"But who would have thought that Ancestor Void Star would actually impart the Daoist methods for the Qi Training stage? Truly profound and unfathomable…" Lady Wangshu pondered, "I originally planned to teach you personally for a month before you could form the Zhou Tian and cultivate on your own. Now that you've suddenly had a realization, it doesn't seem right to teach you nothing…"
Li Fan was moved to tears.
'Li Fan's mood decreased by 1 point'
"Well then, Fuling. Today, you take Qingyue for a walk around the outer sect and meet the disciples of both the inner and outer sects."
"As you wish, my lady."
Lady Wangshu asked Li Fan again, "Qingyue, pill concocting, artifact refining, talismans, array formations, or mechanical contraptions, is there anything you'd like to learn?"
I don't want to learn anything, I just want to dual cultivate…
'Li Fan's mood decreased by 1 point'
'The Xuantian Sword Intent strongly suggests the host to choose mechanical contraptions, and the system also agrees'
You both thwart my chance for dual cultivation and have the nerve to suggest something!
"The disciple would like to learn mechanical contraptions…" Li Fan mumbled.
"Oh, interested in learning mechanical arts, eh…" Lady Wangshu's eyes twinkled, and she nodded with a smile, "Alright, I'll go get ready."
With that, she leapt lightly, soaring into the air as if she were a celestial maiden taking flight, stepping on floating curtains of silk, gliding over the cold pool's surface, and whisking into the clouds.
Li Fan looked up at the sky, lost in a daze.
Fuling said irritably, "Stop staring, you little pervert. The lady has already flown away. Finish your snacks."
"Oh," Li Fan sat down by the tea table, taking a bite of chrysanthemum cake and a sip of chrysanthemum tea. It was truly fragrant and refreshing, invigorating the spirit.
'Li Fan's mood increased by 1 point'
"Oh wow~ Fuling, this is really delicious!"
Fuling sat by his side watching him eat, "Of course, my culinary skills are even admired by the head chef of Liqiu Palace."
Li Fan nodded repeatedly, his cheeks puffed with food.
Fuling hesitated, then leaned in to ask, "Qingyue, did you really see it?"
Here we go again.
Li Fan shrugged, "I saw something, something not of the material realm. What did you see, Fuling? Oh, you haven't... Is it the Moon Worshiping Meditation?"
Fuling shook her head, "I didn't dare. There's nothing wrong with cultivating the Xian Dao of the Post-Heaven realm as it is."
So Fuling is like that too, just like the outer sect disciples, content with one lifetime of prosperity as a cultivator.
"You're really brave to pursue the Great Dao after seeing something beyond this world," Fuling rested her chin on her knees, "I can't do it. I saw the lady reveal her demonic form when I was a child... anyway, I definitely don't want to become like that…"
Li Fan struggled to swallow the cake in his mouth.
That makes sense, huh. Despite Lady Wangshu's generous demeanor, even Fuling, who knows her true details, is traumatized. Just what kind of monster is her true form, to leave such a—huge psychological shadow...
"Oh, you don't have to worry about the lady. She achieved the Nascent Soul just a hundred years ago, her realm is stable, and she's not yet at the point of breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage. Have you eaten your fill? If so, let's be on our way."
Fuling waved her hand and collected the plate into her storage bracelet—gotta say, just for its dishwashing-free feature alone, it's a divine tool.
Fuling didn't possess the cultivation of the Golden Core Stage, and it seemed she also didn't have the ability to carry Li Fan on a sword flight. But with her lady's favor, naturally, she lacked no treasures for transportation.
She led Li Fan to another courtyard of Lady Wangshu's abode and released a flying boat onto the lake surface.
This flying boat was probably the so-called mechanical artifact. It had a bronze eagle head at the front and golden winged shuttles at the rear. The wings stretching from both flanks, each engraved with runes and spells, allowed it to ride the wind and surf the waves, fend off wind and avoid dust. Once inside the cabin, it was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, not only accommodating for sitting and lying down but also perfect for sipping wine and leisure. There were even spaces for changing clothes.
Fuling sat by the vanity, arranging her hair and applying makeup in the mirror earnestly.
Li Fan leaned over the gunwale and watched as the small boat rose into the sky, sailing through the air within the cave realm. Of course, it was definitely much slower than flying with a sword.
The principles of this mechanism technique, to be honest, Li Fan couldn't quite understand; he just guessed that some component must be closely related to qi, otherwise how could this ornamental-winged wooden boat, obviously lacking a propulsion system at a glance, possibly fly through the sky and traverse underground so freely?
