Eternity Starts From His Seed

Watching the arrogant Long Batian vanish into the darkness after his one-sided declaration, Bubai couldn't help but mutter to himself. “Mental illness?”

Just great. Another man staring at his Xiao Lan. Really, how troublesome.

Maybe he should find a way to pit the two against each other for a dog fight?

Bubai’s eyes rolled slightly, but in the end, he suppressed those thoughts.

“If my guess is correct, that Long Batian should be the newly promoted inner disciple…”

The reason for his hasty promotion was, naturally, the secret realm. So, let's not say that he didn't have the strength to mess with them, but even if he did, the two might not even be in the sect recently.

“But the Seed of Pleasure method…”

The men of this sect are really a danger to society. No wonder it’s a demonic sect.

Tower. Bedchamber.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew as the dagger and sword met in a dazzling display of skill and determination.

Bubai and Xiao Lan were engaging in a breathtaking dance of blades. The tension escalated with every nimble step as they circled the large king-sized bed at the heart of the chamber, their swift movements leaving trails of air disturbances in their wake.

With a dagger in hand, Bubai’s agile form occasionally left blurs that betrayed his superior physical abilities.

On the other hand, Xiao Lan’s slender figure swayed side to side, her violet hair flowing like a waterfall. She was able to counter and deflect each of Bubai’s assault with grace and precision!

Her sword, a gleaming extension of her experienced combat skills, danced through the air with deadly elegance, maintaining a distance that kept him at bay…

What were the two doing? Definitely not something unsuitable for children.

It was just normal sparring. Seriously.

After the drastic cultivation improvement and saturation of multiple meridian networks, it was natural for Bubai to invest time in mastering the sudden surge in strength.

Alas, assessing the improvements was challenging without practice dummies or strength measurement tools, so he relied on his cultivation secretary for feedback.

According to Xiao Lan, his speed had increased by at least 30%, and the weight of his blows now matched the physical strength of an average lower-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Of course, he was still aware that fighting a Foundation Establishment cultivator head-on was… still a stupid thing to do.

Due to their powerful combat artifacts, diverse techniques, and the mysterious effects brought by their established foundations, it would be a miracle if he could beat them in the same realm, let alone cross-realm.

Let’s not even mention his combat experience...

Nevertheless, his improvement was still a positive development.

Bubai understood that if he remained stagnant and exhibited no progress, the detached Xiao Lan might really seek her own path. Emotions alone couldn’t bind this aloof woman unless he could truly plant his seed into her heart… an ongoing mission topping his to-do list.

Hence, this exchange not only allowed her to fulfill her duties as his secretary but was also a showcase of his growing strength, bolstering her confidence in her investment in him.

Of course, his caution always guided him toward a reserved approach.

Saving a hand is what a smart person does. The true extents of his strength... only he knew inside.

Judging it was about time, in a sudden burst of speed, Bubai closed the gap between them, his movements a blur as he deflected Xiao Lan's calculated slash. Clang!

With lightning reflexes, he embraced her waist, the cold steel of his dagger intercepting her sword just inches from his neck. Clang…

The room fell into a temporary stillness as their eyes locked in a silent exchange, the intensity of the recent combat still reflecting in them.

Face to face with Xiao Lan, Bubai's grin widened when he felt the softness pressing against him. “As I thought, Xiao Lan, you’re still so good.”

Staring back with her blue eyes, Xiao Lan's expression remained aloof, a mask of stoicism concealing any emotions that may have stirred within her.

But due to the aftermath of their physical exertion, her slightly parted purplish lips softly gasped for breath, allowing their breaths to mingle in the charged air…

Bubai could taste her hot breath brushing against his, inviting him into a different kind of exchange.

For a fleeting moment, Bubai considered giving in to her magnetic pull.

Yet, just as his lips were about to bridge the gap between them, he abruptly released his grip on her waist, stepping back gracefully.

His voice carried a hint of confidence as he deftly slipped the dagger back into his storage pouch, “Let’s end it here.”

The tension lingered, but Xiao Lan slowly lowered her weapon, acknowledging the training session’s conclusion.

After swinging his dagger-wielding arm around and stretching a bit, Bubai drew a couple of green wisp to recover.

As the rejuvenating sensation flowed through him, he strolled over to the corner of the bed chamber where a veil of cloth created a miniature hill.

Pulling away the cloth revealed a pair of thick chopsticks, a ceramic jar, and two rectangular sandstone storage boxes – each with a glass lid.

Squatting down, Bubai peered into the non-empty box and observed the lone black scorpion motionlessly sitting at the corner, next to a dish of water. Though half-buried in the thin sand bed, her enlarged abdomen, with faint outlines of babies, was still barely visible through the glass lid.

This was the Death Scorpion. Indeed, it had a pretentious name, but… it was actually one of the cheapest scorpions in the market.

However, its distinct advantage lay in its remarkably short reproduction cycle compared to other scorpion varieties.

Unlike other insects that hatch from eggs, scorpions give birth to live offspring.

The normal incubation period within the mother could extend over several months!

Once born, it took about ten days for the scorpion babies to reach the independence stage, and approximately two months before they matured and became ready for sale.

However, thanks to his unique nourishing ability, he anticipated that the usual maturation time would be significantly shortened. His initial estimate would be at least a month, but the exact duration would only become clear through further observation and testing.

Furthermore, opting to skip the incubation stage, Bubai had bought a mother scorpion already carrying eggs that were ready to hatch. This was a bit more expensive, the total costing almost three months' worth of mortal rations!

However, he was confident that the investment would pay off handsomely once the matured scorpions were ready for sale.

