Chapter 18

At the crescent moon pond, Qi Yunhe began to teach the first step of sword cultivation, guiding the practitioners to draw in the primordial energy of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon, to open the "postnatal acupoint."

The primordial energy of heaven and earth is divided into the five elements: sharp metal, yin wood, gui water, li fire, and gen earth. The essence of the sun and moon has two aspects: one is the great solar yang fire, and the other is the lunar essence. The great solar yang fire benefits wood, fire, and earth, while the lunar essence benefits metal, water, and earth. Each person's physical constitution is different; those who are close to fire should draw in the energy of li fire, and those who are close to wood should draw in the energy of yin wood. When the five elements are in harmony, the results are doubled with half the effort.

For sword cultivators, using the energy of sharp metal or li fire to drive the flying sword is far more effective than using wood, water, or earth. However, the energy of metal and fire can damage the physical body, making cultivation much more difficult. A slight mistake can damage the acupoints and meridians, harming the foundation.

Qi Yunhe taught them a thousand-character essential technique from the Kunlun entry-level cultivation method, the "Taiyi Foundation Building Classic." It is pure and gentle, easy to start with. He spent half an hour explaining the essentials, giving detailed instructions, and then told them to find a place to practice on their own.

He called Wei Shizhi and Qin Zhen to one side and gave them additional instructions.

Qin Zhen is close to fire, and it is best for her to practice beside the Kuji Spring at the top of Tiandu Peak. The Kuji Spring is connected to the earth fire below, which is very beneficial to her. However, the journey to the Kuji Spring is long and dangerous, with wild beasts around. Since Qin Zhen is young, Qi Yunhe asked Wei Shizhi to accompany her and take care of her.

Wei Shizhi did not refuse.

It was already past noon when a group of horsemen came down the mountain. The bells on the camels jingled, and the hooves clattered. They stopped steadily in front of the stone room.

One person led the head horse and bowed to Qi Yunhe. The porters unloaded the bags of firewood, rice, salt, vegetables, and bean sauce into the shed, stacking them neatly. The bags were still on the horses' backs as they left silently.

Qi Yunhe sighed and said, "They are all outer disciples. If you don't want to be like them, you should spend more time on cultivation."

Yue Zhiyan couldn't help but ask, "Since there is no hope of becoming an immortal, why don't they leave?"

"Because this is the Immortal Capital. Even if you stay in the outer sect and serve as a laborer, it is better than going down the mountain and living as an ordinary person."

"Is there any other benefit?"

"I might as well tell you—after serving twenty years of labor in the outer sect, if you wish, you can go down the mountain and live as a wealthy person, marry, have children, and start a family. The Immortal Capital will ensure your safety for twenty years."

"Twenty years for twenty years, it's a fair deal." Yue Zhiyan was somewhat tempted but quickly buried this thought deep in his heart. He knew himself well; the reason he could stay in the Immortal Capital was because of the black iron. Qi Yunhe had already told him that the impurities in the black iron would cut off his path to cultivation, and he could only join the outer sect at most.

Qi Yunhe chuckled, "There are not many who can hold out for twenty years in the outer sect."

Wei Shizhi interjected, "What if they don't want to?"

"If they don't want to, they can serve fifty years of labor and then have another opportunity."

Qi Yunhe was vague and did not elaborate further. Wei Shizhi guessed that the opportunity would not be easy to obtain, and even if they did, they might not be able to enjoy it.

Song brothers, having just received the essentials, were eager to practice. They found a stone by the crescent moon pond, sat down cross-legged, and began to concentrate and meditate.

Qi Yunhe casually gave them a few pointers—there was no need to sit so formally; sitting, standing, or walking, it should be done casually. First, they should perceive the existence of the primordial energy, understand its nature of generation and transformation, and then try to draw it into their bodies.

Qin Zhen remembered every word her master said. She looked at her senior brother, a bit hesitant. Wei Shizhi understood her thoughts and shook his head, "It's too late today. We'll go to the Kuji Spring early tomorrow. Remember to rest early; the journey is quite tiring."

