Kapitel 29: 20-28
Chapter 20
"That bolt of divine lightning was actually chasing after this Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub!"
Qin Ran suddenly realized, and also understood why the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger could chase the Thunder Unicorn Ox to the front of the human sect - "This is a nursing Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub..."
The so-called power of a mother's love.
"Master, what should we do?" Li Shiyin pointed at the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub shivering in the rainwater.
Qin Ran looked up and saw the two Yuan Ying stage demon kings battling further and further away in the night sky, gradually disappearing into the darkness.
"Why would the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger send her child here?" He thought about this question, and quickly had the answer, "She was injured... Or rather, she realized she was going to die soon."
In the darkness, five rays of light suddenly rose from the peak where the Dao Sword Sect's sect master was, four of which chased after the two demon kings who had left, while one came towards Dan Peak.
The Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub had been discovered... Qin Ran suddenly realized there would be no chance left if he didn't make a decision now. He urgently shouted at Li Shiyin, "Quick, go pick it up!"
Then he summoned the wind and flew up to meet the ray of light coming towards Dan Peak.
"I didn't know you could fly, Master!" Li Shiyin said in surprise.
She leaned on the railing, pushed off, somersaulted over it with a "splash", and landed on the ground.
She had been worshipping under Dan Peak for over ten days now. Fellow disciples like Tian Wenjin had already built their foundations and could fly all over the world, while Li Shiyin, with the help of Qin Ran's expensive medicinal baths, although she had not built her foundation yet, was actually not inferior to others.
Her physical strength had long surpassed that of mortals, and the flow of energy in her body had also reached considerable quality... What she lacked was merely connecting with heaven and earth and condensing cyclone.
The rain was still heavy. She was already soaked the instant she landed on the ground. Using the dim light shining from the corridor, she went to the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub and crouched down beside it.
This little demon beast was curled up under the weak light with its eyes closed, looking just like a sleeping tabby cat. The light stretched out, protecting it, preventing any rain from getting in.
Li Shiyin reached out to touch it. Her hand passed through the light and made contact with the furry, warm Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub. The protective light did not react at all, nor did the cub.
She squinted and looked up again. In the curtain of rain, her master had collided with the ray of light in midair. The person in the light was looking down at them. She quickly ducked her head, scooped up the kitten, and rushed into the living room.
"Elder Brother Sect Master!" Qin Ran stopped the ray of light and greeted respectfully in midair.
He had forcibly flown up and did not know yet how to keep out the rain, so his whole body was drenched and he looked rather miserable.
The person in the ray of light was none other than the Dao Sword Sect's sect master. Seeing that the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger had left something at Dan Peak before leaving, he had come specifically to investigate. Now that Qin Ran was blocking his way, he also stopped. Although he was the sect master, and Qin Ran only had a late Foundation Establishment cultivation base, still he stopped.
...There was no other choice, he was the Dao Sword Sect's last pill alchemist, some face had to be given.
"It's so late and the rain is so heavy. Does Elder Brother Sect Master have some urgent matter, coming to Dan Peak so suddenly?" Qin Ran wiped the rainwater off his face and asked with a smile.
The Dao Sword Sect's sect master asked in return, "Did you see the great battle between demon kings outside the mountain gate earlier?"
"A battle between demon beasts? I did not know about it," Qin Ran feigned ignorance. "I was woken up by the thunder, got up urgently to pee, and was peeing halfway when I happened to see Elder Brother Sect Master."
"A Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger chasing a Thunder Unicorn Ox, chased it to the front of the mountain gate, and they battled fiercely!" Whether Qin Ran saw it or not, the sect master did not care. He said, "Before they left, the Thunder Unicorn Ox fired a bolt of divine lightning at Dan Peak. I was worried something might have happened, so I came to take a look."
"I see!" Qin Ran nodded and wiped more rainwater off his face. "No major incident. I've troubled Sect Master to show concern."
The sect master sized up Qin Ran and saw the remnants of divine lightning on him, secretly nodding to himself, not bad skills.
He already knew what the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger had left behind - he had seen Li Shiyin take it into the house just now, clear as day. But he did not care, whoever raised it made no difference. They were all part of the Dao Sword Sect.
With many thoughts turning in his mind, he gave Qin Ran a meaningful look and smiled, "Then I can rest assured."
At this moment, his sound transmission jade talisman rang. He focused his will into it, and his expression subtly changed. He quickly said to Qin Ran, "Nephew, if you have anything, please feel free to discuss with me. Your uncle will do my best to help you resolve it. I have something to deal with now, so I'll take my leave first."
Qin Ran hurriedly saw him off with a bow, "I've troubled you, Sect Master. Please go slowly."
The sect master took one last deep look at Qin Ran, then turned into a ray of light and headed out of the sect.
"Did the Sect Master notice or not?" Qin Ran watched the sect master's departing ray of light, still uncertain.
He was also wondering whether it was worth it for the sake of a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub.
Just as he was thinking this, a sudden vast darkness rose up beneath him. In an instant the world spun and it was the same scene as when he had crossed over here. He immediately felt dizzy and nauseous.
He quickly lifted his head to look at the sky instead of down below, which made him feel slightly better. Maintaining this posture, soaked in rain and treading on the wind, he slowly descended.
It seemed to take a very, very long time before Qin Ran felt his feet touch the ground, his face numb from the raindrops.
Gasping for breath and massaging his face with both hands, he shook his head. "Really not worth it!"
"Master, you're really afraid of heights!" The voice of that shameless disrespectful disciple suddenly sounded from the side, giving him a shock.
He hurriedly turned back to see Li Shiyin standing on the corridor, wearing one of his robes that was still loose on her, and holding a small...cat in her arms.
Only then did he realize that what his feet had landed on was not the ground, but the eaves of the first floor.
"Afraid of heights?" He forced out a laugh. "How could I be afraid of heights?!"
"Master, look over there!!" Li Shiyin suddenly shouted, pointing towards the forest.
Qin Ran was shocked again, suspecting the sect master had swung back to ambush them. He hurriedly turned back to look. Then his foot slipped off the eaves and he fell down.
"Hahahaha..." The heartless disrespectful disciple laughed loudly from the second floor corridor.
Qin Ran fell into the mud. His face black, he stomped up to the bathroom, leaving a footprint with every step. Poor cleaning formations in the room had just cleared Li Shiyin's footprints and now had to clear Qin Ran's.
Downstairs in the living room, lights were bright. Freshly bathed, Qin Ran sat on the sofa while Li Shiyin crouched at the coffee table. The Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub was sprawled on the table, lapping up milk from a bowl.
"Master, shall we raise it?" Li Shiyin asked. "You sacrificed so much..." She looked at Qin Ran, now clean and calm again.
"This is a seventh rank demon king's bloodline..." Qin Ran looked at the cub on the table, no bigger than a kitten, and said, "If raised properly, it would reach the Yuan Ying stage."
As he spoke, he suddenly noticed the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub's eyes were still blue, with blue membranes present. Recalling something, he asked, "Were its eyes already open when you picked it up, or did they open afterwards?"
"They were closed when I picked it up..." Li Shiyin looked at the cub. "Oh! Its eyes are open now?!"
This fool, Qin Ran was speechless. He shook his head, vaguely recalling that the imprinting phenomenon was not so severe in felines...no major issue.
The two watched the little tiger lap up milk. Li Shiyin suddenly remembered something, ran upstairs and back down again, holding a black horn in her hand.
"I found this next to it when picking it up just now." Li Shiyin said.
Qin Ran took it and saw that it was a Thunder Unicorn Ox's horn.
He looked at the little Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger and sighed, "This is the Thunder Unicorn Ox's horn..."
"Why would that demon king's horn be here?" Li Shiyin did not understand.
"That Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger must have been injured. She knew she was sure to die soon. Perhaps this was a gift to thank whoever adopted her cub. Or perhaps it was an exchange for her cub, so whoever found it would not harm it." Qin Ran spoke his guesses.
"When she realized she had chased her prey to the front of the human sect, she must have known she could not possibly live. Those rays of light earlier were the sect's Elder Taishang, all Yuan Ying old monsters. Plus the Sect Master...
"By now, she has likely died already."
This is the most primal motherly love. As Li Shiyin listened, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She gently stroked the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger.
The tiny Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger seemed to sense something as well. It stopped eating, lifted its head towards the window and let out a "roar, roar, roar", with tears streaming from its deep blue eyes.
"No matter how big, a cat is still a cat..." said Qin Ran. "Let's give it a name and keep it as a pet."
"Then let's call it Chasing the Wind!"
Chapter 21
The summer rain was a downpour after all, not to mention last night's rain was brought by two demon kings. When Qin Ran woke up in the morning, the rain had already stopped.
