Chapter 14: That's All There Is to It (Thanks to the Patron 'Lost Alliance Leader!')
Morning.
The sky shimmered with rainbow light as a woman clad in a white elder garment edged with rust-gold descended upon Qiongbi Peak. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she also exuded a fearful spiritual pressure that warned everyone to keep their distance.
Inner Sect Third Elder!
Purple Cloud Peak's Peak Master Ning Qing!
In the years Ning Daoran had spent in the Chaotic Sect, although his reputation hadn't been outstanding, he still had some understanding of the higher echelons of the Sect.
This Third Elder, Ning Qing, was a Sword Cultivator and the Peak Master of one of the four main peaks, Purple Cloud Peak, wielding the power of life and death within the Sect.
At this moment, Ning Qing, accompanied by several direct disciples, slowly stepped into courtyard number 78.
"Holy shit..."
Ning Daoran was astonished, hugging Big Stupid Deer's neck while watching the excitement from a distance, laughing, "Junior Sister's opportunity is not small, ah, personally visited by the Third Elder to take her as a disciple, such treatment, tsk tsk tsk..."
He exclaimed with a sigh, "If an Inner Sect Elder came to my door to take me as a disciple... I can't even dare to think about it..."
"Ao!"
Big Stupid Deer let out a sonorous cry, its tail wagging slightly as if to tell its big brother not to be discouraged, it was okay that those Elders looked down on him now, but one day they wouldn't be able to climb up to his level, and he would take them as disciples!
...
Before long, the news spread.
Third Elder Ning Qing took Han Bing as a direct disciple!
When Ning Qing walked out of the courtyard holding Han Bing's hand, Ning Daoran was relieved. It seemed that Han Bing would definitely be well taken care of by Ning Qing's side.
"Master..."
Han Bing suddenly looked at her master and whispered a few words.
"Hmm."
Ning Qing smiled and nodded.
Han Bing then pursed her lips, ran over to Ning Daoran along the ridge of the field, and then unbuckled the snow-white Qiushui Sword from her waist, saying, "Senior Brother Ning, I'm going to Purple Cloud Peak now... This is a gift from my mother.
This sword is called Qiushui, and although it is only a First-tier Mid-grade Magical Artifact, I hope you won't scorn it!"
"Ah?"
Ning Daoran was at a loss: "Junior Sister, you are a Sword Cultivator, naturally, it is best for you to keep this sword."
"Senior Brother, there's no need to be polite."
Han Bing smiled, "After I return to Purple Cloud Peak, Master will bestow me a First-tier Top-Grade Magical longsword."
From a distance, a group of Purple Cloud Peak's direct disciples and Inner Sect Disciples all looked towards them.
After a brief reflection, Ning Daoran quickly accepted the Qiushui Sword, grinning widely, "Then, thank you, Junior Sister. I hope you do well at Purple Cloud Peak, in peace and prosperity, and may your Immortal Path flourish!"
Han Bing turned and left with a smile.
The disciples of Purple Cloud Peak, when they looked at Ning Daoran, no longer concealed their contempt, and even Third Elder Ning Qing frowned slightly when she looked over.
It was just the effect Ning Daoran wanted. He meant to leave the impression of "greed" with these fellow disciples at Purple Cloud Peak, as such a person seemed less threatening.
If he had rejected Junior Sister's kindness, it would have seemed as if he had great ambition and would have drawn more attention.
Besides, the Qiushui Sword was a Mid-grade Magical Artifact, and he happened to need one!
...
Ning Qing waved her sleeve and summoned a Spirit Boat, together with Han Bing, they boarded the Spirit Boat and left.
"Bing'er."
She looked at her disciple who possessed an Innate Sword Heart Clarity with doting laughter, "Who is this Senior Brother Ning, and why did you give him the precious sword that your mother left for you?"
Han Bing spoke softly, "Master, during the years I was a Spirit farmer here at Qiongbi Peak, Senior Brother Ning took very good care of me. He is a kind person."
