Pure Bathing Spirit Flow

"Senior Brother Chu Bai is here!"

The young servant at the Zhang Residence gate had sharp eyes. He spotted Chu Bai from afar and hurried over with a smile, even warmer than on the previous visit. After all, Chu Bai was now the master's personal disciple. His standing was worlds apart from before.

Chu Bai casually rewarded the servant with a few copper coins and entered the residence amid a flood of thanks.

In the Quiet Chamber, Daoist Zhang was leafing through an ancient book. When he saw Chu Bai come in carrying gifts, he set down the book and glanced at the tea box, a faint smile touching his lips.

"You child. Didn't you just pay your respects yesterday? Why spend more money?"

"Yesterday was rushed, and I had no modest gift prepared. It troubled me." Chu Bai respectfully presented the tea and snacks. "I heard Master enjoys tea. This is a small token of my regard. I hope you'll accept it."

"You're thoughtful."

Daoist Zhang nodded and gestured for the young attendant to take the gifts. What he valued was not the tea, of course, but Chu Bai's respect for his teacher even while struggling to make ends meet.

Once Chu Bai was seated, Daoist Zhang asked gently, "You've come so early today. Have you run into some difficulty in your cultivation?"

"Master sees right through me."

Chu Bai's expression turned serious. He recounted everything he had discovered while cultivating among the field ridges that morning, then described sensing water spiritual qi beside the Three-Bath River.

"I only half understand spiritual qi attributes, so I'm uncertain. Since I've already drawn Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi into my body, can I also cultivate Water Attribute spiritual qi? If the two clash, could it damage my foundation?"

Surprise flashed through Daoist Zhang's eyes when he heard Chu Bai's account.

"You managed to pick out the fluctuations of water spiritual qi precisely, in such a muddled environment?"

He gave Chu Bai a long look, raising his opinion of his young disciple's talent yet again. Mist hung over the Three-Bath River, and its spiritual qi was thoroughly mixed. Even an ordinary Qi Refining Early-Stage cultivator might struggle to tell the strands apart, let alone Chu Bai, who had yet to formally enter Qi Refining.

"As for your concern..." Daoist Zhang smiled faintly and gave him a firm answer. "You're worrying for nothing. Not only is it possible, it will do you a great deal of good."

"The defining trait of Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi is its balanced, gentle nature. It's like a blank sheet of paper. It has no attribute of its own, so it rejects none."

Daoist Zhang held out a hand. A pale white glow gathered at his fingertip, and a trace of blue slowly appeared within it.

"Absorbing water spiritual qi on a foundation of Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi is like painting on that blank sheet. As long as you don't bite off more than you can chew and let the water spiritual qi overwhelm the Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi, there will be no conflict."

"Besides," Daoist Zhang continued, his tone turning instructive, "waterways crisscross Qingzhou, and our Anping County was built beside a river. Cultivating the Water Method here gives you an advantage bestowed by heaven."

"For one thing, water qi is plentiful, so cultivation resources are easy to find. For another, whether you later seek an official post in the Qingzhou Water Bureau or local work driving fish or managing floods, the Water Method will give you a livelihood to stand on."

"Your eldest senior brother took that path. He's flourishing at the Water Office now."

Chu Bai nodded repeatedly as he listened. His misgivings vanished completely.

"I understand! Then I'll try absorbing that water spiritual qi tomorrow."

"Not so fast."

Just as Chu Bai was about to rise and take his leave, Daoist Zhang's smile faded. His expression grew grave.

"Opportunity often comes with danger. Since you intend to cultivate in the wild beyond the city, there's one thing you must know."

"And that is—Killing Intent."

"Killing Intent?" Chu Bai's heart tightened.

"Exactly," Daoist Zhang said solemnly. "Do you know why cultivators usually prefer to live inside cities? It's because the Great Zhou Celestial Court has established a Law Net formation in every county seat. The Law Net suppresses demons and filters impurities from heaven and earth."

"The spiritual qi inside the city has been combed through by the Law Net. It's clean and gentle. But out in the wild..."

Daoist Zhang pointed toward the sky beyond the window. "The spiritual qi there may be denser and more active, but it's also mixed with Killing Intent drifting through heaven and earth."

"The Three-Bath River is especially dangerous. Nature Spirits lurk in its deeper waters, and the Killing Intent there is stronger than elsewhere."

"If you carelessly breathe it in, it may cause stabbing pain in your meridians and make you irritable. In severe cases, you could suffer cultivation deviation, or even mutate into a monster that's half human, half demon!"

Cold sweat broke out on Chu Bai. He had thought of the place only as a treasure trove, never imagining it held such a danger.

"Master, what should I do?"

"There's no need to worry." Daoist Zhang pulled a thin booklet from the shelf and handed it to Chu Bai. "This is a simple Qi-Filtering Method. When cultivating in the wild, remember not to rush. After drawing in each breath of spiritual qi, first use this method to filter it through your meridians. Expel the turbid Killing Intent before guiding the qi into your dantian."

"It will slow you down, but on the path of cultivation, steadiness comes first. Never ruin your foundation for a little speed."

Chu Bai accepted the booklet with both hands and bowed solemnly. "I'll remember your teachings, Master! Better to be three parts slower than grasp at a single gain."

"Go on."

Outside the Zhang Residence, the midday sun was harsh, baking the flagstones until they were hot underfoot.

Chu Bai stood at a street corner and thought for a moment.

I've already taken leave from the Academy, and Master knows as well. I have a proper reason to miss this afternoon's Inner-Door Instruction.

Rather than waste time going back, I might as well strike while the iron is hot and visit the riverbank now!

At the thought, excitement surged through Chu Bai.

