Chapter 52
Translator: T_Fan
“Thank you.”
Lee Hyun also gave a slight bow before looking back at the Qi-Condensation Chamber.
“Inspect the chamber as well.”
The attendant disciple made a round of the chamber, then collected the jade token.
“Everything is in order. Please wait a moment.”
A short while later, the attendant disciple returned with a sealed letter bearing the seal of the Foundation Establishment Court.
“Take this to the Internal Affairs Court, and they will issue you an inner-disciple identity token. Your division and cave abode will also be assigned there.”
“Where is the Internal Affairs Court?”
“It is on Qingyu Peak, about fifty li (about 19.6 km) to the east.”
“Understood.”
…
As Lee Hyun left the Foundation Establishment Court, a gentle breeze slipped through the folds of his long robe.
He stopped and looked around.
Though they were the same mountains and forests, they felt different from before.
The flow of spiritual qi along the mountainside was far clearer, and he could sense the wind passing between the trees and rocks from much farther away.
Just then, a shadow streaked swiftly overhead.
Lee Hyun looked up.
A cultivator was flying through the air without standing on any magic tool. Beneath his feet, faint spirit light rippled into existence before fading away.
‘A Foundation Establishment cultivator?’
It was said that upon reaching Foundation Establishment, cultivators could fly through the air using spiritual power alone, without relying on a flight magic tool.
Lee Hyun cast the Wind-Riding Art beneath his feet.
Whoooosh―
The wind alone lifted his body nearly three chi (about 1 m) into the air.
“Oh.”
When Lee Hyun tried to move forward, his body suddenly tilted to the right. He hurriedly withdrew his spiritual power and landed, then straightened his robes.
‘This doesn’t seem to be how it’s done…. Come to think of it, Foundation Establishment cultivators who don’t know the Wind-Riding Art can still fly, can’t they? I’ll have to ask when I get the chance.’
Lee Hyun took the Flowing Cloud Disc out of his storage pouch.
Hummm―
The Flowing Cloud Disc rose into the air.
…
The Internal Affairs Court on Qingyu Peak had been built where several mountain ranges converged.
From below, it looked like a six-story hall, but countless rooms and passages also extended into the cliff behind it.
Foundation Establishment cultivators constantly came and went before the hall.
Off to one side, a cultivator demanding repairs to his old cave abode was arguing loudly with the steward in charge.
“I’m telling you, water leaks through the wall.”
“As long as it’s properly connected to the spirit vein, what does a little leaking water matter? Seal it with a technique.”
“I don’t know any Earth techniques. Can’t the Internal Affairs Court repair it for me?”
Lee Hyun watched the two for a moment before heading inside the hall.
He handed the sealed letter to a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Internal Affairs Court sitting behind the reception desk, and the man broke the seal.
“Li Dongsan. Twelve years in the Outer Alchemy Court, thirty years on a kingdom garrison assignment in Anling Kingdom….”
The man paused while reading and looked at Lee Hyun.
“You spent a long time in Anling Kingdom.”
“It wasn’t a bad place to live.”
“Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment, fellow Daoist.”
“Thank you.”
The cultivator in charge stamped the letter with the seal of the Internal Affairs Court.
He then took Lee Hyun’s outer-disciple identity token and placed it atop a crystal-clear formation plate.
Hummm―
Light flowing from the formation plate enveloped the identity token.
The symbol denoting an outer disciple vanished, and in its place appeared a pattern of three layers of flames and clouds.
“Your division is the Inner Alchemy Court, and your master’s lineage is under Elder Tan Yunsheng of Yanxia Peak.”
“Elder Tan….”
“He is a Tier 3 alchemist at the mid-stage Golden Core realm. He excels at Harmonizing medicinal potency and warm nurturing. Since you worked as an alchemist in the Outer Alchemy Court and possess a Wood, Fire and Earth triple spiritual root, we judged his lineage to be a good fit for you.”
The cultivator handed the completed identity token to Lee Hyun.
