As soon as the pill entered his mouth, Wu Ming realized he had been a little overconfident.
The Five Stone Return Bright Powder was a precious recipe recorded in the Yellow Court Yin Talisman Scripture, and it had taken such a huge effort to gather all the ingredients. How could its effects be ordinary?
It could even benefit Refining Masters and, to some extent, even Mage-level cultivators.
For a novice like him to swallow it directly, its medicinal properties were too fierce and could cause serious trouble.
At that moment, a wave of scorching heat welled up throughout his body, surging without end through his limbs and bones, his five viscera and six bowels, until he could hardly resist leaping up and dancing wildly.
The medicine was no elixir that would make an ordinary person burst apart and die upon swallowing it, but most Daoists truly could not withstand it.
Wu Ming wore only a thin robe, and now steam seemed to rise from his body, with sweat faintly visible.
If I get up now and let my monkey mind run wild, dashing about at full speed, the medicine's power will surge forth. It might truly become a drug as fierce as a tiger or wolf, and drain my vital energy!
Wu Ming's thoughts were clear, but he held himself in check with all his might.
Before swallowing the medicine, he had naturally made preparations and had something to rely on: his martial arts cultivation!
Ordinary people could not bear the medicine's force, but his Innate body could just barely protect that wisp of clarity in his spiritual platform.
He forcibly suppressed it, silently recited the Yellow Court Scripture, and circulated the Yin Talisman method, locking the heat in place. From his dantian, it traveled up along the Ren and Du meridians and spine, straight to the crown of his head, piercing through the mud pill.
Everyone had a Sea of Consciousness, but before it was developed, it was nothing but chaos.
When Daoists opened their Sea of Consciousness, they illuminated it with light, making it a source of magical power.
Martial arts and Daoist cultivation followed different paths, but some methods were still interconnected.
At that moment, Wu Ming guarded his spiritual platform as the heat passed through the mud pill. Hot turned to cold, like a thread of clear, bright ice, roiling within his Sea of Consciousness.
Amid the chaos, a spark of life lay hidden, stirring restlessly.
To anyone watching, however, Wu Ming's earlier appearance—red as a steamed prawn—had completely faded, leaving him utterly calm.
The jade rabbit sank beneath the horizon, and the golden crow rose in the east.
Before he knew it, the night had passed.
At that moment, Wu Ming, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes. A glint flashed through them and vanished.
"Almost within reach..."
He touched his brow, a trace of delight appearing on his face. "When I enter meditation now, I can clearly sense a beam of light in my Sea of Consciousness, just waiting to burst forth... The Five Stone Return Bright Powder really is extraordinary. Although any medicine works best the first time, what I have left should be enough to help me open my Sea of Consciousness!"
"Even if I enter a Dao Academy, at most I'll be an outer disciple handling odd jobs. Only after truly opening my Sea of Consciousness and receiving a Dao Talisman will I count as having entered the sect, becoming an inner disciple admitted to the master's chambers..."
"But at this rate, I can catch up in just one month!"
Wu Ming's mouth curled into a smile.
Becoming an Ordained Daoist was naturally no simple matter. As far as Wu Ming knew, plenty of disciples in Dao Academies were trapped at this stage for years or even decades. There were even many who spent their entire lives unable to find the way in.
To address this, the Daoist sects had developed all kinds of Dao Talismans, such as the Supreme Three-Five Capital Merit Talisman, the Supreme True-One Alliance Might Talisman, the Eight Trigrams Body Protection Talisman, the Evil Warding God Talisman, the Four Divisions Qi Restriction Talisman, and the Life Protection Longevity Talisman, among others. They were all methods of forcing seedlings to grow by pulling them upward.
However, using talismans to open one's Sea of Consciousness was a last resort. In terms of potential, it was inferior to those who opened their Sea of Consciousness themselves and were said to receive a Dao Talisman from Heaven—the True Dao Seeds.
And even these Dao Talismans were not simply there for the taking.