Without another moment's hesitation, he left through the city gate, picked his direction, and broke into a run.

In the past, ten li of running would nearly have done him in. But after more than a month of "nourishing himself with meat" and "training by taking blows," his physique was no longer what it had been.

The muscles in his legs tensed and drove him forward, wind whipping around his feet. He ran for nearly half an hour without stopping. Only when the rushing Three-Bath River came back into view did he gradually slow to a halt.

"Phew... I'm not tired at all. My blood is flowing freely, and I feel fantastic."

Chu Bai wiped away a little sweat. His heartbeat was still steady, and he was quite pleased with his current physique.

At midday, the Three-Bath River presented an entirely different sight.

Under the blazing sun, light danced across its broad surface, flashing gold.

The thin veil of morning mist had long since dispersed. The lively water spiritual qi seemed to have grown much lazier along with it.

Chu Bai focused his senses.

Amid the rising heat, that unusual cluster of water spiritual qi had not vanished. It had merely hidden deeper, no longer dancing as merrily as it had in the morning.

As I thought, the surroundings have an enormous effect on spiritual qi.

If the mist hadn't risen this morning, and if my new Fate Destiny hadn't sharpened my senses, I might never have found this treasure trove.

Chu Bai was quietly grateful. The spiritual qi was somewhat less active now, but it was broad daylight and he had a clear view. For his first time cultivating in the wild, that made him feel safer.

He looked around and found a secluded shallow stretch screened by dense reeds. The ground there was slightly raised, giving him access to the water while keeping him out of sight of passing fishing boats.

Once he was certain no one was nearby, Chu Bai sat down cross-legged.

First, I'll try drawing a wisp into my body.

Chu Bai took a deep breath. Rather than immediately circulating the Lesser Qi-Gathering Art, he first pictured the Qi-Filtering Method his master had taught him.

At a slight movement of his mind, an invisible sieve seemed to spread across the entrance to his meridians.

With that precaution in place, he cautiously extended his Divine Sense to draw in a pale-blue wisp drifting above the water.

Here it comes!

As he breathed, the faintest cool sensation slipped through his pores and into his body.

It felt nothing like the weighty steadiness of Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi. This water spiritual qi was like a slippery little fish. The instant it entered, it swam about merrily, quick and lively.

But as it passed through the "qi-filtering" sieve, Chu Bai clearly sensed a trace of gray-black impurity being caught by force. It turned into a wisp of hot, turbid breath and was expelled from his body.

So that's Killing Intent...

Chu Bai's heart tightened. Without his master's guidance, that Killing Intent would have entered his body. Left to build up day after day, it truly could have caused serious trouble.

Once the impurities were removed, the pure wisp of water spiritual qi finally flowed through his meridians and slowly joined his Dantian Qi Sea.

Hum—

The formerly tranquil mass of Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi in his dantian trembled faintly, then welcomed the newcomer in.

The two did not clash. Instead, they merged and spread like a drop of blue ink falling into clear water. The once-colorless vortex now held the faintest hint of deep blue.

An unprecedented feeling of moisture filled his body, as though a clear spring were flowing over a parched riverbed. Even his meridians seemed a little more resilient.

"That feels... pretty good."

Chu Bai could not help letting out a soft murmur.

The gentle, lively sensation seemed to wash both body and mind. A thought flashed through his head, and he suddenly recalled something from a lecture on miscellaneous lore in the Academy's Qingzhou Gazetteer course.

Qingzhou has many waterways and a wide variety of spiritual qi. Cold Nether Qi forms in deep pools and chills to the bone; Boiling Fire Essence forms in hot springs and burns with unbearable heat...

And this spiritual qi, found beside great rivers, elusive in its movements, gentle in nature, and possessed of purifying properties...

It's Pure Bathing Spirit Flow!

Chu Bai's eyes snapped open, brimming with delight.

Pure Bathing Spirit Flow was no rare treasure of heaven and earth, but for cultivators, it had the remarkable ability to nourish meridians and improve the purity of spiritual qi!

Even those who did not cultivate the Water Method could strengthen their foundations and reduce the risk of cultivation deviation by absorbing it over the long term.

I never thought I'd stumble onto a find like this!

An unclaimed, relatively stable spirit flow might be nothing special to a great sect, but in a small place like Anping County, it was unquestionably scarce.

Chu Bai suppressed his excitement, closed his eyes again, and began drawing it in greedily.

This time, the process came much more easily.

As he filtered, purified, and absorbed wisp after wisp of Pure Bathing Spirit Flow, the spiritual qi in his dantian grew at a rate he could plainly feel.

He did not know how much time had passed. Only when his meridians began to feel faintly swollen did Chu Bai slowly bring his cultivation to a close.

"I only absorbed a little in this session, but its quality was far better than what I usually get!"

Chu Bai rose and gazed at the calm, broad river before him, secretly delighted.

With this treasure trove and the boost from his new Fate Destiny, his chances of breaking through to Qi Refining had improved yet again.

I need to make the most of the coming days. This spiritual qi won't stay the same forever.

Chu Bai took a deep breath and was about to turn away.

Suddenly, his gaze caught on a patch of water not far off.

The surface there had been calm, but it seemed to shift unnaturally, sending out a ring of the faintest ripples.

As though something beneath the water had been startled.

Chu Bai stared, but saw nothing. The river continued flowing east as before.

Did I imagine it? Or was it a big fish passing by?

Wariness stirred in Chu Bai. The Three-Bath River was dangerous territory, after all. He could not afford to be careless.

I'll have to be even more careful when I come here to cultivate.

With his mind made up, Chu Bai did not linger. He quickly passed through the reeds and disappeared beyond the fields.