate of cookies filled with laurel flower petals, with the winner of each game earning one.

Knowing Yun Mengmeng’s skill at chess, Lu Yang suspected Third Senior Sister had let her win on purpose.

Just having had a breakthrough and feeling elated, Lu Yang decided to go down the mountain to see how Old Meng and the others were doing with their cultivation.

Yun Mengmeng called after Lu Yang, still chewing on a cookie, “Oh right, Xiao Zhi said she’s gone out to visit friends and probably won’t be back today. Since you’ve had your breakthrough, Second-in-command, how about the three of us go celebrate at Hundred Fragrance Building tonight?”

“Sure,” Lu Yang replied with a smile. Breaking through to the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation was indeed worth celebrating.

After Lu Yang left, the two women started the second game of chess.

“By the way, Mengmeng, why do you always call Junior Brother ‘Second-in-command’?” Gan Tian asked, puzzled. Had Junior Brother and Mengmeng ever sworn to be siblings?

Yun Mengmeng gave a mysterious smile, “It’s a secret.”

…

Lu Yang found Meng Jingzhou’s abode, but unfortunately, he was in seclusion.

Man Gu had been invited to a Nascent Soul level competition in another state to serve as a judge. As a cultivator of the Divinity Transformation Stage from Seek Dao Sect, his status was quite significant in the outside world, almost equivalent to that of a high-level cultivator.

“Junior Brother Li, what are you busy with… Oh, Senior Su is here too. Hello, Senior Su,” Lu Yang hadn’t expected Su Yiren to be there as well.

“Hmm, I figured Haoran was about to break through to the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation, so I came to protect him,” Su Yiren said with a sweet smile as she peeled an apple for Li Haoran, slicing it into small, bite-sized pieces.

“There’s no need for a protector when breaking through to the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation,” Li Haoran muttered under his breath. Breaking through was a matter of course, probably taking less than half a day. Su Yiren’s special trip made him feel somewhat embarrassed, especially saying it in front of a friend made it even worse.

“`

Unlike cultivators typically facing a breakthrough who make all sorts of preparations, he was on the cusp of a breakthrough and still had the leisure to design a magic artifact for refining, not needing to make any preparations at all.

Or rather, his mind state for the most important part was already prepared.

Li Haoran’s designs covered the entire Abode, underfoot and overhead. This was a magic artifact.

Lu Yang, who didn’t understand much about refining, tilted his head and studied Li Haoran’s designs for quite some time, yet couldn’t figure out what exactly Li Haoran intended to refine. He could only discern a Sword Array on the blueprint.

“What is this you’ve drawn on the blueprint?”

“An automatic stir fry pot, this is the Water Sphere Formation, this is the Sword Array, this is the Rootless Fire Formation. As long as the ingredients are ready, this magic artifact can automatically wash, chop, and cook the food. The taste should be comparable to that made by a beginner-level Spirit Chef.”

“This is great stuff,” Lu Yang exclaimed in admiration. If such a magic artifact were to be crafted and then upgraded generation after generation, wouldn’t it block the road for Fairy Eternity?

“No magic artifact can replace my culinary skills,” Fairy Eternity said, looking down on Li Haoran’s artifact.

“Right? Senior Brother Lu, you also think this is good stuff,” Li Haoran very much trusted Lu Yang’s taste.

Seeing Li Haoran’s imminent breakthrough, Lu Yang did not show off his cultivation level on purpose, to avoid causing a gap in Li Haoran’s mind state during his breakthrough.

“Once you break through, I’ll treat you to a meal,” Lu Yang bid farewell to Li Haoran and Su Yiren.

On his way to find Tao Yaoye, Lu Yang also ran into several disciples from the latest cohort, all of whom respectfully called him “Senior Brother.” These junior brothers had a smooth time taking part in the sect entrance trial, which was overseen by Elder Brother Dai, and no accidents had occurred.

“It’s a pity. When they were undergoing the entrance trial, Old Meng and I were in the Demon Nation and didn’t get the chance to help Elder Brother Dai ease the pressure.”

“Junior Sister Tao, are you there?” Lu Yang triggered the Array Method at the entrance of Tao Yaoye’s Abode, which could notify its owner.

Tao Yaoye popped her head out, and seeing only Lu Yang alone, she smiled and pulled him into the Abode, “Senior Brother Lu, please come in.”

Once inside the Abode, Lu Yang saw a pile of Spirit Stones stacked like a small mountain, with not even a single low-grade one, only mid- and high-grade Spirit Stones.

“Are all these yours?”

“This is just the income from selling Dream Mirage this quarter, it was just delivered, and I’m counting the amount of Spirit Stones.”

Lu Yang silently clicked his tongue; Junior Sister Tao must have enough Spirit Stones to last even if she cultivated up to the Transcendance Tribulation Stage without running out.

“Rich lady, the day Senior Brother runs out of money, I might need Junior Sister Tao’s financial aid.”

“What are you talking about, Senior Brother? If you need Spirit Stones, I would have no objections to giving all of these to you.”

“That wouldn’t be right,” Lu Yang quickly waved his hands, he was just joking.

After chatting with Tao Yaoye for a while, and with the sky darkening, Lu Yang headed to the Hundred Fragrance Building on the shopping street as agreed, where Yun Mengmeng and Gan Tian were waiting for him in a private room.

“Come on, let’s celebrate the Second-in-command’s successful breakthrough,” Yun Mengmeng raised her glass, which contained freshly squeezed peach juice.

Gan Tian’s glass had clear spring water.

Lu Yang’s glass was filled with laurel flower tea.

Saying it was a celebration for Lu Yang was actually just Yun Mengmeng’s excuse because she had a sweet tooth; eating alone was no fun, and the more people present, the merrier the meal at the Hundred Fragrance Building.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

After the three of them had eaten, Lu Yang thanked Yun Mengmeng for the treat and returned to his Abode to sit and cultivate. The night passed.

“Finally reached the mid-stage of Transforming Spirit,” he sighed in the darkness of the Abode. With Lu Yang’s sigh, it marked the end of three hours of seclusion, signifying his breakthrough to the mid-stage of Transforming Spirit.

“Wait, why is it so dark… Hmm, haven’t I said this before?”