Chapter 18

A few more days passed.

During these days, apart from sitting in meditation and cultivating, he practiced swordsmanship.

What he called practicing swordsmanship was actually using a machete, as he did not have a sword.

Li Ding came once more, inviting him to have a meal at his house. Qin Xianyu could not refuse and went out, taking the opportunity to buy some things in the city. He also visited the joint grave of his parents. As for Master Guanyun, he had followed the will and cremated the body, scattering the ashes in the river, leaving only a cenotaph near the temple.

After Qin Xianyu returned, he felt somewhat down. Thinking about the opportunities of these few days and the old Taoist who had passed on his skills, his mind was in turmoil, making it hard to enter a meditative state. In the end, he opened a scripture from the temple and recited the Heart-Calm Mantra dozens of times.

The Heart-Calm Mantra was quite useful; each time he recited it a few times, it had a calming effect. Now that he had true qi, reciting the Heart-Calm Mantra was even more effective.

*Snap!*

Qin Xianyu held the machete and chopped down, splitting the firewood in two.

In the past, he had found chopping wood very strenuous, sometimes even causing his palms to go numb from the force. But since he started practicing swordsmanship, his body was nourished by the spirit water, making the task much easier. Now, with true qi, his strength was comparable to that of an internal strength expert. It was not just a piece of dry wood; he could even split a tree in two.

Unfortunately, the machete in his hand was far inferior to a real sword.

"How has the Cold Year Grass changed?"

Qin Xianyu looked at the now silver-colored Cold Year Grass leaves, speculating that this was probably the ten-year-old Cold Year Grass.

A Cold Year Grass typically only lived for eight to nine years, so the ten-year-old Cold Year Grass was more of a concept. It was uncertain whether it truly existed. Even if it did, it could easily wither before reaching ten years, making it no different from a seven-day-old Cold Year Grass.

Now that the Cold Year Grass had turned from green to silver, with a fresh scent, it was likely the ten-year-old Cold Year Grass.

"Could it be that the leftover soup and the dishwater I used to wash the bowls have made it grow into a ten-year-old Cold Year Grass?" Qin Xianyu was surprised. "If I keep nurturing it, could it become the legendary hundred-year-old Cold Year Grass? But that's just a legend, probably not real."

He shook his head and heard some sounds coming from the temple.

Qin Xianyu opened the door, and it was Xiaoqi, the little girl from Li Ding's family.

This little girl often came over, always cheerful and lively.

After the last skill transmission, the back room of the temple was in a mess, and it was this little girl who helped, saving Qin Xianyu a lot of trouble.

Qin Xianyu shook his head slightly and smiled, "Xiaoqi, I don't have anything fun here."

Xiaoqi giggled and pointed at the Cold Year Grass, "Who said that? The little tripod is fun."

Qin Xianyu was slightly stunned and laughed, "That broken tripod is small and only has Cold Year Grass planted in it. What's fun about it?"

The Cold Year Grass was planted in the small tripod, which had been knocked to the corner and broken during the skill transmission.

"That's not right."

Xiaoqi huffed, "Brother Qin, don't lie. There's a little tripod inside, and it often changes, looking very pretty."

Qin Xianyu's expression changed, and he quickly walked to the broken tripod. Looking through the crack, he indeed saw a small tripod.

This small tripod seemed to be a four-legged square tripod.

When he was tidying up the room, Xiaoqi had come over and volunteered to help. She had been the one to prop up the Cold Year Grass. Later, Qin Xianyu placed the Cold Year Grass aside, watering it daily but not paying much attention, unaware that there was a small tripod inside.

Biting his lip, Qin Xianyu took a medicinal hoe and carefully dug the small tripod out of the soil. Despite his caution, he still severed a few roots.

"It's this one."

Xiaoqi pointed at the small tripod and said happily, "Brother Qin, look, there are patterns on it, and they change."

Qin Xianyu examined it closely. The small tripod was only the size of a fist, with four legs and two handles, square in shape. It had a mountain and river pattern carved on it, with some ancient characters, but nothing else stood out.

"Xiaoqi, how does this small tripod change?"

"It's always changing."

Qin Xianyu was surprised, took a deep breath, and focused his eyes, channeling the Primordial Yuan Qi.

The pattern on the small tripod remained unchanged, but the mountain and river pattern now contained some strange elements. He saw human-like green-haired apes in the trees, small human-like figures resembling sweet potatoes and potatoes emerging from the ground, and large creatures that looked like fish or beasts leaping out of the water.

The patterns were vivid and colorful.

When Qin Xianyu stopped channeling his true qi, the patterns returned to their original state. He was startled, "What is this thing?"

Qin Xianyu could only see the changes when he channeled his true qi, but how could Xiaoqi see them?

It was said that innocent children could often see things that adults could not. Could Xiaoqi be one of them?

