Chapter 39

The night was hazy, with the moonlight like water.

Six small boats, covered in black oilcloth, silently approached Yuqi Island.

A few burly men got off the boats and quietly carried more than fifty burlap bags into Chu Li's small courtyard.

In the brightly lit courtyard, he stood in the middle, directing them to put the bags down with a calm and low voice, as if afraid to disturb anyone.

In a short while, the burly men disappeared silently, and the small boats left Yuqi Island, vanishing into the vast night.

Xueling stood beside Chu Li, her eyes sparkling as she examined the burlap bags.

Though she didn't know what was inside the bags, the mysterious way they were handled made it clear that this was a confidential matter, and she needed to keep her mouth shut.

Chu Li pointed at a pile of burlap bags: "Open them all."

Xueling walked over, bent down, and untied the bags, her back forming a beautiful curve that was captivating.

Chu Li turned his gaze to the bags.

Some contained dark red soil, some withered leaves and grass, some black sand, and some emitted a foul smell, like feces.

Xueling, despite the unpleasant odor, opened the bags without changing her expression and then looked at Chu Li.

Chu Li examined the bags, looking satisfied. He had everything he needed. He then gave orders for Xueling to lay out the contents of the bags in a specific order, layer by layer, in the courtyard, and finally poured two buckets of water over them.

The two of them worked through the night, with Chu Li directing and Xueling busy, her white silk robe stained with dirt, and a faint foul smell emanating from her body.

Xueling remained unperturbed, doing whatever Chu Li said without a single complaint.

Chu Li chuckled to himself; this girl was truly resilient.

As the morning sun began to rise, Chu Li interrupted his meditation, got out of bed, and called for Xueling to water the soil again.

Xueling came out of the west wing, carrying two buckets of water. She scooped water and sprinkled it bit by bit, thoroughly watering the six-meter by six-meter square of soil.

Afterward, Chu Li asked her to water it again in an hour. The most important task of the day was to water the soil, once every hour.

Xueling gritted her teeth and nodded.

After giving the instructions, Chu Li continued practicing the Vajra Deliverance Divine Skill.

Xueling watched from the side, watering the soil every hour, and then standing by to watch Chu Li practice. She quickly memorized the thirty-six movements.

At noon, Xueling prepared a sumptuous lunch.

Chu Li sat at the stone table in the small pavilion: "Xueling, come and eat with me!"

"Master, I am a servant and cannot eat at the same table!" Xueling said seriously.

Chu Li looked up at her and smiled: "It's just the two of us, why so many rules?"

"Rules cannot be abandoned," Xueling said.

Chu Li laughed: "Alright, as you wish."

He knew Xueling's background; she was originally the daughter of a governor. Later, the governor was assassinated by martial arts experts, and she and her mother sought refuge with her uncle. At that time, she was only ten years old, and this experience planted a deep hatred for martial arts experts and a desire for martial arts in her heart.

The governor was under the protection of a duke, which is why she was able to enter the duke's mansion and become a servant on Yuqi Island. She had completed her foundation building and was now diligently practicing, but she was not a martial arts prodigy, and her progress was slow. She still needed some time to break into the Ninth Rank Tower. Watching Chu Li practice, she was curious about what martial arts he was practicing and whether she could practice them.

Chu Li lowered his head to eat, with a great appetite. Halfway through, he suddenly said: "The martial arts I practice are not suitable for you."

Xueling's face changed.

Chu Li looked up at her and smiled: "This is a Buddhist cultivation method, not suitable for women to practice. It's very dangerous. Without sufficient Buddhist cultivation, practicing it is suicide. Don't take it lightly!"

"Does Master have sufficient Buddhist cultivation?"

"Didn't you know my background?"

"The steward didn't say."

"I grew up in a temple and have always practiced Buddhism, which is why I can practice this martial art. You can't, it would be harmful and of no benefit. ... Are you practicing the Great Yin Technique?"

"... Yes," Xueling nodded lightly.

Chu Li said: "This cultivation method is powerful, but very difficult to practice."

"That's fine!" Xueling said.

Chu Li looked at her: "Practicing this will be tough for you!"

The Great Yin Technique was not an ordinary cultivation method. It cultivated pure and yin internal energy, which was extremely powerful, but the progress was slow, about one-third the speed of a normal method, and its power was twice that of a normal method.

The Great Yin Technique was suitable for prodigies, but ordinary people should avoid it. Xueling had high aspirations, but her talent was average. If she continued to practice, she would need external help; otherwise, she would face many setbacks.

Xueling tightly pursed her lips and said nothing.

Chu Li smiled and said no more. Her personality was such that she wouldn't give up until she hit a wall. He could only let her reach her own point of despair.

Xueling's culinary skills were even better than Li Yue's, and her talent for cooking far exceeded her talent for martial arts. She really wasn't suited for martial arts.

But he knew Xueling's obsession, almost to the point of madness, desperately wanting to practice to protect her family. He didn't want to discourage her; it was better to let her face her own challenges.

"Master, have you ever broken into the Ninth Rank Tower?"

"No."

"Can you break into the ninth floor?"

Chu Li chuckled.

Xueling looked at him calmly, without a hint of a smile.

Chu Li smiled: "I don't want to break into the Ninth Rank Tower; I don't want to be a guard."

"Understood..." Xueling nodded lightly and said no more.

Even without using the Great Mirror Wisdom, Chu Li could see her disdain. He waved his hand: "Alright, go eat. Don't forget to water the soil!"

"Yes." Xueling bowed and backed out of the pavilion, then turned and left.

Chu Li watched her shapely and captivating back and smiled. She was truly a handful.

After eating, he went to the library, read for an hour, and then returned to continue practicing the Vajra Deliverance Divine Skill until evening, before returning to the East Garden.

He was determined to read all the books in the library, setting aside an hour each day to read, taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't leave the mansion to finish the books as soon as possible.

In the following days, he stayed on Yuqi Island, either watering the soil, turning the earth, or adding another burlap bag of material. The dark red soil gradually turned dark black, eventually becoming as black as ink, and the original foul smell turned into a faint, pleasant aroma, like sandalwood.

This meant the transformation of the spiritual soil was successful, and the mixed soil had truly become spiritual soil!