Cultivation is Creation [World-Hopping & Plant-Based Xianxia]

Chapter 139 - 134: Create Life At The Qi Condensation Realm?

As I approached Elder Chen Yong's quarters, I could already smell the distinctive aroma of his spiritual wine wafting through the air. No surprise there - I was pretty sure the elder's blood was at least 50% alcohol at this point. What did surprise me was the excited squealing sound that erupted as soon as I knocked on his door.

"Come in, come in!" Elder Chen's voice carried through the wooden panels, accompanied by what sounded like several bottles being hastily moved around. "I've made the most fascinating discoveries!"

I pushed open the door to find the elder practically bouncing in his seat, surrounded by an impressive collection of empty wine bottles. His eyes were slightly unfocused, but there was a manic gleam in them that made me take an instinctive step back.

"Ah, my favorite test subject!" He beamed at me, managing to somehow pour wine into a cup despite the way his hands were shaking with excitement. "You won't believe what I've found out about your energy!"

"Master," Azure's voice echoed in my mind, "his current blood-alcohol level suggests that even a cultivator should be unconscious. I believe his cultivation method is actively converting the alcohol into spiritual energy."

That explained a lot about how he managed to function while perpetually drunk.

"Remember our agreement," I said carefully, eyeing the way he was practically vibrating in his chair. "Lesson first, re

Through our soul bond, I felt Yggy stirring restlessly. The vine conveyed a series of impressions that roughly translated to: "If big furry cheats, I'll show her what real power looks like."

"I appreciate the thought," I sent back mentally, "but maybe let's not pick a fight with the bear who could probably use us as toothpicks."

"Begin!" Elder Chen called out.

Hong Yue didn't waste any time. One moment she was standing there, the next she was charging straight at the barrier like a furry avalanche. Her massive paw struck with enough force to shake the ground, but the Symphony Shield held firm.

I felt the detection spiral register the impact, watched as the curved channels redirected power to the threatened area, sensed the resonance chambers amplifying the defensive energy exactly as designed.

The massive bear's eyes narrowed. She began circling the barrier, testing it with quick jabs from different angles. Each time, the formation adapted, reinforcing wherever she struck while maintaining minimal power everywhere else.

"Energy efficiency is good," Elder Chen commented from somewhere behind me. "No wastage on areas that aren't being attacked."

Hong Yue seemed to take this as a challenge. She reared up on her hind legs, towering over the barrier, and brought both front paws down in an overhead smash that would have flattened a small house. The impact made the formation's lines flare blindingly bright, but the Symphony Shield held.

I couldn't help but grin as frustration started showing on Hong Yue's face. The massive bear backed up several paces, her expression shifting from annoyed to calculating in a way that made my smile fade slightly.

Then she opened her mouth and roared.

The sound was more than just noise - it was a concentrated blast of spiritual energy that slammed into the barrier like a physical force.

For a moment, I felt the formation strain as it tried to handle an attack that was definitely above stage six, but the resonance chambers actually turned out to be perfect for dealing with sound-based attacks. They caught the sonic energy and redirected it, creating a harmonic loop that actually strengthened the barrier.

When Hong Yue finally ran out of breath, the formation collapsed - but only because I'd stopped channeling qi to power it.

"Excellent!" Elder Chen clapped. "Congratulations, you are now a Level Two Formation Practitioner!"

Hong Yue made a grudging gesture of congratulation, though her attention quickly shifted as Elder Chen pulled out a familiar jar of golden liquid. When he threw it at her, I snatched it from the air.

The look on Hong Yue's face was priceless. Her eyes locked onto the jar of spiritual honey in my hands with an intensity that would have been terrifying if it wasn't so funny. She made a series of increasingly dramatic gestures that seemed to be telling a story about a poor, hardworking bear being cruelly denied her just rewards.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, pretending to examine the jar. "Did you want this? I thought maybe I'd earned it, what with successfully defending against your attacks and all..."

Hong Yue's expression shifted through several emotions in rapid succession - disbelief, outrage, consideration of violence, and finally something that looked suspiciously like respect for my audacity.

She then proceeded to act out an elaborate scene of a bear dying of honey deprivation, complete with tragic last words and a death scene that would have put professional actors to shame.

"Well, when you put it that way..." I tossed her the jar.

The sight of a ninth-stage spiritual beast making happy humming noises while licking honey from her claws was something I'd probably never get used to.

Before I could fully appreciate the surreal scene, Elder Chen was already raising his hand to transport us back to his quarters. Reality twisted, and suddenly we were standing back among his impressive collection of wine bottles.

But instead of settling back into his chair, the elder headed straight for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" I hurried after him as he strode through the corridors.

He glanced back at me with a grin that made me seriously consider running in the opposite direction. "Why, to get your formation practitioner token, of course! It's time you officially joined the guild."

"The guild?"

"Oh yes!" His smile widened. "You didn't think formation masters just worked independently, did you? We have an entire organization! With rankings, and challenges, and politics, and..." he hiccupped slightly, "absolutely terrible meetings that I try to sleep through whenever possible."