Chapter 10

The sudden storm could not last long. By nightfall, the rain had eased, though it had not completely stopped, turning into a light drizzle.

In the darkness, an old man crossed the city wall and entered Fengtai County. He passed through several muddy alleys and arrived on the long street in front of the county office.

The long street was now a desolate scene. The doors of the houses on both sides were tightly shut, and not a single lantern or wind lantern was hung, making the street appear pitch black and eerie. The county office was already empty, and the open gate looked like the mouth of a giant beast in the darkness, especially menacing.

The old man with white eyebrows and hair crossed the long street and came to the large square in front of the county office, holding a white paper lantern. The candlelight inside the lantern flickered, casting his shadow in an unsteady manner.

He looked down at the ground with the light of the lantern, walking and stopping intermittently.

Although the traces of the previous battle had been washed away by the heavy rain, and the bodies had been taken away by the Qingluan guards, he stopped each time with perfect accuracy at the places where the bodies had lain, not a bit off.

He eventually came to the front gate of the county office, glanced at the two gaps on the threshold, and stepped over it. He paused for a moment in front of the broken shadow wall before entering the front hall.

The traces of the battle in the front hall were still visible. The old man examined them carefully for a long time and concluded that it was likely the work of Daoist disciples.

However, the old man was not entirely certain, so he continued to the back of the office, where Qi Xuansu and Li Sansin had fought. He slowly squatted down, placed the white paper lantern beside him, and pressed his hands on the ground, closing his eyes slowly.

In an instant, scenes like fleeting shadows appeared in his mind, depicting the fight between Qi Xuansu and Li Sansin. However, their faces were always blurry and indistinct.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the old man slowly opened his eyes, a look of relief on his face. Now he could finally determine that it was undoubtedly an internal conflict among Daoist disciples.

The old man picked up the white paper lantern and straightened his body. Perhaps due to his advanced age, a series of faint sounds, like the popping of soybeans, could be heard.

But if there were a person of innate ability present, they would not see the old man as a frail old man. The old man had used the technique of tracing past events through the earth's energy, a special skill of the fangshi lineage. He was a fangshi at the Dream-Entering stage, equivalent to the Jade Void stage of innate ability.

The Dream-Entering stage, as the name suggests, means the ability to send one's yin spirit out and enter others' dreams.

In many legends, a person encounters a transcendent being or a deity in a dream, receiving guidance or learning magic. This is not entirely fabricated; it is often the work of a fangshi at the Dream-Entering stage.

There are also those with ill intentions who, upon reaching this stage, enter women's dreams to engage in intimate activities. When the women wake up, they think it was just a pleasant dream and do not suspect any foul play.

The Daoist sects have repeatedly warned against such incidents, but rumors still occasionally circulate about female pilgrims who visit certain Daoist temples and encounter handsome men in their dreams.

A fangshi at the Jade Void stage came to Fengtai County, not because of the life or death of a seventh-rank county magistrate, but because of the "Xuan Yu."

Jiang Bieyun's guess was correct; this time, the three major Daoist sects had all sent people. The old man was from the Orthodox One Sect.

Another person from the Complete Perfection Sect was waiting on Maoshan Mountain outside the city.

...

Qi Xuansu braved the heavy rain and left the city of Fengtai County, seeking shelter in a dilapidated temple outside the city.

People who travel frequently have an unwritten rule: it is better to sleep in a cemetery than to stay in a dilapidated temple.

Cemeteries, though eerie, are regularly visited by descendants, making them orderly and predictable. Generally, nothing untoward happens there.

However, dilapidated temples, especially those that have been neglected for years and receive no offerings, are easily infested by evil spirits. If one enters rashly, they might be targeted by demons or have their yang energy drained by ghosts.

There are many stories in novels and legends about scholars who, unable to afford a stay at an inn, spend the night in an ancient temple. In the middle of the night, a beautiful woman visits, and they engage in passionate activities. From then on, the scholar becomes obsessed, enjoying himself every night, but his body and spirit gradually deteriorate. Eventually, he becomes numb and lifeless, with his soul and vital energy severely depleted. Even if he is discovered and rescued, his body is already decayed, and he will not survive for long.

Robbers also often hide in dilapidated temples. If one enters rashly, they might be killed by the robbers.

However, Qi Xuansu was not afraid of these things. As a person of innate ability, his three-foot sword could both kill and dispel evil. His blood energy was extremely vigorous, making him like a blazing fire to ghosts, who cannot approach him, let alone drain his yang energy. As for robbers, could they compare to the Qingluan guards? There was nothing to fear.

Qi Xuansu could have continued his journey in the rain, but he had been injured in the fight with Li Sansin. His body was weakened, making him susceptible to external influences. Continuing to be exposed to the cold rain would worsen his injuries, so he decided to take shelter.

Looking around, the dilapidated temple had clearly not been visited for years. It was not far from the city, and passersby would usually walk a few more steps to enter the city rather than spend the night here. As for evil spirits, they might have been scared away by Qi Xuansu's presence. When he entered the temple, it was clean and empty.

