Li Qingyun felt that this world of cultivation was truly different.
Hazy and indistinct, shrouded in layers of mist.
It seemed that the truth of this world was concealed by transcendent powers standing high above.
"Immortals" seemed even more like a taboo in the eyes of cultivators, something they did not dare mention lightly.
This world uniformly addressed supreme mighty beings as "Dao Lords." The temples and monasteries established among mortals all enshrined Dao Lords.
Those common households with the means would also enshrine statues of Dao Lords at home, hang portraits of Dao Lords, and pray for protection and for them to intimidate evil spirits and monstrous oddities.
In the understanding of mortals, there was no such word as "immortal."
The existence of Dao Lords seemed to have replaced the status of "immortals," becoming the most mysterious ultimate beings in this world.
"If I want to understand the real world beneath the mist, I still need to increase my strength and status..."
After a while, Li Qingyun calmed himself and regained his composed demeanor, as though nothing had happened.
He went to another bookshelf and hurriedly searched for the fourth layer and above of the Precious Furnace Art, as well as spells that concealed one's cultivation aura.
He did not want to stay in this Scripture Repository any longer!
"Qi Concealment Art: once cultivated to success, it can restrain one's spiritual power aura. However, those who cultivate eye techniques or other divine abilities, as well as beings of profound cultivation, can easily see through it..."
This spell was just like its name—plain and unremarkable. It concealed one's aura by restraining spiritual power, but its flaw was obvious: it could not guard against masters and great figures.
Anything displayed on the first floor of the Scripture Repository was naturally not very good.
Li Qingyun had no better choice. Taking the Qi Concealment Art and the essentials of the fourth through sixth layers of the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art, he headed toward the Daoist guarding the first floor to copy the two texts.
The Daoist guarding the repository was a very old man. He was reclining in a wicker chair, dozing off. Only when he saw Li Qingyun wanted to copy cultivation arts did he sit up sleepily.
The old Daoist glanced at the disciple token at Li Qingyun's waist and said flatly, "Free paper and ink are provided here. Copying the Qi Concealment Art costs fifty taels of gold, five spirit stones, or goods of equivalent value. The fourth through sixth layers of the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art cost the same amount for each layer..."
Li Qingyun's expression changed slightly, and even the hands holding the books trembled.
What a rip-off!
Every layer of the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art actually required payment!
The little wealth he had in his robes was nowhere near enough to buy the essentials of the next three layers.
"Senior, then I'll only copy this Qi Concealment Art. Oh, wait—copy the Thunder Seal too..."
Somewhat unwilling, Li Qingyun returned the later essentials of the Precious Furnace Art and replaced them with the Thunder Seal spell.
His purse was thin; he could only afford to copy two texts!
"You're not bad, kid. You've already initially cultivated spiritual power, haven't you? Why not take a Daoist master within the temple as your teacher?"
The old Daoist prattled on "considerately." He had already sensed the fluctuations of aura from the youth before him.
"Hehe, I've only just achieved a little. I'll naturally seek out a Daoist master later!"
Li Qingyun smiled modestly, took the brush, ink, and paper, and began copying the two spells.
He could only put aside the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art for now and think of another way after reaching the third layer of Qi Refining.
He was somewhat envious of the temple's elite disciples. Those who studied under Daoist masters such as Lu Nanling and Xu Songyuan could freeload on Qi Refining Realm cultivation arts and even some spells, saving a great deal of resources.
After finishing his copies, Li Qingyun left the Scripture Repository.
By then, the autumn night was deep. Darkness blanketed everything, while lights of varying brightness flickered throughout the back mountain, seeming near yet far, hazy and impossible to see clearly.
Li Qingyun had only heard that the brighter the lights, the more prominent the location within Lingbao Temple, or the residence of an important figure in the temple.
His steps were light as he hurried along the mountain path.
After cultivating spiritual power, one could see at night. Though it was still not especially clear, there was no possibility of getting lost.
When he reached the vicinity of the Bamboo Lodge, Li Qingyun saw that lights had already been lit inside.