"Oh, I see."
In fact, Han Bing had some thoughts she couldn't express aloud.
Uncle Lin had left and never returned, most likely harmed by Li Xiu.
Moreover, on that day Senior Brother Ning came up the mountain, his demeanor was clearly that of someone who had just been through a battle, and moreover, Li Xiu had not come up the mountain again in all these days.
Han Bing was as smart as ice and snow; she could guess the secrets that lay between the lines.
For such a great favor, giving Senior Brother a Qiushui Sword still did not feel like enough to her.
...
After Junior Sister went to Purple Cloud Peak, the Spirit field at number 78 was taken over by a rough fellow named "Ma Quanyou," a person who was very outgoing and mingled well with everyone within a few days. The people of Qiongbi Peak also called him Old Ma.
Everything seemed to have returned to tranquility once again.
Under the banyan tree, they often gathered together.
Granny Yun Cui was old and could not bend down for too long, so Ning Daoran volunteered enthusiastically, along with Big Stupid Deer, to help Granny Yun Cui with some light care of the Spirit field. Pulling out some weeds didn't take much effort, which was just right since both he and Big Stupid Deer had lots of energy.
Moreover, Ning Daoran had plenty of Time, waiting for the Spirit Rice to grow to earn Refining Time; he could even afford not to cultivate normally.
Granny Yun Cui's granddaughter grew up as well, becoming a three-year-old girl, who loved to spend time with Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer.
Under the banyan tree, Ning Daoran played with the little girl.
"Chen Weimo, attention!"
"Chen Weimo, at ease!"
"Chen Weimo, march! One, two, one! One, two, one!"
Everyone watched with joyous laughter, it seemed that as long as Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer were around, Qiongbi Peak was never short of laughter.
The only person who wasn't very happy was Zhong Yan.
Xin Yan had been gone for several months without any news, and she had no idea what the situation was like in that Secret Realm.
...
This anxiety persisted until one afternoon.
""
An Outer Disciple brought some bad news: Xin Yan had successfully explored the Secret Realm and achieved a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, but afterwards, he had collaborated briefly in robbery cultivation, only to be killed by the Lingnan Demons who were his companions.
"Fellow Taoist, this is a relic of Fellow Taoist Xin."
The Outer Disciple handed over an item wrapped in cloth.
"My husband, he..."
Zhong Yan slowly unfolded the cloth, revealing part of a purple sword hilt.
In an instant, Zhong Yan felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her pretty face showing a complex mix of sorrow and shame. She quickly stuffed the item into her bosom and then returned to Spirit Field number 80.
In the days that followed, apart from fertilizing and weeding, Zhong Yan hardly ever left her home.
...
Days passed one by one.
Zhong Yan, alone, maintained nearly three acres of Spirit Field, feeling increasingly overburdened. The weeds in the field grew thicker each day, and the stalks of rice bore far fewer grains compared to other Spirit Lands, not to mention being incomparable to the Green Bamboo Spirit Rice cultivated by Ning Daoran.
Until one day, a man appeared in front of Spirit Field number 80.
His name was Hong Ming. A formidable mana surged within him; he was a Sixth Level Qi Refining Cultivator.
He stood silently in front of the small courtyard.
"Please leave, Xin Yan is gone, and I will not accept another man. You might as well give up on that idea."
Upon hearing Zhong Yan's words, Hong Ming did not speak; he only scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.
He did not leave, instead, he took out a Spiritual Hoe and started fertilizing and weeding Zhong Yan's Spirit Field.
By late autumn, the growth of Spirit Field number 80 had improved significantly, and it seemed that next year's harvest wouldn't be all bad.
Who Hong Ming was, or where he lived, Zhong Yan did not know. He would arrive before dawn, tend to the Spirit Field, and not leave until sunset.
He never knocked on Zhong Yan's door, silently caring for the field.
Finally, a few months later.
"Creak..."
