Half asleep and half awake, in the early hours of the morning, a gentle breeze drifted over the railing, veiling the scenery with a hazy gauze. All colors seemed to blend and diffuse, creating an atmosphere of unique charm.
Especially the patches of tender green in the distance, they were the perfect embellishments of vitality.
Yu Ci sat alone by the railing, somewhat perplexed: Where was this again?
Although Qu Thunderbolt-Free had emphasized it before, the injuries sustained in the Sword Garden were beyond imagination. It seemed to have been over three months now. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness, living through more than a hundred days in a daze. His memories when lucid were still intact, but the times of grogginess were more frequent. According to what he had heard when awake, it seemed that Bloodthirsty Qi had taken advantage of his weakened state, entangling his limbs and bones, an affliction not easily dispelled, along with damage to his Divine Soul. In any case, it was all very troublesome.
Yu Ci, however, was rather philosophical about it, and he knew another reason: within the Inner Void of the Heart, the Great Mysterious Prohibition had been drawing a certain amount of vital energy every day to complete the final adjustments, forming a stable and absolute advantage. This process had just been thoroughly completed. The dark seas surrounding the isolated island were chilling to the bone, and distant icebergs loomed at the edge of perception, constantly signaling their presence, yet they remained ever elusive.
According to Qu Thunderbolt-Free, this was because Yu Ci's Yin Spirit rank was insufficient and the Pure Yang Energy he absorbed was inadequate. As his Cultivation Level advanced, he would be able to gradually come into contact with these mysteries, using them as a whetstone to seek further refinement. Of course, that was still a very distant prospect.
Now that this matter had concluded, the previously unsustainable state within Yu Ci's body had finally come to an end. His injuries were still severe, but the periods of lucidity were growing longer. By early this morning, he felt no different from before he was injured. At this point, he remembered his confusion—where was he?
It seemed to be atop some high cliff...
"Brother Yu, you're awake!"
"Uh, awake... Bao Guang?"
The unexpected presence startled Yu Ci, and it took him a moment to come back to his senses. Was this Still Heart Temple?
"Come on, am I supposed to stay in Still Heart Temple for life?"
Bao Guang complained verbally but was beaming with joy. Half of his happiness was due to Yu Ci being lucid and spirited, and the other half was for his own affairs.
Seeing this, Yu Ci glanced at him. His eyesight was now far superior to what it had been, and at a glance, he could see that the young Taoist's Power of the Divine Soul was radiating outward, indicating that he had Divided Thoughts & Transformed Consciousness, entering the Nature-Connecting Realm.
"Congratulations!"
"Joy shared is joy doubled!"
The young Taoist couldn't stop smiling, but then he felt something was amiss and quickly corrected himself, "I owe it to your blessing... uh, no, I mean your disaster. Ah, what I mean is, it's because I took care of you that I was allowed to enter the Sect's Mountain Gate so early."
Realizing he would never be able to explain it clearly, the young Taoist decided to focus on the matter at hand. He released a message talisman to report the good news and then started chatting with Yu Ci, "These past days have been frightening. Many an Immortal Elder said you were at the end of your tether, likely to live in a daze for the rest of your life. Fortunately, you were given enough medicine in time to replenish your vital energy, and your potential turned out to be deeper than expected, sparing you from disaster."
Yu Ci actually had a clear memory of the times he was conscious, even if those moments were few and sometimes it was hard to distinguish reality from dreams. But the events in the Sword Garden were definitely accurate. He nodded and said, "I remember it was Taoist Yu who fed me the medicine. By the way, where is the Temple Master?"
"He went back to the temple long ago, but I have to report your condition there every three days. Heh, I've been here for more than ten days, and this is the first time I've seen you so lucid, and for such a long time. Brother, are you much better now?"
Yu Ci had barely nodded his agreement when two streaks of sword light pierced through the mist, leaping over the balustrade and bursting in. Before their figures could be discerned, an impatient clamor was heard: "Is Junior Brother Yu faring well?"
Upon seeing the faces of the two newcomers, Yu Ci smiled and nodded again: "Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Brother Li, there's no need for concern. All is well!"
The intruders were none other than Zhang Yan and Li You, two of the senior brothers from within the Sect's Mountain Gate with whom he shared the closest ties. He had seen them briefly during his fleeting moments of consciousness before, along with companions such as Hua Xi Feng and Li Hong from their excursions to the Sword Garden, as well as Hong Qianqiu and the Tu Brothers from the Sect's Mountain Gate. Over the past few months, he had met with them intermittently, and now that he was lucid for a longer stretch, all these encounters were starting to connect in his mind.
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Seeing that he was indeed different from his briefly lucid states in the past, Zhang Yan and Li You both sighed in relief, clasping their hands in a gesture of gratitude. They then simultaneously voiced their shame, asking for forgiveness because, as his senior brothers, they had failed to take care of him thoroughly and had instead been saved by Yu Ci. Zhang Yan even stepped forward to express his thanks for the Life Death Talisman Intent that Yu Ci had imparted to him, which had helped him suppress his Heart Demon during the outbreak of the demonic plague.
Had he not mentioned it, Yu Ci would have completely forgotten this matter. But now was not the time for acknowledgments or thanks. Yu Ci was more eager to learn about the outside world over these past three months and, at the very least, to understand where he was now. Just as he was about to ask, another flash of sword light appeared beyond the balustrade. The voice that followed did not enter but instead called from outside: "We can reminisce later. For now, with time pressing, it's best to quickly take Junior Brother Yu to the deputy building!"