“Your master’s lineage refers to whom you learn from, while your division refers to where you work. Elder Tan also happens to be one of the Elders of the Inner Alchemy Court, so in your case, the two naturally overlap.”
“I see.”
“For your cave abode, you can use Qingyu Ravine, northwest of Yanxia Peak.”
The cultivator reached toward a map hanging on the wall. As spiritual power flowed into it, the mountains and valleys on the map rose into three dimensions.
Several thin branches of a spirit vein extended in every direction from Yanxia Peak. A red dot appeared over a small valley roughly thirty li to the northwest.
“It is connected to a Tier 2 spirit vein. It has been vacant for about a year. The cave abode contains a cultivation chamber and a small storeroom, and there should also be a spirit field outside.”
“The entire Qingyu Ravine is being assigned to me?”
“That’s right. The valley isn’t very large, though.”
The cultivator took a long wooden case from beneath the table.
Click.
Inside the case lay twelve formation flags, each one chi long, neatly arranged in a row.
Their surfaces were embroidered with formation inscriptions resembling white clouds and mountains. In the center lay a bronze formation plate about the size of a palm, and a single mid-grade spirit stone rested in a small recess beside it.
“This is the Cloud-Barrier Abode-Guarding Formation. It is a Tier 2 low-grade defensive formation issued to inner disciples when they receive a new cave abode. The mid-grade spirit stone is part of the annual allotment given to inner disciples.”
From beneath the wooden case, he also took out a thin booklet titled Essentials of Deploying the Cloud-Barrier Abode-Guarding Formation.
“It explains how to position the formation flags, how to connect the formation plate to the cave abode’s Qi-Gathering Formation, and how to deploy the formation using spirit stones if that connection is severed. The deployment method differs for valleys, mountain peaks, and waterside terrain, so install it according to the terrain once you reach your cave abode.”
Lee Hyun opened the booklet. Cross-sectional diagrams of valleys and mountain peaks showed where each formation flag should be placed, and the later pages even described in considerable detail the order in which damaged flags should be replaced.
“An alarm will sound whenever someone with spiritual power approaches. It can also withstand attacks from an early Foundation Establishment cultivator for a while.”
He handed Lee Hyun the wooden case and a map of Qingyu Ravine.
“The formation is issued only once, when a cave abode is first assigned to you. If you lose or damage it, you’ll have to obtain a replacement yourself, so take care of it. We have also sent word to Yanxia Peak. Someone should arrive shortly.”
Lee Hyun put the wooden case into his storage pouch.
Half a shichen (about one hour) later, a middle-aged cultivator entered the hall.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, but his face was long and lean. The scent of medicinal ingredients clung to the sleeves of his long robe.
“Is Junior Brother Li Dongsan here?”
“I am Li Dongsan.”
The middle-aged cultivator looked at Lee Hyun.
“I am Tao Wenqian. I am Master’s head disciple and your Eldest Senior Brother.”
Lee Hyun cupped his hands.
“Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother Tao.”
Tao Wenqian nodded, then looked at the cultivator in charge.
“Is the registration complete?”
“It was just completed. His cave abode has been assigned, and the Cloud-Barrier Abode-Guarding Formation was issued as well.”
Tao Wenqian turned around.
“Follow me.”
…
The two left Qingyu Peak.
Tao Wenqian stepped out into empty air, and faint crimson spirit light appeared beneath his feet.
His body rose directly above the mountainside.
When Lee Hyun took out the Flowing Cloud Disc, Tao Wenqian slowed down.
“You haven’t learned the Skywalking Art yet?”
“I only came out of the Qi-Condensation Chamber today.”
“I see.”
The two flew side by side toward Yanxia Peak.
Before long, two black-rock peaks blocked the way ahead. There was neither a road nor a hall between them, only a pale, misty curtain stretching vertically through the air.
Tao Wenqian stopped before the curtain.
“Take out your identity token. We need to register your aura with the formation.”
Lee Hyun raised his newly issued identity token.
