Unexpected Gain

"How do you feel?"

Gu Shenggo looked at the awakened Shui Bing'er and asked gently. Her eyes were still slightly dazed, and she had yet to fully come to her senses.

After a while, clarity gradually returned to Shui Bing'er's eyes. Hearing Gu Shenggo's question, she first shook her little head, then nodded, looking at him as she said in a childish voice:

"Teacher, Bing'er feels a little dizzy."

"That's normal. It'll get better after you listen to it a few more times."

Gu Shenggo raised a hand and stroked Shui Bing'er's head, his voice carrying a faint magnetism as he explained. Shui Bing'er nodded. She believed Gu Shenggo's words.

Before long, Shui Yue'er woke up as well. Like Shui Bing'er, she felt groggy and dizzy.

That was how it was the first time one listened to Divine Sound. The stimulation of the brain's nerves brought some mild side effects, such as dizziness, drowsiness, or even nosebleeds. As one gradually adapted, those reactions would disappear.

Gu Shenggo told the two little girls to go back and rest properly, get a good night's sleep, and return tomorrow.

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both nodded. They wanted to sleep as well, and hand in hand, they left Gu Shenggo's room.

Watching the two little girls' retreating backs, Gu Shenggo fell into thought.

He thought of a movie.

"Lucy."

The protagonist of Lucy had relied on drugs to develop her brain, thereby gaining power beyond that of a god.

The Divine Sound contained within the Sword Heart Art stimulated the brain's nerves, using the brain to hypnotize the body, thus achieving the effect of transforming the body and adapting it to the environment.

In truth, it was simply developing the brain's potential, though it was nowhere near as exaggerated as in the movie.

Gu Shenggo closed his eyes and entered the golden space within the Void Archive once more. He wanted to have a proper talk with Prometheus.

"Prometheus."

The moment he entered the golden space, Gu Shenggo called for Prometheus. The golden figure instantly appeared before him.

"Visitor, what do you need?"

"How much do you know about Divine Sound?"

Gu Shenggo got straight to the point and directly asked Prometheus about Divine Sound.

Upon hearing this, Prometheus began explaining some information about Divine Sound.

Even the Void Archive contained few records concerning Divine Sound. The Heart Essence within the Great Void Sword Qi was actually a weakened version of Divine Sound, while the complete version had not been recorded within the Void Archive.

It seemed to involve some kind of taboo.

After listening to Prometheus's explanation, Gu Shenggo seemed to understand.

He vaguely remembered that Divine Sound had been developed by Dr. Mei of Fire Moth, while the Heart Essence of the Great Void Sword Qi had been improved by Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu.

But why did the Void Archive contain the Great Void Sword Qi? Could it have been recorded later?

After all, Gu Shenggo did not know which era the Void Archive in his possession came from.

Yet this also proved just how strange and powerful Divine Sound was. Not even the Void Archive had records of it.

Using self-hypnosis to adapt to the environment—this was a classic case of Darwinism.

After leaving the Void Archive, Gu Shenggo decided to stop cultivating the Sword Heart Art.

After all, he did not know what effects the Sword Heart Art would have on his brain and nerves.

Moreover, all those known to cultivate the Great Void Sword Qi were women. As a man, even if he cultivated it, he would not be able to improve much.

The myriad worlds were so vast. There was no need for him to limit himself to a cultivation method that did not suit him.

Fortunately, his Sword Heart Art cultivation was not particularly advanced. He had not even reached the Sword Heart Still Water stage.

Or rather, Gu Shenggo would never reach the Still Water realm in his lifetime, because his heart could not calm down.

He rose and left his room. He had been in Shui Li City for so long without ever going out for a stroll. He might as well see how a city in the Extreme North Ice Plain differed from other cities.

Without even informing Lan Qingyan and the others, Gu Shenggo directly left the City Lord's Manor.

Shui Li City was not particularly large, roughly comparable to Suotuo City, but it was far less bustling.

Ice and snow paved the roads, snow covered the rooftops, and the cold wind howled. The chill seeped from one's feet to one's head. Snowflakes drifted between heaven and earth, and all one could see was a vast expanse of white, as though it sought to conceal the filth of this world.

The people on the streets came and went in a hurry. In such a frigid climate, ordinary people were unwilling to linger for long. Those who could walk the streets normally were either Soul Masters with unusual constitutions or those highly resistant to the cold.

Gu Shenggo wore only thin clothes, entirely unafraid of the cold as he strolled down the street. The vendors around him, wrapped up tightly and holding Warm Cups in their hands, all revealed surprised expressions when they saw him.

Some passersby discussed him as they walked, while a few Soul Masters showed admiration and awe. To remain so lightly dressed in such freezing weather, he had to be a powerful expert with profound Soul Power.

As he wandered through the streets, Gu Shenggo looked over the surrounding vendors. Most sold various furs or ice-element plants unique to the Extreme North Ice Plain.

The weather in the Extreme North Ice Plain was exceptionally cold. Ordinary plants could not survive there; only some special plants could live in such harsh conditions.

Gu Shenggo stopped before a vendor's stall. The vendor was a seven- or eight-year-old girl, bundled up tightly. Yet unlike the other vendors, she was not holding a Warm Cup. She shivered uncontrollably in the freezing weather.

When she saw someone approach her stall, delight appeared on the little girl's frost-reddened face. Her childish voice was tinged with hoarseness as she hurriedly introduced the plants on display to Gu Shenggo.

"Honored Soul Master, hello. I gathered all these ice plants from the ice plain today. They're all very fresh. Please have a look and see which one you need."

Gu Shenggo crouched down and examined the various ice plants on her stall. There were Ice Soul Flowers, Cold Heart Grass, Ice Jade Pure Heart, and even a Sixth-grade Jade Ice Lotus mixed among them. The sight surprised him.

A Jade Ice Lotus advanced one grade every ten years. A Sixth-grade Jade Ice Lotus had grown for at least sixty years and could help Soul Masters increase their Soul Power, making it extremely valuable.

If this Sixth-grade Jade Ice Lotus were sent to the Heaven Dou Auction House for auction, it could fetch at least five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.

All the other ice plants on this stall combined were not worth as much as this Sixth-grade Jade Ice Lotus.

More importantly, the Ice Jade Lotus was one of the main ingredients for the Ice Spirit Pill in the research on Miracle Pills.

"I'll take this Sixth-grade Jade Ice Lotus. Will seven hundred thousand Soul Gold Coins be enough?"

Gu Shenggo did not hesitate and directly named a fair price.

He could tell that the little girl before him did not seem to recognize the Ice Jade Lotus. Otherwise, she would not have mixed it together with ordinary ice plants.

Although the Sixth-grade Ice Jade Lotus was precious, he would not deceive a seven- or eight-year-old girl for it.

Hearing that Gu Shenggo wanted to spend seven hundred thousand Soul Gold Coins to buy her ice plant, the girl's frost-reddened face filled with shock. She had never imagined that the ice lotus she picked would be worth so much.

"Are you telling the truth?!"

"Yes. This card only has five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins on it. I'll pay you that in advance. As for the remaining two hundred thousand, I'll take you to the City Lord's Manor to collect it."

Gu Shenggo nodded and took out a Gold Soul Card, handing it to the little girl. This was all the Gold Soul Coins he had; Lan Qingyan could pay the rest.

The little girl looked at the Gold Soul Card extended before her, still unable to believe it.

"Wait. I want that Sixth-grade Ice Jade Lotus too. I'll offer seven hundred and ten thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Just as the little girl tremblingly stretched out her frost-reddened hand to take the Gold Soul Card, a cold and noble female voice suddenly stopped her.

(Another one~)