Chapter 12

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Leli gently pressed her hand against her chest, feeling the jade pendant resting against her skin. This jade pendant had been with her since infancy—it was the object she had grasped during the traditional "grasping ceremony," worn ever since. Even in her previous life, right until her final moments, this pendant hung firmly around her neck. It symbolized her parents’ love; wearing it was like having them by her side. Even if she could afford the finest spiritual artifacts, she never considered replacing it.

Now, seeing an identical jade pendant displayed on a street stall in Quansu City, Leli suddenly wondered if this pendant might hold some special value. Yet, in her past life, wearing it for so long had shown no indication of any unique power—it was merely an ordinary jade pendant.

Leli smiled wryly and walked past the stall without looking back. But after a few steps, she turned back. Such a rare coincidence felt like fate, and she thought, why not buy it and honor this connection?

The entire stall was filled with jade jewelry. A few pieces in the center glowed faintly with spiritual energy—clearly refined magical artifacts. The rest were exquisite but ordinary jade pieces, containing only minimal spiritual energy at best.

As a minor Qi Refinement cultivator, Leli’s usual hair ornaments were simple gold and jade. She barely had enough spirit stones for cultivation and resource exchange, so she could hardly afford such delicate adornments.

At the stall, she picked eight pearl flowers, four jade hairpins, and two jade combs before finally reaching for the pendant, asking for the total price.

“Shopkeeper, how much for all these?”

“Choose five more items, and one spirit stone will cover it,” he said.

Leli burst out laughing. “Shopkeeper, even if I picked ten more, it wouldn’t be worth a spirit stone. Just for these, if I gave you fifty gold coins, you’d be making a handsome profit.”

“Fifty gold coins then!” the shopkeeper said reluctantly.

He had assumed Leli was inexperienced and tried to swindle a spirit stone, unaware she understood the value clearly. One spirit stone could exchange for hundreds of gold coins, but not vice versa. In the cultivation world, gold and jade were worthless compared to spirit stones.

Leli pulled out gold coins she had exchanged during her early days at the sect, handed them over, stored the jewelry in her storage pouch, and continued on.

Halfway through, she met Qin Ruoqing. The two exchanged smiles and greetings before going their separate ways. Leli bought several more trinkets bit by bit.

As dusk approached, she hurried to the city gate, where Qin Ruoqing was already waiting. After fifteen minutes, Yu Sulan and Feng Danying arrived. The four mounted their swords and flew smoothly back to the sect.

Once inside the mountain gate, they parted ways. Leli and Yu Sulan returned to Qianyuan Peak together.

“Thank you, senior sister. It must have been hard leading the way,” Leli said.

Yu Sulan waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Consider it a guide this time. Next time, you can go on your own. But since the journey isn’t short and you can’t yet manipulate magic tools, it’s best to carry a Swift Wind Talisman—it saves time and effort.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Leli replied respectfully. They parted at a fork in the road.

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That night, after three hours of cultivation, Leli proceeded with the first step of the “Soul Tempering Art,” preparing to refine the six-petal ice flower into her dantian.

Her cultivation was still low, so refining a spirit object into the dantian was extremely difficult. Naturally, smaller was better.

During the Nanming Fire trial, it was fate that mattered—the compatibility between one’s spiritual root and the Nanming Fire. Since the trial was brief, just a wisp of the fire was sufficient.

Compared to a wisp of Nanming Fire, the ice flower was quite large—a century-old crystallized blossom. With her current spiritual power, she couldn’t refine it quickly. She prepared for a long process.

Opening the jade box, she enveloped the six-petal ice flower with her divine sense, channeling icy spiritual energy and casting spiritual formulas on it.

When her energy was depleted, the ice flower showed no change.

She sealed the flower away, grasped a spirit stone, and used the Taiji Dual-Phenomenon Technique to quickly restore her energy.

Renewed, she resumed refining the ice flower. Again, no change after exhausting her energy. She trained throughout the night, but the ice flower remained unchanged.

During the day, Leli practiced basic sword techniques; at night, she concentrated on refining the ice flower.

By the fourth evening, the ice flower finally stirred, condensing very slowly. By the tenth day, it began to soften.

Five days later, suddenly, the condensed ice flower transformed into an icy thread that slithered through her meridians like a worm, freezing the passages rigid.

Leli shivered deeply, altered her hand seals, and pushed her divine sense to hasten the icy thread’s movement. It traveled through her meridians into her dantian.

The moment it entered, the icy thread resumed the shape of the six-petal ice flower, floating gently within the icy spiritual energy. At that moment, Leli’s body was covered in a thick layer of ice, turning her skin a bluish hue.

Shivering, she summoned fire spiritual energy to slowly warm the frozen meridians. After half a day, the icy layer melted into flowing water; her body finally returned to normal.

For over half a month afterward, she left the ice flower in her dantian alone, letting it float in the icy spiritual energy. She resumed normal cultivation, sword practice, incense making, and tending her spiritual field.