The three-layered flame pattern engraved on it lit up. Light flowing from the curtain swept over Lee Hyun’s identity token once, and a circular passage opened directly ahead.
As soon as they passed through, denser heaven-and-earth spiritual qi enveloped his entire body.
The Danxiao Sect’s Inner Gate came fully into view.
Peaks that had been hidden by clouds from the outer mountain ranges stretched endlessly into the distance.
Far away, an enormous crimson formation covered an entire valley.
“That is the Inner Alchemy Court’s communal Alchemy Hall.”
Tao Wenqian pointed at the valley.
“Flames drawn up from the earth-fire vein are divided among dozens of alchemy chambers. It saves the spiritual power that would otherwise be spent heating a pill furnace directly, and the heat remains comparatively steady, which makes it convenient. Not only the disciples of our Yanxia Peak lineage, but most Tier 2 alchemists in the Inner Alchemy Court also use the communal Alchemy Hall.”
Whoooom―
Beneath the crimson formation, round stone chambers stood at regular intervals. Each chamber contained a pill furnace and formations for controlling the earth fire, while a large opening had been cut into the roof.
Suddenly, purple smoke shot up from one of them.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator nearby hurriedly spread out a large cloth, which sucked in every trace of the purple smoke.
A moment later, something shot out of the stone chamber.
Bang!
It was a blackened pill-furnace lid.
Tao Wenqian glanced in that direction.
“Don’t be alarmed. It happens fairly often.”
Lee Hyun looked at the cultivators flying between the mountain peaks.
Some used flight magic tools, but more than half traveled through the air under their own power.
“Eldest Senior Brother, how do you fly without a flight magic tool?”
“A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spiritual power does not easily dissipate even after leaving the body. You use that spiritual power to support yourself beneath your feet and around your body, maintaining your balance in the air.”
The crimson spirit light beneath Tao Wenqian’s feet spread outward.
“At first, it’s slower than using a flight magic tool and consumes more spiritual power, but once you get used to it, it’s extremely convenient.”
“Do I need to obtain a separate technique?”
“Don’t worry. Master will teach you the Skywalking Art.”
Tao Wenqian turned his gaze ahead.
“There are twenty-four disciples under Master now, counting you. Every one of us belongs to the Inner Alchemy Court, and everyone except you is qualified as a Tier 2 alchemist.”
“Are they all on Yanxia Peak?”
“Those currently staying within the Mountain Gate… probably fifteen. The others are away on external assignments.”
Tao Wenqian pointed ahead.
“That is Yanxia Peak.”
A verdant peak wrapped in mist and clouds came into view.
Spirit fields of various sizes spread in terraces along the mountainside.
Above them, blue-tiled halls and small pavilions stood scattered among ancient pine trees.
Tao Wenqian descended onto a broad stone terrace halfway up the mountain.
Lee Hyun followed on the Flowing Cloud Disc and landed behind him.
An ancient pine tree grew behind the terrace.
Beneath it, a middle-aged man in a pale blue long robe sat on a flat rock. He looked a little over forty, with a gentle expression and slightly drooping eyes. The fingers beneath his rolled-up sleeves were stained purple and blue.
Rather than a Golden Core Elder, he gave the easygoing impression of a spirit-plant cultivator who had spent many years tending spirit fields.
At the stone table beside him, Chen Xiaoying and a man with a short beard were discussing a pill that had been split in half.
“The heat was too strong.”
The man shook his head.
“It was just before Pill Condensation. If the heat was the cause, shouldn’t there be scorch marks on the surface?”
The middle-aged man picked up the pill and examined the split interior.
“You’re both wrong. Bring me another answer by tomorrow.”
“Yes, Master.”
Only then did the middle-aged man turn his gaze toward Lee Hyun.
Tao Wenqian stepped forward.
“Master. I have brought Junior Brother Li Dongsan.”
Chen Xiaoying’s eyes widened.
“Li Dongsan? You succeeded at Foundation Establishment! So you’ve become a disciple of Yanxia Peak? I suppose I should call you Junior Brother Li now.”
