Wonderful Uses

Rustle, rustle!

Inside the cave abode, Fang Qing seemed immersed in this Secret Treasury Domain cultivation manual, turning page after page.

Rumble!

After opening a brand-new page, he saw the visualization diagram of the Horse-Head Vajra Protector Divine Art.

"So this is... the Horse-Head Vajra?"

Fang Qing's eyes seemed to hold only this strange deity. It had a horse's face, three faces and eight arms, its entire body crimson red. It held ritual implements such as a skull bowl and Vajra Pestle, with serpent ornaments hanging from its ears.

It was incomparably majestic, yet also revealed a sinister air.

"Visualize this image as the secret true form to strengthen the spirit..."

After finishing it, he roughly understood this Secret Treasury Domain body-refining method.

"This Horse-Head Vajra Protector Divine Art has four sequences. The first is the 'Fierce Donkey Demon Sequence,' the second the 'Mule-Faced Vajra Prajna Sequence,' the third the 'Horse-Head Wisdom King Wrath Sequence,' and a final realm whose name isn't even known... Though this only contains the cultivation method for the first sequence, one merely needs to meditate every day, supplemented by mudras, mantras, and visualizing the true form image to progress... It really does suit my needs."

Almost subconsciously, Fang Qing sat in the full lotus position and formed the Treasure Vase Mudra with his hands. The blood and qi within his body rippled faintly, transforming into an indescribable strange power.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the Dao-Born Pearl within him turned slightly. Clear and turbid qi flowed, clouds steaming and rosy mists rising. Like an icy spring, it slowly passed through his heart, and he jolted awake. "Revert to Root, Return to Origin!"

In an instant, that tiny scrap of strange power gained from the Secret Treasury Domain cultivation art was completely converted into Origin Qi.

"It really is an evil art. It makes one unable to stop."

Fang Qing sighed, then tried converting that tiny bit of Origin Qi in the Dao-Born Pearl once more.

This time, something miraculous happened.

Though it was still the strange blood-and-qi power of the Secret Treasury Domain, Fang Qing felt his mind become clear. He no longer had the urge to throw everything aside and bitterly cultivate the Horse-Head Vajra Protector Divine Art.

"So... this conversion by the Dao-Born Pearl is also a kind of 'filtering'?"

He steadied himself. "The strange power hidden in the cultivation art, even its traps... were they washed away after a single conversion?"

"If that's the case, I can use this cultivation art for now."

This Secret Treasury Domain cultivation art was an incomplete fragment, containing only the first Fierce Donkey Demon Sequence.

By Fang Qing's estimation, once the first sequence reached completion, it might rival the Qi Refinement Way's First-Order Body Refinement Great Perfection, allowing one to fight Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivators through physical strength alone?

It might even surpass that, rivaling Quasi-Second-Order or even true Second-Order Body Refinement?

In any case, it could certainly achieve his goal of strengthening his physique and spirit, enhancing the essence and spiritual origins among the three flowers of essence, qi, and spirit, so they wouldn't hold back his Foundation Establishment.

"It's just that there are pitfalls. Ordinary people can't wade through them..."

"And the Black Ridge Observation Book might have pitfalls too..."

Fang Qing muttered a complaint and began truly cultivating it.

A night passed.

He rose to his feet and stretched lazily.

Though he had replaced sleep with meditation, he didn't feel the slightest fatigue. His spirit was incomparably full.

At the same time.

Fang Qing exerted a little force and clenched his five fingers into a fist. He felt his tendons, bones, skin, and flesh strengthen once more, their toughness soaring!

"My physique was already at the level of a mortal Innate Grandmaster... Yet after cultivating for only one night, the increase in strength exceeded the boost from a peerless martial art like the Divine Martial Canon..."

"Compared to immortal cultivation, mortal martial arts have truly fallen behind in every respect."

"If this continues, then once I persist until the first sequence reaches completion, its might will truly be limitless. It can serve as one of my trump cards."

