Chapter 80 : Maintaining One’s Mindset Was the Most Important
Chapter 80: Maintaining One’s Mindset Was the Most Important
“This… you didn’t need internal observation? Then how did you circulate the cycle?”
The one who asked this time was He Yaxiao.
Her mind had already completely turned into a muddled paste, yet the intense confusion still made her blurt it out.
“Breaking through from the first layer to the second layer only required passing through twelve main meridians. The route wasn’t considered complicated,” Xiao Ying replied with a completely matter-of-fact expression.
“I first used internal observation to circulate it a few times and memorized the route. After that, I could just follow the feeling. There was no need to keep staring at it the whole time.”
He Yaxiao’s eyelids twitched violently as she listened.
Granted, the circulation paths of the main meridians truly weren’t very complex—but you, a newcomer who had just entered the path for only a few days, dared to so boldly “follow the feeling”? You really didn’t treat your cultivation foundation as your own at all!
“But,” Xiao Ying abruptly changed the topic and added in a relaxed tone, “this method really can only be used during the introductory Qi Refining stage for now.
Once it gets to the later stages, where the meridians that need to be circulated become more and more complex, and both the execution time and the required amount of spiritual energy increase drastically, with just this tiny bit of time-related power I can currently control, I’m afraid I’ll be willing but unable.”
Upon hearing Xiao Ying’s words, True Person Mingzhu and He Yaxiao subconsciously let out long sighs of relief in their hearts at the same time.
That was more like it!
If such a heaven-defying, utterly unreasonable cultivation method truly had no restrictions from start to finish, then what would be the point of everyone else cultivating painstakingly? They might as well just find a block of tofu and smash into it to die.
For a fleeting moment, the two of them had almost begun to doubt the most basic common sense of cultivation.
“So that’s how it is…” He Yaxiao felt that her brain had finally recovered a bit, and only then did she shift her gaze back to the book Xiao Ying had placed to the side, Five Elements Primordial Unity Theory.
She recalled carefully and confirmed that she had never seen this text in the recommended reading lists of Zhiying Peak, or even of the sect.
“By the way, Junior Sister Xiao Ying, the book you were reading just now was…?”
“Oh, this?” Xiao Ying followed her gaze and explained, “It’s something I found myself on a bookshelf when you took me to the Scripture Pavilion earlier to familiarize myself with the place. Although using my method can improve efficiency, after each time that kind of ‘superposed state’ ends, the spiritual energies of different attributes still become somewhat chaotic within the meridians and the dantian. So I wanted to see whether any seniors had left behind cultivation methods or theories that could help me sort out the follow-up handling.”
“……”
The tiny bit of confidence He Yaxiao had just recovered was instantly smashed to pieces by these words.
Back when she had just started Qi Refining, she had completely followed whatever her elders told her to read, obediently reading whatever she was instructed to read.
She had never dared—nor even thought—to search for obscure texts on her own as references.
But this junior sister in front of her? Self-creating an exclusive cultivation method was one thing, but now she had even, without a teacher’s guidance, learned how to look up literature and find references, proactively patching and optimizing her own cultivation method?!
Just what kind of monster was this…?
Looking at Xiao Ying’s expression that clearly said “this is perfectly normal,” He Yaxiao let out another silent scream from the depths of her heart.
True Person! Am I really… still qualified to be her guiding senior sister?!
And True Person Zhiying, who had maintained a smile on her lips the whole time, also finally snapped back from her excitement.
With a slightly serious expression, she spoke to Xiao Ying,
“Being able to self-create a cultivation method is naturally a good thing. However, the upcoming third layer, ‘Spine-Penetration,’ will involve the two core meridians of Ren and Du. The process will also be extremely dangerous. So next, you should prioritize stability. First, consolidate the results of your earlier ‘Channel-Unblocking.’ For the next half month, let Senior Sister He help you re-dredge and inspect the twelve main meridians. You were too hasty earlier, and there may very well be some hidden dangers.”
“Yes, Master. And Senior Sister He, I’ll be troubling you again after this.”
He Yaxiao suddenly wanted to tell True Person Zhiying to consider changing someone else to teach this junior sister.
If she stayed by her side any longer, the confidence she had built up over many years was probably going to be completely hollowed out.
……
A short while later, True Person Zhiying had Xiao Ying return to her room to rest.
