After a cup of tea's time.
Clang!
Su Yi's ethereal figure paused, standing in the center of the courtyard, sheathing his sword.
Accompanied by the sword's hum, the rippling night and moonlight calmed down.
"Exhilarating!"
A gleam shone in Su Yi's eyes as he felt a sense of fulfillment in both body and mind.
What is the essence of the Speed Sword?
A body like crystal, a mind like a bright moon, pure and clear, body and mind feeling exhilarated.
And this is one of the reasons why Su Yi is devoted to the path of the sword.
After freshening up, Su Yi returned to his room and drank up the prepared ginseng tea.
All weariness in his body was swept away.
"The progress in the Tendon Refining Realm is noticeably slower compared to when refining the flesh."
Su Yi silently felt the subtle changes in his body.
"However, now that I reside in the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall, I have no shortage of herbs. As long as I maintain this progress, it won't take me a month to fully cultivate the Tendon Refining period..."
"Regardless, before reaching the Bone Refining stage, I must gather some 'spirit medicines.' Otherwise, ordinary herbs will never be able to forge my bones to the extent of being 'as frost to the marrow.'"
Su Yi sighed lightly at the thought.
Originally, he had planned to visit the Yun Cang Mountain.
This mountain spanned several hundred miles, vast and majestic, bound to have places where spiritual energy converged.
And spiritual medicines often originate from such places!
But recently, he was busy with cultivation and various events occurred, causing him to postpone his plan to search for spiritual medicines in Yun Cang Mountain.
"Immortal Teacher, Wan'er has figured it out."
Suddenly, a soft and delicate voice came from the Soul Nurturing Gourd.
Su Yi was taken aback and said, "There's no one around at night. You can walk around freely. You don't have to stay in the gourd all the time."
"Uh... Oh!"
Soon, Qing Wan, dressed in a blood-red gown, emerged. Her beautiful little face carried a trace of shyness as she whispered, "Before, Immortal Teacher didn't instruct, so Wan'er didn't dare to leave without permission."
"Alright, don't be so reserved. I'm not a bad person, no need to be so anxious."
Su Yi shook his head.
He could tell that Qing Wan, when facing him, was like a startled rabbit, timid and afraid to speak. Her gaze, when occasionally meeting his, was filled with awe and fear. It made him seem like he frequently bullied her...
Although he said so, Qing Wan still appeared cautious. Su Yi couldn't be bothered to dwell on these matters any longer and said, "What have you figured out?"
Qing Wan clenched her delicate fists, as if encouraging herself, but still didn't dare to look into Su Yi's eyes. She said, "Immortal Teacher, I have lost my memories from before, and I'm unwilling to be transcended before I retrieve them, so... so..."
Su Yi interrupted directly, "So you choose to cultivate and try to regain your memories?"
Qing Wan nodded eagerly, "Yes!"
"Don't worry, even if you can't retrieve them on your own, I will help you," Su Yi pondered and said.
From the moment he laid eyes on Qing Wan, he noticed that although she was just a low-level Yin soul, her soul was exceptionally pure. Combined with her forgotten past, Su Yi realized there was something peculiar about her, which piqued his interest.
"Thank you, Immortal Teacher," Qing Wan's big eyes were filled with gratitude.
Indeed, her eyes were beautiful—large and deep, slightly slanted at the corners, resembling the spirited eyes of a phoenix. When she smiled, those eyes emitted an astonishing charm, naturally enchanting.
However, it was regrettable that she currently appeared to be nothing more than a teenage girl, with more innocence than allure. Yet, there was no denying that she possessed the potential to become a stunning beauty, with tremendous room for growth.
"I will first impart to you the introductory cultivation mantra of the 'Ten Realms Asura Scripture.' With this, it should be enough to refine your soul, allowing your Yin soul to transform layer by layer into a 'Ghost Spirit,'" Su Yi said, sitting at the desk, taking out pen and paper, and writing on the sheet with bold strokes.
Becoming a Ghost Spirit meant solidifying the soul to the extent that it would no longer fear exposure to sunlight, making it hardly distinguishable from ordinary humans while walking among them. Only then could one truly embark on the path of ghost cultivation.
