Eight Primordial Glyphs

Yang Huai stepped forward to relieve the Daoist boy called Chang Geng.

After handing Yang Huai a pair of golden silk gloves woven from silkworm thread, the fairly burly Daoist boy practically collapsed onto a round log beside him, sweat pouring down his forehead like rain.

"Huff, huff!"

The rasping breaths in his chest beat like drums.

The other Daoist boy watched this unfold, and his already bitter expression immediately turned even more bitter. At the same time, he silently cursed Qingli.

When the two brothers suffered together, they could still endure it. But now that he had to suffer alone, the firewood in his hands felt as heavy as a thousand jun. Yet with that Firework Daoist present, he could only curse inwardly.

Yang Huai accepted the specially made gloves.

Yang Huai walked over to the pile of firewood. The golden silk gloves on his hands emitted invisible golden rays that extended from his hands and covered parts of his torso's skin. This prevented the Daoist boys' skin from coming into direct contact with certain spirit woods and poisonous woods, protecting them from injury.

"What a wondrous technique!"

Watching this, Yang Huai's heart brimmed with even greater anticipation for those profound Daoist arts.

He stepped forward, gathered up armfuls of the chopped firewood, and carried them beneath the eaves to one side.

Some of this firewood possessed exceptionally unusual properties. Its density was incredibly high, and it weighed as much as copper or iron. Even Yang Huai could feel its heft. Fortunately, after cultivating the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method, he adjusted his breathing rhythm and quickly adapted.

His steps were light and vigorous as he moved back and forth between several woodpiles.

Yet he did not display any reaction that was too unusual.

The next two hours were his shift. Two hours were equivalent to four hours in his memories—a considerable stretch of time—and he still needed to conserve his strength.

After two hours, other kitchen Daoist boys would naturally come to take over.

That was the Daoist temple's rule.

For ordinary Daoist boys, two hours of labor was already the limit. Any longer might damage their foundations.

These two hours were exceptionally grueling for the kitchen Daoist boys.

Before long, another richly dressed Daoist boy walked into the kitchen and relieved the other boy.

He glanced at Yang Huai, then mumbled with a grin.

"Well, well, Qingli. You're even more proactive this time than I expected! But there's no use putting on such a performance in the kitchen. The four martial uncles have no plans to accept disciples yet!"

Yang Huai glanced at the richly dressed Daoist boy and did not respond.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, Qingli could not help growing displeased.

"Feng Ying is utterly hateful. His mouth stinks, and he's awful!"

He chattered away inside the sea of consciousness, but his feelings toward this Daoist boy were exceedingly complicated.

There was a trace of jealousy, and also a trace of... gratitude?

From Qingli's memories, Yang Huai had obtained many fragments concerning the Daoist boy before him.

Feng Ying came from one of the clans of the Xi Huang Kingdom. Clans generally possessed extraordinary inheritances. Although Feng Ying's branch of the family was not prominent, he still possessed abilities entirely unlike those of other Daoist boys. For example, from childhood onward, Feng Ying had possessed a physique vastly different from that of ordinary humans, whether in endurance or strength.

In the past, Feng Ying had often teased and toyed with the frail Qingli.

But the two were not mortal enemies. On the contrary, their relationship was fairly good.

Seeing that Qingli ignored him, Feng Ying became somewhat displeased. But as he watched the Firework Daoist still chopping at massive logs nearby, he was ultimately wary and only mumbled another remark before beginning to move the huge logs as well.

Feng Ying had already prepared to mock Qingli later. Based on how things usually went, Qingli would be drenched in sweat and too exhausted to move within an hour. At that point, Feng Ying would have no choice but to help him, or Qingli likely would not make it through.

The Firework Daoists in the kitchen could not stand to see Daoist boys slacking off. At best, they would go hungry; at worst, they would be whipped and driven out of the kitchen.

That was also why Qingli's feelings toward Feng Ying were so complicated. Though the fellow had a loose mouth, he was actually warmhearted.

But to Feng Ying's considerable surprise, after an hour had passed, Qingli had sweat on his forehead but was nowhere near as miserable as usual.

