Striving Again Within the Stone

"Greetings, Junior Brother Lu Xuan. Forgive this abrupt letter."

"I heard that on the Heavenly Melody River, Junior Brother used a single art to seal waves a hundred zhang high. Such a wondrous method is truly extraordinary; this senior brother admires you."

"However, while cultivating by drawing in and exhaling spiritual qi, I suddenly gained an insight and grasped a trace of the Spiritual Impetus of the great sun. If applied to the Abyss-Sealing Sea-Calming Art, it should make the casting a fraction faster, reduce spiritual qi consumption by a fraction, and strengthen its sea-calming power by a fraction. I have set down my deductions in writing for Junior Brother."

"Urge Sun Essence within the Qi Sea, gather Heavenly Light between heaven and earth, seek water spirits and seal them..."

"...in this manner, one should arrive at the conclusion of my deduction."

The letter was densely covered in tiny writing, yet it laid out the method of circulating the Abyss-Sealing Sea-Calming Art in full.

Lu Xuan was shaken when he saw it. "Senior Brother Wei's comprehension is truly profound. He actually managed to deduce this art and refine it further."

The Heaven-Gazing Sect's arts had all been created by predecessors. They were exquisitely profound; as long as one grasped their essence and cultivated step by step, great mastery could be achieved.

But those of exceptional talent could sense the nature of qi and make slight alterations, rendering their power even more exquisite.

This was why the same person could wield a different method.

Different people using the same art would naturally produce different results.

Put plainly, it was like the "algorithms" from Lu Xuan's previous life. With a slight improvement, greater efficiency could be achieved.

Yet there were few who could alter the circulation method of the Abyss-Sealing Sea-Calming Art.

Just as in the Hibernation Academy back then, Qi Heting had already mastered the essence of the Heaven-Patrolling Sword Technique, yet he had ultimately lost to Wei Zhixing because Wei Zhixing had broken through the shackles left by his predecessors and taken another step forward.

And now, after entering Cangyun Island for a mere half year, Wei Zhixing had not only cultivated the Abyss-Sealing Sea-Calming Art to great mastery, but had gone a step further.

In other words, Lu Xuan had now fallen one step behind in this art.

It was precisely because Wei Zhixing possessed such confidence that he had written this letter.

"What a swift letter..."

"What astonishing comprehension..."

"Interesting."

Lu Xuan was not angered. Instead, his fighting spirit was stirred.

But the letter was not yet finished, and Lu Xuan continued reading.

"I still remember our first meeting in the Instruction Hall. Junior Brother's Spiritual Sense was scorching, like a sea of flames, and it also bore the nature of wood and the rising sun. Its reserves seemed unending, as though it would never be exhausted."

"I cannot compare!"

"Yet after many days of bitter cultivation beneath the blazing noon sun, I finally gained a little insight. With the aid of one or two spiritual objects, I now feel that I have become quite extraordinary, and greatly wished to tell Junior Brother of it."

"However... the path of Spiritual Sense is difficult to convey through writing. This is most regrettable. Thus, I have borrowed a Thought Casket Stone and stored a thread of Spiritual Sense within it. I ask Junior Brother to likewise send a thread of Spiritual Sense into the stone and correct the fruits of my many days of bitter cultivation."

At this point, the letter clearly paused, as though its writer had hesitated.

But in the end, he still wrote, "This stone is quite precious and does not belong to me. I ask Junior Brother to take extra care when sending in your Spiritual Sense."

"Once you have finished correcting it, please tie this stone back onto the spirit pigeon and let it return."

"—Respectfully, Wei Zhixing."

Reading this, Lu Xuan could not help laughing. "So the Thought Casket Stone was borrowed. Using this stone as the ground for our contest—Senior Brother Wei truly is an interesting man."

He could imagine Wei Zhixing's frustration.

Spiritual Sense was difficult to express in writing. After all, it was formless, requiring neither limbs nor the stirring of heaven and earth's Spiritual Impetus.

That rendered useless the art of written discourse he "loved" most.

And yet he desperately wanted to contend with Lu Xuan. But paying a sudden visit, or clashing with Spiritual Sense once more in the Instruction Hall, would be lacking in courtesy.

Their clash of Spiritual Sense that day had already been presumptuous. To do such a thing again and again did not suit Wei Zhixing's character.

Fighting at a distance through letters was what Wei Zhixing loved most, which was why there was this Thought Casket Stone.

It must have taken no small amount of effort to arrange.

"Coo, coo!"