Of course, "clean" here refers to the absence of ghosts and spirits; the dust was still everywhere.

Qi Xuansu waved his sleeve, sweeping a clean spot in the dust, and began to meditate and regulate his breathing.

The human body has three dantians: the lower dantian for storing essence, the middle dantian for gathering qi, and the upper dantian for nurturing the spirit.

The spine from the coccyx to the life gate is the coldest part, known as the Snow Mountain. When true qi passes through this point, the least force is required, and the Daoist sects call it "sheep pulling a cart," corresponding to the lower dantian.

After the Snow Mountain, the spine has twenty-four segments, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms. The head and tail are called the Dragon and Tiger Gates, with the Dragon at the top and the Tiger at the bottom. This is the longest gate, and when true qi passes through, the most force is required. The Daoist sects call it "deer pulling a cart," corresponding to the middle dantian.

After passing through the Dragon and Tiger Gates, the true qi moves up to the Fengchi point at the back of the head, known as the Jade Cauldron Gate. This point is the smallest and hardest to open, requiring the most precise force. The Daoist sects call it "ox pulling a cart," corresponding to the upper dantian.

The cultivation stage of a person of innate ability corresponds to the lower dantian, the stage of holding the elixir corresponds to the middle dantian, and only a person at the Kunlun stage can open the upper dantian, connecting all three dantians. This allows the true qi to flow freely within the body, enabling the person to release the qi outside the body, manipulate objects from a distance, or heal injuries.

Although Qi Xuansu was not a cultivator but a lower-ranking practitioner in the lineage, the principle of using qi to heal injuries was the same. As the true qi flowed through his body, the blockages in his meridians gradually dissipated, and his blood and qi became more active, accelerating the healing of his external wounds.

The rain had eased, and the sky had darkened. Traveling in the rain at night was unwise, so after some hesitation, Qi Xuansu decided to spend the night in the dilapidated temple to continue healing. After all, the Qingluan guards were not gods and could not search Maoshan Mountain in one night.

After nightfall, the dilapidated temple was pitch black. After completing thirty-six small cycles of qi circulation, Qi Xuansu felt his injuries had recovered. He then took out Li Sansin's flying sword and gently caressed the blade. The characters "Qing She" (Green Snake) were engraved on the sword, indicating its name. From the patterns on the blade, it appeared to be the work of the Lu School of the Taiping Sect.

The Daoist sects have three major lineages, and the Taiping Sect is one of them. The Taiping Sect has three schools: the Li School, the Shen School, and the Lu School. The Li School is the most powerful, followed by the Lu School, and then the Shen School. Li Sansin was likely from the Li School.

As a Daoist disciple, Qi Xuansu had some knowledge of the Lu School's techniques. The sword, in terms of its casting method and materials, was of high quality. Unfortunately, it had fallen into the hands of Li Sansin, who was only at the Kunlun stage. Driving a flying sword was already a challenge for him, let alone a high-quality one, like a calf pulling a plow, lacking the necessary strength.

However, it was fortunate that Li Sansin was not at the Jade Void stage. If he had been, he could have fully unleashed the sword's power, and Qi Xuansu would have had no chance of defeating him.

Qi Xuansu tried to inject a small amount of qi into the "Qing She" sword and found that while Li Sansin's sword control was poor, his sword nurturing skills were solid. The key was that he put in the effort, and the sword's core was well-formed.

It is important to note that the quality of a flying sword depends not only on its materials and casting techniques but also on the nurturing skills. If Qi Xuansu planned to sell the sword for a good price, he needed to act quickly, as the quality could decline over time.

Speaking of these external objects, they are generally divided into four grades: Common, Spirit, Treasure, and Immortal.

Common objects correspond to people of innate ability, typically made of fine iron and of little value to people of innate ability. The Qingluan guards' "Changyang Knife" and "Feishu Armor" are common objects, while the "Xihu Knife" and "Qiniu Armor" are the best among common objects.

The next grade is Spirit objects, which correspond to people of innate ability. They are made of rare materials and contain spiritual energy, making them more than just inanimate objects. The "Qing She" sword is a Spirit object.

In the Daoist sects, if a disciple reaches the Jade Void stage, they are often granted a Spirit object. For those without a Daoist background, obtaining a Spirit object requires significant effort.

Treasure objects correspond to Celestial Beings. As the name suggests, they are precious and have many mystical uses.

Above Treasure objects are Semi-Immortal objects, which Qi Xuansu had never seen. He had only heard that a prodigy in the ancestral temple recently reached the Reversion stage at a young age, just one step away from becoming a Celestial Being, and was specially granted a Semi-Immortal object.

Above Semi-Immortal objects are Immortal objects, which are beyond the knowledge of ordinary people.

Perhaps only the thirty-six immortals possess such objects.

Qi Xuansu began to try to refine the flying sword using the "Sword Control Technique."