Peace

A red cloud flew out of the market and descended upon a barren mountain, revealing a young man.

Sensing the thousand-odd books neatly arranged inside his storage gourd, Fang Yu fell into thought.

The Cultivation Methods in these books were all for the Qi Ingestion stage. They covered the introductory Cultivation Methods of every major Dao lineage he knew of, including not only the various inherited methods of Golden Core immortal sects such as Mount Longhu, Mount Changliu, and Mount Longmen, but also many inherited methods of Purple Mansion immortal clans.

He only needed to read through them one by one to gain a relatively systematic understanding of the major Dao lineages.

And without a doubt, so many Qi Ingestion methods had all been put out to recruit disciples, or rather, to cultivate some kind of expendable resource. After all, Rogue Cultivators sprang up endlessly throughout the world, just like chives: cut one crop, and another would grow in its place.

As for the scholar, his eagerness to spread the Cultivation Methods probably had something to do with the Dao Foundation he cultivated. Perhaps doing so helped him increase his Dao Attainment.

Just as Fang Yu had forged Metal Fire Stones in the Metal Stone Immortal Sect before.

After roughly browsing through all the fire virtue methods, Fang Yu discovered that there was only one Cultivation Method for the Wings Fire fate: the Starfire Heart-Burning Instruction.

Moreover, none of the other major Dao lineages cultivated Wings Fire as their main path, which meant the lineage had been severed.

But looking at it another way, that also meant no competition and no involution. It might be easier to cultivate in the early stages.

As someone with the Wings Fire fate, he naturally bore the responsibility of reviving this lineage. Thus, Fang Yu decided to cultivate it first and talk about the rest later.

He opened the Starfire Heart-Burning Instruction and studied it closely.

This art required the practitioner to swallow a breath of Fire of Ten Thousand Households Spiritual Qi as the foundation for entering the Dao and cultivate the Dao Foundation, Phoenix Sets the Plains Ablaze. It could kindle the fire in people's hearts and gather the fires in countless hearts into a blaze that swept across the plains.

The Fire of Ten Thousand Households was a fire of the mortal world, found not in remote mountains and ancient forests, but among the streets and marketplaces. Not only was this fire needed to begin cultivation, but a continuous supply was also required afterward to increase one's Dao Attainment.

"Kindle the fire in their hearts!"

Fang Yu murmured, gazing into the distance toward Anping Prefecture City. His gaze pierced through space, as though he could see the lights of ten thousand households within the city.

If I want to kindle the fire in mortals' hearts to aid my cultivation, I must find what they seek.

Ordinary mortals seek nothing more than promotion, wealth, long life, or a hundred years of age, all of which fall within the three blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity.

But now, in this time of war and chaos, what mortals crave most should be peace: freedom from the ravages of war, the hardships of famine, and the burden of plague.

So if I want to kindle the fire in their hearts, I need to start with those three things. But then I cannot avoid meddling in the mortal world's fate and affecting the rise and fall of dynasties.

Although I am not a disciple of Mount Longmen and need not obey its decrees, I can interfere in mortal affairs as a Rogue Cultivator. But if I do, I will surely be swept into the enormous karma surrounding the change of dynasties.

If I am careless and end up standing against the child of fate, my fortune will be exhausted and my fate dire, to say nothing of using this to cultivate.

Even if I stand on the child of fate's side, he might drain my fortune dry and use me as an expendable resource to further his own achievements. That is equally dangerous, and might even be worse than standing against him.

Moreover, Mount Longmen will surely be watching such a major affair at all times, and any abnormality will draw its attention. So I must keep a low profile, preferably acting in secret.

I should also muddy the waters and avoid openly taking sides, only kindling the fire in mortals' hearts. As for what they choose and how they act, I will not interfere. That should keep me from becoming too entangled in karma.

At that thought, he glanced again at the introductory Cultivation Methods of the major Dao lineages, and an idea suddenly struck him. If he wanted to muddy the waters, what could be better than dragging all the major Dao lineages into the water?

