Chapter 154: No Killing Allowed

Who would have thought that the person right before her was such an impatient soul, unable to endure even a mere three years?

The old woman startled slightly, then quickly replied, "That is not the case. If the mission requires it, Master Hu is certainly free to travel to the Eastern Spirit Continent and the other four spirit continents. However, he must return to the Southern Spirit Continent on the very same day." With these words, she pulled back the cloth curtain behind her.

A brightly gleaming topographical sand table of the Southern Spirit Continent materialized before Hu Li.

The old woman gestured gracefully. "Please select a grotto-heaven, Master Hu. The illuminated spots are already occupied."

On the sand table, the Southern Spirit Continent was divided into five distinct regions by four grand avenues. The densest cluster of lights sat right in the center. Next came the northern and southern regions, followed by the western region, while the eastern region—situated furthest from the Grade-A Ferry Pier—remained dark and murky, punctuated by only two or three sparse points of light.

"What are the differences among the five regions?" he inquired.

The old woman smiled. "Naturally, there are differences. All grotto-heavens are priced according to their density of spiritual Qi. The eastern region possesses the most abundant spiritual Qi; grotto-heavens there consume an average of ten points of merit per month, making them the most expensive among the five regions. Conversely, the grotto-heavens in the southern and northern regions are the cheapest, consuming a mere point of merit every two months. However, the spiritual Qi in those two regions is exceedingly thin and hardly conducive to cultivation. Among the five, both the central and western regions boast relatively abundant spiritual Qi. Yet the central region occupies the prime hub, accessible from all directions, and houses this spirit continent's only marketplace. Therefore, despite also costing one point of merit per month, everyone strongly favors the central region. As a result, there are currently no vacant grotto-heavens left in the center."

Hu Li made a swift mental calculation: ten points of merit equaled one spirit crystal, which translated to one thousand top-grade spirit stones. He had just deceived the bearded man, and having realized that in the Spirit World, one could hardly move an inch without spirit stones, he naturally intended to guard his storage pouch tightly from the very start. In truth, he still possessed nearly ten thousand top-grade spirit stones, not to mention a collection of magical treasures. However, this was the Spirit World, and he had no idea how many spirit stones those treasures might fetch. But a mere few spirit stones? He, Master Hu, had never once doubted his ability to earn them.

For his master's safety, he pointed unhesitatingly at the eastern region. "Here. The best one!" The best would also be the most expensive, and therefore, it would certainly be the least populated. He had no need for noisy neighbors on either side.

What a lavish spender! The old woman's eyes lit up instantly, reinforcing the suspicion in her heart. She immediately tapped the best grotto-heaven in the eastern region with her spirit brush and smiled flatteringly, "You won't find a better grotto-heaven anywhere else in our Southern Spirit Continent. Twenty points of merit per month."

Hu Li gazed at that grotto-heaven and said with serene detachment, "I have no merit."

The smile on the old woman's face deepened. "It is no trouble at all; spirit stones may be used as a substitute. Master Hu may simply pay two thousand two hundred spirit stones per month. One hundred spirit stones exchange for one point of merit, so twenty points of merit amount to two thousand spirit stones. The extra two hundred spirit stones are the conversion service fee." Very well, a service fee did exist, but it was a mere one percent. In her eyes, a master who could afford two thousand spirit stones would certainly not care about paying an extra two hundred. If everyone behind him proved to be patrons of this caliber, she would soon gather enough for her refining costs. Ha! Once the refinement succeeded, she too would be able to break through to the Ascension Stage!

True to form, Hu Li did not even furrow a brow as he tossed her two thousand two hundred top-grade spirit stones. He had certainly read the subtle scheming in the old woman's mind, but for a mere two hundred spirit stones, he truly could not be bothered to waste his breath.

The old woman accepted his identity token, pressed it against the designated grotto-heaven on the sand table to illuminate it, and then returned the token with both hands. She instructed, "Master Hu, I have recorded the coordinates of the grotto-heaven into your token. From now on, as long as you remain within the Southern Spirit Continent, infusing your divine sense to activate the token will allow you to instantly teleport directly to your grotto-heaven. Furthermore, pray return here in thirty days. If you fail to renew your lease after a three-day grace period, the contract will be considered terminated, and the grotto-heaven will automatically seal itself."

