Dao Companion

Li Fan sat beside the table, with a Food Cauldron before him. Inside, a rich broth had been simmering over low heat and was now fully stewed, bubbling hot around what looked like huge chunks of ribs. The cauldron also contained all sorts of precious medicinal ingredients—mountain ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, shiitake, cypress nuts—stewed until the soup was thick and creamy. Its fragrant aroma filled the air, making his mouth water.

Li Fan's mood rose slightly.

Li Fan swallowed, then darkened his expression and turned to look at Kun, which lay flat on the adjacent table with its fins spread out.

Three small dishes of vinegar dip sat before Kun, along with several little leaf-wrapped rice dumplings filled respectively with glutinous rice mixed with fresh vegetables and dried fruit, cilantro and tofu, and minced meat and fish powder. It even had a small bowl of thick soup served beside it. The damn thing had three dishes and a soup too...

Li Fan narrowed his eyes at Kun. All of a sudden, he somewhat understood how Fairy Wangshu must have felt when she looked at him every day. Eat it? There was barely two ounces of meat on it, not even enough to get between his teeth. Raise it? That was troublesome, and it would take several thousand years! He might as well pick the thing up and toss it into the pot for a hotpot meal...

Fuling saw through his thoughts at once. "No. No matter what, this is Qingyue's spirit beast, right? This is what they call Dao affinity. The 'companion' in wealth, Dao companions, techniques, and land—throwing it away would be a pity. Come, Daoist, please eat."

As she spoke, she picked up a bamboo ladle and poured some spring water over Kun's back.

But Wangshu Residence had been built directly over the Cold Pool, where Profound Nether True Qi was abundant. This thing was a Divine Beast, more or less, so it did not really lack water. Fuling probably just thought it was amusing...

"How about you raise it for me, Sister Fuling?" If it had been something like The Return of the Condor Heroes, that would have been one thing. Li Fan did not want to wander the martial world with a catfish at his side...

"Don't be ungrateful after getting such a bargain. Forming a Dao companion bond with a Divine Beast spirit pet is a rare opportunity. Beast-Taming Dual Cultivation can benefit both sides, and there are many profound techniques involved. This is a secret art of the Three Great Sects. Those Divine Beasts are even the sacred guardian spirits of ancient Daoist sects. Even Bamboo Mountain has never had such fortune." Fuling rolled her eyes at Li Fan. Seeing that Kun liked tofu, she gave it another spoonful.

Li Fan: "..."

He knew that finding divine dragons, fire phoenixes, fox girls, cat girls, and the like was supposed to be a standard perk and hidden trait for transmigrators. But why had he drawn a catfish when it was his turn?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that it was not a catfish, but a Kun.

Kun, Kun, Kun—Kun my ass. What use was such a tiny thing? Could it play basketball?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that although it did not know what basketball was, a Kun could contain mountains and rivers within its qi, overturn the Northern Darkness, and swallow the Nine Seas. When its Dao arts reached great completion, it could transform into a Cloud-Piercing Golden-Winged Roc and soar across the heavens and myriad universes. Though this Kun was young, it had been born of the Great Dao. As long as it learned the Divine Beast True Method, it could cultivate and grow alongside the host, never falling behind others in realm.

Oh? Then did it have that Divine Beast True Method?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that the Immortal Palace lineage was more skilled in beast-taming methods. The Dao companions used by Beichen Sect were flying swords.

Damn it, that was the same as saying nothing. By the time this thing grew up, he might have been dead for thousands of years!

Li Fan could not help rolling his eyes. Forget it. He would not bother with the thing anymore. He had not placed much hope in the system's random nonsense draws from the start. He would just carry it around as a decorative little pet. At least Fuling seemed to like this kind of dumb little fish. He could keep it around to charm girls...

Li Fan stopped dwelling on it. He served himself a bowl of soup and picked up a rib.

Li Fan's mood rose significantly by 1 point.

