The Dao Path Nears Completion

Just as the fire-worker Daoists had said, quite a few people in the Daoist temple had set their sights on Yang Huai.

For some time now, unfamiliar Daoist boys and even Daoists had been lingering around the entrance to the residential quarters. Yet Qingli had never appeared, leaving some of them deeply disappointed.

"Is that guy a dog or something? His nose is so sharp—did he sniff out something?"

In a corner of the pill room, An Sheng wore a grim expression. Mao Hong stood before him.

Mao Hong spoke softly.

"Senior Brother An, it isn't just us. The water room, the cleansing room, and the senior brothers and sisters from the other rooms are all watching him too. He must have caught some scent and gone into hiding!"

"Is there no way to force him out?"

A trace of coldness lurked in the depths of An Sheng's eyes.

"He must have a few close friends around him. There will always be chances to create an opportunity..."

Mao Hong lowered his head, as though he had not heard An Sheng's muttered words. Deep down, he was already beginning to regret this. Why did An Sheng have to go so far, all for the sake of business? Whether it succeeded or failed, trouble would surely cling to him.

Compared with one's own Dao path, this sort of setback should have been a minor matter, shouldn't it?

Instead, a strange thought rose in his heart.

I can't die with him...

Within a side hall of the Slaughter Hall,

Dozens of jade boxes made from wooden hearts were laid out before Yang Huai. Spiritual light flowed over them, nearly dazzling his eyes. Golden gleams seemed to shine from the depths of his gaze—they all smelled of money.

"I'm rich!"

Yang Huai was beside himself with joy. Some of these dozens of wooden boxes had come from Feng Ying, who had secured four orders for him through Glory Hall. Altogether, they required nearly twenty minor-achievement-grade composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings and eight entry-level secondary Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings.

Those four orders alone had brought in nearly one hundred and four spirit fruits over a thousand years old. Yang Huai had set aside a small half for the kitchen, roughly over forty fruits. He and Feng Ying then split the remaining sixty-four evenly, receiving thirty-two each.

Bai Lingzhen, meanwhile, had brought in nearly nine major orders and four minor ones. Among them were six orders for forty-two minor-achievement-grade composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, worth two hundred and ten fruits; three orders for eighteen entry-level Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, worth fifty-four fruits; and four orders for twenty-eight single Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings. In total, they had earned three hundred and twenty spirit fruits over a thousand years old. Yang Huai handed one hundred and twenty of them to the kitchen. He did not skim much from this batch, because the quantity was too large and the deal had gone through the pill room rather than his own people. Thus, he handed over one hundred and twenty fruits, then gave Bai Lingzhen one hundred and seven.

This was because the cooperation agreement he had made with Bai Lingzhen stipulated that for minor-achievement composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, two fruits would be taken from every five; for entry-level composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, one fruit would be taken for every two sold—one fruit for six carvings; and for single Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, it was likewise one fruit for every two sold—one fruit for every four carvings.

Thus, Yang Huai had received only eighty-three fruits.

Yang Huai had also hawked his wares himself outside the firewood room, selling eighteen wood carvings: five composite Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, five entry-level Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings, and eight single Cloud-Pattern Wood Carvings. He earned fifty-six spirit fruits from them. Not a single fruit was lost this time. He gave half to the kitchen, leaving himself with only twenty-eight. In the end, he had one hundred and one spirit fruits remaining, including a small number over two thousand years old.

All told, it was an enormous sum.

There was a faint trace of regret in Yang Huai's eyes. He had worked so hard for so long, only for the kitchen to take the largest share, followed by Bai Lingzhen, the head of the pill room. As the one doing the labor, he had received only the smallest portion. But that was reality. He did not have Bai Lingzhen's connections, and he also needed the kitchen's protection. Fortunately, this great batch of spirit fruits had safely fallen into his pocket. To him, that was what mattered most.

Only benefits that could be held in one's hand were real benefits. Otherwise, they were merely flowers reflected in a mirror and the moon's image in water—visible but untouchable.

"With these spirit fruits, the Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram can finally be completed!"

Yang Huai was filled with ambition. He began taking out spirit fruits one after another and refining them with all his strength. Yet there was no way he could refine over a hundred spirit fruits of a thousand years or more in a single sitting. If he did, the countless mixed spiritual natures would contaminate his body, leaving him rigid in meditation or possessed by inner demons while walking!

He could only use the slow grind of water upon stone, first refining away the chaotic spiritual natures within the medicinal fruits, then gradually extracting their medicinal properties and merging them into the depths of his Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bone.

Even so, Yang Huai's aura changed with each passing day.

Within the Slaughter Hall, Flame Daoist sensed it most clearly.