Yu Ci was puzzled by this abrupt statement and, upon seeing the speaker, was momentarily taken aback: "Senior Sister Meng Wei?"
She was still dressed in the traditional garb of a black robe and yellow crown, the orthodox attire of a female Daoist. However, her jade-like cheeks bore a hint of color due to the exertion of controlling her sword with all her might. It was the first time Yu Ci had seen Meng Wei in such a rush since they had met, and he was somewhat slow to react. But the others seemed to understand immediately, all agreeing: "That's exactly what should be done!"
Without waiting for Yu Ci's befuddled consent, Li You hoisted him up, laughing as he said, "Junior Brother Yu, your opportunity has come. Let's go, quickly!"
As they took a few steps away, Yu Ci suddenly remembered something important and said with gravity: "Before we get there, you must not faint again!"
At this reminder, Yu Ci recalled a fragment of memory. It seemed he had indeed experienced something similar before, but at that time, he had been too weak and quickly lost consciousness, leaving the matter unresolved. Wasn't that place called... the Star Plucking Tower?
Yu Ci promised he would not faint again so easily, but now his credibility was clearly lacking, and no one paid him any attention. The group flanked him on both sides, flying swiftly upwards past the balustrade. Even Bao Guang, who could not control his sword, was carried by Zhang Yan. Along the way, the mist thickened, and many strange beasts and exotic forms moved within it, sometimes lunging forward as if to burst out of the mountain fog.
The three sword lights cut through these fantastical creatures, soaring upwards, covering more than ten miles in no time. They then saw a high cliff adorned with flying eaves and towering arches, layered and ascending as if a walkway to the heavens had been constructed in the clouds, forming an ethereal pavilion that decorated the entire cliff face, strikingly magnificent. Yet, as Yu Ci ascended, he paid attention to nothing else but the Talisman Divine Light that filled the mountainside, so dense it was almost inconceivable, influencing the flow of Cosmic Qi for hundreds of miles around, powerful and orderly, leaving an indelible impression.
At that moment, a thunderous voice boomed from the sky, shouting something that Yu Ci, preoccupied with the Talisman Divine Light on the cliff, did not catch clearly. Meng Wei, leading at the front, shouted in response: "Lichen Sect Outer Disciple Yu Ci, who did not fear tyranny and bravely thwarted the enemy's schemes, has achieved great merit. He is hereby granted one year of cultivation in the Star Plucking Tower, including eighteen days in the main building, to be arranged as he sees fit. This is the personal decree of Grandmaster Fang. Please, Power Guardian Saint, verify this."
As she spoke, the female cultivator extended her hand and shot out a beam of pure light that disappeared into the depths of the misty mountains. A clap of thunder sounded in the mid-air, and a narrow passageway opened up within the mountain mists, through which several streaks of sword light swiftly passed.
"A year? The Sect is having me cultivate here?"
Yu Ci suddenly realized what was happening. The Star Plucking Tower was a key location for cultivation within the Sect's mountain gate, consisting of a main and auxiliary tower. It was said to be a space carved out by the Sect's predecessors in the layer of the Nine Heavenly Gang winds. The auxiliary tower gathered the essence of the All-Heavens Star Power and the Outer Realm Essence of the Mysterious Truth, transforming it within. Cultivating here could increase efficiency tenfold; a year spent here was equivalent to a decade of arduous practice. Not to mention the enigmatic Star Plucking Main Tower, a place even the Immortal Elders of the Sect would vie for fiercely.
It seemed that the Lichen Sect highly approved of his actions in the Sword Garden.
"It's not for cultivation; it's for healing."
As they reached their destination in the blink of an eye, Meng Wei saw that Yu Ci's spirit was still vigorous and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to face him with a serious expression, she said, "Junior brother, you must seize this opportunity. You've been gravely injured, and for three months, you've been in a daze. This is a major taboo in cultivation. If you don't recuperate properly, not only will your cultivation level not advance, but it may even regress, and you might be left with chronic ailments that could plague you for life. The elders cannot bear to see this happen, which is why they've made an exception for you to cultivate here. You must not waste this chance."
While they spoke, they could see the green jade eaves above their heads, with talismanic divine lights steaming and dancing about. The feeling here was different from before; the cosmic qi was not dense but purely clear and spiritual. With every breath, it felt like flowing water cleansing the body, a peculiar and delightful sensation.
"Indeed, this is an excellent place for healing!" Here, every impurity in the body seemed to be washed clean. Not only him, but Li You and the others who had accompanied him were also intoxicated, enjoying the opportunity to absorb such pure cosmic qi. Even within the mountain gate of the Lichen Sect, such a chance was rare and sought after.
"The conditions are excellent, but without a clear mind to control them, one would simply waste this precious opportunity," Meng Wei continued to remind him. This was why they were waiting for Yu Ci to fully regain consciousness before officially beginning his cultivation.
Apart from Meng Wei's targeted advice, Li You, Zhang Yan, and others came to visit partly out of concern and partly out of curiosity. According to the rules, they couldn't stay too long and soon said their goodbyes, with Meng Wei leaving as well. During this time, she had imparted a lot of information to him, which Yu Ci diligently memorized. Suddenly, the quiet felt unfamiliar.
Hmm, I feel like I'm forgetting something.
As Yu Ci pondered, a voice rang in his ear:
"Do you still want these trinkets and spoils of war, or not?"
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