After regulating his breath, he swallowed several Grain-Escaping Pills. These pills used Spirit Grain as their primary ingredient. Not only could they fill the stomach, they could cleanse the body and strengthen the blood and qi.

After eating and drinking his fill, Fang Qing went to Cold Spring Peak, found a Spirit Spring, and began refining Jadeflower Spirit Water.

Several days later, after refining a batch of Jadeflower Spirit Water, he took out a stalk of Jade Qi Ginseng, converted his dharma power to [Ji Water], and began challenging the Ginseng Green Spirit Water.

Clearly, even with [Ji Water] dharma power assisting his ability to control spring water, this first pool still failed very quickly.

Fang Qing remained unhurried. He cleared away the medicinal dregs and took out a second stalk of Jade Qi Ginseng.

Feeling the gazes of several disciples around him, he frowned and muttered inwardly, This is still a little too conspicuous. It looks like building a Spirit Spring inside my cave abode is imperative. Otherwise, it won't be easy to refine many pills that need to be made in secret...

Cold Spring Peak was good in every way except that it was far too public.

No wonder those Pill Island disciples with profound cultivation all established their own private medicine pools.

Thinking this, Fang Qing tossed the second portion of Jade Qi Ginseng into the spring water.

Not far away, Li Yusu's face reddened when he saw this.

Last time, he had mocked Fang Qing. In the end, his own breakthrough had failed while Fang Qing succeeded.

When they met again, he still had to honestly call the other man Senior Brother.

And that wasn't all!

He could feel his master's disappointed gaze after his failed breakthrough, along with the faint disdain of his fellow disciples.

With the aptitude of a mid-grade spiritual root, breaking through the bottleneck from Early Qi Refinement to Mid Qi Refinement should have been a sure thing.

The only explanation was that his middling aptitude was barely adequate, compounded by poor luck.

And after one failed breakthrough, not only would one's body and dharma power foundation suffer losses, but the next breakthrough would become even more difficult.

With his sect reducing its investment in him, Li Yusu immediately found every step arduous. He could only take on more sect missions, such as the laundry work he had previously disdained...

Naturally, Fang Qing also saw Li Yudan, but he couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

His eyes held only the great Dao of immortality. For a roadside nobody like this, by the next time they met, his bones might already have turned to ash.

Fang Qing focused completely on the refinement of this pool of Ginseng Green Spirit Water.

"First step, extract the spiritual liquid..."

"Second step, Profound Origin Triple Cycle, merge and transform the medicinal liquid... Hm? This sort of medicinal change? How should I deal with it?"

Before he finished thinking, ripples spread across the Spirit Pool, and a stream of black liquid surged out...

"Failed again..."

Fang Qing sighed.

Pill refinement was like this. Without the guidance of a famous master, one simply couldn't find the trick to getting started without failing dozens or even hundreds of times.

It was manageable with low-grade pills, but the higher the grade, the more unbearable such a cost became.

"It's time to head back..."

"Though I still have extra Jade Qi Ginseng on hand, exposing too much wouldn't be good..."

Fang Qing shook his head and sighed. He went to the Pill Island main hall, handed in the Jadeflower Spirit Water, then spent Contribution Points to buy a gourd of Ginseng Green Spirit Water.

Now that he was a little wealthier, he wanted to try using spirit water to assist his cultivation.

Inside the cave abode.

Fang Qing examined the yellow-skinned gourd in his hand.

The gourd was only the size of a thumb. After pulling out its stopper, he could smell the fragrance of ginseng.

He tipped it slightly, and several drops of emerald spirit water fell into his mouth, carrying a faint bitter taste.

Stimulated by this, the Black Water Dharma Power cultivated from the Water Classic Commentary within his body immediately began circulating, growing somewhat hot and restless.

Fang Qing hurriedly began meditating, carefully absorbing this medicinal power.

Before he knew it, several hours had passed.

