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墨書 Inktalez
On the morning of the twenty-first, Han Yue and Qi Yan came to visit, bringing along a pair of transportation cranes, giving one to each of them.
"Brothers, follow me to meet the Sect Leader," Han Yue said. "Actually, when my junior sister Qi and I saw you studying the Xuan Zhen Jing, we had the thought of recommending you, but unexpectedly, Senior Spirit Fox got ahead of us."
"Senior Spirit Fox is always fond of new faces and tired of old ones. With so few disciples in our sect, she must have grown weary of our familiar faces," Qi Yan said playfully with a smile. "You two should spend more time with her in the future to keep her entertained. Who knows, if she’s happy, she might teach you something."
Spirit Sword Destiny and Xu Xiaofei both readily agreed.
Since their arrival, Han Yue and his companion often visited them, and they had become quite familiar with each other. After chatting for a bit, they set off together towards the Main Hall of the Main Peak of Xiaoyao Sect.
The cranes gracefully flapped their wings as they flew towards the mist-shrouded main peak.
Along the way, various Dun Guang gathered towards the main peak, likely heading to attend their initiation ceremony.
Upon entering the hall, Spirit Sword Destiny glanced around. In the not-so-grand hall, there were more than twenty people sitting or standing on either side. This should be the total number of people currently remaining in the sect.
Xiaoyao Sect had a great reputation in the outside world, largely due to a highly esteemed Ancestor Master who passed down one of the top cultivation techniques, Xiaoyao You. However, there were not many disciples in the sect; no one was organizing trials or actively recruiting disciples. The elders were also not very enthusiastic about picking up apprentices from outside; taking on disciples was entirely based on fate, and teaching was relatively free-spirited.
In other words, this was a sect where everyone lived leisurely from top to bottom, cultivating in peace. Although it lacked ambitions for dominance, Spirit Sword Destiny believed it was definitely a force in the Righteous Path that could not be ignored.
Han Yue led them to the front of the hall to pay respects to the Sect Leader seated at the main seat.
Sect Leader Ye Zhiqiu had long white beard and eyebrows, exuding an aura of immortality; he appeared to be at least several hundred years old.
"I have heard about you from Qing Yao. Two young ones, let me ask you again: do you truly wish to learn the Dao? This path is unlike others; it is fraught with difficulties and may take a lifetime without results. You might even encounter calamities along the way and fall before reaching your goal. Are you truly determined to walk this path?"
His tone was gentle yet carried an underlying authority.
Xu Xiaofei and Spirit Sword Destiny exchanged glances and replied in unison: "Yes, we are determined."
"Good! I hope that as you pursue your path in cultivation from now on, you will never regret today's choice." Ye Zhiqiu did not indulge in unnecessary chatter; after they bowed three times, it was considered a formal initiation ceremony.
He then immediately asked them the second question: "What do you want to learn?"
The two had considered this question the night before. Xu Xiaofei replied without hesitation, "I want to learn swordsmanship."
"Swordsmanship?" Ye Zhiqiu stroked his abundant white beard and glanced at the elders standing on either side, chuckling, "It seems this disciple is not for you; he will belong to me. Xu Xiaofei, from now on you are my disciple."
"Yes, disciple pays respects to the Master."
"Good child, I often go into seclusion, so let Han Shixiong teach you on my behalf," Ye Zhiqiu said. "Although Han Yue is young, he has already deeply grasped my true teachings. With his guidance, you won't go astray."
Han Yue stepped forward and said loudly, "Disciple will not disappoint Master’s trust and will teach Xu Shidi with all my heart."
"And you?" Spirit Sword Destiny was then asked.
"I want to learn Alchemy."
"Alchemy?" Ye Zhiqiu, who had lived for hundreds of years and seen everything, was momentarily taken aback.
A strange silence fell over the hall as everyone turned to look at a Daoist standing with his hands behind his back, his expression cold. This Daoist exuded an ethereal aura that seemed untouched by the mundane world. The crowd looked at him, but he remained as calm as still water, ignoring them completely.
