CHAPTER 39: LEVEL 1 DOES NOT SUIT ME, I WANT HEAVENLY DAO

The next morning, Qi Yuan was still asleep when someone said crisply, "Senior Brother, when did you come back?"

He woke up in a daze. Tidying himself briefly, he stepped out of his room, still looking sleepy.

Qi Yuan glanced at Jiang Lingsu. "Last night. Junior Sister, how did you know I was back? Don’t tell me, you were peeking at me while I slept?"

Jiang Lingsu grew indignant. She nearly blurted out that her courtyard trash heap had been rummaged through that morning. Still, she thought better of it, as saying that would hurt her senior brother’s pride.

Instead, she calmly replied, "Senior Brother, isn't your knife still tied up in the courtyard?"

She glanced at the vegetable knife, tied with a rope like some pet. Qi Yuan followed her gaze, suspicion flashing across his face.

He’d gained quite a lot from the destruction of the Black Mountain Sect. Of course, his biggest harvest was their Hidden Library, which he stripped bare. As for spirit stones and treasures, he left in such a hurry and hadn’t taken much. Even so, the spirit items he did obtain were valuable, and his knife had a feast.

After all, as a mere Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, he owed his victory over a Core Formation realm opponent entirely to his knife. It was akin to one of those legendary treasures in the Investiture of Gods, letting someone leapfrog realms. Even if he burned through all his spirit stones now, his progress could only go so far. What he truly lacked were cultivation techniques and a proper foundation.

Rather than use them on himself, he invested almost everything into strengthening his knife. Now, it was even more terrifying, allowing him to fight late-stage Core Formation realm cultivators head-on. Provided their divine techniques weren't too profound, anyway.

I’ve fed it so many spirit stones and spirit items already. So why is it still...?

Qi Yuan almost covered his face. Why can’t my knife stop rummaging through trash? Is it like how a dog can’t change its shit-eating habit? Or maybe, Junior Sister's garbage heap is richer than mine?

Since Qi Yuan didn't reply, Jiang Lingsu said, "Senior Brother, didn't you go to establish your foundation? Did you succeed?"

She studied him carefully, as if trying to see through him.

Qi Yuan's expression immediately collapsed. "I failed. Haa... Building a foundation with a level 1 spirit item is just too difficult."

Jiang Lingsu sighed inwardly. Certainly, the higher the grade of a spirit item, the stronger one’s foundation and the better the chances of future breakthroughs. Still, higher wasn’t always better, especially when one wasn’t talented enough. Forcing a foundation with too high a level item could result in failure. Heaven’s way counted fifty paths, but only forty-nine were known—one ever slipped beyond reach.

Even the lowest level spirit item could still allow a cultivator to reach the peak. Most ordinary cultivators didn’t even use high-level ones. The one most suited to them was the best.

A supreme elder in Jiang Lingsu’s clan had established his foundation with a level 8 spirit item. A pitifully low one, yet he still ranked among the top three experts of the clan.

Jiang Lingsu comforted him. "Senior Brother, you don't have to force it. The spirit item most suited to you is the best one. That Yellow Blossom Fruit may be level 1, but it’s only so-so..."

Qi Yuan nodded in agreement. "Uh-huh. The Yellow Blossom Fruit doesn’t suit me. I want to establish my foundation using the Heavenly Dao itself!"

Jiang Lingsu fell silent. She’d formed an Earth-class vein, and even then, a pretty low level one. As for Heavenly Dao-class? She’d never even seen such a genius.

After all, Heavenly Qi couldn’t be captured without a primordial spirit, and even then, not every primordial spirit could do so. Only upon reaching the Yin Spirit realm could one manifest a primordial spirit, free to roam worlds and wander the void. Of course, the primordial spirit in this context was also very different from the soul or divine sense she understood.

Senior Brother really dares to dream. He doesn’t even have an ancestor who had reached the Yin or Yang Spirit realm, and he still thinks of reaching the Heavenly Dao class?

Glancing at the palace atop the Seven-Colored Peak, Jiang Lingsu grew thoughtful. "Senior Brother, here’s a Harmonizing Pill. It calms one’s spiritual power. You just failed to break through, so your mana must be unstable. Take one, and you’ll be able to attempt another breakthrough sooner. It’s not expensive. It’s a specialty from my clan and only worth a few spirit stones."

An exquisite porcelain vial appeared in her jade-white hands, containing a single pill.

Qi Yuan froze. "Junior Sister, are you my Doraimon or something?"

She was always pulling strange things out of nowhere.

Jiang Lingsu tilted her head at his odd words. "Huh?"

Anyway, Qi Yuan accepted the Harmonizing Pill.

[This is a Harmonizing Pill. When Foundation Establishment fails, a cultivator’s mana falls into chaos. This pill restores balance and replenishes it, preparing them for the next attempt. Restore the equivalent of 10 high-grade spirit stones. Has many flaws and can be improved.]

Qi Yuan was stunned. Ten high-grade spirit stones? That was equivalent to a thousand low-grade ones. So when Jiang Lingsu said this pill was worth only a few spirit stones, she meant a few high-grade spirit stones?!

Qi Yuan looked at Jiang Lingsu. "Junior Sister, I'll remember this. If anyone tries to cut you down, I will take the blow for you!"

What a rich lady! I must cling tightly to this—no, not golden thigh... this soft, slender white thigh!

Jiang Lingsu chuckled softly. "Senior Brother, just protect yourself. I don't want to see you hurt."

She appeared ordinary, with her share of strengths and flaws. However, she was far from ordinary. She had money!

Then, her expression became stern. "Luckily, you’ve returned. Yesterday, the Black Mountain Sect was exterminated. I fear the entire Great Shang will now be thrown into turmoil."

Qi Yuan widened his eyes. "What?! The Black Mountain Sect was wiped out?!"

He was proud of his brilliant acting skills. Probably good enough for a little golden statue.

"Who did it? Did they use a knife or a sword?"

Jiang Lingsu glared at him sharply. "Senior Brother, you ask such strange questions. Did you have something to do with it?"

Qi Yuan's flawless performance cracked at once. "No, no, it wasn't me!"

Jiang Lingsu burst into laughter, though she didn't take him seriously. "You sound guilty. Don't tell me, it really is you?"

Her senior brother was an eccentric who was obsessed with gaming. Unfortunately, electroshock therapy was probably the only cure for such a personality. What a shame that in today’s world, breakthroughs no longer drew heavenly lightning. After all, watching Senior Brother get struck by lightning would be quite a sight.

After chatting with him a bit more, Jiang Lingsu returned to her room.

She pulled out an ordinary-looking mirror. "Peak Qi Refinement... ah."

The Kunqian Mirror, one of many sub-mirrors derived from the Heaven-Earth Mirror, could see through cultivation levels.

Qi Yuan’s cultivation was reflected on its surface: Peak Qi Refinement.

***

"You damn knife, rummaging through trash again!"

Qi Yuan nearly smacked the knife, but stopped for fear of hurting himself.

"I'd better go out and check the situation. I need to see what happens after Black Mountain Sect's destruction!"

Anyone who has killed before knows that you don't return to the crime scene. But watching from a distance should be fine. Besides, there are no police here, and Black Rooster Demon is still in seclusion!