Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'-Chapter 613 - 427: The Urgency of Disease Cultivation (Seeking Monthly Pass)

The Western-style house had just been painted, its walls very white. They set off Greenwater Beggar’s pus-filled smile, creating a contrast that was both uniquely eerie and brilliant.

Greenwater Beggar’s smile was indeed brilliant. At this distance, facing him head-on, Chu Shaoqiang had little chance of surviving.

The methods of Disease Cultivation were exceedingly difficult to counter. One either had to overpower a Disease Cultivator with a superior cultivation level or possess a special Taoist Sect ability capable of neutralizing their techniques. Otherwise, in a direct encounter, even with comparable cultivation, victory was hardly assured. This had become a consensus among the high-level Cultivators in Puluo State.

Chu Shaoqiang descended the stairs step by step, looking at Greenwater Beggar and said, "About what happened back then, I really want to have a good talk with you. Why are you so sure I wanted to seize Greenwater Bay?"

Greenwater Beggar blinked, as if recalling the past. "Among the Four Great Families, all four heads believed Lu Dongliang had the highest cultivation level. But in reality, it was you. Your cultivation had already surpassed the Ninth Layer, and you even used certain Craftsmanship Methods to conceal much of it. Even the Local Deities of Cloud Top First Layer were no match for you. I know all this."

Chu Shaoqiang frowned and said, "So because I’m the strongest, does that make me guilty? I never said I wanted to take over Greenwater Bay. Why did you try to kill me?"

Green Flower laughed, "By the time you’ve explained everything clearly, will I still be alive to hear it? I would have long been sent on Yellow Springs Road by you. Did you forget how Greenwater Bay came into being? Wasn’t it also seized by me?"

Chu Shaoqiang shook his head, "There’s a misunderstanding in this, I really didn’t..."

Greenwater Beggar burst a pustule, and the splashing dark green pus interrupted Chu Shaoqiang, "Stop stalling for time. As a Craftsman Cultivator Hundred Blades, the longer you drag it out, the more advantage you gain."

Chu Shaoqiang halted his steps, seemingly dodging Greenwater Beggar’s pus. "The longer a Disease Cultivator has to prepare, the greater their chances of victory. It won’t hurt you if we reminisce properly."

Greenwater Beggar shook his head, "My Taoist Sect emphasizes swift strikes and the element of surprise; extensive planning isn’t necessary."

"The element of surprise is true, but is your Sect really fast?" Chu Shaoqiang shook his head. "Green Flower, your Sect is very deceptive. Disease Cultivation is powerful, but not because it’s fast. Its real strength lies in being ’small.’ The disease foci are so minuscule, invisible and traceless, silent and stealthy. Nobody knows when they come, how they come, or how to block them. So many people fall into a misconception, known as ’illness descends like a collapsing mountain.’ Everyone thinks that disease strikes very fast, but the foci aren’t quick. They are tiny, catching one off guard. Like right now, the pus you’re squeezing out, all the pustules on your body—they’re visible, and I don’t need to worry about them. What I should be concerned about are the invisible ones. Those are the disease foci that truly can’t be dodged."

As he finished speaking, tiny snowflakes suddenly appeared in the hall of the Western-style house.

The snowflakes concealed invisible bacteria—or, to be precise, bacterial corpses.

These bacteria, killed by the "snowflakes," fell continually from the air, encased within them. The pungent alkaline smell caused Green Flower’s cheeks to tremble slightly.

"What kind of Magical Treasure is this?" Green Flower looked around, as if searching for the source of the technique.

"It’s not a Magical Treasure, just lime." Chu Shaoqiang grabbed a "snowflake" from the air and crushed it into dust.

Hearing it was lime, Greenwater Beggar looked at the surrounding walls.

The smooth white walls had become mottled, as large amounts of lime rapidly peeled off them.

Chu Shaoqiang said, "Disease foci are very small, small enough to be Omnipenetrating. Back when we fought, I constructed three barriers, yet I couldn’t keep you out. Over the years, I never forgot that battle. All these years, I’ve been thinking about how to beat you. Eventually, I realized one thing: to win against you, I shouldn’t try to be faster than you, nor aim to be perfectly airtight. No matter how tight the defense, there are times it can’t hold. To win against you, I must become as ’small’ as you. So, I stopped focusing on weapons and turned my attention to dust."

WHOOSH.

The "snowflakes" in the hall suddenly grew denser as Green Flower increased his release of bacteria.

The lime dust in the air quickly responded, becoming finer and more concentrated.

These lime particles, no longer needing Chu Shaoqiang’s orders, could directly combat Greenwater Beggar’s bacteria. This display of exquisite Craftsmanship Method put Greenwater Beggar on edge.

What truly made Greenwater Beggar nervous was that Chu Shaoqiang had grasped the crux of Disease Cultivation.

"Small" was the most crucial element for Disease Cultivators.

"Do you think this lime is so effective?" Green Flower also grabbed a flake of Lime Snow and rubbed it between his hands.

Chu Shaoqiang paused. "Do you think the lime is larger than the disease foci you create?"

Greenwater Beggar responded, "Anything visible isn’t considered small."

"So some lime you haven’t even seen," Chu Shaoqiang smiled. "Smell it carefully. Isn’t that alkaline scent almost burning through your lungs?"

As the Lime Snow fell more heavily, Greenwater Beggar was forced to wrap his body with pus.

There was an inexhaustible supply of lime in the house. Each particle of lime dust was one of Chu Shaoqiang’s Spiritual Objects, nearly as tiny as the bacteria. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Now, each speck of dust fought against the bacteria. Because of the lime’s alkalinity, the bacteria had almost no power to fight back.

He had been tricked. Greenwater Beggar should never have entered this house. And now, it seemed not so easy to leave. The pus on his body was hardening into a crust.