Almost all Ghost Spirit Masters avoid relying too heavily on weapons before reaching the Sixth Rank.
Unless they obtained a Divine Weapon!
Powerhouses beyond the Sixth Rank can condense their Life-Tablet Tokens into the forms of various weapons, but not everyone chooses to do so.
What suited oneself was best!
For example, a master of palm techniques might follow the trend and learn swordplay from a sword master.
In the end, he might die at the hands of a defeated opponent whose palm techniques he had once suppressed.
If word of that ever got out, how ironic would it be!?
Regardless, when he descends the mountain, barring any major changes, Feng Ling will crush Xu Laosan and the others!
Old Daoist Qingniu's original surname was Wang,
his Daoist title: Xuanweizi, and his origins were unknown.
When Xuanweizi rescued Feng Ling and brought him back to Seven-Colored Spirit Severing Mountain that day, Feng Ling was already awake.
And from Xuanweizi's own mouth, he learned that the several Evil Spirit Masters who had pursued and tried to assassinate him had not been killed—they had been left for Feng Ling to personally finish off himself!
Seven-Colored Spirit Severing Mountain takes its name from its seven layers: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple from bottom to top. At each layer's boundary, a mysterious circle appears in the corresponding color.
Feng Ling and the other were now traveling from the Purple Seventh Layer toward the Blue Sixth Layer, where Eldest Senior Brother Zhishan Boy normally lived.
Xuanweizi lived on the Purple Seventh Layer. Wanting to care for his junior brother, Child Servant Zhi'e moved to the Cyan Fifth Layer to live with Feng Ling.
The fourth level and those below it belonged entirely to the Green Essence Wild Ox as its playground.
Among the countless miraculous Living Spirits of Seven-Colored Spirit Severing Mountain, all of them regarded it as a lofty king!
"Junior Apprentice Brother, we're here!"
Upon reaching the edge of the dreamlike blue circle, Zhishan brought Feng Ling to a stop.
"Mm, thank you for the trouble, Eldest Senior Brother!"
Feng Ling nodded, but he was curious about the sixth level.
He had been here for three years now, but had been so busy raising his cultivation that he had never once come to this place.
Zhishan Boy's expression was mild and gentle as he slowly raised both hands, dispersing the blue mist.
A quiet stone-paved path appeared before them. Far along it, Feng Ling could make out several classical Tower pavilions nestled among the surroundings.
"Junior Apprentice Brother, it has been years since this place was opened. Master instructed me to tell you that you may enter the Spirit Medicine Garden, the Scripture Repository, and the Spirit Pill Pavilion freely and take whatever you need."
Senior Brother Zhishan spoke to Feng Ling in a gentle voice, relaying Xuanweizi's instructions.
"Eldest Senior Brother, once I've left, please thank Master again for me!" Feng Ling's heart warmed slightly.
He knew that his two senior brothers, Zhishan and Zhi'e, had always jointly guarded these three vital sites. They did not dare use some of the items displayed in the Spirit Pill Pavilion, in particular.
Since Feng Ling came to Seven-Colored Spirit Severing Mountain and took Xuanweizi as his Master, his Master and senior brothers had cared for him deeply. As an orphan raised as an Assassin, Feng Ling had never known such warmth before.
Now that he was about to descend the mountain, they had even granted him the privilege of "taking whatever he pleased"!
How could this not move Feng Ling…
Having gained a master who had given him a second chance at life, and two senior brothers as close as blood brothers, Seven-Colored Spirit Severing Mountain had, without him even realizing it, sunk deep roots into Feng Ling's heart.
This bond marked the beginning of his transformation from a cold-blooded Assassin into a man of flesh and blood.
"Good! Once you've left, Senior Brother will be sure to pass your words along!"
Zhishan smiled and patted Feng Ling's shoulder, and after making his promise, continued speaking as a reminder: "Go on in, then. Senior Brother will wait for you here."
"Mm." Feng Ling gave a slight nod, his figure speeding off toward the stone path, and just as he was about to vanish from sight, Senior Brother Zhishan's voice reached him again from behind.
"Junior Apprentice Brother, I forgot to mention this: Master fears you may reach beyond your grasp, so each time you enter the Scripture Repository, you may take only three Ghost Technique Manuals!
Don't go in hoping to get away with more—Senior Brother will indeed be keeping an eye on you…"
Hearing the call, the figure advancing in the distance paused ever so slightly, and Feng Ling was stunned for a moment.
Biting off more than one could chew—he understood that principle well enough!
