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"Master~!" This time, Bai Yunzi did not wake up again and truly died.
Everyone cried out in grief and wept aloud.
Half an hour later, Yi Chen wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, helped his junior brothers up, and after carefully cleaning up their master's body, he moved five large bundles of firewood from the backyard woodshed and placed his master's body on top.
In the blazing fire, the four of them sat in each direction, reciting the scripture for the departed. The firelight illuminated their faces, and their master's body was reduced to ashes in the flames.
Yi Chen got a hold of his emotions and looked at Qing Yunzi, Qing Feng, and Ming Yue with a firm expression on his face again.
Qing Feng and Ming Yue were only eight years old, orphans picked up by the master from outside. Qing Yunzi was a bit older, but only fifteen, As the eldest disciple, he had to take responsibility and could not indulge in the pain.
After finally convincing the three junior brothers to go back to rest, Yi Chen gazed at the moon outside the window, a sense of desolation and confusion emerging in his heart.
With their pillar, the master, gone, could he support the gate of Hidden Dragon Temple? It was known that in his lifetime, the master, being upright and unyielding, had offended many people.
Without "spirituality," one could not cultivate the Pure Yang Mana like the master, and could only practice the Minor Pure Yang Skill.
Pure Yang Mana and Minor Pure Yang Skill might sound similar, but the actual results were worlds apart.
In this world, demons prevail, and evil spirits roam. When facing those aberrations, one measure of mana could overpower ten or even a hundred measures of ordinary inner qi.
For those with mana, facing a master of inner qi was akin to fighting from a higher dimension.
A plethora of thoughts flooded Yi Chen's mind at once.
"Right, the master's belongings, he wanted me to open them after his death for his second last wish. Now that the master has passed away, it's time to see what that second wish is."
Yi Chen hurriedly went to his master's room, where a black package lay beside the bed.
He opened the package to find two letters and a small box.
One of the letters was addressed to his beloved disciple Yi Chen.
The other was for Abbess Piao Xue of the Water Moon Nunnery, with the sender's name being… Yi Fengjiu.
Yi Chen: "..." Well, well, Abbess Piao Xue of the Water Moon Nunnery. The master had an old flame? No wonder he kept his lips sealed before he died, asking me to check his belongings…
Qing Feng and Ming Yue are still young; indeed, it's not something suitable to discuss in front of the children.
The moment he opened the bundle, a thought crossed Yi Chen's mind, containing an expletive.
Yi Chen opened the letter left to him by his master.
"My disciple, as you read this, I have already passed away. There is one regret I've harbored in my heart all my life. I have lived a life of integrity, but I failed a friend long ago."
"If one day the time is right, once your junior brothers are well established, take my ashes and this letter to the capital, to the Water Moon Nunnery, and find an abbess named Piao Xue. Hand her my ashes and this letter."
"With this, your master will rest in peace."
"Also, the box contains the Sect Leader token of Hidden Dragon Temple, passed down for a thousand years, which I now bestow upon you. If one day you tire of this duty, then pass it on to your junior brother Qing Yunzi."
"In this current world where evil is rampant, you must take good care of yourselves. If Hidden Dragon Temple becomes unsustainable, or if none of you four disciples awaken 'spirituality', then go your separate ways and find your own paths to live."
"Although reviving the Taoist line of Hidden Dragon Temple is my wish, I wish more for you all to live well."
"Finally, I must repeat this important matter twice."
"The letter for Abbess Piao Xue must not be read by you, Yi Chen, nor shown to others, let alone tell them its contents.
The letter for Abbess Piao Xue must not be read by you, Yi Chen, nor shown to others, let alone tell them its contents.
If you violate this, you are no longer my disciple, and I will rest uneasy in death…"
Yi Chen: "..." My master is so meticulous, and it's making me curious.
Looking at the letter sealed with lacquer, Yi Chen thought for a moment. Despite being very curious, his master had been so serious in his letter. He didn't dare to disappoint his master, so he carefully put the letter away.
After hiding the letter in a secret spot in his room, Yi Chen opened the small black box in the package. Inside was a dark green jade thumb ring, which was the token of the Sect Leader of Hidden Dragon Temple.
It was also one of the few possessions his master left in this world.
Yi Chen, feeling melancholic, slipped the thumb ring onto his finger and caressed it. After a short while, a cool sensation emanated from the ring, absorbed into his body through his fingers.
Suddenly, his vision blurred and a light screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Name: Yi Chen]
[Lifespan: 18/89]
[Strength: 2.0, Stamina: 2.0, Spirit: 2.5, Agility: 1.8] (The average person's values are 1)
[Cultivation Technique: Minor Pure Yang Skill Level 2 (Traits: Healthy Body, Strong Yang Qi)]
[Passive Skills: Danqing Painting Skill lv1, Auspicious Event Host lv2, Funeral Host lv3, Culinary Skill lv3]
[Origin Points: 0] (Can be obtained by exercising to stimulate the body and can improve the four attributes of strength, stamina, spirit, and agility.)
[Deep Red Value: 66.] (Can be gained through special items or by killing demons and evil beings, used to enhance cultivation levels or derive insights.)
Yi Chen rubbed his eyes.
"???"
"Dad, you're here!"
"That's great!"