He opened his eyes and felt the wisp of gaseous dharma power that had been added to his dantian. A hint of joy surfaced on his face. "Good... It's enough to equal two days of cultivation. This gourd of spirit water should increase my cultivation by a month."

Originally, Fang Qing had estimated that after breaking through to Mid Qi Refinement, without any other external aid, he would need at least three or four years to cultivate the fourth layer of dharma power to completion.

If the Ginseng Green Spirit Water never ran out, he could save at least half that time!

"And..."

Fang Qing activated the Dao-Born Pearl and changed his entire foundation back into [Ji Water] dharma power.

In an instant, the sound of a babbling clear spring arose within the cave abode, accompanied by gusts of gentle wind.

"This Ginseng Green Spirit Water should also have some effect on the cultivation of dharma power in the Breath-Nourishing Dao..."

He drank the spirit water again and discovered to his delight that his body's Drug Resistance, even the feeling of dharma power exhaustion, had vanished completely.

"Originally, Ginseng Green Spirit Water could only be taken once a day... But after converting my cultivation art, I can take it twice?"

"Could it be... the Drug Resistance in my dharma power was washed away too?"

"If so, my dharma power can still advance by leaps and bounds. Maybe I'll only need a year before I can attempt a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer?"

Joy appeared on Fang Qing's face as he closed his eyes again.

Within the cave abode, clear springs burbled and a fresh breeze drifted in, the very imagery of clear springs and gentle wind belonging to [Ji Water].

Half an hour later, the young man on the prayer mat slowly finished his cultivation, a trace of delight on his face.

Fang Qing walked out of the seclusion chamber and saw a bright yellow sound-transmission talisman at the entrance of his cave abode. His expression shifted. "Who came looking for me? Hua Lian?"

With a hand seal, he summoned a gust of clear wind that wrapped around the sound-transmission talisman and carried it into his hand.

After he injected a thread of dharma power into it, a pleasant female voice came through.

"Was it her? I should meet her."

Fang Qing muttered and opened the cave abode's gate.

Outside the cave abode stood two cultivators who seemed to have waited for quite some time.

One was Li Yudan—no, Li Yusu—whose face looked rather weathered and dejected.

The other was a young girl with a peach-blossom face, clear and refined beyond the mundane world. She was none other than Zha Zhu!

After so many years, the little girl from before had already grown into a graceful young woman. Paired with her ethereal bearing, it was almost impossible to believe she had once been a fisherman's daughter.

"Zhu'er, and this... Junior Brother Li."

Fang Qing invited the two into his cave abode. "My humble dwelling is simple. There's no tea, only spring water..."

"Thank you."

Zha Zhu showed a trace of apology. "Brother Fang Qing, I was in seclusion the whole time before. I never expected so many things to happen..."

"It's nothing. After all, there was only an employment relationship between your family and me. Now, everything has been settled."

Fang Qing smiled and looked at Li Yusu. "As for this Junior Brother Li, although some of his words and actions were excessive, he was wholeheartedly doing it for your sake..."

He had no idea why Zha Zhu had come to visit. Had she seen that he had risen again and come to mend things?

But honestly, what did a mere Mid Qi Refinement cultivator and First-Order Low Grade alchemist amount to before Clouddrift Adept's disciple, a Foundation Establishment cultivator and Second-Order alchemy master?

After chatting a few more sentences, Fang Qing saw Zha Zhu and the other out of his cave abode. Then he saw a Green Leaf Flying Boat descend, with Hua Lian standing aboard.

"I don't know what wind is blowing today, but everyone's come to this little brother's cave abode..."

Fang Qing laughed heartily.

When Hua Lian saw Zha Zhu, his expression became even gentler. "The Sect Grand Fishing has begun, and the fleet has entered the deep sea. But there are some easy pickings in the nearby waters. I thought Junior Brother should be free, so I came specially to ask..."

For Azure Sea Sect disciples, living off the sea and cultivating with spirit fish was simply part of everyday life.