After sending the message, Fang Jueqian turned over in the hot spring and began waiting for the response.
The warm hot spring water made him drowsy. Leaning against a floating wooden basin, Fang Jueqian tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the osmanthus petals blown down by the wind.
These small yellow petals were intensely fragrant, and the steam from the water intensified their scent even more, making it feel as though he were wrapped in a pale yellow, hazy dream.
Dizzy and hazy, Fang Jueqian was just debating whether to take a nap when the communication jade finally responded.
After struggling for a few seconds between sleeping a bit longer and replying now, Fang Jueqian narrowly defeated the God of Sleep, reached out to grab the wooden basin that had drifted away at some point, and picked up the communication jade inside.
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Speak.】
This meant he was free to answer questions now.
Fang Jueqian mustered his energy, patted his cheeks, and told the other person about his experience of failing to enter meditation over the past few days. At the end, he couldn’t help asking:
【Everyone says that as long as you close your eyes, spiritual energy can enter your body, but shortly after closing my eyes, I just want to sleep. Is this my problem?】
Fang Jueqian had been agonizing over this matter for a long time. He even suspected that it was because he was a time traveler rather than a native local that he was completely unable to guide spiritual energy into his body.
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Absolute nonsense.】
Ah?
【Xuhuai Ruogu: You should only believe half of what those people in Class Wu say. Most of them have been consuming spiritual rice and spiritual fruits since birth to reduce the impurities of worldly food. By the age of three or five, they started learning cultivation under the protection of their parents, with a constant stream of elixirs and guidance. You want to compare yourself to them?】
Fang Jueqian blushed, but his heart relaxed a lot.
【A Happy Pastry: So that is how it is, meaning it is not my fault.】
He cupped his chin and happily daydreamed for a short while, but soon the reflection of his face in the spring water puckered up in a frown.
【A Happy Pastry: Then in that case, how long will it take me to guide spiritual energy into my body?】
Other people could cultivate from childhood and rely on dietary and medicinal supplements. He did not have that opportunity, so it would probably take him even longer, right?
Three months? A year? Surely it would not take three or ten years, would it? That would be way too long.
【Xuhuai Ruogu: One night.】
Ah!
Fang Jueqian’s eyes suddenly widened in shock, and the remaining sleepiness in his body was swept away. He hurriedly replied:
【A Happy Pastry: Do not just make big claims to comfort me. How can just one night be enough? Didn’t they say it is very difficult?】
【Xuhuai Ruogu: That is other people. Follow my method, and one night is enough.】
Fang Jueqian dried the moisture from his body with a towel, quickly put on his clothes, and rushed back into the house clutching the communication jade.
In the residence where he lived, there were many items said to have been sent later by Lord Lingxiao, such as cultivation manuals, elixirs, and various other miscellaneous items, all packed in storage bags. Sometimes they were delivered three or four times a day.
At first, Fang Jueqian would take a glance or two, but later he found it too troublesome, so he just waved his hand and let the servants put them in the warehouse without paying much attention.
It was only at this moment that he vaguely realized the storage bags he had completely ignored before might contain extraordinary items.
Fang Jueqian finally found his target among a pile of storage bags and picked up the communication jade.
The interface was still lingering on the message Qiu Haoqing had sent a moment ago.
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Found it?】
The communication jade could send images, so Fang Jueqian took a picture of the items he had found.
Those were very pretty stones in various colors, precisely cut into regular half-fist shapes. They were crystal clear, with flowing things sealed deep inside, such as leaves, water droplets, snowflakes, and more.
In any case, they looked much higher-end than the dazzling gems and jewelry seen in commercials under the light in his past life. They emitted a gentle glow, and one could tell at a glance that they were no ordinary goods.
Even, perhaps it was just Fang Jueqian’s imagination, as soon as these stones were taken out of the storage bag, the air seemed much fresher.
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Those are top-grade spiritual stones.】
【Xuhuai Ruogu: The spiritual energy in top-grade spiritual stones is tens of thousands of times purer than the outside world. You can use them as a reference, then meditate to find that energy from the surrounding air. If it does not work, try a few more times.】
Fang Jueqian tried according to Qiu Haoqing’s instructions.
In the past, when he closed his eyes, it was pitch black, and after thinking about messy things for a while, drowsiness would set in.
But this time was different. Even with his eyes closed, he could still feel the presence of the top-grade fire spiritual stones around him, like a circle of beating suns of different colors surrounding him.
Countless colorful light spots emanating from each sun were spiritual energy of different attributes.
Suppressing his excitement, Fang Jueqian executed the cultivation method he had learned in class, trying to capture the fire spiritual energy closest to him.
Failure, failure, failure. After a long time, that stubbornly resisting fire spiritual energy was finally drawn into his body by him.
Fang Jueqian let out a cheer and went to try absorbing other light spots.
Gradually, Fang Jueqian discovered that the difficulty of absorbing light spots of different colors varied:
The aqua-blue light spots were the easiest; they would happily run over whenever he waved at them. Next were the fiery red ones, which required him to make eyes at them before they were willing to come over. The dark green ones were a tier lower, walking sluggishly and taking twice the effort and time of the fiery red ones. Finally, the earthy yellow ones were so difficult that after trying a few times, he refused to try anymore.
Aside from these four colors, no matter how he tried, light spots of any other color could not be successfully absorbed.
Knowing he must have no affinity for the other light spots, Fang Jueqian opened his eyes and felt that the state inside his body was unprecedentedly full, as if running a half-marathon would pose no problem at all.
This must mean he had successfully guided spiritual energy into his body, right?