Fuling watched him and asked somewhat cautiously, "How does it taste? Miss specifically instructed me to prepare this medicinal meal for you. The ingredients themselves have strong flavors. Even though I tried to adjust the seasoning, it may still be hard to swallow. But for cultivation's sake, try to eat as much as you can..."

"Sister Fuling, you are far too modest!" Li Fan wolfed it down, quickly emptying his bowl to the bottom. "The meat has a great chew to it, and it was stewed perfectly. I nearly swallowed my own tongue with it. It is even better than those imperial chefs beyond the mountains! This is simply a rare delicacy in the Human Dao!"

"Really... Hmph, you are just flattering me. What imperial cuisine have you ever eaten?" Fuling looked doubtful, but seeing him truly eat with such relish, gnawing piece after piece, she relaxed. "Still, Qingyue, you really are impressive. You saw Miss's Devil Form and can still eat..."

At that, Li Fan's chopsticks paused. His face darkened. "Well... maybe because I saw it, I threw up all the acid in my stomach..."

"Hehehe! You deserve a beating!" Fuling covered her mouth and laughed. Seeing Kun on the table staring at the Food Cauldron and slapping its fins, she held back her laughter and fished out a small piece of meat for it. "But Miss entered the Dao through your guidance, so I should thank you as well. Is there anything you would like to eat? I can make something else for you."

Would tofu do?

Li Fan swallowed the rib meat in his mouth and smiled. "No need to be so polite, Sister Fuling. I did not really do anything. The fairy awakened on her own. Even without me, she probably would have broken through herself in a century or two."

Fuling nodded, then shook her head. "No matter what, sooner is better. The Mountain Lord is in seclusion, and Qin Jianshi is severely injured. Our sect is at a time when no successors are emerging. With Miss breaking through to Divine Transformation, we finally have someone to support us openly."

"No successors?" Li Fan found that strange. "But I saw dozens of True Persons come to congratulate the fairy..."

Fuling sneered. "Do you think they truly came to offer congratulations?"

Li Fan fell silent for a moment. Kun also turned its eyes toward Fuling.

Fuling gave a bitter smile. "Forget it. I should not have told a boy like you about some of these matters, but sooner or later Qingyue, you will have to know. Let me give you a few warnings first. Do you know the origins of our Ink Bamboo Mountain sect?"

Li Fan shook his head repeatedly.

After thinking for a moment, Fuling said, "It is a long story. I only heard a rough account from Miss. Back when the False Moon had not yet appeared, and cultivators still pursued the Taiji Xian Dao, the First Patriarch Immortal Venerable was the first Enlightenment Stage cultivator in heaven and earth, and also the first Feather Transformation Immortal. Later, he suppressed the Four Divine Continents and Twelve Countries, using the Immortal Palace to govern the Immortal Realm and the Human Dao.

"Back then, most cultivators of the cultivation world and the Human Dao worshiped the Immortal Venerable and were entered into the Immortal Appointment Register and Investiture of the Gods under the Immortal Palace's jurisdiction. Yet there were always independent cultivators unwilling to abandon their own Dao. The Immortal Palace branded them heretics, and our Ink Bamboo Mountain was founded by those independent heretic cultivators.

"So, Qingyue, as you have seen, Ink Bamboo Mountain has two mountains and fourteen peaks, but far more sect inheritances than that. They were merely suppressed by the Immortal Palace and forced together to unite for self-preservation. Because resources and successors were limited, and because independent cultivation methods could not match the superior orthodox Limitless Immortal Dao, they eventually did away with sect distinctions altogether, exchanged secret manuals and Cultivation Methods, and cultivated together.

"Therefore, cultivators who enter Ink Bamboo Mountain may study the methods of every sect and choose a Cultivation Method suited to themselves. As long as each lineage has someone to inherit it, that is enough. Originally, there was no sense of division between sects.