"This kid's Dao path is about to come to fruition!"

From the main hall, he gazed toward the sky above the side hall in the distance. Streams of metal spiritual energy poured into the air over the side hall like a vortex, merging into a burst of pure innate metal light. Within it, an incomparably pure power of Innate Geng Metal emerged, faintly manifesting as the radiant shadow of a sword that reached from heaven to earth.

Few within or beyond the Daoist temple could temper their innate endowment to such a degree.

With such foundations, his future truly held limitless promise.

Flame Daoist's expression changed.

A moment later, the dazzling golden phantom dispersed. Before long, Yang Huai emerged from the side hall with a spring breeze written across his face.

"..."

For some reason, the sight of Qingli looking like this irritated Flame Daoist. His teeth itched, and he said, "You came out at just the right time. Take these next few days to thoroughly clean the Slaughter Hall. The hunting assembly has already begun. Once it ends in a few days, exotic beasts will be delivered here. There may even be distinguished guests!"

With a stern face, he issued the order.

Yang Huai did not particularly mind. He casually caught the simple broom Flame Daoist swept toward him.

With the broom in hand, he began cleaning the empty beast pens one by one. The pens stood vacant, yet many strange odors seemed to linger within. With his innate spiritual senses, Yang Huai could also feel remnants of resentment and malicious thoughts inside. Many of those malicious thoughts seemed to notice a living person approaching and surged toward Yang Huai, attempting to erode his body. Yet they were purified and scattered by layer after layer of milky-white Dao resonance surrounding him.

What a pity. If I knew the art of deliverance, I could send you on to rebirth!

Yang Huai thought to himself.

Yang Huai had also searched through Qingli's memories. Although there were quite a few Daoist scriptures in them, most expounded upon the transformations of heaven and earth. There were no scriptures concerning deliverance. Then, suddenly, his steps halted.

There might not be any here, but that did not mean Yuan Xiuxiu lacked them.

Could the methods of transcendence from that world work here?

The thought flashed through Yang Huai's mind, but he committed it to memory.

As he cleaned the beast pens one after another, Yang Huai felt a sense of tranquility settle over his mind. It was as if all the dust deep within his heart had been swept clean as well. His spirit was refreshed and his mind serene. Deep within his sea of consciousness, the spiritual form of the Sui King became ever more clear, bright, and radiant.

Looking carefully, that Sui King spiritual form had begun to change. Its face faintly overlapped with Yang Huai's own, their features gradually becoming somewhat alike. It seemed that it was no longer wholly the spiritual form of the Sui King, but rather something formed from a point of bright Dao intent in his own heart.

After cleaning the many beast pens, Yang Huai began sweeping out the dust-sealed stone halls throughout the Slaughter Hall. Those halls might once have housed their own occupants, but now only traces of human habitation remained.

Rumble!

As an enormous stone door opened, dust billowed everywhere. With a wave of his hand, Yang Huai sent a stream of magical power curling through the air, raising gusts of wind that swept the dust out through the windows. But when his gaze fell within, he froze slightly.

Many weapons hung upon the walls of the stone chamber.

Most had been polished from the white bones of beasts, while a smaller portion were bronze weapons.

Most were bone blades, bone spikes, or huge axes. There were also bronze shields, spears, bronze halberds, and more.

Yet Yang Huai's gaze merely swept over them before landing upon a long, bronze-colored weapon hanging on the wall to the left.

"A sword-shaped weapon!"

Yang Huai's eyes immediately lit up.

At that moment, Flame Daoist's voice came from outside the stone hall.

"This is the weapon room. There are many relics and weapons left behind by past disciples of the Slaughter Hall. Take a look. If there's anything you like, you can keep it!"

Hearing this, Yang Huai stepped forward and took down the ancient bronze sword hanging on the wall.

The ancient bronze sword was not long, only around three feet. Rust covered its entire surface. Yet the instant Yang Huai held it, an intense sense of familiarity rose within him. Gripping it in his hand, he felt as if the ancient bronze sword had become an extension of his arm, making it easy to reach a state where man and sword were one.

This was the terrifying talent brought to him by the Innate Geng Metal Sword Body.

A gleam appeared in the depths of Yang Huai's eyes.

Since entering the Daoist temple, Yang Huai had heard of the existence of magical artifacts, but he had never seen anyone in the temple carry a sword. He had only heard that some exalted masters in Wanqu City possessed sword-shaped weapons. Yang Huai gave the ancient sword a slight inspection and immediately realized that it was a "dead" sword, devoid of spirituality or mystery. Its only possible virtue was its sharpness.

Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, he asked, "Martial Uncle Flame, whose relic is this ancient sword? Is there a corresponding art for wielding it?"