Rustle, rustle!
Inside the cave abode, Fang Qing seemed immersed in this Secret-Treasury Domain cultivation art, constantly turning its pages.
Rumble!
After turning to a brand-new page, he saw the visualization diagram of the Horse-Headed Vajra Dharma-Protector Divine Art.
“So this is… the Horse-Headed Vajra?”
In Fang Qing’s eyes, there seemed to be only this strange deity. He had the face of a horse, three faces and eight arms, His entire body crimson. He held ritual implements such as a skull bowl and a vajra scepter, and snake ornaments hung over His ears.
He was incomparably majestic, yet also exuded an eerie,邪异 air.
“Visualizing this diagram as one’s secret yidam can strengthen the spirit…”
After finishing the book, he roughly understood this body-tempering method of the Secret-Treasury Domain.
“This Horse-Headed Vajra Dharma-Protector Divine Art has four stages. The first is the ‘Fierce Donkey Demon Stage,’ the second is the ‘Mule-Faced Vajra Prajna Stage,’ the third is the ‘Horse-Headed Wisdom King Wrathful Stage,’ and then a final realm whose name isn’t even known… Although this only contains the cultivation method for the first stage, one need only meditate daily, supplemented with hand seals, mantras, and visualization of the yidam diagram in order to advance… It does indeed suit my requirements very well.”
Almost subconsciously, Fang Qing sat in full lotus, formed the “Vase Seal” with his hands, and the blood and qi within his body rippled faintly, transforming into a kind of indescribable strange force.
Splash!
Just then, the Dao-Birth Pearl within his body turned slightly. The clear and turbid qi flowed, clouds steamed and rosy vapors gathered, like an icy spring slowly passing through his heart. He immediately shuddered. “Return to the root and revert to the origin!”
In an instant, that tiny trace of strange power gained from the Secret-Treasury Domain art was completely transformed by him into yuanqi.
“It really is an evil art. It makes one unable to stop.”
Fang Qing sighed, then attempted to transform that tiny bit of yuanqi within the Dao-Birth Pearl once more.
This time, something miraculous happened.
Although it was still the Secret-Treasury Domain’s strange power of blood and qi, Fang Qing felt his mind become clear. He no longer had the impulse to throw everything aside and bitterly cultivate the Horse-Headed Vajra Dharma-Protector Divine Art.
“It seems… this transformation by the Dao-Birth Pearl is also a kind of ‘filter’?”
He steadied himself. “The strange forces hidden within the cultivation art, and even its traps… after one transformation, have all been washed away?”
“Looking at it this way, this art can be used for the time being.”
This Secret-Treasury Domain art was an incomplete text, containing only the contents of the first stage, the “Fierce Donkey Demon Stage.”
According to Fang Qing’s conjecture, after perfecting the first stage, perhaps it would be comparable to the perfection of first-rank body refinement in the Qi-Refining Dao, allowing one to rely on the fleshly body to contend against a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining?
It might even be a cut above that, comparable to quasi-second-rank or even true second-rank body refinement.
In any case, the goal of increasing his physique and spirit, strengthening the essence-origin and spirit-origin among the three flowers of essence, qi, and spirit, so that they would not hold back Foundation Establishment, could definitely be achieved.
“There are pitfalls, though. Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to get through them…”
“And that Book of Contemplating Black Mausoleum may well have pitfalls too…”
Fang Qing muttered a complaint, then began truly practicing it.
One night passed.
He stood up and stretched.
Although he had replaced sleep with meditation, he did not feel the slightest fatigue. His spirit was incomparably full.
At the same time.
Fang Qing exerted a little strength and clenched his five fingers into a fist. He immediately felt that his tendons, bones, skin, and membranes had strengthened once more, their toughness soaring!
“My physique was already at the level of a mortal innate grandmaster before… But after cultivating for just one night, the increase in strength has surpassed the enhancement brought by a peerless martial art like the Divine Martial Secret Canon…”
“As expected, compared with immortal cultivation, mortal martial arts have fallen behind in every respect.”
“If this continues, so long as I persevere and perfect the first stage, its might will truly be boundless. It can serve as one of my trump cards.”
