Day had fully broken. Lin Xiao had just committed the incantations of the Thunderclap Fire Art to memory when Hua Feng'er kicked open the wooden hut's door in a flurry and rushed inside.
Lin Xiao casually tucked the jade slip into his bracelet and stared blankly at Hua Feng'er. "Senior Sister Hua, what is this...?"
Hua Feng'er grabbed Lin Xiao's sleeve with one hand and dragged him outside. "Less nonsense. Master's wife told me to take you to Tranquility Cave by the cold pool behind the mountain. She wants to teach Yao'er and you Daoist arts. Ah, Little Junior Brother, I've followed Master's wife for so many years, yet I've never seen her this diligent. She sent me to bring you to hear her teaching at the crack of dawn. You've got quite the face, haven't you?"
Hua Feng'er shot Lin Xiao a somewhat jealous glare. Lin Xiao gave an embarrassed dry laugh and hurriedly used the Divine Movement Art to keep up with her. Neither of them could have imagined that Danxia had become so diligent because she feared Daoist Danling would seize upon some excuse to forcibly take Lin Xiao into his branch. That was why she had no choice but to keep a close eye on Yao'er and Lin Xiao. Of course, Dan Fusheng also had other important matters to attend to. Danxia had been left with no alternative but to personally step in; otherwise, the task of teaching Daoist arts would probably still have fallen to Dan Fusheng.
Behind Spring Return Valley lay a small pool surrounded by mountains. The pool was roughly circular, around a hundred zhang across, yet more than a thousand zhang deep. It was silvery white throughout, like an entire pond of mercury. When mountain winds swept over it, not the slightest ripple stirred its surface. For tens of millions of years, its waters had remained so lifeless and stagnant. Not even a tiny shrimp lived within it; it was nothing but a dead pool. Even goose feathers sank straight to the bottom. Throwing in a stone would not raise a single splash, and the sound it made was like thin porridge bubbling.
The ground within three li of the cold pool remained frozen all year round, and the nearer one drew to it, the lower the temperature became. Within a hundred zhang of the pool, not even a large stone could be found. The ground was covered in fine gravel and dust, stretching away in a yellow haze without so much as a blade of grass. Great Luo Pill Dao's Tranquility Cave, where disciples who had committed errors were punished, stood at the foot of a cliff less than fifty paces from the cold pool.
The entrance to Tranquility Cave was incredibly narrow, allowing only one person to enter or leave at a time. Beyond it lay a cramped passageway. Thumb-sized luminous pearls were embedded in its ceiling, and their dim candlelike glow shrouded the corridor in hazy darkness. One glance showed it winding deep into the mountain cliff, with no telling how far it extended. Countless small cave entrances had been carved into both sides, and faint lamplight currently shone from dozens of them. Great Luo Pill Dao disciples were being punished with wall-facing meditation inside those illuminated caves.
Hua Feng'er led Lin Xiao around the passageway in a manner that suggested she knew every twist by heart. Eventually, they reached a small entrance at the end of the corridor, and she shoved Lin Xiao inside.
Lin Xiao had already grown accustomed to the dim candlelight in the passageway, but he had not expected the ground inside the cave to be one chi and three cun lower than the entrance. He had been too busy looking over the furnishings to notice that he had stepped into empty air, and he nearly smashed his head into the ground. "Hee hee!" Danxia's voice suddenly rang out. "Good Xiao'er, no need for formalities. This place is small, so there's no need to pay respects to Master's wife."
A gentle force surged toward him. Just as Lin Xiao's forehead was about to strike the ground, he straightened up with the flow of that force. He had narrowly avoided making a fool of himself on the spot. Furious and embarrassed, Lin Xiao spun around, only to see Hua Feng'er making a face at him. She softly asked, "Little Junior Brother, where are my Midnight Orchid fruits?"
It was as though a basin of snow water had been poured over his head. The tiny bit of resentment in Lin Xiao's heart was washed away completely. He hastily turned toward Danxia, who sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion within the cave, and bowed with clasped hands. "Master's wife!"
Danxia looked at Lin Xiao with a smile and lightly waved a hand at Hua Feng'er. Hua Feng'er viciously glared at Lin Xiao's back, gave a cold snort, then turned and slowly left. Only then did Danxia smile and say, "Master's wife called you here because Sect Master Senior Brother has punished Yao'er with a month of wall-facing reflection, yet he also wants Master's wife to teach her all sorts of restrictions and spells. I thought that since Xiao'er has never learned any Daoist arts before, I might as well teach you together, so I won't have to go through the extra trouble later."
