Those who cultivate the Dao contend with the heavens for their fate.
Whoever steps onto this path seeks longevity; no one truly wouldn’t want to live.
“It all comes down to the word ‘contend’,” murmured Wei Mingyi, sword on her back, as she stood not too far away. She raised her eyes to observe the nearby environment. The world within Yangchun Terrace was relatively bright. She didn’t know what it was like outside, but curiosity aside, she didn’t even venture far, let alone step outside the safe zone.
As she was gazing intently, a blood-red light burst out from the clouds. It was about half a zhang long and moved at incredible speed. Wei Mingyi was startled, immediately realizing this malevolently sinister thing was an external manifestation of a Wicked Wraith. She quickly dodged. The only Dao technique she currently knew was “Daoist True Words.”
Her heart pounded. It was her first time facing such a situation, and she was bound to be somewhat nervous. But she had practiced it within the sect, so she wouldn’t make a mistake. She formed a hand seal and incantation. A golden “Lin” character seal, like a palm print descending from the heavens, slammed onto the darting red glow. A poof sound, as if a balloon had been punctured. The red glow instantly withered and gradually dispersed like clouds being blown away by the wind.
Wei Mingyi wiped non-existent sweat with her sleeve and glanced at her “Heavenly Merit Ledger.” It would record the Wicked Wraith’s Dao cultivation and merit value.
Meridian Opening 1st Layer.
About the same as her. No wonder it was so effortless to beat, after being weakened by the mountain protection array.
She could fight ten such Wicked Wraiths alone.
Wei Mingyi immediately grew confident.
Although her target was Meridian Opening 2nd Layer Wicked Wraiths, she couldn’t let the 1st Layer ones go when encountering them. After all, “Yangchun Terrace” was Chongyuan Sect’s second base; how could they let Wicked Wraiths sleep soundly beside their bed? After slaying several weak Wicked Wraiths, Wei Mingyi quickly discovered a new problem. She had only opened a single-digit number of Qi meridians. The magical power she had accumulated couldn’t withstand such profligate spending. Even with pill supplements, her reserves quickly ran dry.
The promise she’d made to Wu Chongyun to slay three Wicked Wraiths certainly didn’t refer to 1st Layer ones—unchallenging and all—but 2nd Layer ones that could temper her skills.
However, after laboriously killing one 2nd Layer Wicked Wraith, she had no choice but to retreat.
As for what Wu Chongyun had said about external evil invading her body, she hadn’t encountered it. Perhaps the System was present and could illuminate her crystalline heart? Or maybe it was so dark it couldn’t be further tainted.
Compared to a promise, her life was more important. Wei Mingyi had a Golden Body Talisman on her, given to her earlier by Wu Chongyun, though there had been no need to use it at the Lu family’s place. Using a protective talisman that could withstand a Golden Core’s strike to block minor monsters would be a waste of precious resources. Apart from this, she had nothing else. It was getting late, and continuing to train further would leave her feeling uneasy.
Having made up her mind, Wei Mingyi turned back. But just then, amidst the rustling wind, she faintly heard voices. Only now did Wei Mingyi realize that while clearing Wicked Wraiths, she had unknowingly reached the outskirts of Yangchun Terrace. There were cultivators outside! Wei Mingyi’s heart chilled. Even knowing they couldn’t enter, she quickly hid herself.
“How did this heavy fog appear near Yangchun Terrace? Could it be the divine ability of that Nascent Soul Wicked Wraith? But hasn’t the Heavenly Dao Alliance confirmed that the Wraiths here have vanished? Did those seniors make an error in their divination?”
“I don’t know. Find the entrance. I refuse to believe we can’t get in.”
“It might not be Wicked Wraiths; it could be fellow Daoists. Didn’t we see cultivators from Jade Emperor Sect and the Pure Clean Sect roaming around here earlier? I’m afraid they also heard about the Sun-Moon Pot, a magical tool left by a Taiyi Ancient Sage, inside Yangchun Terrace. They want to compete with us for it, so they created these disturbances.”
…
The speakers kept searching for a way into Yangchun Terrace. But as night deepened and they couldn’t find the entrance, they retreated. Their voices faded away. Only after they disappeared did Wei Mingyi come out. She blinked, her eyes shimmering with surprise. In a small place like Cangwu City, you’d never run into disciples of major sects, but here in the Wild Domain, she heard such news upon arrival.
And what was the “Sun-Moon Pot”? Was there some treasure hidden in Yangchun Terrace?
Wei Mingyi no longer hesitated. Treading the clear moonlight, she returned to Yangchun Terrace’s main Dao ground.
The other Daoists who had scattered to kill Wicked Wraiths gradually came back. Some were wounded, but with Hua Xiaozhu present, those injuries seemed negligible.
