Volume 3 Chapter 8

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Volume 3 Chapter 8: Fleeting Years

After returning to Jiuhua Mountain, Xu Qingfan’s days seemed to return to the past, filled with reading, practicing, gardening, and daydreaming, giving him a sense of comfort. However, unlike before, Xu Qingfan now spent much more time practicing to prepare for the Newcomer Comparison in two years. More importantly, he now had someone named Ting’er by his side.

The day after Ting’er admitted she wanted to kill Xu Qingfan, when they met again, it was as if nothing had happened. Ting’er remained silent and obedient, and Xu Qingfan remained gentle and loving. It was as though Ting’er had never expressed her intention to harm Xu Qingfan, and Xu Qingfan had never been angry with her. Yet, there was an undeniable hint of distance between them, along with a newfound honesty.

Ting’er saying "yes" that day pained Xu Qingfan deeply. He regarded Ting’er as his only family in the world, always considering her needs and fearing she might suffer even a bit. But Ting’er was solely focused on wanting to kill him, which broke Xu Qingfan’s heart.

Despite the heartache, Xu Qingfan felt a sense of relief. During the past year with Ting’er, although Xu Qingfan was gentle and Ting’er was obedient, seemingly in harmony, Xu Qingfan could never truly understand Ting’er’s genuine thoughts, causing him constant worry and unease. But once Ting’er admitted her hatred, Xu Qingfan finally felt a weight had been lifted, bringing him peace of mind.

Some things aren’t as frightening once faced head-on.

Moreover, thinking about Ting’er’s behavior soon after, Xu Qingfan felt a subtle happiness. If Ting’er were truly cunning and patient, she would never have admitted her hatred, allowing Xu Qingfan to lower his guard. Ting’er’s straightforward confession proved that she hadn’t mastered hiding her emotions, showing that she still retained some simplicity and innocence. Although the magic pearl changed Ting’er’s personality, it couldn’t alter her childlike nature.

This is why Xu Qingfan found some solace, as he believed there was still hope in changing Ting’er’s nature.

From that point on, Xu Qingfan continued to teach Ting’er the arts of fire magic every day, but he also shared more life lessons and stories about the harshness of the world. Sometimes, he would mention tales of the Southern Wasteland, hoping Ting’er would understand his thoughts. However, Xu Qingfan wasn’t sure if Ting’er truly absorbed his words, as she never showed impatience but always had a calm, emotionless gaze.

Although Xu Qingfan wasn’t sure if Ting’er listened to him, her progress in cultivation was incredibly fast. Since the day Xu Qingfan got angry, Ting’er no longer trained relentlessly day and night but found a balanced approach. In her free time, she’d read the poems and books Xu Qingfan gave her, help him tend to flowers, or quietly hold Little Green, lost in thought.

Ting’er’s rapid advancement in cultivation left Xu Qingfan amazed. In just two years, she reached the early stage of the Qi Refining Stage and was close to the middle stage. It took Jin Qinghan two years and seven months to reach that level, while Xu Qingfan himself took three years and five months.

Moreover, when Ting’er used her fire magic, the black flames were astonishingly powerful, more destructive than regular fire spells, and hard to extinguish once ignited. Alarmingly, these black flames could corrupt magical items and damage one’s Original Soul. With such power, no cultivator of equal skill would be a match for Ting’er.

Xu Qingfan specialized in wood-type cultivation methods, not ideal for teaching Ting’er. However, the saying goes, "Master one method, master them all." With his experience at the Lingji Stage and extensive knowledge, he was more than capable of teaching Ting’er basic fire cultivation techniques.

Xu Qingfan grew concerned because, after two years of cultivation, Ting’er’s demonic energy not only didn’t diminish but seemed limitless. The black mist in her core grew denser, and her black flames became more enigmatic in color.

