Huyue

To ensure absolute safety, Qin Xuan did not go anywhere for the next few days. Aside from organizing what he had obtained, he spent the rest of his time sitting in quiet meditation, regulating his breath, and circulating his qi to cultivate. If anything felt amiss, he would be right there to consult Songsong. However, he seemed to have worried needlessly. With no new spirit metal qi generated, the cultivation speed of the Scripture of Rinsing Jade returned to normal. Without comparison, there would be no harm. Qin Xuan found himself reminiscing about his days in the boiler room again, fantasizing about an endless supply of five elements spirit metal and five elements metal crystals—what a wonderful thing that would be. It was the sixth day since Old Man Black Corpse had died. *Chhh!* A sound that seemed to pierce the wind rang through the small courtyard, startling Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin beneath the eaves into flapping their wings. A jade-green sword light whirled rapidly, swifter than ever before. Qin Xuan directed the sword art, sending the Clear Water sword talisman wheeling up and down. When he pushed his magical power to its limit, the sword light blurred into a phantasmal streak. After practicing for a while, he felt greatly satisfied. "The sword qi from Sword Immortal Sister really is the greatest fortuitous encounter this time." The sword qi served as a life-saving trump card he could unleash, and it also allowed him to comprehend the sword art. Over the past few days, as he read Spring Letters, Autumn Post while observing the sword qi, a surge of sword art insights had welled up in his mind from the very start! Previously, sword qi thunderous roar could only be applied to his footwork—turning his body into a sword to boost his speed, the very technique he had used to break through the little fox's Nine Palaces formation chart. Now, this was the first time he had applied it to genuine sword art, nearly doubling the speed of the sword talisman. Furthermore, opening the Flowery Pool had increased his magical power, allowing him to command the sword talisman for a longer duration. Qin Xuan put away the sword talisman and picked up Old Man Black Corpse's black snake corpse staff. With that old bastard dead, the imprint on the corpse staff had dissipated. He had simply refined it a little, just enough to barely activate it. It was a treasure after all; smashing someone with it would be enough to give even a Foundation Building cultivator plenty of grief, making it serviceable as a makeshift self-defense tool. He had not fully refined it because doing so was far too time-consuming. This treasure was exceptionally attuned to the Mount Tong Corpse Refining Great Method; without cultivating that technique, drawing out its full might was difficult. A person's energy was always limited, and he could hardly compromise his standards to study the Xieling Sect's methods, which made wielding it feel somewhat clumsy and improper. "In the future, I'll find an opportunity to sell it off along with the Xieling Sect's techniques in exchange for some five elements spirit metal—that would be far more practical." The corpse staff was secondary; what Old Man Black Corpse took the greatest pride in was the underground escape technique known as the Heaven-Excavating Earth-Shrinking Curtain. The old bastard's escape arts were uncanny; he was an absolute master of fleeing. Qin Xuan had witnessed it firsthand and coveted it greatly. Even if this method did not suit his constitution well, he was unwilling to give it up lightly. However... Two nights later, Qin Xuan ceased agonizing over it and switched to a more efficient way of learning escape arts. Bathed in the moonlight, he arrived before a two-story bamboo cottage. "Huaimin, Huaimin!" He called at the door for a moment, and before long, a man walked out sporting dark circles under his eyes. "Zihou, why do you always come late in the evening?" Without answering, Qin Xuan produced the Heaven-Excavating Earth-Shrinking Curtain. "You specialize in earth escape. Take a look at this." Zhao Huaimin took it, glanced at it, and his eyes immediately lit up. "Good stuff!" Qin Xuan chuckled. "A gift from the Great Elder of Xieling. You study it first, and when the time comes, pass the techniques along to me." "Done!" Zhao Huaimin nodded repeatedly. Qin Xuan glanced at his panda eyes. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine," Zhao Huaimin said mysteriously. "This is a secret technique meant to accumulate your foundation to its absolute limit during Foundation Building. I'll teach it to you when you reach Foundation Building—there's still plenty of time." Having said that, he suddenly sensed a change in Qin Xuan's qi. Zhao Huaimin gasped in astonishment. "Zihou, you opened your Flowery Pool?" Calculating the days, it seemed far too fast. Qin Xuan joked with him: "You build up your foundation during Foundation Building, while I began building mine during Qi Refining. Now that it's accumulated enough, I progress very quickly. Before long, my cultivation will catch up to yours." Sporting his panda eyes, Zhao Huaimin laughed heartily and slung an arm around Qin Xuan's shoulder. "Zihou, stop joking around. "You've only been cultivating Qi for six years, whereas I started practicing at age five, and with the secret ancestral methods of Bihai Immortal City to boot. "If you can actually catch up to me, I'll definitely use my status as a fellow lineage of Mount Bailu to introduce you to the divine maiden of Illusory Wave Pool! She is a pure, graceful, and enchanting fairy who is wildly pursued in Bihai Immortal City." "Forget it. If she happens to fall for me, wouldn't that break the hearts of all the fellow Daoists on Mount Bailu?" Qin Xuan bantered no further, gave him a gourd of spirit dew, and took his leave. The next day, after leaving instructions for Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin, Qin Xuan headed to the Scripture Pavilion. At the secluded retreat where the elders practiced, he met two ascetic elders who rarely ventured outside. Both of them were at the Core Formation Evil-Refining realm. Having suffered at the hands of the Xieling Sect once, Qin Xuan had learned his lesson; this time, he lined up his allies beforehand. Old Daoist Wu had already spoken to them in advance. Sparing with their words, the two elders gave him a transmission talisman without any unnecessary chatter once they heard this was to assist Senior Mao Yan. With matters arranged within the temple, Qin Xuan planned to leave and set his plans in motion. He came to Pine Breeze Lodge to pay his respects to Old Daoist Wu, only to find the old man gazing down the winding path, having long been waiting for him. As soon as Qin Xuan arrived, the old man handed him a bamboo scroll. "Temple Head..." Before he could finish, Old Daoist Wu cut him off with a flick of his sleeve. "The Twelve-Storied Tower of Qi Refining may not yield great magical power, but it is the foundation of an immortal Dao Qi Refining cultivator. You have opened your Flowery Pool and glimpsed the path to Foundation Building. Recorded within this bamboo scroll is my understanding of 'revolving the river chariot' and 'refining spirit and returning to clarity.' "These two layers are the final preparations for Foundation Building. "The path beyond is something I cannot fully comprehend myself, so I can no longer instruct you haphazardly." Qin Xuan solemnly accepted the bamboo scroll and bowed deeply to Old Daoist Wu, performing the etiquette of a disciple to a master. Because Uncle Li had told him years ago that if he could overcome the obstacle in his heart, his aptitude would give him a chance to enter the Upper Court, he had never formally taken a master in the Lower Court. Yet in Qin Xuan's heart, Old Daoist Wu was no different from a master. Beneath the old man's long brows was an expression filled with benevolence. Stroking his beard, he smiled and said: "The heavens and earth are vast, and the immortal path is long. Across the Four Seas and Nine Provinces, from the jade azure down to the nether earth, countless cultivators are searching endlessly. If one day you lose your way, reflect upon why you first embarked upon the Dao; perhaps an echo will answer." "This disciple will remember it well." "Go on." A gust of wind rose around Pine Breeze Lodge, and the white crane took off with Qin Xuan, soaring into the cloudy sky and heading toward the west of the city. As an exotic beast of mountains and seas, its speed was exceedingly swift. Qin Xuan was initially reflecting on Old Daoist Wu's words, but with the whistling wind buffeting his ears, he could not resist asking, "Brother Crane, how did you get your Roc bloodline?" He Wushuang replied with rare seriousness, "A Roc once died in my homeland of Yudu. I am a crane of fortune, born within the Peacock Mystic Realm of Yudu. There was Roc blood on its periphery, which this crane absorbed." "Peacock Mystic Realm?" "Yeah. That's the most perilous place in Yudu. It's the burial site of a peacock from before the great tribulation; cultivators and demon clans in Yudu rarely dare venture there." At the mention of a peacock, Qin Xuan blurted out instinctively, "Kong Xuan?" "Who's Kong Xuan?" He Wushuang asked curiously. "Qin Xuan, Kong Xuan... is that an alias you made up?" "Just a name that suddenly came to mind; I read it in some book." Qin Xuan offered a casual explanation, then asked, "By the way, is jeweled-canopy spirit grass of any use to you?" "What's the point of asking? Could you possibly have jeweled-canopy spirit grass?" The white crane seemed well aware of Qin Xuan's wealth. "Not much, just four or five stalks." "WHAT?!" The white crane was shocked out of its wits, freezing midair so that man and crane plummeted straight down from high among the clouds. Qin Xuan shouted in alarm, and only after plunging several hundred paces did the crane flap its wings and soar upward once more. "Zihou, you're not joking, are you?" "It's real." The white crane grew instantly agitated. "Good brother, give me one! Give me one stalk!" Qin Xuan laughed. "Brother Crane, coveting another's spirit herbs and medicines is taboo." The white crane ignored that completely, clamoring repeatedly, "Big Brother Zihou! No, Patriarch