From the moment Xu Zifeng arrived, the cultivators’ attention had remained fixed on him and the three beast corpses. Only when they heard his sharp command did they realize someone else was present, and they all looked toward the cave.
The rock blocking the entrance slowly shifted to the right, revealing a narrow opening about a person’s height. A boy in a short brown outfit stepped out. He looked no more than twelve or thirteen, with refined features and a calm, mild bearing.
The boy inclined himself slightly toward the group and said respectfully, “Xu Ziqing greets Senior Xu, the young masters, and Miss Meng.”
Though surrounded by so many gazes, he showed no fear. His face was still somewhat pale, however, and his cultivation had only just crossed the threshold into the path of cultivation.
Xu Zifeng glanced at him. “You’re from the Xu family?”
Xu Ziqing lowered his eyes. “Yes. This junior is a menial worker in the Hundred Herbs Garden. I came here with Steward He, but we were accidentally separated. I stayed in this cave last night, and when I came out today, I happened upon the battle between the snake and the eagles. My cultivation is poor, so I could only hide inside. I had only just recovered from the shock and failed to come out in time to pay my respects. I ask everyone’s forgiveness.”
His explanation was completely straightforward. With Xu Zifeng questioning him, even if the others wanted to vent their anger on Xu Ziqing, they could hardly make too much of it. Still full of disappointment and frustration, they took their leave of Xu Zifeng and departed on their magical artifacts.
Xu Zifeng’s expression remained cold, but he said to Xu Ziqing, “Steward He is looking for you. Come with me to where he is.”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “Then I’ll trouble Senior Xu.”
Because he needed to bring Xu Ziqing along, and another Xu clansman was following as well, Xu Zifeng did not use his Light-Transformation Art this time. He took the long sword from his back, tossed it into the air, and stepped onto it. Then he swept a sleeve toward Xu Ziqing, who was lifted helplessly into the air and landed on the sword as well.
The long sword gave a low hum and shot through the air. The other Xu clansman used a gourd-shaped magical artifact. He activated it and followed closely behind Xu Zifeng’s flying sword.
Standing on the sword, Xu Ziqing could see Xu Zifeng’s back, yet it somehow seemed far away, as though he could not reach him even by stretching out a hand. Beneath his feet, however, everything was perfectly steady. The slender sword flew at tremendous speed without the slightest jolt. They were already a thousand zhang above the ground. When Xu Ziqing looked down, countless trees and landscapes streaked past too quickly to make out clearly. A surge of bold exhilaration rose in his chest, and for a moment he felt as though his whole mind had opened wide.
After only about seven or eight minutes, the flying sword angled downward and descended toward the ground. Xu Ziqing’s vision blurred, and in the next moment he felt solid ground beneath his feet. He had already landed.
Xu Zifeng formed a hand seal. The flying sword turned into a streak of azure light, flew directly behind him, and slid neatly back into its sheath.
Amazing! Xu Ziqing could not help praising him inwardly, while wondering when he himself might ever reach such a level of cultivation.
Xu Zifeng said nothing more. After bringing Xu Ziqing there, he gave Old He a slight nod, then sat cross-legged beneath a tree. Paying no attention to the envious looks around him, he simply closed his eyes and began to meditate.
This place was a valley. After entering the Linyuan Secret Realm, most Xu clansmen had been thrown by the restriction into the surrounding area and had soon gathered here to discuss what to do next. Xu Zifeng had come as well. Among the cultivators who had entered the secret realm, only two or three had reached Foundation Establishment or higher, and he was one of them, so the responsibility of protecting the younger disciples rested heavily on him.
Old He had not been thrown into this valley, but somewhere farther out along the perimeter. He too had spent the night elsewhere and found his way here after daybreak, only to discover that the little menial worker he had taken a liking to was nowhere to be seen. Knowing how dangerous the secret realm was, he immediately asked Xu Zifeng to help search for him.
Xu Zifeng had already heard from his younger sister that Steward He had helped her when she came seeking spiritual herbs, so he agreed. That was why he had gone searching in a streak of light. Unexpectedly, the trip had brought him some gains as well. The three beasts were somewhat weak by his standards, but traces of ancient bloodline still made them unusual. Since he happened to find the person Old He was looking for at the same place, he simply brought Xu Ziqing back with him.
Seeing Xu Ziqing completely unharmed, Old He’s weathered face broke into a rare smile. “Brat, you really owe Young Master Zifeng this time.”
Xu Ziqing smiled too. “I certainly do have Senior Xu to thank. Steward He, this junior was useless and caused you to worry as well.”
Now that the boy was safe and sound, Old He was not one to fuss. He raised his pipe, took a draw, and exhaled. “The spiritual energy in this secret realm is abundant. Since you’re already here, cultivate for a while first. I’ll guard you.”
Xu Ziqing inclined himself, then sat down on the ground as instructed and began working on opening his acupoints.
Earlier, he had opened eight acupoints along his Du meridian. His night of cultivation in the cave had slightly loosened the obstructions at those acupoints, so now was the perfect time to press the advantage. He hoped to break through the ninth acupoint and advance his cultivation a little further.
The moment Xu Ziqing began circulating his spiritual power, he felt spiritual energy pouring down through the crown of his head. Cultivating out in the open drew in several times more wood-attributed spiritual energy than he had managed inside the cave. The secret realm truly was extraordinary. Spiritual energy surged into him like a great whale gulping water.
Then it felt as though some unseen barrier was being washed over again and again by the continuous flow of spiritual power until, at last, it suddenly broke open. His body immediately felt lighter, and the spiritual power that had previously moved through him with considerable resistance now flowed somewhat more smoothly…
Once he entered meditation, two full hours passed. When Xu Ziqing opened his eyes, he carefully concealed the shock in his heart.