How bluntly she had put it—she was simply afraid of having to go through extra trouble in the future! Lin Xiao obediently nodded. He glanced at Yao'er, who sat on a meditation cushion opposite Danxia with an unhappy expression, then meekly sat down cross-legged right beside her. Yao'er, who had been sulking with a stiff face, rolled her eyes and secretly reached out to give Lin Xiao's soft ribs a vicious pinch.
Lin Xiao looked at Yao'er with a pained expression. Yao'er merely widened her innocent eyes and looked at him with "pure, kind-hearted" sincerity. Lin Xiao sighed and turned back toward Danxia. Danxia seemed not to have noticed Yao'er's little movement at all. Unhurriedly, she took a Daoist book from a blue cloth bundle at her side and said with a beaming smile, "Well then, Master's wife will now teach you the essence of Daoist arts. Mm, Xiao'er, as the junior disciple, you should listen to Yao'er more often. No matter what, she is your senior sister, so you must yield to her!"
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out. Danxia continued smilingly, "Don't think that just because you have formed a Golden Core, you can bully Yao'er. Master's wife will not allow it. Mm, you must obediently listen to Yao'er. Whatever Yao'er tells you to do, you must do; whatever Yao'er forbids you from doing, you must not do. Mm, when it comes to Yao'er, you must treat her as your master treats Master's wife. You cannot disobey her in the slightest, understand?" By this point, the smile on Danxia's face had grown even brighter.
Lin Xiao's mouth twitched for a while before he lowered his head dejectedly. "Master's wife is right! This disciple understands!" Lin Xiao felt utterly wronged. It had always been Yao'er bullying him—when had he ever dared to bully Yao'er? To put it plainly, even if he now possessed the strength to bully Yao'er, he... he... he would never bear to touch even a single strand of her hair!
Turning his head, he gazed foolishly at Yao'er. Yet Yao'er had already assumed a solemn, proper posture, her eyes fixed firmly on Danxia as she prepared to listen attentively to the explanation of Daoist arts. Lin Xiao was still lost in thought when, with a dull bang, his forehead was struck by a heavy flick from afar. "Ow!" Lin Xiao cried out, his face flushing red as he lowered his head. He honestly placed both hands on his knees and quietly listened as Danxia explained the essence of Daoist arts and taught them various practical restrictive spells.
In the cultivation world, Daoist arts were divided into many kinds according to the Five Elements and the various energies derived from them. However, the Daoist arts each cultivator could use were not determined entirely by the attributes of their aptitude. A fire-aspected cultivator could also cast ice-element spells; a wood-aspected cultivator could likewise summon the qi of Wu Earth; and a metal-aspected cultivator might even be capable of using a wood-aspected restorative Daoist art such as "Ten Thousand Trees Return to Spring."
Still, cultivators did possess attributes. Most chose Daoist arts compatible with their own attributes to cultivate, and the true essence they cultivated thus carried the corresponding Five Element attributes as well. Therefore, although cultivators could use Daoist arts of completely opposing attributes, the results would be extremely poor due to the attributes of their true essence.
For example, a purely fire-aspected cultivator like Lin Xiao cultivated Pure Fire True Essence. If he used fire- or lightning-aspected Daoist arts and could effortlessly destroy a small mountain, then if he used an ice-aspected Daoist art, perhaps he could only freeze a cup of tea! Yet he could still use ice-aspected Daoist arts; that was beyond all doubt.
Daoist arts, Daoist arts—at their root, they were merely the use of one's own cultivation to draw upon the power of heaven and earth. Purely fire-aspected true essence could also draw upon a tiny bit of the chill between heaven and earth; it was simply a case of paying dearly and gaining little.
"The powers of the Five Elements are not entirely opposed to one another. Only by comprehending the supreme principles of the Five Elements' generation and restraint can you master the Daoist arts of the Five Elements and wield them with effortless ease." After explaining the foundation of Daoist arts to the two of them, Danxia looked at Yao'er and smiled. "Yao'er does not have this problem. Her aptitude is exceptional; regardless of which kind of Five Elements Daoist art it is, she faces no obstacle at all."
Lin Xiao made a face at Yao'er and gave her a thumbs-up.
Yao'er proudly raised her brows, making it clear just how pleased she was. Then she suddenly remembered that Lin Xiao had purely fire-aspected aptitude, so the power of many Daoist arts he used would fall short of expectations. If she acted too smugly before him, would that not seem like she was mocking him? Her eyes turned, and Yao'er naturally reached out to straighten the loose strands of hair draped over Lin Xiao's shoulders. Lin Xiao simply smiled at Yao'er, so foolishly entranced that he forgot Danxia was seated less than three chi away from them.
