Innate Nature is Hard to Change

After the giant tiger left, the three of them searched for a suitable spot to transplant the Spirit Nourishing Grass by the pool.

Jinghui initially helped dig a few scoops with her trowel, but soon grew impatient, her eyes darting slyly toward the depths of the forest.

"I'm going to check if those wild persimmons are ripe! I'll be right back!"

She tossed out the words without thinking.

Without waiting for Qingyi's approval, she gripped her longsword and shot into the woods with a "whoosh," her figure quickly swallowed by the dappled shadows.

Qingyi watched her vanish, shaking his head helplessly, though not overly worried:

"Let her go. She knows this area well. Let's focus on planting the grass."

The two chose a gentle slope a few feet from the pool, slightly higher in elevation.

Shen Hui carefully dug a shallow pit with the trowel, while Qingyi gently placed the Spirit Nourishing Grass inside, then covered it with loose soil fetched from nearby, pressing it down lightly.

"Alright, now we need to set up some cover, so the mountain beasts don't peck at it like a snack."

Qingyi said, starting to gather stones of moderate size from around.

Shen Hui watched at first as Qingyi arranged the stones in a loose circle around the newly planted grass.

Then he stepped back two paces, formed a simple hand seal with his right hand, and began murmuring an incantation.

As the chant progressed, a faint earthy yellow glow flickered at Qingyi's fingertips.

The scattered stones seemed to "soften" on their surfaces.

Where their edges touched the ground, they slowly "flowed," drawing together and fusing.

But the process was extremely slow.

Shen Hui stared for a long while before barely noticing the circle of stones gradually "growing" together into a rough ring-shaped barrier.

After watching for a bit, Shen Hui grew bored, and his gaze drifted toward the steaming hot spring pool.

Qingyi seemed to sense his thoughts.

Maintaining his hand seal without turning, he said, "If you're bored, Junior Brother, feel free to wander nearby—just don't go far. Or..."

He paused, "This hot spring has unique water. Soaking in it can help relax your muscles and bones."

A hot spring?

Shen Hui's eyes lit up.

In his past life as a corporate drone, hot spring travel was a luxury he'd never experienced.

In this life, having crossed over, he hadn't even had a proper hot bath yet.

Besides, the senior brother said the water was "rich in spiritual energy"—maybe it could aid his cultivation?

With that thought, he hesitated no longer. He told Qingyi and headed straight to the pool.

He stripped off his gray cloth robe and coarse linen undergarments, folding them neatly on a dry rock.

The early winter mountain wind brushed his bare skin, sending a chill through him.

He didn't dawdle, carefully stepping into the warm pool water.

The temperature was perfect. As the water enveloped his whole body, a wave of warmth rose from his limbs and bones, instantly dispelling the biting cold.

Shen Hui leaned against a smooth rock worn by the current at the pool's edge, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Comfortable. But this feeling... isn't much different from a big public bathhouse."

He muttered to himself, then chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Well, there is one difference—no one's peeing in here."

With that, on a whim, he cupped some pool water and brought it to his lips for a taste.

The water was clear and crisp, with an indescribable flavor—seemed... okay?

But just after swallowing, he suddenly remembered something and quickly spat it out with a "pfft."

"Almost forgot! What if the sulfur levels are too high!"

White mist surrounded him, visibility extremely low.

Though he knew Third Senior Brother was casting spells nearby, all he could see was milky fog and the rippling water close by—nothing else, and even sounds seemed muffled by the thick vapor.

Shen Hui steadied his mind, attempting to meditate and cultivate in the hot spring.

He adjusted his breathing, focused on his dantian, and soon sank into a meditative state.

Sure enough, immersed in this "spiritually rich" pool water, though his [Dao Progress] for the day had already reached its limit and moved at a snail's pace, he could still faintly sense the celestial spiritual energy seeping in through his Baihui acupoint—slightly faster than in his room.

"At this rate, soaking here for a few hours might actually let me accumulate an extra point of 'Dao Progress.'"

After cultivating for about half an hour, feeling the progress was negligible, Shen Hui stopped.

He took the chance to scrub off the accumulated grime from his body with the warm water.

Finished washing, just as he was about to get out, he recalled Qingyi's earlier words: the pool's source was a stone crevice at the bottom.

"Stone crevice? Source?"

Shen Hui's heart stirred. "Could there be some heavenly treasure hidden there? Isn't that how it always goes in novels?"

Once curiosity took hold, he could no longer suppress it.

He took a deep breath and plunged headfirst into the water.

The pool was deeper than he'd imagined, and the light dimmed rapidly as he descended.

Fortunately, he was a decent swimmer and could barely hold his breath while searching the bottom back and forth.

The water temperature wasn't uniform—some spots were warmer than others.

He followed the direction of the warmest current, groping along until his hand finally touched a narrow crevice near the base of one rocky wall.

Shen Hui's heart secretly rejoiced.

