Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi

Time passed swiftly.

Thus, a month went by.

Song Chengan had, during this time, become fast friends with these monsters.

This group of demons was nothing like the vicious, man-eating fiends he had imagined; instead, they resembled a band of devout seekers of the Way.

Or rather, only First Boss Bai was a true seeker of the Way.

But he had kept these monsters in line.

"Sir, you're leaving?"

"You really heard that?"

"If he leaves, no one will be here to tell This Old Bear the story of the scripture pilgrim."

An enraged swarm of bees buzzed around the Black Bear, attacking relentlessly, but with his thick hide and tough flesh, he paid them no mind, munching on honey as he asked.

Beneath his crotch, there was a large grey rat.

The rat, too, ate as it replied.

"I heard it in the house. This is the third time this month."

"I think the gentleman is lonely."

"Lonely?"

"What's that?"

the Black Bear asked.

"It means being alone."

"You don't get it?" The rat rolled its eyes. "It means he can't stand staying here by himself."

The Black Bear slapped his head. "This Old Bear understands. He needs a human woman. I've got an idea."

"Wait here."

With that, the Black Bear charged down the mountain.

"Oh, damn me..."

The Grey Squirrel scurried away in panic.

The moment the Black Bear left, the bees turned on him.

"Sir, are you truly leaving?"

In First Boss Bai's house, Song Chengan nodded. "Boss Bai, I've been away from home for over a month now."

"I'm a bit homesick."

It wasn't really about missing home—staying on Mount Luo, crawling with demons like you lot, was far too dangerous. Who knew when I'd get eaten?

First Boss Bai sighed. "We are but beasts who drink blood and eat raw flesh. Having you teach us is an insult to the wisdom of the sages."

"This month, listening to your instruction, I have gained much and made great progress in my cultivation."

"If not for certain matters I must attend to, I would follow you, serving as your groom, and I believe that would be a straight path to the Great Dao."

"I have met human scholars before, but none matched your learning. Sir, you will surely become a sage one day."

Song Chengan's mouth twitched.

Me, a sage? I'm just parroting the knowledge of sages from my past life.

"Boss Bai, you flatter me."

"Though you are a demon, your heart is set on goodness."

"Not only do you cultivate the righteous path yourself, but you also keep the mountain spirits from taking human lives."

"This is a just deed, a bright heart. If you persist, you will surely attain the true fruit."

"Truly?"

Boss Bai stood up, excited.

"Truly."

Probably.

Song Chengan was just saying polite things.

What did he know about the Great Dao? He was making it all up on the spot.

Boss Bai sat back down.

"What a pity."

Song Chengan had no idea what he meant by that.

"Boss Bai, might I be allowed to return home?"

Boss Bai laughed. "You're a free man, sir, not a prisoner of Mount Luo. If you wish to leave, you may do so at any time."

Song Chengan's heart leaped with joy.

It was only because he'd seen how kind-hearted Boss Bai was over these past days that he dared to repeatedly bring up the request to go home.

"But I do have one impertinent favor to ask."

"Please, Boss Bai, speak your mind."

As long as he could leave, anything was negotiable.

"Could you come once a month to give lectures to the monsters of Mount Luo?"

"This..." Song Chengan hesitated.

Though the monsters he'd spent the month with didn't seem like vicious brutes, he didn't dare take such a risk.

What if one day they got upset and decided to eat him?

Could monsters really give up devouring humans?

"Rest assured, sir, we won't harm you."

"After this month's experiences, do you still think we're a pack of man-eating demons?" Boss Bai said, as if reading Song Chengan's worries.

It seemed he couldn't leave without agreeing.

He'd just take it one step at a time.

"Since Boss Bai has put it that way, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse any further."

"So, once a month, then?"

"Just have someone notify me each month, and I'll come."

"Then many thanks, sir. Please wait a moment."

With that, Boss Bai turned and went inside.

Before long, he came out carrying a clay jar.

"These past days, I made a trip down the mountain and traded some of the mountain's spiritual fruits and ginseng for copper coins. Consider this your pay for the month."

"I know you humans all like these."

"Then many thanks, Boss Bai!"

Song Chengan didn't stand on ceremony.

"Oh, by the way, Boss Bai."

"Can humans practice cultivation?"

"Cultivation?"

"Yes."

Song Chengan probed cautiously.

He'd asked the monsters about cultivation before, but unfortunately, Boss Bai only taught them the art of absorbing moonlight essence.

Song Chengan couldn't learn that.

He was human, not a monster.

But from what the monsters told him, he'd learned one fact.

All the monsters on Mount Luo had been taught by Boss Bai.

So he wanted to know if Boss Bai had any techniques suitable for humans.

"I don't have many cultivation methods on hand."

"But I do have one suited for humans."

"Though I'm not sure if you can practice it."

Song Chengan was overjoyed.

