101. Mount Zhurong

Abby ultimately did not go looking for Qingqing. She was someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Back when she was foolish, she had insulted Lingyu’s mother and got beaten up for it. Now she had learned to be wiser, restraining her temper in front of those more powerful. Besides, Qingqing was the spiritual pet of Master Xia. If Abby were truly beaten to death, it would be a meaningless death.

Within the Taibai sect, there were few spiritual pets who could take human form, and even fewer who achieved this at the Qi Refining stage. Generally, without special circumstances, a spirit beast must shed its mortal form to transform, which usually happens after the Foundation Establishment stage. Even after Foundation Establishment, not every spirit beast could transform; the timing depended on lineage, aptitude, and other factors. Some noble bloodlines were born with human forms, while those of lower lineage only shed their beast forms upon forming a Golden Core, but this was uncertain.

Abby was merely a vine demon, an ordinary beast spirit. Without the Emperor’s Flowing Nectar, she would likely need to form a Golden Core before transforming.

Other spirit pets in Taibai sect who transformed at the Qi Refining stage all possessed noble bloodlines and special opportunities. Thus, their masters were almost all Foundation Establishment stage masters or above.

It was not easy for Abby to make friends. Lingyu had generally indulged her, but she hadn’t expected Abby to be such a troublemaker. First, she nearly caused a fallout between Master Xia’s spirit pets, Song Song and Qingqing; then Abby made enemies of spirit pets A Jin and Xiao Hei, belonging to Masters Qiu and Shi respectively.

Lingyu truly wished she could bang her head against a wall. She had finally carved out a decent standing within Taibai sect, and if she offended these masters, would she still be alive? Fortunately, these masters were not petty; their disciples sent warnings, and Lingyu had to reply with a trembling apology.

After dealing with this matter, Lingyu’s eyes glazed over. It was clear she could no longer delay Foundation Establishment. If she waited any longer, who knew when Abby might get herself killed? Once she formed her foundation, she would have the chance to meet a Foundation Establishment master. If she caught their favor, she could be accepted as a disciple. Becoming someone’s disciple would make the matter of spirit pets trivial—no one would hold a grudge over a spirit pet and punish an elite disciple.

Lingyu exhaled deeply. “Foundation Establishment…”

Completing Qi Refining meant she could prepare for Foundation Establishment, which had two methods: one was to use the spiritual eye to strike the meridians; the other was to consume a Foundation Establishment pill. Qian Jiale had once told her that sword cultivators should ideally comprehend sword intent before Foundation Establishment. Combining the sword intent with the spiritual eye’s strike greatly increased the chance of success, making the pill unnecessary. Lingyu also knew that giving out Foundation Establishment pills was uncertain and rare. Compared to that, understanding the sword intent while using the spiritual eye was more reliable, at least giving her a direction to strive toward.

Since that was the case, she needed to find a way to comprehend sword intent. Ah, she should find Qian Jiale and ask him for guidance. Given their friendship, she ought to inform him now that she had completed Qi Refining.

Before she could seek him out, Qian Jiale appeared at her door.

“Junior Sister Cheng!” someone called outside.

Lingyu recognized Qian Jiale’s voice and hurried to open the door.

Sure enough, he was there smiling. Two years had passed. His facial features had hardened slightly, but unfortunately, his delicate and exotic looks made him seem more foreign than masculine. What saddened him most was that he had not grown any taller; to this day, he was only slightly taller than Lingyu.

“Senior Brother Qian, how did you get in?” Lingyu was surprised. The Moon Embracing Peak housed only unmarried female disciples, and the steward, Tu Qiurong, was strict—no male disciples allowed inside. Visitors had to wait at the foot of the peak.

“How did I get in?” Qian Jiale looked puzzled. “I just walked in?”

Lingyu’s gaze fixed on his face for a moment, suddenly understanding. With a face like his, no one stopped him.

There was no need to say more; saying too much might offend him, even though she could now defeat him in combat.

“By the way, congratulations on completing Qi Refining and about to take the next step to Foundation Establishment!” Qian Jiale grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t be slow. I’d better work harder or you’ll surpass me.”

Lingyu smiled. “I was just about to find you. Didn’t expect you’d come first. Please come in.”

She let him into the small hall and called loudly, “Abby, bring tea!”

Abby, anxious to make amends for her trouble, quickly presented fragrant tea. “Please enjoy the tea.”

Qian Jiale glanced at Abby, a bit startled. “Junior Sister Cheng, this is…”

“My spirit pet.” Anyone visiting her for the first time was surprised by Abby’s appearance; Lingyu was used to it.

“A spirit pet who transformed at Qi Refining is rare.” Qian Jiale soon returned to normal, knowing Abby had no noble bloodline.

