Red Spirit Boy fell silent as soon as Chen Ming scolded him.
Red Spirit Boy's loyalty was beyond reproach, but he had absorbed a great many Incense and Fire Thoughts.
Those thoughts contained countless distracting desires and the complexities of human nature, none of which had been purged.
Hong Ling had absorbed them all in one go. Though he had benefited and gained Spiritual Intelligence,
he had also been influenced by the complicated desires within them, becoming too familiar with human nature and too adept at reading people's minds.
"It's all my fault. I didn't know you had another true method, fellow Daoist. I shouldn't have said so much!" Seeing Chen Ming's face turn cold, Situ Yuelan quickly spoke up to smooth things over.
Chen Ming hadn't meant to blame her. He had only taken the opportunity to lay down some rules, and so he let his expression soften.
"You were only trying to help. How could that be saying too much? There are many ways to achieve the Spirit Condensation Method, but ultimately, all roads lead to the same destination. You pointed out the crux of it, and I gained something from hearing you!"
Chen Ming wasn't just being polite. A true master could convey the truth in a single sentence; a false one could fill ten thousand volumes without revealing it.
What Situ Yuelan had said about achieving Spirit Condensation would be quite useful for his future Refine Spell cultivation.
"I've already cultivated Taiyin Cold Water and refined the Great Yin Demonic Water Lightning. As for the methods of gathering Qi for the other two paths, fire and earth, I'll still have to rely on you, fellow Daoist," Chen Ming said.
Situ Yuelan smiled faintly. "We're simply helping each other. You helped me find the Spiritual Items my body became; I recovered the memories within them, and you gained the Magic Art. We can both make further progress. If anything, I'm the one relying on you!"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two discussed their next steps in searching for the Spiritual Items formed from her body.
The Vast Mountain Range was enormous. Even with the connection between Situ Yuelan and those Spiritual Items, finding them would be quite a chore.
If they had fallen in secluded places and no one had discovered them, that would be simple enough: they could just find and retrieve them.
But some had already been acquired by the various cultivators in Vast Mountain, and some had even been refined. Getting them from those cultivators wouldn't be so easy.
"Though the Vast Mountain Range is vast and its powers are chaotic, there's still a pattern to it!"
Chen Ming looked over the information Qingyuan, the Auspicious Spirit God, had given him. It included not only several known locations of Spiritual Items, but also cultivation regions of every size throughout Vast Mountain.
Vast Mountain was divided into the Seventy-two Divisions and the Thirty-six Caves. Alongside them were scattered small hills and minor tribes affiliated with the Caves and Divisions, making three hundred and sixty-five places in total, a number that echoed the Number of Zhou Tian.
"These three hundred and sixty-five places echo the Number of Zhou Tian. It can't be a coincidence. I suspect the Myriad Laws Sect arranged it deliberately!"
Situ Yuelan studied the list closely and began counting on her fingers. "That must be it."
"But the Vast Mountain Range is only a barrier protecting the Myriad Laws Sect. Beyond it, one must cross the Sea Domain to reach the sect itself."
"Three Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators from the Myriad Laws Sect guard the Vast Mountain Range. They rarely interfere in the affairs of the mountain, usually just keeping watch to prevent anything from going wrong."
"When I was injured, I deliberately crossed the Vast Mountain Range and charged toward the Myriad Laws Sect's Sea Domain. When I reached the border, I suddenly doubled back, and that was when my body scattered!"
"My enemy, Old Monk Jieding, was pursuing me. He revealed his Buddha Light, making quite a commotion! It alerted the three Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators from the Myriad Laws Sect."
"The Myriad Laws Sect and that Buddhist sect were at odds, too. Old Monk Jieding was beaten to death right there."
Chen Ming hadn't expected that there was so much more to the scattering of Situ Yuelan's body.
He didn't want to pry into her feud with the Buddhist sect. Her Buddhist enemy was already dead, after all.
