"Breaking the Misfortune Pill... only six pots left, the medicinal power is not as strong as before. I'll save them for emergencies in the future."
"The Dragon Tiger Return to Origin Pill, only three boxes left. I need to save them too. During the peak of the sea breeze, taking them can help endure the damp and cold rain..."
"Then there are these two precious pills from the Tingchang Mountain. They are useless to me in terms of medicinal power, but they can refine thick elemental energy and divine power. I'll save them for when I break through to the next realm."
"There are also spirit stones prepared in advance for refining spirit pets and teaching the Jade Snake to transform early..."
In the narrow courtyard, Chu Weiyang did not light a lamp.
He sat quietly at the stone table in the center of the courtyard, contemplating by the bright moonlight.
As he spoke, Chu Weiyang stood up.
In a corner of the courtyard, there was a large urn half the height of a person, sealed with talismans by Chu Weiyang.
Now, as the young man approached, he gently lifted the talisman that sealed the urn.
He lowered his head slowly, sniffing lightly.
At first, there was a strong smell of alcohol, but as the alcohol scent dissipated, Chu Weiyang furrowed his brows, detecting a foul odor with a hint of fishiness.
In a daze, Chu Weiyang seemed to recall the food he had in the Demon-Sealing Cave.
Soon, the smell became unbearable, and he stood up, breathing in the fresh air deeply to suppress the nauseating feeling.
Chu Weiyang had never imagined that the thing that once saved his life during his travels through mountains and rivers would one day be so repugnant.
Sighing as if to calm his emotions, he shook his head again.
"First, I tried boiling it in tea, and now it's not suitable for making alcohol. The 'Thousand Spirit Manual' seems easy to start with, but to truly understand its depth and be able to incorporate all pill formulas effortlessly into medicinal soups, it requires a skill, a kind of great Dao!"
As Chu Weiyang pondered up to this point, a clear voice echoed in his mind, reminiscent of Chunyu Zhi's cold voice.
"Although it's called a medicinal soup, it's just a different form of pill refining. When it comes to the relationship between monarch and ministers, water and fire, regardless of internal or external, there are no easy paths to comprehend in this world. Although I am not a cultivator of the Pill River Valley, I understand the alchemy of internal elixirs. The principles should be similar.
In my opinion, even if life is lived in poverty, the 'Thousand Spirit Manual' should not be treated in such a way. Boiling tea and making alcohol seem too crude and simplistic in front of alchemy. Only by refining meticulously can there be harmony and a solid foundation for alchemy."
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang raised an eyebrow.
The chaotic memories of his past lives flooded his thoughts, and with the guidance of "meticulous refinement," Chu Weiyang suddenly thought of various intricate and elaborate dishes.
He suddenly felt enlightened, realizing that although he had not yet fully grasped all the methods, his intuition told him that he was on the right path.
Amidst such intricacy and complexity, it was most suitable for the monarch and ministers to harmonize, laying the foundation for their achievements.
However, as he pondered, Chu Weiyang smiled helplessly.
"Even if I understand this method, I still need resources to make it work..."
At this moment, reflecting on his thoughts, Chu Weiyang surveyed the quiet courtyard and the looming figure beyond the walls, suddenly understanding a truth with reluctance.
For someone like him, struggling to survive against the accumulation of malevolent energy, it was impossible to find a way out in such a peaceful environment.
Although this secluded courtyard seemed like a good place to stay, before Chu Weiyang could get used to it, he suddenly had a premonition that one day he would have to leave.
"This grand Dao City is just another Demon-Sealing Cave!"
Muttering softly, Chu Weiyang dismissed all his thoughts and walked to the spacious open space in the courtyard, drew his sword, and began practicing the 'Springtime Sword' under the moonlight.
In the city of Dao, where people's eyes were sharp, although Chu Weiyang always carried a long sword on his back, he had created an identity as a fire elemental pill cultivator with the help of Cuiyu Fire and some knowledge of the monarch and ministers, allowing him to refine a path of malevolent energy.
Ultimately, having condensed the six righteous sword intents, Chu Weiyang could not neglect this path of refining malevolent energy.
After much contemplation, he had no choice but to slay demons during the day, refining malevolent energy with demon blood, and diligently practice swordsmanship at night, absorbing malevolent energy with the six righteous sword intents!
The danger of malevolent energy surging during the advancement in the realm in the forest of trees was still vivid in his mind.
