After the giant tiger left, the three of them searched for a suitable place by the pool to transplant the Spirit Nourishing Grass.
Jinghui had initially helped dig at the soil with a small trowel, but before long she grew impatient. Her eyes darted about as she peered into the depths of the woods.
"I'm going to see if those wild persimmons are ripe! I'll be right back!"
She tossed out the words without warning.
Without waiting for Qingyi to agree, she grabbed her long sword and darted into the woods with a whoosh, her figure quickly vanishing among the dappled shadows.
Qingyi gazed in the direction she had disappeared, then shook his head helplessly. He didn't seem too worried, though.
"Let her go. She knows this area well. We should hurry and plant the grass."
The two chose a slightly elevated slope a few feet from the pool.
Shen Hui carefully dug a shallow hole with the trowel, while Qingyi placed the Spirit Nourishing Grass inside, covered it with soft soil gathered from nearby, and gently tamped it down.
"Good. Now we need to make a few arrangements to hide it, lest the mountain birds and beasts peck it up as a snack."
As Qingyi spoke, he began picking up stones of various sizes nearby.
At first, Shen Hui watched from the side as Qingyi arranged the stones in a loose circle around the newly planted Spirit Nourishing Grass.
Then Qingyi stepped back two paces, formed a simple Spell Formula with his right hand, and began murmuring an incantation.
As he recited the spell, a faint, earthy yellow glow appeared on his fingertips.
The scattered stones seemed to begin "softening" on their surfaces.
Where their edges met the ground, they slowly began to "flow," drawing together and sticking to one another.
The process was exceedingly slow.
Shen Hui stared for quite a while before he could just make out the stones gradually "growing" together into a rough, circular stone barrier.
After watching for a while, Shen Hui began to lose interest. His gaze drifted toward the mist-shrouded hot spring pool.
Qingyi seemed to notice what was on his mind.
Maintaining the Spell Formula, he spoke without turning around. "If you're bored, Junior Brother, you can wander around nearby, but don't go too far. Or..."
He paused. "The water in this hot spring is unusual. A soak might help ease your muscles and bones."
A hot spring?
Shen Hui's eyes lit up.
In his previous life, he'd been a corporate drone, and a hot spring vacation had been a luxury he'd never experienced.
After transmigrating to this life, he hadn't even had a hot shower yet.
Besides, Senior Brother had said the water was "rich in spiritual energy." Maybe it could even help his cultivation?
With that thought, he didn't hesitate. He called out to Qingyi and went straight to the pool.
He took off his gray cotton Daoist robe and coarse inner garment, folding them neatly on a dry stone.
The early winter breeze brushed over his bare skin, raising goosebumps.
He didn't dare dawdle and carefully stepped into the warm pool.
The temperature was just right. The moment the water enveloped him, warmth surged through every limb and bone, dispelling the biting cold in an instant.
Shen Hui leaned against a smooth stone worn by the flowing water and let out a long sigh.
"Feels great. But this is... not all that different from a public bathhouse."
He muttered under his breath, then laughed at himself. "Well, there is one difference. At least nobody's peeing in here."
As he spoke, he inexplicably cupped some pool water in his hands and brought it to his lips for a taste.
The water was clear and crisp, with an indescribable flavor. Seemed... all right?
But the moment he swallowed, something suddenly occurred to him. He hurriedly spat it out with a "ptooey!"
"I almost forgot! What if the sulfur content is too high?"
White mist swirled all around, and visibility was extremely poor.
Although he knew Third Senior Brother was nearby performing the spell, all he could see was milky-white mist and the rippling water close by. He couldn't make out anything else. It was as though even sound had been cut off by the thick fog.
Shen Hui calmed his mind and tried to enter a meditative state in the hot spring.
He regulated his breathing, focused his awareness on his Dantian, and soon sank into meditation.
Sure enough, in this pool "rich in spiritual energy," his accumulation of [Dao Xing] for the day had already reached its limit, so his progress was painfully slow. Still, he could vaguely feel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth entering through his Baihui acupoint a little faster than it did in his room.
"At this rate, if I soak here for a few hours, I might actually be able to gather an extra point of 'Dao Xing.'"
After cultivating for about half an hour, he felt that he'd made almost no progress, so he stopped.
He took advantage of the warm spring water to scrub away the grime that had accumulated on his body.
After washing, just as he was about to climb out, he recalled what Qingyi had said earlier: the pool's source was a crack in the rocks at the bottom.
"A crack? The source?"
A thought struck Shen Hui. "Could it be hiding some heavenly treasure? Isn't that how it always goes in novels?"
Once his curiosity was roused, he could no longer hold back.
He took a deep breath and dove under the water.
The pool was deeper than he had expected, and the light quickly dimmed as he descended.
Luckily, he was a decent swimmer and could just barely hold his breath as he searched back and forth along the bottom.
The water wasn't uniformly warm; some places were warmer than others.
Following the warmest current, he felt his way along until he finally touched a narrow crack near the bottom of one side of the rock wall.
Shen Hui was secretly delighted.