She herself then accompanied He Yaxiao in escorting True Person Mingzhu to the mountain gate of Zhiying Peak.
As they walked along, True Person Mingzhu seemed to keenly sense He Yaxiao’s complicated and downcast emotions.
She stopped and, right in front of Weaving Shadow, spoke in a calm tone to console her,
“Sigh… Yaxiao, don’t take it too much to heart.” Her gaze seemed to drift far away, carrying a hint of the sentiment of someone who had been through it before.
“Back then, when I watched your Peak Master catch up step by step, and even later surpass me, the feelings in my heart were probably quite similar to what you’re feeling now.”
She let out a light sigh, her tone growing even gentler.
“When facing monsters whose talent is so absurd it defies reason, the best approach is simply not to compare yourself to them. Just do your best with your own matters and guard your Dao Heart—that’s enough.”
“Th-thank you for the guidance, True Person!” He Yaxiao was both flattered and startled, hurriedly bowing.
She had always felt that True Person Mingzhu, as her own Peak Master’s Martial Great-Aunt, was usually rather aloof and even somewhat indifferent toward her, and she had often harbored some grievances in her heart.
Only now did she suddenly realize just how difficult it must have been for this True Person—facing such a monstrously talented, and often “wildly outspoken,” martial niece—to keep her mindset from collapsing and cultivate all the way to Qi Refining Great Perfection.
All of a sudden, she felt that this True Person Mingzhu—who clearly possessed the delicate appearance and voice of a young girl—was instead radiating a sense of reassuring inclusiveness forged through many years of experience, carrying a rich maternal warmth that made people inexplicably want to draw close and act spoiled.
“Oh my, Martial Great-Aunt, what are you saying?” True Person Zhiying, who was likely still immersed in the excitement of having accepted a peerless disciple, put on a carefree smile and chimed in affectionately.
“Back then, I always took you as my goal and chased after you with all my might!”
At the same time, she quietly shot He Yaxiao a look, signaling that she could head back first.
“Is that so?” True Person Mingzhu shot her a sideways glance, her tone flat yet utterly merciless in exposing her.
“But back then, your tone didn’t seem quite as ‘good’ as it is now, did it?”
“Hehe, when you’re young, you’re always a bit arrogant.” True Person Zhiying leaned closer by half a step, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness.
“But in my heart, I truly like you, Martial Great-Aunt! Oh right… about what I said earlier, about going to your place to bathe tonight…”
“Don’t even think about it!”
……
Inside Xiao Ying’s room, the candlelight flickered softly.
The newly returned Xiao Ying was facing a detailed human meridian chart, her slender fingers slowly tracing over the intricate intersections of the meridian pathways as she murmured quietly, seemingly confirming something.
“Mmm… I’ve more or less memorized all the directions and characteristics of the meridians. Next, as long as I deepen my control over that small bit of time-related power, I should be able to continue cultivating using that method.”
She spoke to herself as she carefully rolled up the meridian chart and put it away.
Then she leaned back and flopped onto the soft bed, staring at the ceiling as she let her thoughts drift aimlessly.
“I heard that the sect’s recently very prominent prodigy, Nan Yuchen, took more than two and a half years to break through to Foundation Establishment…” She blinked and began to plan seriously.
“Master is right. I can’t be too rushed; I should be steadier. Then I’ll be conservative… set three years, maybe? Mm, three years should be about right. If it’s any faster, it really might not be very good… for example, it could hurt Young Master’s pride.”
The moment she thought of her own Young Master, her thoughts drifted uncontrollably into the distance.
A sly yet gentle curve quietly lifted at the corner of her lips, like a little fox who had thought of something fun.
Her face uncontrollably revealed a complex smile mixed with indulgence, smugness, and a hint of teasing, naturally bewitching.
“Sigh… come to think of it, cultivation doesn’t seem as difficult as I imagined.” She rolled over, burying her face in the soft pillow, her voice carrying a touch of arrogant confidence.
“Why did Young Master spend so many years, and he’s still stuck at the Qi-Refining Fifth Layer? Sigh… he must just be too useless.”
As if she had arrived at an entirely self-evident conclusion, she let out a light snort.
Yet her tone was filled with intimacy and a trace of pride.
“As expected… Young Master really can’t do without Xiao Ying.”