Chapter 35
The ripples from the Patterned Spirit Gathering Pill posted a few days ago had yet to fade.
As a result, just looking at the Chat Board’s interface revealed familiar Fellow Daoists.
“Hehe… Fellow Daoists of the Nameless Forum, brace yourselves.”
Baek-Cheong poured her heart and soul into writing an information post.
This time, it was time to write a calculated troll post that went beyond ordinary baiting and would completely shatter the Fellow Daoists' mental states.
『Fellow Daoist (913.14): Practical Application of Inscribed Pill Refining and Qi Control Method.』
[Many Fellow Daoists dismiss the manifestation of patterns on a 1st-Grade Low-Tier Pill as a mere coincidence, but if one grasps the principles, it is a realm that is entirely possible even for a Qi Condensation Cultivator. The key lies in an attitude of contemplation, not going against the essence of the medicinal herbs and leaving it to the flow of nature.
First, finely adjust the Fire Control to quickly coat the surface of the medicinal herb to prevent the loss of vitality.
Second, when suppressing Conflicting Qi, crush it with the weight of the Earth Element instead of the sharpness of the Metal Element.
Third, in the most important final Condensation Stage, cover it thinly with Water-attribute Qi from the Dantian like dew to cool the residual heat of the medicinal herb and fix its shape.
If you just remember and Master these three principles, you will be able to manifest cloud patterns even on a 1st-Grade Low-Tier Pill. However, since this process requires a high degree of Divine Sense Division, I advise you to understand your own vessel first.]
She deliberately wrote it in a strict, solemn, and serious tone to make it look profound.
It was an information post that in its own way blended Yak-seon’s teachings with Yak-seon’s own profound(?) Pill Refining Method.
As soon as she registered the post, countless Fellow Daoists who usually didn’t even glance at information posts rushed in like crazy and started leaving replies.
The mere fact that it was a Pill Refining Secret Method written directly by the culprit of the Patterned Spirit Gathering Pill Incident generated tremendous buzz.
[Fellow Daoist (553.24): As expected… Coating the surface and Preserving Vitality. What an unconventional and practical theory this is!]
[Fellow Daoist (211.5): Covering with Water-attribute Qi Like Dew… Are you saying to handle fire and water simultaneously inside the Pill Furnace? That is truly a crazy idea, as expected of a Qi Condensation Cultivator. I’m going to try it right now lol.]
[Fellow Daoist (88.4): The theory looks perfect, but it’s an unrealizable illusion. To perform such complex processes simultaneously, one must learn an advanced Mind Splitting Art.]
[Fellow Daoist (25.22): It is an impossible realm unless one is from a Divine Beast Clan or an Ancient Genius. You’ll easily suffer Qi Deviation if you try to copy this for no reason.]
The reactions of the Fellow Daoists were starkly divided.
While some Fellow Daoists marveled at the ingenuity of the theory, the majority pointed out the realistic limitations and clicked their tongues at its feasibility.
“Now that the bait is set…”
Baek-Cheong smiled in satisfaction as she watched the Fellow Daoists' astonished reactions.
She clearly confirmed the fact that her Talent related to Divine Sense was in a realm that even Cultivators dared not approach.
This time, she threw off her previous seriousness and tossed out a chat post in a cheeky tone.
『Fellow Daoist (913.14): How to do Divine Sense Division without the Mind Splitting Art.』
[You guys all think dividing Divine Sense is super hard. I just did it though? It’s easier if you just zone out with the feeling of taking your brain out and roll multiple energies at the same time. You guys should try Training with your brains out too lol.]
Baited by the content that contradicted the title, the Fellow Daoists immediately erupted in anger and flocked to the chat post.
[Fellow Daoist (11.23): Your existence is definitely a heart demon tribulation!]
[Fellow Daoist (88.4): Train with our brains out? Are you telling us to catch Qi Deviation and die? A mere Qi Condensation Cultivator only learning bad things! What a terrible troll!]
[Fellow Daoist (77.21): You’re running wild without fearing the Heavenly Dao just because you manifested some patterns on a 1st-Grade Low-Tier Pill. You will definitely receive karma for your words, and it will strike you down as a heavenly tribulation!]
[Fellow Daoist (21.7): …I couldn’t overcome my heart demon and my spiritual energy almost flowed backward for a moment.]
Appreciating the pouring curses and criticism, Baek-Cheong rolled around on her bed, giggling.
“Pfft. As expected of stuffy boomer Cultivators.”
After swimming in a flood of dopamine for a long time, Baek-Cheong hurriedly closed the Nameless Forum at the sudden presence of Divine Sense.
The tightly closed door burst open, and her father rushed inside with urgent steps.
“Cheong-A!”
Baek Mu-Jin examined his daughter with a face full of worry.
It was because Baek U, who was leaving for the North Sea, had stopped by the Family Head’s Hall and reported Baek-Cheong’s haggard appearance.
Feeling guilty that his young daughter was falling ill from heartache because of a harsh father who issued a grounding order, Baek Mu-Jin had thrown aside his official duties and run straight to her Abode in one breath.
Lying on the bed, Baek-Cheong had a gaunt face, with dark circles hanging down to her chin from the aftermath of staying up all night forum-lurking.
Seeing that sight, Baek Mu-Jin’s heart sank.
“Oh my… Your face has become half its size. How much must you have suffered emotionally to become this haggard?”
Baek Mu-Jin approached the bed and touched his daughter’s forehead with a trembling hand.
Baek-Cheong just blinked her eyes in panic at her father’s sudden visit and affectionate reaction.