As far as Wu Ming knew, Yunping Daoist Academy bestowed the Nine Phoenix Dirt Breaking Talisman, with only three places available every five years. People fought tooth and nail for them.
After entering the academy, Wu Qing had opened her Sea of Consciousness on her own in just three months and received a Dao Talisman from Heaven. Her fame had spread far and wide, and she was regarded as a True Dao Seed, carefully groomed by the academy.
"Mm... Compared with Sister Wu Qing, I'm cheating. But the Great Dao has three thousand paths. So long as I can reach my goal, what does it matter if I rely on external aids? Still, my cultivation is advancing by leaps and bounds, so my Dao Heart and Dao nature must keep pace. Otherwise, my foundation will be unstable, and that would be a sorry fate... I should calm down, read more Daoist scriptures, and cultivate my character..."
Wu Ming looked at the dark clouds in the sky and let out a sigh.
At that moment, flakes of snow, soft as goose down and willow catkins, began drifting down from afar. In an instant, the earth was blanketed in white, clad in silver, and an air of grim desolation swept over everything...
The thirtieth day of the twelfth month, Ping'an Year Four.
Amid the sound of firecrackers, one year ended; the spring breeze brought warmth to the tu su wine. The rising sun shone over thousands of doors and windows, and everywhere, people replaced their old peach-wood charms with new ones.
This world also celebrated the Spring Festival. It was an ancient Great Zhou custom, quite similar to the one from his previous life.
There were even customs like replacing peach-wood charms, burning bamboo firecrackers, and drinking tu su wine. The entire fortified manor brimmed with lively excitement, stirring a trace of nostalgia in Wu Ming.
And on that very day, Wu Qing, who had been away at the Dao Academy for a long time, was finally about to return home.
"Move quickly! Clean everything properly. If Eldest Miss isn't pleased, you'll all pay for it!"
Early that morning, the entire fortified manor sprang into action. Steward Wu was especially full of himself, rushing about everywhere, and his scolding could be heard from time to time.
"It seems the academy really does keep her busy. I heard Sister was even promoted; she's been occupied until now..."
Wu Ming's martial arts alone had made him impervious to cold and heat. Now he wore a long robe and a silver crown, his sleeves billowing. He had also read many Daoist scriptures, giving him an unhurried, otherworldly air that left the maids below staring at him.
"Clear the roads, and plant a few more plum trees in the courtyard. Sister Qing likes them..."
He casually gave Steward Wu his instructions, then spotted someone and couldn't help but pause. "You, come here!"
"Young Master!"
Li Xiuyun wore a silver hairpin and a red jacket, her cheeks flushed. She came forward and curtsied, then nervously twisted the corner of her clothes. "I... I wanted to come help..."
"Mm! If you don't mind, you can spend the New Year with us this year. It'll be livelier that way!"
Wu Ming smiled. Since someone was keeping an eye on her and he had found nothing amiss, he naturally had to show her some kindness.
"Really?... No, thank you, Young Master!"
At the news, a flicker of joy suddenly lit Li Xiuyun's eyes, and she almost lost her composure.
"Eldest Miss's carriage has arrived!"
Just then, another gatekeeper came in to report, and Wu Ming hurried out to greet her.
Li Xiuyun had also been about to step forward, but her expression suddenly dimmed, and she slowly retreated.
"Eldest Miss, the Young Master came out personally to welcome you!"
A pretty maid with a bright smile climbed down from the carriage. When she saw Wu Ming, she curtsied with a smile, then spoke to the person inside.
Wu Ming recognized her, of course. She was the maid at his sister's side, named Xue'er.
"You little monkey, you've actually learned your manners now. That's quite a surprise!"
The carriage curtain lifted, revealing Wu Qing's peerlessly beautiful figure. Though she wore Daoist robes, they could not hide her lovely features, and the cloak draped over her shoulders added a spirited air.
"Sister, you've worked hard. Your younger brother was ignorant before and neglected you. I hope you won't hold it against me!"
Wu Ming stepped forward to support her. Wu Qing seemed startled when she saw him, then rolled her eyes at him. A look of relief appeared in her eyes as she slowly climbed down from the carriage.
