Cultivation begins with earning spirit stones

Chapter 66 Returning to Qingxuan City

Night deepened.

Outside the inn, the occasional sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard, especially clear in the quiet night.

Zhang Lin shut down the system and his gaze fell on the window frame.

Moonlight streamed through the window paper, casting a soft glow on the ground.

He recalled the battle of that day and reviewed it in his mind.

The assassin's cultivation was far superior to his own, and he also possessed a spiritual weapon. If they were to fight head-on, he might not be a match for him.

But he had the upper hand.

Sensing the opponent's presence in advance, they allowed Yu Youwei to dodge ahead of time and set up a trapping formation.

He used formations to suppress the opponent's spiritual sense, used clones in the mist to disrupt the opponent's judgment, used earth escape techniques to evade attacks, used wooden vine techniques to slow down the opponent's movements, and tricked the opponent into revealing his protective true energy with the Xuanhuang Great Hand.

Finally, he imbued the sword with the Heaven-Burning Flame and killed him with a single blow.

Every step was calculated with precision.

Every step was aimed at the opponent's weakness.

This is a battle of wits.

It's not a battle of brute force, but a contest of wisdom and strategy. Another important reason is that the opponent has too few options.

Cultivation techniques, spells, magical artifacts, formations, elixirs, terrain, and timing are all indispensable.

Zhang Lin nodded slightly, already understanding.

This battle gave him a clearer understanding of the power of a fully-fledged Qi cultivator.

They also gained a more intuitive understanding of the power of magical artifacts.

If he encounters a fully-trained opponent again in the future, he will not be as passive as he is today.

He possesses a trapping formation, a blood-forged sword, a blazing flame, and profound true energy to control the Blood Fiend Banner.

These trump cards even gave him the confidence to fight against someone at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

Even, to kill.

Zhang Lin pulled himself out of his thoughts, closed his eyes, and continued meditating.

True Qi flowed slowly through the meridians, and the Dantian expanded little by little under the nourishment of the secret method.

Outside the window, the moon was high in the sky.

In another room of the inn.

Yu Youwei sat on the edge of the bed, holding the scroll Zhang Lin had given her, and carefully examined it by candlelight.

She read very slowly.

It's not because I can't remember, but because it's too precious.

This scroll of silk is the culmination of Zhang Lin's hard work.

She didn't know how much time he spent organizing and how much effort he put into writing it.

But she knew this gift was too heavy a burden.

To repay this favor, she must successfully join the Danxia Sect; otherwise, she will never be able to repay it in her lifetime.

Yu Youwei put down the silk scroll and her gaze fell on the flickering candlelight.

During that battle, she hid in the wheat field and watched from afar through the gaps in the wheat seedlings.

Mist filled the air, flames soared into the sky, and swords clashed.

She couldn't see the details, but she could sense the danger of the battle.

Having perfected his cultivation, he arrived carrying a spiritual artifact.

Zhang Lin, however, with his late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, managed to kill his opponent.

She didn't know how he did it.

But she knew that this man was far more unfathomable than she had imagined.

Yu Youwei snapped out of her thoughts and picked up the silk book again.

In the candlelight, her profile was clearly defined, her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting.

She continued reading and taking notes, not daring to miss a single word.

This was her hope of joining the Danxia Sect.

It was also her first step in breaking free from her cage and stepping into a wider world.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

All sounds are silent.

------

It was early morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Zhang Lin awoke from his meditation, opened his eyes, and a glint of light flashed in them.

He pushed open the door and stepped out; the corridor was quiet.

Yu Youwei's door was tightly closed. Zhang Lin walked to her door and knocked.

"Miss Fish, it's time to get up."

There was a rustling sound coming from inside the door, and after a moment, the door opened.

Yu Youwei stood at the door, her clothes neat and her hair combed, but there were faint dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't slept well last night.

"Good morning, Young Master Zhang." She nodded slightly, her voice still cool and clear.

"Good morning." Zhang Lin nodded. "Get ready, have breakfast, and then head to the teleportation array."

Yu Youwei nodded, turned around and went back to her room to pack.

A short while later, she came out carrying a bundle on her back.

The two went downstairs and had breakfast in the lobby of the inn.

Thin porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables—simple yet filling.

