Writing Scriptures and Expounding the Dao Held Its Own Way; A Few Words Dispelled the Demon Poison

Under the night sky, Heng Hua spread his arms and spoke into the wind:

"When I first deduced a Soul-Formation Method, I referred to the five Soul Formation arts originally possessed by our Lineage and made slight improvements according to Grandfather's cultivation path. It was of little help to Grandfather. The chance of Soul Formation was only two or three percent.

"Great-Uncle also designed a Soul-Formation Method for Grandfather. Its success rate was slightly higher than mine, but it was still not very useful. What could truly raise Grandfather's chance of breaking through was a higher-level mental method from the Ninefold Wind-Supporting Immortal Scripture."

"Because Grandfather broke through using the Core Formation method of the Immortal Scripture, so their paths share the same source?"

"Not only that. The Wind-Supporting Scripture shares the same origin as our bloodline. The great cultivators among our ancestors all practiced this method. Perhaps through this cultivation art, Grandfather can gain some assistance from his bloodline."

Not to mention the unverifiable immortal of Fufeng Palace among the Fu Family's ancestors. Fu Danwei's father and grandfather had both cultivated the Core Formation method within the Wind-Supporting Scripture.

Even if only one percent of spiritual power had been passed down through the bloodline, it would be of immense help to Fu Danwei's cultivation.

"The Soul Formation chapter of the Ninefold Wind-Supporting Immortal Scripture..."

Xiang Feng gave a troubled, bitter smile.

With Fufeng Immortal Palace destroyed, its Dao lineage and texts scattered across the waters. How could its Soul Formation chapter possibly remain?

At present, the known inheritances of the Wind-Supporting Scripture were one Core Formation method held by the Fu Family and the Nine-Wind Qi-Refining Method held by the Wei Family.

"You urged Grandfather to make a move against the Wei Family for that Qi-Refining Method?"

"That's right. I have read the Core Formation method preserved by the Fu Family. It connects neither village ahead nor inn behind—it is simply a rootless piece of wood. Aside from increasing a Golden Core Cultivator's odds of forming a core, it has no other use. I cannot infer the true principles of the Wind-Supporting Scripture from that Core Formation method. But with the Wei Family's Qi-Refining Method as reference, I can glimpse the Dao intent behind the writing of the Ninefold Wind-Supporting Immortal Scripture."

Every cultivation art had its own principles and its own goal.

Heng Hua's former Evergreen Art centered upon longevity and survival, eternal youth and unwithering beauty. Qi traveled throughout the body in a path of moderation, encompassing all kinds of qi.

Xiang Feng's current Spirit-Vortex Radiance Art cultivated whirlwind spiritual power. It turned the twelve primary meridians into vortices, until the twelve vortices finally became one. His body was like a spiritual-wind vortex, constantly inhaling and exhaling spiritual qi.

But the Ninefold Wind-Supporting Immortal Scripture was proclaimed a precious tome of Immortal Flight. What were its principles? What path did its cultivation method follow?

Without knowing any of these things, it was simply impossible to deduce a Soul-Formation Method.

"Other than that, is there no other way?"

"If we cannot find the Soul Formation method of the Wind-Supporting Scripture, then we can only make the wrong move in the wrong game and tailor a Soul-Formation Method according to Grandfather's present condition. But that would be even more troublesome."

Heng Hua sighed. "I have too little information."

Within the Fu Family, Yellow Grade Foundation Establishment methods were everywhere. Heng Hua had been doted upon by his parents since childhood. He had thumbed through those methods aimed at Foundation Establishment until they were worn out, treating them as bedtime reading in his youth. He could recite them backward and forward.

Thus, he could gather the essence of a hundred schools and tailor Foundation Establishment mental methods according to each individual's traits.

Though Black Grade cultivation arts were not as widely circulated as Yellow Grade ones, the Fu Family had preserved and collected them for a thousand years. Their stock of methods aimed at the Golden Core Realm was also vast.

With his talent, Heng Hua could create some Black Grade cultivation arts himself. If he merely improved existing methods, success was practically guaranteed.

But beyond that, how did one form a soul above the Golden Core Realm? How did one undergo tribulation?

When it came to Earth Canon methods aimed at immortality, Heng Hua was completely at a loss.

After all, the Fu Family was merely a middling cultivation lineage, neither great nor small. They could obtain countless Yellow Grade cultivation arts and a large number of fragmentary Black Grade methods. But in total, they possessed only thirty-three arts and formulas beyond the Golden Core Realm. Of those that discussed how to form an infant of purest essence and cultivate Soul Formation, only five remained.

Xiang Feng pondered. "If I find a proper immortal tome and have you alter it into something suited to Grandfather's current needs, would that be feasible?"