He reached out to explore, feeling warm water continuously surging out from the gap.

But the crevice was extremely narrow—not even a few fingers could fit inside, let alone an arm.

He dug at it with his fingers, but all he felt was hard, cold, slippery stone. There seemed to be no vast space or strange object inside as he'd imagined.

After several futile attempts, the pressure in his chest grew unbearable.

Left with no choice, Shen Hui had to give up.

He kicked off the bottom and shot swiftly toward the surface.

With a splash, he broke through the water, gasping in the moist air.

All around was still a vast expanse of white—the fog seemed even thicker than before he'd gone under.

He turned in a circle in the water, completely unable to tell which direction he'd dived from, nor could he see the rock where he'd left his clothes.

"It's not a big pool. I'll find it if I swim around the edge."

Shen Hui steadied himself, picked a random direction, and slowly swam toward the shore.

The fog was as thick as a wall. After swimming a few zhang, his hand suddenly touched the slippery rocks of the bank.

His heart relaxed. Just as he was about to push himself out of the water, a breathy, fishy panting came from above his head.

Shen Hui's heart clenched. He jerked his head up.

A pair of amber eyes stared coldly at him through the mist.

It was that giant tiger—and it had come back!

Shen Hui froze in the water, his heart pounding like thunder.

He held his breath, forcing his face to stay calm, terrified that any sudden move would provoke the beast to pounce.

The giant tiger had clearly spotted this prey that had washed itself clean and delivered itself to its doorstep.

Though the human looked a bit lean, his skin was smooth and clean—quite "appetizing."

The tiger's nostrils flared, its whiskers twitching.

Its massive, tooth-filled mouth suddenly split open, revealing crimson gums and ghastly white fangs—hideous and terrifying.

This is it!

Shen Hui wailed inwardly, almost able to smell the stench of the beast's breath.

He instinctively tried to shrink back into the water.

But just then, a clear female voice rang out from deep within the fog, sharp and decisive:

"Metal's stern restraint, its nature hard and true; cling to my sword, sharp intent hard to hide!"

The incantation came from far to near, piercing through the mist in an instant.

Before Shen Hui could react, a sword-shadow blazing with white light shot toward the giant tiger.

"Shiiing—splash!"

A sharp tearing sound and the noise of water hitting the ground erupted simultaneously. The surrounding fog was suddenly ripped apart by a blade of sharp energy.

The mist rolled back like angry waves on both sides, revealing a dashing figure holding a long sword.

And before her, the massive tiger had been neatly split in two, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

Shen Hui suppressed his shock and focused his gaze.

There, entrails spilled into a small heap, blood splattered and pooled across the ground.

The wind howled mournfully, carrying a thick stench of blood.

The woman gave her wrist a light flick, shaking the sword in her hand.

The hazy white light on the blade vanished instantly, revealing a gleaming steel edge—not a single drop of blood clinging to it.

Shen Hui's heart surged. He looked up at her face.

"Fourth Senior Sister!?"

Shen Hui stared, dumbfounded, with only one thought echoing in his mind: What she said earlier... was it actually true?!

At the same time, he suddenly felt a warmth between his legs.

He hurriedly reached down to check, then let out a long sigh of relief.

So it was a hot spring. Good. He had thought it was a hot spring...

Jinghui returned her sword to its sheath with a clean, crisp motion.

A hint of pride flickered across her face as she turned to show off to her little junior brother.

But the moment her gaze swept past the figure by the pool, she let out a startled "Ah!"

"You... why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Shen Hui was taken aback.

He looked down at the Nanji Man underwear clinging tightly to his body and muttered inwardly: Isn't this wearing something?

Just then, the thick mist around them seemed to move with a will of its own, flowing with the mountain breeze to wrap around him again, leaving only a vague silhouette.

Taking the chance, he fumbled his way up the bank.

Following his memory and a faint sense of direction, he quickly found the large rock where he had folded his clothes.

Hastily drying himself, he pulled on the gray cloth Daoist robe and inner garment.

Though both layers were a bit damp, at least he was covered.

Once properly dressed, he walked through the mist to stand before Jinghui, cupping his hands in a bow: "Thank you, Senior Sister, for saving my life..."

"Hey, what's this about saving your life..."

Shen Hui's words were cut off mid-sentence by Jinghui, who waved dismissively. "You're my little junior brother, after all!"

Yet the pride in her voice was impossible to hide.

Shen Hui couldn't help but smile. His gaze fell on the two massive tiger carcasses not far away, and even though he had braced himself, a chill ran through him.

The striped fur was still glossy, but life had fled. The cuts were astonishingly smooth, like a radish sliced clean through with a single stroke.

"That was close."

Shen Hui murmured, the belated fear finally rising in his chest.

If Senior Sister had been a step slower, he would have ended up as that fierce tiger's meal.

It seemed the dangers lurking in this quiet mountain forest were far greater than he had imagined.

