Essentials of Spiritual Radiance and Plain Moon
"I promise you'll be satisfied, Brother Wu."
Du Qingluo chuckled and waved a slender hand. Three Jade Slips appeared on the table.
"The third-grade Essentials of Spiritual Radiance and Plain Moon, with its accompanying Qi-gathering method and Techniques, along with two Supreme Yang Techniques."
As she spoke, her limpid eyes settled on his handsome, sharply chiseled face, a puzzled look in them.
"Brother Wu, you cultivate a Supreme Yang Cultivation Method, so why do you want Cultivation Methods and Techniques of the Supreme Yin path too?"
Even though the Immortal Lord of the Supreme Yang Dao Lineage had ascended beyond the heavens, Great Yin Spiritual Qi still could not be gathered in the world. These Cultivation Methods were useful only for reference.
That was why the Du Household had collected these third- and fourth-grade Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods over the years.
Otherwise, a Foundation Establishment Aristocratic Clan would not possess even a sixth-grade Purple Mansion Cultivation Method, much less a third-grade Immortal Method.
These days, high-grade Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods were useless to keep but a pity to throw away, so they were kept only as collectibles.
Wu Song's actions, however, were surprising: he was actually trading precious pills for them.
"Want to know?"
Xu Fan picked up the Jade Slips and glanced at Du Qingluo, pretending to ponder mysteriously.
At the same time, the Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram appeared in the depths of his eyes, recording the third-grade Essentials of Spiritual Radiance and Plain Moon and the Supreme Yang Techniques.
"Are you willing to tell me, Brother Wu?"
A startled look appeared on Du Qingluo's delicate, pretty face. She had only tried asking, so she hurriedly nodded.
"Of course, of course! This is a major matter concerning the Supreme Yin path!"
The elders in her household all wanted to know why Wu Song was collecting Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods. Could he have a way to gather Great Yin Spiritual Qi?
As far as she knew, Wu Song had come from a Rogue Cultivator background and had only embarked on the Dao Path after stumbling upon a seventh-grade Cultivation Method of the Supreme Yang Dao Lineage.
Though she did not know whether he had made that up, the Supreme Yang presence he revealed when he fought could not lie. It was just that his methods were a little too... rough.
"Give me one Supreme Yin Cultivation Method of fifth grade or higher, and I'll tell you."
Xu Fan put away the Jade Slips and sat down with a chuckle, motioning for her to sit as well.
He had thought up his story long ago. Whether anyone believed it was up to them.
With the True Qi cultivated through the Great Sun True Yang Art as cover, and the Dark and Bright Moon-Hiding Technique to conceal and simulate it, he had nothing to fear even if he came face-to-face with a Foundation Establishment Ancestor.
After all, Master Xu could not die here.
"Brother Wu, you said it!"
Du Qingluo's eyes lit up. She took out another Jade Slip and urged him on.
"The fourth-grade Golden Scripture of Hidden Shadows and Reflecting Moon. I was going to give it to you as a deposit."
"Tell me, quickly! But Brother Wu, don't you go fooling me."
She had thought she would need to beat around the bush for a long time before she might get a word or two out of him, yet now he was going to tell her directly.
It truly caught her off guard.
She was suspicious. Could he be making up an excuse to deceive her?
But from the look of Wu Song, had he really collected the Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods on a whim?
"Since you've asked so sincerely, I have nothing to hide."
Xu Fan recorded the Cultivation Method as well, shrugged, and said with a carefree smile:
"Buy up a rare commodity and hold it for a profit. Miss Qingluo, you've heard of that, surely."
"Besides collecting and studying them, naturally I'm betting that Great Yin Spiritual Qi will return."
"Brother Wu, you think Great Yin Spiritual Qi will return?" Du Qingluo was taken aback.
Many people had had that idea.
Even before the Immortal Lord of the Supreme Yang Dao Lineage ascended, many people had collected Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods in large quantities, hoping to make a fortune and strengthen their foundations.
But what was the result?
Now, half a sixty-year cycle had passed, and there was still no sign of Great Yin Spiritual Qi returning.
The value of Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods had consequently plummeted, allowing her household to possess a third-grade Supreme Yin Immortal Method without coming to harm.
Xu Fan shook his head slightly.
"The Immortal Lord ascended half a sixty-year cycle ago. Though Great Yin Spiritual Qi still can't be gathered now, who can say what the future holds?"
"For me, it's only a matter of spending some pills and spiritual resources."
"We Qi Refinement cultivators have a lifespan of a hundred and eighty years. If we forge an Immortal Foundation, that can double. What harm is there in waiting two or three hundred years?"