Excitedly, Fang Jueqian picked up the communication jade to inform Qiu Haoqing of this good news.
However, right after sending the message, he caught a glimpse of the morning sun outside the window out of the corner of his eye and realized that an entire night had passed.
Would this disturb someone’s rest?
Just as he was worrying, the communication jade in his hand immediately sent back a message.
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Mm, congratulations.】
Although the other person’s response was rather calm, Fang Jueqian was extremely touched.
【A Happy Pastry: Did you wait for me the whole night?】
Just as he wanted to express his gratitude properly:
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Heh.】
【Xuhuai Ruogu: It was merely the interval between my cultivation sessions.】
Fang Jueqian: “Oh.”
He could only comfort himself:
Qiu Haoqing was an ancient person, and to him, that single syllable only meant expressing happiness; he should not overthink it.
Fang Jueqian still expressed his gratitude properly, but when he put down the communication jade again, he inadvertently smelled a foul odor.
“Wait, where is this smell coming from?”
Looking down, Fang Jueqian discovered that his skin was covered with a layer of gray dirt, and the stench was coming from it.
Stunned for a moment, he immediately rushed toward the washroom.
“You are late today, hey.”
His deskmate looked curiously at Fang Jueqian, who was sneaking in through the back door, and could not help glancing at him again and again:
“Did you successfully cultivate?”
Fang Jueqian nodded happily and whispered, “It took me a whole night.”
His deskmate blushed, could not help taking a third and fourth look, and finally turned away as if to cover it up, let out a soft hum, and did not speak to him again.
It was not until a class was about to end that a small note was secretly passed from next door:
Leave quickly after class, do not stay here, someone from Class Jia is coming to trouble you.
Under Fang Jueqian’s shocked gaze, that note disappeared right in front of him like melted and re-baked snow, so fast it felt like his imagination.
Fang Jueqian looked at his deskmate, who was listening intently to the lecture by the senior instructor at the front, sweeping away his usual laziness, seemingly completely unaware of his gaze.
Listening again to what the senior instructor was teaching:
“The realms of cultivators can be broadly divided into eight major realms: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Void Return, Integration, and Mahayana. Within each major realm, there are corresponding minor realms. Among them, the Qi Condensation realm has thirteen layers, which is the most.”
Such basic cultivation encyclopedia knowledge. Even he, a newcomer, knew it, let alone his deskmate who claimed to be the best-informed person in Class Wu.
Noting this abnormality in his heart, Fang Jueqian decided to obediently follow his deskmate’s advice and leave as soon as class ended.
The moment class was dismissed, Fang Jueqian grabbed his few belongings and ran toward the door.
However, the crowd was dense at dismissal, and before he could even reach the door, a crowd was already standing at the entrance, blocking the exit:
“Which one is Fang Jueqian? If you have the guts, hurry up and come out!”
Fang Jueqian really wanted to say that he did not have the guts and could they please let him go, but before he could speak, the people in Class Wu had already focused all their attention on him.
This was even more accurate than a searchlight.
Watching several arrogant-looking young men walk toward him, he had to put down his things and force himself to calm down:
“I am Fang Jueqian. What do you want with me? I do not seem to know you. Is there some misunderstanding?”
The leading youth had the most prominent appearance and was the youngest, looking only about fifteen or sixteen years old. He wore clothes decorated with black and white feathers, and a lightning-like mark was centered on his forehead.
The youth looked Fang Jueqian up and down with a critical gaze, seemingly wanting to pick faults, but unable to find any. In the end, he could only indignantly say:
“Just like the rumors say, cute and weak on the outside, lustful on the inside.”
Fang Jueqian: “Huh? Me?”
He pointed at himself, utterly bewildered.
The bystanders were also infected and began pleading on Fang Jueqian’s behalf:
“Senior Brother He, Junior Brother Fang is usually a very nice person. Offending the crane certainly was not intentional.”
“Yeah, you have already reached Foundation Establishment while he is only at Qi Condensation. Even if you teach him a lesson, Uncle Qiu will not take it lightly when he asks about it later.”
Fang Jueqian was dumbfounded. He finally managed to piece together the information about why he was being hunted down today from the bystanders’ murmurs: Just because he touched a crane?
He just casually touched it, and he did not do anything else!
“Cut the crap!”
Senior Brother He said angrily:
“Everyone knows my He family inherits the lineage of Crane Zhenren. You humiliating the cranes of Guiyuan Immortal Sect is humiliating my He family and humiliating me, He Chongtian! Even if Uncle Qiu asks later, I am in the right! Three days from now, let us have a fair duel!”
“Ah!”
With the bright moon hanging high, in the hot spring.
Fang Jueqian recounted what had happened during the day.
【A Happy Pastry: So, you really cannot touch the cranes of Guiyuan Immortal Sect? I just arrived here and really did not know.】
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Absolute nonsense.】
【Xuhuai Ruogu: Beat him up!】
Seeing Qiu Haoqing’s unhesitating reply, Fang Jueqian could not help laughing out loud, and his gloomy mood was swept away.
【A Happy Pastry: But I am only at the first layer of Qi Condensation, and he is already at Foundation Establishment with a single thunder root. Although he said he would suppress his cultivation to the first layer of Qi Condensation to duel me and promised not to use talismans or magic tools, I still will not win.】
【Xuhuai Ruogu: The talismans packed in the golden storage bag, just throw one.】
Eh?
【Xuhuai Ruogu: If you want him dead, you can throw two.】
Wow! Talismans are amazing!
Wait!
Fang Jueqian snapped back to reality, his face showing horror:
Is this allowed?