The rainwater cleansed the air and the world was refreshed. Over in the forest, little birds were hopping on the branches, while in front of the house, a young girl was practicing her swordplay on the lawn.
She was indeed a young girl, with a soft and slender body that was budding into womanhood. Her light green clothes fluttered in the wind as she moved gracefully, but her sword stances were anything but delicate - each move was powerful and forceful, with the swooshing sound of her sword cutting through the air ringing out from time to time.
Qin Ran sat under the eaves reading a book on the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger. Next to his chair was curled up a calico cat...or rather, a cub of the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger.
The swooshing sounds of the sword kept coming. He looked over at Li Shiyin's agile and nimble figure, and her fierce and swift sword techniques, and couldn't help but admire the power contained within that slender female body.
This silly apprentice was born to practice swordsmanship. She was only cultivating the most basic skills and practicing the most basic sword forms, yet each move already contained extraordinary might. Qin Ran thought to himself that even if Tian Wenjin didn't play dirty by flying into the air, it would be hard to say who would win in a fair fight against Li Shiyin on the ground.
After watching his apprentice practice sword for a while, Qin Ran went back to reading his book, studying how to raise this Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger cub.
Legend says the first Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger was born in the darkness, bathed in darkness, and innately grasped the laws of darkness, becoming the king of the dark. It fed on darkness and drew power from darkness.
It was said that with each swallow of darkness, another black stripe would appear on its body, and its abilities would rise another level, until its whole body was covered in black stripes and it could then fly up and devour the sun.
Looking at the book and then at Chasing the Wind curled up next to him, covered in black stripes even circling around his tail, Qin Ran suddenly felt that the records in this book were probably not very reliable.
"What legend, what it was said...could I be reading some cultivator world marketing account?" He closed the book to look at the cover, Divine Beast Encyclopedia, "Maybe the author has never seen a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger."
Having thought this, he tossed the book aside, landing it on Chasing the Wind's face.
Chasing the Wind, who had been sleeping soundly, was suddenly hit by the book and jerked awake, his bright blue eyes seeing the pages of the book fluttering open like they were treasure. He pounced towards it.
But he didn't catch the book. His head collided with the book's spine, knocking it off into the grass outside. He himself crashed down where he was.
Seeing the king of darkness looking so silly, Qin Ran laughed.
Chasing the Wind got up again, cocking his head at Qin Ran, not understanding what this two-legged beast was laughing at. He didn't dwell on it, pouncing forward again onto the book in the grass.
Before long, the book was shredded to pieces.
Qin Ran watched Chasing the Wind tear up the book, silently apologizing to it.
"Master!" Li Shiyin's voice suddenly called out.
He looked over to see Li Shiyin was no longer practicing her sword. At some point she had gone to the riverbank and was now squatting by the Awaken Spirit Grass, waving to call him over.
"Master, it's sprouting!" Li Shiyin said happily.
"Sprouting?" Qin Ran's heart stirred and he hurriedly got up and went over.
Next to the exuberantly lush Awaken Spirit Grass was a plot of freshly turned soil, and poking out from the soil were some green shoots capped with little black hats, full of life.
These were the Crane Crown Immortal Grass he had planted as an experiment some days ago. Qin Ran couldn't afford spirit soil so he just tried planting some normal ones...he didn't expect they would actually sprout, and there were four seedlings!
Qin Ran was quite pleasantly surprised. He elbowed Li Shiyin aside and squatted down to examine them closely.
Compared to normal Crane Crown Immortal Grass, these new sprouts seemed a bit more slender. Also, normal Crane Crown Immortal Grass, even when just sprouting, should have a shimmering aura of spiritual energy, like a cultivator circulating spiritual energy. But these sprouts didn't have any aura.
"They've sprouted, but they're malnourished," he murmured softly.
Then he fell into thought, "I planted them several days ago, why did they only sprout today? Was it because of the rain? Or related to the Thunder Unicorn Ox last night?"
"Mas...Master..." Just as he was pondering this, Li Shiyin's voice sounded out again.
"What's wrong?"
He turned to look and saw something was off with Li Shiyin. She seemed drunk, unsteady on her feet, with a flushed red face, and wisps of steam rising from her head. On closer look, the steam coming off her head wasn't steam, but faint strands of spiritual energy.
At this moment, she also emanated a kind of special allure, pulling the surrounding spiritual energy towards her. Before long, her entire person was shrouded in mist.
"Master...what's happening to me?" Li Shiyin asked hazily, a little panicked since she didn't know what was going on.
But Qin Ran understood instantly. He laughed, "It's time to build your foundation."
The gathering of heaven and earth's spiritual energy meant that the inner and outer worlds within Li Shiyin's body were connecting. To put it mystically, this was the unity of heaven and man; to explain it simply, it meant she could now start building her foundation.
On the 11th day after this silly apprentice started learning from him, she could finally build her foundation.
Building one's foundation was the beginning of cultivating the immortal path. The foundation building stage was the first realm in cultivation.
Building a foundation required condensing a vortex of energy, and to condense an energy vortex required drawing in heaven and earth's spiritual energy into the body, which in turn required spirit roots - an innate gift to activate to be able to draw in the spiritual energy.
To have spirit roots activated required having inner energy. To have inner energy required sensing energy.
So sensing energy was the beginning.
First, having the ability to sense energy, then using one's inner energy to connect with outer energy, then using spirit roots to draw heaven and earth's spiritual energy into the body, condensing an energy vortex in the lower elixir field...
Therefore, as long as one could sense energy and connect with heaven and earth, one could start building their foundation.
Li Shiyin had gained the ability to sense energy from the first day, so why was she only building her foundation now?
This was Qin Ran's deliberate doing...
Because even at the foundation building stage, there were differences in strength. Even energy vortexes had good and bad distinctions.
He intentionally had Li Shiyin use the most basic techniques to refine her inner energy, while also strengthening her physical body.
With her exceptionally pure energy and extremely strong physique, once she condensed an energy vortex, it could not possibly be an ordinary one.
As it was now, before she had even started condensing her vortex, there were already heavenly signs and wonders.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this region was gathering and forming mist around her, hazy and indistinct, real yet illusory. This was a sight like flowers in the mirror and moon reflected on the water.
"Huh?" Li Shiyin didn't know English.
"Build your foundation! Quick, sit down cross-legged!" Qin Ran urged, "Circulate the Basic Skills, focus your mind on Baihui Point, use your inner energy to guide in the spiritual energy."
"Build my foundation..." Li Shiyin understood now. She sat down cross-legged as instructed, closed her eyes, and started circulating her inner energy. But she soon opened her eyes again and looked at Qin Ran, asking, "Master, where is Baihui Point?"
Qin Ran nearly suffocated from exasperation. He raised his hand to smack her, but ended up smacking himself instead. Then he raised his hand again, pressing down on the Baihui Point on the crown of Li Shiyin's head, saying, "Here!"
"Don't move your hand, Master." Li Shiyin said, then closed her eyes again.
She circulated her inner energy, her mind coming to the spot where Qin Ran's hand was pressed. She visualized massive waves and fierce gales there, with the spiritual energy too abundant and turbulent.
With her solid fundamentals, the amount of heaven and earth's spiritual energy she could draw in was too much.
Li Shiyin took a deep breath to calm herself, recalling Qin Ran's instructions on building one's foundation...
She circulated her inner energy to Baihui Point, then carefully drew in a wisp of spiritual energy from the turbulent winds and waves, swiftly bringing it along her inner circulation path down to the Qihai Point...into the lower elixir field.
In her mind's eye, the lower elixir field had originally been pitch black, but now lit up with the entry of this strand of spiritual energy. As she circulated her inner energy, this strand of spiritual energy spun within the elixir field, elongating into a vortex...
With this, her first energy vortex could be said to have succeeded.
Li Shiyin remained composed. Her mind returned to Baihui Point, then fully released her control, drawing in heaven and earth's spiritual energy into her body!
Chapter 22
The first strand of vortex condensed when laying the foundation is called the foundation vortex, which can also be referred to as the vortex seed, and it is the center of the subsequent vortices and golden core.
Generally speaking, the vortex seed of a cultivator is formed by the combination of the qi within the cultivator's body and the first strand of Heaven and Earth spiritual qi drawn into the body. Its quality depends entirely on the qi within the body and the Heaven and Earth spiritual qi absorbed.
The standard for qi within the body is mass, and the standard for Heaven and Earth spiritual qi is purity.
It goes without saying that the quality of Li Shiyin's qi was high, and the spiritual qi of Dan Peak was also extremely pure. Therefore, the vortex seed condensed by Li Shiyin was not an ordinary one to begin with. It was the most fundamental, most classic and balanced vortex seed.
