Spirit Snake Yulian (Please Keep Reading, Please Bookmark)

Mao Shi.

Wang Ping opened his eyes. Since he could not keep the spiritual energy circulating within his body at all times, he had collapsed into sleep after meditating for less than Half an Hour. Upon waking, he immediately got up and pushed open the door. He drew a bucket of cool water from the Water Well in the courtyard and washed up simply. By then, Daoist Yucheng had already emerged from his room carrying a stove.

After saluting Daoist Yucheng, Wang Ping went to the Training Ground to practice the Evergreen Cultivation Technique. Daoist Yucheng began preparing the ingredients for Chicken Soup. By the time Wang Ping finished a set of the Evergreen Cultivation Technique and was ready to meditate for Qi Refining, the Chicken Soup was already simmering.

"Don't rush to practice Qi Refining today."

Daoist Yucheng took out yesterday's Wooden Box and opened it beneath Wang Ping's curious gaze. Inside was unexpectedly a Green Egg, its shell encircled by a beautiful pattern.

"This is a Spirit Snake Egg. From today onward, hold it in your palm when you practice Qi Refining."

Over the past year, Wang Ping had devoured the Collection of Books and knew what Spirit Snakes were. They were born with intelligence, beloved children of Heaven and Earth. Most importantly, they could distinguish Good and Evil, appraising a person's morality much like the Alignment Appraisal Technique from a game in Wang Ping's previous life.

"Thank you, Master!" Wang Ping immediately bowed in gratitude.

"I have calculated that this Little Fellow will break out of its shell within three months. During those three months, you must stay with him at all times and let him grow familiar with your aura, so that once he hatches, he will recognize you as his master."

"Yes!"

"Good. You may begin practicing Qi Refining."

Following his instructions, Wang Ping sat cross-legged in meditation. The instant he began circulating the Qi within his body, Daoist Yucheng sent a strand of spiritual energy into him to guide the way.

When the Qi within Wang Ping's body completed one cycle, the Spirit Snake Egg resting in his hand began rolling back and forth. The Little Fellow inside seemed rather excited at that moment.

As Wang Ping practiced Qi Refining, he sensed an unfamiliar aura enter his Spirit Sea. Daoist Yucheng's voice came at the same time. "Settle your heart and calm your Qi. Continue meditating and practicing Qi Refining."

Wang Ping hurriedly gathered his thoughts. That unfamiliar aura remained, and he felt drowsiness arise within its emotions. Before long, it fell silent. Wang Ping's mind returned to calm, and the Qi in his body soon completed five Great Heavenly Cycles.

Then Wang Ping opened his eyes and heard True Man Yucheng call, "Come eat."

Cultivation knew no passage of time. Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

High summer had already passed, and Yongshan County had entered autumn. Yet the weather remained scorching. This morning, when Wang Ping rose and pushed open his door, he saw Daoist Yucheng standing outside, casting divinations.

"The Little Fellow on you should break out of its shell today. When you practice Qi Refining later, simply circulate the Qi within your body as usual. Leave everything else to me."

"Alright!"

Wang Ping nodded.

As usual, he first completed a set of the Evergreen Cultivation Technique, causing the Qi around his body to form invisible whirlpools. Compared with when he had first perfected the Evergreen Cultivation Technique, the Qi Wang Ping could now wield had increased by at least twofold.

Taking advantage of the abundant Qi within his body, Wang Ping walked over to the Straw Mat, sat cross-legged, and began practicing Qi Refining.

After completing one Great Heavenly Cycle of Qi circulation, Wang Ping could clearly sense that the previously unfamiliar emotions within his Spirit Sea now roamed about as though they were in their own home. Today, they were especially excited.

Following his Master's instructions, Wang Ping did not divide his attention to deal with them and continued practicing Qi Refining as he always had.

When he completed his second Great Heavenly Cycle, a hairline crack appeared in the shell of the Spirit Snake Egg in his hand. The next moment, the area around the crack slowly began to bulge.

When Wang Ping began his third Great Heavenly Cycle, the white membrane inside the crack split open with a tiny hole. A grayish-white little head poked out. Its small eyes, still covered in a trace of mucus, looked around before its body, about five inches long, swiftly broke free of the shell.

