New Spell (Please Read On, Please Bookmark)

Mountain Top Courtyard.

It was as quiet as ever. Liu Shuang and Yang Ziping stood respectfully at the entrance to the garden path, welcoming Wang Ping.

"Master!"

Hearing his disciples call out to him gave Wang Ping the feeling of returning home. He stretched out his large hands and lightly patted both disciples on the shoulders, then led them back into the courtyard.

"Master, what do monsters look like? Are they like the storytellers at the Mountain Foot say, with beasts' heads, tusks two feet long, and specially made for biting people's necks...?"

After paying her respects, Liu Shuang had an endless stream of words. Yang Ziping remained as quiet—or perhaps as wooden—as before.

Wang Ping answered all his disciple's questions with, "You'll know in the future." Faced with such a perfunctory reply, Liu Shuang did not mind in the slightest. Her questions continued to pour forth without end.

"I read in a book that if a monster's flesh and blood are buried in the soil, they can nourish the land and turn ordinary fields into Spirit Fields. Master, did you bring any back?"

Wang Ping shook his head.

"Why not?"

Wang Ping still shook his head, then lightly patted Liu Shuang's shoulder. "Demons and humans are both manifestations of life."

Just as Liu Shuang was about to continue questioning him, Wang Ping beat her to it. "How have your lessons been? Have you copied the scriptures? Has your Evergreen Cultivation Technique improved?"

"I have never missed a day of copying scriptures. As for the Evergreen Cultivation Technique... I don't know whether I've improved!" Yang Ziping answered in a methodical manner, while Liu Shuang's gaze flickered evasively.

"Practice the Evergreen Cultivation Technique once for me first."

"Yes!"

The two first bowed to Wang Ping, then walked to the open space beside them and adjusted their breathing. Liu Shuang soon finished her set, while Yang Ziping was a little slower.

"How did it feel?" Wang Ping asked.

"It didn't feel like anything..."

"My body still feels uncoordinated." Yang Ziping lowered his head.

"It's all right... It'll slowly get better." After comforting Yang Ziping, Wang Ping asked, "Where are the scriptures you copied?"

Just as Wang Ping had imagined, Liu Shuang had copied scriptures only on the First Day and had not touched them afterward. Her cultivation practice was probably no different.

"There are not many Bamboo Slips left for copying scriptures. As punishment, make one hundred Bamboo Slips. Yulian, supervise her!" Wang Ping handed down Liu Shuang's punishment.

Yulian, who had been sleeping, opened her eyes. Her Vertical Pupils swept over Liu Shuang, making the girl's skin crawl.

After giving his instructions, Wang Ping headed toward his room. Before entering, Yulian returned to her original length and leaped into the Fur Coat by the door.

Inside, Wang Ping sat cross-legged On the Bed and soon Entered Meditation. After the sightseeing and wandering along the way, the battle on North Mountain in Shu County had nearly worn away its impact on his State of Mind.

One hour later.

Wang Ping opened his eyes and let out a long breath. He stared blankly at the Main Gate of his room for a while, then fell backward and went to sleep...

Outside the room, Yulian opened her eyes. She glanced at the two children diligently making Bamboo Slips in the courtyard, then rose and skillfully pulled open the door with her tail before entering the room. After her Vertical Pupils studied Wang Ping On the Bed for a long while, she too climbed onto the bed, coiled around Wang Ping's wrist, and returned to a length of one foot.

Wang Ping slept very comfortably.

The next day, he rose at the crow of the rooster. As before, he first went before the Huai Tree to practice Qi and meditate. By Yin Hour, the two disciples had also risen. Yawning, they first checked whether the Spirit Wood in the garden needed any Withered Branches pruned.

They worked until daybreak. Liu Shuang went to the kitchen to make breakfast, while Yang Ziping went to the Water Well to draw water.

By the time breakfast was ready, Wang Ping had just completed his daily Three Hours of Foundation Establishment. He rose and walked into the courtyard, where he heard Liu Shuang call, "Master, breakfast is ready!"

They ate in the newly built Main House. The staple food had become Rice Porridge, while the dishes were fresh Wild Vegetables delivered from the Mountain Foot yesterday, stir-fried in lard and very tasty. In addition, everyone had a piece of air-dried Cured Meat.

