Chapter 114: True Qi, The Gift of the Demon Crane

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After returning from the Purple Fusion Peak Fire Ruins Cave and paying respects to the local master alongside the old Daoist Flying Crane, Ji Ming adjusted his state of mind and entered seclusion for intensive cultivation. Though it was called seclusion, he occasionally instructed the two youths, Huamei and Skylark, to carve out a damp underground cellar within the Bone-Piercing Garden to incubate the centipede species contained within the Stone Frost Box.

One day, during a break from cultivation, his younger sister Ling Gu came over from the master’s second disciple, Su Su, bringing several Voidflowers—the pill heads for practicing the Mirage Grand Technique. It was from Ling Gu that Ji Ming learned that Li Muru had long since descended the mountain to seek revenge and, before leaving, had asked her senior sister Su Su to refine Voidflowers and deliver them to him.

Ji Ming recalled that before his departure, Li Muru had given him a “Hidden Water Mine Pill” as a means of self-defense. Unexpectedly, she had also left the mountain shortly after. He sensed there might be more to the story. However, within the Fire Ruins Cave, nothing could be done without the master’s involvement, and as an outsider he was reluctant to inquire too deeply.

He resolved that if he ever encountered Li Muru at the foot of the mountain, and if within his capacity, he would lend her a hand.

Since his understanding had gradually opened and he had become a Daoist, Ji Ming began to pay attention to making friends and building a network. He did not want to face future magical battles alone, with others summoning celestial allies from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks while he had no one even to beat the drums in his support.

Yet friendship and forming Daoist partnerships required discernment; choosing friends was akin to choosing a teacher, and needed careful consideration. Brothers like the Golden Lion were the kind one could trust with one’s life, while someone like Li Muru, whose temperament burned like fire, was also a fine choice.

In times of trouble or life-and-death magical duels, such friends would respond earnestly, even risking their wealth and lives. Friends like Su Su, calm and discerning between right and wrong, could be true Daoist partners. If you were her friend and asked for help in a magical duel, she would first consider right and wrong, moral principles, rather than blindly helping kin over justice.

Such friends would not easily be entangled in karmic consequences or drag you into danger without cause.

Time in the mountain passed without notice; cultivation did not count years. In the Bone-Piercing Garden, Ji Ming’s seclusion spanned three years in the blink of an eye.

Within the garden, the fence gate remained closed; the plum blossoms bloomed and withered thrice. Were it not for the diligent daily sweeping and tidying by the two youths, the garden would have long since been overrun by weeds.

During these three years, there were occasional visitors outside the cave who sought to befriend the garden’s Golden Youths, but all were turned away. Only Ling Gu, Old Ape, and Wei Wulan from the True Spirit Sect were occasionally admitted, which further piqued the curiosity of many outsiders.

One day, the two youths were attending the master’s discourse beside the garden’s preaching site. After the teaching concluded, as Old Ape was about to leave, the two youths simultaneously blocked his path with hands clasped and respectfully said, “Old Ape, please wait. The garden’s Golden Youths request your presence.”

Hearing that it was an invitation from the Golden Youths, Old Ape felt unexpectedly honored.

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In these three years, his interactions with the Golden Youths had been few and far between; the once teacher-student and friend relationship had subtly waned.

“Lead the way ahead,” he said.

Although he knew the location of the Bone-Piercing Garden, Old Ape still politely gestured with one hand.

As they set off, Old Ape sensed the master’s lingering gaze upon him. Over these three years, it seemed the Golden Youths had not only neglected him.

Upon arriving at the Bone-Piercing Garden, seeing it unchanged inside and out after three years, he knew the Golden Youths had been diligent and unwavering in their cultivation.

Passing through the fence gate and walking through the plum grove, Old Ape suddenly halted.

He raised his eyes and saw a cluster of smoke and haze entwined above the trees—thick and unyielding, glowing a vivid cinnabar red.

Within that smoky mist, a long shadow resembling a dragon and snake writhed and twisted.