During his market research, he had confirmed the possible profits through multiple sources of feedback and his own judgment. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare to blindly invest.

Not only that, the mother would still be owned by him, and the its offspring could also produce more-

Err… let’s not go to that end of the spectrum.

With his preliminary steps and his special nourishment, his first batch should be ready for sale during the next two months.

Of course, there were still additional costs and concerning factors to watch out for during the growth process.

One is the food. As carnivorous creatures, scorpions primarily fed on other insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates.

He will need to provide this. Otherwise, the hungry mother may even resort to eating her own babies for survival. The neglected baby scorpions would also eat each other!

That would ruin his plans for making money. Each lost baby scorpion equated to a good portion of spirit rice, and perhaps the losses could even rack up to a spirit stone or more!

Fortunately, it wasn’t too difficult to solve this problem.

Casting his gaze upon the jar adjacent to the scorpion enclosure, Bubai lifted its lid.

Inside, a repulsive sight met his eyes – pulsating maggots writhed amidst scattered dried rations, their dance accompanied by the presence of flies swarming over the cramped interior.

Flies have a quick growth cycle, sometimes as brief as 24 hours, making them a cheap and viable food source.

A couple of these winged insects darted out because he left the jar opened, but with a deft and fluid motion, he swiftly captured them in his palms before sealing the lid back in place.

With the food in hand, he turned back towards the predator.

The scorpion obediently sat in place, acting ever so innocent within its small habitat, belying its lurking danger.

Scorpions, unfortunately, could jump and climb.

When taking care of it, he had to prevent it from getting out of the box and also avoid its venomous sting.

A pregnant Death Scorpion will have heightened aggressiveness, and as a creature nurtured by the Qi-rich cultivation world, its poison was particularly deadly even to Qi-refiners…

Plus, he is going to nurture it with his mysterious Qi, amplifying the risks even more.

It’ll be even more of a mess when the babies are born and reached maturity…

“Other disciples usually wear an impervious glove for jobs like this, but…”

Bubai slid open a gap in the box to deposit the captured flies in his bare hand, all the while vigilantly keeping a watchful eye on the motionless scorpion, ready to react to changes at any given moment.

Like many mortals, his financial constraints prevented him from affording such protective gear. Heck, even the antidote wasn’t something he could afford.

So, he had to be very careful.

When his hand retracted from the box, Bubai let out a sigh of relief. “Phew. This time there’s no issues.”

But this didn’t guarantee it would be safe next time.

Plus, he had more to worry about.

His spatial pouch and storage space couldn’t store living beings. Thus, he could only raise the scorpions in his tower.

Unfortunately, this added a layer of environmental risk to the task.

“Just hope Wei Yi and Wei Er won’t be curious enough to open this box for some reason.”

The box had a glass lid for a reason. There were no room for excuses.

Still, he’ll have to make sure to count the scorpions daily to ensure that there wasn’t one that had gone “missing”.

Soon, they will become his wealth, but during the process, they were also a deadly weapon that could be used against him.

Never underestimate mortals.

Bubai recovered the box with the piece of cloth, “And while my little babies are growing…”

Bubai sensed the pile of formation practice chips within his hidden storage space. No time to be wasted. The basic light formation is still waiting to be mastered.

Standing up, he turned his gaze, locking eyes with Xiao Lan beside him. A smile crept onto his face as he leaned in, surprising her with a peck on the lips.

Then, with a swift turn, he headed towards the door.

Xiao Lan’s eyes silently followed Bubai’s departing figure.

When the jade door finally creaked shut, she closed her eyes, raising her hand to lightly rub her purplish lips where the warmth lingered.

Lowering her hand, the calm, calculating eyes opened once more, her eyes slowly flicking over to the covered box. Silently staring at it, she eventually couldn’t resist biting her lips.

Choices – a challenge meant to confound the wise for ages to come.

...

Day after day, the relentless force of nature continued to rage against the invisible barrier surrounding the sect.

The fine grains of sand carried by the tempest coated the mystical barrier, creating a hazy, dark curtain that shielded the view of the chaos and atrocities unfolding within.

The disciples, their sanity eroded by the relentless storm, moved in a frenzied dance, their actions becoming more ferocious and unpredictable with each passing moment.

Then, as if the universe itself had grown weary of the madness, a day arrived when a faint glimmer of sunlight broke through the oppressive darkness.

The first rays of light penetrated the sandstorm, casting a warm glow upon the disciples who found themselves abruptly awakened from their chaotic stupor.

The disciples, in the midst of public exhibitions, awkwardly stared at each other, their bizarre team-building event halted by the unexpected disappearance of the darkness.

As the ripples of the storm faded away, many disciples began to pack up and clean their own mess caused by the chaotic cultivation.

Some exchanged “friendly” glances, finishing off their unspoken deeds as they shook hands.

The once feverish atmosphere began to dissipate. Members dispersed from the street one by one, leaving behind only the glow of the emerging sun to wash over the stained streets and the janitors on cleaning duty.

Night settled in. The streets, once alive with activity, now stood empty under the gentle embrace of the moonlit night, the soft glow casting a silvery luminescence upon the sandstone landscape.

Bubai walked on the quiet streets, the only living soul in a place that had been engulfed by madness just days before.

The air, once thick with the insanity of the disciples, now carried a sense of calm and serenity.

Bubai paused in his solitary walk, gazing up at the serene round moon that hung in the night sky like a celestial guardian over the sect.

Dark, misty clouds were weaving around the lunar sphere, partially veiling its brilliance, creating a breathtaking and mysterious blend of moon and clouds…

The ever-changing dance of light and darkness. Who can say what will happen in the future?

The silent witness tore his eyes away, trudging forward into the looming storm.