Life at the Daoist temple was getting better and better...

After breakfast, the two disciples, just as Wang Ping had done ten years ago, began cleaning the small courtyard and garden. Wang Ping successively brought up the Five Elements Condensation Technique and the Yin-Yang Body Tempering Array to study them...

The Body Tempering Array was not something he could consider yet. Just gathering the two Array Eyes of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang would take some time. The Condensation Technique, however, could be attempted. The Daoist temple had quite a few Spiritual Medicines, enough for his ten daily condensations.

Thus, he called Liu Shuang over and told her to go down the mountain to the Daoist temple and bring Zhao Qing back.

Liu Shuang was overjoyed upon hearing the order. She was not someone who could sit still, and she loved joining the excitement and gossiping most of all. Yet Wang Ping and Yang Ziping had personalities completely opposite to hers.

Taking advantage of the interval, Wang Ping found a new spell in the spellbook Daoist Yucheng had given him to practice. As for the Cloud Soaring Technique he had practiced before, Wang Ping already knew that only after completing Foundation Establishment would Clouds constructed from True Essence possibly be able to support him into the sky.

The new spell Wang Ping chose was the Cleanse Technique. What had annoyed him most during the battle in the Mountain Forest of North Mountain was getting a monster's blood on his clothes. Every time, he had needed Feng Miao or Xia Yao to use the Cleanse Technique, which made even him feel awkward.

After reading the casting requirements for the Cleanse Technique, the Light Screen Panel popped up just as expected:

[Cleanse Technique: Use spiritual energy to sense stains on clothing, the body, or within space, then strip them away. Given your sensitivity to spiritual energy, you can master it after practicing 20 times (Progress 0/20)]

[Note: The hand seals for this spell are not fixed. It is very necessary to design a handsome hand seal for yourself.]

"..."

This was the first time Wang Ping had seen the Light Screen Panel act mischievously, but it was not wrong. The hand seals Feng Miao had designed were indeed cool, and there were even several variations.

For his first practice, he definitely could not use himself as an experiment. Wang Ping looked toward the Stone Table in the courtyard, but after glancing at Yang Ziping cleaning there, he decided it would be better to return to his room and study it slowly.

"Your master is going to practice an important spell. If anything comes up, call for me outside the door." Wang Ping walked to the doorway and solemnly instructed Yang Ziping.

"Yes, Master!"

For his first practice, Wang Ping used his desk as the test subject.

Using spiritual energy to sense the stains on an object's surface was easy, but stripping and pulverizing them was not simple. The first attempt failed, just as expected.

When he began the second attempt, Yulian opened her eyes and slowly crawled onto Wang Ping's left arm. Curiously sensing Wang Ping casting the Cleanse Technique, she too began learning it involuntarily.

He quickly completed the twenty practices. Wang Ping gained something different every time, and after the twentieth attempt, he successfully cleaned the tabletop and chairs.

It was a success, but he was still not very proficient. He had not reached the point where he could activate it merely by setting a hand seal.

After practicing twice more and gaining some proficiency, just as he was about to continue, Liu Shuang's voice came from outside the door. "Master, Uncle-Master Zhao is already waiting for you in the Main House."

Wang Ping immediately stopped practicing. After straightening his clothes and cap, he pushed open the door and walked out.

Upon seeing Wang Ping, Zhao Qing immediately rose and came out of the Main House. Cupping his hands, he said, "Senior brother..."

Wang Ping returned the greeting. After the two politely entered the Main House, Liu Shuang had Yang Ziping bring over two cups of tea. After taking a sip, Wang Ping put an end to the small talk and discussed Serious Matter with Zhao Qing.

"Aren't pills meant to be eaten? They can also be made into weapons?" Zhao Qing asked in confusion.

"Some are for eating, and some can be made into weapons. It depends on how they are used—for example, poison..."

"If we succeed in making them, can we sell them outside?"

Zhao Qing asked instinctively, then explained, "The Daoist temple still owes the Daoist Scripture Hall some silver. The spoils from exterminating demons in Shu County this time can repay the silver, but contribution points cannot be exchanged for silver. We need good spiritual items or pills."