After Abby left, the two discussed swordsmanship and cultivation. In the two years since, Lingyu had not only solidified her foundation but had become invincible in the small sword pool. Even Qian Jiale found it hard to win against her now. He often exhausted his true energy without finding her weak spot. Their sword battles grew tougher, and any slight carelessness on his part meant she would seize the opportunity to defeat him.

After hours of discussion and finishing a pot of tea, the topic came to a pause.

Qian Jiale rested a moment, then asked, “Junior Sister Cheng, what are your plans next?”

Lingyu put down her cup and replied, “What kind of plans do you mean?”

“Of course, I mean Foundation Establishment,” Qian Jiale said. “For those of us who have completed Qi Refining, the most important thing is to establish our foundation.”

Lingyu shrugged. “What else can I do? The last time Foundation Establishment pills were issued was four years ago. Such trials aren’t frequent. I can only slowly nurture my meridians, comprehend sword intent, and use the spiritual eye to establish my foundation. If that fails, I’ll wait five or six years to compete for the pills again.”

Non-elite disciples usually followed this path. The lucky ones succeeded using the spiritual eye; the unlucky waited for the sect’s pills. Usually, this wait wouldn’t exceed ten years.

“Have you thought about how to comprehend sword intent?” Qian Jiale asked.

Seeing he seemed to have something to say, Lingyu smiled. “I was just about to ask you. Do you have any good suggestions?”

“You guessed right!” Qian Jiale clapped his hands excitedly. “To be honest, I heard some news recently and was just thinking about this. I wanted to talk to you and see if it’s feasible.”

Under Lingyu’s attentive gaze, he began. “To the southwest of Ling Cang, near Sheng Temple, there’s a mountain called Mount Zhuro. It’s not a volcanic mountain, but the whole mountain is engulfed in flames. The fire of Mount Zhuro is heavenly fire, extremely high grade. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot withstand it. Often, Golden Core masters go there to collect the fire as a catalyst for pill refining or forging.”

“Originally, with our cultivation, we couldn’t set foot on Mount Zhuro. But two years ago, a fissure appeared nearby, and clear springs gushed out, forming a deep pool. Water and fire counteract each other, so near this pool, the power of the heavenly fire is greatly reduced. Qi Refining disciples can endure it.”

Lingyu’s heart stirred. “Senior Brother Qian means we can go to Mount Zhuro to perceive the heavenly fire and seek to comprehend sword qi?”

Qian Jiale nodded. “Exactly. After years of training in the small sword pool, we’ve mostly grasped sword intent. To comprehend our own sword intent, we must experience the power harmonious with our spirit swords.”

Lingyu knew Qian Jiale’s sword qi was violent because his spiritual body inclined toward fire. He channeled the ferocity of fire into his sword qi, which was why he competed for the fiery spot in the small sword pool. Her own sword qi combined water and fire. As Qian Jiale described, the conditions at Mount Zhuro would suit her even better.

Comprehending sword intent was simple in concept but profound in practice—only through deep understanding and experience could one truly grasp it. Thus, sword cultivators who reached the peak of Qi Refining sought places where their spirit sword’s nature resonated to perceive power and shape their sword intent.

Lingyu was tempted. Qian Jiale’s information was like a pillow delivered to her on a drowsy day—just as she was pondering how to comprehend sword intent, he offered the perfect place.

“Senior Brother Qian, is it just the two of us going?”

Her tone implied she was agreeing.

“Of course not. Mount Zhuro is far; renting a spirit crane is not cost-effective, and teleportation arrays are too expensive. The best way is to rent a flying device, like a small flying boat that can seat a dozen people. Honestly, this plan wasn’t mine; another senior brother started it. We’re gathering sword cultivators within the sect who practice both water and fire attributes. We have six or seven people so far.”

Mount Zhuro was not only ideal for fire attribute sword cultivators but also for water attribute ones. Its unique environment helped cultivate different water powers, and the more they perceived, the easier it was to comprehend sword qi.

More than anyone, Lingyu was excited. She cultivated both water and fire sword qi. How many places contained both water and fire elements? Mount Zhuro seemed tailor-made for her to comprehend sword intent.

“Junior Sister Cheng, what do you think?”

Lingyu considered briefly, then immediately decided, “Good. Senior Brother Qian, I’ll join you!”

Qian Jiale beamed. “Excellent! We’ll set off in half a month. Junior Sister, prepare yourself.”

Half a month was neither long nor short. Lingyu calculated that she had much to prepare, especially resigning her watch duty. At minimum, she needed the senior steward to find a suitable replacement.

“Senior Brother Qian, what should I prepare?”

Qian Jiale said, “Not much. First, Fasting Pills—since we can’t cook freely at Mount Zhuro, better to take those. Second, Meridian Tempering Pills—you know, to strengthen our meridians for Foundation Establishment. The stronger they are, the higher the chance of success. Other than that, just bring what you like.”

“Thank you very much, Senior Brother Qian.”

After their discussion, Lingyu saw Qian Jiale off. Once the door closed, she called out, “Abby, go shopping!”