In the next instant, bittersweet emotion welled up in Feng Ling's heart, and he vanished at the end of the stone path.
Beside a three-way fork in the path,
Feng Ling first chose to head toward the left…
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn,
Feng Ling arrived outside a rustic courtyard. A sign glowing with green light identified it as the Spirit Medicine Garden.
Through the courtyard, he could see vibrant Life Aura everywhere. Countless Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicines, covered in glistening dew, emitted delicate streaks of light in every color.
"Where the Bodhi falls, Fortuitous Opportunity takes root!"
When he reached the gate, Feng Ling read aloud the inscription on either side of the Spirit Medicine Garden's wooden door.
The wooden gate then swung open on its own, and a rich Life Aura wafted out; Feng Ling stepped inside.
"A thousand-year purple spirit lingzhi…"
"A ten-thousand-year red aged ginseng…"
"A jade-leafed flower of crimson blood…" Looking at the several rare Spirit Herbs in his hands, each shimmering with an immortal aura, Feng Ling felt excitement mixed with a faint numbness of shock.
After some time, Feng Ling came to his senses, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and set the herbs down.
The three Spirit Herbs seemed sentient. As soon as they touched the ground, they sank into soil of unknown composition.
Feng Ling had known countless medicinal herbs in his past life, or so he had thought. Yet the Spirit Medicine Garden stunned him:
Of the nearly ten thousand kinds of Spirit Medicine, he recognized fewer than a hundred. He had never even seen most of the rest!
Feng Ling gathered ten Spirit Herbs that might prove useful and left the garden, his heart full of emotion.
He knew that Eldest Senior Brother and Master were both still waiting for him, so he couldn't afford to dawdle too long!
He turned toward a Tower pavilion of unknown height. Gazing at the three characters "Scripture Repository," Feng Ling felt a flicker of anticipation.
"Ninety-nine returns to truth; the Way follows nature!" Feng Ling stared at the traditional characters flanking the Scripture Repository. A trace of astonishment crossed his face as he pondered them, sensing that he had glimpsed something profound.
Could all three sites have inscriptions? Feng Ling wondered. He was eager to see what the Spirit Pill Pavilion's inscription would say.
Inside the Scripture Repository, neat rows of wooden shelves held countless Ghost Technique Manuals. Fist, leg, blade, spear, sword, and other techniques were all represented.
In his past life,
he had loved the martial path in order to survive.
In this life,
he loved the martial path for its own sake!
Overcome with joy, Feng Ling's eyes darted across the shelves. After flipping through nearly a hundred volumes, he discovered that the manuals had no grades and lacked the common flaw that limited a Ghost Spirit Master's strength.
Once cultivated to perfection, their power increased with the cultivator's realm.
After an unknown amount of time, Feng Ling exhaled another breath of turbid air and chose a body-technique Ghost Technique Manual titled 《Stellar Transposition》.
What delighted Feng Ling even more was that he found the complete version of 《Thunderbolt Art》.
He left the Scripture Repository in high spirits with the two manuals. He did not spare the others another glance; these two were enough.
"Ninety-nine returns to the source, without rank or grade…"
Feng Ling stared blankly at the plaque above the Spirit Pill Pavilion and murmured the words, utterly dazed.
With a creak, Feng Ling pushed open the Spirit Pill Pavilion's doors and stepped inside. A rich fragrance rushed toward him, making his entire body shiver.
Two hours later…
Two hours later, a dazed figure wandered along the stone path.
"Junior Brother Feng!" Zhishan Boy called when he saw Feng Ling's dazed expression, a hint of amusement in his eyes. When he and Zhi'e had first come here, they had looked even worse than Feng Ling did now!
"Huh?" Hearing someone call out to him, Feng Ling instinctively responded.
When he saw Senior Brother Zhishan standing nearby, he hurried over in several long strides.
"Sorry, Senior Brother, for keeping you waiting so long! I've made my choices—ten Spirit Herbs, ten Cultivation Pills, and two manuals!"
A trace of apology showed in Feng Ling's eyes as he held out the items he'd chosen for Zhishan to look over.
"Mm. In that case, let's go report back to Master!"
Seeing that Feng Ling was neither greedy nor falsely modest, Zhishan smiled and nodded in approval.
Feng Ling put the items away and said nothing more.
Feng Ling put the items away and followed Zhishan in silence toward the Purple Seventh Layer they had come from.
Every time one breaks free of the shell, it is a new life…
Amid all the tangled troubles of this world, may the Sage offer a Pure Land of the Soul to you all.
【（＾＿＾）☆
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Begging wearily again and again, bowing low with every step
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