At that moment, a Frog Leg appeared before the Little Fellow.

The Little Fellow did not stand on ceremony and immediately took a bite. Then he rolled his eyes upward and saw the person offering the Frog Leg. He shuddered in fright, dropping the Frog Leg from his mouth into Wang Ping's palm, then instinctively fled toward Wang Ping's sleeve. In the Little Fellow's subconscious, that was where safety lay.

But then the Little Fellow's body floated into the air. A Green Light carrying a seal incantation entered his head, followed by a faint White Light from within his mind shooting straight into Wang Ping's brow.

After the White Light vanished, he landed in Wang Ping's palm, then darted into Wang Ping's sleeve and coiled himself around Wang Ping's wrist.

Wang Ping immediately felt something.

At that moment, Daoist Yucheng's voice rang out. "Continue practicing Qi Refining!"

Wang Ping settled his heart again. The Azure Purple Light trembling over his body gradually returned to calm. After a while, the Spirit Snake poked his head out from Wang Ping's sleeve and looked left and right.

After confirming there was no danger, the Spirit Snake coiled around Wang Ping's wrist and moved beside the Frog Leg. He happily swallowed it in one gulp, then wound himself around Wang Ping's fingers and inspected his surroundings. Once he confirmed there was no danger, he opened his mouth and drew in the flowing azure-purple spiritual energy around Wang Ping.

A Quarter Hour later.

Wang Ping slowly finished his cultivation. Part of the spiritual energy on his body's surface returned to his body, while part dissipated into the air. The Spirit Snake shook his little head in lingering dissatisfaction, then slid down from Wang Ping's fingers and coiled around his wrist.

At that moment, Wang Ping opened his eyes. He immediately lowered his head to look at his wrist, and then their eyes met.

"I'm hungry..." A young little girl's voice rang out within Wang Ping's Spirit Sea.

"A Spirit Snake will be very hungry just after hatching. Feed her this Frog Meat."

As Daoist Yucheng spoke, the young little girl within Wang Ping's Spirit Sea said again, "That's an old man who keeps to the center. He has a very powerful Mystic Sect aura inside him."

Wang Ping's gaze flickered. He turned and took the Frog Meat Daoist Yucheng handed him, feeding it to her piece by piece. This time, she ate with complete peace of mind.

"Her Parents said that if it was male, it would be called Yu Ze; if female, Yulian." Watching the Spirit Snake eat happily, Daoist Yucheng said, "Also, whenever you go out in the future, make sure to tell her not to probe others at will."

There was a great deal of information in those words, but Daoist Yucheng did not elaborate, and Wang Ping did not ask. He merely replied, "Judging by her voice, she should be a girl."

"Then she will be called Yulian from now on, Yulian as in lotus. On your path of cultivation, she will be your most important companion. You may even choose not to trust me, but you must trust her words!"

After saying that, Daoist Yucheng called Wang Ping over to eat.

Wang Ping rose and washed his hands. By the time he returned to the Stone Table, Yulian had already coiled around his arm and fallen asleep.

After the meal, Daoist Yucheng asked, "How much of those Buddhist scriptures have you read?"

"Less than a third!"

"What are your thoughts?"

"The Buddhist ideals are grand, and their teachings hold great wisdom. But their great wisdom and lofty ideals do not suit our world."

"Mm."

Daoist Yucheng merely nodded after hearing this and said no more. Just as he turned to return to his room to meditate, a Footstep Sound came from outside the courtyard.

It was Old Daoist Wu. He slowly walked to the courtyard gate and pushed it open.

"Last night, while meditating, a ripple appeared in my Spirit Sea. I counted on my fingers and calculated... after this year, this old Daoist will have lived exactly two sixty-year cycles, yet I still haven't found a successor for my own Dao Lineage. It seems the Ancestor Master could no longer bear to watch and has been guiding me in the unseen."

"You're leaving?" Daoist Yucheng asked calmly.

"Yes!"

"When?"

"Right now." Old Daoist Wu chuckled and looked at Wang Ping. "I've eaten your food for several years. I'll give you a little trick as thanks."

With that, he tossed out a Bamboo Slip...