Wood Spirit Qi (Please Bookmark, Please Follow)

Strange Pavilion.

Daoist Gu Heng was helping Tao You, Steward of Thousand Wood Temple's Discipline Court, guide the energy of the formation. Tao You, at the center of the formation, was drenched in sweat from the pain, but he was no longer rolling all over the ground as he had at the beginning.

Suddenly, Daoist Gu Heng seemed to sense something and looked to his left. A Blue Flowing Light gathered there, and Daoist Yucheng's figure appeared.

"You condensed your Divine Soul in one month. Your disciple truly has the talent for the Dao."

"He succeeded in condensing it half a month ago. I helped him consolidate it for another half month." As Daoist Yucheng spoke, his right hand stroked his beard, and he looked faintly pleased with himself.

Gu Heng turned his head away, refusing to look at Daoist Yucheng's smug expression. After a long silence, he asked, "Do you think he can cultivate the Taiyan Secret Method within thirty years?"

"If luck is on his side, he can do it within twenty years..."

"Let's hope so. I waited a full thirty years back then and never found the right opportunity. In the end, I had no choice but to switch to another cultivation method. I don't even know if I'll be able to touch the threshold of the Second Realm in my lifetime."

"Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current. How will you know if you don't try?"

"You only know how to talk about others. What about yourself?"

"I'm different..."

"What's different about you?"

Daoist Yucheng fell silent, and Gu Heng let the matter drop.

After a long while, Gu Heng said, "Aren't you going to watch over him? I'd wager he won't be able to resist cultivating the Wood Spirit Technique today, just like we were back then."

"No need. Unlike us when we were young, he can settle his mind when cultivating. All these years, he has nourished that Huai Tree with spiritual energy every day. So even without my guidance, this step will go smoothly."

"Uh..."

Gu Heng seemed to recall the restless heart he had possessed when he first entered the Dao. He agreed, "Then you're right. He truly was born for cultivation."

Yucheng stroked his beard again and smiled. "Yes. When most people first cultivate, their composure and calm are merely an act put on for their stern elders. Only he is genuine."

Wang Ping had no idea that his Master was using him to boast. Once he finished condensing his Divine Soul, he returned straight to the small courtyard. He had intended to try the Wood Spirit Art, but when he reached the Huai Tree, his thoughts simply would not settle.

"You're letting your mind run wild again..."

Yulian returned to her original length from Wang Ping's wrist. She was now over ten feet long, with a layer of gray-white scales growing over her body. She looked somewhat more imposing than before, and she loved to coil amid clouds around Wang Ping's body.

Wang Ping smiled. "Human thoughts are more complicated. For instance, whenever I make progress in cultivation, I like to imagine what I'll be like after becoming a Cultivator of a great realm. Then I can't stop, as though I've already become one... Don't you fantasize?"

"No. My head is small. There isn't any extra room for fantasies."

"..."

Wang Ping entered the small courtyard. His two disciples had already gone down the mountain to exchange pointers with their senior and junior brothers. He took out a tea set and placed it on the table in the courtyard, then brought out a Small Stove from the kitchen, intending to brew tea and pass the time. A Young Disciple doing odd jobs nearby wanted to step forward to help, but Wang Ping waved him away.

"I've always had a question for you. Can you really manifest as dragons, like they say in folk tales?"

Yulian, who was coiled around a chair waiting for tea, heard Wang Ping's question. Her pair of Vertical Pupils turned toward him. Her expectant gaze became one that looked as though she were staring at a fool. "Do you think that's possible? Can you turn a hen into a Live Shrimp?"

Wang Ping smiled awkwardly. For the rest of the afternoon, he drank tea and chatted with Yulian, adjusting his somewhat restless emotions.

Before nightfall, Liu Shuang and Yang Ziping returned to Forest Garden together.

During dinner, Liu Shuang happily recounted how she had shown off her skills in the Front Hall, occasionally making Yang Ziping chime in to support her story.

