"Having high comprehension isn't a bad thing. Why dwell on it?" Ju Hua said with a laugh and shook his head. Soon, he began practicing the sword arts again.
Practicing the various divine abilities and secret arts left behind by powerful predecessors was a shortcut to comprehending the Dao. After all, having guidance on the path ahead was a world of difference from having none.
Although Ju Hua's comprehension was now astonishingly high, he didn't reject guidance from his predecessors. If there was a faster shortcut, why take the rugged mountain path?
By noon—
"Big Brother, come eat something!" Zhuanshui Qiu called from a distance.
"Coming!"
Ju Hua put away the Qiuhua Sword and turned toward Zhuanshui Qiu.
At Ju Hua's level, he no longer needed to eat. But this was his little sister Zhuanshui Qiu's thoughtful gesture. How could he let it go to waste?
Besides, Ju Hua didn't mind spending more time with his little sister when he wasn't practicing the sword or comprehending the Dao.
"When will you set out, Big Brother?" After they had eaten, Zhuanshui Qiu asked as if it were an afterthought.
In fact, she had already gotten a definite answer from Ju Hua yesterday. She knew he had been appointed commander of the Zhuanshui Clan's expeditionary forces, but she still didn't know when he would leave.
"More than half a year from now," Ju Hua said with a smile. "Don't worry, little sister. I'll spend more time with you until then!"
"Won't that affect your cultivation, Big Brother?" Zhuanshui Qiu asked with some concern.
"Of course not!" Ju Hua smiled. "The path of cultivation calls for alternating between exertion and rest. I'll focus when it's time to cultivate, and relax when I'm with you. That'll bring progress without me even noticing!"
"Big Brother is an immortal, so of course he's right!" Zhuanshui Qiu laughed too.
"But you need to work hard at your cultivation from now on, little sister. I may be a Loose Immortal, but I can live for at least a million years. You aren't even a Primordial Spirit Daoist yet, so your lifespan is only eight hundred years." Ju Hua's expression turned serious.
"I know! My Dao of Gentle Wind has already reached the Domain Realm of the Dao. I could have become a Primordial Spirit Daoist long ago!" Zhuanshui Qiu said dismissively. Then she added:
"By the way, Big Brother, come with me to the Library Pavilion today. I want to learn a more advanced flying art." Zhuanshui Qiu brought it up suddenly.
"The Library Pavilion?" Ju Hua paused in surprise, but quickly nodded.
It was his little sister's request, so naturally he wouldn't refuse. Besides, her mentioning the Library Pavilion reminded him that he ought to borrow a new divine ability or spell to study.
Divine abilities and secret arts were shortcuts to comprehending the Dao. He had the Great Sorrow Sword Art for the Dao of the Sword, so he didn't need to worry about that for now. But besides the sword, he had now also gained entry into three other Great Daos.
The Dao of Dripping Water and the Dao of Earthly Soil could wait, but Ju Hua intended to study the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in depth.
First, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth excelled at keeping one alive. On the road to immortal cultivation, survival came first. Once your life was gone, everything else was empty!
Second, his talent was now absurdly high. Studying two Great Daos at once wouldn't slow his progress. Perhaps the two would even benefit one another, helping him advance faster.
For those two reasons, Ju Hua had decided from the very beginning to study the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in depth.
"But I may not have enough clan contribution points," Ju Hua said, furrowing his brow. Although the Zhuanshui Clan's Library Pavilion held a rich collection of Daoist texts, some powerful divine abilities and secret arts weren't freely available to borrow. Clan contribution points were required to access them.
There were two ways to earn clan contribution points. First, the Zhuanshui Clan gave each person a yearly allowance based on their status. Loose Immortals received a hundred thousand points a year, while ordinary clan members were lucky to get ten!
The second way was to complete missions. The Zhuanshui Clan needed to grow, so it offered a great many missions. The number of contribution points awarded depended on each mission's difficulty.
Before his tribulation, Ju Hua had completed quite a few missions to earn clan contribution points. Later, to support him through the tribulation, the clan had also given him a large number of points for free.
But in order to overcome the tribulation, Ju Hua had nearly spent them all. He was practically penniless now!
"Do I have to go out and take on missions?" Ju Hua thought with a headache. He had just gained extraordinary talent, and the next six months were crucial. He wanted to cultivate in seclusion! Besides, six months wasn't enough time for any major missions. If he took on minor ones, he'd earn too few points.
"Why are you spacing out, Big Brother? Did yesterday's battle injure your soul?" Zhuanshui Qiu's voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"Zhuanshui Pingqiu isn't capable of that," Ju Hua said, shaking his head with a smile.
Then a thought struck him. Zhuanshui Pingqiu was a Loose Immortal who had lived for a hundred thousand years. He ought to be pretty wealthy, right?
"Wait here, little sister. I'll be right back!" Ju Hua said, then vanished from before Zhuanshui Qiu with a whoosh.
A short while later—
"Cousin Pingqiu, Zhuanshui Juhua is here to pay you a visit. Please come out and see me!" Ju Hua called from among the clouds toward a valley between two sheer cliffs.
Wrapped in Ju Hua's magical power, his voice carried steadily into the valley below without a sound leaking beyond it.
Soon, a figure in a white Daoist robe flew out of the valley and swiftly arrived before Ju Hua.
It was Zhuanshui Pingqiu. When he saw that his visitor really was Ju Hua, seven parts suspicion and three parts irritation stirred in his heart.
He was suspicious because he couldn't figure out what Ju Hua had come to do. He was irritated because yesterday he had swallowed his pride and conceded defeat, yet Ju Hua was still hounding him at his door!
Did Ju Hua really think Zhuanshui Pingqiu was easy to bully?
"Cousin Pingqiu, I hope you've been well!" Ju Hua gave a slight bow.
"What brings you here, Cousin Juhua?" Zhuanshui Pingqiu asked, puzzled. At first, he had thought Ju Hua had come to cause trouble. But judging from his tone and manner, he clearly hadn't come seeking revenge!
"I've heard that you're one of the clan's well-known wealthy men. I've been a little short on funds lately, so I came to ask you for a hand," Ju Hua said frankly.
Zhuanshui Pingqiu's expression darkened slightly. But he was a seasoned Loose Immortal of a hundred thousand years, with a deep and calculating mind, so he didn't say anything unnecessary. He simply asked, "You want clan contribution points? How many?"
"Not too many." Ju Hua recalled how much the Great Sorrow Sword Art had cost him when he exchanged for it. Then he said, "Ten billion contribution points will be enough."
"Cousin, you jest. I've always been a big spender, and I've recently spent a lot on training my disciples. How could I possibly have so many clan contribution points to lend you?" Zhuanshui Pingqiu said without changing expression.
"I can leave you a promissory note. I'll repay every point in full within ten thousand years," Ju Hua said with a smile.
"A promissory note?"
Hearing Ju Hua's words, Zhuanshui Pingqiu fell silent.