Heng Hua shook his head. "Third Brother, do you know that clients with requests like yours are the ones Dharma Performers hate most?"

Dharma Performers generally had two kinds of work. One was writing scriptures, and the other was revising scriptures.

Writing scriptures meant following inspiration to create something from nothing, tailoring a cultivation art from scratch. There were no restraints; one could let one's imagination gallop like a heavenly horse through empty air and freely display one's skill.

Such creation from nothing was like a craftsman wielding a great blade, acting boldly and as he pleased.

Revising scriptures was far more troublesome.

The simplest form of revision involved damaged cultivation manuals—blurred writing or spirit-seal characters—or flaws deliberately left behind by the author that required special ciphered formulas to read. Such translation and repair were not difficult for Dharma Performers.

A step further was to select an appropriate cultivation art according to the cultivator's needs, then make limited alterations based on that cultivator's own circumstances. Heng Hua's Spirit-Vortex Radiance Art for Xiang Feng was an example; he had specifically modified several paths for circulating qi.

The most difficult type, however, was taking an existing immortal scripture and being forcibly required to alter it for someone utterly unsuited to cultivate it.

Repairing a book was like a skillful artisan carving with meticulous care, each chapter and pattern in proper order. The more demands one imposed, the more one's hands and feet were bound, making it difficult to show one's ability.

Until now, Heng Hua had always selected suitable books for suitable people, then revised them himself. He had never tried to alter a high-level Dao scripture for someone wholly unsuited to it.

"Unsuitable means unsuitable. If you insist on changing it by force, you must preserve the immortal scripture's original intent while also making it fit Grandfather's physical condition. With my knowledge and learning, I cannot do that. If I truly reached that level, I could simply create a Dao scripture for Grandfather myself."

Wasn't that laboring without gaining thanks?

Xiang Feng had no answer.

"Still, Third Brother, do not worry. As for the cultivation method, I already have a plan in mind. The key lies in medicinal herbs that stimulate primordial essence. There are quite a few medicines capable of restoring a Great Golden Core Adept to their peak, but to raise Grandfather's odds of success, the medicine must be of the finest grade and leave no lingering trouble. I have already spoken to Second Uncle and several uncles. While you travel outside, keep watch for them."

Don't let me finish the cultivation method only for you to have failed to prepare the primordial essence medicine. Wouldn't that leave us even more at a loss?

Suddenly, two streaks of treasure light flew toward the Colorful-Luan Spirit Ship.

The two looked up at once. With a flick of his finger, Xiang Feng lit the lanterns hanging around the spirit ship, revealing one Jade Dragon pattern after another.

"This is a Fu Family spirit ship. What business do the two fellow Daoists have?"

"We seek an audience with fellow cultivators of the Fu Family and wish to obtain two detoxifying pills."

As the treasure light dispersed, two young cultivators appeared.

Both wore green robes. The man on the right had a bluish-green complexion, like a living corpse.

Xiaoyu emerged from inside the ship. Upon seeing the two, she could not help recalling the three green-robed puppets she had encountered during the day.

She quietly went on guard as Xiang Feng leaped down from the canopy.

"Detoxifying pills? How should the two of you be addressed?"

"I am Nie Xing, and this is my junior brother, Liu Xu. The two of us were traveling through the water during the day when Junior Brother Liu was accidentally wounded by a fish demon. We have no suitable detoxifying pills on hand, so we came to ask the Fu Family."

Xiang Feng looked toward Liu Xu. His aura was weak, and he was currently using true essence to protect his heart meridian and prevent the poison from invading his internal organs.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, would it be convenient for me to examine you?"

Unable to speak, Liu Xu merely blinked.

Nie Xing cupped his hands. "Please, Fellow Daoist."

Xiang Feng examined Liu Xu's condition and pondered. "Fellow Daoist Liu has been afflicted with fire poison. This is simple enough. I happen to have a bottle of Darkmoon Detoxifying Powder, which I can give Fellow Daoist Liu—"

"The poison in this fellow Daoist's body was not acquired in our Dragonreach Waters, was it?"

Heng Hua's voice suddenly came from the canopy above.

"Peacock Fire, venomous lionfish. This is a sea fish. Did the two of you come from the Eastern Sea waters?"

Donglai Continent had become the Thirteen Waters of myriad islands, and east of the Dragonreach Waters lay the former Eastern Sea region, one of the four great saltwater domains.

At the sight of the person atop the ship, Nie Xing was slightly startled.

The white-robed youth cut an outstanding figure.

One hand propped up his chin as he examined the two martial brothers. His other hand trembled lightly, as if he were casting a spell.

"This is..."

"My younger brother." After Xiang Feng briefly explained, he asked Heng Hua's question on his behalf.