"However, after the False Moon appeared in the heavens and the mainstream path of cultivation became the Supreme Plain Heavenly Dao, Ink Bamboo Mountain instead developed differences in what people called 'different Daos.' Over the years, two factions gradually formed within the Mountain Gate."

Fuling pointed outside Wangshu Residence, where the Mountain Lord's flying peak—the one Li Fan had once visited for drinks—could faintly be seen. "One faction is our Inner Sect Mountain Lord's lineage. Beneath the Mountain Lord are three personal disciples, including Miss, along with Elders Qin Jianshi and Du Gongshi. They advocate actively worshiping the moon, transforming oneself into Tai Su, and cultivating the Innate Great Dao.

"However, as you should know by now, the Mountain Lord's faction all takes the shortcut of the Tai Su Dao. They have borrowed moon worship to rise meteorically over the last few centuries, but their foundations are shallow, and Devil Forms often manifest. Thus, they are generally not formally accepted as inherited Dao disciples until they break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. There are not many talented people beneath them."

Then she pointed beyond the mountain. "The other faction is the Outer Sect Abbot's inheritance. They belong to the ancient Lou Guan lineage. Lou Guan means building towers from grass and observing the stars and qi—an ancient Daoist tradition. It was originally the largest sect within Ink Bamboo Mountain and has always dominated affairs beyond the mountains. Thus, when our sect travels outside, we generally carry the registers of Lou Guan.

"The Abbot's lineage holds views much like the three major powers. Unless they have reached the threshold for a breakthrough, they will never risk worshiping the moon directly. But Lou Guan has possessed secret star-observing techniques since ancient times, methods for borrowing the power of stars. After the False Moon appeared, they could directly observe the forms of things and Non-Things within the Primordial Universe. In addition, disciples of the Mountain Lord's faction often manifest Devil Forms, providing meat and materials to share. Thus, while the Abbot's lineage cultivates daily in ways less exquisite and swift than the Tai Su Dao, it is still superior to ordinary Postnatal Immortal Dao. Quite a few have successfully broken through to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Stages.

"Therefore, Ink Bamboo Mountain's reputation has grown louder and louder in recent years. Once the Mountain Lord and Miss stabilize their foundations, Ink Bamboo Mountain will be a great sect with one Enlightenment Stage cultivator and three Divine Transformations. Even among the Three Great Sects and compared with those ancient Daoist traditions, we would rank among the top ten sects."

"I see." Li Fan understood. Like him, Bamboo Mountain cultivators also weighed the risks of moon worship. The Mountain Lord's lineage cultivated recklessly despite the risks, while the Abbot's lineage used moon worship only to break through at thresholds. Normally, they probably cultivated using Devil Form materials and medicinal food like Five Immortals Soup. Thinking about it that way, most of the cultivators who had come to kill Fairy Wangshu had likely belonged to the Abbot's faction, coming to divide the meat.

"So the Abbot's faction and the Mountain Lord's faction are fighting internally for control over Ink Bamboo Mountain's Daoist Tradition?" Li Fan asked.

Fuling laughed and shook her head. "It has not reached that point. The position of Inner Sect Mountain Lord has always followed the established rule that the most powerful person in Ink Bamboo Mountain assumes it and guards the Ink Bamboo Mountain Grotto-Heaven blessed land. As for the Outer Sect Abbot, that position has always been held by the head of Lou Guan. Due to their Daoist connections, they have extensive ties with the Three Great Sects and the Human Dao. What is there to fight over?"

"Then..."

"I am reminding you that among the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core disciples, some view moon-worshiping cultivators like Miss as demonic cultivators. They do not believe such people can suppress their demonic natures and think they might reveal their true forms at any time." Fuling said seriously. "These people do not dare worship the moon themselves, yet they count on others turning into demons to provide pill materials. They may not even give cultivators who have manifested their forms a chance to regain their senses. The moment an opportunity arises, they may come to kill them and divide the meat.

"And Ink Bamboo Mountain is already like this. Among cultivators of the Three Great Sects and other sects, this tendency is even more severe.