Once this period passed and the ice flower adapted to its new environment, Leli began the second step of the “Soul Tempering Art,” using icy spiritual energy to temper the ice flower.

This process wasn’t difficult—more like gradual polishing. Under the technique, the icy spiritual energy in her dantian rippled gently, constantly washing over the ice flower.

Each wash increased the flower’s coldness, hardness, and sharpness by a tiny margin—imperceptible but cumulative. Leli meticulously followed through.

From then on, her daily routine naturally included an hour dedicated to tempering the ice flower after cultivation. According to the technique, it would take a year of such tempering before the flower could condense into a spiritual will.

Leli was not impatient. She took steady steps every day, never growing weary. Aside from monthly visits to collect her stipend and occasional trips to Quansu City to sell incense and replenish supplies every two months, she stayed quietly in Purple Bamboo Courtyard.

Han Yongnian summoned her once a month to assess her progress and give guidance. Knowing she spent most time cultivating in the courtyard, he advised her to balance work and rest and to take occasional walks outside.

Leli appreciated her master’s kindness. Having once endured hardship wandering after leaving her sect in her past life, she treasured this peaceful environment. How could she waste time?

Moreover, she had long outgrown the desire to socialize with peers. She preferred solitude, especially when making incense. Her spirit relaxed completely, as if drifting beyond the world, sensing boundless vastness and opening her heart.

Han Yongnian noticed Leli’s steady habits and lack of gloom. Instead, she was calm and composed. After reminding her twice, he ceased urging her to venture outside.

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Not only that, it seemed his own heart had grown less restless, gaining peace and clarity.

As a cultivator, who does not long to journey forward, to wider realms, to endless lifespan? Han Yongnian had been stuck in mid-Golden Core for nearly two centuries, unable to grasp the gateway to late stage. Though he appeared unruffled on the surface, only he knew how much anxiety and worry he harbored inside.

The helplessness of watching time pass while remaining stagnant, facing being left behind by the years, had long accompanied him.

His heart was unwilling to accept this fate. His gaze remained fixed ahead, yearning for the day he would breakthrough the Golden Core late stage and reach Nascent Soul.

Now, taking Leli as his disciple—though somewhat impulsive—was also an unconscious compromise. If he were to halt here, he needed to leave something behind, a testament to his existence.

Suddenly, he felt he had chosen well. With Leli by his side, he no longer only looked forward but calmly reflected on his past journey.

Guiding her cultivation, Han Yongnian recalled his own training days. Teaching her sword techniques, he remembered his years of arduous practice.

The realization startled him—how many years had passed since he last trained so diligently? Had it been after his rise to fame? Or after his stagnation? Those simple, pure days were long gone.

Upon this realization, Han Yongnian sat in his cave dwelling for a whole night in contemplation.

The next morning, he drew his treasured blade, sealed his spiritual energy, and began practicing basic sword techniques as if just starting out.

From that day on, Leli practiced basic sword techniques in the courtyard by day, while Han Yongnian trained in his cave. She practiced each move over two thousand times daily; he practiced each move ten thousand times.

Leli had no idea Han Yongnian had resumed basic sword training. What she noticed was that his guidance was becoming more straightforward and concise—fewer mysterious words but all piercingly accurate.

Watching the flowing eastern river by morning and the setting sun by evening, time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed since Leli became his disciple.

Over the year, Leli grew considerably taller. The Hongming Blade felt as if it had grown into her hand. Basic sword techniques came effortlessly—eyes, mind, and moves in perfect harmony.

At this point, Han Yongnian finally nodded in approval and began teaching her the Asura Blade Technique.

“The Asura Blade Technique is divided into three stages, each more powerful than the last. Each stage contains thirty-six moves, corresponding to the thirty-six Heavenly Stars, making a total of one hundred and eight moves.

“The style emphasizes lightness and agility, with unpredictable moves. It requires great footwork—advancing, retreating, dodging, leaping, and tumbling—all coordinated seamlessly with the blade.

“In Qi Refinement stage, you must master the first stage fully. If you can manifest blade aura, that signifies superior talent. If you can manifest blade intent, that is exceptional talent. When I was at late Qi Refinement, I manifested blade aura; thirteen years into Foundation Establishment, I manifested blade intent. With your comprehension and talent, you will not be far behind.

“After Foundation Establishment, you may practice the second stage of thirty-six moves. The third stage requires immense strength and is reserved for Golden Core cultivators. Foundation Establishment cultivators who force it risk severe injury—skin torn, organs shattered—almost certain death. I do not wish to see that day.”

Han Yongnian handed Leli the jade slip containing the first stage of the technique, demonstrated it once more, then sent her off to study and practice on her own.

Leli continued practicing sword moves in the courtyard, while Han Yongnian practiced in his cave—now shifting from basic sword techniques to the first stage of the Asura Blade Technique.

Every three days, Han Yongnian summoned Leli to his cave to check her progress, correct errors, and adjust her training. Only after she mastered all thirty-six moves and the corresponding footwork did their meetings reduce to once a month.