“Good to see you, Senior Sister Chen.”
Tan Yunsheng set down the pill and smiled gently.
“So you are Li Dongsan. Come here.”
Tao Wenqian lifted the teapot on the stone table and poured spirit tea into an empty cup. He handed the cup to Lee Hyun, then lightly gestured toward Tan Yunsheng with his chin.
Lee Hyun held the teacup respectfully in both hands.
“Disciple Li Dongsan greets Elder Tan.”
Tan Yunsheng accepted the tea and took a sip.
“I heard you spent thirty years on an assignment away from the sect, then returned and successfully reached Foundation Establishment. You have a steadfast will. You’ve worked hard.”
“Thank you.”
“From now on, call me Master, not Elder.”
“Yes, Master.”
Tan Yunsheng looked at Tao Wenqian.
“Wenqian, introduce him to his fellow disciples.”
“Yes.”
Tao Wenqian first gestured toward Chen Xiaoying.
“This is Junior Sister Chen Xiaoying. It seems the two of you are already acquainted.”
“We are. We took the entrance examination for the Special Selection for Skilled Practitioners together many years ago.”
Tao Wenqian gestured toward the man with the short beard.
“This is my Junior Brother Fang Jiyun. To you, he is Senior Brother Fang.”
“Greetings, Senior Brother Fang.”
Fang Jiyun gave a brief nod.
“Good to meet you.”
Tan Yunsheng indicated the opposite side of the stone table.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
Tan Yunsheng spoke again.
“You only just broke through to Foundation Establishment, correct? Does the cultivation art you were practicing extend through a Foundation Establishment Section?”
“Yes.”
“What spiritual root do you possess?”
“A Wood, Fire and Earth triple spiritual root.”
“I see. Then this works out nicely. To commemorate you becoming my disciple, I’ll teach you a technique.”
Tan Yunsheng took a red jade slip from his storage pouch.
“This is the Flame-Threading Art. Examine its contents.”
Lee Hyun accepted the jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, and infused it with divine sense.
The technique’s mnemonic formula and several diagrams of spiritual power circulation flowed into his consciousness.
The Flame-Threading Art was a technique that divided a single flame into dozens of slender flame threads.
During alchemy, it allowed different levels of heat to be applied to each medicinal ingredient inside the pill furnace. In combat, dozens of flame threads could obstruct an opponent’s movements or persistently burn away at their body-protecting spirit light.
Tan Yunsheng said,
“Simply dividing a flame into multiple strands is not enough. Only when you can control the heat of each strand independently can you use it for alchemy and combat.”
“I will practice diligently.”
Tan Yunsheng took out another jade slip.
“This is the Skywalking Art. Now that you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you should learn how to fly as well.”
“Thank you.”
“Return both jade slips to me once you have learned them.”
“Yes.”
Tan Yunsheng looked at Lee Hyun again.
“Until you qualify as a Tier 2 alchemist, you will assist your Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters with their alchemy in the communal Alchemy Hall and begin by learning how to prepare Tier 2 spirit plants.”
“Yes.”
“For now, organize your cave abode and stabilize your realm. Come back in fifteen days.”
…
Before Lee Hyun left Yanxia Peak, Chen Xiaoying approached him.
“Junior Brother, which cave abode were you assigned?”
“Qingyu Ravine.”
Fang Jiyun spoke as he passed beside them.
“Qingyu Ravine… Not a bad place. The spirit vein is stable, and there should be a small spirit spring there as well.”
Tao Wenqian pointed northwest.
“Go about thirty li northwest and you should see a waterfall. If you run into any trouble while settling your cave abode, come find me.”
“Understood.”
Lee Hyun saluted the three of them before stepping onto the Flowing Cloud Disc.
The Flowing Cloud Disc left Yanxia Peak and headed northwest.
…
Qingyu Ravine was a narrow valley enclosed on both sides by steep cliffs. The cliffs were covered in blue-green moss and vines, and water flowing down from above formed a small waterfall farther inside the valley.
