Chapter 173: The Universe in a Palm

Jiang Hao accompanied Lian Daozhi to the entrance and he left. The people from the Candlelight Pill Pavilion seemed to have a lot of spirit herbs at hand.

If he maintained a good relationship with them, the Candlelight Pill Pavilion might send more seeds to be planted in the garden.

People got offended very easily. He needed to read carefully and leave them some leeway.

At noon, Cheng Chou arrived at the Spirit Herb Garden with Xiao Li. Xiao Li looked a bit disheveled, she wasn’t injured. In contrast, Cheng Chou was bruised all over.

Jiang Hao gave Cheng Chou a Spirit Rejuvenating Pill and told him to rest.

Xiao Li took out a bag of snacks. “Senior Brother Jiang, this is for you.” She looked at him reluctantly.

“Where’s the beast? I brought something for it too.”

“It went to look for Chu Chuan. You should also go and meet him,” said Jiang

Hao.

Jiang Hao wanted to ask Cheng Chou what had happened on the way. Xiao Li looked at Cheng Chou in worry.

“He’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” said Jiang Hao gently.

Xiao Li felt at ease. She disappeared down the road. She was extremely fast.

Jiang Hao sat down and looked at the red pastries that Xiao Li had handed him. He thought it might be made up of red beans.

He activated his Daily Appraisal ability.

[Red Bean Cake: Miao Xiang personally made the cake for you. Xiao Li carried it while fighting a tiger on the way. It got contaminated by poisonous gas but is harmless. Tastes better with tea.]

Jiang Hao smiled and ate one. He chewed it properly. He felt that the texture was worse than before. Xiao Li’s mother must be getting on in years. When he finished his pastries, Cheng Chou also finished his meditation. “How are your injuries?” he asked.

“Much better.” Cheng Chou quickly got up.

“Tell me about your journey,” said Jiang Hao.

They had been away for nearly two months this time. He wanted to know if they had encountered any trouble, or if Xiao Li had refused to come back to the sect.

“There was no problem when we left from here,” said Cheng Chou. “The two elders were very happy to see Xiao Li. They had saved up in the past few months to make delicious food for Junior Sister Xiao Li. It seemed they had prepared it for many months hoping she would come home. Xiao Li was obviously over the moon to see them. However, she was different from how she is here in the sect. She didn’t eat too much. She was afraid her parents wouldn’t have enough for themselves.”

“Xiao Li helped her mother with sewing. She helped to chop up firewood for them to use. She even fetched water for them. Her father occasionally told her how proud he was of her. Xiao Li agreed. She tried to draw on the wall to mark her height to prove to them that she was all grown up. It made the two old people laugh.”

“I asked around the village. The people say that the two elders try to save up as much as they can so that they can make good food for Xiao Li when she returns. They often sit at the gate as though waiting for her.”

Jiang Hao nodded. “Did you and Xiao Li take something back for them too?”

“We did,” said Cheng Chou. “We bought a lot of food along the way, but they are too old to digest something like that. After the New Year celebrations, her father fell ill, so we stayed with them for a long time. In fact, we only started our journey back to the sect after he was feeling well. I bought them a lot of medicinal herbs and pills. I even helped them raise some chickens and ducks.

They might not be able to kill them for food, but they won’t feel lonely.” “On the way back, we were attacked. Although Junior Sister Xiao Li fights very well, there were too many of those creatures.”

Jiang Hao nodded and looked at Cheng Chou. “You did very well. I can sense that your strength has improved, and your cultivation is more refined. I think you can advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm this year or maybe next year. You’re very close. Take these pills.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang,” said Cheng Chou gratefully. “The two elders… Xiao Li’s adoptive parents are getting weaker by the day. They might not last long.”

“I know,” Jiang Hao said softly. “We can help her visit her house at least twice a year.”

If she could advance twice a year, that would be enough.

“In about fifteen days, I’m leaving for the Devil’s Den. Take care of things here while I’m gone. Don’t let strangers in.”

The Heavenly Saint Cult had its puppets. They could easily infiltrate the garden by pretending to be someone from the sect.

If he wasn’t around, it would be difficult for the others to notice it.

Cheng Chou nodded. With the spirit beast in the garden, he felt more at ease. The beast was very powerful and was very perceptive of problems. After that, Jiang Hao spent most of his time studying the techniques of the Hong Meng Heart Sutra.

After seven days, he finally grasped the technique he was trying so hard to understand. It was called The Universe in a Palm technique.

At first, Jiang Hao had thought that this technique might be an offensive technique. On closer inspection, it turned out to be more of a sealing technique.

The Universe in a Palm wrapped everything with purple energy and stored it in his palm. It was somewhere between a sealing and a spatial technique.

Jiang Hao didn’t know what exactly it was because he hadn’t succeeded at it completely.

If the first technique was this difficult, the following techniques would likely be even more challenging. He would need exemplary strength and mental state to master them all.

‘I have only seven days left. I wonder how much I can learn in that time.’ Jiang Hao focused on studying the techniques.

On the day that he needed to leave for the Devil’s Den, Jiang Hao awoke from his meditation. He got up and walked to the courtyard. The sky was still dim, and the sun was not up yet.

The spirit beast was also drooling in its sleep near the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.

Jiang Hao looked at the tea set on the table. He extended his hand and circulated the Hong Meng Heart Sutra. Purple energy enveloped everything. He grasped at it.

He used the Universe in a Palm technique. Purple energy surged and covered the entire tea set. Then it returned to Jiang Hao’s hand. The tea set was gone. It had disappeared from the table.

‘This is useful.’

He looked at the sphere in his palm. It was made up of dense purple energy. The tea set was inside the sphere.

‘Unfortunately, it’s not stored. It was only shrunk and then sealed.’

He waved gently, and the tea set returned to the table. He turned to look at the beast. The purple energy surged once again.

In an instant, the beast was covered by purple energy and ended up in his palm. The beast was still asleep.

‘It seems weaker power won’t be able to break through the sphere. I need to practice more. The state at which it is in… it can’t withstand powerful magic.’

At that moment, a talisman flew to him. Jiang Hao placed the beast down and picked up the talisman. It was a message. He was called to gather with the others.

It was time to head to the Devil’s Den.

He wasn’t worried this time. He had advanced to the Primordial Spirit Realm and had two hidden abilities: Divine Might and the Universe in a Palm. This was an opportunity to refine his cultivation.

There would definitely be danger everywhere, but he was prepared for it..