Things went on like that.
Cultivating, cooking, reading, sleeping.
Nothing earth-shattering happened, and there were no life-or-death dangers.
Shen Hui occasionally listened to his senior brothers and sisters tell stories about the amusing things happening down the mountain. When the night grew deep and quiet, he would borrow the ghost fire hovering in midair for light and slowly read a few pages, one by one.
Outside the window, the leaves turned from golden yellow to withered brown. Then they all fell, leaving only bare branches trembling in the cold wind.
It wasn't until the first snow fell that Shen Hui suddenly realized he had been up the mountain for over three months.
After finishing his cultivation that day, he summoned the interface as usual and took a look:
[Realm]: Qi Induction (1123/10000)
[Dao Xing]: 112 (Available to Allocate)
Very good. His cultivation was steadily improving, and the future looked bright~
Shen Hui got out of bed and pushed open the door.
The twelfth-month wind hit him full in the face, making him shiver with cold.
The old locust tree in the courtyard stood bare, a thin layer of snow weighing down its branches. A few sparrows huddled among them, chirping nonstop.
A wooden post stood in the middle of the courtyard, with several stones scattered beside it. He had been using them to practice his arts these past few days.
He walked into the courtyard and stopped. His right hand formed a spell, and his thoughts stirred.
A spark the size of a bean flew from his fingertip, thin as a lamp wick and swift as an arrow. In the blink of an eye, it struck the wooden post.
"Fwoom—"
A ball of flame burst out, engulfing the entire post in an instant.
The fire burned for only a breath before going out on its own.
The post was still in place, but it had turned into a blackened lump of charcoal.
It retained its shape, but its surface was already riddled with cracks.
A gust of mountain wind blew through. With a soft whoosh, the entire lump of charcoal crumbled into ash and scattered, swept by the wind toward the corner of the courtyard.
Shen Hui nodded and flicked another spark onto one of the stones.
This time, it didn't explode. It pierced right through.
The spark landed on the bluestone and, like boiling water poured onto snow, burned a small hole straight through it without resistance.
Shen Hui changed his hand seal.
Blazing fire surged from inside the bluestone, quickly flaring into a fist-sized ball.
The stone began to sag and melt like beeswax, streaming downward.
Three breaths later, it had completely melted into a pool of bright red liquid that flowed slowly across the ground, sizzling and giving off a sharp, scorched stench.
Shen Hui was quite satisfied. Ordinary fire control was more than enough for his needs.
Next, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He poured all his emotions and desires into the Heart Lamp, and the ancient lamp in his chest suddenly flared brighter.
He began chanting the incantation, each word distinct, his voice ringing like metal and stone:
"Bright Li illuminates the cave; the divine lord of the Fire Palace—"
With every line he recited, the flame in his heart burned brighter.
"Flying flames flash like lightning; Fiend Fire rises in a rainbow—"
The flames surged higher, shifting from orange to scarlet.
"Burn the soul and temper the spirit; red banners whip in the wind—"
The scarlet flames turned blue, and waves of heat pressed outward.
"Cast off form and sever thought; let the Fierce Ghost break free!"
As he finished the last line, Shen Hui abruptly opened his eyes, firelight flickering faintly in their depths.
At a thought, a hideous Fire Ghost appeared out of nowhere and instantly lunged forward to attack!
The Fire Ghost stood a full twelve feet tall, its entire body a vivid crimson.
It bared its claws and fangs and streaked toward the bluestones, wrapping them in flames in an instant.
The fire roared wildly, waves of heat surging.
In just a moment, the flames died away, leaving only a charred pit in the ground.
A layer of dark red magma lined its bottom, bubbling away. A thin, black crust had formed on the surface, but the rush of heat cracked it apart with a series of sharp snaps.
Green smoke billowed up. Standing at the edge of the pit, Shen Hui looked down at the result of his strike. After a long moment, he slowly let out a breath.
Good.
With his fire arts at this level, he could handle any mountain spirits or monsters below Foundation Establishment.
He lifted his head and gazed at the gray sky, thinking over what to do next.
He wanted to learn a new spell.
The Lesser Five Elements Art also included Wood Nurturing, Water Control, Earth Shaping, and Sharp Metal.
He had tried them all one by one back then, and aside from the fire arts, he had felt the strongest affinity for the Wood Nurturing Technique.
It wasn't as natural to him as the fire arts, but he could still sense a faint thread of understanding.