Wang Ping merely listened. He did not correct Liu Shuang's unstable temperament, because he knew it would be useless. Cultivation required one to understand things for oneself; others could only provide guidance.

After dinner, the two disciples returned to their rooms and meditated.

Using the moonlight, Wang Ping brought Yulian to the Huai Tree and sat down cross-legged before it. He first glanced at the Long Sword planted nearby, then calmed his mind and entered meditation.

"I'm about to use my Divine Soul to communicate with the Wood Spirit. Keep watch for me."

"No problem!"

Yulian circled around Wang Ping, and their spiritual energy quickly merged into one. Then Wang Ping awakened his Divine Soul and entered the world formed by spiritual energy. Soon, he sensed a vague consciousness beside him that was incomparably compatible with his Divine Soul. The moment he thought of communicating with it, the other party connected with him directly.

It was a cheerful, optimistic consciousness, yet it also carried an ancient, murky quality and surging, boundless vitality. At that moment, Wang Ping seemed to feel as though he were an immortal.

The sensation was wonderful—so wonderful that only after a long while did Wang Ping remember to guide the Wood Spirit Qi to assimilate his Qi Sea.

He tried carefully...

To his surprise, the first Great Heavenly Cycle ran successfully. Not the slightest mishap occurred; it was as smooth and unobstructed as his usual Qi Refining.

In less than Half an Hour, he completed the ten daily cycles of qi circulation described in the Light Screen Panel's guide. Just as he was about to continue, Yulian's consciousness suddenly strengthened within his Spirit Sea, severing his connection to the Huai Tree's consciousness.

"What's wrong?" Wang Ping asked.

"You've already absorbed enough Wood Spirit Qi today. If you keep absorbing more, even your skin will be assimilated."

Hearing that, Wang Ping recalled the precautions in the Light Screen Panel's guide. Then he felt an indescribable itch all over his body. His body was merging with the Wood Spirit Qi.

"Take an internal look," Yulian reminded him.

"Alright!"

Internal inspection was an ability Wang Ping had gained after cultivating his Divine Soul. It did not mean he could see his internal organs, but that he could use his Divine Soul to "see" the Qi Sea within his body and the state of his spiritual energy's circulation.

At this moment, within Wang Ping's Qi Sea and meridians, a mass of Wood Spirit Qi was merging with the spiritual energy that had originally been in his body. The Wood Spirit Qi carried a faint green hue, making it easy to "observe."

After finding nothing unusual, Wang Ping withdrew from internal inspection. His Divine Soul was still very fragile. Then he recalled the process of relying on the Huai Tree's consciousness to absorb Wood Spirit Qi.

It had felt so comfortable, as though his consciousness had been immersed in a hot spring, making him want to continue forever.

Thinking of that sensation, Wang Ping could not help but think to himself, Sure enough, the most dangerous places are often the gentle havens. They're far more dangerous than fighting with real blades and true spears. One careless step, and it's a calamity beyond redemption.

As Wang Ping silently reminded himself to be more careful in the future, he rose to his feet and returned to the room in the small courtyard to meditate and rest.

At Cockcrow Hour the next day, he woke up again and continued Foundation Establishment and qi gathering.

One afternoon three months later, Wang Ping had just finished guiding the circulation of Wood Spirit Qi and was about to return spiritual energy to nourish the Huai Tree when a Young Disciple from the Internal Affairs Office at the mountain foot delivered a letter.

It was a letter Wang Kang had asked someone to send. He had already arrived in the Capital City, and the letter described the Capital City's prosperity in great detail. Wang Ping wrote back very earnestly.

A few days later, near the start of winter, another letter arrived. This time it was from Su Dun. The war on the front lines had completely ended, and the Rebels who had scattered into Hailin Road had been thoroughly wiped out. His wording discreetly mentioned that the people of two counties had suffered greatly, and that one county seat had even been slaughtered.

Wang Ping sighed after reading it. What came next would be the crucial stage of Qi Refining for his two disciples.