"Qingyue, you must understand that not all immortals of our sect behave as freely and unconstrained as the young lady; etiquette matters," Fuling glanced at Li Fan through the mirror and said, "When you go out in the future, as a disciple of Master Wangshu, you must pay attention to certain rituals that the young lady may disregard."
"Please educate me, Sister Fuling," Li Fan understood her meaning and turned around to sit properly.
Fuling nodded and said, "In a little while, we'll first go to the outer gate to find you a task. A disciple of the master must manage the affairs outside the mountain on behalf of the master, first to gain experience in interactions and secondly to earn some filial piety to supplement daily expenses."
Li Fan was truly stunned, "Earn money? Do immortals also spend money?"
Fuling took a sip of her rouge and said, "How could immortals not spend money? Do you think all these things magically appear out of thin air?"
That wouldn't be the case, but aren't all the typical cultivation novels about casually spending millions of spiritual stones, and having means like 'turning stone into gold' or 'the Borrowing Technique of Five Ghosts'? With so many disciples in brown robes cultivating in the cave realm, there should be no shortage of offerings, right?
"That's for the sect leader, for the true immortals. What Bamboo Sect provides you, that's what belongs to you. Naturally-sourced treasures are indeed traded item for item, but for necessities like clothes, food, housing, and transportation, rouge and powder, you have to prepare some money to buy from the mortal realm. These matters, once you become a true immortal, will be tended to by maids and disciples. Only when offerings are provided by the sect and noble families can you cast these concerns aside and roam freely."
With a flick of her wrist, Fuling took out a red pouch embroidered with a goldfish and poured out a string of golden, silver, and red-bronze coins.
Li Fan came closer to have a look.
The coins were round with a square hole in the center, some strung with red cords, some loose, with slight variations in gold, silver, and red hues, but not much difference in weight. They must be copper, silver, and gold coins in terms of value...
Then Fuling used her index finger to separate the coins by color.
"This golden one is the Divine Force Coin specified by the twelve Immortal Palaces. It's actually bronze. After the mortal realm's imperial mint coinage, they request blessings from the Immortal Palace to imprint a trace of the genuine Divine Force, so the coin won't tarnish even after prolonged use. The twelve Immortal Palaces have the most power, and their connections with the mortal realm are the closest. Divine Force Coins are the most widely circulated as well.
This silver one is the Peace Coin minted by the nine great Xuanmen, made of silver, capable of warding off evil and suppressing demons, serving as a magic tool. It's rather popular among independent cultivators. Mortals use it to secure their homes, attracting misfortune. Once it turns black, it cannot be used anymore.
This red one is the Xuezhu Coin minted by the Shijue Sacred Teachings using a secret method, circulating within the influence of the Divine Teachings. In recent years, as the power of the Shijue Sacred Teachings has grown, more and more merchants accept Xuezhu Coins. It's said that purple copper is soaked in the blood of demonic embryos, but who knows if that's true or not."
Li Fan listened with wide eyes in astonishment.
What's going on here? Are you cultivating or running a financial system? Holy moly, the sects even issue their own currency!
"What about our Bamboo Sect, then?" he asked.
Fuling laughed softly, "You're thinking too highly. How could Bamboo Sect have that kind of clout?
The Immortal Palace, Xuanmen, and Divine Teachings—these three major forces have been standing side by side in Central Plains since ancient times, before the emergence of Xuantian. Each of their affiliated Immortal Palaces and Xuanmen are ancient and famed sects. How long has our Bamboo Sect been established in this barbaric land? We cannot be mentioned in the same breath as them."
Alas, it seemed he had joined a third-rate rural sect… probably akin to something at the city's outskirts…
'Xuantian Sword Intent says to ask how the Beichen Sect is doing now.'
Beichen Sect? What, are they your relatives? By the sound of it, it was definitely a sect of sword immortals, probably the sect of the original host of Xuantian Sword Intent.
Li Fan didn't particularly care and inquired, "Sister Fuling, I suddenly remembered something from my past. When I was young, I think I heard a storyteller mention the Beichen Sect? I'm not sure if it's a fictional creation or..."
Fuling nodded repeatedly, "Oh, you mean that ancestral sword immortal, the leader of Xuanmen, the renowned Beichen Sect? It's normal that you heard about it in the mortal realm. Sword immortals are known for being chivalrous and ridding the world of demons, a model of righteousness. I too idolize them!"
'Xuantian Sword Intent suggests this girl has some decent potential.'
Li Fan, "..."
Then Fuling sighed and shook her head, "Unfortunately, it was destroyed by Dark Spring. It's been about five hundred years..."
...
......
Sword Intent?
'Xuantian Sword Intent doesn't feel like talking at the moment.'