Chapter 70: Deep Within the Ink Pool
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Returning to the sect, Greenleaf Peak.
Within his cave dwelling, Song Yan sat cross-legged upon a stone bed, breathing slowly to calm his restless heart.
Breaking through to a new cultivation realm was always like snatching chestnuts from the fire.
Should one grow impatient and lose composure, not only would the attempt fail, but madness or deviation from the path might also ensue.
Once his mind was cleared of distracting thoughts, he traced a pattern with his fingertips, setting up a small spirit-gathering formation.
A spirit stone rested in his palm, radiating a gentle, lustrous glow.
The spirit-gathering array was purchased earlier at the market, and he had used it several times. By his estimation, it would last only a few more uses.
Song Yan never made a habit of hoarding spiritual resources; whenever he had enough spirit stones, he would spend them at the market on arrays and elixirs.
Wealth is but a worldly possession; only when it is invested in oneself does it truly become one’s own.
The path of cultivating immortality is much the same—nothing is too precious to use. Only by refining earth’s treasures into oneself does one truly acquire what is needed for the journey toward enlightenment and immortality.
He sat in meditation, maintaining unity of spirit and energy.
This time, he hesitated no longer and swallowed a Yellow Sprout Pill.
The pill dissolved instantly, spiritual energy bursting forth like a spring thaw, flooding his meridians.
Within his Sword Palace, the Dao Seed flickered, breathing in and out spiritual essence, sending ripples like those on water.
The lotus-shaped sword aura around him trembled in resonance.
A thrill of delight flashed through Song Yan’s heart; at this moment, his circulation of energy was as smooth as flowing water, and his refinement of spiritual power seemed divinely aided.
“Could it be that the Dao Seed is nearing perfection?”
He focused his will and circulated the Qi Condensation scroll with all his might.
Beneath the Sword Palace, as spiritual energy moved and condensed into power, the Dao Seed pulsed gently like a living thing.
Circles of spiritual patterns slowly expanded outward.
The surrounding lotus sword auras surged with growing intensity.
As spiritual energy poured in, Song Yan sensed several acupoints in his body swelling to fullness.
“The breakthrough may well come today.”
Another Yellow Sprout Pill entered his mouth, transforming into pure spiritual power that, combined with the dense energy drawn in by the array, was refined through his body’s cycle and finally poured into his dantian.
After about half an hour, the sound of a clear spring trickling over stone rang in his ears.
Where once his acupoints were blocked, now they opened wide.
The spiritual power coursing through him was like a mountain brook merging with a stream.
Qi Refinement, Sixth Layer—achieved as naturally as water flowing in a channel.
This breakthrough went so smoothly that Song Yan felt a little surprised.
Thinking it over, the credit likely belonged to the transformation of the Dao Seed.
He exhaled a gentle breath, releasing all the stale air from his chest.
Three years to reach the sixth layer of Qi Refinement was already considered quick.
The early and middle stages—up to the sixth layer—were merely for accumulating spiritual power.
The true challenges of the Qi Refinement stage lay ahead in the seventh, eighth, and ninth layers—the three great mountains on this journey.
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Yet Song Yan felt neither oppressed nor discouraged.
Beyond Qi Refinement lay Foundation Establishment, and after that, the Golden Core...
Step by step, ascending steadily, to see vistas yet unseen—was this not the most alluring aspect of the immortal path?
The road of cultivation is like scaling a sheer cliff; the steeper the ascent, the more magnificent the sea of clouds becomes.
On the Sword Dao Seed, the nascent shape of his Dao Heart thrummed softly.
Unnoticed by others, the young man’s determined spirit could no longer be concealed.
He continued cultivating for half the day until his new realm was completely stabilized, then finally let out a true sigh of relief.
Shedding his clothes, he leapt into the pool to wash away the sweat from his breakthrough.
“Huh? Where did Little He go?”
Ever since he’d entered the breakthrough state, the little snake had vanished and still hadn’t reappeared.
That child had been acting suspicious lately—who knew what she was up to.
“When she comes back, I’ll have to question her thoroughly.”
Though the atmosphere in Abyssal Sect was generally amicable, and attitudes toward spirit beasts and monsters were kind, there was always a chance some ill-intentioned person might capture her for her blood or to refine into pills.
She’d have to be more cautious.
With nothing else to do, Song Yan pulled out the battered little sword he’d found in Senior Lin Qinglong’s cave.
After rinsing it with water, he found the layer of grime upon it was thick.
A bit of cleaning made little difference.
“Why would an elder leave such a broken short sword at the entrance to his cave, especially since it was snapped in two…”
Song Yan was baffled.
But it didn’t matter; when scavenging in the past, he had never expected everything he brought back to be useful.
He tossed it casually into his storage pouch.
In a few days, he would visit the smithy, find an apprentice craftsman, and have the little sword repaired.
He’d improve its appearance, keep its antique air, and, as planned, pass it off as a relic “discovered in the cave of a late-stage Foundation Establishment senior,” then sell it at the black market.
He didn’t for a moment doubt that some fool would bite; already, he was congratulating himself on his cleverness.
“Who could have thought of such a scheme...”
“A stroke of genius.”
...
More than half a month later.
Within the Duality Realm, dark clouds billowed.
Song Yan gazed quietly at the Dao Seed’s shadow, beside which a withered tree formed of ink-black energy was now coiled and entwined.
Where wind and thunder flickered, golden light shimmered—it was identical to the withered tree atop Windmoon Cliff in the painted world.
On its branches, wind and thunder leapt.
For the first time, the black-and-white Duality Realm held another color.
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This filled Song Yan with a strange delight.
At this moment, the Boat Without Moorings hovered silently above the shadow of the Dao Seed.
From time to time, a strand of golden light would be drawn forth by the wind and thunder of the withered tree, separating and dancing lightly.
From above, it spiraled around the flying sword.
Finally, following the sword’s spine, it merged into the shadow of the Dao Seed.
Song Yan had no idea what this process was—there was no mention of it in the Spirit Transformation Chapter.
Yet now, with more experience, he could make a guess.
Perhaps the Duality Pearl was using the wind and thunder essence to nurture the body of his life-bound flying sword.
Looking closely—though perhaps it was only his imagination—the places the golden light touched became ever more flawless and lustrous.
In any case, it could hardly be a bad thing.
Yet, gazing at this marvelous scene, his thoughts wandered to other possibilities.
“If, in the future, I could obtain other elemental essences…”
“Would they also appear in this realm?”
“Would they, too, nourish the sword and feed back into the Dao Seed, as the wind and thunder essence did…”
Song Yan considered his exploration of the Duality Pearl still far from complete; much remained speculation.
“My cultivation is still insufficient…”
He sighed softly.
After estimating the time, he remembered he had matters outside the cave dwelling, so he guided his spiritual sense out of the Duality Realm.
...
Within that realm, all was silent.
Save for the golden light dancing on the withered branches, the world remained black and white.
The black waterfall roared on, stretching almost to the shadow of the Dao Seed.
At the shore, the Glutton-Tail Flute floated quietly.
—Swish—
The black pool’s waters rose and fell like a tidal shore.
...
Suddenly.
A hand, formed entirely of pure darkness, reached slowly out from the ink pool.
It hovered before the Glutton-Tail Flute.
Then, as if testing, it gently plucked at it...
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