"Greetings, Eldest Miss!"
Steward Wu, Feng Han, and the others all bowed. Wu Ming took Wu Qing's hand and led her into the fortified manor, casually telling her about what he had been doing.
"Mm. Establishing a school and training the Village Militia are both sound measures for building a solid foundation..."
Once they reached the main hall, Wu Qing removed her cloak and brushed off the snow. Her phoenix eyes held a hint of teasing. "But... with both civil and military wings at your command, little brother, are you planning to become a flood dragon and vie for supremacy?"
Pfft!
Wu Ming spat out a mouthful of tea and nearly toppled over. "Y-You... what are you talking about?"
"Pfft!"
Seeing Wu Ming's reaction, Wu Qing laughed so hard her whole body swayed. "I was only testing you. Look how frightened you are—it's hilarious!"
Her expression turned serious again. "We Daoists step beyond the Three Realms and stand apart from the Five Elements. The mortal world's Royal Authority and the rise and fall of empires are all obstacles. Ignore them, and you'll be fine! Otherwise, you'll never achieve greatness!"
"Thank you for the advice, Sister!"
Listening to her, Wu Ming felt his heart stir. The Daoist cultivation he had accumulated over the past few days seemed just one step away from breaking through the obstacle and opening his Sea of Consciousness. He immediately thanked her, then suddenly jolted. "You could tell?"
"Your spiritual energy is bursting forth, and your prenatal light is stirring. Your Daoist cultivation and state of mind have both been honed to their peak. You're only one step away from opening your Sea of Consciousness. Of course I could tell!"
A glimmer of crimson flashed in Wu Qing's eyes. "I originally wanted to find you a couple of cultivation manuals, but I didn't expect you to have found one yourself already. And it's from the Orthodox Xuan Gate, too. That's your good fortune!"
"What I'm practicing now is the Yellow Court Yin Talisman Scripture. I got it from that Daoist Qing Ping of the Zhou family. Take a look, Sister..."
Wu Ming handed over the Silver Seal Jade Book without the slightest hesitation.
"The Zhou family?" Wu Qing's brows rose like swords, a hint of killing intent appearing in her expression. She took the book and examined it closely, then exclaimed, "Good! This cultivation method is in no way inferior to mine, though it's a pity only half of it is here... Whether you can find what comes next will depend on your fortune!"
"Sister, you don't seem surprised at all. Aren't you going to ask about my secret?"
Wu Ming was taken aback.
Anyone who underwent such a complete transformation would naturally arouse suspicion.
He had prepared an explanation long ago, based entirely on the memories of the dissolute heir. It was seamless.
But he hadn't expected Wu Qing to show no suspicion whatsoever.
"Your aptitude and Dao nature are only average. If you've made such sudden progress, then naturally you must have had an opportunity of your own!"
Wu Qing smiled. "Do you know that ever since I entered the Mage rank, I've had a spiritual sense? I can even read people and divine their fortunes. Since you're still you, with no problem with your soul, what more is there to say? The deeper your fortune, the happier I'll be!"
Wu Ming felt a little ashamed as he listened.
If he hadn't had the Main God Hall as a powerful backer, helping conceal the truth, his secret would probably have been exposed by now—and he would have died a horrible death.
"There's something else I need to tell you now that I'm back, little brother!"
Wu Qing smiled as she spoke a few more words, then her expression turned solemn. With her hands behind her back, she gazed at the snow. "The Head of the Academy promoted me and chose me as a High Official. On the second day of the second month next year, I'll have to go to the County Town to take part in the Dragon Gate Gathering. No one knows whether it'll bring fortune or misfortune!"
"Sister, you know the Dragon Gate Gathering is extremely dangerous, and the County Magnates are targeting you. Could you lie low and avoid the conflict for now?"
Wu Ming immediately furrowed his brows.
If anything happened to Wu Qing, not only would he be unable to accept it, but the Zhou family would have no reason to hold back anymore.
Before you continue