Vol. 1 - Ch. 13 - Spirit Beasts

The path of immortality is long, and cultivators often seek to clear their minds and focus on a single path, fearing that worldly emotions could disrupt their focus. Even Dao partners, who cultivate together, strive to "keep" their hearts steady over the long years. Ji Yaoge had never heard of such an unconventional cultivation method.

She had heard of the path of Absolute Emotion and the path of No Emotion, as well as cultivating through the sword or through music, but never through the path of Emotion.

"Do you know who created this Mèi Gǔ Technique?" the woman asked gently, seeing Ji Yaoge lost in thought.

"I don’t know," Ji Yaoge replied.

"This technique was created by a supreme being countless years ago. His name is known by everyone in the world." She turned her face away, looking into the misty light. "The Buddhist cultivator Qing Jia."

Ji Yaoge was stunned. "How could it be Master Qing Jia?" The name Qing Jia was known throughout Wan Hua. He was one of the Three Ancients, with his portrait enshrined in major sects. But what surprised her wasn’t this, but the fact that Qing Jia was a Buddhist cultivator. How could he cultivate through emotion?

"You find it hard to believe that a Buddhist cultivator could be involved in emotions?" The woman smiled, reading her thoughts. "In his early years, Master Qing Jia was harmed by an evil cultivator. Not only did he lose his cultivation, but he was also forced into the demon sect of Mèi Zōng. This technique was his realization of great compassion while in despair. Cultivators cultivate both body and mind. If the mind is not enlightened, how can one talk of cultivation? Both worldly and otherworldly cultivation are paths. Emotions exist in the world; only by experiencing them can one understand them deeply and no longer fear them."

Her words summed up to one sentence.

"Using emotion to enter emotionlessness, establishing an invincible heart," Ji Yaoge pondered.

The woman nodded slowly. "Exactly."

"If this technique was created by Master Qing Jia and is so special, why hasn’t it been passed down, ending up here?" Ji Yaoge asked.

"This technique is the source of mental arts. Master Qing Jia did teach it to his disciples, but the technique is very dangerous. Those with weak hearts are easily disturbed by external emotions and fall into demonic paths. Moreover, people with impure hearts seek shortcuts, viewing this technique as a seductive art, using it to enchant male and female cultivators, treating them as cauldrons. Of the two disciples who learned it, one fell into the demonic path, and the other misled the world. Later, Master Qing Jia sealed the technique himself, no longer passing it on. Over countless years, it has faded from memory. People only know of seductive arts, but not the ancient source of mental arts."

"Then why choose me?" Ji Yaoge asked.

"Because I have no choice, and neither do you. Your situation is very similar to Master Qing Jia's back then. My time is running out. If I don’t find a successor, this technique will disappear with me. I can’t bear that." She sighed, her smile tinged with the loneliness of countless years. "You have compassion but also hold a blade. You stand on the path of immortality but are not bound by conventions. You remember your sect's teachings but have your own principles for surviving and cultivating. These contradictions make you suitable. I don’t need a pedantic gentleman, nor a heartless villain. You are just right, with your balance of good and evil, and missing the Hidden Essence. I look forward to seeing your future performance."

"Who are you?" Ji Yaoge stared intently at the woman.

"I am not a person... I am the spirit of this technique. That bookworm may be foolish, but it wasn’t wrong in saying that books have spiritual essence. I am the essence of this technique." She had existed for too long, with her spiritual essence nearly exhausted.

"But I can hardly absorb spiritual energy. How can I cultivate?" Ji Yaoge asked again.

The pages of the book in front of her flipped to a certain page, and the woman’s voice followed. "Your meridians are blocked, and your body is filled with chaotic energy, making it difficult to absorb spiritual energy. However, spiritual energy is not the only way to cultivate. I will first teach you a mantra to help you achieve spiritual enlightenment. To cultivate this technique, you must first achieve spiritual enlightenment, allowing you to see the spiritual bones of the deceased. Every living being has spiritual bones, the stronger the being, the stronger the spiritual bones. Plants and animals, experiencing life and death in countless cycles, also have spiritual bones, though they are chaotic. You can absorb them just like spiritual energy."

She paused, observing Ji Yaoge’s expression, then continued, "Once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage and undergo spiritual rebirth, I will then teach you the technique."

Ji Yaoge wanted to ask more, but a wave of dizziness hit her.

"Your cultivation is too shallow. Your consciousness can’t last long. Listen to the mantra I will teach you."

As the woman spoke, Ji Yaoge’s vision faded, leaving only the short mantra entering her ears, one sentence at a time.