Danxia lowered her head with a smile, pretending not to see the tender affection between the young pair. Some memories of herself and Dan Fusheng from years ago drifted into her mind, and her pretty face could not help turning faintly red. She softly cursed, "That fool, after all these years, he's still so silly! Senior Brother sent you to the pill room, yet you didn't even know to help me obtain that Purple Tassel Herb. You rushed off to the pill room in such a hurry. Really... what a fool... If I fail to cultivate a Nascent Soul in the future, just wait and grow old together with this old woman!"
Her gaze rippled as Danxia lightly raised a finger and stroked her smooth, wrinkleless cheek. She could not help letting out a soft sigh.
"Of course, in ancient times, there were profound and exquisite Daoist scriptures that allowed cultivators, regardless of their aptitude's attributes, to cultivate exceedingly mysterious immortal true essence and freely use all kinds of Daoist arts." After spacing out for a while, Danxia gave a light cough that startled Yao'er and Lin Xiao awake. Without looking at the puff-cheeked Yao'er or the embarrassed Lin Xiao, she continued on her own, "However, because Spiritual Energy in the cultivation world has steadily dispersed over the past several thousand years, those Daoist scriptures have gradually been lost."
"Lost?" Lin Xiao felt little toward these legendary Daoist scriptures, but Yao'er cried out anxiously, "How could they be lost? Mm, Master's wife, if we could find such a scripture and let Little Junior Brother cultivate it, then wouldn't he be like Yao'er and able to use all kinds of spells too?"
Lin Xiao's heart stirred faintly. Looking at the utterly earnest Yao'er, he forgot that Danxia was right before them and could not resist reaching out to gently hold Yao'er's small hand, which she had clenched tightly into a fist.
Yao'er did not react, but Danxia rolled her eyes and thought to herself, Young people these days truly do not know how to restrain themselves. Master's wife is still right in front of them! Ah, back then, that fool Dan Fusheng and I... Nonsense! Master certainly did not see us being intimate in the herb garden that time! Mm, mm, she definitely did not see!
A flush spread across her jade-like face. Danxia narrowed her eyes, coughed heavily several times, and said loudly, "Now then, Yao'er, think about it. Those important scriptures and secret manuals—don't the elders of every major sect store them in treasure vaults with the strictest restrictions? Aren't countless restrictive seals set up outside? And aren't powerful restrictions placed upon the scriptures and secret manuals themselves to prevent theft?"
"Uh, I suppose so?" Yao'er tilted her head and said very seriously, "It's like the roast pheasants Little Junior Brother makes for Yao'er. After bringing them back, Yao'er hides them very carefully, afraid Senior Sister Hua might steal and eat them!"
An awkward smile appeared on Lin Xiao's face as he stared at Danxia and continued to grin foolishly.
Danxia helplessly rolled her eyes and continued, "Fine, now that you understand that, it will be easier for Master's wife to explain. Those scriptures and secret manuals have so many restrictions that one must possess cultivation close to ascension to retrieve them. If later generations lack sufficient cultivation, mm, then wouldn't they be unable to take out those scriptures and secret manuals?"
With a soft sigh, Danxia shook her head. "Several thousand years ago, the highly cultivated elders of many sects vanished almost simultaneously. The disciples within those sects lacked the cultivation needed to retrieve the extraordinary scriptures stored in their sects. Moreover, the Spiritual Energy of the cultivation world began gradually dispersing at that time, causing the cultivation of later cultivators to become lower and lower..."
"In ancient times, those with great divine powers were everywhere. Even cultivators who had achieved only a little success possessed at least one low-grade Immortal Artifact. But now? In today's cultivation world, even a somewhat decent Precious Artifact is difficult to find. Naturally, these Daoist arts and cultivation formulas are likewise..." Danxia gently shook her head and sighed softly.
"Enough. Let us not speak of such far-fetched matters. Master's wife will now formally teach you all kinds of spells. Whether or not you currently possess the cultivation to use them, you must memorize them thoroughly within this month." Danxia gave Lin Xiao an especially solemn warning. "Xiao'er, now that you possess Golden Core Stage cultivation, it will not be long before you are sent out of the sect to gather spirit herbs from the various sacred mountains and great rivers. If you do not practice these Daoist arts until you are thoroughly proficient, how will you protect yourself? Therefore, Yao'er may be a little careless this time, but you must be meticulous and diligent."
Lin Xiao knew Danxia spoke reasonably, so he hurriedly answered with respect.
Upon hearing that this teaching was connected to Lin Xiao's safety, Yao'er also quickly sat properly. She no longer interrupted with a single word and obediently listened as Danxia explained the mysteries of all kinds of Daoist arts.
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
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