Of course, there are also some special vortex seeds during cultivation, such as when a high-level cultivator transforms his own magic power into a vortex seed and implants it into a cultivator who needs to lay a foundation, in order to condense the foundation vortex; or special cultivation techniques; or special talents and treasured lands.
These vortex seeds are indeed beneficial to cultivation, but they actually belong to the improper way, and there will definitely be many problems. Let's not go into details for now until we encounter them later.
For now, after Li Shiyin had planted a high-quality classic vortex seed, she no longer had to worry too much and directly opened all her acupoints, drawing in Heaven and Earth spiritual qi into her body.
Her physical strength was high enough that she didn't need to restrict herself, allowing the Heaven and Earth spiritual qi to swarm in unrestrained, even forming a small funnel at the top of her head.
Qin Ran withdrew his hand and looked at the spiritual qi funnel above Li Shiyin's head, quite worried. Although he had laid a solid enough foundation for Li Shiyin, he was not sure whether he could allow Li Shiyin to absorb spiritual qi in such a crude way.
As the Heaven and Earth spiritual qi entered her body, Li Shiyin remained calm and unhurried. She guided it into her meridians with her cultivation technique. The spiritual qi was indeed a bit too much, and her meridians bulged slightly in pain, but she had confidence that her meridians were tough enough. Gritting her teeth, she recklessly led the spiritual qi to circulate within her body.
Li Shiyin's meridians were indeed resilient. The rampaging spiritual qi within her body was endured.
Moreover, her violent absorption of Heaven and Earth spiritual qi caused the spiritual qi in the vicinity to frantically gather here, then the spiritual qi drove the qi flow, the qi flow generated wind, and the wind led to changes in the clouds!
In an instant, winds rose and clouds surged on Dan Peak, creating a bizarre spectacle.
Li Shiyin was so reckless that Qin Ran was worried sick. He pinched hand seals, ready to rescue his silly disciple at any time.
Naturally, the high-level cultivators of the other three peaks also noticed this spectacle on Dan Peak. They sent their divine sense over and realized it was caused by a disciple laying their foundation. They couldn't help but secretly praise that a formidable disciple had emerged from Dan Peak.
In particular, Liu Boxian, the head of Sword Peak, and the Sect Leader above Master Peak felt this way.
Liu Boxian knitted his brows in regret. Since Li Shiyin could cause such a spectacle when laying her foundation, her talent was probably better than he had imagined. Why didn't he persevere a little more back then?
As for the Sect Leader, he secretly assessed that this girl was formidable, and he might be in for an embarrassment.
The sky darkened, the wind grew stronger, and Chasing the Wind who was napping on the ground was roused awake. It crawled up to find a place to take shelter from the wind, but was careless for a moment and got swept up by the wind.
It yowled in panic until Qin Ran timely reached out and saved it.
In front of the log cabin on the grass, Qin Ran held the cat while pinching hand seals, his robes flapping in the wind. Li Shiyin sat cross-legged on the ground, a spiritual qi funnel above her head, wind swirling the clouds.
The spiritual qi funnel grew bigger and bigger, and the clouds overhead grew thicker and thicker. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning in the clouds. Qin Ran was shocked and hurriedly looked up. Don't tell him there would be tribulation lightning during foundation establishment!
Li Shiyin was still madly absorbing spiritual qi. He anxiously considered in his mind, sending his divine sense into the Universe Bag to look for appropriate tools to cross tribulation while establishing foundation.
At this moment, Li Shiyin suddenly opened her eyes and urgently asked, "Master, Master! The vortex has successfully condensed, but the spiritual qi is still endlessly gushing in. What should I do?"
"The foundation is established?" Qin Ran was puzzled. He looked at the sky again and the lightning in the clouds had disappeared. It seemed there was no tribulation. He let out a sigh of relief.
But this silly disciple had actually forgotten the path to guide the spiritual qi out of her body.
He patted his forehead helplessly and said, "Spiritual qi enters through the Baihui acupoint and exits through the Surging Spring acupoint!"
Li Shiyin probably didn't know where the Surging Spring acupoint was. Not bothering with so much, she faced the strong wind and squatted down. He reached out and pointed at the sole of Li Shiyin's foot, yelling loudly, "This is the Surging Spring acupoint!"
"Oh oh!" Li Shiyin nodded in realization. "So that's why I couldn't apply half of the cultivation technique. It turns out it's for guiding the spiritual qi out of the body."
Qin Ran was quite speechless.
Li Shiyin hurriedly closed her eyes again to operate her cultivation technique, guiding the overflowing spiritual qi within her body toward the Surging Spring acupoint. At the same time, she also guided the spiritual qi still entering from the Baihui acupoint through two semi-circuits of the Heavenly Cycle to exit from the Surging Spring acupoint, completing a perfect full Heavenly Cycle.
The spiritual qi entered through Baihui, traveled through the upper half of the Heavenly Cycle into the Qi Sea, then exited through the lower half of the Heavenly Cycle via Surging Spring. In the process, part of the spiritual qi nourished the body, while another part turned into magic power to expand the vortex.
Connecting the upper and lower half of the Heavenly Cycle formed a complete cultivation Great Heavenly Cycle.
Li Shiyin was indeed silly when it came to reading and studying, but she was a true genius at cultivation and martial arts. In no time at all, she went from an ignorant girl who didn't know where the Surging Spring acupoint was to a genius who had grasped a perfect Great Heavenly Cycle.
There are these kinds of people in the world. She looked at the cultivation technique and didn't know which meridian was which or which acupoint was which, but when she officially started cultivating, she was able to correctly guide spiritual qi and magic power to circulate within her body. She knew which meridian to travel through but didn't know its name, and knew which acupoint to pass through but not its name. She had an intuition and just knew where to pass through.
This is what a genius is, never explaining itself to others.
Isn't it very familiar? The study god in class doesn't go to classes or read books, and is clueless about theoretical definitions. But when it comes to proper exams, they can get extremely high scores. If you ask them why they solved a question that way, they'll say it was just intuition.
Qin Ran watched from the side, worried his silly disciple would make a mistake, while also worried tribulation lightning would descend. Fortunately, everything went smoothly until the end. The berserk spiritual qi calmed down, the violent wind subsided, the clouds scattered, and no accidents happened.
Li Shiyin opened her eyes and excitedly jumped up, pouncing over to hug him. She shouted, "Master, I succeeded in laying my foundation!"
Li Shiyin wasn't much shorter than Qin Ran. In this world without precise metric rulers, Qin Ran guessed his own height was a little over 1.75 meters. Then if he was 1.75 meters, Li Shiyin should be around 1.72 meters.
So when Li Shiyin clung onto Qin Ran, it still felt a little awkward. Luckily she still had a young girl's figure that wasn't fully developed, relatively slender. And although she was tall and looked slender, she felt very light when hugged...
Qin Ran was stunned silly by Li Shiyin tree-hugging him. Adding up his previous and present lives, this was still the first time he was hugged like this by a girl. He instantly blushed, waving his hands about at a loss, not knowing where to put them. After being stunned for a while longer, he awkwardly patted Li Shiyin's back to show encouragement.
A young girl's back didn't have much flesh, but the lightweight bones and skin actually felt fine to touch... So he didn't dare continue touching, only gently patted a few times before hurriedly withdrawing his hands.
Li Shiyin took the chance to keep hugging Qin Ran for a good while. When she sensed the atmosphere was gradually becoming awkward, she promptly detached from Qin Ran. Grinning, she looked at Qin Ran and said, "Master, I've completed the early stages of laying my foundation perfectly!"
From this, it can be seen that although she was always called a silly disciple, in reality, apart from reading, she was not silly at all the rest of the time. Judging by how she liked to pretend being silly, the silly disciple was actually very crafty.
Qin Ran felt his cheeks burn and knew his face must be red. To maintain his master's dignity, he hurriedly turned around, leaving Li Shiyin with an awkward view of his back. He incoherently replied, "Mm, laying your foundation is a good thing. It represents the official start of your cultivation journey. You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and diligently cultivate from now on."
Li Shiyin looked at her master's shy behavior and smiled even more happily. There was a hint of flirtatiousness in her bright eyes, looking just like a little fox. This was no foolish disciple, but rather a man-eating demon. Even the Xuanming Spirit Tiger cub beside her shivered in fear, lamenting its own inferiority.
"Yes, Master!" She nodded.
Chapter 23
The silly apprentice gave Li Shiyin such a big hug that he almost squeezed the soul out of her. He should have taken this chance to get Li Shiyin to decide on a cultivation technique, but he hemmed and hawed for a long time and just could not get the words out. He had no choice but to hurriedly take his leave...flee the scene.