Lee Hyun circled the valley twice on the Flowing Cloud Disc.
“Where is the cave abode supposed to be?”
Lee Hyun landed in front of the waterfall and cast the Aura-Reading Art.
Faint spiritual qi was being drawn in behind the waterfall.
When he reached out, spiritual power split the torrent to either side.
Roooar―
A stone door covered in vines and moss appeared behind the waterfall.
When Lee Hyun exerted his strength, the stone door slowly opened inward.
Damp air flowed out along with the stale scent of old earth.
Lee Hyun flicked a finger, and a small sphere of light appeared, illuminating the cave abode.
Inside was a spacious stone chamber with two smaller rooms. A Qi-Gathering Formation connected to a Tier 2 spirit vein was engraved into the floor of the room on the right, while stone shelves for storing items lined the room on the left.
A narrow passage behind the stone chamber led to the spirit field outside the mountain.
Instead of spirit herbs, the spirit field was overgrown with weeds. Clear water flowed between the rocks from a small spirit spring off to one side.
“Better than I expected.”
Lee Hyun carefully inspected every corner of the cave abode.
There were no traces of hidden formation inscriptions. The only thing the previous owner had left behind was an old stone mortar.
After using the Cleansing Art to remove the dust and moss, Lee Hyun set the wooden case in the middle of the stone chamber and opened Essentials of Deploying the Cloud-Barrier Abode-Guarding Formation.
‘They’ve explained it quite thoroughly.’
He spent half a day bonding the formation plate and twelve formation flags, then installed them one by one around the valley entrance, the cliffs, the waterfall, and the spirit spring.
When the formation plate was finally connected to the Qi-Gathering Formation, the twelve cloud patterns on its surface lit up simultaneously.
Lee Hyun infused spiritual power into the formation plate.
Whoooosh―
The mist scattered throughout the valley slowly spread over the waterfall, cliffs, and stone door of the cave abode. The outline of the stone door blurred, and a short while later, nothing remained in its place but an ordinary moss-covered cliff.
“When I have time, I should spruce up the cave abode a little. No, before that, I should learn the Skywalking Art.”
Lee Hyun took out the Skywalking Art jade slip and pressed it to his forehead.
The Skywalking Art was not an attribute-based technique tied to the Five Elements or to wind, lightning, light, or darkness. As long as a cultivator possessed spiritual power at the Foundation Establishment level, they could use it regardless of their spiritual root.
…
Several days later.
A figure slowly rose above the cliffs of Qingyu Ravine.
Faint spirit light spread beneath Lee Hyun’s feet. His movements, cautious at first, gradually quickened until his body swept over the waterfall and soared into the blue sky.
Whoooosh―
The hem of his long robe snapped fiercely in the wind.
There was nothing beneath his feet, and although he was still somewhat unsteady, he could freely move in whatever direction he wished.
Lee Hyun made a wide round above the valley.
“Haha.”
Laughter escaped him before he realized it.
He increased his speed a little more, cut through the clouds, then descended once again onto the cliffs above Qingyu Ravine.
“Now I finally feel like I’ve become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”
Lee Hyun spent a long while flying back and forth between the valley and the surrounding peaks, only returning to Qingyu Ravine when the sun began to set.
***
Two years later.
Inner Alchemy Court communal Alchemy Hall.
Earth fire burned quietly beneath a pill furnace.
Seated before the pill furnace, Lee Hyun formed the final hand seal, and the flames rising through the burner quickly subsided.
Hummm―
The pill furnace gave a low hum.
Lee Hyun waited for the medicinal qi inside the pill furnace to settle before reaching out.
Click.
The heavy lid opened, releasing a faint medicinal fragrance.
Three blue pills the size of thumbnails rested at the bottom of the pill furnace.
Fang Jiyun, who had been watching from behind, picked up one of the pills.
He examined its surface and medicinal fragrance, then split the pill in half.
“About seventy percent of the medicinal strength remains, and the impurities are within acceptable limits.”
Fang Jiyun inspected the remaining two pills one after another.