In such a short time, he had not only broken through the ninth acupoint, but even the tenth was beginning to loosen. With spiritual energy this abundant, the barriers between acupoints seemed almost as flimsy as paper. It did not take long to see results.
If he had not known it was impossible, Xu Ziqing would almost have wanted to stay in the secret realm and cultivate here permanently!
Seeing that he had finished, Old He asked with a smile, “Well, brat? How was it?”
Xu Ziqing replied somewhat sheepishly, “The spiritual energy in the secret realm truly is extraordinary. This junior feels that I made some progress.”
Old He laughed heartily. “It’s your first time here, so of course you wouldn’t know. There’s nothing more mysterious than a secret realm like this. The spiritual energy inside is probably more than ten times richer than outside. That’s why anyone who enters a secret realm gains enormously even if they never encounter some special opportunity!”
Xu Ziqing had felt it for himself and smiled in agreement. “This junior only received such a benefit because Steward He kindly brought me here. I’m deeply grateful.”
Old He nodded and did not waste more words on that. Instead, his expression turned somewhat solemn as he changed the subject. “You spent a night out there. Did you broaden your horizons at all?”
The secret realm was open for only three days, and one-third of that time had already passed. Old He had brought Xu Ziqing in precisely so he could broaden his experience, so the question was also a small test.
Xu Ziqing thought for a moment. He had spent most of his journey trembling with caution for the sake of staying alive and had not looked around carefully, but he had not come away with nothing. He had memorized so many old herb texts that the names and properties of many spiritual herbs were already firmly fixed in his mind. Even a fleeting glimpse was often enough for him to recognize one.
He organized his thoughts and said, “There are many spiritual herbs in the secret realm. This junior saw Dragon Claw Flower, Thousand-Grain Grass, Golden Thread Grass… all things we have in the Hundred Herbs Garden. I also saw Coral Grass, Kidney Bean Grass, Viper Grass… the sort of spiritual herbs considered nearly useless among their kind. As for things not found in the Hundred Herbs Garden… I saw only one kind, Fire Snake Grass. Unfortunately, it was still young and didn’t seem fully mature.”
Old He narrowed his eyes as he listened, then nodded slightly. “Not bad. You’ve built a solid foundation of knowledge.”
Xu Ziqing said, “That is all thanks to Steward He’s guidance.”
As they spoke, Old He led Xu Ziqing to the side of the valley where clusters of spiritual herbs grew and had him identify and describe them one by one, offering instruction as they went.
The other Xu clansmen were different. They had not entered the secret realm merely to absorb spiritual energy, but to seek rare treasures of the mountains. Most of these spiritual herbs were of decent quality, but the clansmen were not skilled at identifying them, and none were extraordinary treasures that defied the heavens, so they did not bother collecting them.
The Xu clansmen had already scattered while Xu Ziqing was meditating, returning to the valley only each night to take shelter. Some disciples had even requested communication jade tokens so that if they truly encountered danger, they could call for help and nearby Xu clansmen would naturally go to their aid.
Xu Zifeng, however, remained seated in meditation. From the look of him, he seemed to have no interest at all in the many treasures within the secret realm.
After a while, Xu Ziqing had identified all the better-known spiritual herbs in the valley. His fundamentals were solid, and Old He was quite pleased. By noon, Xu Ziqing was ravenously hungry. Old He’s expression softened as he led him aside and handed him a pale-yellow pill.
Xu Ziqing blinked. “Steward He, what is this?” Even as he asked, he knew the old man would not harm him and had already accepted it.
Old He said, “A Fasting Pill. It’ll keep you from feeling hungry for fifteen days.”
Xu Ziqing’s eyes brightened when he heard this, and he swallowed it.
Xu Ziqing had heard of Fasting Pills before. Cultivators below the Golden Core stage still needed to eat, and the food they consumed had to contain spiritual energy. That was why major cultivation families and sects planted spirit grain and other foods that could fill the stomach. Fasting Pills, meanwhile, were refined from several ordinary spiritual herbs. A lower-grade pill could keep a person full for half a month, a middle-grade pill for half a year, and an upper-grade pill for a year. As for a supreme-grade pill… that was something of legend. One pill could keep a person from knowing hunger for ten years.
Since Old He had said the pill in Xu Ziqing’s hand would last fifteen days, it was naturally lower grade.
Alchemists were exceedingly rare these days. Even a great clan like the Xu family had only around a dozen of them. The number of pills they could refine was limited, so they were distributed at regular intervals among the clan’s outstanding disciples. Someone of Xu Ziqing’s low standing might have heard of such pills, but he had never seen one with his own eyes.
Yet the Xu family’s alchemy had always been inseparable from the Hundred Herbs Garden. A pill’s grade depended on the alchemist’s skill and cultivation, the furnace fire and pill cauldron, and the quality of the spiritual herbs. Old He managed the Hundred Herbs Garden, so if he wanted some particular pill, obtaining it was naturally not difficult.
Even so, it was extremely difficult for alchemists to advance in rank. Most could refine only lower-grade pills. The alchemists of the Xu family could at best refine middle-grade pills, and even those were produced only in very small quantities.
Xu Zifeng’s courtesy toward Old He was partly because the high-quality Thousand-Grain Grass his younger sister had brought him had been used to refine a middle-grade Qi-Replenishing Pill. Xu Ziqing, however, knew nothing of this.
The moment Xu Ziqing swallowed the Fasting Pill, a warm current flowed down from his throat, carrying a faint fragrance. His stomach then gave a satisfied rumble, while the warmth lingered in his abdomen for a long time and spread through his body. In an instant, his hunger vanished completely.
This pill really is remarkable!
He was still marveling when a sudden commotion broke out not far away. Old He and Xu Ziqing both heard it and turned to look.