He reached in and felt warm water continuously gushing out of the crack.
But it was extremely narrow. Forget his arm—even several fingers couldn't fit inside at once.
He struggled to scrape at it with his fingertips. The surface felt hard and cold, all slick stone. Inside the crack, there seemed to be no vast space or strange treasure like he'd imagined.
After several attempts, he still got nowhere, and the pressure in his chest grew stronger.
With no other choice, Shen Hui gave up.
He kicked off from the bottom and quickly swam toward the surface.
He burst out of the water with a splash and took great gulps of the damp air.
The surroundings were still blanketed in white. The fog seemed even thicker than before he'd gone underwater.
He turned in the water but couldn't tell which direction he'd dived from, nor could he see the rock where he'd left his clothes.
"The pool isn't that big. If I swim around it, I'll find the shore eventually."
Shen Hui steadied himself, picked a direction at random, and slowly swam toward the bank.
The fog was as thick as a wall. After swimming a few yards, his palm suddenly touched the slick rocks along the shore.
Relieved, he was about to haul himself out when a breath, tinged with a rank smell, sounded above his head.
Shen Hui's heart lurched. He snapped his head up.
A pair of amber eyes stared coldly at him through the fog.
It was the giant tiger, returned!
Shen Hui froze in the water, his heart pounding like thunder.
He held his breath and did his best to keep calm, afraid the slightest movement would provoke the tiger into pouncing.
The tiger had clearly spotted the blood meal that had washed himself clean and delivered himself right to its jaws.
Though the man was a little lean, his skin was smooth and clean. He looked quite "delicious."
The tiger's nostrils flared, and its whiskers quivered.
Its enormous mouth, lined with sharp teeth, suddenly split open, revealing red gums and ghastly white fangs. It looked utterly terrifying.
I'm done for!
Shen Hui wailed inwardly, almost able to smell the rank stench of its breath.
He instinctively tried to sink back into the water.
But just then, a clear female voice rang out from deep within the mist, high and resolute:
"Gengjin gathers and restrains, its nature unyielding; cling to my sword, and hide no edge!"
The incantation came from farther away, then pierced through the steam in the blink of an eye.
Before Shen Hui could react, a sword-shaped streak of white light shot toward the giant tiger.
"Shhk—crash!"
A sharp rip, like tearing silk, rang out alongside the rush of water. A razor-sharp force abruptly tore through the surrounding mist.
The fog rolled aside like angry waves, revealing a dashing figure holding a long sword.
Before her, the enormous tiger had been neatly split in two, its halves crashing to the ground.
Shen Hui fought down his shock and looked closely.
The tiger's entrails spilled out and piled up like a small hill. Blood splattered everywhere, flowing across the ground.
The wind howled without end, carrying a heavy stench of blood.
The woman flicked her wrist and shook her long sword.
The sword's hazy white glow vanished in an instant, revealing a gleaming blade without a single drop of blood on it.
Shen Hui's emotions surged as he looked up at her face.
"Fourth Senior Sister?!"
Shen Hui stared in stunned disbelief. Only one thought thundered through his mind: What she'd said just now... had actually been real?!
At the same time, he suddenly felt warmth between his legs.
He hurriedly reached down to check, then let out a long sigh of relief.
So it was the hot spring. Good. He'd thought it was the hot spring...
Jinghui slid her sword into its sheath with crisp, practiced movements.
She wore a hint of pride on her face and was about to turn around and boast to her little Junior Brother.
But as soon as her gaze swept over the figure by the pool, she suddenly let out a startled cry.
"Y-you're not wearing any clothes?"
Shen Hui froze.
He looked down at his underwear, which clung tightly to his body, and wondered to himself: But I am wearing something, aren't I?
Just then, the already-dense fog seemed to have a mind of its own. It flowed with the mountain breeze and wrapped around him again, leaving only a blurry outline.
He took the opportunity to feel his way out of the pool.
Guided by his memory and vague sense of direction, he soon found the large stone where he'd left his clothes.
He hurriedly dried himself off and put on his gray cotton Daoist robe and inner garment again.
Though they were both a little damp inside and out, at least he was covered.
Once he was dressed, he walked through the fog to Jinghui and clasped his hands in salute. "Thank you for saving my life, Senior Sister..."
"Come on, there's no need to thank me for saving your life..."
Jinghui cut Shen Hui off halfway, unconcerned. "You're my little Junior Brother!"
But she couldn't hide the pride in her voice.
Shen Hui couldn't help smiling. His gaze fell on the two enormous halves of the tiger carcass nearby, and despite being mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but shudder.
Its striped fur was still glossy, but lifeless now. The cut was astonishingly smooth, like a radish sliced cleanly in two.
"That was terrifying."
Shen Hui murmured, and only now did the fear catch up with him.
If Senior Sister had arrived a moment later, he would have ended up as the tiger's meal.
It seemed the dangers lurking in these secluded mountain woods far exceeded anything he'd imagined.
He'd been considering coming to this spirit-rich pool to cultivate regularly, but for now, he pushed the idea aside.