"You worshiped the moon the moment you entered the Mountain Gate, Qingyue. Sooner or later, there may come a time when you cannot restrain yourself and your Devil Form manifests. Not only must you hold fast to your heart and Dao to keep yourself under control, you must also beware of these so-called fellow sect members and fellow Daoists. Human demonic nature is sometimes the fiercest of all.

"Enough. Eat slowly and rest early. Tomorrow, I will take you to Mu Long."

Li Fan solemnly bowed in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, Sister Fuling."

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that this girl had dull aptitude. Upholding Heaven's Dao and slaying demons was the original duty of cultivators like us. Upon seeing a Devil Form, should one not eliminate it at once? Why give it an opportunity to restrain itself? What if it failed to restrain itself, escaped, and harmed the common people? Whose fault would that be? Host, do not listen to her nonsense. Just slay demons and divide the meat. What could be more enjoyable?

...Fine. So the two factions really had fundamentally incompatible values. If Li Fan had to put it, specific matters required specific...

Then Kun slapped the table.

Kun indicated that it wanted more tofu.

Eat, eat, eat—you little bastard!

The catfish's interruption scattered Li Fan's thoughts. He simply decided not to worry about these future matters yet. He ate his fill of meat and soup, then threw the leftovers to Kun to clean up. Afterward, he returned to his room to meditate and digest the Dao Breath replenished within his body.

The True Qi within Li Fan's body was now at least equivalent to that of an ordinary person who had cultivated for twenty years in the Qi Refinement Stage. The meridians throughout his body had been opened, his Inner Landscape of the three burners was formed, and his Qi Sea was full. He had actually reached the point where he could begin preparing for Foundation Establishment, but Profound Heaven Sword Intent advised him not to rush.

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that the host had just consumed a bellyful of Divine Astral Source at Nine Mountains, had also eaten Devil Embryo beast meat with Crimson Fiend attributes, and Profound Nether Pill Liquid lay beneath Wangshu Residence. Ink Bamboo Mountain also lacked no rare fruits and plants filled with Purple Radiance and Dust-Returning Dual Qi. As long as the host gathered and consumed these Heavenly Treasures before the spirit food in his stomach was digested, he could achieve Perfect Five-Qi Foundation Establishment.

Perfect Five-Qi Foundation Establishment?

"Can't I directly use the Inner Five Elements to transform the Five Elements True Qi into one another?" Li Fan asked curiously.

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that he could, but after Perfect Five-Qi Foundation Establishment, the five qi would immediately circulate within the Inner Landscape, allowing the host to directly condense Five Ghost Flying Swords and save several decades... save several days of cultivation...

All right. By the end, even Profound Heaven Sword Intent realized it had been thinking out of habit. The cultivation pace of the Postnatal Immortal Dao had long become outdated. Perhaps by the time Li Fan gathered these Heavenly Treasures, he could have directly established his foundation and cultivated the qi back himself. Sigh. Cultivation really had entered easy mode in this era. It was utterly different from the decades or centuries of bitter cultivation in the past.

Li Fan himself did not mind being a little slower. At this pace, gathering Heavenly Treasures would be easy enough anyway.

So he first went outside to the Cold Pool and filled a container with some Profound Nether Pill Liquid. Then he saw Kun still drinking soup, with an apple sitting beside the table, so he casually snatched it and bit into it.

Profound Heaven Sword Intent indicated that this Scarlet Fruit would do. Now only Dust-Returning Qi was lacking.

Kun became furious.

Kun indicated that Fuling had given it that.

"Hey, don't be so stingy. What is yours is mine, and what is mine is still mine. We are Dao companions, so why distinguish between us? All right, all right, I'll ask Fuling for two more for you tomorrow." Li Fan casually fooled it.

Kun puffed up its eyes and glared at Li Fan for three seconds.

Kun indicated that was acceptable, but he had to remember to return two to it.

Sigh... This stupid thing was truly beyond saving...