Xu Qingfan guessed that when Ting’er generated fire Spirit Qi, the black mist absorbed some of it. That’s why it seemed endless. Unfortunately, Xu Qingfan hadn’t found a solution. He once tried sealing the mist with powerful magic, but the seal quickly broke, actually empowering the mist instead.

Xu Qingfan’s technique, "Finger of Wither and Flourish," could transform between withering and flourishing energies, avoiding corruption by the mist, but had drawbacks. Its sealing control wasn’t as precise as his other method. Using it on Ting’er would seal all her Spirit Qi and demonic energy, conflicting with Xu Qingfan’s plan for her immortal cultivation.

Fortunately, through careful observation, Xu Qingfan found that while the demonic energy in Ting’er grew, it hadn’t affected her nature. It seemed the energy needed the "Nine Demon Bead" to alter someone’s character, which reassured Xu Qingfan somewhat.

On the other side, since the day Dongfang Qingling unintentionally met Xu Qingfan at the back mountain, she seemed to have untangled her thoughts. Every one or two months, she would visit Xu Qingfan’s mountain cave dwelling, insisting that Xu Qingfan tell her about the stories of his experiences after descending the mountain. Poor Xu Qingfan, who had only been down the mountain for a brief year, had to spend two years recounting his experiences to Dongfang Qingling. Eventually, Xu Qingfan resorted to finding interesting tales from books to entertain her.

It is worth mentioning that two months after their encounter, Dongfang Qingling finally broke through to the early stage of the Lingji Stage. Over these two years, her cultivation had advanced to match Xu Qingfan when he first returned to the mountain. It’s important to note that Xu Qingfan had been in the Lingji Stage for five whole years by then, highlighting Dongfang Qingling’s exceptional talent.

Despite her smooth progress in cultivation, Dongfang Qingling wasn’t very happy. There are two reasons: First, Xu Qingfan remained polite and friendly over the years, even granting her every request, yet he always kept a certain distance, treating her merely as a close junior sister, which frustrated Dongfang Qingling. The second reason was Ting’er. Although Xu Qingfan mentioned that Ting’er had always been aloof, Dongfang Qingling felt that there was a layer of hidden hostility in Ting’er’s cold gaze. This was baffling since Dongfang Qingling was extremely fond of Ting’er.

Influenced by Ting’er, even Little Green showed much hostility toward Dongfang Qingling, never letting her hold him and growling incessantly at her, leaving Dongfang Qingling quite disheartened.

Could it be that her shock was too obvious when she first saw Ting’er? Dongfang Qingling sometimes speculated.

Upon first seeing Ting’er, Dongfang Qingling was greatly surprised by the mysterious flame pattern on Ting’er’s face, even letting out a sound involuntarily. However, like Zhao Qingxuan, Dongfang Qingling later regarded the black flames on Ting’er’s face as a typical trait of people from the Southern Wasteland and didn’t mind it, even apologizing to Ting’er. But Ting’er treated her just the same, never showing the slightest friendliness.

Compared to Dongfang Qingling, Ting’er was much friendlier to Jin Qinghan, behaving very well whenever she saw him. Unlike Dongfang Qingling, Jin Qinghan had many reservations about Ting’er, especially after witnessing the power of Ting’er’s black flames. His concern deepened, and he mentioned to Xu Qingfan more than once that Ting’er shouldn’t be allowed to continue learning Taoist arts.

Speaking of Jin Qinghan, there’s an interesting story about him. Eight years ago, after securing second place in Jiuhua Gate’s internal competition, he was awarded a human-level middle-class demon beast "Golden Feather Eagle" egg. Through eight years of nurturance, this "Golden Feather Eagle" had grown, its wings spanning nearly a full length. This magnificent creature was named "Little Gold" by Jin Qinghan, who often brought it to Xu Qingfan’s mountain cave to discuss cultivation methods.