As long as he helped her find the Spiritual Items formed from her body in Vast Mountain and obtained the Magic Art, he would have fulfilled his promise.
Still, Situ Yuelan had used that monk to draw the three Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators of the Myriad Laws Sect into the affair. He wondered whether that might leave trouble behind.
Thinking of this, Chen Ming asked her outright.
Situ Yuelan smiled. "It won't. The method I cultivate has some connection to the Myriad Laws Sect. Killing a Buddhist disciple isn't a major matter to them, as long as it happens within the Vast Mountain Range."
"That monk entered the Vast Mountain Range. If he died there, then he died there."
"I don't know all the details, but it's an unspoken rule accepted by those great sects. Otherwise, Fairy Caiyi wouldn't have been afraid to come in. She was afraid of dying, too."
"Then I can rest easy!
"Farther south, there's a Soul Hook Cave occupied by a Ghost Cultivator. According to the information the Auspicious Spirit God gave me, more than one Spiritual Item fell there," Chen Ming said.
"That should be right. My body cultivated the way of yin and cold, so the Spiritual Items it became were mostly of that nature. Soul Hook Cave must also be a shadowy, yin place, since a Ghost Cultivator could occupy it and cultivate there. It's possible that the items were drawn there by its nature."
Situ Yuelan recited the Magic Art and silently sensed for them, but her impression was quite vague.
"Those few Spiritual Items fell into Soul Hook Cave. They've probably already been refined by that Ghost Cultivator. I don't know whether he's cultivated my Void Method!"
"If he's cultivated my Spirit Condensation Void Method, then that'll be easy. Otherwise, we may have to put in some work!"
Chen Ming swept a branch in his hand through the air. "We'll know once we take a look!"
"All right," Situ Yuelan replied.
As the two were about to head to Soul Hook Cave, Chen Ming suddenly stopped. "Your abilities and Supernatural Abilities are both impressive, and you each have a Magic Tool. Go search for the unclaimed Spiritual Items!"
Chen Ming was giving instructions to the two boys, Red Spirit Boy and Qing Ling. He sent them the locations where the unclaimed Spiritual Items had scattered.
Situ Yuelan also taught the two boys how to recognize the Spiritual Items formed from her body.
Chen Ming still wasn't entirely at ease. He turned his Secret Method and condensed two talismans. "Keep these safe. If anything goes wrong and you can't overcome it, protect your lives first. Crush the talisman, and I'll sense it."
Qing Ling and Hong Ling had both been created through Chen Ming's Demon Refining Method. They were, in a sense, part of Chen Ming's strength, and more reliable than disciples of those sects. They also had room to grow, making them exceptionally valuable.
Chen Ming didn't want them meeting with an accident and becoming expendable.
"Don't worry, fellow Daoist. Your two boys are extraordinary. They shouldn't have any trouble dealing with ordinary cultivators of the Contemplation Realm. And since they're both Demonic Bodies, escaping is second nature to them!"
"Other than the three Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators of the Myriad Laws Sect, few such cultivators come to the Vast Mountain Range, apart from those just passing through!"
Chen Ming watched Qing Ling and Red Spirit Boy turn into streaks of light and fly away. "It's better to be cautious."
"Let's go. The sooner you recover the memories of your body, the sooner you can restore your strength. That's what matters most!"
With that, Chen Ming brought out the Blood Bead formed from the Insect Molt.
The Blood Bead shone and floated behind Chen Ming.
"Condense!"
Chen Ming circulated his magic power, and a pair of Illusory Flesh Wings formed on his back. As they beat, poisonous smoke billowed out.
Situ Yuelan was startled. No wonder he was willing to give up the Root Qi of his Supernatural Ability and let it transform into a demon. He really did have another way to wield its wonders!
I wonder what kind of origins this Xuan Mingzi has. I can't even tell which source his Supernatural Ability comes from! Chen Ming seemed ever more mysterious to her.
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