“I wouldn’t ask if I had alternatives,” Cha Ming said. “I can always craft my pill in the wilderness, but there’s nowhere safer than inside the city. Moreover, I’m concerned about collateral damage. The Heaven Ascension Platform is the only place that can handle it.”
“That’s where Haijing royals transcend!” Elder Gan exclaimed. “You might be strong, but you’re far from transcending as a body cultivator.”
“Yes, I’m still far off from that,” Cha Ming said. “But the tribulation I’ll be facing won’t lose out. They can watch if they’re interested. A few people from the Alabaster Group can too, but they must all be peak-core-formation experts. I won’t even allow my personal disciples to spectate if they don’t meet that requirement.”
Elder Gan’s expression turned grave. “What should I relay to the Sea God Emperor?” he asked.
“Tell him I’m crafting something unlike anything he’s ever seen,” Cha Ming said. “Something that shouldn’t be born in this world. If I succeed, I’ll make history.”
“And if you fail?” Elder Gan asked.
Cha Ming’s expression turned cold. “I won’t. I can’t. Death is acceptable, but failure is not.”
Elder Gan trembled as Cha Ming left the room. He recognized the look in his eyes. It wasn’t the look of a calm and composed man, which Cha Ming usually had. It was the look of a madman. Cha Ming would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Chapter 18: Creation and Destruction
“Today’s the day,” Cha Ming said, looking up toward the starry sky. He sat in a hot spring protected by illusory woods. Only he could come here, for Yu Wen had moved on to another life. He lifted his hand and summoned the familiar jade camera. He felt its smooth surface, remembering how cheerful she’d looked whenever she’d taken pictures. Tears ran down his face as he looked through their moments together, remembering nothing but the best as he’d been instructed.
It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. He would find her and give her this camera back so they could take more pictures together. He’d bring back her memories so they could be together again. And this time, he would be stronger. This time, he would protect her.
With a determined look in his eyes, Cha Ming left the hot spring and clothed himself in a new set of robes. This was the first item he’d asked for: peak defensive robes especially resistant to wind, lightning, and fire. Their white surface was covered in gold-and-blue runes. They were bereft of any excessive ornamentation and simple in style, conforming with the latest fashion in Haijing. But at this point, he cared not a wit about fashion, only protection.
“Are you ready?” Sun Wukong asked as Cha Ming appeared on the mountain.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Cha Ming said. “Are you?”
“I’ll survive,” Sun Wukong said. “I’ll lose a great deal of power by doing this, but if it helps you transcend, it’ll all be worth it. Unlike last time, there’s no way I’m falling unconscious.” The Monkey King was apparently still aggrieved and embarrassed by his extended near-death state.
Cha Ming painted a gray circle in the air and exited the Clear Sky World. He walked out of his chamber where his ten disciples were waiting. The moment he walked out, they kneeled solemnly and kowtowed three times.
“Come now,” he said, using his transcendent force to bring them back up to their feet. “You’re all acting like we’ll never see each other again.”
“Don’t try to hide it,” Yue Bing said between tears. “Your focus has been laser sharp these last few years, and you’ve lost your cheer. You’re growing older, much faster than you should. Then you get the Alabaster Group to trade away your entire net worth for some defensive formations and alchemical ingredients? And you won’t even let us see what you’re doing. What are we supposed to think?”
Cha Ming measured his words before answering. “It’s possible that I’ll die today,” he said. “But it’s something I need to do. If I don’t do it, I won’t be myself. I need to see her, and for that, I need to fix my core.”
He summoned an illusory replica of his core before them. His eyes were a little teary, because for the first time, he was showing weakness to them. Something finally clicked, and they realized that while their cultivations had progressed by leaps and bounds, his had not. He’d spent all his time mastering professions, yet his qi cultivation had stagnated. And the core he showed them was nothing more than a mess of colored cracks glued together by some unknown substance. It could never grow, for if it did, it would shatter.
“There must be another way,” Yue Bing said. “You could just start over.”
“There is no other way,” Cha Ming said, shaking his head. “Look at this as my last-ditch effort, my last attempt at breaking through these shackles. I can’t imagine and I won’t accept failure.” He wiped his eyes and walked out, not allowing his disciples to follow.
Outside, he was joined by Huxian and his friends. They followed him like an honor guard, friends who would fight with him to the bitter end. Several elders joined them as they left Haijing Academy and congregated before the clock tower.
The clock tolled when they arrived. Once, twice, three times. It was an ominous sound, like a warning not to proceed any further. But proceed he must if he wanted to see her. The doors opened, revealing Gong Shuren. Unknowingly, she’d climbed up all the way to the peak of marrow refining during his absence.
“Please follow me,” she said, escorting the small group to an inconspicuous place on the side
