Chapter 11

Sword Sect, the towering Chasm.

Fuyi was a frequent guest of Sword Sect. After her master picked her up and brought her back, he discovered she had a natural sword physique. Unfortunately, Divine Creation Sect had no systematic sword cultivator system. Her late master, unwilling to waste such a talented disciple, had urged Fuyi to go sponge lessons off Sword Sect.

Sword Sect and Divine Creation Sect had always had a good relationship. Most of the disciples’ swords came from Divine Creation Sect. When Fuyi was little, the former sect leader would even hold her hand and take her to Sword Sect for visits. Once Fuyi could run, jump, and poke people in the butt with a sword, the former sect leader simply washed his hands of it and let Fuyi go wreak havoc as she pleased.

It could be said that Sword Sect had half a teacher’s claim on Fuyi.

From far away, the gatekeeping elder saw a red figure approach, carrying a sharp sword intent. He smiled and stroked his beard. Once she landed, he said familiarly, “I knew it. Once Tongfeng broke through, the first person to come looking for him would definitely be you.”

Fuyi tossed her hair and made a perfectly proper bow. “Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts, Martial Uncle. My martial nephew has broken through, and my junior martial brother is celebrating his birthday. If Duan Tongfeng doesn’t show a little goodwill, wouldn’t that be unreasonable?”

“Sounds nice when you say it like that.” The gatekeeping elder knew exactly what went on when these two juniors sparred. Fuyi had an unrestrained nature, and when the two of them fought, Duan Tongfeng, who was actually from proper Sword Sect stock, lost more often than he won. Fuyi was also used to being poor, so whenever she won, she would fish things out of Duan Tongfeng’s private stash. After this happened a few times, everyone in the sect knew that whenever they saw Fuyi, she had come to fleece a fat sheep again. The gatekeeping elder sighed. “Come to think of it, Mengji broke through to Golden Core at an even younger age than Tongfeng by two years. Heroes truly do emerge young.”

Fuyi only chuckled, her face full of undisguised pride. “You flatter him, Martial Uncle.”

Sword Sect’s Chasm was not merely a chasm. It was a cliff tempered over and over by sword intent, crisscrossed with sword qi, and forcibly carved into the shape of a giant sword.

Every time Fuyi passed by, she would spend a while comprehending it. Sword Sect had a long history. The first sword strike on the Chasm had been cut open by the founding ancestor upon ascension, its sword intent vast yet restrained. Afterward, countless mighty figures of Sword Sect had tested their swords against the Chasm, creating the sight before her now.

Seeing that Fuyi had yet to enter meditation after so long, the gatekeeping elder asked in confusion, “Do you not plan to comprehend it today?”

Fuyi looked up at the giant sword. Every thread of sword qi had taken physical form. In her sea of consciousness, they were constantly being rehearsed. In the past, a single glance at the profound meaning of the sword path had made her feel as if its sharpness were bearing down on her, making her unable to look at it for too long. But now, it seemed as if a great door had been thrown open, and it could not wait to burrow into her mind.

The profound meaning of the sword path.

The profound meaning of the Dao.

Fuyi thought of the character “Dao” that her junior martial brother had written when he entered the Dao. It had been brilliant and dazzling, as if reflecting countless transformations, gathering all the mysteries of heaven and earth into that single character. After her junior martial brother entered the Dao, her Sect Leader Senior Martial Brother had immediately gone into seclusion. Fuyi did not cultivate the two paths of arrays and talismans, and though she had sensed that she had gained some faint insight, she had had no way to grasp it. Not until this moment, when she looked directly at Sword Sect’s Chasm.

Those strands of sword intent seemed almost tangible, and Fuyi’s realm, which she had broken through not long ago, actually loosened.

One had to understand that Nascent Soul was another great chasm for cultivators. Once they crossed it, they became mighty figures whom everyone greeted with respect. At the top, they could establish sects of their own; at the least, they could become guest elders. From then on, every minor realm breakthrough was a great fortune.

Fuyi softly let out a breath and smiled. “I already can’t wait to test Duan Tongfeng’s sword.”