Cultivation techniques were only held by the Five Great Families of Lingqiu City and a handful of other powers.

The conditions for teaching them were extremely strict—often requiring marriage into a family, joining a gang as a servant, or becoming a household slave. It was nearly impossible to learn.

The only other option was the Xuanqing Temple.

But the temple's requirements for disciples were not only extremely high in talent, but also demanded a large donation of incense money and taking monastic vows as a monk.

In short, it was incredibly hard to obtain.

Boss Bai pulled a book from his robes.

"This was something I once obtained for a man from a Daoist priest."

"But the man is gone, and the priest is too."

"Keeping it now is useless. I'll give it to you, sir."

Song Chengan took it and looked.

Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi!

"This book can cultivate a High-grade True Qi, which includes a Spirit Invocation spell. Legend says that if you master it to a high level, you can summon a deity down."

"But I'm a demon, so I can't cultivate methods meant for humans. This method, you'll have to figure out on your own."

"Many thanks, Boss Bai!"

Song Chengan couldn't wait to flip open the book.

"Vast heavens, ten thousand rays of radiance."

"Feast on mist, drink dew, seek the path to Longevity."

"Through a thousand autumns, ten thousand years..."

Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi!

Song Chengan's vision shifted.

Then his consciousness entered the sea of his mind.

There, a weathered bronze mirror floated.

The world changed again, and Song Chengan's consciousness was sucked into the ancient mirror.

It was a vast, empty space.

Above, no sun, moon, or stars; below, no mountains, rivers, or streams—just hollow nothingness.

A phantom figure appeared out of thin air, bearing a face similar to Song Chengan's. As soon as it materialized, it sat cross-legged!

Void Heaven Mirror!

Condense a Phantom Body, deduce spells!

The meridians on the condensed Phantom Body began to emerge, and a stream of Qi started circulating through them in a cycle!

At the same time.

The figure began to age slowly.

The Phantom Body condensed by the Void Heaven Mirror perceived time differently—they aged faster, but their cultivation speed also accelerated proportionally.

Once they aged and died, I could absorb their Dao Fruit, gaining the fruits of their cultivation and their insights into spells.

One Phantom Body could only cultivate one spell or method.

Song Chengan felt a glimmer of understanding.

He hadn't expected this ancient mirror to be a magical artifact.

Song Chengan was somewhat surprised.

In his past life, he'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Unable to afford the exorbitant medical bills, he'd turned to praying to gods and Buddhas.

Finally, at the Daoist Temple where he often volunteered, an old Daoist Master had given him this ancient mirror.

He'd said it was blessed by the Dao Ancestor and could protect him.

But he never imagined the mirror possessed such great power.

He wondered if crossing over had also been thanks to this mirror.

As Song Chengan's thoughts churned, the Phantom Body had already aged to extinction, then transformed into a ball of Dao Fruit light that he absorbed.

In an instant, Song Chengan almost instinctively activated the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi. A surge of worldly spiritual energy flooded into his body.

This energy coursed through his meridians, then slowly settled down into his dantian.

The first trace of True Qi appeared in Song Chengan's dantian!

It looked like a speck of light, tinged with red and purple!

Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi!

"The True Qi of the world is divided into nine grades."

"Grades one to three are Lower-grade True Qi."

"Grades four to six are Mid-grade True Qi."

"Grades seven to nine are High-grade True Qi!"

"Among them, there are 1,720 types of Lower-grade True Qi, 636 types of Mid-grade True Qi, and 108 types of High-grade True Qi."

"These True Qi vary—some excel at prolonging life, some at forging artifacts, some at combat and slaughter."

"This Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi ranks 814th or 815th, making it a Lower Second Grade True Qi."

"That is, Lower Second Grade True Qi."

"The first realm of cultivation is called the Dao Seed."

"A single spark of Spiritual Light planted in the dantian; the Great Dao begins from here!"

"Refine worldly spiritual energy into True Qi, plant Spiritual Light in the dantian—this is the start of the Great Dao, called 'Spiritual Light Planting Dao'."

Boss Bai's eyes went wide as he spoke.

A stream of Pure Qi surged from the Shabby Scholar, who held a Tao Guan in one hand while flipping through a Daoist Book balanced atop it with the other. At the same time, a violet radiance bloomed in his eyes.

"In an instant, he's planted the Spiritual Light!"

"Sir, your talent rivals that of a Celestial Being!"

Boss Bai burst into laughter, looking as though he was immensely pleased.

Song Chengan opened his eyes and saw Boss Bai laughing heartily.

He quickly bowed.

This bow was filled with utmost sincerity and gravity.

"This junior, Song Chengan, thanks Senior Bai for imparting the method of Longevity!"

"Junior?" Boss Bai was taken aback.

Then he nodded with a smile. "Very good, very good."

"In scholarship, you are the master."

"In cultivation, I am the senior!"

"From now on, I'll call you Master, and you call me Senior!"