"Much obliged." Hu Li did not wish to gaze upon that aged visage for another second. He took the token and instantly infused his divine sense into it.

A flash of white light, and he vanished completely.

The old woman spat on the ground. "Pah, base wretch!"

The old woman had not deceived him. In the blink of an eye, Hu Li materialized inside a spacious and brightly lit grotto-heaven.

At first glance, aside from fist-sized luminous pearls inlaid in the stone walls on all four sides, the grotto-heaven was utterly barren, resembling a cavern of snow. However, when Hu Li scanned it carefully with his divine sense, he quickly discovered that his new grotto-heaven was fortified with a Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Array, a Seven Killings Guardian Array, and four major barriers designed for fire-proofing, water-proofing, thunder-proofing, and soundproofing.

Spirit-gathering arrays, guardian arrays, and defensive barriers all required spirit stones for maintenance. After a brief calculation, Hu Li felt that those two thousand two hundred top-grade spirit stones were truly well spent—the Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Array and the Seven Killings Guardian Array were immense formations that consumed staggering amounts of spirit stones. Not to mention that given his current abilities, he could not set up such large-scale formations anytime soon. Maintaining the two arrays alone would consume nearly a thousand top-grade spirit stones a month, not to mention the four auxiliary barriers.

As for the concentration of spiritual Qi, the moment he had ascended and stood beneath the Ascension Platform, he had sensed that the spiritual Qi was at least ten times denser than that of his Barrier Sea Heart. Yet the spiritual Qi of the Southern Spirit Continent was even richer than that of the Ascension Platform. His new grotto-heaven was situated squarely within the eastern region, where the spiritual Qi of the Southern Spirit Continent concentrated most heavily, and coupled with the amplification of the Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Array, it was, all in all, the very first time in his life he stood in a place with such dense spiritual Qi. For a moment, he felt extraordinarily sharp-witted and clear-headed, refreshed in spirit, with every single pore of his body radiating comfort and delight.

"Master, there are no outsiders here; you may come out now." The fox had not forgotten the original purpose for spending a hefty sum to select this particular grotto-heaven.

Feng Ke'er, however, shook her head and continued to communicate with him via divine sense. "Let it be. Safety first; I think I had best remain within the spatial sphere."

"The spatial sphere?" This was Hu Li's first time hearing the grand name of this treasure.

"Mm, the spatial sphere is a spatial treasure I refined myself," Feng Ke'er explained briefly. "It is spacious and exceptionally comfortable here, not a whit inferior to your grotto-heaven. So, you need not worry about me. Ever since your ascension, I have remained inside the spatial sphere. I surmise that perhaps for this very reason, the heavenly tribulation did not descend upon us."

That sounded rather reasonable. Hu Li scratched his head and proposed, "Shall I wander outside and inquire about this heavenly tribulation? Besides, no matter how comfortable the spatial sphere is, it is no place for a permanent residence. Master must cleanse herself of the ' undocumented' status as soon as possible. This matter cannot be delayed."

"Very well, let us do as you say," Feng Ke'er agreed. "Haste makes waste. Rest well today, and visiting tomorrow will not be too late."

Since his master had spoken, Hu Li naturally obeyed. Yet, a sudden thought struck him, and he asked in bewilderment, "Master, what is 'hot tofu'?" Judging by the phrasing, it ought to be some sort of delicacy. Having lived for over thirty years of a thousand years, there were actually edible treats in the lower realm that he had never heard of! How bizarre.

Ah. He had let slip a careless word. Feng Ke'er covered her mouth in vexation, stammering as she fabricated an excuse, "Hot tofu? Why, it is simply the most ordinary vegetable dish. I ate it every single day when I was a new outer-disciple at the Qingyun Sect."

The Qingyun Sect? Food for new outer disciples? Hu Li searched his memory diligently. He had never been to the Qingyun Sect. However, the two matters the future master of the 'Goddess' had instructed Shadow Forest to investigate were both related to the Qingyun Sect, so he had naturally devoted extra effort to understanding it. If he remembered correctly, the culinary fare of the Qingyun Sect's outer sect was quite unique: ever since their founding patriarch established the sect, they ate two meals a day, and every single meal consisted of two spiritual rice balls plus a bowl of soup, never once changing. Could it be that 'hot tofu' was simply another name for spiritual rice balls? He fancied he had uncovered the truth.