————

Falling out of the void of her consciousness, the night hadn’t yet passed. The room was lit by a faint pearl light. Gao Ba Dou was snoring on the door frame, his antennae and tails twitching as if dreaming. Ji Yaoge looked down at the dull jade slip in her hand, feeling like everything that had just happened was a ridiculous dream, except for the mantra, clearly imprinted in her mind.

Cultivation without absorbing spiritual energy...

She was interested.

Humans have three souls and seven spirits, forming the soul sea, returning to the primordial spirit. All living things have cycles of life and death, with spiritual bones. Absorbing these bones into the soul sea, they transform into spiritual energy, cleansing the body and nourishing the primordial spirit.

Normally, cultivators absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth into their dantian, then circulate it throughout their body. Spiritual bones, however, gather in the brow’s soul sea. Spiritual enlightenment means using the soul to see what normal eyes cannot.

First, she needed to calm her mind and concentrate, a fundamental skill she had practiced diligently for two hundred years. Quickly entering a state of forgetfulness, she clearly visualized her body’s meridians and bones. Instead of forcing herself to absorb spiritual energy, she followed the natural flow of her chaotic energy, focusing her primordial spirit in her brow.

Although her body lacked cultivation, her primordial spirit had two hundred years of refinement, easily controlled. Concentrating, she drew her two souls and seven spirits into her consciousness, seeing a vortex like a nebula, the soul sea.

Repeating this process three times, she opened her eyes.

The room was the same but filled with tiny specks of light, the spiritual bones of insects and mites, barely noticeable.

She reached out, and the specks were drawn to her, entering her soul sea. She felt a cool sensation at her brow, like water droplets, then nothing.

Though a small change, she felt it, akin to her first experience of absorbing spiritual energy, new and joyful.

Ji Yaoge smiled slightly, opened the door, and flew out. The morning light was bright. Gao Ba Dou, awakened by the noise, blinked his small eyes before shouting, "Wait for me!" and vanished in a flash of gold.

————

In early summer, the grass and trees were lush, animals and birds active, the mountains full of life.

Looking out, Ji Yaoge saw specks of light floating everywhere, her smile widening. Plants, trees, insects, fish, birds, and beasts, all living things had spiritual bones, experiencing cycles of life and death constantly. The light specks were their spiritual bones.

Overjoyed, she found a secluded spot, sat cross-legged, and concentrated again.

The spiritual bones in the mountains seemed to be summoned, slowly and steadily flying towards her, entering her brow.

She sat for two days and nights.

Until Bai Yan found her.

"Senior Sister?"

Ji Yaoge opened her eyes to see Bai Yan’s anxious face.

"You’ve been missing for two days and nights, just sitting here meditating?" Bai Yan’s handsome brows nearly knitted together.

"Why are you so worried?" She jumped down from a rock covered in vines, her eyes clear as she looked at him.

Bai Yan saw his reflection in her clear eyes. "How could I not be? You disappeared without a word for so long. I thought you might have been attacked..." He poked her forehead with a finger. "You’re so infuriating, Senior Sister..."

Unexpectedly, Ji Yaoge grabbed his hand, smiling. "Junior Brother Bai Yan, were you worried about me?"

Bai Yan was stunned.

Senior Sister seemed different today.

She was still the same person, but her eyes were clear, filled with childlike curiosity.

————

From the back mountain to Chi Xiu Palace’s dance hall, Bai Yan’s eyes never left Ji Yaoge. Along the way, Ji Yaoge held his hand, her initiative surprising him. In just a few days, her mood swings were baffling.

Ji Yaoge was also baffled. After absorbing spiritual bones for two days and nights, her emotions seemed uncontrollable, filled with an intense primal curiosity. She knew her behavior was inappropriate but couldn’t suppress her overflowing emotions, eager to explore everything around her.

She expressed these emotions openly, holding Bai Yan’s hand and asking constantly.

"What are they doing?"

"Senior Sister... enough, stop asking." Bai Yan finally couldn’t take it when she pointed to two people practicing the Hehuan Technique in a flower field.

Ji Yaoge’s clear eyes remained on the figures in the shadows. Bai Yan cupped her face, turning her gaze away. Though this was Mei Sect and common, hearing such questions from her made him feel a rare sense of shame.

Those eyes were so pure, reflecting all his flaws.

"Be good, you’ll understand these things later." He had no way to explain.

"I know what they’re doing..." Ji Yaoge struggled to find the right words. "They’re... reproducing."

"Pfft!" Bai Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

"Like moths mating, tigers and wolves pairing, plants pollinating..." Strange images flashed in her mind, words flowing out.

Bai Yan covered her mouth, his face red. "Please, stop." He pulled her hand. "Hurry to the dance hall. You’ve been missing for two days and nights. Senior Sister Yue Xiao is furious. If you don’t go, you’ll be punished."

This Senior Sister was too much to handle.

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