Clarity

"Did you see clearly?"

Daoist Shan Hui's voice reached him.

Qin Lian considered briefly, then answered.

"I did."

He had already seen the direction he needed to take to attain Divine Intent.

Let his spirit roam the vast void and venture deep into the starry sky.

Place himself amid the endless stars, and use the vastness of that boundless, infinite expanse to temper his mind and forge Divine Intent.

To anyone else, this approach would amount to a wild fantasy.

But for him, it was not necessarily an impassable road.

In fact, just now...

He had almost succeeded.

It was only because he had suddenly fallen from space and panicked that the wondrous state had shattered.

But if he could fly, without alarm or confusion, calm and unhurried...

The moment he spread his arms to embrace the star-filled void, he might truly have united heart and intent in one surge, forged Divine Intent, and attained second grade.

Qin Lian considered for a moment and settled his mind, then bowed sincerely to Daoist Shan Hui once more. "Thank you, Grand Elder."

"I told you, there is no need for thanks."

Daoist Shan Hui looked somewhat weary, but a warm smile still rested on his face. "I helped you simply because I enjoy seeing the younger generation distinguish themselves. I hope to give you a push toward the scenery higher up, to witness this magnificent world and its endless mountains and rivers."

As Qin Lian looked at the Grand Elder, he seemed able to sense clearly the selfless hope deep within his heart...

It was a genuine wish for them to see the scenery higher up.

Such a boundless expanse of scenery...

Mountains, rivers, trees, flowers, grasses, fish, insects, birds, the breeze, the sun and moon...

The vast world was magnificent and dazzling, the myriad forms of its living beings too numerous to count.

If those who came after could not see it, walk through it, and experience it, that would really be...

Such a pity.

"Go on."

Daoist Shan Hui waved a hand, closed his eyes, and hummed a little tune in his reclining chair.

"This disciple takes his leave."

Qin Lian bowed and left the small courtyard.

Not far outside, the old man who had just been playing chess with Daoist Shan Hui was scolding Yuan Tianhe about something.

Yet the dignified master of Cloudmist Peak stood before the old man like a junior, his face wreathed in smiles as he repeatedly agreed.

Only after Qin Lian emerged from the courtyard did the old man fall silent.

When Qin Lian approached, he asked, "Young fellow, did you gain anything?"

"A great deal."

Qin Lian answered truthfully.

"Good."

The old man acknowledged him, said nothing further, and simply turned and left.

Yuan Tianhe did not see him off, much less take his scolding to heart. He came forward with a cheerful smile. "From the look of you... do you really have a chance of attaining Divine Intent before thirty-five?"

"If I had no confidence, I would not have made a special trip up the mountain to cultivate in seclusion."

Qin Lian replied with a smile.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Yuan Tianhe said "good" three times in succession, then declared emphatically, "I'll be waiting for the day you attain second grade and hold your celebration banquet!"

"When the time comes, I will certainly invite you to take the seat of honor, Master."

Qin Lian answered.

"The seat of honor..."

The weight of those words left Yuan Tianhe looking slightly flushed.

After a long while, thinking of how second grade was within Qin Lian's reach...

He spoke again. "Come with me."

With that, he led Qin Lian straight toward another courtyard.

Along the way, they saw a few elders. Though most were weak in blood and qi, they were all radiant with vitality.

The path of Spirit Refining was said to have eight major realms: Spirit Stabilization, Dharma Power, Thought Tempering, Night Wandering, Day Wandering, Yin Spirit, Manifesting the Sacred, and Yang Spirit.

But many elders practiced Qi Refining into Spirit, beginning their cultivation directly with awakening Divine Light and honing Divine Sense.

Qi Refining into Spirit meant constantly consuming one's vital essence and qi.

Thus, their bodies were generally rather weak, yet because they had honed Divine Sense, every one of them was full of mental vigor.

Unfortunately...

Qi Refining into Spirit allowed only advance, not retreat.

If they could not cultivate Dharma Power and cleanse and refine their bodies before their vital essence and qi were exhausted, taking this path would not prolong their lives; instead, they would die before their time.

This was also why so few people lived on Forget-the-World Peak.

After bringing Qin Lian to another small courtyard that was hardly spacious and even somewhat plain, Yuan Tianhe went straight inside and brought out a piece of brilliant red jade.

"This is..."

"Blazing Sun Treasure Jade."

Yuan Tianhe said, "I heard you have been practicing the Rising Sun One-Qi Formula lately... Though I do not know why you would also cultivate this Qi Refining method, this treasure... should help you practice it."

Qin Lian looked at the jade.

Help him? It would do far more than that.

Among the treasures available in Qing and Jiang Provinces that could aid in cultivating the Rising Sun One-Qi Formula, if the Blazing Sun Treasure Jade ranked second, none could claim first.