Zhong Yan pushed open the courtyard door, her beautiful eyes slightly red. Her voice was much softer as she spoke, "I can agree to be your Taoist couple, but you have to promise me one thing; otherwise, I'll turn around and leave."
"Okay, you say it, I'll agree to anything!" Hong Ming nodded again and again.
Afterward, Hong Ming came to live at Spirit Field Courtyard number 80 and became the head of the household.
"Sigh..."
In the Small Cloud Mist Array, someone who had been watching the scene for months gently shook their head.
That's all there is to it, that's all!
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Spirit Field number 77 was still teeming with vitality. Within the Small Cloud Mist Array, Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer led fulfilling lives, toiling from sunrise to sunset, eating and drinking well, and enjoying themselves immensely.
At that time, the time accumulated for Refining Time had nearly reached thirty thousand years.
Ning Daoran decided to cultivate the Soul Searching Technique. Currently, the Soul Searching Technique had only achieved Great Success. He felt that this technique should be cultivated to a higher level. Otherwise, the memories during a Soul Search would not be clear enough and would be full of mosaics.
He poured the accumulated Time into the technique and started cultivating!
[In the first year, you stare dully at the Soul Searching Technique, feeling it thoroughly elusive.]
[In the ninety-second year, there is still no progress in the cultivation of Soul Searching Technique, much like your stagnant Cultivation.]
[In the three thousand six hundred and fortieth year, certain images suddenly emerge in your mind, and you begin to gain some understanding.]
[Soul Searching Technique, Dark Rank Lower (Perfect)]
[In the four hundred and twenty-fourth year, your Soul Searching Technique can progress no further; you feel that you've reached your limit. At times, you even feel as if something unclean has entered your mind.]
[In the five thousand three hundred and sixtieth year, you catch a toad, trying to search for something in its brain. You see locusts and fish and shrimp in the water, starting to think that you might have become foolish...]
[In the eight thousand one hundred and fortieth year, you suddenly have an epiphany, realizing that everything is indeed just so.]
[Soul Searching Technique, Dark Rank Lower (Transformation Realm)]
"Phew..."
Having cultivated the Soul Searching Technique to the Transformation Realm, Ning Daoran felt as if his head was a bit swollen, as if suddenly filled with things that weren't originally his.
Yet, he felt an unprecedented clarity on his Spirit Platform, and his spiritual power seemed to have increased considerably.
Suddenly, he made a decision: to push onwards and cultivate to an even higher level. Surely he would not be at a loss!
[In the ten thousand thirty-fourth year, your spirit is in an extremely unstable state. You're regarded as a madman, a fool. You observe the heavenly bodies at night, understanding many things that ordinary people cannot.]
[In the fourteen thousand three hundredth year, you've become so aged that all your hair has fallen out. When you look at your reflection in a copper mirror, you almost think you've returned to before your transmigration, that thirty-five-year-old bald programmer...]
[You sit in meditation for thousands of years, and finally, that lamp within your heart begins to flicker.]
[The phenomena of heaven and earth surge, and you did not expect that this contemplation would lead to such a transformation.]
[Soul Searching Technique, Dark Rank Lower (Return to Nature)]
[Refining Time remaining: thirteen thousand nine hundred and forty-four years]
...
"Incredible…"
Ning Daoran slowly opened his eyes, amazed that he had returned to nature so quickly. The Soul Searching Technique, as a Dark Rank Technique, having returned to nature so swiftly indicated that he had a talent in this area!
However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed something was amiss.
"Huh?"
When Ning Daoran looked outside the door, he could see, through the doorframe, the young rice plants swaying in the spring breeze.
"What is this…"
Stunned, as a Mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, he had only ever been able to use his Spiritual Sense to introspect, but at that moment, his Spiritual Sense had left his body and could perceive the world outside!
If the Spiritual Sense has left the body, it is no longer Spiritual Sense but the legendary Divine Sense!
Ning Daoran was shocked; Divine Sense was something only Foundation Establishment Stages of great ability were said to possess, wasn't it?