```
Yi Chen accepted the appearance of the Golden Finger with equanimity. After all, having transgressed through time, wasn't it perfectly reasonable for him to have such a boon?
Ten years it took, ten whole years to come into effect.
Do you know how Yi Chen spent those ten years?
In this terrifying world where demons and evil spirits roam, one must sleep with one eye open every night—it's been incredibly hard.
But fortunately, good things come to those who wait.
His master's ring gave Yi Chen exactly 66 Deep Red Points.
It was the perfect opportunity for Yi Chen to test their quality.
"Deep Red, let's see your limit!"
"Minor Pure Yang Skill, break through!"
Yi Chen shouted inwardly without making a sound.
Three lines of tiny text appeared on Yi Chen's retina in succession.
[To break through to the second level of the Minor Pure Yang Skill, you will need to spend 10 Deep Red Points. Do you want to break through? Yes/No]
[To break through to the third level of the Minor Pure Yang Skill, you will need to spend 20 Deep Red Points. Do you want to break through? Yes/No]
[To break through to the fourth level of the Minor Pure Yang Skill, you will need to spend 30 Deep Red Points. Do you want to break through? Yes/No]
Yi Chen naturally chose yes.
Sixty Deep Red Points flashed and were deducted; Yi Chen seemed to see a young Daoist on a cliff edge, braving the elements, ingesting the purple mist of the sun. After half a cycle of sixty years, the young Daoist's Pure Yang Inner Qi turned from light red to deep red; he had cultivated the Minor Pure Yang Skill to the fifth level.
The enhancement occurred in an instant. Yi Chen opened his eyes and suddenly a massive surge of Yang attribute Inner Qi appeared within his body.
This Inner Qi was so powerful and continuously tempered his body. He felt as though he was submerged in scalding hot water, and his body, like parched land, was greedily absorbing this heat.
A dozen seconds later, the strengthening ended, and the surged Inner Qi stabilized. Covered in profuse sweat, Yi Chen appeared as if he had just been fished out of the water.
With the enhancement complete, his attribute panel had also undergone changes.
[Name: Yi Chen]
[Lifespan: 18/92]
[Strength: 12.0, Stamina: 12.0, Spirit: 12.5, Agility: 11.8] (The average for a normal person is 1)
[Cultivation Technique: Minor Pure Yang Skill Fifth Level (Traits: Vitality Boost, Scorching, Immense Strength, Evil Warding.)]
[Passive Skills: Danqing Painting Skill lv1, Auspicious Event Host lv2, Funeral Host lv3, Culinary Skill lv3]
[Origin Point: 0] (Can be obtained through exercising the body; can enhance the four dimensions of strength, stamina, spirit, and agility.)
[Deep Red Value: 6.] (Can be obtained through special items or by killing demons and evil beings, etc. Used to elevate cultivation levels or for inferences.)
"6!"
Yi Chen was overjoyed. He had spent ten years painstakingly cultivating the Pure Yang Skill, and he had not anticipated that today a simple click would be far more efficient. What a great Golden Finger, what a fantastic cheat!
With 60 Deep Red Points spent, the breakthrough of the Minor Pure Yang Skill not only resulted in an average increase of ten points across his attributes but also added three years to his lifespan. His Inner Qi now even possessed some evil-warding properties.
The Minor Pure Yang Skill is a cultivation method of Inner Qi derived and simplified by the ancestors of the Hidden Dragon Temple from their foundational Daoist scripture "Supreme Celestial Soaring Pure Yang Fundamental Daoist Scripture."
It required no spiritual nature and could be cultivated.
There were four levels in total.
And with the help of the Golden Finger, Yi Chen had reached the unprecedented fifth level overnight.
If the second level's Minor Pure Yang Skill Inner Qi was like a small stream, then the fifth level's was like a vast, surging river, unstoppable in its current.
"Eh, that's not right.
Why does the panel indicate that I can still add points? Could it be that the fifth level of the Minor Pure Yang Skill is not the limit of this method?"
Staring at the light screen panel before him, Yi Chen suddenly widened his eyes as if he had discovered something brilliant.
A conjecture suddenly formed in his heart; the Minor Pure Yang Skill originated from the "Supreme Celestial Soaring Pure Yang Fundamental Daoist Scripture," with profound implications.
Could it be that if he continued to add points, his Minor Pure Yang Skill could eventually transform from Pure Yang Inner Qi into the Pure Yang True Power cultivated by the "Supreme Celestial Soaring Pure Yang Fundamental Daoist Scripture"?
Enter the doorway with no spiritual nature, just relying on Deep Red Points?
"Hiss"
The mere thought of such a possibility filled Yi Chen's heart with immense excitement.
"Deep Red Value, I need more Deep Red Value!"
Tonight, Yi Chen's eyes shone with exceptional brightness, his fists clenched tightly as the majestic Pure Yang Inner Qi surged within his body.
He stamped his foot lightly, and a clear footprint appeared on the bluestone tile.
Although he could not awaken a 'spiritual nature' and inherit his master's mantle, he finally had the confidence needed to support his younger fellow disciples in this chaotic world filled with demons and spirits.
"Master, Hidden Dragon Temple will definitely not be disbanded. You can rest in peace."
Under the starry night, a young Daoist looked up at the night sky and whispered to himself.