Chapter 10

Le Li was so mesmerized that she failed to notice the subtle shift in what Han Yongnian was lecturing.

An hour later, Han Yongnian finished his discourse on the Qi Refining stage and paused. He could tell that Le Li had not yet reached her limit, but he believed that too much of a good thing was as bad as too little; one should know when to stop.

Le Li awakened from the profound state of the Dao, still feeling unfulfilled. She felt an incomparable clarity from the inside out. Rising to her feet, she bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Master!"

Han Yongnian nodded. "The lingering resonance remains. Go back and contemplate it well. You may leave."

"Yes, disciple takes her leave!"

Le Li bowed once more and retreated from Han Yongnian’s cave dwelling.

Back at Purple Bamboo Courtyard, Le Li did not practice her blade techniques. Instead, she sat in meditation, ruminating over the Dao she had perceived that day, pondering it over and over from beginning to end.

The lecture had contained certain ineffable, intuitive states of mind that could only be grasped, not explained. Now, they lingered in her heart, as if trying to convey something more.

Some things Le Li understood; others dissipated as nonsensical. When she opened her eyes again, it was already the dead of night the following day. The spiritual energy within her had completely transformed, becoming more refined and agile, and her divine sense had extended by more than ten meters.

Now, as she practiced the Taiji Dual-Image Technique, the previous obstacles vanished entirely.

One moment of enlightenment saved days of effort. She no longer needed to guide her energy with her mind; the ice and fire energies flowed in spontaneously, smooth as a flowing stream.

Le Li practiced to her heart’s content before stopping. She took out the storage bag her master had given her and found a jade pendant inside, along with one thousand low-grade spirit stones.

With these stones, she could purchase almost any ice-attribute spiritual item she was capable of refining. Le Li pressed her palms together, thanking her master in her heart once more before refining the jade pendant.

The pendant turned out to be a top-tier magical tool. Once activated, it formed a protective shield that no Foundation Establishment cultivator could break as long as her own spiritual energy held out. It would also trigger instantly against spiritual attacks to protect her from sneak attacks.

She solemnly tied the pendant to her waist; with it, her safety was greatly guaranteed.

In the days that followed, Le Li stayed within her courtyard.

Every night without fail, she practiced, and by day, she worked on her basic blade techniques. With the Taiji Dual-Image Technique running smoothly, she could now take the Foundation-Cultivating Pill she had obtained during the trial.

Meanwhile, the Zhu Kui flowers in the courtyard had sprouted under her care, growing lush and vibrant. The materials for incense-making had also been ground, waiting for her to begin.

Stealing a moment of leisure, she set out a teapot and some snacks in the courtyard. Under the glow of the setting sun, she sipped tea and savored the snacks, a picture of tranquil contentment.

Le Li had not felt this relaxed and carefree for many years. Even the blowing wind felt intoxicating, and her mood was exceptionally calm.

This state of mind was perfect for making Tranquility Incense!

Whether refining pills, crafting tools, carving arrays, or drawing talismans, the finished product reflected the cultivator’s state of mind, and this was especially true for spiritual incense.

How could someone with a troubled heart create Tranquility Incense that would bring peace and serenity to others?

Le Li returned to her room, changed into clean clothes, washed her face and hands, and sat down to begin.

In this life and the last, this was only her second attempt. She started with half a portion to experiment.

From measuring and mixing, adding spirit spring water, to kneading and shaping, drying, and finally imprinting the spiritual formula, Le Li was fully focused and immersed.

Her movements appeared taut yet relaxed, seemingly chaotic yet imbued with a subtle rhythm. Everything she did felt as though it were meant to be. She and the materials, and the incense she was crafting, seemed to become one. An alluring glow emanated from her, and it was impossible to tell if it came from the fluorescent stones or from herself.

If anyone had seen Le Li then, they would surely have been captivated by her aura, instinctively holding their breath, wanting to draw closer yet afraid to disturb her.

In the end, five sticks of Tranquility Incense were presented perfectly before her, smooth in form and brimming with spiritual charm.

Le Li lit one and placed it in the incense burner. As the smoke curled, she immediately felt a faint, lingering fragrance, like a weightless feather soothing her soul with the gentlest touch. Deep within, there was an indescribable sense of comfort and peace!

It was undoubtedly a masterpiece!

Le Li closed her eyes to steady her heart and, while smelling the incense, began her second attempt.

Another half-portion experiment!

It was all master-grade!

The third time, she used a full portion!

The result was four top-grade and six master-grade sticks!

Le Li’s heart trembled, and she smiled from the bottom of her heart.

Three times, all master-grade, and even exceeding sixty percent.

It could not be a coincidence; she truly had a gift for crafting spiritual incense.

From this day on, she possessed a skill that could serve as a staff, assisting her in walking further on the path of immortality.

Le Li was incredibly excited, her heart unable to settle for a long time. That night, it was only with the help of the Tranquility Incense that she was able to enter deep meditation.

The next day, after completing her thousand repetitions of blade techniques, she went to the Library Pavilion to record the recipes for Mingting Incense, Insect-Repelling Incense, Purification Incense, and Beast-Attracting Incense. These included recipes for both burning incense and incense pellets.

