by Fang Xiang
After explaining all this, Zuo Mo released a breath. This muddle headed little girl always made his head hurt.
The gold sword ring was not of great use to him now. And he had decided that before zhuji, he definitely wouldn’t leave the mountain. After zhuji, if Master didn’t give a flying sword, he could use Ice Crystal Sword. The power would be much greater than gold sword ring. And that jade stick that contained the five elements spells wasn’t useful for him anymore. He hadn’t thought of given Xiao Guo that jade stick at first, but if she didn’t cultivate a gold attributed spell, it wasn’t possible to use the gold sword ring. As though the simple sword moves in Wei Sheng shixiong’s jade stick. They were simple but useful. For lianqi disciples, they were a pretty good method of protection.
Female disciples, especially weaker outer sect female disciples, their circumstances would be harder than male disciples.
Zuo Mo could not spare the attention to take care of them like before, and decided to pass these things onto them. In this case, if they met some xiuzhe who wasn’t too powerful, it wasn’t as though they couldn’t even counterattack. If they met a strong one, he had no solution neither.
Luckily, the Dong Qi Sword Sect disciple from last time had been expelled from Dong Fu. He didn’t need to worry about encountering that guy nearby.
After handing over everything, Zuo Mo flipped up and landed onto the grey beaked goose’s back, he waved his hand at Xiao Guo without turning his head back and floated off.
Looking at the disappearing Zuo Mo, Xiao Guo’s hands as they held the gold sword ring and the jade sticks unconsciously tightened.
Finishing all this, Zuo Mo felt that his body was much more relaxed and headed straight for Fragrant Ginger Yard. He still needed to present five fasting pills at the end of the month. He didn’t dare to offend his cold-faced master. If he didn’t complete it, he would certain receive punishment.
Entering the dan room, he didn’t start moving immediately. The materials were limited. If he really ruined all of the materials, in his penniless state, there was no place for him to buy more.
In theory, with his present cultivation, making fasting pills shouldn’t be hard. It really was the most basic dan.
Thinking for a long time, he felt that last time it was that he hadn’t controlled the input of ling energy properly and wasted a lot of ling energy, causing his ling energy to not be enough.
After thinking for a long time repeatedly and entering mediation, he let the ling energy recover to the best state.
Then he started his second try.
Chapter 41: Spiritual Power
Bang!
The smell of burnt materials once again rose out of the cauldron, spreading through the room.
Zuo Mo gasped heavily, sweat running down his face like a stream. The second try was still a failure! This time, he had continued for six hours, but still failed. Opening the cauldron and looking at the black remnants inside, Zuo Mo’s mood was terrible. He was as tired as a dead dog right now and could only stare.
He had always thought dan-making was a technical job, not a strength job. If even the fasting pills were this hard, then those high-grade dan, wouldn’t he kill himself in the process?
He had a deeper understanding in the second try than the first. His previous deductions were not wrong. He was still too new to dan-making. In the process of adding ling energy, he would waste too much ling energy. If his cultivation was at zhuji, this fasting pill wouldn’t be hard. There would be plenty of excess ling energy to waste, but to a lianqi ninth level, just the slightest mistake and the ling energy wouldn’t be enough.
According to the method on the jade stick, the entire process only needed ten hours.
That meant that he had to make it through ten hours at minimum. The different between that and the present six hours was very large. Even though there was the ling vein in the stone room, but increases in ling energy was a slow process. It seemed he could only try to work on controlling ling energy.
After a while, Zuo Mo’s breathes gradually steadied and his mind returned to clarity.
He thought carefully. He wasn’t weak in the area of controlling ling energy. [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] required a strong control of ling energy. Even though he had strangely made his way onto the fourth level, but in the matter of controlling ling energy, theoretically it shouldn’t be a big problem.
Mulling over it, Zuo Mo felt that he was still too unfamiliar with dan-making. If he had to familiarize himself, then how much material would that take? The ten portions that he had, he didn’t even though if it could last him until he was familiar. He most likely wouldn’t be able to fulfill the quota of five fasting pills by the end of the month.
Supposedly, when the heads took on new subordinates, they would always make a show of strength at the first interaction? Oh, was this the show of strength of his cold-faced master?
He thought humorously.
Returning to the Little West Wind Yard, he wasn’t in the mood to eat. After meditation and recovering ling energy, he climbed onto the roof and continued to ponder the intricacies of dan-making.
The moonlight flowed down like the water, gently illuminating the mountain valley. Beside Zuo Mo, the grey beaked goose silently stood on the roof. Beside Zuo Mo’s feet, the black gold worm climbed around. After reaching the fourth grade, its intelligence had greatly increased and it constantly followed Zuo Mo around.
Suddenly, Zuo Mo felt something was flying close. He couldn’t help raising his head and looked at the mouth of the valley.
A pink little thousand crane spiralled down in the night.
Zuo Mo instantly recovered from his shock at the top of the roof. He felt his skin prickle. Dan-making was tossed far away. There was only one thought in his mind. Damn it, why did this cursed woman come again?