Surely he was far from the only person to think this way. It was a common, reasonable idea, and difficult to doubt.
As long as he stuck to that story and did not expose the fact that he had advanced to Qi Refinement using a Supreme Yin Cultivation Method, there would be no major problem.
The worst outcome would be dying once more and taking on a different identity.
"That's true."
Du Qingluo nodded slightly, more than half convinced, and said with a soft laugh:
"But there's something you don't know, Brother Wu. Collecting Supreme Yin Cultivation Methods was very popular before the Immortal Lord ascended."
"According to my grandfather, quite a few Foundation Establishment Aristocratic Clans and Rogue Cultivators nearly lost everything and incurred huge debts because of it."
There was actually one more thing she had not mentioned: the two from the Sword Sect and the Buddhist Land did not want Supreme Yin to return after the sun had set.
A True Person had once speculated that six thousand years ago, when Supreme Yang became the manifest Dao of the age and Great Yin Spiritual Qi vanished, it was the Immortal Lord of Supreme Yang who had intervened.
Now that the Immortal Lord had ascended beyond the heavens, the immortals left behind naturally did not want the Supreme Yin path to become another unpredictable factor.
As long as the Supreme Yin Dao Lineage had no immortal, everything could be negotiated.
"With my alchemy skills and the Pill Formulas I created myself, I'm no ordinary Rogue Cultivator."
"For me, Foundation Establishment is only a matter of time!"
Xu Fan looked pleased with himself and raised his head slightly, displaying an Alchemist's pride.
He knew it was the Minor Restoration Pill and Divine Intent Pill that had earned him the Du Household's regard.
He was the only one who could produce those two pills, so passing himself off as an Alchemist was a sure thing.
As far as he knew, few Rogue Cultivators in the Land of Wu even knew how to make talismans, let alone practice alchemy.
Artifact refining and alchemy, talismans and formations-these were all arts that could be passed down for hundreds or thousands of years. They were hard to obtain even if one wanted to buy them.
Even Foundation Establishment Aristocratic Clans like the Du Household had only a few alchemy inheritances for the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Where would they find Pill Formulas and refining methods for the Qi Refining Realm?
"Qingluo firmly believes that you can reach Foundation Establishment, Brother Wu. After all, it's truly rare for a Rogue Cultivator to create two Pill Formulas."
"With your comprehension and talent, Brother Wu, you might even reach the Purple Mansion someday."
As Du Qingluo spoke, her voice grew softer, and a hint of admiration showed on her face.
Indeed, the Minor Restoration Pill and Divine Intent Pill were extremely effective for Qi Refinement cultivators.
With an inexhaustible supply of pills, the strength of the Du Household's Qi Refinement cultivators would surely rise to another level.
Perhaps they would even gain a few more clanspeople with a chance of reaching Foundation Establishment.
She, too, could reach the perfection of Qi Refinement sooner and attempt Foundation Establishment, giving her some hope of becoming a Purple Mansion True Person in the future.
No matter what, we must keep Wu Song in the Du Household!
"The Purple Mansion is still a long way off. Besides, Purple Mansion Cultivation Methods of the Supreme Yang path are hard to come by. Even if my cultivation reaches that level, I might not have the chance."
Xu Fan composed himself and shook his head slightly.
"The Du Household will keep an eye out for one, Brother Wu, so rest assured. You're still very young."
Du Qingluo rose and made her promise, smiling brightly.
"You've only just come out of seclusion, Brother Wu, so Qingluo won't disturb you any longer."
"Then thank you."
"I'll see you out."
Xu Fan pretended to be moved as he nodded, then rose to see her off.
After seeing the two of them out, he returned and closed the shop. Deep in his eyes, the Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram turned slightly.
"One third-grade, one fourth-grade."
"There's no rush to deduce and fuse them. I'll cultivate their Techniques first."
There were not many Supreme Yin Techniques accompanying the Essentials of Spiritual Radiance and Plain Moon and the Golden Scripture of Hidden Shadows and Reflecting Moon, and some even had overlapping effects.
"Spiritual Radiance Essence Erosion, Dark Moon Hidden Shadow, and Luminous Plain Moon Mirror."
In the end, he chose those three Techniques to gain Movement and divination abilities, as well as cultivate Spiritual Radiance Essence Erosion to improve his killing methods.
He immediately activated three layers of formations and sat down cross-legged to cultivate.
With the Techniques recorded by the Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram, cultivating them presented no difficulty at all. He only had to follow the steps to master them.