Find someone better

Although Meng Yuan had said he would do it, Du Xingyi did not let him get straight to it.

"Your cultivation is too low, and your body is frail. Reach the third Qi Refining layer first, then we'll talk."

Du Xingyi took the long view.

Life-bound Divine Abilities were strange things, evolving from one's own life-bound aspect.

Generally speaking, they only emerged at the late Qi Refining stage, or even at Foundation Establishment. But nothing was absolute. During early Qi Refining, undergoing a great upheaval, witnessing something magnificent and extraordinary, or encountering something akin to one's own life-bound aspect could all cause a life-bound Divine Ability to evolve.

Life-bound Divine Abilities differed from ordinary techniques. Their miraculous properties did not depend on cultivation level. Their power, however, did.

Du Xingyi believed this Yuanyuanzi could withstand the heart-tempering and spirit-questioning because of his life-bound Divine Ability. Thus, if Yuanyuanzi could raise his cultivation a little more, their chances might improve somewhat.

Besides, although she cared about the Ruins, she was in no hurry. Her master had also told her that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could likely venture beyond the Bronze Gate.

Thus, to be safe, Du Xingyi was willing to wait a few years.

"I'm taking Li Nineteen with me. I'll find him a master at the Main Mountain. His spiritual root and life-bound aspect both let him connect with spirit plants. Plenty of people will want him."

"Qi-Replenishing Pills? Fine. They'll be deducted from your stipend. Huo Old Freak will give them to you."

Du Xingyi haggled with Yuanyuanzi for two days, worn to exhaustion by him, before they finally settled on an agreement.

After Du Xingyi left with the tight-lipped Li Nineteen, Meng Yuan settled down on Chaolong Mountain and devoted himself to cultivation.

By the time the peach blossoms bloomed the following year, Meng Yuan's diligent practice, along with one Qi-Replenishing Pill every day, had actually piled his cultivation all the way up to the third Qi Refining layer.

"It's only been a year, and you've advanced this quickly? Have you been practicing dual cultivation with someone?" Xin Li had come to collect the annual tribute again. Seeing Meng Yuan's unsteady Qi, clearly already at the third Qi Refining layer, she could not help grabbing his wrist. "Come on! Inside with me!"

"Conduct yourself with dignity, fairy!" Meng Yuan refused outright.

Never scorn a young man for being poor. Last year, Meng Yuan had been so poor he had no other choice, which was why he had considered serving another with his body. But now, he had long since stopped doing that sort of business!

Xin Li tugged at him for a while. Seeing that Meng Yuan kept guarding his chastity like jade, she knew he had found a new lover. She stripped off his Daoist robe before leaving. "This is my deposit!"

A month later, Du Xingyi returned as well.

"Very good." After questioning Huo Old Freak, she offered Meng Yuan a word of praise. It was unclear whether she was praising his decent progress or his jade-like chastity.

In any case, she gave Meng Yuan a new Daoist robe.

After resting for two days, Du Xingyi took Meng Yuan and Huo Old Freak into the cave abode. "Come on. I'll show you the Ruins."

They moved the bookshelf aside and entered the hole.

Du Xingyi led, Meng Yuan followed in the middle, and Huo Old Freak brought up the rear.

"Little brother, what do you take us for? Bandit cultivators?" Seeing Meng Yuan walking sideways the whole time, as though guarding against someone, Huo Old Freak spoke to reassure him. Inwardly, however, he thought, Now that you've come down here, would we let you run away?

"I'm from the Outer Sea. I saw so many crabs that I learned to walk sideways." Meng Yuan, however, thought, I'm going to dig in here this time. Until I reach the late Qi Refining stage, I won't leave even if they chase me out.

The three walked for a while before seeing the Bronze Gate again.

A faint flame burned on the candle stand, and there was no telling how many years it had burned.

Meng Yuan cautiously stepped forward, pinched off a little flame, and tossed it over, but it fell halfway there.

"The candle stand is dragon-shaped, and the gate is carved with dragon patterns. Does that imagery signify something? Is it the design of some sect or school?" Hands clasped behind his back, Meng Yuan circled several times. "Or was it left by some mighty expert?"