He regulated his breathing for a while, then swallowed several fasting pills. These pills used spirit grain as their main ingredient. Not only could they sate hunger, they could also purify the body and strengthen blood and qi.
After eating and drinking his fill, Fang Qing went to Cold Spring Peak, found a spirit spring, and first began refining “Jade Brilliance Spirit Water.”
Several days later, once one portion of Jade Brilliance Spirit Water had been refined, he took out a stalk of “Azure-Qi Ginseng,” transformed his magic power into [Ji Water] magic power, and began challenging “Ginseng-Green Spirit Water.”
Clearly, even with the spring-controlling ability assisted by [Ji Water] magic power, this first pool soon failed.
Fang Qing remained calm, cleared away the medicinal dregs, and took out a second stalk of “Azure-Qi Ginseng.”
Sensing the gazes of some disciples around him, he furrowed his brows and thought to himself, “This is still a little too ostentatious. It seems building a spirit spring inside my cave abode is imperative. Otherwise, many pills that need to be refined in secret will be difficult to attempt…”
Cold Spring Peak was good in every way, except that it was far too public.
No wonder those Pill Island disciples with profound cultivation all established private medicinal pools.
Thinking this, Fang Qing tossed the second portion of Azure-Qi Ginseng into the spring water.
Not far away, when Li Yusu saw this scene, he felt his face flush hot.
Last time, he had mocked Fang Qing, only for his own breakthrough to fail while Fang Qing succeeded.
When they met again, he still had to honestly address him as senior brother.
And not only that!
He could sense his master’s disappointed gaze after his failed breakthrough, as well as the faint disdain of his fellow disciples.
With the aptitude of a mid-grade spiritual root, breaking through the bottleneck from the early stage to the middle stage of Qi Refining should originally have been practically guaranteed.
The only explanation was that his middling aptitude was extremely borderline, and on top of that, his luck had been poor.
After a failed breakthrough, not only would the body and the foundation of one’s magic power be damaged, it would also make the next breakthrough even more difficult.
Once his master’s sect reduced its investment in him, Li Yusu immediately felt every step become arduous. He could only take on more sect missions, such as washing gauze, which he had looked down on before…
Fang Qing had of course seen Li Yudan as well, but he simply could not be bothered to pay him any attention.
In his eyes, there was only the Great Dao of longevity. As for such insignificant roadside figures, the next time they met, for all he knew, their bones might already have turned to ash.
Fang Qing concentrated fully, staring fixedly at the refining of this pool of “Ginseng-Green Spirit Water.”
“The first step, extracting the spirit liquid…”
“The second step, Xuan Yuan Three Revolutions, merging and transforming the medicinal liquid… Hm? This change in medicinal properties? How should I respond?”
Before he finished thinking, ripples spread across the spirit pool, and a stream of black liquid surged out…
“Failed again…”
Fang Qing sighed.
Alchemy was like this. Without guidance from an accomplished teacher, if one did not fail dozens or hundreds of times, it was simply impossible to find the trick to entering the gate.
With low-rank pills, it was still fine. But the higher the rank, the more unbearable such a cost became.
“It’s time to go back…”
“Although I still have extra Azure-Qi Ginseng on hand, exposing too much would be bad…”
Fang Qing shook his head and sighed. He went to the great hall of Pill Island, turned in the “Jade Brilliance Spirit Water,” then spent contribution points to purchase a gourd of “Ginseng-Green Spirit Water.”
Now that he was a little more well-off, he wanted to try using spirit water to assist his cultivation.
Inside the cave abode.
Fang Qing examined the yellow-skinned gourd in his hand.
This gourd was only the size of a thumb. After he pulled out the stopper, he could smell a fragrance of ginseng.
He tilted it slightly, and a few drops of emerald-green spirit water fell into his mouth, carrying a faint trace of bitterness.
Stimulated by this, the black-water magic power cultivated from the Water Classic Commentary within his body immediately began to circulate, becoming somewhat hot and restless.
Fang Qing hurriedly began meditating, properly absorbing this medicinal power.
Before he knew it, several hours had passed.