Burning incense required ignition, while pellets worked by being kept nearby or worn. One channeled energy inward, the other outward, and the spiritual formulas used were vastly different.

Le Li recorded only first-tier recipes, suitable for Qi Refining cultivators. There were second-tier recipes in the library, but she didn't rush to record them, as she couldn't yet process the materials, and it would be a waste of her dwindling contribution points.

On her way back, she stopped by the back mountain market, spending nearly a hundred spirit stones on various incense-making materials. When not practicing, she would calm her mind and craft incense.

The more she did, the more adept she became. The proportion of master-grade incense gradually increased. In a state of perfect unity, she even produced one supreme-grade Tranquility Incense. She lit it that same night, and while practicing, she felt as if she had entered that mesmerizing state of Dao again—deep and profound.

In the blink of an eye, Le Li had been at Qianyuan Peak for over a month.

In that time, her cultivation had increased only slightly, but her basic blade techniques had improved significantly.

She remembered the first day, when she couldn't lift her arms after only a thousand strikes and had to use spiritual energy to recover. Now, she could swing the Hongming Blade three thousand times before reaching that same state.

She increased her practice frequency periodically. Now, she swung two thousand times for each technique, taking roughly the same amount of time.

The Hongming Blade began to have a certain stickiness and speed in her hands. More gratifyingly, her meridians no longer felt swollen yesterday; she had completely adapted to the collision of ice and fire energies.

Waking up early today, Le Li was in a particularly good mood, not just because of her strengthened meridians, but because it was the day to collect her monthly allowance.

Every disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, once admitted, received an allowance of spirit stones and pills for ten years, unless they failed the trials and were sent home.

For the first three years, all disciples received the same allowance. After the trials, the allowance varied based on the disciple’s status.

This was a benefit provided to new disciples. After ten years, regardless of their cultivation, disciples were considered adults and had to fend for themselves to earn resources. After all, the sect's resources were limited and could not be provided indefinitely for free.

Le Li finished her blade training before heading to the Affairs Hall. Showing her identity badge, she successfully received twenty low-grade spirit stones and five top-grade Foundation-Cultivating Pills.

This was the privilege of a direct disciple. Ordinary inner-sect disciples received fifteen stones and three pills, while outer-sect disciples received even less—only ten stones and two pills, often of lower quality.

Sect resources were prioritized for disciples with good aptitude. This was true for the Lingxiao Sect and all others; only those with good aptitude had a better chance of reaching the heights and supporting the sect as its backbone.

It wasn't that disciples with poor aptitude had no future, but the probability was too low. No sect would waste resources betting on such low odds unless the disciple held an extraordinary position.

But that, too, was usually due to the protection gained from the contributions of their parents or ancestors.

Whenever she thought of this, Le Li silently thanked her parents in her heart for the excellent spiritual roots they had bestowed upon her.

The sect rules stated that inner-sect disciples could not travel alone before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. In her previous life, while in the late Qi Refining stage, she had accompanied a Foundation Establishment senior on a mission near Huaping County, where she took the opportunity to visit her parents.

In this life, she planned to return once she reached the late Qi Refining stage. With her ice spiritual roots, however, that would be delayed by a few years.

Fortunately, three years ago, when her fire spiritual roots were detected, the sect had rewarded her parents with health-strengthening pills. She had seen with her own eyes that they were healthy, and with the family business doing well, they were not short of money. As long as she remained in the sect, her parents would be respected and protected by the local villagers.

In her previous life, the two elders had passed away peacefully at over seventy. If all went well, the same should happen in this life.

Even if it were a few years later, Le Li felt at ease.

Just then, a group of people approached slowly: a Foundation Establishment senior and two Qi Refining disciples leading over twenty children, aged around ten.

These children looked around, unable to contain their excitement.

Right, the trials for their batch had ended, and it was time for new disciples to enter, walking the same path they had. A three-year cycle ensured the Lingxiao Sect would never decline.

Suddenly, Le Li’s eyes narrowed, and a chill emanated from them. Her good mood vanished instantly.

Among the children, she had spotted Huo Fengji—a thin, frail figure carrying a small bundle, dressed in gray, rough cloth, hiding amidst the group.

Huo Fengji, just entering the sect; she had never seen him at this stage in her previous life.

Their first meeting in her previous life had been three years later. Before the trials had even ended, she had heard that a male disciple had refined the Southern Brightness Departure Fire. She had waited outside the main hall on the last day of the trials, curious to see what her future junior brother looked like.

At that time, Huo Fengji was already a youth, full of spirit and vitality. She had thought it would be wonderful to have such a junior brother.

Her father had been in poor health when he was young and had her only when he was nearing forty. Being an only child, she was willing to treat Huo Fengji like a younger brother, and in fact, she had done exactly that.

Yet even now, Le Li could not determine whether the respect and closeness Huo Fengji had shown her back then were genuine or merely an act.

If it were genuine, how could his feelings change so quickly—becoming distant and even mocking her alongside Yan Yueheng the moment he felt Yan Yueheng’s attitude toward her? How could a person’s feelings be discarded or gathered at will?

But if it were a facade, maintained for decades without a single flaw, then he was truly terrifying.