Furthermore, ghost cultivation differed from the cultivation of regular practitioners. The essence of their bodies was their soul power, and they didn't need to temper their physical bodies and blood like martial artists. Therefore, once they became Ghost Spirits, they could directly enter the path of Yuan Dao.
However, transitioning from a Yin soul to a Ghost Spirit was by no means an easy task. It required first becoming a Ghost Phantom, then a Ghost Monster, and finally transforming into a Ghost Spirit.
Soon, Su Yi set down the brush in his hand and pointed to the written cultivation method, saying, "Take a look at this first."
Qing Wan cautiously floated over, not daring to get too close to Su Yi. With her head lowered, she carefully examined the writing.
After a moment, she let out a long breath and said, "Immortal Teacher, Qing Wan has memorized it."
"So fast?" Su Yi was surprised.
Qing Wan's eyes were clear and innocent as she sighed, "Qing Wan doesn't know why, but when looking at these words, I can remember them without missing a single stroke, as if I have a photographic memory."
Su Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "I didn't expect you to have such a keen aptitude. Since that's the case, I will explain the profound mysteries to you. Given your memory, it shouldn't be difficult for you to remember everything."
With that, he began explaining from the first sentence.
"The Ten Realms Asura Scripture" was created by the "Ghost Emperor of the Western Sea" in the Great Wilderness. It was not only a supreme scripture but also the foremost secret treasure in the eyes of ghost cultivators.
After obtaining this scripture in his previous life, Su Yi had studied and pondered over it, eventually reaching a conclusion: the path of ghost cultivation was completely different from soul cultivation in the conventional sense.
Soul cultivation nourished and tempered the spirit through the cultivation of qi, blood, and cultivation base, even if the physical body was weak. On the other hand, ghost cultivation was purely the "path of the undead," and its path of transformation and advancement ultimately led to the netherworld.
For example, the Ghost Emperor of the Western Sea in ancient times often identified himself as the "Guide of the Netherworld."
As for the path of the Netherworld, Su Yi was familiar with it. He was able to undergo reincarnation and cultivation, which was related to the profound mysteries of "passing away" and "reincarnation" in the path of the Netherworld.
Without exaggeration, if Qing Wan continued to cultivate by his side, even if her future achievements were mediocre, she would still be on par with the Ghost Emperor of the Western Sea...
Soon, Su Yi finished explaining the cultivation method and asked, "Do you have any other doubts?"
Qing Wan closed her eyes and pondered for a moment before shaking her head gently. "Reporting to Immortal Teacher, this cultivation method seems... not very difficult to understand."
Su Yi deeply glanced at Qing Wan and said, "From now on, you will cultivate here. Stay in the Soul-Nurturing Gourd during the day and freely wander at night. Without my command, you are not allowed to step out of the courtyard."
"Yes," Qing Wan obediently acknowledged the order.
In front of Su Yi, she seemed to have no concept of refusal or resistance...
Su Yi paid no further attention to her, turned around, and lay down on the bed, soon falling into a deep sleep.
In the dead of night, everything was silent.
Qing Wan waited for a long time, and finally, as if gathering her courage, she lifted her skirt and cautiously floated out of the room. She quickly sat on the old locust tree.
Her blood-red dress fluttered, and her feet were bare, snowy white and crystalline. Her delicate toes were like beautifully carved jade. Her slender legs swung back and forth as she enjoyed the evening breeze, completely relaxed.
Qing Wan looked up through the branches at the stars and moon in the night sky, her large eyes gleaming with joy.
She opened her rosy lips and hummed a folk song, melodic and ethereal.
"The former king went to the Western Sea, the dragon's might concealed by a hermit's name. He traveled north to the immortal mountain's spiritual realm, secretly obtaining the book of Yu in Dongting. The great secrets of heaven and earth cannot be revealed, the timing of destiny has not arrived, do not forcefully seize that which will lead to the country's ruin..."
As she hummed to the end, she suddenly froze, feeling an indescribable sorrow and sadness.
"I... I don't remember this folk song... but why can I still hum it? Could it be related to my memories from my past life?"
The girl in the blood-red dress gazed at the night sky, lost in thought, her eyes filled with confusion.
In front of the window of the room, Su Yi stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the red figure on the distant locust tree. A hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.
"Western Sea, the dragon's might concealed by a hermit's name, the spiritual realm, the book of Yu in Dongting... This folk song is quite interesting."
...