The gatekeeping elder opened Sword Sect’s gate for her and laughed heartily. “Good!”

Sword cultivators had always been like this. They battled the heavens, battled others, and as long as their fighting will did not cease, their sword intent would endure forever.

Inside Sword Sect, many disciples were either learning to fly on swords or pairing off to feed each other moves. When they suddenly saw Fuyi, they all grinned and called her “Senior Sister Fuyi” or “Martial Uncle Fuyi.”

Fuyi nodded to the disciples one by one, giving pointers as she walked. Every disciple who received her advice had a sudden flash of understanding, and they sincerely wished Fuyi victory as soon as she took the field.

Bang!

“Ow!”

Fuyi unexpectedly collided with someone. She was already at Nascent Soul, so nothing happened to her. The other person backed up several steps, still failed to stop himself, and fell flat on his butt.

That person wore the Daoist robe only Sword Sect’s direct disciples could wear. He had just been about to curse and ask which blind idiot had run into him, but when he raised his eyes and saw Fuyi’s signature red robes, he immediately changed into a smiling face and scrambled to his feet. “So it’s Senior Sister Fuyi. Are you here to pluck from our eldest senior brother’s little treasury again?”

“He Changyue.” Fuyi also recognized him and nodded. “Where are you going?”

He Changyue had been discovered in the mortal world by an elder of Sword Sect. It was said that his background was quite good and his talent passable, but he had neglected cultivation and was a thorough dandy. He was a few years older than Shen Mengji, yet he was still stuck at Foundation Establishment. He himself was fairly easygoing. Hearing her question, he answered, “The old madam in my family is celebrating her sixtieth birthday. I figured I’d find a gift presentable enough for the occasion. Since I happened to run into Senior Sister Fuyi, does your Divine Creation Sect have anything delicate and clever, something even mortals can show off? Money isn’t an issue!”

Fuyi admired exactly this kind of foolish moneybags. She pondered for a moment, then said, “My junior martial brother Bupo recently tinkered with something. I don’t know whether you’d want it.”

He Changyue did not know much about Divine Creation Sect’s internal lineup, but if Fuyi called him junior martial brother, then he had to be some elder’s direct disciple, and his craftsmanship was sure to be decent. He grew interested and rubbed his hands together. “Let me take a look first?”

They found a deserted place, and Fuyi took spirit rice No. 3 out of her storage pouch. This rice, cultivated with spirit stones, had been crudely named by Lu Yan according to Supreme-grade, high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade as Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The kind grown only with spiritual qi for seedlings, without using a Spirit-Gathering Array, was called No. 5.

When He Changyue saw that the pouch contained familiar white rice, his disdain overflowed beyond words. “Senior Sister Fuyi, is your junior martial brother a farmer? My family has plenty of this stuff.”

Fuyi stingily pinched out two grains and gave them to He Changyue. “Taste it first.”

“It’s still rice even if I taste it… Mm, what is this!”

He Changyue casually bit the two grains of rice between his teeth. With a crisp crack, a trace of spiritual qi spread through his mouth along with the unique mellow fragrance of rice. That bit of spiritual qi seeped into his limbs and bones. Since he was at Foundation Establishment and his realm was relatively low, he could feel the changes in the spiritual qi within his body even more clearly. He chewed the tiny remaining scraps, and the more he chewed, the brighter his eyes became. “This rice!”

Fuyi looked perfectly composed. “This is rice my junior martial brother planted with spirit stones. I heard your family has plenty?”

Rice planted with spirit stones!

He Changyue was a dandy. He refused to admire anything except someone richer and more extravagant than himself. Planting fields with spirit stones was planting fields with money! He instantly held it in solemn respect and shook his head repeatedly. “No, no, Senior Sister, I was wrong!”

In the cultivation world, there were quite a few flowers and fruits that naturally grew with spiritual qi, but they were either guarded by spiritual beings, making them almost impossible to obtain, or cultivated only by Medical Valley, and even then, they cultivated medicinal herbs. Ordinary cultivators usually did not dare eat them, much less let mortals eat them. This rice, however, contained spiritual qi and was suitable for mortals to consume. This small amount of spiritual qi was perfect for nourishing the body.

