Big Data Cultivation

Chapter 2574: Chapter 2566: Unraveling the Cocoon

This Ge Xiling is merely at the Golden Core Eighth Layer and can become friends with Longyang, who’s at the Nascent Soul Middle Phase, which is quite peculiar.

However, this is related to Longyang’s personality. He doesn’t like to socialize yet has some personal hobbies, such as an intense fondness for carving, simply the act of carving, not making talismans or vehicles and such.

Ge Xiling also enjoys carving, and likes to wander in the Mortal World to carve, using it as a means to grind his own cultivation. Even his ability to form a Core is due to a breakthrough in his carving insights.

He even plans to use carving to find a breakthrough point when he’s about to enter the Nascent Soul stage.

There’s no other way; he doesn’t hail from a major sect or clan, so he can only choose smaller breakthrough points.

Longyang True Immortal considers his carving skills quite advanced, and upon encountering Ge Xiling and hearing that he achieved Core Formation through carving, took to earnest discussions with him, and over time, they became friends.

Many are aware of the relationship between Ge Xiling and Longyang, and there’s no false information about it. However, whether Longyang has other friends known to him remains a bit doubtful — "When together, we only discuss carving, and have no mutual acquaintances."

A Xuanshui Sect disciple asks again, "When was the last time you saw Longyang, and in what state was he? Was he in a good mood?"

Ge Xiling responds that Longyang True Immortal is of good character, generally not out of the ordinary, although he would use force to settle differing carving philosophies. However, he generally lived impulsively, carefreely, without any burdens.

Considering that no family members of Longyang True Immortal have achieved Core Formation, one can see how carefree he lived.

But Ge Xiling does recall something: Longyang was working on a very intricate carving, estimated to be completed in five months, and he informed him half a year ago, to invite him for an evaluation — but what kind it was, Longyang did not disclose.

Carving in this dimension is a truly niche art. Ge Xiling and Longyang do not meet frequently mainly because they live quite far apart, making visits inconvenient. Their last meeting was ten years ago.

Of course, this does not tarnish their friendship; enthusiasts engage in technical exchanges, and there’s no harm in not seeing each other frequently, as good works can still bring them together for shared enjoyment.

So, based on the agreement, the invitation from Longyang half a year ago did not foresee the impending accident.

The Xuanshui Sect disciple has to step into detective-mode and asks, "When was the last time you contacted Longyang?"

Ge Xiling indicates that the invitation instance was the most recent contact — their ranks differ significantly, so it’s usually Longyang the True Immortal who initiates contact, rather than him casually reaching out.

The Xuanshui Sect disciple asks further, "Do you know when others last contacted him?"

"I truly don’t know," Ge Xiling shakes his head blankly, "Longyang True Immortal... what happened to him?"

Turns out he doesn’t even know Longyang True Immortal is dead.

The Xuanshui Sect disciple doesn’t answer his question and asks, "How did you two meet?"

Ge Xiling is suddenly stunned, and after a long while, he slaps his thigh hard, "I know now! Longyang True Immortal and I really do have a mutual acquaintance... my cousin Ge Xilai!"

The Ge Family is an artisanal clan with about four to five thousand members. They have Spirit Fields but aren’t very skilled at farming.

Therefore, most cultivation resources for the Ge Family are obtained through artisanal methods. The production is varied and not specialized, as long as it makes money and gathers resources, they do it all.

Essentially, somewhat like craftsmen, but not the kind with ancestral skills — if it’s lucrative, they can learn it on the fly.

Ge Xiling enjoys and perseveres in carving because, at the start, he considered it a craft — there’s no inheritance in the clan, but he can learn, right?

Ge Xilai also has skills — carpentry, which does have some inheritance in the Ge Family. Yet his aptitude is the highest.

Carpenters surely work with wood, and Ge Xilai knows how to maneuver, eventually establishing connections with the Lingmu Sect.

So he can buy various Spirit Plant materials from the Lingmu Sect, while providing processing services for Lingmu Sect disciples.

Then there’s a bit of minor corruption within the sect, where some Spirit Plant offcuts, originally reportable for loss, are slipped through by Lingmu Sect disciples, and Ge Xilai acquires them at a "sincere" price, palliating the counterparts and earning himself some small benefits as well.

For major powers like the Seven Gates and Eighteen Paths, this is truly a minor affair but sufficient for Ge Xilai to thrive. Besides him, there are dozens to hundreds of similar businesses linked with Lingmu Sect.

What’s the saying, "A hair plucked is thicker than a waist"? This applies here.

Of course, this type of business carries risks; if exposed, he takes the fall — not the Lingmu Sect disciple exploiting the sect resources, but him deceiving Lingmu Sect.

Therefore, Ge Xiling asked his cousin who his patron was, but his cousin replied: "Don’t ask, if something happens, I’ll be the sole scapegoat. If you inquire, our entire Ge Family would be implicated."

Ge Xiling caught Longyang True Immortal’s attention due to Ge Xilai’s introduction.