It seemed this fellow was exceptionally meticulous; he would need to place a lock upon his tongue when speaking with him henceforth. Feng Ke'er massaged her brow: *My dear, if you say it is a spiritual rice ball, then a spiritual rice ball it shall be. After all, it was merely an inconsequential trifle.*

Thereafter, master and servant exchanged no further words, each returning to meditation and rest.

With matters weighing on his mind, Hu Li found it difficult to sit still and pulled out the *Guidelines* to read once more. Back at the Grade-A Ferry Pier, he had only perused the section concerning "Reporting Guidelines," leaving nearly half the contents unread. Mentioning this volume of *Guidelines* filled him with utter admiration for the Spirit World Alliance's ingenuity—to accommodate newly ascended false immortals like them, the text was written in the script commonly used in the lower realm. Beyond that, it covered everything from rules and regulations to travel references, truly helping the false immortals understand the Southern Spirit Continent and the Spirit World Immortal Cultivation Alliance with the utmost speed.

For instance, the *Guidelines* noted that the Spirit World, much like the lower realm, experienced the alternation of day and night. However, nights in the Spirit World were not pitch-black; they were merely slightly dimmer than the daytime. Most importantly, a curfew was enforced throughout the Southern Spirit Continent. Hu Li did not understand what a "curfew" meant until he read the accompanying commentary: the so-called curfew dictated that from nightfall until dawn, apart from the warriors arranged by the Alliance, everyone must remain within their grotto-heavens and was strictly forbidden from stepping outside—what sort of obnoxious rule was this? Such an overbearing mandate! The former master of Joyful Valley felt a surge of indignation.

Additionally, the *Guidelines* explicitly warned that all private brawls were strictly prohibited within the Southern Spirit Continent. Those wishing to engage in spellcasting duels or martial sparring were required to visit the trial grounds of the Spirit World Alliance's Southern Spirit Continent branch. Once private brawling was discovered, both parties would face equal punishment. The lightest penalty was three years of solitary confinement, while the most severe involved banishment to the depths of the Sea of Clouds for lifelong penal labor.

Furthermore, all slaughter was strictly forbidden within the Southern Spirit Continent. Even during sparring matches in the trial grounds, combatants could only stop at the point of yielding. Both intentional and accidental slaughter drew severe penalties. However, penalties varied depending on the species involved. For instance, if a human cultivator intentionally killed a spirit beast, a penalty of one thousand points of merit would be levied; if they intentionally killed a fierce beast, the penalty was reduced to five hundred points of merit. Nevertheless, if the slain spirit beast or fierce beast was a bonded servant beast belonging to someone else, the owner must pay an equivalent value in merit to the beast's master, in addition to the aforementioned penalties. If a natal guardian beast was slain, the crime was treated identically to the murder of a human cultivator—a life for a life.

Conversely, if a spirit beast or fierce beast killed a human cultivator or a natal guardian beast, the beast would be skinned, its tendons pulled, its heart carved out, its bones stripped, and subjected to a slow, agonizing death. If the guilty spirit beast or fierce beast was a bonded servant beast, its master was additionally required to pay five thousand points of merit to the Alliance.

However, if a servant beast killed another spirit beast or fierce beast, the servant beast would be executed, and its master must pay five thousand points of merit each to both the Alliance and the aggrieved party.

As for a natal guardian beast committing the crime of slaughter, it faced the exact same punishment as a human cultivator.

In short, no taking of lives permitted!

A rather peculiar taboo indeed. This single volume of *Guidelines* virtually subverted the core tenets in the fox's heart. At the same time, all the day's experiences suddenly acquired a rational explanation—because he was a bonded natal guardian beast, he was entitled to enjoy the very same status and rights as human cultivators.

He felt an overwhelming sense of profound fortune: fortunately, his master had taken him in as her natal guardian beast; otherwise, in this Spirit World, his humble bloodline would have left him unable to move a single step, let alone ever stand out.

The network has finally been repaired.

This peak bows deeply to thank Ye9966 for sending the pink votes. Thank you. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

The Canon of Penetrating Heaven Chapter 154_The Canon of Penetrating Heaven Full Text Free Reading_Chapter 154 No Killing Allowed Update Complete!