### Introduction to the Xianxia World
For readers new to the xianxia (immortal hero) genre, here's a quick guide to the key concepts and terms you'll encounter in this story. These explanations are separate from the story itself, so you can dive into the tale without confusion.
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#### 1. **Cultivation (修炼, Xiūliàn):**
Cultivation is the process of refining one's body, mind, and spirit to achieve immortality and supernatural powers. Cultivators absorb spiritual energy (灵气, Língqì) from the environment to strengthen themselves. The ultimate goal is to ascend to a higher realm of existence.
#### 2. **Alchemy (炼丹, Liàndān):**
Alchemy is the art of creating magical pills and elixirs to aid in cultivation. Alchemists use rare herbs, spiritual energy, and special techniques to refine these pills. The quality of a pill depends on the skill of the alchemist and the ingredients used.
#### 3. **Sects (宗门, Zōngmén):**
Sects are organizations of cultivators, often specializing in specific techniques or disciplines. They are usually led by a Sect Master and have a hierarchy of elders and disciples. Sects compete for resources, knowledge, and prestige.
#### 4. **Spiritual Beasts (灵兽, Língshòu):**
Spiritual beasts are magical creatures that assist cultivators. They often possess unique abilities and can form bonds with their masters. Some beasts are highly intelligent and can even cultivate themselves.
#### 5. **Merit Points (功德, Gōngdé):**
Merit points are a system used by sects to track a disciple's contributions and behavior. Positive actions, such as completing tasks or helping others, earn merit points. Negative actions, like causing trouble or breaking rules, deduct points. Low merit can lead to punishments.
#### 6. **Apparition (法相, Fǎxiàng):**
An apparition is a manifestation of a cultivator's power, often appearing as a giant, ethereal figure behind them. The strength and appearance of the apparition reflect the cultivator's level and cultivation path.
#### 7. **Forbidden Area (禁地, Jìndì):**
Forbidden areas are restricted zones within a sect, often containing dangerous or valuable secrets. Unauthorized entry is strictly punished, but these areas sometimes hold rare treasures or ancient knowledge.
#### 8. **Pill Types (丹药, Dānyào):**
Pills come in various types, each with specific effects. For example:
- **Healing Pills:** Restore health or cure ailments.
- **Cultivation Pills:** Boost spiritual energy or aid in breaking through to higher levels.
- **Specialty Pills:** Have unique effects, such as enhancing senses or granting temporary powers.
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### Key Terms Translated for Clarity
- **Qingxia Sect (青霞宗):** A cultivation sect specializing in alchemy.
- **Alchemy Cauldron (丹炉, Dānlú):** A vessel used to refine pills and elixirs.
- **Spiritual Energy (灵气, Língqì):** The essential force used in cultivation.
- **Nine Revolutions Golden Pill (九转金丹, Jiǔzhuǎn Jīndān):** A legendary pill said to grant immense power or immortality.
- **Cliff of Repentance (思过崖, Sīguò Yá):** A place where disciples reflect on their mistakes, often as punishment.
- **Beast Garden (灵兽园, Língshòu Yuán):** A sanctuary for spiritual beasts within the sect.
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### Chapter 1: The Troublemaker of Qingxia Sect
The seventy-two peaks of Qingxia Sect were hidden in mist, with purple energy rising from the cliffs and waterfalls glowing like rainbows. At dawn, a loud explosion shook the back mountain, scaring the spirit cranes patrolling the area. A young man in a gray robe ran out of the dust, holding half of a broken alchemy cauldron. The words "Property of Lin Xiaofan" were crudely carved on its lid.
"Seventh time! This is the seventh time!" shouted Second Senior Brother, who was working in the herb fields. The thousand-year-old blood ginseng at his feet trembled in fear. "Last time you blew up your cauldron, my Jade Condensation Pills turned into fleas!"
Lin Xiaofan wiped the soot off his face and grinned. "But this time, I made something good!" He pulled out a glowing white pill from his robe. The pill twisted like a pretzel in his hand and let out a sheep-like "baa."
Suddenly, Elder Three arrived on his green jade gourd. His long white beard floated in the air, and a giant Medicine King apparition appeared behind him—a sign that he was very angry.