Wei Mingyi listened to everyone’s accounts. Only at the end did she say, “On my way back, I heard people talking outside. They mentioned that cultivators from Jade Emperor Sect and the Pure Clean Sect have come here to search for a magical tool called the ‘Sun-Moon Pot’.”
“What pot?” Hua Xiaozhu asked, her expression somewhat peculiar.
“Sun-Moon Pot,” Wei Mingyi repeated, her eyes sparkling brightly. “Hearing that name, it should be able to contain the sun and the moon, right? Could the pot contain a universe inside? If it’s in Yangchun Terrace and we find it, wouldn’t our sect gain another treasure?”
“Something that could make those major sects search for it must be incredibly powerful, right?” a Daoist from Hidden Moon Sect added with a yearning tone.
“Don’t even think about it. It’s just a watering pot,” Mo Xuanxiao shattered Wei Mingyi’s hopes. With a flick of her wrist, an exquisitely delicate little pot appeared in her palm. “It’s a Profound-tier magical tool. Its only feature is a large capacity.” Shizun had picked it up from the ground. When they first saw “Sun-Moon Pot,” they thought it was some extraordinary treasure. After much investigation, they discovered its true nature: a watering pot.
Wei Mingyi: “…” Wasn’t it a bit overboard to name it something so grand? She then asked, “So those people outside want to pick it up to water plants?”
Wu Chongyun lazily said, “Taiyi was a scattered sect. Its legacy is fragmented, and many items are known only by name.” As for their actual function, without any clues, one could only guess from the name.
Wei Mingyi let out an “Oh,” unable to hide her disappointment.
She’d thought she would strike it rich.
The old Dao ground of Yangchun Terrace, after the Sect Leader’s cleanup, had mostly been restored to its original appearance. The houses stood shoulder to shoulder, enough to accommodate all of them.
Though there were plenty of empty rooms to live in, Wei Mingyi still stayed with Wu Chongyun.
After lighting the lamp, Wei Mingyi bustled about tidying up. As she sat down to rest, she suddenly remembered some things. Slapping her forehead, she stood and walked toward Wu Chongyun, who—wheelchair and all—had settled into a shadowy corner.
“Shizun, I only managed to kill one 2nd Layer Wicked Wraith today. ‘Daoist True Words’ consumes magical power greatly. After dealing with a bunch, I didn’t have much strength left.” As she spoke, Wei Mingyi maneuvered the wheelchair, bringing Wu Chongyun from the shadows into the candlelight.
Wu Chongyun glanced at Wei Mingyi and replied, “Heaven-tier scriptures consume more magical power.”
Wei Mingyi: “…” Another “common knowledge” she hadn’t known. Her brows furrowed deeply. “So isn’t it a disadvantage to cultivate Heaven-tier scriptures in the early stages?” Not only could you not fully demonstrate its power, but your endurance also couldn’t compare to others.
Wu Chongyun said flatly, “All who cultivate Heaven-tier techniques can open thirty-six Qi meridians and aim for the Grotto-Heaven stage in the future.”
Wei Mingyi’s brows furrowed even tighter.
For cultivation, technique, companions, wealth, and land are all indispensable.
Considering the Nine Provinces’ terrible situation, how many who could cultivate Heaven-tier scriptures were grassroots nobodies?
Did these people need to go out and train? No, they didn’t.
Understanding this point, Wei Mingyi didn’t complain either.
She had her Golden Finger; she wasn’t inferior to those who were born well.
“I can teach you,” Wu Chongyun spoke again, her pause somewhat deliberate. “Only—”
Wei Mingyi detected an abnormality in her tone. She didn’t hastily press, instead gazing steadily at Wu Chongyun.
Wu Chongyun slightly raised her hand. A section of her sleeve slid down, revealing a wrist like frost or snow. Red string and bells were tied to her wrist, and the sound they made when swaying was somewhat bewitching.
After a long while, Wei Mingyi let out a turbid breath.
She pulled Wu Chongyun’s sleeve back down and met her gaze, serious and sincere: “Shizun, don’t try to ensnare me. I will not undo that ‘lock’ for you.”
Wei Mingyi guessed that after she said this, Wu Chongyun would likely ignore her.
But unexpectedly, a low laugh sounded near her ear.
Her chin was lifted by the whisk. When she met Wu Chongyun’s eyes again, a flicker of panic and bewilderment flashed through her own.
“Shizun?”
“Then what about undressing me?” Wu Chongyun asked, neither heavily nor lightly.
It was as if Wei Mingyi’s head had been purified by Buddhist light. She sharply sucked in a breath of cold air.
Stumbling backward, she steadied herself against the wall and reached with trembling hands for the medicine.
Combined with the last “shadow incident,” whenever her Shizun showed this demeanor, she was about to have an episode.
She absolutely would not be fooled again!