Even so, she couldn’t possibly speak the truth out loud.
“This father’s hasty scolding has left a deep scar on you. Not knowing you were so sincere about your Training, I am at fault, Cheong-A.”
Baek Mu-Jin displayed deep remorse and took out a jade bottle engraved with ornate carvings from his robes.
As he opened the lid of the jade bottle, a refreshing and clear medicinal fragrance filled the Abode.
“It is a Supreme-Grade Internal Injury Pill. It has an excellent effect in healing the wounds of your qi meridians and soothing internal injuries, so hurry and take it to recover your energy.”
Baek-Cheong absentmindedly accepted the jade bottle and swallowed the internal injury pill.
As the pill went down, she felt her body, which had been stiff from staying up all night forum-lurking, become as refreshed as if it had been washed clean.
“Thank you, father. I feel much better.”
When Baek-Cheong forced a smile, Baek Mu-Jin put on a much more relieved expression.
“Yes, that’s a relief. Since your qi meridians seem to have regained stability, I will lift the grounding order. Starting tomorrow, stop by the Training Room again to fill your Dantian with spiritual energy, and go out to the Pill Room as well. Yak-seon is also eagerly waiting for you to come.”
At her father’s words, Baek-Cheong’s vision went dark.
Her legally obtained forum-lurking life was ending in just a few days, and she was in danger of being dragged back into the fiery hell of Pill Refining Class and the shackles of harsh Training.
She had to somehow escape the situation and extend her free time even a little bit.
Forcing her gaunt eyes wider, she faked a pitiful voice as if she were the most tragic heroine in the world.
“Father… I like Training and Pill Refining too, but lately, being confined only in front of the Pill Furnace or in the narrow Training Room has made me feel so stifled that my chest feels tight. My body has gotten better, but my heart is so heavy that I don’t think I can focus on Training right now. Can’t I just get some fresh air outside and take it easy for a few more days?”
It was nothing more than a shallow excuse to stroll around the spacious garden and do some more forum-lurking in her spare time.
However, it sounded like something completely different to Baek Mu-Jin’s ears.
“You must have been so stifled for such words to come out of your mouth. Yes, you are a hundred times right. Training while confined will only make your mind and body murky.”
Baek Mu-Jin stroked his beard and nodded deeply, then clapped his hands as if a brilliant idea had struck him.
“It just so happens that your uncle is staying in the Inner Hall. He will be delivering goods to the Marketplace in the Immortal City we govern in a few days. How about taking this opportunity to follow your uncle and go on an outing to the Marketplace?”
At the unexpected proposal, Baek-Cheong’s eyes widened.
“The Marketplace?”
“Yes. The Marketplace is a place overflowing with bizarre items, Precious Spiritual Herbs, and Formation Tools gathered from all over the Cultivation World. There is no better place to see the wide world, broaden your horizons, and cool your head. I will instruct your uncle specially to be thorough as your guard.”
Her shallow plan to roll around in her room had transformed into an outing to the Immortal City governed by the Clan to look around the Marketplace.
Naturally, her time for forum-lurking would decrease, so Baek-Cheong wanted to take back the words she had spat out.
“Ah, well… The Marketplace has a lot of people and is noisy, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to rest…”
“Don’t worry! Your uncle has a good eye, so he will show you the rare items in the Marketplace. Who knows? With your outstanding comprehension, you might even discover an unexpected fortuitous encounter there.”
The words “Rare Item” and “fortuitous encounter” flowing from her father’s mouth struck Baek-Cheong like lightning.
“A fortuitous encounter…!”
Baek-Cheong gasped and let her imagination run wild.
Stories came to mind of a rusted ring picked up cheaply from the corner of a dusty street Stall turning out to be a relic of a Great Power from the Ancient Era, or a withering weed transforming into a legendary elixir.
The romance she had buried deep in her small heart boiled up once again after searching the Archives on the 1st floor of the Hundred Scriptures Pavilion in vain.
“Right, I can stay cooped up in my room and post memes anytime. True fortuitous encounters are obtained by going outside!”
Baek-Cheong’s gaunt eyes instantly regained their vitality and sparkled with curiosity.
“Really? I might get a fortuitous encounter if I go to the Marketplace?”
“Haha, a fortuitous encounter is something bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, so who can say? However, it is a self-evident truth that experiencing the wide world itself will be a great foundation for your Training.”
Baek-Cheong hesitated no longer and kicked off her blankets to stand up.
“I’ll go! I really want to visit the Marketplace, father!”
The speed at which she shifted her stance from a room-bound Forum Lurker to a bold Cultivator chasing fortuitous encounters was second to none.
Baek Mu-Jin burst into hearty laughter, relieved by his daughter’s energetic appearance.
“Alright, make sure you prepare thoroughly. I will call for you on the day your uncle leaves.”
After her father left the Abode, Baek-Cheong paced around the room, unable to contain her excitement.
It was her first time experiencing the outside world beyond the Clan’s fences since she was born in the Xianxia World.
“What if I end up getting a small, mysterious bottle at this rate?”
Baek-Cheong spun her wheels of happiness, imagining all sorts of things.
She even forgot about forum-lurking for a moment at the thought of sweeping up precious treasures and monopolizing the protagonist’s fortuitous encounters.
“Ah, Nameless-Emon!”
Then, to improve her eye for fortuitous encounters, she thoroughly examined the stories of fortuitous encounters written by the Fellow Daoists of the Nameless Forum.
She was staying up all night right until she left for the Immortal City.