After asking a few times, Qin Xianyu learned that after being bitten by the blood-marked snake, Xiaoqi had undergone some changes. She could see farther and hear more clearly, and the scent of vegetables from her home could be detected from three houses away.

"Those who survive great calamities are sure to have good fortune."

Qin Xianyu smiled slightly, patted the little girl's head, and they began to investigate the small tripod together.

After examining it for half an hour, Qin Xianyu almost wanted to try splitting it with the machete but decided against it. Xiaoqi, on the other hand, was thoroughly engrossed, but it was already noon.

After sending Xiaoqi home for lunch, Qin Xianyu continued to examine the small tripod, but to no avail.

"This thing is definitely a treasure, but I don't know its use or origin."

Qin Xianyu frowned, suddenly remembering that the Cold Year Grass needed care. He had the spirit water to nourish it, but how did Wang Ji, who was poor, manage to keep it alive? According to Wang Ji, the Cold Year Grass did not need care. Could it be because of this small tripod?

"Never mind."

Qin Xianyu shook his head, put the tripod aside, and took the machete to practice chopping.

After half a day, he drank a few sips of spirit water, put down the machete, and sighed. Holding the machete was much more strenuous than holding a sword.

After calming his mind, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate, practicing the Purple Mansion Divine Court Primordial Yuan Qi True Technique.

The Primordial Yuan Qi was formless and intangible, but in Qin Xianyu's eyes, it emitted a faint white light, like a misty cloud.

As the true qi circulated, everything in his body appeared in his mind, including his meridians, organs, blood, and bones, all clearly visible.

If it were just that, it would be bloody. However, with the protection of true qi, his entire body, including his limbs, blood, and bones, was enveloped in a lustrous jade-like glow, like a finely carved jade sculpture by a master sculptor, pleasing to the eye.

After practicing for thirty-six cycles, Qin Xianyu exhaled lightly, and a white mist emerged from his mouth, dispersing into the air.

He then swallowed the Elixir of Immortality, which had a special significance.

After completing his practice, he would expel the turbid qi from his body, which would carry a trace of true qi. When he touched the roof of his mouth, saliva would form, and the trace of true qi would blend into it, enhancing his cultivation. This mixture was called the Elixir of Immortality. The turbid qi he expelled was the white mist.

According to some scriptures in the temple, the Elixir of Immortality was named by a Taoist named Lu. It was said that each time he completed his practice, the Elixir of Immortality he expelled could turn into a mighty river. However, Qin Xianyu considered this a legend.

"The six-inch Primordial Yuan Qi is now quite familiar, and I can use it skillfully. With my strength, I can easily split a tree. Unfortunately, I haven't learned any body techniques or sword techniques. Even with precise swordsmanship, I might be at a disadvantage against a flexible expert who doesn't engage in sword combat."

"Even if I can cut through stone with a single strike, it's useless if I can't hit the opponent."

Qin Xianyu thought, "I have the jade pill to soak in spirit water, making my body stronger and nourished by true qi, reducing fatigue. The jade pill and spirit water seem to enhance my true qi cultivation."

"Considering all this, if I focus on cultivating the Purple Mansion Divine Court Primordial Yuan Qi True Technique and the jade pill, it should not be difficult to achieve external true qi."

Cultivating true qi from nothing, from zero to one, could take decades. Qin Xianyu had already taken the first step with the old Taoist's skill transmission, making the path ahead smooth.

"With true qi and the jade pill, my cultivation path is smooth for now, with no obstacles."

"If I can also cultivate the Daoist sword technique, I will truly have extraordinary immortal arts."

Qin Xianyu put down the machete and thought of his parents and Master Guanyun, determined to investigate their illnesses.

Additionally, he needed to visit Yinghuang Mountain once he achieved Daoist arts.

As for the Shangguan family, things had been quiet so far.

He had not seen anyone from the Shangguan family or the important person who had given him a hundred silver coins.

Qin Xianyu was content with the peace but could not remember the date the old steward had mentioned. He thought, "When is the old man's birthday? Never mind, I'll just cancel the marriage contract."

He stood up, intending to chop wood, thinking that he had adapted to this life of chopping incense sticks and firewood. Not practicing with a sword or machete made him feel uncomfortable. After practicing for half an hour, he would examine the small tripod again.

Just as he thought this, he heard some sounds from the temple.

Qin Xianyu frowned, put down the machete, and walked out of the back room, through the corridor, and around the screen wall to open the door.

Outside was a man in his thirties, nearly forty, wearing clothes that were almost white, with a slight yellow tinge. He had a narrow sword at his waist, and his eyes were sharp like torches. Upon closer inspection, his temples were bulging, and his muscles were strong, indicating he was a skilled martial artist.

With a quick glance, Qin Xianyu, who had keen eyesight, assessed the man.

The man smiled, bowed slightly, and said, "I am Lu Qing. I have come to invite Young Master Qin to our house to treat an illness."