"This is precious..."

"Take it."

Yuan Tianhe said, "Compared with your eldest senior sister, you made it onto the Grandmaster Heaven Ranking yet could not take over Cloudmist Peak. Ultimately, you have been shortchanged. Consider this a little compensation from me."

"My heart is set on cultivation. I never had any interest in Cloudmist Peak's affairs, great or small."

Qin Lian said.

"That may be so, but the dozen or so forces affiliated with Cloudmist Peak, along with the several resource sites whose proceeds it shares, ultimately amount to an enormous income. Perhaps you are willing to forgo it, but I cannot refuse to give you anything."

Yuan Tianhe did have some selfish considerations, after all.

Finally, he added, "If you truly feel uneasy accepting it, then help me look after that girl Chu Ying a little more."

"Chu Ying?"

At that, something stirred in Qin Lian's mind.

When Chu Ying had become Cloudmist Peak's sixth True Disciple, some who had failed to win a True Disciple position had slandered her in private, claiming she was a younger relative of the peak master, and that by placing her in that position, he was suspected of abusing his authority for personal gain and favoring his relatives.

Now it seemed...

Wind did not whistle through a hollow without cause.

"I understand."

He nodded.

"Hahaha, go on. The future belongs to you young people."

Having secured Qin Lian's promise, Yuan Tianhe was in excellent spirits as well. "I look forward to the day you attain second grade and your name resounds throughout the world."

Qin Lian bowed slightly and took his leave.

This trip to Forget-the-World Peak...

Had truly yielded a great deal.

At the same time, it had confirmed a conjecture of his.

"Underlying intent."

Qin Lian murmured the words.

What his golden light absorbed was the "underlying intent" of each cultivation method!

For all kinds of methods, he could either rely on diligent cultivation to increase his progress step by step, or discuss the Dao with others, listen to different perspectives, and absorb different insights to promote improvement.

Depending on the gap between their respective understandings of the method...

The greater the gap, the greater his initial progress.

Of course, after major mastery, he would have to rely on his own comprehension.

Qin Lian mulled it over carefully...

"Quite scientific, really."

This discovery could effectively save him some cultivation time in the introductory and minor mastery stages of certain methods.

Leaving Forget-the-World Peak, Qin Lian returned to his small courtyard at the Library Pavilion.

Qin Daozhi was already waiting outside the gate.

Seeing Qin Lian return, he stepped forward somewhat excitedly and cupped his hands. "Head Elder, I have lived up to your expectations. I have achieved Hunyuan Wulou and attained fifth grade."

"Fifth grade? Not bad."

Qin Lian's eyes brightened slightly.

"It was all thanks to your standing, Head Elder, and Peak Master Liu's careful instruction."

Qin Daozhi added.

Hearing this, Qin Lian could more or less guess as much.

He immediately returned to the courtyard and brought out the Jade Nectar Returning-Truth Pill. "Refine this pill and achieve Qi Refining into Gang as quickly as possible to reach fourth grade."

"This is..."

Qin Daozhi's eyes widened.

"There is no need to ask, nor any need for thanks. Attaining fourth grade soon will be the greatest repayment you can give me."

As Qin Lian spoke, he recalled Daoist Shan Hui's words and could not help smiling. "Go on."

Qin Daozhi excitedly accepted the pill. "Thank you for granting me this pill, Head Elder."

After sending Qin Daozhi on his way, Qin Lian entered the courtyard.

A moment later, seeming to sense something unusual on his person, he took out the little booklet he carried.

He opened it and looked through a few pages...

In mere moments, he actually felt that these ghostly scrawls seemed to contain something wondrous, and he could vaguely understand some of them.

With a thought, he visualized the golden light...

[Talisman Crafting · Beginner Tier (uninitiated 1/100)]

"It really is a method for drawing talismans?"

He was somewhat surprised.

Talismans, artifacts, pills, and formations were all cultivation arts of the Spirit Refining path.

When True Person Tang Yue of the Pure Yang Sword Sect had been alive, he had enjoyed a reputation for "peerless mastery of both pills and sword."

He had simply never ventured into Talisman Crafting, Artifact Refining, or Formation Arts.

Yet the little booklet Tang Yao had given him was actually a Talisman Crafting legacy...

That was no trifling gift.

Qin Lian looked at the little booklet for a long while...

"Very well, very well. Since she thinks that formula is useful and contains the fundamental truths of heaven and earth, I'll do what I can to complete it for her in an accessible, easy-to-understand way..."

It was just that his own understanding of these formulas and theories was only partial.

Whether Tang Yao could ultimately comprehend anything from them...

Would depend entirely on her own talent.