"Troublemaker!" A green light shot from Elder Three's finger, turning into a whip that struck the stone floor, sending sparks flying. "Yesterday, you fed the spirit cranes your Bone-Strengthening Pills, and now the entire Beast Garden is doing the Heavenly Demon Dance!"
Lin Xiaofan ducked behind the broken cauldron, which suddenly cracked open, releasing a cloud of pink mist. Elder Three's silver beard turned bright pink, and the Medicine King apparition's pestle fell to the ground with a loud clang, creating a huge crater.
"Disciple is willing to reflect on his mistakes at the Cliff of Repentance!" Lin Xiaofan grabbed the cauldron fragments and ran. As he fled, he startled flocks of spirit birds, causing several meditating disciples to lose control of their cultivation. One unlucky disciple's flying sword went crazy and started carving the words "Lin Xiaofan" into the Merit Stele.
Under the moonlight, Lin Xiaofan searched through the discarded pills in the storage room. A half-torn copy of *Introduction to Alchemy* hung in a dusty corner, with a yellowed talisman tucked between its pages. The talisman glowed faintly, showing the image of a cauldron. Lin Xiaofan bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the talisman. The entire storage room shook violently.
"Who used an ancient cauldron as a pickle jar?!" a hoarse voice shouted through the dust. Lin Xiaofan held onto a bronze cauldron covered in moss. The words "Nine Revolutions of Heaven and Earth" were faintly carved on its surface. A tiny old man sat on the lid, casually eating a chicken leg made of spiritual energy.
"Kid, you're lucky," the old man said, burping and turning the chicken bone into a hairpin. "I am Dan Yangzi, and back in the day..."
"Wait, the Dan Yangzi who was kicked out of the Medicine King Valley three thousand years ago?" Lin Xiaofan's eyes lit up. "The one who turned the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill into a fertility pill, making the Valley Master have eighteen children?"
The old man's shadow grew taller, his beard bristling. "Nonsense! They just didn't understand the balance of yin and yang!" He threw a jade scroll at Lin Xiaofan's forehead. "At midnight, steal three strands of the Sect Master's beard, and I'll teach you the *Reverse Alchemy Scripture*!"
At midnight, a loud roar came from the Sect Master's quarters. The night patrol disciples saw a white streak shoot across the sky as the Sect Master, barefoot and beardless, stood on his Green Duckweed Sword. Lin Xiaofan, meanwhile, was crouched on a roof beam, eating roasted chicken while holding the bronze cauldron. A wisp of green smoke rose from the cauldron, forming the words: *Hurry to the Testing Platform!*
At dawn, the Testing Platform was packed with people. The Law Enforcement Elder held a golden pill the size of a longan fruit, his voice booming. "If this pill is poisonous..."
The pill suddenly leaped into his mouth. Instantly, wind and thunder roared as nine fiery dragons emerged from the elder's purple-gold robe. His normally dignified apparition was now wearing a floral-patterned bellyband. The elders on the observation platform struggled not to laugh, and one swordsman lost control of his flying sword, which sliced through half a mountain.
"Look at the Merit Stele!" someone shouted. The crowd looked up to see blood-red words appearing on the giant jade stele:
*Year 472 of Qingxia: Disciple Lin Xiaofan creates the "Laughing Yama" pill. Deduct 800 merit points. Note: Recommend adding to the sect's specialty pill catalog.*
Dan Yangzi's shadow crouched on the cauldron lid, laughing so hard he nearly fell off. The cauldron vibrated, revealing a star map on its surface. Lin Xiaofan stared at the stele, deep in thought, his fingers tracing a groove on the cauldron—a groove that matched the pattern of the restricted area in the library's top floor.
As dusk painted the Cliff of Repentance red, Lin Xiaofan lay on the ground, humming a tune with the bronze cauldron as his pillow. A withered leaf drifted by, its veins glowing with golden light. It was a *Confession Letter* from the Sect Master: "...Considering his youth and ignorance, he is sentenced to clean the Beast Garden for three months..."
"Wrong, wrong," Dan Yangzi popped his head out of the cauldron. "It should be sweeping the fallen leaves in the Forbidden Area of the back mountain." The old man grinned like a cat who had stolen cream, and a faint dragon's roar echoed from within the cauldron.