He had decided long ago to cultivate all five elements. As for the order, he might as well start with the easiest.
And there was the hot spring, too.
Now that he had a little Dao Xing, he could go bathe in the hot spring behind the mountain by himself.
The pool was rich in spiritual energy. If he could cultivate there, he might even gain an extra point of Dao Xing each day.
If he went often, the gains would add up over time, and his progress would speed up considerably.
With that thought, he turned and went back inside. He took out the Lesser Five Elements Art, turned to the Wood Nurturing Chapter, and read it carefully.
By the time Shen Hui looked up from the Wood Nurturing Chapter, it was already dark outside.
He rubbed his eyes, carefully rolled up the Silk Scroll, and got up to head to the kitchen.
The phrases "Wood Qi stirring to life" and "spring stirring into bloom" still circled in his mind. They felt much more abstruse than the fire arts.
After all, fire was something he could see and touch. Wood Qi, on the other hand, was intangible and elusive, something he could only "comprehend."
In the kitchen, Fifth Senior Brother had already washed the vegetables and was waiting for him to start the fire.
Shen Hui quickly stir-fried a few dishes and cooked a pot of rice.
He sliced the wild boar meat, stewed the cabbage until soft, then sprinkled on a handful of chopped wild scallions. The aroma drifted through the whole courtyard.
The dishes he made were simple home cooking, and their flavor was nothing special.
But life in the mountains was hard, and even a little meat was a rare delicacy to a group of Daoists who had subsisted on porridge for so long.
Once the food was on the table, his senior brothers gradually took their seats.
His master came today, too.
In fact, ever since he had said, "I'm done abstaining from food," he had shown up for every dinner right on time.
Shen Hui looked at his face, now sprouting stubble and eyebrows, and felt inexplicably reassured.
Halfway through the meal, he suddenly looked up. "Master, this disciple would like to visit the Back Mountain Hot Spring tomorrow. Could I skip morning practice?"
The Old Taoist paused with his chopsticks and looked up at him. "The pool by the pond?"
"Yes."
"Go ahead. Your fire arts are enough to see you safely through these mountains. You'll be able to protect yourself."
The Old Taoist went back to picking up food and chewing away.
Shen Hui felt relieved, but Fourth Senior Sister Jinghui suddenly chimed in.
"Third Senior Brother and I just came back from there today."
Shen Hui looked at her. "What were you doing there, Senior Sister?"
Before Jinghui could answer, Third Senior Brother Qingyi smiled and explained, "That Spirit Nourishing Grass has been growing well ever since we transplanted it beside the hot spring. This afternoon, we moved the rest of the plants there, too, and gave them some fresh soil."
"They all survived?" Shen Hui asked.
"They did." Qingyi nodded. "The earth's qi by the pool is moist and warm. It's definitely better than growing them in pots."
The Old Taoist spoke leisurely at this. "Around this time next year, you'll be able to pick the two lowest leaves from that grass. Bring them back, soak them in wine, and store them in the cellar for a year. Drinking it will improve your cultivation."
Shen Hui's interest was piqued. "How much will it improve it?"
The Old Taoist glanced at him. "Not much. But it's better than nothing."
Shen Hui nodded, thinking that was fair.
Spirit Nourishing Grass wasn't particularly rare. A little benefit was already good; expecting it to send him soaring to the heavens would be pure wishful thinking.
Jinghui suddenly put down her chopsticks, her eyes shining as she looked at Shen Hui.
"Little Junior Brother, I'll go with you tomorrow!"
Shen Hui blinked. "Do you have something to do there too, Senior Sister?"
"I do!"
Jinghui counted on her fingers. "I know a Spirit Cat gave birth to a litter in the woods behind the hot spring. Tomorrow's the perfect time to go take a look. If we can catch one, we could bring it back as a pet..."
A Spirit Cat?
Shen Hui thought for a moment, picturing a kind of wild animal in his mind.
It looked like a cat, with leopard-like markings, but was closer in size to a weasel—long and slender, yet cute and lively.
The Old Taoist suddenly set his chopsticks against his bowl.
"You're not going."
He glanced at Jinghui and spoke in a flat tone. "You spend all day wandering around instead of cultivating."
The smile froze on Jinghui's face.
"Master—"
"No."
Jinghui opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She drooped her head, stuffed a huge mouthful of rice into her mouth, and chewed away in silence, her cheeks puffed out like a bun. She chewed with unusual vigor.