At that time, Ge Xilai wanted to acquire the spirit wood remnants of the "Songzhan Sector"—the profits from the scraps were another matter. It was necessary to understand that this was one of the three major production bases and that various combat effects would be tested, generating a substantial amount of spirit wood remnants.

The larger spirit woods were certainly reclaimed by the sect, but those that were neither here nor there could be sold to outsiders at reasonable prices.

Ge Xilai thought this was big business, but he was competing against hundreds of powers, and it was still certain people’s private domain.

Therefore, during the competition, he definitely had to attempt to traverse the upper-level route. Although Longyang True Immortal was merely a patron with no say, he didn’t want to offend him—at least, he hoped Longyang wouldn’t speak ill of him.

When he learned that Longyang True Immortal liked carving, he said he had a paternal cousin whose carving skills were particularly high—the carving from when he embraced the core formation was still at his place.

Longyang belonged to the tech enthusiast type. Although he knew he was a true immortal and that his cultivation level was higher than the other’s, he was very curious to see someone who could embrace core formation through carving: "Then bring over that carving for me to see."

After witnessing it, he voluntarily invited Ge Xiling to meet and discuss related techniques and concepts.

In Ge Xiling’s mind, it was his exquisite art that won over Longyang, and there was no cheating involved.

He also fawned over Longyang True Immortal—as was necessary—but he did not think he was unworthy of befriending him.

Of course, Ge Xiling also appreciated the opportunity his cousin gave him and made some economic gestures, which were not poorly done.

Especially in recent decades, as Ge Xilai’s business with the Lingmu Sect had been getting worse, he had asked Ge Xiling several times for help to put in a word, but it was ineffective, and their brotherly relationship started to drift apart.

In fact, Ge Xiling felt rather wronged. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried, but Longyang True Immortal was very disgusted by such matters.

The first time he asked for a favor, Longyang stated: "You and I are carving friends, and because of this mutual interest, we can communicate. If you mingle other factors into this relationship, the foundation of our interaction will be altered."

Moreover... why on earth would you think that just because I’m a mere patron, I could have a say in such affairs?

Ge Xiling actually quite enjoyed interacting with Longyang—technical enthusiasts are similar, after all; couldn’t be helped.

In any case, he felt he hadn’t shortchanged Ge Xilai—if you keep complaining, then let’s just reduce contact.

To this day, subconsciously, he had already excluded Ge Xilai from his and Longyang True Immortal’s circle.

So initially, he didn’t even recall that he and Longyang had any mutual friends—it was actually kin, not friends.

A disciple of the Xuanshui Sect patiently listened to his explanation, then checked, "Ge Xilai... wasn’t brought over?"

"He’s been missing for some time," Ge Xiling still wanted to speak up for his clan member, "for about more than a year... What exactly happened with Longyang?"

More than just Feng Jun were eyeing this interrogation; Han Hai True Sage’s divine sense directly sent the message to several Xuanshui Sect Nascent Souls, "Who brought over the Ge family member, and how did you miss a main member?"

He had no intention of quibbling over the names Yi Jue provided because there indeed weren’t many people close to Longyang. Seven was quite normal, but Longyang, after all, was a true immortal who had lived for a thousand years. Was it possible he had no contact with others?

For instance, Ge Xilai was merely a passerby in Longyang True Immortal’s life. Yi Jue failing to investigate this was understandable, but it was rather inexcusable that the Xuanshui Sect’s people missed this "main member" in their capture.

Soon, the person in charge hurried over. The most unfortunate part was that he was a disciple of Han Hai True Sage, at the Nascent Soul Initial Stage—not that the disciple was inept; it was just that his master advanced too quickly.

With a grim expression, he said, "Master, the Ge Xilai you mentioned... we asked around, but he’s been missing for a long time."

"Don’t call me Master! I’m ashamed to be associated with this," Han Hai True Sage was near infuriated, and he was very concerned about his reputation, "A Void Treasure Hunt quota... Are you just going to act as if nothing happened because you couldn’t find the person?"

"Oh?" Yi Jue couldn’t help but utter in surprise, then gave Feng Jun a glance, "Void Treasure Hunt... is this the reward for such a mission?"

Feng Jun was truly caught in a dilemma. He had also agreed when it was proposed not to let the Spirit Plant Sect take the mission, so he could only bite the bullet and reply, "Well... next time, I’ll give the Spirit Plant Sect five spots, free of charge."

"Mountain Master Feng, what did you say?" Wei Sancai got excited, "Next Void Treasure Hunt, five spots free per family?"

He couldn’t help but be excited; being unreasonable was a must... Five spots meant five thousand superior spirit stones.

Feng Jun calmly glanced at him, "I said five spots for the Insect World, Sancai True Sage, you’re overthinking it."

Yi Jue kept quiet after getting his promise, yet thinking of the inequity, couldn’t help but snort heavily.

This round of ruckus, no matter what, was temporarily settled, but Han Hai True Sage felt that his reputation was less and less intact, "Within two days, bring all information on Ge Xilai, or else... I’ll expel you from the sect!"

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