The deadline of twenty days was approaching, and Chu Weiyang urgently needed to reduce the accumulated malevolent energy in his body as much as possible before the breakthrough.
Otherwise, the moment he advanced in the realm would be the closest to his death.
Perhaps influenced by Chu Weiyang's determination, a slightly melancholic voice echoed in the overlapping moonlight, resonating in the young man's mind.
"In the latter half of the night, add another hour for the sword to absorb malevolent energy!"
"You are right. Only when you feel pain do you realize that you are truly alive!"
"In this unreasonable world, our lives are intertwined. Regardless of karma, in the end, it was the Mother of Danxia who first gave up my life!"
"I wanted to live before, by any means necessary. And I survived!"
"In the future, I plan to avenge this grudge one day, by any means necessary. If you help me, I am willing to help you!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang halted his steps, his footsteps pausing in place.
He lightly brushed the spine of the sword and flicked the edge of the blade gently.
"In the future, I will also become a sword spirit. Miss Zhi, it was you who told me that by refining the spirit into the sword, it is like holding the key to achieving the Dao. When that day comes, you will be no different from a true spirit and a golden core cultivator. If that old woman is still alive at that time, you will avenge yourself for your own grievances!
In the past, in the Demon-Sealing Cave, I understood one thing very clearly: since one is alive, one must have a goal for oneself.
But what you said is also true: if you help me, I will help you!"
As his words fell, the sword in Chu Weiyang's hand hummed and trembled, radiating spiritual light.
The moonlight flowed over the blade like water, spilling onto the ground.
-
On the vast sea, a lone boat drifted with the wind and waves, swaying and rocking incessantly.
However, inside the narrow cabin, there was a hidden world, resembling a palace in the clouds, with walls adorned with incense and candles, pillars depicting dragons and phoenixes, and in the center, eight screens embroidered with scenes of mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, clouds, rising suns, and ethereal fairies.
Behind the eight screens, layers of scripture banners surrounded them, woven from the finest spiritual silk threads.
Upon closer inspection, the banners were inscribed with the universal scriptures of the Daoist sect, filled with gentle meanings.
The calligraphy varied from regular script to cursive, forming a unique style.
At first glance, it seemed to be just a scripture, but upon closer examination, it was as if one had read through the annotations of previous scholars.
Through the layers of scripture banners, looking towards the innermost part, one could see a wide and soft cloud bed, with layers of black gauze resembling clouds, where Shi Yuting lay horizontally.
Within the black gauze, one hand supported her forehead, while the other subconsciously twirled a folding fan.
Amidst the delicate fragrance, the woman's breathing was long and deep, as if she were sleeping in a beautiful dream.
The waves and the lone boat outside seemed to have no connection to her.
Just then, footsteps echoed, and Shi Yuting seemed to awaken suddenly, looking up to see a maid standing quietly in front of the screen.
With a lazy voice, she spoke from the cloud bed.
"What time is it now? How much longer until we reach Jing'an Dao City?"
As her words fell, the maid standing in front of the screen almost shivered, hesitating before speaking in a trembling voice.
"Master, we still have two days of sailing to reach Jing'an Dao City. Just now, a great demon from the sea passed by, but upon seeing the ancestral decree hanging at the bow of the ship, it didn't say anything and left directly. Master, I..."
The maid trembled more and more as she spoke, almost losing her voice at the end.
In the layers of scripture banners, Shi Yuting suddenly smiled.
"What are you afraid of? I won't do anything to you. If there's a problem, solve it. That's the right way. If you cry here, and if it really delays important matters, how many lives will you have to give me in return?"
Upon hearing these words, the maid seemed to regain her composure, steadying her mind before speaking.
"Forgive me, just now, Sister Yujian, who arrived in Jing'an Dao City ahead of us, sent a message. She said... she found the token left by our sect in the city, the one named Dong Heng..."
Shi Yuting raised an eyebrow, her drowsiness seemingly dispelled at this moment, and she hurriedly asked, "What about Dong Heng?"
Bang!
The maid knelt directly in front of the screen as she responded, "He... is dead!"
A deathly silence filled the air.
In the midst of the silence, only the trembling voice of the maid continued to echo.
"And there is another person, who is said to be Dong Heng's cousin on the surface but is actually a hidden pawn of the Baihua Tower. They both died on the same day. Sister found the registry of lives in the city and checked their life symbols. There should be no mistake..."
