There was still one thing to do before leaving.
Zhao Yi called Liu Yu and the other two to the Ancestral Hall and showed them the Sect Jade Register formed from the spirit jade.
He also told them that changes in the Jade Tablet would reveal whether those listed in it were alive or dead.
Zhao Yi had each of the three drip his own essence blood onto his respective page. After watching the blood slowly absorb into it, Zhao Yi enshrined the Jade Tablet in the Ancestral Hall.
The group carried bags large and small to the harbor. Heavy snow had fallen last night, and few people were at the harbor today. Wang Qing found the islander who had piloted his boat yesterday and asked him to take Zhao Yi back to Jade Pearl Island.
Zhao Yi gave each of the three a few words of advice, then departed by boat.
The sea wind chilled him to the bone, and they were sailing against it. The little boat drifted on the sea for a full day, only returning to Jade Pearl Island late at night.
Casually tossing the boatman a small bag of polished rice, Zhao Yi strode away with carefree grace amid the man's thanks-provided one overlooked the load hanging from the carrying pole across Zhao Yi's shoulders.
Back at Qingxin Abbey, Zhao Yi tidied up briefly, ate dinner, and began meditating.
Gathering his mind into one, he slowly entered a meditative state and began examining the jade register and golden book within his body. Sure enough, three more pages had appeared in the register, and Zhao Yi read through them in turn.
[Name: Liu Yu] [Fortune: 7] [Spiritual root: Lower-Grade Water Spiritual Root] [Cultivation: Minor achievement of meridian opening] [Name: Wang Qing] [Fortune: 7] [Spiritual root: Lower-Grade Wood Spiritual Root] [Cultivation: Meridian opening stage] [Name: Li Hai] [Fortune: 10] [Spiritual root: Lower-Grade Water Spiritual Root] [Cultivation: Body tempering and essence cultivation]
Unexpectedly, Li Hai had the best fortune among the fellow disciples.
That was only fitting, since Li Hai's aptitude was somewhat better than both Liu Yu's and Wang Qing's.
Zhao Yi paid it no further attention and began circulating his qi through the celestial circuits. True qi flowed through his meridians, repairing the damaged channels little by little.
Late the following night, the moon shed silver light, and the stars shone brilliantly.
Zhao Yi raised his head to gaze at the moon. Knowing the spirit fish would surely emerge from their cave today, he rose and headed straight for Jade Pearl Spring.
The heavy snow had yet to melt. Moisture hung thick beside Jade Pearl Spring, with mist swirling around it.
Zhao Yi pulled his robes tighter, spread a fur over the bluestone slab, and sat cross-legged, quietly awaiting the spirit fish.
After a long while, the school of spirit fish emerged. Zhao Yi smiled faintly, took out some spirit rice, and ground it into flour between his hands before scattering it toward the fish.
Watching the spirit fish scramble to swallow the rice flour, Zhao Yi smiled and thought, Come to think of it, I haven't seen these fish in over a month. They don't seem to have grown much. Ah, when will I finally get to eat them?
Once the rice flour was gone, Zhao Yi scattered another handful. He watched the Spirit Fish finish it and begin drawing in and releasing the moon's radiance.
Feeling something stir within him, Zhao Yi sat cross-legged on the bluestone slab and began his breathing cultivation. Gradually, mist swirled around him.
With each inhalation and exhalation, the mist over Jade Pearl Spring churned as though a great beast lay hidden within.
Only when a rooster crowed and the fish returned to their cave did Zhao Yi head back.
He cultivated like this for several nights in succession. As the weather grew colder and snow filled the skies, the spirit fish hid in their concealed cave, afraid of the cold, and stopped emerging. Zhao Yi stopped as well.
Once December arrived, Zhao Yi had little urgent business on the mountain. Staying there alone, he devoted himself to martial training every day, setting aside two hours daily to cultivate his cultivation method.
It was not that he did not want to cultivate for a few more hours, but the Jade Essence Rice he ate each day provided extremely little spiritual energy, and meditation and breathing exercises drew in even less.
Without pills, spirit stones, or a spirit vein, cultivation crawled along like a snail. Even a month of bitter effort could not open a single spiritual channel.
Cultivation in the meridian opening stage involved opening the thirty-six meridians of the greater celestial circuit and the seventy-two meridians of the lesser celestial circuit, then finally opening the eight extraordinary meridians to connect the greater and lesser celestial circuits.
Once all eight meridians were open and the greater and lesser celestial circuits blended into a single harmonious whole, one had reached perfection.
Of these eight meridians, Zhao Yi had only opened one.
Yes, just one.
More than half a year had passed since he opened the lesser celestial circuit in early May, and he had only opened one.
Of course, two months spent recovering from his injuries had to be deducted, so it had actually taken only four months.
Viewed that way, opening one in four months was not slow. He could perfect the celestial circuits in a few years.
In reality, each of the remaining seven meridians was harder than the last. Opening the final few would probably take years apiece.
Zhao Yi's master had reached great completion of meridian opening at thirty, but only attained perfection of meridian opening at forty. It had taken him ten years.
Zhao Yi's aptitude was much the same as his master's. He estimated that he would need at least eight or nine years for these eight meridians.
Seeing little hope in his cultivation, Zhao Yi could only practice his unarmed combat, swordsmanship, and halberd techniques every day, improving his fighting ability in case of unforeseen need.
He trained diligently like this each day, undisturbed by outside matters.
