One could not fly with a mortal body in the qi refining stage. His feeling of being as light as a swallow was merely because the turbid qi within him had been completely purged, making his body genuinely much lighter.
Strictly speaking, if there were a specific technique or dharma artifact, one could fly in the qi refining stage as well.
Unfortunately, there was no such technique in the other party's memories!
A dharma artifact was even more out of the question. It was merely a strand of memory with no way to interact. Being able to peek into a fraction of it was already enough to satisfy him.
In this immortal cultivator's memories, there were no specific cultivation methods—only an understanding and perception of cultivation itself!
Most of it, however, consisted of muttering complaints: *I did everything I was supposed to—how did it still turn out wrong?*
As luck would have it, Wu Youren didn't actually need a concrete cultivation method; even if the other had one, there were no spirit stones in this world!
What he truly lacked was the conceptual framework and understanding.
He cross-referenced the realm divisions from the other party's recollections and could basically confirm that he had entered qi refining.
He also found the reason why he had been starved out of his mind after advancing.
In a spiritless world, this was very common. If one lacked too much while laying a foundation, this phenomenon could easily occur upon a successful breakthrough.
Once the cultivation level rose, the instincts of the new realm would naturally seek to replenish one's deficiencies.
The good news was that this voracious appetite was temporary and wouldn't become a long-term habit.
What sent a chill down his spine in hindsight was that if he hadn't had enough food to sustain himself then, his realm might have regressed, or his entire body might have withered away into nothingness!
In the immortal cultivation system, that tiny bit of energy was negligible; one didn't even need to make deliberate preparations.
A pill or two would have been more than enough. Under conditions of abundant spiritual energy, so long as the foundation was laid well, doing without pills was no big deal either.
Cultivating in this world, however, guaranteed a deficit in one's foundation, and the energy density of food was far too low...
All in all, dwelled on too long, it brought only bitter tears. It was not without reason that the immortal cultivation world held spiritless worlds in utter disdain.
What was most fortunate was that he had never broken his chastity—the very thing Liu Jingming had mocked him for.
When laying a foundation, keeping one's primal yang intact was exceedingly vital. Stepping into qi refining was only the very first baseline of building a foundation.
If circumstances allowed, one ideally shouldn't lose primal yang before foundation establishment.
Foundation establishment, however, was tied to one's Daoist foundation and had little to do with primal yang. As long as one maintained the harmony of yin and yang, there was basically not much difference.
Even so, if it could be kept, one should keep it as long as possible.
In short, it was something to celebrate: a handsome lad out in the world really had to guard his chastity closely.
Wu Youren felt a certain degree of vigilance toward this newly acquired information, but far more than that, he felt joy.
He finally knew how to walk the path ahead.
At the very least, he was no longer so lost!
After arriving at the greenhouse, he first sensed whether the things he had buried earlier were still there.
Wu Youren didn't like other people sleeping in his room. Being a neat freak was a minor matter; the main concern was having his secrets discovered.
He didn't have many hoarded possessions, but they included genuinely fine goods.
That pale green, honeycomb-shaped stone was something even Instructor Hong coveted. What if word got out?
Even setting aside rare treasures, he also had some alum stone and mineral drugs hidden away. It wouldn't do to let outsiders know about those either, would it?
The main issue was that this place wasn't large to begin with, only about a thousand square meters in total.
If Liu Jingming stayed here for long and his hands got fidgety at some point, that would... there was definitely a hidden danger.
In any case, it was best not to let the fellow make a habit of it.
With those thoughts, Wu Youren finally had a peaceful night's sleep.
At dawn the next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed and clearheaded.
Hearing the stir in the greenhouse, Liu Jingming sauntered over, a bit curious. "Not going to sleep a while longer?"
"I wasn't out fighting a war," Wu Youren answered offhandedly. "When Talisi came, what did she say?"
"Said she couldn't reach you," Liu Jingming answered without hesitation.
That woman actually belonged to the Life-and-Death Knot too. That unexpected news had cost him at least half an hour of sleep last night.
Reflecting on it carefully, however, his answers hadn't contained any loopholes.
He had merely stated that Wu Youren often took on secret missions, so it wasn't his place to pry.
Before coming, the woman had already known that he also hailed from Hostage Manor, and she chatted with him for a bit about matters there.
Liu Jingming had realized right away that Talisi was beating around the bush to pry for information on Wu Youren.
To him, however, that seemed normal enough—women with a taste for slender, pretty boys fancied types like Xiao Wu.
In any case, whenever information was optional to share, he kept his mouth shut as much as possible. He still possessed that much caution.
When the woman left, her demeanor had been so polite that he never would have guessed she was from the Life-and-Death Knot!
Toward the end, Liu Jingming actually admitted sheepishly, "She even asked a bit about... my honey business."
Holy crap! Wu Youren's mouth twitched involuntarily. "Whatever. We're all adults."
Then his face straightened, and he spoke solemnly, "The same advice stands: you'd better keep your distance from her... It's up to you whether you listen."
"I'm not stupid," Liu Jingming rolled his eyes. "Isn't it just the classic carrot-and-stick routine? I'm just lamenting that I don't get that kind of treatment!"