Zhang Lin finished his meal in a few bites and put down his chopsticks.

Yu Youwei ate slowly, but she ate cleanly and efficiently, unlike the coy manner of ordinary women.

After breakfast, Zhang Lin paid the bill, and the two left the inn.

In the early morning, Qingyun Town was shrouded in a thin mist, and there were few pedestrians on the streets.

Several early-rising shops had just opened, and the shop assistants were watering and sweeping in front of them.

Zhang Lin and Yu Youwei walked side by side toward the teleportation array in the north of the city.

"Miss Fish, did you sleep well last night?" Zhang Lin asked casually.

Yu Youwei glanced at him and said indifferently, "It's acceptable."

Zhang Lin did not ask any further questions.

He could tell she hadn't slept well, but he didn't point it out.

Everyone has things they need to process.

When they arrived at the teleportation array, the old man was still sitting there, resting with his eyes closed.

Zhang Lin stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist, we need to be teleported to Qingxuan City."

The old man opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then looked at Yu Youwei behind him.

"Two people, one hundred spirit stones."

Zhang Lin took out one hundred low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to the old man.

The old man took the spirit stone, stood up, walked to the teleportation array, and made hand seals.

A beam of spiritual light entered the stone platform, causing the runes on the platform to light up, and the spiritual light surged like a tide.

"Stand up."

Zhang Lin and Yu Youwei walked onto the stone platform and stood side by side.

The next moment, everything blurred before my eyes, and I was enveloped by the power of space.

The light from the teleportation array faded, and the outline of Qingxuan City became clear before our eyes.

Zhang Lin stepped down from the stone platform, with Yu Youwei following closely behind.

It was her first time using a teleportation array. Although her expression was calm, her steps felt unsteady for a moment.

Zhang Lin saw this but didn't point it out; he did the same thing the first time he teleported.

"Is this Qingxuan City?" Yu Youwei's gaze swept over the surroundings, her voice was cold, but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Yes." Zhang Lin nodded. "The Danxia Sect's branch altar is located here. Someone will come to guide us tomorrow."

Yu Youwei didn't ask any more questions. She quietly followed behind him, her gaze wandering among the streets and buildings, silently memorizing the layout of this border city.

Qingxuan City is much more lively than it was three months ago.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, and there were noticeably more cultivators.

In the early and middle stages of Qi Refining, individual cultivators would gather in small groups, either setting up stalls along the streets or engaging in lively discussions in teahouses and taverns.

Occasionally, a Foundation Establishment cultivator would pass by, drawing envious glances.

Zhang Lin's gaze swept over them, and from their few words, he had already understood a few things.

Most of these people are here because of the Danxia Sect.

After the alchemy ceremony, the news spread, and the Danxia Sect held numerous ceremonies at its branch altars to select talents to fill vacancies in the outer sect.

The news that three outer disciples had emerged from the border town of Qingxuan had caused quite a stir among the independent cultivators.

Many independent cultivators from the surrounding areas flocked to the sect, hoping that when the major sects sent people to guide them, they would be chosen and taken to join the Danxia Sect.

Even though the hope is slim, some people still hold onto a sliver of hope.

The path of cultivation is essentially about seizing that one sliver of opportunity.

Yu Youwei also noticed something amiss and whispered, "These people... are they all here to try their luck?"

"Hmm," Zhang Lin said calmly, "That's how the cultivation world is; at the first opportunity, people flock to it like moths to a flame."

Yu Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm just here to try my luck."

"No," Zhang Lin shook his head. "You were prepared."

Yu Youwei glanced at him, said nothing, but the corners of her mouth curved up in a barely perceptible arc.

The city remained the same, but Zhang Lin's perspective on it had changed.

Three months ago, he came to Qingxuan City with a degree of caution.

At that time, he had just entered the late stage of Qi Refining, his magic was not yet proficient, and his net worth was only two thousand spirit stones.

He is still in the late stage of Qi Refining, but he already has eighty drops of liquid true qi in his dantian, his proficiency in spells has reached a high level, and he has the mid-grade spiritual artifact Blood Fiend Flag as his trump card.

He had even killed opponents who had reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation.

In his eyes, the Zhou family of Qingxuan City was no longer someone he needed to look up to.