Several days slipped quietly by amid brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Shen Hui's life gradually settled into a routine:
He rose at the hour of the tiger and attended morning lessons at the hour of the hare;
After breakfast, he went to the West Courtyard to practice writing with Second Senior Sister Jingming for one shichen;
At the hour of the snake, he returned to his room and sat cross-legged in meditation until the afternoon;
At the hour of the monkey, he rose to stretch his limbs, or sat idly in the courtyard lost in thought;
He ate dinner at the hour of the rooster, then continued meditating at the hour of the dog until the next morning's lesson.
The cycle repeated, dull and unremarkable.
The days were as bland as water, yet steady and secure.
When he awoke from meditation that day, Shen Hui sank his consciousness into his sea of awareness as usual and checked the Parchment Interface:
[Daoist Name]: Qingxuan [Bone Age]: Twenty-two [Realm]: Qi Induction (0/10000) [Status]: Meditation [Dao Xing]: 111 (Assignable) [Destined Path]: Not Manifested [Corpse Liberation Wheel]: Unactivated
One hundred and eleven points.
One hundred of them had come from ten days of meditation—ten points each day, without fail.
Another six had come from the six spiritual fruits left over from that day. He ate one each day, and each fruit had indeed allowed him to condense one additional point.
As for the final five points, he had painstakingly scraped them together from his spare time each day.
He sat for a few extra shichen during his noon break and stayed up for a few more after the hour of the dog. Bit by bit, grains of sand gathered into a tower.
Shen Hui calculated silently. At this pace, he should reach the middle stage of Qi Refining in a little over a year. Then he could begin trying to practice Daoist arts...
He shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
Those mysterious arts were certainly alluring—like Fourth Senior Sister's Gengjin Sword Sha, or Third Senior Brother's flame art that reduced corpses to ashes.
But he knew well that cultivation was like building a tower. If the foundation was unstable, no matter how beautifully the upper floors were built, it would still be a perilous structure.
"Cultivation is the root; arts are the means."
He murmured to himself. With a turn of thought, he assigned all one hundred-plus points to the realm field.
Almost at once, a warm current surged from the depths of his Dantian. It was fuller than when he had first entered the Dao, yet gentler as well.
It flowed through his meridians at an unhurried pace. Wherever it passed, it felt as though warm water were soaking into him, and as though countless tiny ants were gently wriggling beneath his skin.
It itched and tingled, but did not feel unpleasant.
The warm current circulated through his body for three cycles before slowly returning to his Dantian and falling silent.
Shen Hui opened his eyes, a sense of clarity spreading through his entire body.
He could hear mountain birds chirping farther beyond the window; he could distinguish the faint earthy scent in the air; even the subtle friction between his Daoist robe and his skin felt clearer than before.
His ears were sharp, his eyes bright, his body light, and his health vigorous.
But the next instant, an unbearable sour stench rushed into his nostrils.
Looking down, he saw that a greasy layer of gray-black filth had seeped from his arms and body at some point, sticking thickly to his skin.
Pinching his nose, Shen Hui wiped off a little with his finger and brought it close to inspect.
It was oily and gleamed with a dim luster.
As if possessed, he brought it to his nose and sniffed—
"Bleurgh!"
The foul reek shot straight to the crown of his head, nearly making him vomit up his breakfast.
He hurriedly flung off the filth on his fingertips, then scrambled out the door and rushed to the water trough in the courtyard in a few strides.
He scooped up icy spring water and poured it over his head.
The mountain spring was cold enough to pierce his bones, yet it could not quench his desperate urge to scrub himself clean.
He stripped off his Daoist robe and scrubbed himself viciously beneath the cold water again and again. Only when his skin had turned red and hot did that disgusting sticky feeling finally fade.
After changing into a clean inner robe, he scooped another ladle of water and looked at his blurry reflection in the trough.
The rippling water reflected a sharply defined face.
His brows and eyes remained the same, but his skin was so pale it nearly dazzled. Shen Hui stared at his reflection for a moment, and the corners of his mouth slowly spread into a grin.
"Not bad... I look even more handsome now."
Nodding in satisfaction, he washed the dirty clothes he had changed out of, wrung them dry, and hung them on a bamboo pole in the courtyard.
Standing in the middle of the courtyard with his hands on his hips, he watched the Daoist robe sway gently in the wind, and suddenly felt dazed.
From gnawing on raw sweet potatoes in a ruined temple when he had first crossed over, to now having his own room, his own lessons, and his own... family, more or less, in a Daoist temple deep in the mountains—only a few short days had passed.
By the time he had idled away for a while, dusk was already near.
He straightened his collar and slowly wandered toward the Dining Hall.