Two hours passed, and Yang Huai merely felt his heartbeat quicken slightly deep within his chest.

"Although my exceptional talent has improved my vital energy and blood somewhat, my five viscera and six bowels still haven't been nourished by the great medicine for long enough. They need more time!"

Yang Huai knew the reason perfectly well.

When he saw two more Daoist boys approaching in the distance to relieve them, Yang Huai took off the golden silk gloves and left.

"Ah..."

Feng Ying had wanted to call out and stop Yang Huai, but his pride prevented him from opening his mouth. His eyes, however, were already filled with suspicion and gossiping curiosity.

Could this brat have fallen into some Daoist master's jar? If so, this brat is probably finished...

He muttered inwardly.

Given his status, he could only keep himself from stepping into traps for now. He absolutely did not dare casually ruin the good affairs of those celestial beings and True Masters.

Wariness was hidden in his eyes.

Between kindness and self-preservation, he naturally preferred the latter.

After simply eating a flavorless strip of dried meat, Yang Huai continued his afternoon cultivation. He devoted part of his attention to studying the sixth and seventh primordial glyph diagrams, first successfully identifying the sixth primordial glyph, "Essence."

"Essence" represented origin. Successfully identifying this primordial glyph faintly elevated his understanding of the connections between his own origin, meridians, and acupoints to another level.

It had to be said that if he had not possessed knowledge of the body's various meridians, acupoints, and vital energy and blood that far surpassed that of others his age in this era, he likely would have struggled to understand the character "Essence" in a short time.

He could also understand why the other Daoist boys were unwilling to choose the sixth, seventh, and eighth glyphs. The Daoist temple's explanations of "Essence," "Qi," and "Spirit" were extremely scattered and nowhere near as specific as Yuan Xiuxiu had described.

He spent the remaining time continuing to circulate the Lesser Heavenly Circuit of the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method.

He deliberately slowed part of his progress to avoid drawing too much attention.

After repeatedly circulating the Lesser Heavenly Circuit, Yang Huai sensed a change his original body had never experienced. Within his right arm, an incomparably pure aura arose and swiftly merged into the great medicine within his body, rapidly strengthening his physical body's vital energy and blood. His tendons and bones no longer needed to be gradually tempered by vital energy and blood like a gentle flame; instead, they underwent a direct transformation in their very substance.

Yang Huai called it a transformation, which showed just how astonishing this change was.

"This is...!"

At this moment, Yang Huai could sense that with each breath of his Heavenly Circuit respiration, his five viscera and six bowels were all transforming under the nourishment of this innate essence qi. It was fully comparable to years of unceasing bitter cultivation by his original body. Two clusters of incomparably pure scarlet firelight flickered upon his shoulders, crystalline and flawless.

"Could this be innate essence qi?"

Yang Huai was immensely astonished by this startling change.

He had heard Yuan Xiuxiu mention that the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method was a secret art for consolidating one's foundation and cultivating one's vitality. If one possessed some special talent or physique, it could be unearthed during the Lesser Heavenly Circuit stage, improving one's aptitude.

Clearly, the innate aptitude carried by Qingli's primary fate had begun to take effect after the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method was circulated.

"That works too. Let me see just how far this innate sword bone can push the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method!"

Expectation glimmered deep in Yang Huai's eyes. With his ability to commune with and seize fates, he had hope of obtaining this special primary fate—that is, the aptitude of possessing an innate sword bone.

When night fell, Yang Huai once more returned control of the body to Qingli, while he himself went back to the Yang Family Hunting Grounds and continued grinding away like a 007 worker.

He had not forgotten his carpentry either.

With ample motivation, his hands moved ever more deftly.

Inside the carpentry workshop, several small tables and mirror stands gradually took shape one after another.

After going back and forth like this for two days and nights, Yang Huai finally learned the three primordial glyphs "Essence," "Qi," and "Spirit" in succession!

Having fulfilled the basic requirement of gathering all eight primordial glyphs, he did not delay. He went to the Daoist temple's inner hall, asked the True Masters there to record it, and applied to enter the inner hall during the next lecture in half a month to listen to the Daoist masters teach the fundamental method.