Wu Youren shot him a look: *Is that kind of treatment something to want?*
The son of the live-in son-in-law glared right back: *In the past, whenever I wanted a woman, I had to pay. No one ever sought me out on her own initiative!*
Two days later, Manna came looking for Wu Youren, reporting that the situation at Mount Xuanling had stabilized for the most part, and asked if he still wanted to go.
The youth pondered for a moment and slowly shook his head. "Forget it. I don't want to see the New Army again!"
That was a compelling reason. Manna fell silent. As she left, she remarked, "You seem a bit different."
*Is it that obvious?* Wu Youren mused. But Liu Jingming had said he hadn't noticed any change in him.
The weather gradually grew colder. Half a month later, Instructor Hong arrived at dusk.
She looked the youth up and down before suddenly asking, "Which path did you choose?"
"What... which path?" Wu Youren wore a bewildered expression.
Instructor Hong shook her head without explaining. She had a faint premonition that the youth seemed capable of posing a threat to her!
He was clearly still an apprentice knight who hadn't even awakened. Such a feeling seemed rather absurd.
*Had he taken a new cultivation path?* She felt she was being overly suspicious.
Dropping the matter, she said, "Heading into the mountains? There's pay this time!"
This was unprecedented. Previously, when Wu Youren had taken part in slaying the Guizu multiple times, he had only gained anything if a Guizu relic dropped.
Especially when teaming up with Hong Da's circle, unless he made an exceptional contribution, he usually received the smallest share.
This time, simply participating guaranteed compensation; the circumstances were clearly different.
*The danger will also increase drastically...* Wu Youren was almost certain of this. Rumor had it that even Divine Might Knights had entered the mountains.
Yet Instructor Hong's invitation was not something he could refuse lightly.
In the past, aside from giving him a small cut of the spoils, she had treated him impeccably in every other regard.
Hong Da wasn't stingy. Setting aside his hostage status, just considering an apprentice knight teaming up with knights and grand knights...
With that surplus of security, how large a share could one realistically expect?
The youth hesitated before asking, "Who issued the mission?"
"Hm?" Instructor Hong was somewhat surprised. Pay was already promised, yet he was being picky? "Is that important?"
"Yes, I just want to know," Wu Youren replied after a pause. "Does it involve those two opposing camps?"
"Two opposing ca—huh?" Instructor Hong was taken aback for a second before catching on. "You're worried about that?"
*She's good in every way, except she lacks political sensitivity!* The youth gave a slight nod. "Ordinarily there'd be no need, but..."
The instigator who had ignited this conflict was him, after all!
"Well, that really is... tsk." Instructor Hong clicked her tongue, feeling a bit depressed herself.
She had been entrusted by a friend and wanted to make some extra cash on the side.
She had calculated that her annual routine quotas were already fulfilled, and since the offer was decent, she had considered taking the job.
More crucially, stationed at Red Pine Martial Academy, she was certainly more familiar with the Guizu situation here than outsiders, so she couldn't easily turn down a friend's recommendation.
Yet she truly hadn't thought there could be... this sort of complication involved!
Originally, she had felt such matters were far removed from her, at most tangentially related to the youth before her.
For a moment, she felt thoroughly disheartened. She turned and walked away. "What a mess!"
Wu Youren watched her departing back and shook his head helplessly.
At noon the next day, Manna came over. "What did you say to Master to make her so unhappy?"
She had strongly advocated taking this mission, hoping to earn some extra income.
Over the past six months, she had made quite a bit of money and had gotten somewhat carried away.
She didn't deny there was danger—a partner had even died—but how could one earn money without taking risks?
A few more times, and she would almost have accumulated enough resources to push for grand knight.
She didn't dare ask Hong Da directly, however, so she could only come looking for Wu Youren.
Resigned, Wu Youren repeated what he had said the day before.
Hearing this, Manna was left somewhat speechless. "With your status, you're afraid of getting caught up in something like this?"
Liang natives feared such entanglements, but he was a Jin hostage; his identity was a protective talisman. What could happen if he got involved?
That wasn't entirely wrong! Wu Youren shook his head. "Even if it might not shatter me to pieces, why bother?"
"...True enough!" Manna had no choice but to nod, then sighed. "Once we pick a side, we could be crushed to dust!"
"Yes, your risk is much greater," the youth agreed, sighing along with her. "Yet among you Liang natives, who can truly avoid taking a side?"
Manna left in low spirits, muttering under her breath as she went, "That's right... who can avoid taking a side?"
Liu Jingming had been present this time as well; knowing he was also a hostage, she hadn't kept it from him.
Having listened to the exchange, he was somewhat stunned. "Are you already... in this much demand?"
Wu Youren glanced at him with an odd expression. "Do you think it's better for a hostage to keep a high profile or a low profile?"
"Neither too high nor too low is best," Liu Jingming voiced his opinion. "Given your current position... do you have any idea how much we envy you?"
*I fought for every bit of this myself!* Wu Youren shook his head. "If it were you, would you take part in this?"
"No, I wouldn't," Liu Jingming shook his head, yet his face was still filled with envy. "But you're in a position to say 'no' now!"
Chapter 185