“All three are usable.”
Lee Hyun let out a quiet breath.
According to the Inner Alchemy Court’s regulations, one had to successfully refine a basic Tier 2 pill three times in succession to qualify as a Tier 2 alchemist.
This was his third success.
“Did I pass?”
“Yes. I suppose we can call you a Tier 2 alchemist now.”
“It’s thanks to your instruction, Senior Brother Fang.”
Two years had already passed since Lee Hyun entered Tan Yunsheng’s lineage.
For the first half year, he followed Fang Jiyun, preparing Tier 2 spirit plants and assisting other alchemists with their alchemy. After that, he learned to handle the pill furnace and earth fire himself, and three months ago, he began refining Tier 2 Qi-Restoring Pills.
The only Tier 2 pill he could refine so far was the Qi-Restoring Pill. Neither his success rate nor the quality of his pills could compare with Fang Jiyun’s or Chen Xiaoying’s.
Even so, he was now a Tier 2 alchemist officially recognized by the Danxiao Sect.
Lee Hyun asked,
“Now that I’m recognized as a Tier 2 alchemist, will I have access to more pill recipes?”
“Of course. You can spend contribution points to access the Tier 2 pill recipes held by the Inner Alchemy Court. The Foundation Establishment Pill recipe is among them.”
Lee Hyun was surprised.
“I can access the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe as well?”
Fang Jiyun gave a faint chuckle.
“People are often surprised when they first hear that.”
He closed the pill-furnace lid and continued.
“Within our Danxiao Sect, the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe itself isn’t as closely guarded a secret as you might think. Of course, copying it or passing it outside the sect is forbidden….”
“Then why are Foundation Establishment Pills so scarce?”
“The problem is the ingredients. Most of the supplementary medicinal ingredients can be grown in the Danxiao Sect’s spirit fields, but several main ingredients cannot. Some of them even grow only in special secret realms.”
Fang Jiyun continued,
“We also have to purchase certain spirit plants from outside. Even after gathering all the ingredients, they’re so expensive that we prefer to entrust the alchemy only to experienced alchemists. So merely knowing the pill recipe does not mean you can make a Foundation Establishment Pill.”
…
That evening.
At his residence in Qingyu Ravine, Lee Hyun opened his right hand.
Fwoosh―
The crimson flame blooming above his palm divided into dozens of slender flame threads.
The flame threads intertwined, forming the shape of a butterfly the size of his palm.
The crimson butterfly fluttered its wings.
It circled Lee Hyun once before settling on a dry blade of grass at the edge of the spirit field.
Despite touching the flame, the blade of grass did not char.
Lee Hyun moved a finger, and the butterfly unraveled back into dozens of flame threads before being drawn into his palm.
“At this level, I can say I’ve reached Novice proficiency in the Flame-Threading Art.”
Unlike the Skywalking Art, the Flame-Threading Art had taken him nearly two years to learn.
Lee Hyun flopped onto his back on the floor.
By now, he had grown accustomed to life as an inner disciple. Each month, he received Tan Yunsheng’s teachings on Yanxia Peak, while on the other days he traveled back and forth between the communal Alchemy Hall and Qingyu Ravine.
Now that he was also qualified as a Tier 2 alchemist, there was far more he could do than before.
‘I can keep honing my alchemy as I have been.’
Although he had become a Tier 2 alchemist, he could hardly claim to have properly mastered Tier 2 alchemy. Lee Hyun was still only at the Novice level.
‘I can also look through the Scripture Pavilion’s Inner Pavilion now. I should pick out some techniques that Foundation Establishment cultivators can learn and see which ones would be useful to me.’
‘I should upgrade my magic tools too. I’m a Foundation Establishment cultivator now, and I had plenty of spirit stones to begin with.’
There was a great deal to do, but what he needed to check first was obvious.
‘First, the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe. I should also look for pill recipes that use Bone-Rot Flower, Purple Poison Orchid, Yin Soul Grass, and Spirit-Storing Ginseng.’
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