Chapter Eighteen: The Ghostly Rain of the Netherworld

Chapter Eighteen: The Ghostly Rain of the Yellow Springs

“The stage of Qi Guiding is divided into ten minor realms, each corresponding to the manifestation of Qi, the birth of spiritual energy, and then the successive opening of the eight bridges between Heaven and Earth. With every bridge you open, that's another minor realm.”

This was the first time Fang Junmei had heard the phrase “bridges between Heaven and Earth,” and he couldn’t help but feel lost in a haze of confusion.

Linghu Jinjiu rummaged through his own storage pouch for a while before handing him a white jade slip. These jade slips were the most commonly used records among cultivators, akin to books but far more mysterious and convenient—only with spiritual sense could one access their contents.

As Fang Junmei’s divine sense entered the slip, he immediately saw a void where eight golden, humanoid phantoms floated. On each phantom, patterns like meridians shone with light—one figure, one diagram, all distinct.

Fang Junmei was well-versed in human meridians and saw at a glance that the eight diagrams depicted multiple meridians connected together. For a mortal martial artist, no matter how robust their internal energy, they would at most open one or two.

“Do you understand now?”

A few breaths later, Linghu Jinjiu continued, “The Qi Guiding methods in the cultivation world are many, but none escape these ten tiers.”

With that, he passed down the foundational Taoyuan Sword Canon, offering further explanation.

...

Over an hour later, Fang Junmei returned to his chamber and began cultivating the Taoyuan Sword Canon.

The first minor realm, the Manifestation of Qi, posed no obstacle at all for one who had already trained internal strength—he quickly achieved it.

The second, the Birth of Spiritual Energy, involved drawing the ambient primal Qi of Heaven and Earth into one’s body. This too was not difficult. After all, Taohuayuan was a sacred land, rich in spiritual energy, and the air on the Immovable Peak was even denser with primal Qi than elsewhere. Otherwise, why would everyone vie so fiercely for the position of inner sect elder?

The third realm...

...

As Fang Junmei’s cultivation settled onto the right track, time finally began to flow swiftly by.

In a blink, a year had passed.

On this day, Fang Junmei emerged from seclusion and sought out Linghu Jinjiu.

“The fourth minor realm already?” Linghu Jinjiu’s eyes widened in surprise—this junior brother’s cultivation speed was truly remarkable.

Fang Junmei nodded.

“And you’ve used up all one thousand lower-grade Sword Spirit Stones?”

Fang Junmei nodded again.

Linghu Jinjiu’s pupils contracted. To have ascended from the first to the fourth minor realm in a single year, relying only on a thousand lower-grade Sword Spirit Stones and the ambient spiritual energy, was beyond what any ordinary inner disciple could hope to achieve—Linghu Jinjiu himself certainly could not. By his estimation, he’d have needed at least twice as long.

Yang Xiaoman had never managed such a feat, either. As for Fan Lanzhou and that enigmatic senior brother, they had entered the sect even earlier, and whether they had accomplished such a thing was beyond Linghu Jinjiu’s knowledge.

“What brings you to me today, Junior Brother?” Linghu Jinjiu asked.

Fang Junmei chuckled, “Senior Brother, absorbing the sword spiritual energy from the world is far slower than drawing it from Sword Spirit Stones. Might you point me toward a way to earn more stones?”

Drawing sword spiritual energy from the environment was, of course, far less efficient than from stones—at least, that was the case in Taohuayuan.

“...Junior Brother, wait here for me.”

After a moment’s thought, Linghu Jinjiu instructed Fang Junmei to wait in the room. He stepped out and knocked on the door next door.

Of course, this was the room of Fan Lanzhou.

After recounting Fang Junmei’s rapid progress, even Fan Lanzhou’s eyes flashed with a sharp light, inwardly startled.

“Second Brother, our fifth brother has tasted the sweetness of spirit stones and is no longer willing to slowly absorb ambient energy. Yet he has no more stones; why not spare him a few?”

Linghu Jinjiu grinned. In terms of wealth, Fan Lanzhou, who was at the early Dao Embryo stage, certainly surpassed his own late Dust-Refining self. Among brothers, sparing a few stones was nothing—at worst, they could be repaid later, especially with their master still in a deep sleep. They ought all the more to look after one another.

But Fan Lanzhou frowned in contemplation.

After a moment, he said, “No.”

Linghu Jinjiu was taken aback.

Fan Lanzhou spoke gravely, “Not only can I not give him mine, but neither you nor Xiaoman are allowed to give him yours.”

Linghu Jinjiu protested, “Why?”

Fan Lanzhou’s gaze grew profound, staring past the wall toward some distant part of the mountain. He intoned, “The grand sect competition is drawing near. The three of us may forgo the sect’s offerings, but Immovable Peak must not be taken from us! While our master slumbers, we must hold this peak. Linghu, do the math yourself—do you have enough spirit stones to cultivate until the great battle?”

Linghu Jinjiu fell silent, his expression growing solemn—Fan Lanzhou’s words clearly struck a chord.

“To ensure we keep Immovable Peak, we’ll have to wrong our little brother for now. Go tell him—if he wants something, he’ll have to find it on his own.”

With that, Fan Lanzhou closed his eyes, face cold and indifferent.

Linghu Jinjiu acknowledged the command and left.

...

Returning to his own room, Linghu Jinjiu saw the expectant look in Fang Junmei’s eyes and felt a tinge of guilt. Scratching his head, he said, “Junior Brother, as for spirit stones, I can only direct you to take tasks at the Steward’s Mountain.”

“Very well,” Fang Junmei replied with a smile and nod—he had not expected the two to simply hand him any, after all.

Linghu Jinjiu, pleased, continued, “Many of those tasks come with realm requirements—choose carefully, but don’t take unnecessary risks. Avoid any tasks that require leaving the mountain; you don’t yet know any flying techniques, so most of your time would be wasted on the road. Worse, you might fall prey to the schemes of petty disciples in the sect.”

Fang Junmei nodded once more.

Linghu Jinjiu produced another jade slip and handed it to him. “This is a map of all Taohuayuan—take it.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Fang Junmei accepted it and stood, about to take his leave.

“Wait!”

Linghu Jinjiu called after him. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Let me teach you a set of Immortal sword techniques for self-defense. You may run into conflict once you’re out and about.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother!” Fang Junmei was delighted, but then, recalling something, smiled wryly, “It’s not just the foundational Taoyuan Sword Canon again, is it? Do you have anything more advanced?”

At this, Linghu Jinjiu burst out laughing.

Fang Junmei laughed as well.

“Junior Brother, you’ve already grasped the essence of our founder’s naming style!” Linghu Jinjiu chortled, “Since you put it that way, I’ll teach you something more advanced. But if you can’t comprehend it, don’t come blaming me.”

Fang Junmei’s spirits lifted.

“Let me think—which would suit you best...”

Linghu Jinjiu furrowed his brow in thought, then looked at him and asked, “When you were a mortal swordsman, what style did you favor?”

After a brief moment, Fang Junmei replied, “Speed—a fast sword, the faster the better.”

He had the Three-Breath Divine Stone in his hand, and in his spare time, he’d already tested that it could be triggered by sword spiritual energy as well. With such an item, naturally the faster the sword, the more effective in controlling an opponent.

Linghu Jinjiu smiled with deep meaning, “The path of speed and slowness may seem a minor one in the world of battle, but who can say it does not lead to the threshold of the Dao itself? Since you wish to practice the swift sword, I’ll teach you a set—the Ghostly Rain of the Yellow Springs Sword Technique!”