“Qianshou, quickly return!” Huamei shouted suddenly, releasing a small pouch. The smoky haze contracted.

The dragon-snake shadow inside the haze shrank with it, compressing to the size of a pea and, before Old Ape could get a clear view, fell into the pouch.

“Good child, what kind of spiritual creature is that? It unsettles this old ape’s heart.”

Usually unceremonious with the cave’s attendants, Old Ape broke protocol and offered two spirit peaches, placing them each into the youths’ arms.

Huamei was straightforward by nature, while Skylark was inscrutable; together they never made mistakes. They exchanged a knowing glance and pushed the peaches back.

“The young master has already instructed that when speaking with Master Ape, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Saying this, they emptied the pouch, releasing a red-headed centipede with a black body and thin wings—a flying centipede.

Old Ape’s eyes widened in shock. As he leaned closer, the youths warned, “Be careful,” and a faint metallic sweet scent reached his nose, causing his mind to suddenly cloud.

“What a poisonous creature.”

Old Ape stepped back, visibly stunned. “I have often heard of poison cultivators who refine toxins, absorbing a single potent spiritual poison to surpass hundreds or thousands of spiritual mechanisms. The deeper the cultivation, the stronger the venom. This centipede’s poisonous aura alone unsettles me. I do not know what kind of spiritual poison it was nurtured on. And its shrinking ability is remarkable.”

“Old Ape!”

A voice called from inside a thatched cottage in the woods.

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“I apologize for my indiscretion.”

Revealing the root of even the owner’s spiritual companion was beneath him, a worldly-wise man, and he had lost his guest’s courtesy due to the shock caused by the flying centipede.

As the saying goes, from the small one, one sees the great: this flying centipede was an ancient rare species, with a perfected form, at least a hundred years of cultivation. Even the master did not have such a spiritual companion.

Though the master often traveled seated beneath a yellow cloud veil, it was not because he lacked a mount, but because he had found no steed worthy of his prestige.

For someone of the master’s stature, every action was scrutinized; a lesser steed would invite not only outside criticism but also private derision within the sect.

Old Ape dared not imagine what other surprises the Golden Youths might yet conceal.

With these thoughts, as Old Ape approached the thatched cottage, he felt a measure of restraint before the master.

The door was wide open. Inside the main hall hung a gauzy curtain, behind which a tall shadow vaguely took shape.

“Forgive my hindered form, Old Ape,” came the voice.

Daring to say “I do not mind” seemed too self-deprecating, so Old Ape smiled and said, “Not at all.”

Ji Ming stood behind the curtain, one crane leg straight, the other bent; his clawed wings spread on either side. His eyes seemed unfocused, gazing into empty space.

Above his head hovered three spheres representing essence, energy, and spirit aligned in a row, occasionally converging and sinking into the Yellow Court dantian, condensing a thread of true qi.

After three full years, he had finally refined a thread of true qi, entering the second stage of Qi Refinement.

The three years had taken one year longer than Ji Ming had anticipated, considering he had been distracted by other Daoist matters. Nevertheless, achieving success in three years was reasonable.

Yet alongside his cultivation had come the transformation of the mysterious crane.

The “Chronicles of Divine Wonders” recorded: “The so-called mysterious crane is jet black as lacquer, lives a thousand years, fierce by nature, with claws at the wing tips. It catches snakes to eat and dwells often on Thunder Mountain.”

“I heard Old Ape has many friends outside the cave. I wish to inquire about some matters.”

Before the curtain, Old Ape fixed his gaze on the vague strange shadow behind the veil, his heart inexplicably fluttering. “Golden Youths, you are too courteous. Please speak plainly if there is something; I will surely do my utmost to help.”

Behind the curtain, Ji Ming looked at the spiritual crane egg grasped by his bent leg claws and said, “I have heard of a pair of demon cranes atop Flowing Fragrance Peak of Jixing Mountain. Since my master is to come and teach me the Daoist arts, I thought to present a gift.”