"Ahem," Ye Zhiqiu cleared his throat, "Yang Zhen, wake up. A disciple wants to learn Alchemy from you."
Only then did Yang Zhen glance at the hall: "Which one?"
Upon seeing Spirit Sword Destiny, he nodded and said, "If you want to learn Alchemy, go ahead. In the future, I can only teach you three parts; the remaining seven depend on yourself."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master. Disciple understands," Spirit Sword Destiny replied.
"Alright, you two children, in the mornings you will study the basics of Taoist School with Qi and let her teach you the introductory techniques from Xiaoyao You as well. In the afternoons, practice with your respective masters," Ye Zhiqiu instructed. "Since you've chosen your paths, walk them diligently."
Spirit Sword Destiny thought to himself that this was quite similar to university, with general courses in the morning and specialized courses in the afternoon, each having its own tutor.
Ye Zhiqiu made arrangements with a single sentence and introduced Spirit Sword Destiny and Xu Xiaofei to everyone present in the hall.
A woman in palace attire, resplendent and elegant, was Spirit Fox Master Qing Yao, and beside her was a delicate girl, seemingly Four-Tailed Fox Zhuan Yu.
Xu Xiaofei quietly said to Spirit Sword Destiny: "Is that fur cloak behind her actually her tail?"
Spirit Sword Destiny smiled but hadn't answered when Zhuan Yu shot him a glare from across the room: "You're the one who talks too much. This is made from the fur of the previous fox who sweet-talked Ancestor! It's a pity human skin isn't pretty; there's no use in peeling it off."
Xu Xiaofei wasn't falling for it this time and replied with a laugh: "Since it's useless, I'd rather keep my skin intact."
Qing Yao chuckled as well: "Your friend is quite amusing. Whether or not you get skinned depends on your performance in the future."
The atmosphere in the hall immediately became much more relaxed.
After the gathering, following Qi Yan out of the main hall, Xu Xiaofei couldn't help but say: "Brother Lin, your master doesn't seem very enthusiastic."
"As long as I can learn something, it doesn't matter if he's not enthusiastic," Spirit Sword Destiny replied.
Qi Yan glanced at him, her eyes seemingly filled with sympathy: "It's not just about being unenthusiastic... If you can't keep up, don't force yourself; it's still early enough to switch to another path."
Her words made Xu Xiaofei even more worried, while Spirit Sword Destiny remained calm: "I don't think he will make things difficult for me. Even if he teaches less, I can study more on my own."
Qi Yan led them to the academy on Yuxiu Peak, first stopping by the Scripture Tower.
Currently, they could freely borrow books from the first floor of the Scripture Tower. To access the upper levels, they needed to advance their skills.
After receiving their "textbooks," they began studying the basics of the Taoist School. The morning passed quickly, and after lunch, Han Yue dutifully came to take Xu Xiaofei away.
Yang Zhen Although appearing indifferent, he did not forget about his newly accepted disciple. Spirit Sword Destiny listened to Qi Yan lecture for a while when a hastily folded paper crane wobbled and flew over. Just as it reached him, it fell down as if afraid of exerting any more effort. Qi Yan picked it up and unfolded the paper crane, revealing a map with circles and dots inside, which was a route from the academy to the Alchemy room located at Baopu Peak. He couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
"I'll take you to the Alchemy Room," she said.
"Thank you, but there's no need to trouble Senior Sister," Spirit Sword Destiny replied as he took the map. "Since Master wants me to go by myself, I will take the crane myself."
He walked out of the academy and patted the waiting crane that had been dozing off outside: "Let's go."
The map was drawn simply but was clear enough. Spirit Sword Destiny did not take any detours and soon found Baopu Peak. Looking down from the air, the Alchemy Room occupied a vast area.
He descended on the crane and landed in front of the Alchemy Room.
"You've arrived?" The voice of Yang Zhen echoed in his ears.
"Yes, disciple has arrived."
"Come in."
Spirit Sword Destiny walked inside, where Yang Zhen was already waiting for him. He led Spirit Sword Destiny into a room filled with cabinets on the walls and many bottles and jars on the floor.
