Chapter 5

Li Ruoshui returned to the Taiyi Sect’s outer sect as the sun rose in the east.

A reddish silhouette flickered at the edge of the great sun leaping from the mountains. The sky was a grayish blue, with only sparse stars hanging in the firmament, gradually dimming under the sun’s rays. The mountains were verdantly green as if dyed, slowly intertwining with the morning glow.

Li Ruoshui hurried forward while circulating the Supreme Profound Penetration Scripture. Purple qi came from the east—this was an excellent time for cultivation. The Fundamental Scripture absorbed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to refine it into mana, forming the foundation of a cultivator’s path. Beyond that, there were techniques. Techniques included movement arts, moves, physical enhancements, and more. Currently, the only one Li Ruoshui could wield was the somewhat unimpressive “Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art.”

To learn new techniques, one either traded with fellow Daoists or accumulated enough Spirit Jade Pills to apply to the steward for access to the Taiyi Langhuan Treasure Pavilion to peruse the scriptures. In short, it all boiled down to Spirit Jade Pills or other valuables. Unfortunately, Li Ruoshui had none of these. Could she earn enough Spirit Jade Pills with just the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art?

Li Ruoshui didn’t head straight back to her quarters. She glanced at the sky and went to collect her daily irrigation task instead.

But before she reached the steward’s hall, a familiar fellow sect member popped up, staring at her urgently. “Junior Sister Li, where have you been these past few days?”

Li Ruoshui let out an “ah.” Hadn’t she just stayed in the mountains for a day? Unaware of time’s passage, she asked the date and realized she’d spent nearly ten days deep in the mountains. With ten days absent, someone else must have taken over her medicine fields. Her eyelid twitched as she hurriedly asked, “The medicine fields—”

“Junior Sister Ye took care of them.”

Li Ruoshui rubbed her forehead, a trace of helplessness appearing between her brows.

The Daoist added, “The steward’s office has a new task right now: finding someone named ‘Ru Bing’ in our outer sect. It’s supposedly an order from an inner sect true disciple.” But the outer sect only had so many people—who could be named “Ru Bing”? She sized up Li Ruoshui, pondered for a moment, then widened her eyes in surprise. “Junior Sister Li, you’ve advanced?”

That not-so-bright fellow Daoist was indeed unreliable! Fortunately, she’d kept her wits about her. Li Ruoshui grumbled inwardly while maintaining a calm expression on her face. She hummed in affirmation and smoothly continued the topic. “That’s why I went into secluded cultivation for a few days.”

The Daoist nodded in realization. She took a few Spirit Jade Pills from her sleeve and handed them to Li Ruoshui. “Junior Sister, use these for now. Maybe after a while, other tasks will come up.”

Most outer sect laborers in Taiyi came from ordinary backgrounds. With enough Spirit Jade Pills, even if they couldn’t enter Taiyi, they could seek the Dao elsewhere. How could Li Ruoshui accept the hard-earned Spirit Jade Pills of a fellow sect member? After much refusal, she finally convinced the kindhearted senior sister to take them back.

Her old job had been taken, and no new one had come yet. Li Ruoshui kept a composed expression, but a thread of worry rose in her heart. She couldn’t snatch the work back from Junior Sister Ye, and staying in the outer sect doing odd jobs wasn’t a long-term plan. To advance, she needed to venture out for training and fulfill her Dao vow.

In the story, rifts had appeared in many places across the Nine Provinces, mysteriously intersecting with the Return to Ruins Realm, known as Return to Ruins Gaps. In these places where life and death, yin and yang clashed, all sorts of treasures were birthed—especially Cinnabar Sand, essential for cultivators. But since they intersected with the Return to Ruins, Ruin Spirits lurked there too. The major sects controlled certain Return to Ruins Gaps: first, to harvest the treasures born within; second, as training grounds for their disciples.

Taiyi Sect also controlled one such Return to Ruins Gap, called the Path of No Return. Like other sects, it was open to Nine Provinces cultivators who had reached the Heart Fixing stage, granting initial training qualifications.

To fulfill her Dao vow, Li Ruoshui had to step onto the Path of No Return and slay Ruin Spirits.

But before that, she needed to prepare as much as possible. She had no intention of dying before achieving anything.

Speaking of which, she’d already embarked on her fated Vow Dao—couldn’t a technique just drop from the sky?

The jobless Li Ruoshui returned to her rundown shack.

The Tianyan Mirror’s Dharma Realm remained bustling. A busybody Daoist named “Feng Qing” had opened a betting post.

Li Ruoshui glanced at it. It was betting on when she, a Vow Dao cultivator, would die—almost no one had bet on her surviving. Li Ruoshui viciously memorized the name “Feng Qing” and placed one Spirit Jade Pill on herself.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Qing, when will you grow a brain? Do you think you can turn things around with this and pay off what you owe Medicine King Mountain?”

“She still owes Tianyan Sect a hundred thousand Spirit Jade Pills—no chance she’ll pay you first.”

Feng Qing typed: “Go make my senior sister pay you back.”

A string of curses flashed by. The Medicine King Mountain Daoist shouted hoarsely: “Damn it, you don’t even have a living senior sister!”

Li Ruoshui: “…” Compared to this sword cultivator, was she too decent? She rubbed her forehead, found Feng Qing’s nameplate, and typed a weird symbol grinning face.

Feng Qing: “?”

Li Ruoshui: “Shouldn’t Fellow Daoist explain yourself?”

Feng Qing replied righteously: “This is a betting pool opened by my junior sister. I’m just helping promote it.”