Qin! Don't make me beg you! To us demon beasts, this jeweled-canopy spirit grass is practically lightning-struck precious medicine! If I get one and awaken my ancestral bloodline, the possibilities are unfathomable! "Hey, hey, agree right now, or I'll dive straight into the ground and we'll both be finished!" Qin Xuan chuckled and scolded, "You're ruthless, aren't you? I already set a stalk aside for you. Just wait until I've watered it with spirit water for a bit." The white crane was overjoyed. "This crane didn't misjudge you!" With the white crane's keen sense of smell, if such a spirit herb had appeared in Yuansong Temple, it would have scented it long ago. However, Qin Xuan's courtyard was rather peculiar; ever since Songsong awakened, all spiritual traces inside were thoroughly concealed. The abundance of spiritual qi inside and outside the courtyard was also worlds apart. "By the way, Brother Crane, do me a favor when you return to the temple later." "What favor?" Qin Xuan said, "This time, the elders of the temple killed many Xieling Sect members and likely acquired their treasure bags. Help me purchase all the yin spirit jars inside them." "Simple!" He Wushuang agreed readily, not even bothering to ask what he wanted those yin spirit jars for. Upon reaching the west of the city, Qin Xuan handed over the spirit stones from the Xieling Great Elder's treasure bag. If he used these spirit stones at a place like Zhenbao Pavilion, he could indeed buy some five elements spirit metal. However, the Secret Demon Wealth Dissipation Great Method was no laughing matter. He simply could not afford to squander his spirit stones like that; it was nowhere near as cost-effective as exchanging with the fox grandfather. Once the white crane departed, Qin Xuan entered Huashi Alley. He sought out Gu Mei'er's residence, only to find the windows closed and no one home. The little fox had mentioned that if she wasn't at home, she would most likely be at Huyue Book Pavilion. Hearing that the pavilion's owner was knowledgeable about demon clans, Qin Xuan had been intending to look into the matter anyway. And so, channeling his qi, he headed toward the north of the city... At the end of an alley in the northern city stood an old bookstore—precisely the "Huyue Book Pavilion" Mei'er had spoken of. From afar, it appeared rather weathered, its storefront recessed by three feet. Under the eaves hung an old lantern whose paper had turned brittle and yellow. New books were displayed outside, while the bookshelves inside were crammed wall-to-wall with ancient tomes. Business at the book pavilion was generally good. The Nine Provinces were immense, and bizarre, wondrous occurrences were as numerous as ox hairs. Pingyuan Commandery belonged to Yunzhou Prefecture, and while most people spent their entire lives within the prefecture, that did not dampen their curiosity about the world, leading them to learn about the Nine Provinces through books. The shopkeeper of Huyue Book Pavilion was named Hu Yulin, somewhat well-known in the surrounding area. It was said that in his early years he too had walked the path of immortal cultivation, before eventually drifting among the common folk. Standing at the bookstore's entrance, Qin Xuan spotted Shopkeeper Hu seated amid piles of books. Looking to be in his fifties, wearing a square scholar's cap and a scholar's gown, with an open and clear expression, he possessed the refined air of a literatus. "Young Master!" Mei'er stepped out from among the inner shelves. Her soft call drew Shopkeeper Hu's gaze toward Qin Xuan. Shopkeeper Hu stood up. "This must be the Young Master Qin you spoke of?" "Indeed." Mei'er was somewhat different from before; not a single trace of demonic qi could be seen on her now. She wore a goose-yellow skirt, resembling a gentle young lady from a modest family. Her eyes remained the most striking—slightly upturned at the corners, with pupils like pools of shimmering spring water, exceptionally lively. When she looked at Qin Xuan, a hint of innate fox charm naturally surfaced. "Mister Hu, Young Master Qin gets along very well with my grandfather, and he has wanted to meet you for some time." "Oh?" Shopkeeper Hu's eyes brightened. "Then we certainly should get acquainted. I am Hu Yulin, a mere mundane fellow of the marketplace. You may simply call me Old Hu." "Mister Hu," Qin Xuan greeted with a salute, "I am Qin Xuan of Yuansong Temple." Shopkeeper Hu smiled. "Young Master Qin, please, make yourself comfortable." The book pavilion was not small, but with so many bookshelves, it appeared cramped. He nudged aside the piles of books beside him to clear a seat. Qin Xuan noticed a small wooden desk further inside where Mei'er had just been sitting. A few talisman papers lay upon it; she was evidently studying demon and ghost talisman crafts. "Mister Hu has several books on talismans, and Grandfather told me to practice here." Mei'er sidled up to him and handed him a cup of tea. In the shimmering reflection of the liquid, Qin Xuan caught the young girl's smiling face. Mei'er was brimming with joy; it seemed the jeweled-canopy spirit grass had been very effective...