Just like last time, the pink paper crane elegantly unfolded in front of Zuo Mo.
“Ye, have you missed me? Hee hee, I’ve missed ye.”
Looking at the paper floating in front of him, Zuo Mo had a strong impulse to kick it down Wu Kong Mountain!
Calm, he needed to be calm!
Suppressing the devious impulse inside, Zuo Mo spat out a stream of malicious swears in discontent, “Damned woman! You won’t die well! You’re just bored and have nothing to do! You mental case… …”
Swearing for ten minutes, Zuo Mo swore so much his throat was dry. The irritation in his heart decreased slightly. Looking at the pink paper that was still floating in place before him, Zuo Mo, who had a moment ago been full of righteous indignation, instantly became dejected. In helplessness, he grabbed the pink paper and jumped down off the roof. Finding a weasel bristle brush, he dipped it in cinnabar.
“What is it?”
After throwing the brush to one side, Zuo Mo messily folded the paper into a crane and threw it out the window. Even though he got rid of the crane, Zuo Mo still felt depressed.
He really had no solution against the owner of the paper crane. He had never thought someone would be bored to such a degree. This bored crazy woman. But her power was much stronger than him. Just any discomfort and the other would straightforwardly use brute force to suppress it.
When ge become strong, see how ge will sort you out! Zuo Mo bared his teeth.
Very quickly, another pink paper crane flew over.
“Don’t be like this to me! I’m very hurt. Ye, what have you been doing recently?”
What a waste of words, Zuo Mo crisply made an evaluation but still grudgingly picked up the brush.
“Making dan.”
West Wind Valley, the paper cranes flew in and out.
“Ah, dan-making! That’s fun! I’ve never played it before? I only know how to fold paper cranes!”
You only know how to fold cranes? When Zuo Mo saw the words, his face instantly became black. He wrote back with the brush: “Wrong, you also can draw flame exploding seals.”
“Hehe, I’m really not that good at flame exploding seals. Wha
t I’m best at is a thirty-six chain flame exploding seal.”
Threats, menace! This definitely was a threat.
Zuo Mo’s fist cracked as it tightened. From his teeth, he forced out: “Ge will endure!”
The reality was cruel. Under the threat of the other’s thirty six chain flame exploding seal, Zuo Mo could only swallow his anger and keep writing.
“Have to be a lady. A female, fighting and killing isn’t good.”
“But I’m very much a lady. Hee hee, I just like watching fireworks. My goal is one hundred and eight chain!”
Fireworks……
Zuo Mo felt depressed. His fragile spirit was viciously struck again.
The whole night, Zuo Mo basically had no time to think about dan-making. The pink paper cranes were like a relentless nightmare, forcing Zuo Mo to keep writing.
Only when the sky lightened was he, under the other’s, “I’m going to be freed.” Zuo Mo had been tormented to crippleness. He felt that it was even more tiring to reply to letters the whole night than making dan the whole night.
Bending to scoop some cold water, he washed his face. Then he came to the ling fields. Different compared to the other spells, making rain was almost required every day. In a state of muddle headedness, he casted [Little Art of Cloud and Rain]. The sounds of water falling started. His mind was floating far away. [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] was his most familiar spell. Even if he closed his eyes, he could still cast it.
The ling energy gathered at both of his hands. There was a connection between the ball of clouds and his two hands.
The rain was very steady and continuous. He instinctively adjusted the ling energy. He was too familiar with the spell. He didn’t need to add ling energy at every single spot.
Wait!
Zuo Mo was startled out of his daze. He realized he had a very important discovery.
He didn’t need to add ling energy to every location!
He indistinctly felt that he found the crucial point and didn’t dare to ignore it. He hurried and continued to think. [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] was his most skilled and most familiar spell. He was extremely familiar with every segment. He thought carefully. From starting with the finger motions of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain], to concentrating the clouds, to the fall of rain, the amount of ling energy for each step was different. Some parts, like the rain falling, it almost didn’t need any ling energy at all, just guidance.
As he thought even further, Zuo Mo became excited, his drowsiness fading.
If the process of dan-making was like casting a spell, then it should also have places that wouldn’t consume ling energy. As he mused to himself, Zuo Mo felt that it was very rational and also felt that his actions of putting in a continuous flow of ling energy was very stupid.
Understanding the direction, then the next step was to find where in the process needed ling energy, and what times could ling energy be saved.
This question sent him back into deep thought. He was very familiar with [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] so he could find what places needed or didn’t need ling energy. However, he was unfamiliar with dan-making. To find the ways to save up ling energy, he needed to become familiar with the entire process. Yet to familiarizing himself with the entire process, that meant using up large amounts of materials.
Unfortunately he didn’t have any jingshi left.
The stone-faced Zuo Mo grimaced inside. The question was once again difficult.
Was the only way increasing ling energy? That wasn’t realistic. [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] was only a scripture for increasing spiritual power.