The moment he stepped through its doors, Fifth Senior Brother Qing Shi was ladling porridge, Third Senior Brother Qingyi sat at the table flipping through a book, Fourth Senior Sister Jinghui lay sprawled over the table tapping her chopsticks with bored fingers, and Second Senior Sister Jingming had not yet arrived.
Shen Hui sat in his usual place and greeted everyone with a smile.
Then he noticed several gazes falling upon his face at the same time, each carrying varying degrees of puzzlement and scrutiny.
Jinghui was the first to speak, her face full of curiosity. "Little Junior Brother, why do you... look kind of strange today?"
Qingyi looked up as well, his gaze lingering on Shen Hui's face for a moment as a trace of contemplation flashed through his eyes.
Senior Brother Li Changxing set down his bowl of porridge, examined Shen Hui carefully, and suddenly asked, "Little Junior Brother, could it be that you've already entered the Dao?"
Shen Hui raised his brows slightly, then immediately understood why.
The changes from his cleansing of marrow and sinews were likely too obvious to hide from eyes that had cultivated for so many years.
He did not deny it, admitting frankly, "I was fortunate enough to enter the Dao."
Jinghui gave a startled cry. "That fast?!"
"It doesn't really count as fast. I heard that Second Senior Sister entered the Dao in only five days back then..."
Before he could finish, the Second Senior Sister he had just mentioned entered through the door.
The moment those calm eyes settled on him, Shen Hui wisely shut his mouth.
"Junior Brother has stayed indoors these past few days, meditating and refining Qi all day. Isn't an improvement in cultivation only natural?"
Second Senior Sister said it blandly, but did not expose the fact that he had entered the Dao long ago.
Shen Hui laughed heartily and did not respond.
Qingyi closed his book then, admiration appearing in his eyes.
Fifth Senior Brother Qing Shi's eyes lit up even more. His face was filled with envy and respect as he muttered, "That's incredible! It took me a full eleven years before I..."
Shen Hui could not help sighing at that.
Please don't compare yourself to me. I'm winning unfairly, while you're only making yourself suffer. Why put yourself through that?
Before his pained expression had lasted even a second, Senior Brother Li Changxing's large hand came down on his shoulder with a whoosh, striking hard enough to make his body sway.
"Good lad! You really are a cultivation prodigy! Master truly picked up a treasure this time!"
Shen Hui's shoulder ached from the blow, but he could only pile on a smile.
Everyone began talking over one another, asking how he had done it and whether he had encountered any bottlenecks... Shen Hui picked out a few things he could say and fobbed them off, though he felt somewhat guilty inside.
A while later, everyone took their seats and began eating.
Clear Wind Temple ate two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, both consisting of plain tea and simple fare.
Though the temple did not forbid meat, in all the days Shen Hui had been there, the meatiest thing in his bowl had been the occasional droplets of pork fat boiled into the food.
He had grown used to it. Just as he lifted his bowl of porridge to drink, he suddenly noticed something unusual in it today.
The porridge was still coarse rice porridge, but fine grayish bits floated across its surface.
He stirred it with his chopsticks. It was minced meat, chopped finely and mixed into the porridge.
He instinctively looked at everyone else's bowls.
Senior Brother had plain porridge, Third Senior Brother had plain porridge... Everyone's bowl contained plain porridge.
As he was wondering about it, Senior Brother had already voiced his question first. "Hm? Why does Little Junior Brother's bowl have minced meat?"
Fifth Senior Brother smiled honestly. "Fourth Senior Sister specially added it. She said Little Junior Brother had only just joined the mountain gate and was thin as a bamboo pole, so he ought to nourish his body."
The moment he finished speaking, Jinghui's chopsticks struck Qing Shi's head with a sharp tap.
"Why are you so loose-lipped?"
Qing Shi clutched his forehead with an innocent expression, but did not dare utter another word.
After the next morning's lesson, everyone was about to disperse when Old Taoist Ji Chen suddenly raised a hand.
"Qingxuan, stay behind."
Shen Hui paused, vaguely guessing what this was about.
After his senior brothers and sisters filed out one after another, only master and disciple remained in Chengxin Studio.
The Old Taoist's gaze settled on Shen Hui's face as he looked him over from top to bottom for a moment. He nodded faintly. "The turbid Qi has been purged, and clear Qi is beginning to emerge. It seems you have indeed entered the Dao."
Shen Hui lowered his head. "This disciple was fortunate."
"Fortunate?"
Old Taoist Ji Chen chuckled, stroking his beard. "There is no such thing as fortune on the path of cultivation. You have been in the sect less than half a month, yet you have made such progress. Your aptitude is truly excellent."
After a pause, he added, "Since you have entered the Dao, you may begin practicing arts. What do you wish to learn?"