For the entire afternoon after that, he did not show up again. He shut himself in the research building, doing who knows what.
It was not until after dinner, when he had cleared up the bowls and chopsticks and came out of the kitchen, that he finally remembered the important matter when he saw the girl playing with a cat on the sofa.
She had already built her foundation, so choosing a cultivation technique could be delayed no further.
He gave a little cough to get Li Shiyin's attention. When the girl picked up the cat and looked over, he gazed out the window and began to speak:
"Before you built your foundation, in order to give you more options and plant better karmic seeds, I had you cultivate the most basic Foundation Technique, to give you enough time to consider whether you wanted to practice the sword or alchemy.
"Now that you have built your foundation, continuing to use the Foundation Technique to cultivate will greatly hinder your progress. So you must make a final decision now."
"I..." Li Shiyin glanced at Qin Ran, then lowered her head to look at the Mystic Underworld Spirit Tiger in her arms, hesitating for a long time before finally responding, "I don't know."
Qin Ran withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Li Shiyin. The silly apprentice was obviously a rash and reckless straightforward fellow, otherwise he would not have stubbornly taken him as master. But now, she was hesitating, unable to determine her path of cultivation.
He gave a sigh, and gently asked, "Why did you want to concoct pills?"
"At the beginning of the year..." Li Shiyin's hand stroked the furry body of the cat as she softly replied, "Grandpa passed away."
She did not directly answer why she insisted on alchemy, but the reason for her desire to concoct pills was very clear. Qin Ran's expression also softened as he looked at her without saying anything.
"Grandpa was the founding general of the North Chu Country. He led the North Chu's southern and northern expeditions, expanding its territory, and established magnificent military achievements. He was the great hero that everyone looked up to." Li Shiyin, usually so brash and carefree, suddenly spoke gently as she reminisced,
"Grandpa was very tall and powerful, his arms were thicker than my waist. Last year he killed an assassin who came to our house with one punch. He had a very handsome horse lance. During the first snowfall of winter, he twirled his lance in the snow. He said that when the weather warmed up in the new year, he would go back to the battlefield."
As she spoke, tears began to uncontrollably flow down her face. She wiped away some tears, glanced at Qin Ran with a smile, and continued, "Teacher, you must think Grandpa was fierce, but he wasn't. Grandpa was very gentle, he treated me very well. When he returned from court, he would buy me candied haws. At home, he would make toys for me, carving me wooden swords, and he would protect me from being bullied by my older brother..."
"But...but..." she sobbed, "after spinning his lance that time, Grandpa said his knees hurt..."
She became increasingly distressed, sobbing so much that she could not continue.
Qin Ran walked over and grabbed some tissues from the table, handing them to her.
"I thought Grandpa was invincible in the world. I never thought Grandpa was immortal, but I never imagined Grandpa would get old, become haggard, and whither into skin and bones. I thought Grandpa's white hair was natural white hair, and Grandpa's wrinkles were natural wrinkles..." Li Shiyin cried for a while, then wiped her tears and continued,
"But Grandpa did die, suddenly dead. In the blink of an eye, it was as if Li Konghe had never existed in this world."
She looked at Qin Ran with red eyes, pitifully, "So I started to become afraid - afraid my brother would suddenly die, father would suddenly die, mother would suddenly die. No, not afraid. Whenever I think about how people will inevitably die, I know they will definitely die..."
Qin Ran looked at her calmly.
"But I don't want them to die. The older they get, the more panicked I feel..." said Li Shiyin, "I know that people inevitably die, but immortal cultivators exist in this world, along with elixirs of immortality that preserve youth and prolong life..."
"Teacher..." She suddenly became resolute, saying to Qin Ran, "I want to concoct pills!"
"What a silly apprentice...she is completely oblivious to what embarking on the path of cultivation truly means," Qin Ran sighed inwardly. He raised his head and gazed into the darkness in the distance through the window. "Cultivation means loneliness, just like when Sun Wukong put on the golden headband. Although the cultivation world and mortal world exist in the same plane, they are like two parallel timelines."
But he did not intend to lecture at this time. He thought for a moment, then said, "Have you ever considered that immortality pills and potions don't necessarily need to be personally concocted..."
Li Shiyin was taken aback, then realized what he meant. Her eyes slowly lit up as she stared at Qin Ran.
Qin Ran then said, "You can improve your cultivation by robbing others...the law of the jungle rules the cultivation world anyway."
The light in Li Shiyin's eyes instantly disappeared. She shook her head, "Rob others? Forget about it!"
"You can also ask others to concoct them for you..." Qin Ran withdrew his gaze with a laugh, no longer teasing her, "Since you have taken me as your master, whatever pills you want, I can help you concoct them."
Li Shiyin had been waiting to hear these words for a long time. She looked at Qin Ran, "Teacher, you really mean it?"
"I do." Qin Ran nodded.
Li Shiyin immediately cheered up and bounced to her feet. The dazed Chase Feng she had been holding was suddenly flung into the air. He quickly transformed to land safely on the ground. Li Shiyin continued bounding forward, wanting to hug Qin Ran again.
Fortunately, Qin Ran noticed her intentions early and timely stretched out his hand, pressing it on her forehead to stop her "rude behavior".
"So, alchemy or the sword?" Qin Ran asked, his hand still on Li Shiyin's head.
"The sword!" Li Shiyin said definitively. She was a tigress born to a military family, naturally suited for martial pursuits. Having her engage in literary pursuits would truly be asking too much.
"Then choose a cultivation technique!" Qin Ran gave Li Shiyin a push, then waved his hand. Five books appeared - he had unlocked another jade slip these past few days, obtaining a new basic sword technique. "Great Evolution Sword Scripture, Heavenly Sword, Blue Cloud Sword Art, Metal Element Flying Sword Skill, and Nine Revolutions Star Sword."
"Which one do you think suits me, Teacher?" Li Shiyin did not choose, asking Qin Ran's opinion first.
"Metal Element Flying Sword Skill..." Qin Ran tossed the Metal Element Flying Sword Skill to her, explaining, "This is not only a sword technique, but also a metal-element skill."
Li Shiyin flipped through the pages, looking at the recorded techniques, and grumbled, "Flying swords?"
She sounded rather dissatisfied. Qin Ran frowned, "What's wrong with flying swords?"
"Flying swords are boring..." said Li Shiyin.
"How are flying swords boring?" Qin Ran did not understand.
Li Shiyin did not explain. She thought for a moment, looked at the other techniques, and asked again, "These are all the techniques for me to choose from?"
"That's right."
"Then give them all to me!" Li Shiyin reached out her hand.
"You want to practice them all?" Qin Ran was displeased.
"No..." Li Shiyin shook her head, "I'll take a look at all of them first before deciding which one to practice."
Qin Ran thought that made sense. He handed over the other four techniques as well, but warned again, "Don't bite off more than you can chew. You're only allowed to choose one! Understand?"
Li Shiyin nodded repeatedly, looking at the techniques and absent-mindedly said, "I know, I know."
Seeing her attitude, Qin Ran was even more worried. He added, "It's best to only practice one foundational technique to keep your power pure. If you cultivate too many, your power will become muddled and easily conflict."
"I know!" Li Shiyin sat back down on the sofa, looking at the Great Evolution Sword Scripture without even lifting her head, clearly somewhat impatient now.
Qin Ran shook his head and said no more, turning around and heading upstairs.
Chapter 24
"The Nine Turns Starry Sky Sword Technique," Li Shiyin said, putting several martial arts manuals on the table the next morning and looking at Qin Ran.
"You want to practice this martial art?" Qin Ran frowned and shook his head. "This martial art is not good."
The martial art itself was good, otherwise he wouldn't have specifically chosen it. But...it wasn't very suitable for girls. Because the Nine Turns Starry Sky Sword Technique was less of a sword technique and more of a body tempering technique.
"What's not good about it?" Li Shiyin was very confused. "I think it's great!"
This sword technique was both fierce and bold, and each move contained extraordinary power. Drawing in starlight to refine sword chi and temper the physique, in Li Shiyin's eyes, this was simply perfect, a sword technique that seemed tailored for her!
Qin Ran didn't answer at first, silently glancing over Li Shiyin.
Although his stupid disciple was stupid, her figure was still very good, tall and slender, with the soft beauty of a young girl. It could be imagined that after two more years of development, she would have the so-called voluptuous figure of large breasts and hips.
If she practiced body tempering techniques... Qin Ran shook his head repeatedly, the image of a muscular Barbie doll floating in his mind.
But such lecherous thoughts could not be spoken aloud. He pondered for a moment before saying, "The Soaring Golden Sword Technique is pretty good, why did you switch?"
"I don't like flying swords," Li Shiyin shook her head.