Nie Xing came to his senses and hurriedly said, "It was indeed a lionfish demon. The two of us are disciples of the Divine Moon Sect in the central region of the Dragonreach Waters. We went to the Eastern Sea waters on business. On our return journey, my junior brother was accidentally poisoned."

Lionfish had another, more common name: scorpionfish.

They were brilliantly colored and venomous.

Lionfish demons that had attained the Dao were among the most poisonous water demons in the sea. Even creatures like giant whales and flood dragons were unwilling to provoke them.

"How did this little brother know it was Peacock Fire poison?"

"If it were one of the most venomous kinds among lionfish, would Fellow Daoist Liu still be able to blink right now?"

Heng Hua withdrew the Thousand-Coiled Silk he had used to investigate in secret.

After thinking it over, he said, "The Divine Moon Sect's White Moon Cangwater Scripture takes water and moon as its intent, and its true essence is gentle in nature. Fellow Daoist Liu must have circulated his White Moon true essence to suppress the fire poison. Yet lionfish fire poison is fire within water, exceptionally stubborn. Trying to dissolve it with a bottle of Darkmoon powder will only leave residual poison in the body, hindering future cultivation. Xiaoyu, give him two Jade-Glaze Fire-Quelling Pills. Third Brother, help him circulate his qi and force out that poisoned blood."

After giving a few instructions, Heng Hua no longer showed himself.

The people below looked at each other. Xiaoyu hurriedly brought over the pills.

Nie Xing was somewhat hesitant, but Xiang Feng smiled. "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. My younger brother is broadly learned; his words should not be wrong."

His younger brother's medical lineage was right there for all to see. Naturally, he could be trusted.

Only then did the two relax slightly. Liu Xu reached out, took the pills, and was about to toss them into his mouth.

"Wait—"

Heng Hua spoke again.

"Fellow Daoist Nie, inspect them first, lest there be something wrong with the pills."

When traveling outside, could one casually consume pills given by strangers? If something went wrong after taking them, would they not blame his family?

Nie Xing shook his head. "Among the five great lineages east of Dragonreach, if people from the Wei Family were here, my junior brother and I would not dare linger—we would turn and run at once. But since you are members of the Fu Family, there can naturally be no problem with the pills."

Though Liu Xu could not speak, he too nodded slightly and swallowed the two pills at once.

Heng Hua was rather surprised, while Fu Xiangfeng looked as though he had expected this all along. He walked over and circulated his qi for Liu Xu, forcing the poisoned blood from his body.

As a stream of poisoned blood sprayed out, Xiang Feng flicked his finger. Samadhi True Fire chased after it and burned it away, preventing pollution of the Immovable Reef.

Nie Xing let out a breath of relief, hurriedly offered thanks, and produced a small box of pearls.

"Your brothers are righteous and noble. We have no way to repay you. Here are sixty moon pearls; please accept them as our thanks."

Donglai Continent had become a waterlogged land, so naturally it could no longer be like a thousand years ago, when one searched the mountains for spirit stones and precious jade to use as currency.

The currencies currently circulating throughout the waters were shell coins, bright pearls, and Water-Spirit Jade condensed from the essence of water demons.

When clam spirits were raised for a hundred years, their shells absorbed the essence of sun and moon, their texture becoming like jade. Their pearls were called "Bright Moon Pearls," containing Taiyin spiritual power. Since they could emit light on their own at night, they were also called "night-luminous pearls."

Generally speaking, ten shell coins could be exchanged for one moon pearl matured over a hundred years.

The box of bright pearls Nie Xing had brought out contained the most standard hundred-year Bright Moon Pearls.

Seeing the Bright Moon Pearls glimmering with silver light, Xiang Feng hurriedly shook his head and declined. "It was merely the lift of a hand; why mention it?"

"No, no. What was merely the lift of a hand for you worthy brothers was life-saving grace for my junior brother."

After they declined and insisted several times, Xiang Feng said with a bitter smile, "Please do not do this. My grandfather often instructs us to help fellow cultivators whenever we travel outside. If he learned that we had accepted such a heavy reward, he would surely reprimand us."

In the end, he accepted only the cost of the two Jade-Glaze Fire-Quelling Pills: twenty-four Bright Moon Pearls.

Nie Xing and Liu Xu repeatedly gave their thanks.

"We will engrave your kindness within our hearts and bowels. If you ever come to the Divine Moon Sect's territory in the Central Region, you may give our names."

Seeing the two about to leave, Heng Hua remembered something. "Fellow Daoists, while traveling in Central Province, have you heard of the three spiritual materials known as Darkgold Ginseng, Heavenly Moon Grass, and Eternal Firestone?"