He opened his eyes and sensed the additional wisp of gaseous magic power in his dantian. He could not help revealing a trace of joy. “Good… It’s enough to match two days of cultivation. This gourd of spirit water should be able to increase my cultivation by one month.”
Originally, according to Fang Qing’s estimates, after breaking through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, if he had no other external assistance, he would need at least three or four years to cultivate his fourth-layer magic power to perfection.
If he had a continuous supply of “Ginseng-Green Spirit Water,” then he could save at least half that time!
“And…”
Fang Qing activated the Dao-Birth Pearl, transforming his entire foundation once more into [Ji Water] magic power.
In an instant, the sound of clear springs tinkling suddenly arose inside the cave abode, accompanied by waves of gentle breeze.
“This Ginseng-Green Spirit Water should also have some effect on cultivating the magic power of the Qi-Ingestion Dao…”
He swallowed the spirit water again, then discovered to his pleasant surprise that his body’s resistance to the medicine, and even the sense of fatigue in his magic power, had vanished.
“Originally, Ginseng-Green Spirit Water could only be taken once a day… But after transforming my cultivation method, I can take it twice?”
“Could it be… that the medicinal resistance within my magic power has also been washed away?”
“Looking at it this way, my magic power can still advance by leaps and bounds. Perhaps I’ll only need one year before I can attempt to break through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining?”
Joy appeared on Fang Qing’s face, and he closed his eyes again.
Inside the cave abode, clear springs bubbled and a fresh breeze drifted in—the very imagery of clear springs and gentle winds belonging to [Ji Water].
Half an hour later, the young man seated on the prayer mat slowly concluded his practice, a trace of delight appearing on his face.
Fang Qing walked out of the seclusion chamber and saw a bright yellow voice-transmission talisman at the entrance of the cave abode. His expression stirred. “Who came looking for me? Hua Lian?”
He formed a hand seal, and a gust of clear wind wrapped around the voice-transmission talisman, bringing it into his hand.
After he infused a strand of magic power into it, a pleasant female voice sounded.
“Is it her? I should meet her, then.”
Fang Qing murmured, then opened the gate of the cave abode.
Outside the cave abode stood two cultivators, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
One of them was Li Yudan—no, Li Yusu. His face looked rather weathered and downcast.
The other was a young woman with a face like peach blossoms, pure and otherworldly. It was actually Zha Zhu!
After so many years, the little girl from back then had long since grown into a graceful young lady. Paired with her ethereal bearing, it was simply hard to believe she had originally been born a fisherman’s daughter.
“Zhu’er, and this… Junior Brother Li.”
Fang Qing invited the two into his cave abode. “My humble dwelling is simple and crude. I have no tea, only clear spring water…”
“Many thanks.”
A trace of apology appeared on Zha Zhu’s face. “Brother Fang Qing, I was in seclusion all this time before. I didn’t expect so many things to happen…”
“It’s no matter. After all, between me and your family, there was indeed only an employment relationship. Now we are even.”
Fang Qing smiled, then looked toward Li Yusu. “As for this Junior Brother Li, although his words and actions were somewhat excessive, he was wholeheartedly acting for your good…”
He did not know why Zha Zhu had come to his door. Could it be that she saw he had risen again and wanted to salvage things a little?
But to be honest, what did a mere middle-stage Qi Refining cultivator and first-rank lower-grade alchemist amount to in the eyes of a disciple of Fuyunzi, a Foundation Establishment cultivator and second-rank alchemy master?
The three chatted idly for a few more sentences. Fang Qing escorted Zha Zhu and the other out of the cave abode, then saw a green-leaf flying boat descend. The person upon it was none other than Hua Lian.
“I wonder what wind is blowing today, for all of you to come to this junior brother’s cave abode…”
Fang Qing laughed heartily.
When Hua Lian saw Zha Zhu, his expression became even gentler. “The sect’s great fishing expedition has already begun, and the fleet has entered the deep sea. But there are some easy pickings to be had in the nearby waters, so I thought Junior Brother should have some free time and came specially to ask…”
For disciples of the Blue Sea Sect, making a living from the sea and cultivating with spirit fish was originally part of daily life.