"Swords that can fly a thousand miles to behead enemies..." Qin Ran indirectly advised, still struggling, "A sword immortal's basic image is flying swords, isn't it?"
"Flying swords? That's a coward's trick." Li Shiyin scoffed. "Real men should go head-on and hard!"
Li Shiyin's words left Qin Ran speechless. He thought he already understood his stupid disciple well enough, but now it seemed he still underestimated how silly this girl was.
He was greatly shocked, but said nothing, picking up his cup and taking a sip of milk to calm himself.
Perhaps...
As he drank his milk, a thought turned in his mind. If his stupid disciple practiced into a muscular Barbie doll, perhaps that might be a good thing after all.
It's not that he had so many weird thoughts in his heart...but if his disciple was less alluring, it seemed it could nip some licentious ideas in the bud from the root.
"Cough..." Thinking this, he gave a dry cough, set down his cup, and nodded. "Alright...as long as you like it yourself. The path of cultivation is lonely and difficult to endure. It's rare to like something, so it's better to walk the path you like."
Since the master approved of her choice, Li Shiyin was extremely happy, excitedly saying, "Then I'll practice the Nine Turns Starry Sky Sword Technique?!"
"Mm," Qin Ran nodded.
His fingers tapped on the table as he calculated in his heart. Since he had chosen this martial art, it naturally had its extraordinary aspects. Li Shiyin practicing it would not shortchange her.
He calculated and said, "This martial art is extremely good, drawing on the power of stars to temper sword chi and the physique. After mastering it, close combat is very fierce. But there's one problem..."
He slowly raised his head to look at Li Shiyin, "This martial art is incomplete, only having the first three levels. The so-called Nine Turns Starry Sky naturally has nine levels.
"Also, these first three levels are what I've restored, still unknown how much they differ from the original. This kind of martial art must have flowed out from a major sect, the original martial art is certainly more exquisite, and the subsequent techniques even harder to obtain."
"So..." His expression was solemn as he asked one last time, "You still want to practice this martial art?"
However, while Qin Ran had many considerations, his silly disciple hadn't thought that much. What she thought was that this martial art was actually restored by her master himself, her master really was amazing!
So she nodded again and said, "I'll practice this martial art!"
"Alright then..." Qin Ran picked out the Nine Turns Starry Sky Sword Technique from the table and threw it to Li Shiyin, saying, "No digging the pond today, first thoroughly research this martial art before anything else."
No need to dig the pond? Li Shiyin was so happy she almost jumped for joy. She excitedly said, "I will study diligently!"
Seeing her like this, Qin Ran was very uneasy and reminded, "You have to research the martial art first before practicing it, so you won't make mistakes. Don't start practicing right away. If you're unclear about anything while researching, you can come ask me."
"Mm-hmm!" Li Shiyin nodded perfunctorily. Hugging the book, she sat down, grabbed a handful of sugared beans for breakfast, and opened the book to start researching the martial art.
Qin Ran wanted to say more but held back, only feeling tired at heart.
After eating breakfast, he left Li Shiyin alone here to look at martial arts while he slowly walked to the research building himself.
His silly disciple had a very good foundation, the Cyclonic Seed she had planted was at least at the level of inner sect disciples of major sects. What she urgently needed now was to convert the power of her foundational techniques into the power of advanced techniques, which was to master the Nine Turns Starry Sky Sword Technique.
As for Qin Ran himself, this poor guy, in order to build as good a foundation as possible for his silly disciple, gave her medicinal baths every day until his small treasury was depleted. Now he had to research how to earn some side income, and also research...
Longevity extending pills.
Earning side income was a small matter. After all, how could an alchemist not know how to earn money? It was nothing more than concocting some pills to sell. And in the world of cultivation, pills had always been hard currency. As long as there were pills, there would be no lack of places to sell them.
As long as they didn't die from accidents, alchemists were always very wealthy. Qin Ran didn't have money not because his alchemy skills were lacking, but because he was lazy.
But longevity extending pills were a tricky matter.
He needed to specially set up a new research project on pills for longevity.
The previous research project he set up was on transcending tribulation; the one before that was on flying swords with railings...
To say this matter was tricky, it wasn't that in the vast cultivation world there were no longevity extending pills, but...
Lifespan was not only seductive to mortals, but also to cultivators.
The original reason to start cultivating was to seek longevity.
Therefore, in the cultivation world, all means related to prolonging life were treated like forbidden arts.
Techniques, formations, ingredients, pills - anything involving prolonging life was taboo.
If anyone obtained some method that could prolong life, they had to hide it secretly, absolutely not letting anyone know, otherwise they wouldn't even know how they died...this was not a metaphor in the cultivation world.
To give an idea how taboo this was...
As the sole heir to Danfeng Sect, Qin Ran didn't have a single pill formula for longevity.
Although he kept saying the Sword Way Sect was a tiny sect, that was in comparison to truly major sects. In fact, as one of the top five sects in Northern Chu, the Sword Way Sect was not so weak.
Yet even a sect like this could not produce a pill formula that could prolong life, which was proof of what a taboo topic longevity was.
However, since his silly disciple wanted pills to prolong her life, Qin Ran could only grit his teeth and get started.
So what if there were no longevity pill formulas? He would just research and make one himself! What's the big deal?
Thus, he began to research what exactly death was. Only by understanding death could one grasp how to live.
Death...
That day, Qin Ran sat in the office on the fifth floor of the research building and began researching death.
Death of the flesh, death of the soul, dissipation of consciousness, social death...
Chapter 25
At noon, Huang Feiyu rode his sword alone to Dan Peak.
As he swept his eyes down while in midair, he saw below him a vast stretch of grassland without anyone, just the mud pit in the center that had grown a little bigger.
It seemed Li Shiyin had endured hardship these past two days, he thought to himself, though he did not know why she was not training her body today.
He went straight to the log house and knocked on the door, calling out, "Is Master Qin inside?"
After a while, there were sounds of movement upstairs on the corridor, and a wheat-skinned girl poked her head out from the railing, coldly saying, "Master is in the research building."
Hearing the noise, Huang Feiyu retreated two steps back and looked up to see that the girl who had poked her head out was Li Shiyin. He smiled, about to greet her, but he inadvertently took a close look and suddenly his smile froze and his pupils contracted, interrupting his own words.
"Foundation Establishment beginning stage...great perfection!?"
When!?
If he remembered correctly, at noon two days ago, this junior apprentice sister called Li Shiyin had not yet established her foundation.
In just two days, what had happened? She had not only successfully established her foundation, but was about to break through to the mid Foundation Establishment stage! Although he knew Li Shiyin had a solid foundation, but...
Huang Feiyu still could not understand.
"Junior apprentice sister Li!" But after all he was Huang Feiyu, and he quickly adjusted his state of mind, smiling at Li Shiyin, "I've come to collect the Ice Condensation Pills from Master Qin, and hope I have not disturbed you."
"You haven't." Li Shiyin looked down at him from above, glanced towards the research building across the river, and said, "Master is in that building over there, you can go find him there...
She paused, then added, "You can also come inside and wait for him for a bit."
Huang Feiyu thought for a moment, then replied, "I imagine Master has important matters, so as not to disturb him, I'll just wait for a while!"
Li Shiyin nodded, and her figure disappeared from the corridor, then footsteps moved leftwards. Huang Feiyu knew she was probably going downstairs.
He waited for a while longer, then the door in front of him opened, revealing Li Shiyin's tall figure.
He looked her over carefully, thinking to himself: "If her skin was fair enough, Junior Apprentice Sister Li's appearance could probably rival Tian Wenjin's."
"Please enter," Li Shiyin stepped aside, signaling for him to enter.
"Thank you, junior apprentice sister," Huang Feiyu nodded and followed her inside, also thinking to himself, this junior apprentice sister really was as frosty as winter, her voice as cold as ice, fully exhibiting the arrogance of the heavens.
"Have a seat first, master should be over soon," Li Shiyin pointed to the sofa, then asked again, "Drink? Tea? Soda? Plain water?"
"Junior apprentice sister need not go to the trouble," Huang Feiyu replied, also wondering, what was soda? He really wanted to try it.
He looked around the living room, complimenting, "Master has arranged this reception room with unique taste."
"Mm," Li Shiyin nodded, she also thought so.
So Huang Feiyu walked towards the sofa, keeping far from the other end where the Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger Zhui Feng was napping, spirit tigers were frightening demonic beasts, and he had some unpleasant memories.
Therefore a spirit tiger cub was much better, and he organized his words to continue probing, "That is...is that a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger?"
"Yes," Li Shiyin casually replied.
"Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger!" Huang Feiyu was shocked inside, though his expression swiftly changed, finally forcing a smile as he tentatively asked, "I wonder if junior apprentice sister knows, the night before last a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger passed by the gate of our sect, chasing after lightning..."