By the end of December, after practicing halberd techniques for over ten years, Zhao Yi finally brought his Heavy Mountain Halberd Technique to the realm of consummate mastery.
On the mountain training ground, Zhao Yi held his Long Ji, each movement flowing like drifting clouds and running water. He thrust and flicked, chopped and swept, blending hardness with softness.
In his hands, the Long Ji seemed like a surging giant python. The fierce winds stirred by its rolling, twisting movements swept up broken branches and fallen leaves, leaving Zhao Yi standing as though at the center of a storm.
The Long Ji moved faster and faster, and the wind grew stronger and stronger, until he reached the final move.
"Kill!"
Zhao Yi roared and struck a huge mountain boulder with his halberd.
Boom!
Shattered stone and dead leaves flew everywhere.
Crack! Crack!
The boulder collapsed thunderously into a heap of rubble.
"Whew!"
Exhaling a long breath, Zhao Yi planted his Long Ji in the ground. Its blade, as large as a human head, had begun to curl at the edge.
Shaking his head, he pinched the blade between his fingers and forcibly straightened it.
Mm, I can still use it!
January 1, Year 5493 of the Yuangguang Calendar. Today marked the beginning of the year, its first day, New Year's Day, but this world had no New Year customs, whether among immortals or mortals.
Beihai lay in the far north and was covered in snow for four months of the year. Whether low-grade spirit rice or ordinary grain, crops ripened only once a year, planted in spring and harvested in autumn.
Thus, the celebration of the harvest after gathering the grain was the happiest day of the year.
Because of his previous life, Zhao Yi would bring his master and junior disciples together for a feast on the first day of every year, celebrating a new beginning and the renewal of all things.
Although his junior disciples did not understand, they were happy to join in. After all, there was good food and drink, along with red envelopes from Zhao Yi.
This year was different. Zhao Yi was alone on Jade Pearl Island, while only Liu Yu and the other two remained on Linghua Island. He wondered whether they would still gather this year as they had when he was there!
Ah, my cultivation still isn't high enough. If I reached the spirit attraction stage, I could move this school of spirit fish to Linghua Island, along with those three Purple Jade Bamboo plants and the Red Ginseng in the medicinal field!
In his spare time, Zhao Yi usually sat in the pavilion, staring blankly down the mountain.
With his mind emptied, Zhao Yi could better consider the road ahead.
Suddenly, a figure sprinting along the mountain path caught Zhao Yi's attention.
After a moment's thought, he supposed an islander must need help with something.
For someone to be in such a hurry in winter, demonic beasts had very likely come!
Since demonic beasts were attacking, Zhao Yi tapped the tabletop, thought for a moment, then returned to his room to prepare.
Knock, knock, knock!
Before long, knocking sounded at the door.
With his Long Ji on his back and a fine sword at his waist, Zhao Yi rose and went to the front courtyard. Opening the abbey gates, he found a dark, thin man before him.
Seeing the gates open, the visitor hastily bowed.
"What is it?" Zhao Yi asked calmly.
"Immortal Master Zhao, I'm Wang Liuzi, the lighthouse keeper at the harbor. Last night, roaring came from the sea. It lasted a short while, then disappeared."
"An hour ago, the roaring started again. I looked out from high up in the lighthouse but saw nothing unusual. I only felt that the sound was getting closer and closer to Jade Pearl Island!"
The dark, thin man spoke anxiously.
"I heard last night's roaring too. I thought the battle between the demonic beasts had long since been decided and the victor had left. I didn't expect it to come again today!"
"Come with me to the harbor!"
Zhao Yi formed a hand seal and cast the Lightness Technique on both of them. They became as light as swallows, much to Wang Liuzi's amazement.
A short while later, they arrived at the harbor.
Sure enough, roars rang out over the sea, drawing closer and closer to Jade Pearl Island.
Zhao Yi channeled his power into his eyes and looked out over the water. Two dark shapes appeared in the distance, swimming toward Jade Pearl Island, one behind the other.
After some thought, Zhao Yi turned to Wang Liuzi. "Go back up the mountain. You don't need to guard the harbor today. I'll do it!"
"I-Immortal Master, I, I..."
Wang Liuzi trembled, unable even to speak clearly. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, and his eyes were filled with fear and panic.
"Mm, go back. The demonic beasts are coming. You'll be in the way here."
With that, Zhao Yi said no more and watched the two demonic beasts swimming swiftly toward him.
Seeing this, Wang Liuzi hastily bowed, then took to his heels and ran up the mountain.
Demonic beasts varied enormously in strength. Mortals could kill the weak ones, while the strong ones could perhaps overturn mountains and seas.
Their cultivation realms were divided into spirit awakening, spirit drawing, Dao foundation, and core condensation, essentially the same as those of cultivators. Spirit awakening corresponded to a cultivator's meridian opening stage.
Demonic beasts at the spirit awakening stage varied in strength.
The three-inch fish among the spirit fish in Jade Pearl Spring could count as being at the spirit awakening stage. Its weak Water Arrow Technique could not even break Zhao Yi's skin.
In the sea, even a slightly larger fish could probably eat it.
But judging by the portions of their bodies exposed above the water, the two demonic beasts before him could not be all that weak.
"Whew!"
Letting out a long breath, Zhao Yi watched the approaching demonic beasts, took his Long Ji from his back, and slung his sword behind him.
He also readied spirit talismans in his sleeve and felt the Inner Armor he wore. Hopefully, these two demonic beasts would be on the weaker side.
Before you continue