"Yes," Qin Zhen replied softly.

Qi Yunhe looked at his disciples, feeling a sudden sense of weariness. He sighed deeply, waved his sleeve, and walked down the mountain on his own. He was heading to the back of Xianyun Peak, where the outer sect of the Immortal Capital was located.

The surroundings returned to peace. Yue Zhiyan went to the shed to check the supplies brought by the horsemen. The rice, flour, vegetables, and other provisions were well-stocked, enough for several months, but the only thing missing was meat. He discussed with Wei Shizhi, and they decided that when the weather cooled down, they would hunt more wild boars and deer, and preserve them as salted and smoked meat for emergencies.

Wei Shizhi did not comment.

The next morning, just before dawn, Wei Shizhi woke Qin Zhen. The two left the stone room and climbed Tiandu Peak in the cold morning mist.

Qin Zhen had taken two Yin Xu pills to refine her body, making her more agile than an ordinary woman, but she was still short and weak, and the climb was quite strenuous. Wei Shizhi followed her for a while and said, "At this rate, you won't reach the top by noon."

Qin Zhen bit her lip, feeling very distressed, and said, "What should I do?"

"If you don't mind, I can help you."

Help? Carry? Drag? Lift? Men and women should not touch each other, and they should not sit together after the age of seven, and they should not show their teeth when they laugh or move their skirts... Numerous conflicting thoughts raced through Qin Zhen's mind. She looked up at the towering Tiandu Peak, thinking of that elusive immortal opportunity, and gathered her courage, "I will follow Senior Brother's arrangement."

Wei Shizhi took a step forward, put his hand around her waist, and lifted her onto his shoulders. "Sit tight!" he said, and then he sprinted up the mountain with the strength of his legs, like a galloping horse.

Qin Zhen was startled. She felt the trees blur past her eyes, and the cliffs seemed to tilt and press down on her. Her face turned pale, and she clung tightly to his clothes, holding her breath for a moment before regaining her composure.

Although Wei Shizhi's speed was fast, his shoulders remained as steady as water. Qin Zhen gradually calmed down, subconsciously patting her chest, her face slightly red and a bit shy.

The sun rose, and the sky was filled with clouds and mist. In less than an hour, Wei Shizhi had climbed to the top of Tiandu Peak and gently set Qin Zhen down.

Qin Zhen thanked her senior brother and looked around. She saw a hot spring bubbling up between the rugged white rocks, the steam rising and invigorating her spirit.

Wei Shizhi squatted by the spring, cupped his hands to drink some of the water, which was clear and sweet, far better than the water from the crescent moon pond below. He washed his face, picked a few fist-sized wild fruits nearby, washed them, and gave them to his junior sister, saying, "Eat a few fruits to fill your stomach. You can practice here, and I'll go around to see if there's any game."

Qin Zhen knew that her senior brother only ate meat and politely said, "Thank you, Senior Brother. I'll trouble you."

Wei Shizhi turned and entered the dense forest. He estimated that he was far from the Kuji Spring, where he could no longer hear the sound of the spring, and then he put his thumb and index finger in his mouth and whistled twice.

A moment later, a large green wolf darted out from the bushes. The golden fur on its back had grown a bit longer and shone brightly. It growled softly and excitedly circled around Wei Shizhi's legs. Wei Shizhi patted its head and called, "Green, you found me!" He laughed.

Since he crossed the West Min River and entered the vast Kunlun Mountains, the green wolf had followed him by scent, lagging behind by two days, but it had always kept up until it reached the middle of Tiandu Peak. After being separated from his old companion for so long, Wei Shizhi truly missed him. He played with the green wolf for a while, pointed to the Kuji Spring, and gestured for it to guard the area and not let any wild beasts harm his junior sister. The green wolf rubbed against his leg, yawned, and ran in the direction Wei Shizhi pointed.