"I rested early and did not notice," Li Shiyin did not want to talk, so gave this perfunctory response.
Huang Feiyu secretly observed Li Shiyin, thinking what deep schemes she had.
He sat down on the side of the sofa far from Zhui Feng; spirit tigers were frightening demonic beasts, and he had some unpleasant memories.
Therefore the spirit tiger cub was very good, and he continued probing while organizing his words, "Profound Underworld Spirit Tigers can emit darkness, extremely frightening; that night it chased after the Thunder Unicorn Ox..."
"Pa!"
He was still speaking when the door was suddenly pushed open, and Qin Ran walked in with a gloomy expression on his face.
Huang Feiyu's heart jumped, and he quickly stopped speaking and stood up, bowing to Qin Ran, "Master."
After researching death all morning, Qin Ran's psychological state was somewhat problematic, and seeing Huang Feiyu when he opened the door instantly made him unhappy. He looked back at the expansive grasslands and thought to himself: "I should set up a mountain-protecting formation, otherwise my Dan Peak has become a public restroom, coming and going as they please."
As he thought this, he glanced at Huang Feiyu and said, "You've arrived?"
"Just got here..." Although Huang Feiyu had high cultivation, he maintained a very low profile, thinking to himself that the master and disciple's faces were colder than each other.
Qin Ran knew why Huang Feiyu had come. Impatiently taking out a porcelain bottle, he tossed it through the air to him, saying, "Twenty pills, medium quality."
These Ice Condensation Pills were something he had taken time yesterday afternoon to refine.
Huang Feiyu caught the bottle, wiped off the jade seal and looked inside, the pills within were all ice-blue, emitting cold air, not something that could be compared to the waste pills he had bought at a roadside stall in Zhican Valley. His heart was overjoyed, Master Qin's pill refining skills were higher than he had imagined.
He hurriedly expressed his thanks, "Thank you, Master."
"Mm," Qin Ran nodded, looking at him and waiting for something.
Huang Feiyu understood, hurriedly taking out a bag of spirit stones and respectfully presenting it with both hands, saying, "This is the fee for refining the pills, please accept it, Master."
Qin Ran was currently lacking in spirit stones, and took the bag over, testing its weight - there were probably about three hundred spirit stones inside. Along with Huang Feiyu's earlier deposit, just on spirit stones alone he had earned four hundred this pill refining session.
Whether to say it or not, pill refining was an extremely lucrative profession. To say it again, pill refiners aren't poor, except for Qin Ran - he was a shut-in.
For special pills like Ice Condensation Pills, twenty lower quality pills could sell for five hundred spirit stones; with good skills, twenty medium quality pills could sell for at least one thousand spirit stones. Yet the raw materials might have just cost a dozen or so spirit stones.
This was called robbery, moreover it was pill refiners being begged by others to rob them.
For this pill refining session, the raw materials were Huang Feiyu's, Qin Ran was only responsible for refining them, yet just the processing fee was four hundred spirit stones...and Huang Feiyu still owed him a favor, because Huang Feiyu knew this was a discounted price given their friendship.
As for any unused raw materials...that demonstrated the pill refiner's skills, and was their deserved profit.
Although he was in a bad mood, having just taken on a silly apprentice that desperately needed spirit stones, Qin Ran still said, "If you need pill refining in the future, you can still come to me. I won't charge if you have the recipe."
"Yes!" This was exactly what Huang Feiyu was waiting to hear, and he hurriedly agreed with a smile.
Holding the Ice Condensation Pills, he was rather impatient, and added, "Master, now that I have the pills, I just lack the Frost Sword technique. My senior martial brothers are waiting for me, so I must be going first."
"Since you're pressed for time, go ahead as you please," Qin Ran moved aside to open the way for Huang Feiyu to leave.
Huang Feiyu went out the door, summoned his flying sword, stepped on it, and flew halfway up before suddenly stopping and turning back around to call out, "Master..."
Qin Ran came out the door and looked up at him, asking, "What is it?"
"How did you obtain that Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger?" Huang Feiyu asked.
Qin Ran was silent and did not answer.
Huang Feiyu continued saying, "The night before last, a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger that was chasing a Thunder Unicorn Ox passed by the gate of our sect, does Master know of this?"
"Mm," Qin Ran nodded.
"Then does Master know why?"
Why? Qin Ran had wondered, but had not figured it out. That Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger was a level seven demon king, an existence comparable to the Yuan Ying stage, how could it possibly chase prey like a common tiger all the way to human territory? That was unreasonable.
But he was too lazy, too lazy to think so much, too lazy to investigate so much.
Now that Huang Feiyu had asked this, it meant he must know the inside story, so Qin Ran just waited for him to answer.
"There are strange occurrences deep within the Hengduan Mountains," Huang Feiyu told him.
Chapter 26
The Hengduan Mountains range is located in the southwest direction of the North Chu Country, or it can be said that it borders the southwest of North Chu Country. After all, it's not certain which is bigger between Hengduan Mountains range and North Chu Country when comparing them.
Judging only from the name "Hengduan Mountains", it feels ordinary and mundane, just a common mountain range in the mortal world. But if you mention its other name, then the status suddenly arises.
The Hengduan Mountains range, also known as the Land of Immortal Legacy, is one of the two forbidden areas of North Chu Country.
Compared to the other forbidden area of North Chu Country, the Yunmeng Marsh located in the north of North Chu Country, the Hengduan Mountains range seems much simpler, with danger mainly coming from demonic beasts.
Yunmeng Marsh is a weird and eccentric land of miracles, while the Hengduan Mountains is a paradise for demonic beasts.
The location of the Dao Sword Sect is in the middle of the Hengduan Mountains range. More accurately, it is on the outermost north side of the Hengduan Mountains range, at the border between North Chu Country and Hengduan Mountains range.
Building the sect in this place was not a coincidence. Generally speaking, the cultivation emphasizes a suitable location and resources. This place in the Hengduan Mountains has sparse population, abundant spiritual energy, rich resources, which solves the problems of location and resources. It is really a blessed land for cultivation.
Although demonic beasts are dangerous, they also mean resources.
Let alone the far ones, just the Dark Inferno Tiger cub that Qin Ran picked up, as long as it can be successfully nurtured into a spirit beast, it will become an invaluable resource when grown up.
Resources and dangers always coexist.
"Deep inside the Hengduan Mountains range, there are anomalies?" Qin Ran stood under the eaves, watching Huang Feiyu go away. His eyes flickered uncertainly. "What kind of anomalies could make demon kings like the Dark Inferno Tiger run to the outskirts of the mountain range?"
Although Huang Feiyu's seniority is one generation lower than Qin Ran, his age and cultivation are higher than Qin Ran's. His cultivation is at least at the early Golden Core stage.
And for someone with his personality, he must have more information than Qin Ran, although...Qin Ran is the chief elder of Danfeng, with quite a high status in Dao Sword Sect. He must know some information that Qin Ran doesn't know.
"Maybe it's time to form the core," Qin Ran thought to himself.
When he was six years old, his master Gu Zhengyi took him to Danfeng and helped him build his foundation at the most suitable age. He then spent many years refining his foundation. He dared to say that in the entire cultivation world, only a few could surpass him during the Foundation Establishment stage.
He was planning to refine himself for a few more years, perfecting the qi spiral in his body, making all preparations to have at least a 99% chance of successfully overcoming the tribulation, before forming the core.
But now, it seems he can't wait any longer.
"Master, what are you thinking about?" Li Shiyin's voice came over.
Qin Ran retracted his gaze and looked at Li Shiyin. It was because of this silly girl that all his plans were disrupted...
Wait!
"What's going on with your qi spiral?" He suddenly became serious, his empty eyes asking as a man with spiritual sense, he could see at a glance that Li Shiyin's qi spiral was no longer pure, and had starry speckles.
Because of the morning's study on death, Qin Ran's momentum was particularly frightening at this moment. Li Shiyin scratched the back of her head and turned her head aside.
"Didn't I tell you not to practice randomly?" Qin Ran looked a bit fierce. "Why don't you listen again?"
"I didn't practice either..." Li Shiyin mumbled, "I was looking at the exercises, and as I read, the qi in my body started circulating automatically. It was the qi spiral cultivating itself, it had nothing to do with me."
"The qi spiral rotated by itself? Do you take me for a fool?!" A surge of tyranny rose in Qin Ran's heart. He raised his hand and pointed at Li Shiyin, with transparent magic power lingering around his fingertips.
But just as the technique was about to come out, he stopped in time, realizing he was affected by death, and quickly withdrew his hand.