"This is the Herb Room. Aside from a few rare materials, everything else is stored here," Yang Zhen said, then asked Spirit Sword Destiny, "How many of these materials in the cabinets do you recognize?"
Each drawer was engraved with labels indicating its contents.
Spirit Sword Destiny glanced over and said, "I only recognize a few common herbs, like ginseng and angelica. I don't know about celestial materials."
Yang Zhen nodded: "Knowing some is already good."
He somehow produced an incredibly heavy book and tossed it to Spirit Sword Destiny: "To learn Alchemy, knowing herbs is fundamental. You have five hours to memorize all the names, properties, and effects of the herbs recorded in this book. You need to compare them with the actual items stored here to memorize them."
This is indeed a large booklet! It feels heavy in my hands, and the cover has already come off, revealing the pages filled with illustrations and text. It seems to be something like a Herb Catalog.
"Yes," Spirit Sword Destiny replied without blinking.
If it were someone else, they might worry about memorizing this book within five days, to the point of losing their appetite. Fortunately for Spirit Sword Destiny, he recognized at least eighty percent of the content in this booklet.
Yang Zhen was also pleased with his performance: "You can memorize it here; just go out through the side door tonight." He pointed to the closed side door. "Remember, do not leave this room on your own. I have set up a Defensive Barrier here. If you hear any noise, you don't need to panic."
"I understand, Master."
After giving his instructions, Yang Zhen left, and Spirit Sword Destiny looked around.
He could indeed sense the Defensive Barrier that Yang Zhen mentioned. It seemed that Yang Zhen did not underestimate him as a disciple; the barrier was meticulously arranged, practically perfect, with several talismans affixed at the door seams and corners to reinforce it.
As for why such a powerful Defensive Barrier was necessary...
Spirit Sword Destiny opened the book and began memorizing the herbs. As he studied, he took out some physical samples from the cabinet or jars to look at and smell.
Time passed unknowingly, and Spirit Sword Destiny had already memorized over ten pages in one go.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed, shaking the ground beneath him. The mountain seemed as if it were about to collapse.
The barrier surrounding the house instantly manifested, shimmering with golden light that flickered continuously. After a while, it calmed down and faded away again.
Holding the book, Spirit Sword Destiny couldn't help but smile wryly.
His spiritual perception was stronger than most cultivators', and he could see not far away in the Dan Furnace Room that a Stove had exploded into fireworks, turning the materials inside into a pot of ash. When Yang Zhen sensed something was wrong with the Stove, he flashed out of the Dan Furnace Room, his expression still as cold as ever, brushing off some dust from his Snow White Robe.
He pointed with his hand and began to clear up the messy ruins.
The Xiaoyao Sect has disciples on every peak, yet there is not a single person practicing Alchemy, and this is the reason why.
Spirit Sword Destiny knows that, in fact, Yang Zhen's Alchemy is definitely among the best. However, he does not follow the conventional path; he looks down on the formulas that have been verified by predecessors countless times and insists on innovating and improving them.
With innovation, there are bound to be failures. Failures do not occur too frequently, perhaps about two or three explosions per furnace.
Spirit Sword Destiny recalled Qi Yan's secret advice: "If you need any pills, you can go down the mountain to buy them. It's best not to use the medicine given by your master!"
The pills refined by Yang Zhen indeed have excellent effects, but they always come with some peculiar side effects—such as taking a healing pill that inexplicably causes scales to grow all over the body; or using a Wind Spirit Pill that temporarily increases escape speed, which is indeed a lifesaver, but for half a month after it wears off, one cannot speak normally and can only make crow-like "caw caw" sounds.
Spirit Sword Destiny steadied himself and picked up his book again.
The power of the recent explosion was not very strong. The barrier was only slightly damaged. However, without the barrier, he would be in a very uncomfortable situation right now with no spiritual energy.
Although he had backup plans, still—
After all, he is the second major boss of this game; it shouldn't be possible for him to be blown up here, right?
...It shouldn't be.
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