Wenren Qingyi
Three years later.
Inside the quiet room, the chill seeped outwards, and the walls were covered with a thin layer of white frost, icy to the touch, as if even the texture of the stone had been frozen stiff.
The chill in the room was not biting or harsh, but rather calm and lingering.
It was as if the moonlight of late autumn had accumulated for too long and finally condensed into frost.
In the center of the stone platform, a young man dressed in a blue and white robe sat quietly cross-legged.
From a distance, one feels as if they are about to be swallowed up by the pure white of the room.
He Immovable, his breathing long and deep. With each exhale, a faint, dark yin Yin Qi escaped from his mouth and nose, and upon lightly touching the cold air in the room, it Soundless turned into fine white frost, which fell softly onto his shoulders and sleeves.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly opened his eyes.
A thin layer of frost covered the depths of those grey-black eyes, cold yet clear.
As the Lunar Soul in the Outer Scenery grew ever more complete and powerful, Li Fuchan gently exhaled a breath of white air.
"The 'Outer Scenery' signifies the great attainment of enlightenment. When I achieved this state, I was still scheming for petty gains in the Southern Border, my heart and mind filled with thoughts of avoiding the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King. Now, however, I can cultivate in seclusion in the Western Sea. Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. I am a true cultivator."
He rose from the stone platform, his tall figure covered in snow, his Daoist robe's wide sleeves drooping, each slight movement carrying a chilling aura. His body was adorned with frost, and the room was filled with serene silence.
"Autumn is almost over; it's time to prepare some items for the Sacrificial Rite."
The Autumn Union Shaoling Embracing the Alchemy Classic * records that the best offerings for Sacrificial Rite rites are those imbued with the Spiritual Qi of the Lesser Yin path. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is inherently a product of the Yang Aspect, and if the Yang Aspect of "Li Thunder" is "Lightning-Struck Wood," then it can combine to produce "Lightning-Struck Wood energy." Similarly, the Yang Aspect of "Autumn Moon Joining Frost" from the Lesser Yin path can combine to produce "Autumn Moon Joining Frost Qi."
However, the speed at which ordinary Yang Aspect generates Spiritual Qi is extremely slow. If Li Fuchan wants to obtain a wisp of "Autumn Moon Joining Frost Qi", he needs to refine and exchange "Autumn Moon Joining Frost" for at least three years, and a single wisp of Spiritual Qi will take eleven years to form.
Fortunately, he had planned ahead. When he took the Yang-Moving Aspect from Transformation-Contemplation Cave, he also took the four strands of "Autumn Moon Joining Frost Qi" that Transformation-Contemplation Cave had been cultivating.
This is why the people of Evening Yin Island value Transformation-Contemplation Cave so much, and why they are not allowed to enter without the permission of their ancestor's Handwritten Order or the permission of the Household Head or elders.
After all, the "Autumn Moon Joining Frost Qi is hard to gather, and the four streams of Spiritual Qi have burdened at least two, or even three, Lesser Yin for at least eleven years.
Two bursts of "Autumn Moon Joining Frost Qi" were enough for Li Fuchan to complete two Sacrificial Rite. By then, he had already broken through the Outer Scenery Transformation and begun to replenish his Life Force.
He didn't even need to use those four "Autumn Moon Joining Frost Qi".
In two more years, the Tribulation Qi deep within his consciousness will be refined. At that time, using the Tribulation Qi to supplement "Embrace-Lock Crouching Cicada" will surely advance his cultivation level. In addition, since he is currently cultivating Lesser Yin, "Embrace-Lock Crouching Cicada" will probably gain even more of the mystery of the Lesser Yin path.
"Using Tribulation Qi to supplement 'Embrace-Lock Crouching Cicada' is certainly good, but one must first find Spirit Object of the Lesser Yin path to replenish Life Force before allowing Tribulation Qi to enter life force. Otherwise, while allowing Tribulation Qi to enter life force to supplement 'Embrace-Lock Crouching Cicada' before replenishing Life Force would allow me to directly skip the stage of replenishing Life Force, most of the mysteries of Tribulation Qi would be used to replenish Life Force, and the replenishing power would definitely be greatly reduced."