Fuyi was now at Nascent Soul. Aside from spirit rice No. 1 being somewhat useful to her, the rest offered her no benefit. She was also a sword cultivator, and she had always relied on herself rather than external objects. Lu Yan knew that this senior sister of his was poor as hell, and he had also intended for Fuyi to exchange the rice for spirit stones.

In the end, He Changyue traded a small piece of meteoric iron the size of a fingernail for a bowl of rice.

The two parted amicably and both left, one going to find someone to spar with, the other going home to show off.

Fuyi: What a killing!

He Changyue: Not a loss!

…

The He family.

The He family had originally been a merchant household. Ever since they produced a phoenix egg capable of cultivating, the entire family’s status had risen with the tide, and anyone who saw them had to offer a word of envy.

When He Changyue reached home, it was already night. He returned quietly, startling no one. When he passed by the old couple’s room, however, he saw it lit astonishingly bright. Through the window gauze, even the grains of sand on the ground could be seen clearly. It was much brighter than the moon overhead.

As he wondered whether this was some newly invented candle, he knocked on the door and called, “Father, Mother!”

A burst of tables, chairs, and stools being knocked about came from inside the room. Old Master He personally opened the door, saw the son he had not seen in ages, and punched him. “Not bad, you brat.”

With cultivation protecting him, He Changyue naturally was not afraid of this punch, but he still cried ow, ow, deliberately acting spoiled and obedient as he squeezed through the door and ran toward Old Madam He. “Mother, look at Father! He hits me the moment he sees me!”

Old Master He blew out his beard and glared. “You’re an immortal now. What kind of immortal runs home all day long?”

He Changyue shot back, “Even immortals are born to fathers and raised by mothers. It’s my mother’s birthday, so of course I had to come home!”

Old Madam He was delighted and praised him dearly as her precious heart and flesh.

He Changyue brought out the small pouch of spirit rice like a treasure and could not wait to show it off. “This is spirit rice. I bought it from a senior sister of another sect. It contains spiritual qi, and after you eat it, it can keep your bodies healthy and let you live a long life. You should try it too!”

A child’s filial intention could not be wasted. Old Master He was also half-convinced and half-doubtful. Could a small handful of rice really produce flowers when eaten? He asked, “Raw?”

He Changyue was uncertain. “Steaming it should probably work too?”

Old Master He called someone to steam the rice. He Changyue wandered around the room. As soon as he entered, he had sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual qi. Following it, he found something that could shine. It was hazy and soft, and even after staring at it for a long while, he did not feel uncomfortable. He picked it up and asked, “Where did you get this thing?”

Old Madam He touched her eyes and smiled. “The grain merchant Liang family heard my eyes were poor and sent it as a birthday gift. It’s called a desk lamp. It has none of a candle’s smoke and can light the night up like daytime. It works well for me. I heard it’s something made by immortals. Since Changyue happened to come back, you can help us take a look at it.”

He Changyue turned it over and examined it. He was not skilled in arrays, and could only barely make out traces of refining. He answered, “It seems to be an array driven by spirit stones… It is rather delicately made.”

Most importantly, even mortals could easily use it.

In general, there was a wall between the things of the cultivation world and the mortal world. They were basically activated with spiritual power. Mortals, however, had no spiritual power. This little thing called a desk lamp was cleverly designed. Moving the toggle could make the array operate. He just did not know who had made it.

He Changyue turned the desk lamp over, then suddenly found two tiny words in a corner of the base.

Bupo.

It looked like a Daoist name.

He Changyue mulled it over, then abruptly remembered. Wasn’t Senior Sister Fuyi’s junior martial brother’s Daoist name Bupo?

…

Two days later, after He Changyue finished celebrating his old madam’s birthday, he did not hurry back to the sect. Instead, he trotted eagerly to the gates of Divine Creation Sect.

At that time, Lu Yan was celebrating his fifth birthday. A disciple rushed like a storm into Xianzhao Peak to deliver a message.

“Little Martial Uncle, a sword cultivator has come to wreck your place!”

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