Perhaps due to a natural disfavor between different demon beasts, from the first meeting of Little Gold and Little Green, the two demons quarreled constantly. Often, while Jin Qinghan and Xu Qingfan were inside discussing cultivation, and Ting’er quietly listened nearby, the two demon beasts fought relentlessly outside, with earth-shaking roars and flurry. The strange flowers and plants Xu Qingfan had planted were damaged countless times by the battling beasts.

Although Little Green is a rare Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast, classified as an advanced demon beast at the human level, it is one level higher than Little Gold. However, since Xu Qingfan never fed it spiritual medicine, it has never grown. Its ability is only slightly stronger than an ordinary mortal beast, often getting chased around the yard by Little Gold, who already has the power of the late stage of the Inedia Stage. Yet, upon their next encounter, Little Green persistently challenges with a beastly roar, refusing to learn its lesson.

Whenever they witness this scene, Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan can’t help but exchange a knowing smile.

…

Two years later.

In a secluded grove at the back of Jiuhua Mountain, a piece of land is shrouded in white mist. Through the mist, two exquisite and simple wooden cottages stand amidst a field filled with rare flowers and grasses. The gentle white mist adds to their elegant, ethereal beauty.

Inside the larger wooden house, Xu Qingfan sits quietly on the bed, eyes gently closed, with Spirit Qi radiating from him. As the Spirit Qi flows outward, colorful auras appear around him—blue, gray, and red.

After two years of diligently practicing the Spirit Purging Sutra, Xu Qingfan has refined the Wutong branch that contains Phoenix Spirit Qi into his "Spirit Control Object," reaching the preliminary stage of "unity of mind and object." The once Spirit Qi-filled Wutong branch is now a plain, fine hairpin, styled like a Taoist, securing Xu Qingfan’s coiled hair. If he advances further, Xu Qingfan will be able to integrate it into his body, merging with it.

Having initially refined the Wutong branch, Xu Qingfan gained some of its wood and fire energies. Coupled with the "Wooden Glory Pill" and "Fire Lotus Pill" obtained from the Watchman, Xu Qingfan’s cultivation has reached the middle stage of the Lingji Stage. With the help of the Wutong branch, he can now perform fire-based Daoist techniques, significantly increasing his power compared to two years ago.

After a long while, the tri-colored glow around Xu Qingfan slowly receded back into his body, and he gradually opened his eyes. Briefly, a captivating tri-colored spiritual light flickered in his gaze, indicating the challenge of his rapidly increased Spirit Qi adapting within a short period.

Just as Xu Qingfan finished meditating, the sound of bells suddenly echoed from the front hill of Jiuhua. The sound was not loud, but it was incredibly clear and carried far, reaching Xu Qingfan even though he was in the back hill.

Finally, after thirteen chimes, the sound of the bells ceased.

Hearing the clear bell sound, Xu Qingfan murmured to himself, "Is the Newcomer Comparison of the Six Holy Lands finally about to begin?"

In Jiuhua Gate’s Linghua Hall, there is a large bell, nearly ten feet high and weighing a thousand pounds, called the "Linghua Bell." It is an intermediate heavenly-level magical instrument. Some say Linghua Hall got its name because of this bell.

Apart from its powerful defensive abilities and ability to harm with sound, the "Linghua Bell" has a masterful control over sound. It can send its chime far away, even thousands of miles, or restrict it within a certain range. Even more amazingly, it can make some hear the bell among thousands of people, while others remain completely unaware.

Within Jiuhua Gate, the "Linghua Bell" is more than just a tool to summon disciples; in a certain sense, it has become a symbol of Jiuhua Gate.

The rule at Jiuhua Gate is that all disciples who hear the thirteen chimes must gather in the square in front of Linghua Hall within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. With the speed of the "Nimbus Cloud" and Xu Qingfan’s skills, flying from the back hill to the front of Linghua Hall takes only a few dozen breaths. So, upon hearing the bell, Xu Qingfan was in no rush; he calmly rose from his bed, opened his door, and walked to Ting’er’s room.