As her words trailed off, after a long pause, Shi Yuting's voice coldly resounded, devoid of the previous laziness.
"Have they found out how these two died? One person having an accident is one thing, but two people dying on the same day, who dares to mess with my Baihua Tower!"
Seeing Shi Yuting's tone turn cold, the maid breathed a sigh of relief.
"Master, time is running out. Sister has roughly investigated. The person who killed them didn't hide his tracks much. He is a fire elemental pill cultivator who seems to be a wandering cultivator, with the surname Ma. He offended the Sword Sect and came to the city to avoid trouble. Now he is hired by the Shenxiao Sect to clear out the demon beasts brought in by the high tide on the sea wall. The steward is a big-mouthed..."
Upon hearing this, Shi Yuting's voice was filled with doubt.
"Offended the Sword Sect... Lian'er, are you sure your sister mentioned that person, a fire elemental pill cultivator?"
Lian'er nodded quickly.
"I asked the steward. He said that the person has exquisite skills in fire elemental manipulation, with a sharp intent in his flames. He seems to have fought real battles in the southern wilderness as a wandering cultivator... Sister was not at ease and hid in the distance during the day, personally observing. She found no discrepancies compared to what the steward said!"
Listening to this, Shi Yuting took a deep breath and continued to inquire, "And what about the lone seedling of the Panwang Sect?"
Lian'er's voice became hesitant again.
"Master, Sister couldn't find that person. It's as if he disappeared as soon as he entered the city. Among the newcomers, there is no one skilled in swordsmanship, and among those who are skilled in swordsmanship, there are no newcomers."
After much hesitation, it took a while before Shi Yuting's voice echoed softly in the hall.
"Lian'er, go tell your sister to keep a close eye on that fire elemental pill cultivator. Don't let him escape. Wait for me to arrive in Jing'an Dao City and settle the score with him! Killing people from my Baihua Tower, even if it's just a hidden pawn, is not something that can be easily forgiven!
Furthermore! Instruct her to find the lone seedling of the Panwang Sect! If she can't accomplish these two tasks, tell your sister not to come see me, but to return directly to the Yusu River headquarters and serve the wild men on the third floor! Stubbornness that achieves nothing!"
As she spoke, Shi Yuting's voice carried a hint of anger towards the end, and Lian'er dared not delay, quickly responding and disappearing into the Dao hall.
After a long time, Shi Yuting fiercely threw the folding fan onto the soft cloud bed.
"Damn it! Damn it! It sounds good, with all the drama and action... but I haven't even put on my makeup yet, and the climax of the story has been ruined. How can I continue this performance! It's become a joke!"
As she vented her anger, Shi Yuting seemed to recall the words her master had once admonished her on the boat, and the outburst of her frustration just now.
Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Biting her silver teeth, her pretty face filled with determination, she circled the empty Dao hall, as if carefully observing something akin to a prison.
"No matter what, this matter must be resolved! This play, no matter how difficult, must be completed!"
"Chu Weiyang, we only met once, or rather, we only saw half of each other's faces. But you have caused me so much trouble!"
"Could it be that the karma and fate in this world are truly so accurate? If it is true, it would be best for me to see you as soon as I arrive in Dao City!"
-
The next day, early morning.
The sky was bright.
In the quiet courtyard, Chu Weiyang carried his long sword on his back with one hand, stretching his body and limbs.
Through the courtyard walls, the increasingly bustling sounds of people in Dao City could be heard, prompting Chu Weiyang to walk towards the entrance.
A seal was already formed in his chest, ready to unlock the restrictions in the courtyard.
However, before the spiritual light could fully condense, Chu Weiyang's steps abruptly halted.
"What did you say? Miss Zhi, are you sure that person is watching this courtyard from afar? And not just passing by the door unintentionally or by chance?"
Upon hearing Chu Weiyang's slightly solemn tone, Chunyu Zhi laughed lightly.
"Haha, there are various wonderful methods in the Tingchang Mountain. Even though I only have a bit of true spirit left, there are many things I can do!"
Normally, Chunyu Zhi would have made a sarcastic remark, but her voice softened slightly, leaving only a hint of sarcasm.
Without paying attention to Chunyu Zhi's usual disdain, Chu Weiyang put away the seal, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"This is getting interesting. I tried to avoid disaster and ended up with a new enemy?"
Many books are now hard to find, so cherish what you have.