He had been thinking of coming often to this spiritually rich pool to cultivate, but now he temporarily shelved that idea.

"Better stay in the temple and train first. Boosting my strength is the priority."

He made up his mind. "I can't rely on others to save me every time."

According to what he'd heard, Fourth Senior Sister was at the mid stage of Qi Refining.

If he wanted to reach a similar level, based on that "interface" progress, he'd probably need to push the bar after [Realm] to somewhere over three thousand or even six thousand...

Well, even with the help of "Dao Base," it would likely take nearly a year of hard work.

Steadying his thoughts, his attention was drawn back to the fleeting sword light he had glimpsed.

The gleaming white radiance rising from the blade, the unstoppable force that had killed in one blow...

"Senior Sister," Shen Hui couldn't help asking, curiosity and eagerness in his eyes, "what technique did you use just now? That white light on the sword was amazing..."

Jinghui, who had been wiping nonexistent bloodstains off her scabbard with a blade of grass, immediately looked up.

The pride on her face grew even more obvious.

"You've got good eyes. That's called 'Sword Sha'!"

"Sword Sha?" Shen Hui repeated.

"That's right!"

Seeing his interest, her enthusiasm soared.

She hugged the longsword, still in its sheath, to her chest and rattled off the details:

"To be precise, it's the 'Gengjin Sword Sha' from the Lesser Five Elements Art. Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Gengjin Sword Sha..."

Shen Hui murmured the four words, his mind churning.

Metal governs slaughter, and Gengjin adds sharpness.

Just from the name, this technique was clearly a killing art for protecting one's Dao.

So... could he learn it too?

Seeing him lost in thought without immediately praising her, Jinghui thought he wasn't impressed enough and quickly added:

"Don't underestimate this technique! At a high level, cutting through metal and jade is child's play, slaying demons and ghosts is nothing. In a duel, it's incredibly fierce and powerful!"

"I see. Senior Sister is truly amazing."

Shen Hui decisively gave a thumbs up, offering a timely flattery.

Jinghui nodded with satisfaction, clearly pleased by his compliment.

Seeing this, Shen Hui hesitated for a moment before finally voicing what was on his mind: "Senior Sister, I was wondering... could I learn this technique?"

Jinghui blinked, not one to hoard knowledge. "Of course. Any of the sect's techniques, once you've entered the Dao and built a solid foundation, can be chosen based on your own aptitude and preference. But..."

She drew out her tone, putting on the airs of a "senior."

"Not everyone can train to my level... ahem, this formidable. You need to put in the hard work, and it also depends on whether you have the insight."

The moment her words fell, Third Senior Brother's gentle admonition came through the thick fog: "Don't boast."

"When did I boast!"

Jinghui bristled at once, refusing to concede. "Even Master himself said that my Gengjin Sword Sha has already grasped three-tenths of his skill, more than enough to defend myself and fight off enemies!"

As she spoke, the surrounding mist churned slowly.

Qingyi stepped out from within, his hand seals already dismissed, and the ring of stone pillars that had protected the Spirit Nourishing Grass was nowhere to be seen.

He first nodded to Shen Hui, signaling that the spirit herb was safely settled, then his gaze fell on the bloody, mangled tiger carcass, and he frowned slightly.

"In the end, old habits die hard."

He walked over to the tiger's corpse and formed another hand seal with his right hand.

The water mist that had enveloped the three of them instantly dispersed, as if startled.

Just as Shen Hui was wondering what was happening, he saw a wisp of orange-red flame rise from Qingyi's fingertip, no bigger than a bean.

"Since your life is spent, let dust return to dust, and earth to earth."

With that, he flicked his finger, and the tiny flame drifted lightly onto the tiger's corpse.

Whoosh—

The fire blazed up, roaring and clawing.

In an instant, the heap of flesh and viscera was completely incinerated, leaving only a small pile of white ash.

A mountain breeze swept through, and the ash scattered, mingling with the soil and fallen leaves, leaving only a few scorch marks on the ground.

Shen Hui watched from the side, inwardly stunned and deeply envious.

This fire technique, used for disposing of bodies, was truly both eco-friendly and efficient.

After dealing with the tiger corpse, Qingyi turned to Jinghui, his tone carrying a warning:

"Junior Sister, while the Gengjin Sword Sha is sharp, it is not meant for bravado and aggression. Master taught you this technique so you could protect your Dao and preserve yourself, not as something to flaunt."

Hearing this, Jinghui's cheeks puffed up for a moment, then deflated.

Hugging her scabbard, she answered obediently, "I know. I just saw that Junior Brother was curious, so I couldn't help but brag a little."

Then, as if remembering something, she turned and darted back into the woods.

Just as Shen Hui was wondering what she was up to, she came back clutching a few bright red wild persimmons and cheerfully shoved two into his hands:

"Here, try them. Just picked, they're super sweet!"

Shen Hui took the still-cool persimmons and forced a bright smile onto his face.