He was silent for a moment before saying, "The Nine Revolutions Stellar Sword Art can draw the power of the stars to temper sword qi and physique. Do you know when is the most suitable time to cultivate the power of the stars? At night!"
"Although the stars are still in the sky during the day, at this time the power of the stars is suppressed by the power of the sun. The power of the stars drawn is less and messy, far from meeting the criteria for converting the qi spiral!"
He took a deep breath and stared at Li Shiyin. "If there is a next time..."
Li Shiyin didn't know what was wrong with Master today, but she could clearly feel that the Master today was different from before, very frightening.
Moreover, when the qi spiral rotated, she knew very well that she was not unaware...
She secretly looked at the master, and suddenly saw the angry father. For the first time, she realized this was the master. She lowered her head and hurriedly said, "I...I was wrong."
Qin Ran stared fiercely at Li Shiyin for quite some time before finally walking over.
He raised his hand and pointed at Li Shiyin's qi sea acupoint, guiding his magic power over, straight into Li Shiyin's dantian, completely wrapping her qi spiral, then extracting all the power of the stars from her qi spiral like refining medicine materials.
This was the first time Li Shiyin saw Qin Ran get angry, and it was also the first time she witnessed Qin Ran's formidable ability.
Previously, in her impression, Qin Ran was a weak scholar who could concoct pills, set up formations, and had knowledge, but had low cultivation and was afraid of heights.
But at this moment, as she felt the master's vast magic power like the sea in her dantian, the seemingly endless magic power was easily controlled by the master, gently and effortlessly surrounding her qi spiral, orderly extracting the power of the stars inside.
"Is this still Foundation Establishment stage?"
Whether it was the amount of magic power or the control over magic power, it exceeded Li Shiyin's cognition.
She finally realized that the gap between the same stage could be greater than the gap between crossing stages.
The top gold spirit root, sensing qi overnight and building the foundation is completely perfect early Foundation Establishment. It's only one step away from mid Foundation Establishment, and she had only cultivated for a few days. She really is a peerless genius.
As for the master... The master said he would form the core before the age of fifty. Fifty years old, heh, she must form the core faster than the master.
It's not that she, Li Shiyin, is ungrateful and doesn't respect the master. It's just that is the master's comprehension of cultivation really correct? Or in other words, is the comprehension of an ordinary mortal like the master suitable for a peerless genius like her?
She had thought so before...
Until this moment, she knew she was wrong, very wrong.
The master is the master!
The master's vast yet gentle water-attributed magic power slowly exited. Li Shiyin opened her eyes and looked at Qin Ran, saying again, "Master, I was wrong."
Qin Ran glanced at her without saying anything.
Li Shiyin was very beautiful, fifteen or sixteen years old. The age gap of less than ten years between them could be ignored in the cultivation world. Qin Ran secretly fancied that she could be his dao companion.
But more often, he felt tired. This disciple was too silly, like raising a daughter.
After lunch, Qin Ran took some things out of the storage room and began measuring and placing them in the open space in front of the house, while looking up at the sky from time to time.
Seeing this from inside the house, Li Shiyin ran out and asked, "Master, what are you doing?"
After all, she was a silly disciple, thick-skinned, like a Samoyed, and had already forgotten the scolding in the morning.
"Finding the orientation, setting up formations..." Qin Ran glanced at her and explained, "Although the stellar power at night is very rich, the moon tonight is very round, and the interference of moonlight will be severe. Setting up a formation in advance to draw in stellar power while purifying it will make it more convenient for you to convert your qi spiral."
Li Shiyin nodded. In her mind, she began to calculate that the master was an alchemy master with extremely high alchemy skills. The master could also set up formations, spatial formations, induction formations, etc. His attainment in formations was obviously very high. In addition, the master's cultivation was also extremely vigorous. And finally, the master was still very young.
The master seemed to be much more powerful than she had imagined... No, the master was really too powerful.
Compared to the master, what kind of genius was she?
Chapter 27
Qin Ran, after all, was not a proper array master. He did not cultivate any techniques related to array methods. For arranging formations, he could only rely on his understanding of array methods.
As a result, even for an array to channel the power of the stars, it took him a whole afternoon until stars twinkled in the sky to barely set it up.
He breathed heavily, straightened his sore waist, looked at the array in front of him, took out a spirit stone, and said to Li Shiyin, "The array has been set up. You can go in while I place the spirit stone at the eye of the array to activate it."
After saying that, he waited for Li Shiyin to enter the array, so he could activate it. But after waiting for a while, he realized there was no movement. When he looked back, Li Shiyin was nowhere to be found.
"Where did that silly apprentice go? She was just behind me a moment ago?"
Qin Ran frowned, put the spirit stone back into his bosom, and shouted, "Li Shiyin? Li Shiyin!"
"Master!"
Li Shiyin's voice came from the room. It sounded very far away, as if it was in...the kitchen?
"The kitchen?" Qin Ran realized. He had been busy setting up the array and did not have time to cook. Now that night had fallen, Li Shiyin must have been starving.
As for himself, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he did not have such a high demand for food. His eating was mostly to satisfy his taste buds.
But...what was Li Shiyin doing in the kitchen? Could she cook?
"What are you doing?" He shouted, walking towards the room.
Li Shiyin did not reply.
But she noticed Qin Ran coming in. There was a series of clanging and banging noises from the kitchen. When Qin Ran entered the room, she walked out from the kitchen.
Qin Ran came in through the front door in the living room while Li Shiyin came out from the kitchen door in the living room. Looking over, Qin Ran saw that Li Shiyin was a mess, with ash on her face, oil stains on her body, and her hair...her hair seemed to be burnt, disheveled and curly.
This image, as if she had just come back from a battlefield, made Qin Ran freeze on the spot. Looking further into the kitchen, there was thick smoke and flickering flames, like the fiery magic cast by a necromancer.
"What...are you doing?"
Qin Ran was uncertain.
"Cooking..." Li Shiyin said coyly, looking very embarrassed.
"I thought you were researching black magic..."
The fire in the kitchen was spreading. Qin Ran hurried over and summoned water streams that swirled into the kitchen, twisting and turning to put out the flames and carry away the thick smoke.
After putting out the fire, the kitchen was still a mess. Qin Ran sighed, "Not even Nobel experimenting with explosives created such a scene."
"What is black magic?" Li Shiyin was eager to learn. "Who is Nobel?"
Qin Ran glanced at her indifferently, too lazy to answer. He pulled her aside and walked into the kitchen to take a closer look.
The scene in the kitchen was like something out of a horror story: there was a bloody piece of raw meat on the chopping board, some unidentifiable liquid in the pot, half of the stove was burnt black, and dark fluids were strewn across the floor...
"Is the Purification Array damaged?" He asked, scratching his head, very puzzled, "How exactly did you accomplish this?"
Li Shiyin also did not know. She simply replied, "It was fine at the beginning, but later I don't know why it stopped working."
"Alas!" Qin Ran sighed. He looked around on the walls and floor for damage to the array patterns imprinted on them.
"Those who know you were cooking will know what happened, those who don't will think you were fighting in the kitchen." He was at a loss for words.
Li Shiyin stood obediently at the kitchen door, not daring to speak.
"So..." Qin Ran stood up. Seeing Li Shiyin's appearance, he still asked, "After wrecking the kitchen, what did you cook?"
"Hehe!" Li Shiyin actually laughed smugly. She trotted in and sorted through the "battlefield ruins", arranging three dishes and bringing them to the dining table.
Qin Ran came over to take a look. The appearance of the three dishes was somewhat frightening. One was pitch black, charcoal? One was a bloody piece of meat. One was a strange soup?
"What are these dishes?" He asked.
Li Shiyin served a bowl of rice and handed it to Qin Ran, introducing:
"This is stir-fried green beans..." pointing to the charred bowl.
"This is Li Zhuang's pork belly..." pointing to the bowl with the bloody meat slices.
"This is egg drop soup..." pointing to the bowl with an ominous color containing eggshells, charred green beans, and soup.
"Quite good, with meat and vegetables, dishes and soup." Qin Ran praised. He lowered his head to look at the bowl of rice, each grain was distinct, shimmering with a raw luster.
"Master, come, try it!" Li Shiyin handed over the chopsticks, with some anticipation in her eyes.
Qin Ran took the chopsticks and twirled them, calculating in his heart. He wondered if his Foundation Establishment cultivation could withstand these dishes.
He hesitated for a long time, still unable to decide. But he really did not want to disappoint Li Shiyin's good intentions either, so he picked up a piece of charred green bean in the bowl and asked at the same time, "How did you stir fry these beans? I remember we didn't have any beans left?"
"There are! Still a lot." Li Shiyin showed him a handful of beans.
Qin Ran took one look and was speechless.