"I'd better stay in the temple and cultivate for now. Getting stronger is what matters."
He resolved himself. "I can't count on someone else to save me every time."
From what he'd heard, Fourth Senior Sister was at Mid Qi Refining.
If he wanted to reach a similar level, judging by the progress bar on that "interface," he'd probably need to push the progress after [Realm] to somewhere between three thousand and six thousand...
Hmm. Even with "Dao Xing" to help, it would probably take nearly a year of hard work.
Once he'd settled his thoughts, his attention was drawn again to that dazzling flash of sword light.
The faint white glow that had risen from the blade, the unstoppable sharpness, the power to kill with a single strike...
"Senior Sister," Shen Hui couldn't help asking, curiosity and eagerness in his eyes, "what spell did you use just now? The white glow on your sword was incredible..."
Jinghui had been using a blade of grass to wipe down the sword sheath, which didn't have a speck of blood on it. At his words, she immediately looked up.
The pride on her face grew even more pronounced.
"You've got a good eye. That's called 'Sword Fiend'!"
"Sword Fiend?" Shen Hui repeated.
"Exactly!"
Seeing that he was interested, Jinghui grew even more animated.
She hugged the sheathed sword to her chest and recited its details like a treasured possession.
"More precisely, it's the 'Gengjin Sword Sha' from the Lesser Five Elements Art. How about that? Impressive, right?"
"Gengjin Sword Sha..."
Shen Hui quietly rolled the four characters around in his mind, his thoughts turning.
Metal governed killing, and Gengjin added an edge of its own.
Just hearing the name, he knew this was a killing art meant to protect oneself and uphold the Dao.
Then... he should be able to learn it too, right?
Jinghui saw him only pondering instead of immediately praising her. Thinking he didn't find it impressive enough, she hurriedly added:
"Don't underestimate this art! At high levels, cutting through metal and jade is nothing special. Slaying demons and ghosts is just as easy. It's also incredibly fierce in a fight against another cultivator. It's really powerful!"
"I see. Senior Sister, you're amazing."
Shen Hui promptly gave her a thumbs-up and tactfully buttered her up.
Jinghui nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased by his praise.
Shen Hui hesitated for a moment, then finally asked what was on his mind. "Senior Sister, I was just wondering... can I learn this art too?"
Jinghui blinked. She wasn't one to keep secrets, after all. "Of course. Once you've entered the Dao and built a solid foundation, you can choose which of our sect's arts to study based on your aptitude and interests. But..."
She drew out the word, adopting the air of a "senior."
"Not everyone can train to my level... Ahem, I mean, become this powerful. It takes hard work, and you need the insight for it, too."
As soon as she finished speaking, Third Senior Brother's gentle admonition came from the thick fog. "Don't boast."
"I'm not boasting!"
Jinghui bristled at once and protested, "Even Master said my Gengjin Sword Sha has already reached a third of his own mastery. It's more than enough to defend myself and fight off enemies!"
As she spoke, the fog around them slowly churned.
Qingyi emerged from it at an unhurried pace, the Spell Formula he'd been making already undone. The ring of stone that had protected the Spirit Nourishing Grass had also vanished.
He first nodded to Shen Hui to indicate that the herb had been safely put away. Then his gaze fell on the bloodied, mangled tiger carcass, and he frowned slightly.
"Some things never change."
As he spoke, he walked over to the carcass and formed another hand seal with his right hand.
The water mist enveloping the three of them scattered at once, as if frightened.
While Shen Hui was still wondering what was going on, he suddenly saw an orange-red flame spring up at Qingyi's fingertip, no bigger than a bean.
"Now that it's dead, let dust return to dust and earth to earth."
He flicked his finger, and the bean-sized flame drifted lightly down onto the tiger's carcass.
"Whoosh—"
The flames flared bright, lashing out like claws.
In an instant, the heap of flesh and viscera was burned away, leaving only a small pile of white ash.
A mountain breeze swept past, and the ash scattered with a soft rustle, blending into the soil and fallen leaves. Only a few scorch marks remained on the ground.
Watching from the side, Shen Hui clicked his tongue inwardly, green with envy.
Using a fire technique to dispose of a corpse really was both eco-friendly and efficient.
After dealing with the tiger's remains, Qingyi turned to Jinghui, his tone admonishing.
"Junior Sister, though the Gengjin Sword Sha is powerful, it isn't meant for picking fights. Master taught you this technique so you could protect your Dao and yourself, not to show off."
At that, Jinghui puffed out her cheeks, then promptly deflated.
Hugging her sword scabbard, she answered obediently, "I know. I only got carried away and bragged a little because I saw Junior Brother was curious."
Then she suddenly remembered something, turned around, and darted back into the woods.
While Shen Hui was wondering what she was up to, she came back with several bright red wild persimmons in her hands and grinned as she pressed two into his hands.
"Here, try them. I just picked them. They're really sweet!"
Shen Hui accepted the persimmons, still cool to the touch, and forced a radiant smile.