At that moment, the spirit pigeon followed Lu Xuan into the cave dwelling. Its calls were urgent, as if urging him to hurry.

"Do not rush, do not rush. Senior Brother Wei has already claimed one victory—how could I let him claim a second?"

"Little spirit pigeon, wait awhile."

Lu Xuan chuckled and soothed the spirit pigeon.

But the spirit pigeon was somewhat restless. It continued calling, its belly trembling along with the cries.

Lu Xuan slapped his forehead, only then realizing. "I have neglected you. Wait a moment."

He hurriedly took out some spirit rice and spirit spring water, setting them before the pigeon.

The spirit pigeon immediately stopped calling and began pecking at them eagerly.

Once Lu Xuan saw it eating quietly, he immediately closed his eyes and rested his mind.

Only after his mind had recovered did he take out the Thought Casket Stone.

But Lu Xuan did not rashly split off a thread of Spiritual Sense and send it into the stone.

Instead, he held the stone in his palm, wrapped it in Spiritual Sense, and slowly probed it.

Only after a long while did a faint smile appear on his lips.

"Senior Brother Wei, your comprehension is peerless, and with the aid of spiritual objects, your Spiritual Sense is naturally extraordinary."

"But I am not without my own support..."

With that, Lu Xuan's Spiritual Sense flared like fire. In an instant, he split off a thread and sent it into the Thought Casket Stone.

"Boom!!"

Within the Thought Casket Stone, a thread of Spiritual Sense that had been stored for a long time surged forth. Like a blazing noon sun suspended in the sky, it howled as it crashed toward Lu Xuan's thread of Spiritual Sense.

Not only that, but within that Spiritual Sense, the phantom of a feather could vaguely be seen—scorching hot and carrying sharpness.

"Bang!"

But Lu Xuan's Spiritual Sense was even more tyrannical. Flames seemed to cling to it as it became a wooden sword drawn from the great sun itself, slashing toward that feather.

"—Hiss!"

The sound of intangible flames colliding rang out from the Thought Casket Stone, sending layer after layer of ripples through it.

The feather trembled violently, as though the shadow of a phoenix were about to manifest. Its Spiritual Sense roiled like a sea of fire, carrying an absolute and resolute tyranny.

Yet that wooden branch possessed spirituality at its very peak. It manifested no phantom at all, but its flames were like the great sun itself, while its sharpness seemed capable of severing the heavens.

The two contended as though a long time had passed, but in truth, it had lasted only an instant.

—The feather gave a mournful cry, and the righteous sun scattered.

Within the Thought Casket Stone, only that thread of Spiritual Sense resembling a wooden branch remained suspended in the center. Though weak, it did not disperse.

He had won!

Wei Zhixing had cultivated for half a year and encountered a fortuitous opportunity, yet he had ultimately still lost beneath Lu Xuan's Spiritual Sense.

Lu Xuan was not surprised by this outcome.

He had opened his orifices with a Character Jia top-grade spiritual object, and his Spiritual Sense had been extraordinary from the start. Later, during the Minor Offering Ritual, he had received the blessing of an ancient character, making his Spiritual Sense exceptional.

Even without using the Heartfire Dao Art, it was still among the very best.

"Senior Brother Wei's comprehension is peerless, and his talent for arts is as if granted by heaven. But in the cultivation of Spiritual Sense, he must still strive harder."

"He may use the spiritual radiance of the great sun to rise further."

Lu Xuan took out brush and ink, attaching a letter to the Thought Casket Stone.

This had been a contest for supremacy. Replying from the stance of the victor did not count as arrogance.

He knew Senior Brother Wei's temperament. Such a reply would instead ignite his fighting spirit.

Then Lu Xuan called over the spirit pigeon, carefully tied on the Thought Casket Stone, and sent it back.

After finishing all this, Lu Xuan closed his eyes and rested briefly before taking out the jade bottle containing the Suspended Heart Millet Pearl Pill.

Winning only one round did not count as a great victory.

He wanted to win every day and make his fellow cultivators bow their heads.

He did not dare speak rashly of other paths at this moment.

But on the path of Spiritual Sense, he would naturally give it his all.

Lu Xuan steadied his mind and swallowed the Suspended Heart Millet Pearl Pill.

"—Gulp."

The pill entered his mouth with a burst of coolness, after which surging spiritual radiance rushed directly into his Consciousness Sea.

In a daze, it seemed as though a golden pearl hung within Lu Xuan's heart, radiating boundless light and granting him strength once more.