Li Ruoshui chuckled coldly: “If I live, this bet won’t resolve.”

Feng Qing: “You planning to off yourself?”

What kind of thought process was that? Li Ruoshui nearly wanted to thwack Feng Qing: “Add a condition. We’ll split seventy-thirty.” She was betting on herself to win—the odds were sky-high. Best if it resolved soon, letting her earn her first pot of gold.

Feng Qing: “May I ask, Fellow Daoist Shangshan, how long can you live?”

This sword cultivator’s greetings were unique. Li Ruoshui ignored it for the sake of Spirit Jade Pills and went all in. But after she and Feng Qing finished discussing the split, the post’s momentum shifted. Li Ruoshui watched streams of shocked and incredulous bullet comments scroll past.

“Someone bet on Li Shangshan surviving?”

“A hundred thousand Spirit Jade Pills! That’s ten of me!”

“Fellow Daoist above, don’t overestimate your worth, okay?”

Li Ruoshui froze, drawing in a cold breath. Who was this deep grudge-holder? Betting so much all at once—might as well give the Spirit Jade Pills to her.

As she searched the barrage for the busybody’s name, her only close friend Chen Buyan sent a message: “Fellow Daoist Shangshan, do not waver in your Dao heart.”

Li Ruoshui: “…” Alright, she knew who it was. Was this Daoist throwing away a fortune just to steady her heart? This was benevolence on another level than her “Shangshan.” In her previous life’s modern society, she’d have been swindled into buying insurance.

Li Ruoshui took a deep breath: “Fellow Daoist Buyan, these hundred thousand Spirit Jade Pills—”

Chen Buyan lightly replied with two words that shattered Li Ruoshui’s resolve: “Not much.”

She really had to restrain her envy of the rich.

Li Ruoshui changed the subject: “I’ve already opened my Heart Aperture.”

Chen Buyan: “Congratulations, Fellow Daoist.” Guessing her predicament, she pondered before adding, “Fellow Daoist, why not check Langhuan? Different Daos pair best with matching techniques to the Fundamental Scripture for maximum power, but Vow Dao has no requirements for the Fundamental Scripture. Some universal scriptures in Langhuan might be useful to you.”

Li Ruoshui: “Universal?”

Chen Buyan explained: “For example, the Great Sun Sword Scripture—it’s universal; anyone can cultivate it. But without a sword Dao Fundamental Scripture to empower it, its power drops to one or two tenths. You cultivate Vow Dao, with formless spiritual roots, so your Fundamental Scripture can still empower the sword scripture. Thus, you can somewhat match sword cultivators.”

Li Ruoshui understood Chen Buyan’s words, and her eyes lit up. So she could find fitting moves in Langhuan? “Many thanks, Fellow Daoist.”

Chen Buyan: “No need for thanks. Passing on the Dao is our generation’s duty.”

Li Ruoshui: “?” She hesitated, then cautiously asked, “Is Fellow Daoist also a Vow Dao cultivator?” And had made a grand vow to “pass the Dao to the world”? Was she one of those to be saved?

Chen Buyan: “I cultivate Literary Dao, wielding an orthodox Nanhua Scripture.”

Li Ruoshui couldn’t recall any plot character cultivating the Nanhua Scripture. Literary Dao cultivators usually came from Three Saints Academy or the Empire. The novel centered on Taiyi’s Xie Chaosheng, so it was normal not to mention it. After some thought, Li Ruoshui thanked her solemnly again. If she ever visited Three Saints Academy, she’d thank her friend in person.

After chatting with Chen Buyan, Li Ruoshui turned her thoughts to the Tianyan Mirror’s Langhuan. Jade slips inscribed with techniques floated there; a light touch revealed their price. Li Ruoshui browsed dazzledly, her mind filling with “can’t afford.” Finally, she pulled out three free ones: a sword scripture, a medicine manual, and a palm technique.

The sword scripture could fight, the medicine manual for survival, but sword Dao required constant sword refinement—expensive. The medicine manual needed herbs not all gatherable by oneself. It might pay off later, but with her current wealth, she couldn’t survive the early stage. Li Ruoshui wanted them all, but a vague premonition said she could only choose one.

After weighing it, Li Ruoshui returned the sword scripture and medicine manual, her finger landing on the inexpensive palm technique called Qiankun One Qi Palm.

But after obtaining it, Li Ruoshui glanced over and nearly had a heart attack. The so-called “one qi” wasn’t the spiritual qi she gathered daily, but the unification of five elements qi. Cultivating this five elements qi required massive amounts of Five Elements Cinnabar. It needed no weapon, but Five Elements Cinnabar… that was still a resource, and it might not save more than sword refining in the end.

Five Elements Cinnabar could be traded for or harvested personally from Return to Ruins Gaps.

Was the only preparation she could make firming her resolve for the Path of No Return?

As Li Ruoshui sighed and put away the Tianyan Mirror, a rustling sound came. Her expression tightened. Snakes wriggled through every crack—door seams, window gaps—hissing as they slithered in. Dozens quickly filled the room, heading for tables, chairs, and bed, looking utterly eerie.

In the center of the snake swarm, a five-foot black serpent coiled its body, raising its head. Its pupils gleamed golden yellow, gaze sharp as lightning. Its scales differed from ordinary snakes, subtly expanding and contracting with each breath. It stared fixedly at Li Ruoshui, tongue flicking as it hissed eerily.

Li Ruoshui: “…”

Wasn’t this the future Demon Venerable Cang Lang? Even if she’d ballooned in size, she wouldn’t fail to recognize her!