"I don't know." Du Xingyi held nothing back. "None of the sects or schools, or even any cultivation lineages, use dragons as their totem. I've searched through many ancient texts and found nothing either."

"The candlelight can temper the heart and induce illusions?" Meng Yuan asked again.

"Correct." Du Xingyi nodded. "This time, we need to borrow your life-bound Divine Ability, junior brother! Please, Junior Brother Yuan."

Meng Yuan was not a reckless man. He wandered around a few more times, then sat down, chatted with Du Xingyi for a day, and refused.

"No! This place is dangerous. We must be absolutely certain nothing can go wrong."

Meng Yuan made another request. "I was thinking, why not wait another year or two for me to reach the middle stage? Then I'd have a little more confidence."

"Well..." Huo Old Freak looked at Du Xingyi.

"Just give it a brief try." Du Xingyi showed a rare patience. "Don't worry. If you fall victim to it, I'll pull you out immediately. Once the candlelight can't reach you, you'll wake up very soon."

This little sister-in-law devours people without even spitting out the bones! Meng Yuan knew that the Bronze Candle Stand tempered the heart and induced illusions. Once someone fell victim to it, they could never recover, and their Qi and Blood would rapidly decline.

"But..." Meng Yuan hesitated, visibly inclined to back out.

"Since you're already here, you ought to at least try." At this, Du Xingyi remembered that he had sold himself to Xin Li before, and said, "Whether you succeed or not, I'll give you an extra half year's pay afterward. Also, I won't interfere with your dual cultivation with Xin Li anymore."

Who wants to practice dual cultivation with her?!

"What use are spirit stones if I'm dead? Junior sister, you're a woman of your word! If I don't make it, give the spirit stones to my little brother Nineteen! He's quiet, withdrawn, and timid. Please look after him in the future. If he has a chance to reach Foundation Establishment, please..."

Meng Yuan laid out his final wishes. It was not that he coveted those few spirit stones, but that he had seen Du Xingyi's resolve.

He had to make this attempt. Only then could he make more demands.

"All right." Du Xingyi patiently listened to Meng Yuan ramble for a quarter of an hour, thinking that he was actually a fairly decent person.

With that, Meng Yuan turned to face the Bronze Candle Stand.

After hesitating for a long while, Meng Yuan stepped forward.

Du Xingyi immediately focused her attention on him. She saw Yuanyuanzi sway as he stepped into the candlelight's reach, but he did not lose his senses.

What exactly is this man's life-bound aspect, and what is his life-bound Divine Ability...? Du Xingyi frowned, only to see Yuanyuanzi lose his footing after just three steps and hastily retreat.

"I'm not just being modest." Having escaped the danger, Meng Yuan plopped down on the ground and waved a hand. "You'd better find someone better!"

Du Xingyi stepped forward and felt Meng Yuan's forehead. Seeing that he was neither ill nor injured, but that his sea of consciousness did indeed show signs of turbulence and instability, she said, "Tell me, what did it feel like? Why did you retreat?"

The candle stand targeted the heart itself, bewildering the mind without leaving external injuries. Du Xingyi had no way to determine how much damage Yuanyuanzi had suffered.

"The farther I went, the more stray thoughts filled my mind." Meng Yuan told the truth. "I only felt countless voices at my ears, as though they could draw out the desires buried deepest in my heart."

"So it really is a heart-tempering trial." Du Xingyi rubbed her chin.

"So it really is? You didn't actually know the candlelight's origins, and you tricked me? I treated you as a confidante, yet you deceived me into going to my death!" Meng Yuan was furious. "You'd better find someone better!"

"What do you want?" Du Xingyi thought, As if I don't know what you're after. "I remember you practice the Circulating Heaven Qi-Gathering Method, correct? I'll teach you another method."

"How does it compare to the Circulating Heaven Qi-Gathering Method?" Meng Yuan asked.

"It's so far above it there's no telling how far!" Du Xingyi smiled.