Suddenly, his heart jumped. Spiritual power, maybe he could try with spiritual power. As his mind increased in strength, his greatest change was becoming much more sensitive to everything in the surroundings. Like some of the high level jinzhi. Before, when he passed them, he wouldn’t feel anything. But now he could detect the strong killing intent and danger embodied in them.
How to use his consciousness was a question he had been puzzled by. Other than [Art of Aged Gold], he had no knowledge of how to use his consciousness. What [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] cultivated was the spirit. The increase in the ling energy was just a side-effect. After he cultivated [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation], the increase in his spirit far surpassed his progress in ling energy.
Maybe he should think about how to use the consciousness. Zuo Mo felt that this might be the breakthrough point.
Zuo Mo spent the whole day casting the five spells in the ling fields.
But today, he didn’t focus on casting the spells, but rather on using the consciousness to detect the entire process of casting.
This method was extremely effective. Zuo Mo was pleasantly surprised by his results!
Each step, the change in flow of ling energy each time, under the scan of the consciousness, it became clear as it never had been before. He could even feel the hair-thin ling energy flowing.
It seemed that he had a treasure mountain but didn’t know! Zuo Mo was irritated. If he had known earlier to use the consciousness, his spells might have entered the third level much earlier.
The soul was peaceful, untainted and serene.
Under the guidance of his consciousness, he focused on making slight changes to each spell. He didn’t let go of any change in the ling energy. How to increase the effect, how to save on ling energy, how to make it flow… …
He was like a stone mason, slowly performing changes on his work, slowly experimenting. He didn’t know that in his sea of consciousness, the star became brighter than it had ever been, standing out in the darkness. The dancing red sea of flames was strangely quiet and motionless. Only the ice river was slowly flowing, unaffected.
On the gravestone shrouded in black clouds, Pu Yao raised his head. The corner of his mouth rose, cold like a blade.
“This is the person you chose? Looking at it now, your eyes are still this crappy.”
He closed his blood eye again, entering meditation.
Chapter 42: Dan Completed
Zuo Mo held the fasting pill in front of him, his eyes filled with joy.
This was his fourth try and he finally succeeded!
The fasting pill was the size of a longan fruit, its color was an attractive blue-green, with a delicate fragrance being emitted. Just a look make one unable to resist wanting to eat it. Fasting pills were mostly prepared for those cultivators who were in seclusion and who had the money.
He didn’t immediately start making a second one. The success of this fasting pill meant that his direction was correct. With that in the front, what he needed to think about now was the success rate. There were only six portions of ingredients left. At the very least , he needed to make four fasting pills. In other words, he could only fail two more times.
In reality, on the third try, he had almost succeeded. However, he slipped up at a small place and everything failed. His consciousness could help him detect the changes of the herbs inside the cauldron and he could accordingly adjust his ling energy.
Spiritual power was really a good thing! Zuo Mo thought blissfully.
Other than dan-making, after he swept over the other spells with his consciousness and made adjustments, not only did his consumption of ling energy go down, the effects also greatly improved. He did have a few fractions of self-awareness. Even though spiritual power was amazing, but his own experience and knowledge was extremely limited. Even with the help of his spiritual power, the changes he could make were limited. But even those minor changes were very effective.
He mused that he should go to the records of the sect to take a look and see if he could find any jade sticks about this area. He was an inner sect disciple now, it would be dumb if he didn’t seek out some benefits for himself!
Ending up with a cold-faced master who couldn’t be relied upon. It was more realistic to rely on himself.
Sword cultivators might prioritize ling energy and not spiritual power, but Zuo
Mo believed what Wu Kong Sword Sect had accumulated over the years definitely surpassed his aimless fumbles. Of course, that was for the future. Right now, he had many things to work on. Other than dan-making, taking care of the ling fields was also an important job.
Even more, for him who had no money at the moment, earning jingshi was the question he must consider at the present. It had been awhile since those ling grass and herbs had been planted. Some were nearing the harvest time. How to sell them off was also a headache for him. Before he entered zhuji, he didn’t want to go outside the gates of the mountain.
Suddenly remembering Master had said if he didn’t have enough materials, he had to use his own jingshi to buy, did that mean that the sect’s materials could be brought? Then did that mean he could sell them?
Zuo Mo walked out of his dan room. In the yard, a crowd of female disciples worked hard at preparing all kinds of herbs. Scanning around, Zuo Mo’s gaze landed on a female disciple. He remembered clearly that the first day he arrived, she was the first to greet him. She seemed to be quite authoritative among this group of female disciples.
She was dressed in cotton cloth and an apron, no makeup on, sweat beading her forehead.
“This Shimei,” Zuo Mo went to greet her. Even though his age was most likely smaller than the other, but due to the rules of the sect, he didn’t dare to overstep.
She saw Zuo Mo and hurriedly stood: “Zuo Shixiong.”
“I’ve just gotten here and do not know many of the rules in the yard. Master is focused on making dan, so I can only trouble Shimei.” Zuo Mo said warmly. But it was a pity that his face was frozen and it looked slightly frightening.
After the initial panic, the female disciples quickly calmed down and said: “Shixiong is too polite. What is Shixiong’s question?”