Shen Hui thought, Just as expected.
He looked up and asked, "Master, this disciple has only recently joined the mountain gate and knows little. What Daoist arts does the temple possess?"
Leaning back in his chair, Old Taoist Ji Chen swayed his head as he spoke. "Though our Clear Wind Temple is no great sect, every patriarch throughout the generations has been a true cultivator of the Dao."
"Since Clear Wind Temple was founded more than two thousand seven hundred years ago, it has gained at least a faint name in the martial world, and its lineage of teachings has accumulated a little foundation as well."
Growing more animated, the Old Taoist rattled off another lengthy account of the temple's former glory.
Only when the sun stood high in the sky did he slowly say:
"At present, the sect has one Flying Sword Art, one volume of the Lesser Five Elements Art, one volume of the Aura Observation Art, one Sword Wielding Art, several Miscellaneous Talisman Scripts, and two movement arts: Crane Form and Snake Form. Tell me, which would you like to learn?"
Shen Hui was somewhat dazed. All those names sounded quite formidable, but he had no idea what any of them actually did.
He could only steel himself and ask again, "This disciple is dull-witted. What are the uses of these arts, and what are their differences?"
Old Taoist Ji Chen was not annoyed. Instead, he smiled and began explaining them one by one.
"The Flying Sword Art is Clear Wind Temple's signature skill, the True Interpretation of Clear Wind Entering Subtlety passed down by our founding patriarch, Cloud Deer True Man. However, this art requires Foundation Establishment before it can be cultivated. You cannot reach it yet."
He paused, then continued.
"The Lesser Five Elements Art is an orthodox mysterious sect art passed down by the temple's second master."
"Do not be fooled by the word 'lesser' in its name. If cultivated to profound depths, it can also give rise to great divine abilities. Its power in a battle of arts is peerless and exceptionally formidable. Most of the various arts practiced by your senior brothers and sisters today were derived from it."
"The Aura Observation Art was also passed down by the second patriarch. It can observe the terrain and feng shui of a region, discern the flow of fortune, and see whether someone bears fierce Blood Baleful Intent above their head, or whether their demonic Qi is clear or turbid. However, this art places rather high demands on talent. At present, only your Second Senior Sister has learned it in the temple. Others have explored it for years and still cannot find the way in."
"As for the Sword Wielding Art..."
The Old Taoist's tone lowered slightly. "It was a sword method realized by the fifth temple master when he traveled through Ten Thousand Swords Mountain and gained enlightenment atop Reflection Cliff. Put plainly, it is merely skill in wielding a sword—chopping, slashing, thrusting, lifting, advancing and retreating footwork. There is nothing especially mystical about it, but when one truly comes to blows, one cannot do without it."
"The Miscellaneous Talisman Scripts were gathered from all corners by the patriarchs of successive generations. Only in your grandmaster's generation, under the seventh temple master, did they truly take shape and shine brilliantly. If you are interested in drawing talismans, you may look through them later."
"As for the two movement arts," the Old Taoist said, raising two fingers, "Crane Form and Snake Form were devised by my master while he watched cranes dance and snakes slither in the mountains. Crane Form excels at shifting and evasion, while Snake Form is suited to sudden advances and lethal assaults. Each has its uses."
Shen Hui listened intently and silently committed it all to memory.
The Flying Sword Art sounded the most imposing, but its threshold was unfortunately too high.
The Lesser Five Elements Art encompassed everything, allowing his senior brothers and sisters to each take what they needed.
The Aura Observation Art was indeed profound, but it demanded great talent. He feared it was not something that could be forced.
As for the Sword Wielding Art... it was ordinary, yet practical.
Talisman arts and movement arts each had their own strengths as well.
After thinking it over, he asked again, "Master, do you have any advice for this disciple?"
Old Taoist Ji Chen stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly replying, "You have only just entered the Dao Path, and your foundation is not yet stable. You should focus on one art to protect the Dao and defend yourself."
"If you wish to learn the Gengjin Sword Sha from the Lesser Five Elements Art, you must pair it with the Sword Wielding Art. Otherwise, the Sword Sha will have no sword to rely upon, and its power will be greatly reduced. If you learn one of the other four elemental arts, you need not learn sword wielding, but you must learn a movement art to keep at your side, lest you lose your footing when battling others with arts in the future, unable to advance or retreat and lacking the strength to continue."
"The Aura Observation Art is up to you. Learn it if you wish; do not if you do not. Your Second Senior Sister was born sensitive to Qi fluctuations. Others cannot learn that, so there is no need to force it."
"As for the Flying Sword Art..." The Old Taoist glanced at him. "That is a matter for after Foundation Establishment. There is no need for you to dwell on it now."