Li Fuchan had made up his mind. Without further delay, he left the quiet room, mounted a gust of wind, and headed straight for the Looking Seaward Tower.
The Western Sea is barren, and among the islands near Evening Yin Island, Looking Seaward Tower is considered the premier Market Ward. Most of the independent Rogue Cultivator in the surrounding area with some wealth come here to trade for what they need.
What he was looking for on this trip would certainly not be found by the small repairmen setting up stalls along the way; only Looking Seaward Tower might have some of it.
Looking down from the sky, one can see a cluster of pavilions rising up along the island's contours, with dozens of ever-burning lanterns hanging between the eaves and brackets, swaying slightly in the sea breeze, casting shadows on the sea surface for miles around.
The streets and alleys downstairs are crisscrossed and lined with shops, with cultivators coming and going in an endless stream. Although it is not as bustling as the large Market Ward in South of the Yangtze, it still has its own unique lively atmosphere.
However, Li Fuchan's nature was not to like such a bustling environment. After cultivating the Lesser Yin, he preferred a quieter place.
She was dressed in a magnificent gown, with a deep blue top contrasting with a bright yellow and crimson skirt, and wide sleeves. Her cheeks were slightly full, and she wore a hair ornament with dangling ornaments. Her every move exuded a light and graceful air.
Wenren Qingyi had spotted the young man arriving on the wind from afar while she was upstairs.
He wore a blue and white Daoist robe with flowing sleeves, his hair was tied up with a silver crown and adorned with a silver hairpin, and there was not a single superfluous ornament on his body.
Although his face wasn't exactly handsome, and could only be described as average, it had strikingly long eyebrows and gray eyes.
Her eyebrows were like distant mountains covered in snow, and her eyes held a hint of cold and refined elegance. Just one glance was enough to make one feel that this person was not to be underestimated. Such a person was rare, not only in the Western Sea, but also in the entire Outer Sea. Therefore, she personally came downstairs to greet her.
Upon seeing Li Fuchan, she gave a slight bow and said in a clear, melodious voice, "Looking Seaward Tower Manager, Wenren Qingyi greets fellow Daoist."
Li Fuchan raised an eyebrow slightly.
The surname Wenren is not common in the Western Sea, and the aura emanating from this woman seems somewhat familiar, perhaps related to the "Myriad Transformations at Will Register," but not quite.
He didn't act arrogantly. This woman's cultivation level was already at the Outer Scenery, and since she was the person in charge of the Looking Seaward Tower, her status was not low.
He bowed respectfully and returned the greeting, saying, "This humble Daoist priest, Li Fuchan, returns the greeting."
"Alright," he said, glancing up at Wenren Qingyi and asking in a calm tone, "Fellow Daoist, are you from the Northern Lands?"
Wenren Qingyi was taken aback upon hearing this. She scrutinized him for a few moments before revealing a hint of surprise and asking curiously, "Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps also from the Northern Lands?"
Without waiting for his reply, she began to explain, "I was born and raised in the Northern Lands. Later, my Ning Household suffered a sudden disaster, and my entire clan was wiped out. I was the only one left to wander aimlessly. I first went to South of the Yangtze and found a job in a Market Ward by the Lake. I thought I had finally settled down, but less than a year later, Devil Cultivator broke into the market town, killed the person in charge, and looted it extensively. It took me a great deal of effort to escape. These repeated calamities have truly... terrified the entire nation."
She paused here, then continued, "Later, I came Overseas. The Eastern Sea was rich, but there was no place for me to rise; the Northern Sea Dragonkind and demons fighting, and Welcome Ying Isle was constantly using thunder and lightning, making it no place to live; the Southern Sea was too far away. After many twists and turns, I came to the Western Sea, entered the Looking Seaward Tower, and broke through to the Outer Scenery six years ago, and then took on the position of manager."
After hearing this, Li Fuchan couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
This person has truly had a lot of bad luck.