Dao of Qi Refining.

Medicine King Mountain cave abode.

Fang Yu sat upright before a tea table, holding a scroll containing a Cultivation Method. He read it closely as he drank his tea.

This was the first cave abode he had built after transmigrating to Great Scarlet Heaven. Though it lay in the mortal world, where Spiritual Qi was thin, it had the advantage of being quiet and undisturbed, making it an ideal place to read.

So he tidied it up a little and settled in for a long stay.

"Hairy Head Sun, Azure Splendor Deliverance. It gathers souls to serve as heavenly soldiers and generals. Truly a Technique beyond the fathoming of gods and ghosts. The requirements to begin are not high either; one only needs to gather the newly risen Daybreak Sun between heaven and earth.

"But the orthodox method of beginning is too cumbersome, and the process of growing stronger is extremely slow. It doesn't meet my needs. I'll separate a few of its secret Techniques and simplify them.

"As long as those who practice them can briefly use the Technique, that will do. If their fortune runs smoothly, they will naturally find the orthodox Cultivation Method in the future.

"Uh, eight or nine out of ten of these circulated Cultivation Methods probably have pitfalls in them.

"Never mind that. I only light the fire. Whatever comes after has nothing to do with me..."

Murmuring to himself, Fang Yu put down the Cultivation Method, picked up a brush, and spread out a sheet of xuan paper. He rewrote the introductory method and the Mnemonics for its secret Techniques according to his own understanding.

A moment later, he looked at the simplified secret Technique of roughly four hundred characters and nodded in satisfaction.

"Although I have the Wings Fire fate and have never cultivated a Hairy Head Sun method, I can still understand it. Even if my understanding is only partial, it should be enough to get mortals started. If something really goes wrong with their cultivation, I can improve it afterward. I'll just treat it as an experiment."

Putting the newly written, simplified secret art aside, Fang Yu took out a Cultivation Method from the Maiden Earth lineage and began studying it.

The days passed one by one, and the simplified secret Techniques on his table grew more numerous, gradually forming a thick stack of rough paper.

As a Dao Foundation cultivator, though he only had a physical labor Dao Foundation like Molten Edge Flow, he still possessed a photographic memory. With the aid of his spiritual sense, he read through the many Cultivation Methods very quickly.

With no desire for a thorough understanding and seeking only quick, straightforward results, he simplified the Cultivation Methods of the seven great lineages of Yin, Yang, and the Five Virtues that required "mortal-world Spiritual Qi."

Leaving aside how effective they would prove once cultivated, there was no problem with getting started. None of the Spiritual Qi these methods required had to be sought in remote mountains and ancient forests, or in special places such as spiritual lands.

As long as one was in the mortal world, among its streets and marketplaces, it could be obtained easily. One could also easily begin cultivation, replenish Spiritual Qi, and use the secret Techniques.

Fang Yu reached for the thick stack of rough paper, sorted it into categories, then copied it out and bound it into a volume.

After copying the final secret Technique, he looked at the cover of the volume on the table and raised his brush to write:

"I'll call this volume the Precious Scroll of Essential Techniques for Delivering the World to Peace Through Ten Thousand Tribulations. Essential Techniques of Peace for short."

Once he had written it in a single stroke, something stirred in Fang Yu's heart. He opened the cover and wrote down the scripture he had pondered for a long time:

[When primordial chaos first divided, the turbid and the clear came apart; the three Qi flowed and turned, setting heaven and earth in place. Heavenly Gang lost its order, and clouds of tribulation gathered; earthly Sha seethed, concealing the seeds of calamity.

When war arose, mountains and rivers shattered; wherever famine spread, grass and trees withered. Plague swept across the land, and living beings wept; the three disasters devoured the world like tigers and wolves...

First, a method to withstand war... Second, a means to relieve famine... Third, a Technique to ward off plague...

If one day the azure heavens should open, may all things be renewed and sing praise to this Dao-

Heaven and earth open anew to an age of peace; all living beings sing together a song of deliverance for the world.]