A faintly chilly mountain wind swept past, stirring his Daoist robe. In the misty night, the orange-yellow light shining through the window gave the homebound Li Qingyun a trace of warmth.
The loneliness of being a solitary figure adrift in another world was scattered somewhat by the lamplight.
He gently pushed open the door and entered, not wishing to disturb this rare warmth.
But the moment he stepped inside, He Xiao's long, boastful laugh shattered the atmosphere.
"Junior Brother Qingyun, you're finally back! Do you know how pleasant my day was?"
He Xiao's eyes shone brightly, his face ruddy, and he looked brimming with energy.
When Li Qingyun moved a little closer, he even caught a faint scent of cosmetics wafting from He Xiao.
He could not help but laugh. "Senior Brother is a handsome and romantic talent, carefree and unrestrained. Qingyun is far beneath you!"
This remark seemed to scratch an itch, and He Xiao's laughter grew even louder.
"Qingyun, when I went to work at the front temple, not only could I earn contribution points, I could also meet many kindred souls. This afternoon, I encountered two young ladies of exceptional beauty. Their bearing, their figures—tsk, tsk..."
"Let me tell you, if you want to live well in the temple and get assigned a good post, you need to follow Senior Brother Zhang. Senior Brother Zhang is holding a Dharma Discussion Gathering in a couple of days. How about coming with me, Qingyun, and broadening your horizons?"
He Xiao was beaming with delight as he spoke of his work at the front temple that day, casually bringing up that Senior Brother Zhang.
According to him, this Senior Brother Zhang's full name was Zhang Junlong. He was something of a figure at Maple Mountain Lingbao Temple and the biological nephew of Guest Welcomer Deacon Zhang Qiyun. He held a little authority and could help disciples of the back mountain arrange decent jobs at the front temple.
"Senior Brother Zhang truly is a capable man. If there is a chance, I must get to know him. But for these next few days, I still plan to cultivate behind closed doors and hope to cultivate spiritual power as soon as possible..."
Li Qingyun frowned, deliberately revealing a trace of hesitation before declining tactfully.
His body and mind were wholly focused on cultivation now. How could he be willing to waste time currying favor with some Senior Brother Zhang?
"Doing miscellaneous work at the front temple, greeting guests and handling things, just to earn that tiny, meager amount of contribution—how could that compare to achieving something in cultivation, then taking a mission from the External Affairs Hall to descend the mountain and suppress evil spirits and monstrous oddities, earning heaps of spirit stones and merit in one exhilarating sweep..."
Among the circles he mingled in now, everyone was spending money to buy a chance at the Dao and gild themselves. Most of them, like He Xiao and Ge Xiaohong, had probably not yet cultivated even a furnaceful of spiritual power and crossed the threshold of cultivation, yet every few days they held some enlightenment banquet or Dharma Discussion Gathering. Li Qingyun found it laughable and speechless just thinking about it!
As for those jobs at the front temple receiving mortals, he looked down on them even more.
He felt that although He Xiao seemed smooth and sociable now, moving through the temple like a fish in water, when all was said and done, he was absolutely picking up sesame seeds while losing a watermelon.
Since one had gained the chance to enter the temple and cultivate, why not diligently cultivate and comprehend the Dao?
If he still clung to the mortal world, why climb the mountain at all, only to keep company with a green lamp like that old servant Yin Xunshan had said, lonely and desolate?
Li Qingyun sat down at the desk that belonged to him and casually lit the old oil lamp on it.
He took the newly copied thin booklet of the Qi Concealment Art from his robes and, by the yellowed lamplight, opened it and began reading closely.
Once he began reading, he became somewhat absorbed, automatically shutting out He Xiao's painstaking "advice."
"Ah, what a pity for all my good intentions..."
He Xiao looked at Li Qingyun before the oil lamp. At that moment, a breeze blew in through the window, and a lock of hair drifted lightly down the cheek of this third young master of a marquis household. His profile was picturesque, making him appear ever more handsome. Even his formerly pale complexion now resembled fine jade.
He could not help feeling a small pang of jealousy.
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