Inside the thatched cottage in the Path-Seeking Courtyard.
After digesting what he had gained from hearing the Dao expounded, Xuanming returned to his usual rhythm of cultivation: gathering purple qi at dawn, refining moonlight at dusk, consuming spirit fruits, reading scriptures and comprehending the Dao, honing Divine abilities, setting formations, and practicing Talisman Drawing. In his spare time, he either traveled through the hundred counties of Fengyang Commandery, practicing his Dao among the mountains and rivers, or ventured deep into the Mortal World, changing identities to experience the warmth and bustle of everyday life.
He had not traveled far because the affair involving True Lord Chaoguang had left him uneasy. He kept feeling that something momentous would happen in Fengyang Commandery. Afraid that, should disaster truly strike and engulf the Truth-Seeking Abbey, his whip would be too short to reach it and his strength insufficient, he chose to remain within the commandery. There would be time enough for distant travels once the unease in his heart had subsided.
Fortunately, Fengyang Commandery covered a vast territory, and he had never explored every part of it. Traveling, observing, and reflecting this time both filled those gaps and benefited his cultivation—two gains with one stroke. Why would he not do it?
Besides, the mismatch between his magic power and his attainment in the Dao could not continue indefinitely. Bringing them into accord as soon as possible, becoming a half-step Spirit Refining Cultivator in both name and substance, and laying a firm foundation would all aid his eventual advancement to Spirit Refining.
Moreover, through reading the Rising Sun Spirit-Refining Insights, Xuanming had learned that becoming a great Spirit Refining cultivator was no easy feat. Beyond reaching the threshold of Spirit Refining in cultivation and condensing the Dao Domain Prototype, he also needed to accumulate