Shen Hui nodded.
Practicing Daoist arts required a great deal of time and effort, but he had the "interface." He might as well explore on his own first. If he truly could not figure something out, then once his cultivation rose in the future, he could pour Dao Xing points into it.
Thinking of this, he asked again, "Master, can one learn only a single art from the Lesser Five Elements Art, or can one learn them all?"
Old Taoist Ji Chen waved a hand. "Each person's aptitude differs, as does their sensitivity to the Qi of the Five Elements."
"Your Senior Brother is closest to the wood element, so he primarily cultivates the Wood Nurturing Technique, supplemented by sword wielding. Your Second Senior Sister has affinity with both water and fire, so she follows the path of Water-Fire Harmony, giving her the greatest variety in battles of arts. Your Third Senior Brother cultivates only fire, igniting flames and burning objects, making him the fiercest. Your Fourth Senior Sister has the greatest talent for sharp metal arts, and when Gengjin Sword Sha is paired with Sword Wielding Art, every strike she makes is a killing move. Your Fifth Senior Brother's aptitude is ordinary, and he has only learned the Earth Transformation Art, yet at critical moments he can hide and flee, which is still enough to preserve his life."
He paused before summing up. "For a primary art, choose one and master it. For supplementary arts, act within your means. You should understand the principle that greedily chewing too much leaves one unable to swallow any of it."
Shen Hui suddenly understood.
So it was not that his senior brothers and sisters did not wish to learn more, but that their aptitudes limited them. It could not be forced.
Then what about himself...
He recalled the number in the "Dao Xing" field on the interface, and a vague plan formed in his heart.
"Master," he said, looking up, "this disciple wishes to first look through the Lesser Five Elements Art and see which branch suits me."
Old Taoist Ji Chen nodded and rose to his feet. "Follow me."
Master and disciple left Chengxin Studio, crossed the courtyard, and came to an inconspicuous side room on the western side of the Three Pure Ones Hall.
The Old Taoist pushed open the door. The room was dimly lit, and against the walls stood a row of old wooden shelves holding scrolls, books, boxes, and similar objects.
Walking to a bookshelf farther inside, the Old Taoist reached up and removed a yellowed Silk Scroll from the upper shelf, then handed it to Shen Hui.
"This is a copied version of the Lesser Five Elements Art. Take it and have a look. If there is anything you do not understand, you may ask me, or ask your senior brothers and sisters."
Shen Hui accepted it with both hands. It felt slightly heavy.
The edges of the Silk Scroll were already somewhat worn, clearly having been thumbed through countless times.
He carefully unfolded one corner. It was covered in densely drawn hand seals, with small regular script beside them labeling "Sharp Gold Chapter," "Wood Nurturing Chapter," "Control Water Chapter," "Control Fire Chapter," "Transform Earth Chapter," and more.
"Thank you, Master, for passing down the teachings." He solemnly bowed.
Old Taoist Ji Chen waved a hand. "Go. Remember, cultivation is like climbing a mountain—one step, one footprint. The higher your cultivation, the higher you climb; the deeper your Dao Xing, the deeper your footprints."
Shen Hui answered, "Yes," then cradled the Silk Scroll and withdrew from the side room, inwardly bubbling with excitement.
With this scroll, he could try to sense which of the five elements he was closest to.
If fate favored him, he would study it himself first.
If fate did not... then he would wait until he had saved enough Dao Xing points and use Deep Blue Point Allocation directly.
Back in his little room, Shen Hui eagerly spread open the Silk Scroll. By the daylight filtering through the window paper, he began turning through it page by page.
The writing on the Silk Scroll was ancient and upright. Each chapter began with a general outline describing the nature of that element's spiritual energy, methods of sensing it, and the initial techniques for refining it.
He first turned to the Sharp Gold Chapter, focused for a moment, and tried to follow the outline's instructions to quietly sense whether the spiritual energy within him resonated with the word "gold."
There was no reaction at all.
He turned to the Transform Earth Chapter and sensed for a while, but it was still like a stone sinking into the sea.
Control Water Chapter, nothing.
Wood Nurturing Chapter, so faint it was almost nonexistent—there, yet not quite there.
Control Fire Chapter...
His attention settled on this final chapter. The stream of qi that had lain quietly dormant deep within his Dantian suddenly gave a slight tremor.
It was extremely faint, almost impossible to notice, yet it had truly trembled.
Delight surged through Shen Hui's heart. He held his breath and focused again.
This time, that subtle tremor seemed a little clearer.
It was as though something pulsed deep within his Dantian, faintly resonating with the Silk Scroll's descriptions of "fire."
"Control Fire..." he murmured, the corners of his mouth gradually lifting.
It seemed he had an affinity with the fire element.