Many vegetables from his previous life did not exist in this world. So he was trying to cultivate them himself...for example, the beans Li Shiyin was holding were seeds he was using to grow peas.
"Where are they from?" He remembered hiding them very well.
"The fridge!" Li Shiyin replied.
Oh right, he remembered putting them in the freezer to preserve them, planning to cultivate them after the artificial lake was dug.
Yes, this was his own fault, he consoled himself internally.
"What about the meat?" He asked again. Although the meat was bloody, the meat quality was translucent and full of spiritual energy.
"Didn't you stew some meat yesterday? I used the leftover meat from yesterday." Li Shiyin replied.
Yesterday's meat was from a spirit beast specially used to nurture the body. It was specially prepared to enhance Li Shiyin's physique...
Most importantly, that meat was expensive, equivalent to about ten spirit stones per catty.
Looking at the meat on the plate, Qin Ran felt the blood dripping from it came from his heart.
"What about the soup?" He asked finally. "Where did the eggs come from?"
But as he was asking, he remembered the twenty spirit stone apiece spirit beast eggs he had left, so he quickly raised his hand to stop Li Shiyin from answering.
Qin Ran silently put down his bowl and chopsticks. He raised his head forty-five degrees to gaze at the ceiling, not letting his tears fall, then stood up and walked out one step at a time.
"Master, won't you try it?" Li Shiyin asked from behind.
Qin Ran pretended not to hear, but quietly quickened his pace.
Once outside, Qin Ran brought a chair to lie down and looked up at the stars in the sky. His heart felt chilled to the bone at the thought of his wasted ingredients...
Soon there was a shriek from inside the house, followed by the sound of Li Shiyin running out.
"Master..." She plopped down on the grass beside him and said regretfully, "It's so awful!"
Qin Ran was tearful yet unable to cry. Still, he comforted her, "Give it to Chasing the Wind to eat! Maybe Chasing the Wind will like it."
The white Chasing the Wind with black patterns was quite intelligent. Hearing there was food for it, it stopped tormenting the grass and bounced over, affectionately rubbing against Qin Ran's pants.
Poor Chasing the Wind still did not know what it was about to face.
Chapter 28
Qin Ran was quite irresponsible. He fed Chasing the Wind Li Shiyin's food, causing the poor little cat to vomit uncontrollably by the river for over half an hour. It was a pitiful sight.
"Really? Is it that scary?" Li Shiyin looked at him uncertainly and asked.
Qin Ran glanced at her without answering, hoping she would have some idea herself.
As the night grew later, the bright moon hung in the sky and the stars shone brightly, dotting the entire night sky.
Qin Ran checked the time and said, "Let's start."
Following his words, Li Shiyin walked into the spell formation and sat down cross-legged.
"The moon is so round tonight, its glow like water, so the timing isn't ideal," said Qin Ran, taking out a spirit stone and walking to the edge of the eye of the formation. "If you're a little more patient and wait for the next few days to pass, the power of the stars will be much richer then, and it will be somewhat easier to transform the energy vortex."
As he spoke, he placed the spirit stone in the eye of the formation. In a flash, clear light began to flow, rising from the ground and forming a thin film, enclosing Li Shiyin like a tent, with specks of light gathering in the air, like fireflies, crashing into the clear light.
"The concentration of the stellar power isn't too bad, but you'll still need to absorb it slowly. Too fast, and accidents could happen," he cautioned. "You absolutely must not break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. The stellar power will temper your spiritual power vortex, so after successfully converting the vortex, it's best if your cultivation level drops a bit.
"Also, the stellar power is just an aid in the end. Cultivating with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is the proper path."
Speaking thus, he watched the spell formation slowly retreat, falling back to sit in a chair.
Exhausted from vomiting, Chasing the Wind stumbled over, clawing up his pant leg to curl up in his lap, shifting around to find a comfortable spot.
Qin Ran lifted Chasing the Wind's paws and played with them in his hands. Despite being cat-sized, Chasing the Wind was a Profound Nether Spirit Tiger, so his paws were over twice as thick as a regular cat's, pleasantly plump to play with. He spread Chasing the Wind's paw pads, and the sharp claws popped out. Reaching out to test the claws, they were exceptionally keen, radiating a threatening edge. When Chasing the Wind had climbed up earlier, those claws had pierced through his pants and stabbed his calves painfully. He pondered whether he should trim Chasing the Wind's claws.
Inside the formation, Li Shiyin sat cross-legged, eyes closed, circulating her cultivation technique to guide the stellar power into her body.
The scattered stellar power felt icy cold at first. But as more stellar power gathered, it would slowly heat up, eventually becoming scorching, seemingly carrying the power of the sun.
The stellar power was like fire, steaming her inner spiritual power. The stellar power was like sand, grinding her dantian's energy vortex. The stellar power flowed like water, strengthening her bones and flesh.
Circulating the spiritual power mixed with stellar power felt very rough, hot, and uncomfortable. To Li Shiyin, it felt like she had been thrown into a desert, tormented by scorching heat and sandy gusts.
She didn't know how much time passed before the stars fully settled in her dantian, and her vortex became like a nebula, dotted with stellar power like the stars in a nebula.
At this point, her spiritual power, now completely fused with stellar power, felt mildly cool when circulating in her body. The stellar power no longer wore down her physique, instead nourishing her physique.
Li Shiyin discovered that as her master said, her cultivation level had indeed dropped. She had previously been a step away from mid-Foundation Establishment, but now there was quite some distance again.
However, she could clearly sense that her spiritual power was more refined now, and more... resilient? Her muscles also felt somewhat stronger.
Her cultivation had fallen, but her actual strength had grown.
The full sky of stars was like a river, the bright moon like a boat, and the wispy clouds were like the silk scarves of maidens frolicking in the starry river. The scarves waved at the people below. In front of a wooden house, on a broad lawn, two people sat facing each other, one leaning back in a chair, a cat in his arms, the other sitting cross-legged on the grass, a wisp of clear light drawing down the starry river.
The darkness was like a lady's thin, gauzy skirt, veiling the eyes, obscuring sight. In the distant forest, night owls shrieked as they hunted, while in the nearby bushes, crickets chirped their courtship songs. The night was noisy, the night was quiet.
The night wind was damp and cool, while the cat in his arms was warm. Qin Ran held the cat, watching a tributary split off from the river of stars overhead, cascading down like a waterfall, from the starry sky to the grass. It was an awe-inspiring yet heartwarming scene.
Summer nights were actually cool. Watching the moon gradually approach the western mountains, the stars blinking out one by one, the sunlight stabbing through in the east heralding the sun's descent, in that span of time, whatever emotions and insights Qin Ran gained were limited to himself.
The starry river overhead faded away, and the stabilized inner cultivation opened Li Shiyin's eyes. Through the hazy formation, she saw the first ray of dawn fall on her master's face. Foolish master didn't shy away, allowing the sunlight to blind him.
She got to her feet, leaping out of the formation in one step. Under the morning light, she raised her fists, which shone with stellar radiance, and shouted loudly, "Master! I succeeded!"
Li Shiyin's figure blocked the sunlight. Qin Ran's squinting eyes opened a sliver to look over, as if seeing Garz sama flexing under the first ray of dawn. Facing the sun with glowing fists raised, that lass was a bona fide villain with consummate devilish arts.
"Why shout? I'm not deaf! If you succeeded, go take a bath. You reek." Qin Ran spoke flatly, heartlessly damping the silly disciple's excitement.
"Huh?" Li Shiyin froze, lowering her head for a sniff. She did indeed reek, as if not having bathed for years. On closer look, her clothes had some grey and black stains.
"The stellar power refines the physique, expelling the impurities from the body. That's why," Qin Ran explained evenly. "Although you've soaked in many medicinal baths, making your body very tough already, this upgrade is still quite significant."
Li Shiyin came to her senses, understanding why. The rough tomboy also had a sense of propriety, blushing as she dashed into the house and straight for the bathroom.
"Your strength has risen tremendously. Pay attention to control, don't break anything..." Qin Ran's voice chased Li Shiyin into the house, but before he could finish, Li Shiyin's shriek came from inside, having clearly already broken something.
Qin Ran's face darkened with anger, securing the cat before striding into the house. He discovered the stairs had one broken step from Li Shiyin stomping up them.
Chasing up the stairs, more screams came from the bathroom. Clearly she had wrecked some of its facilities. Leaning against the hallway wall with a black face, he coldly called towards the bathroom, "That's because your strength rose too fast. Keep digging the pond today! If you can't control your power well, don't stop."
"Noooo Master..." came Li Shiyin's miserable wail from the bathroom.
Qin Ran ignored it and continued, "I'm going to catch up on sleep. Make your own lunch too today!"
"Master..."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein