Chapter 35: Spirit Pool Water, a Single Orchid Leaf

Yan Buji took a deep breath; after Xiao Ran left the Yan Residence following Rou Er to the academy, that mysterious feeling of being watched finally disappeared.

This kind of watching, I've only felt it on Ling Yan before. But Xiao Ran's.... seems even stronger than Ling Yan's. Even without any cultivation movement on my part, it feels as if I'm being seen through completely!

Yan Buji clenched his fists, his face turning dark bluish-black.

If not for that, how could he so indulge Xiao Ran in making those shameless requests!

It seems....

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, rubbing his chest.

"This Xiao Ran is extraordinary, just like Ling Yan, both able to sense abnormalities. If so, it's time to go all out."

With only ten days left until the Spring Literary Assembly convenes, all arrangements are complete, and despite having made every preparation, Yan Buji still feels it isn't enough—just as when faced with the sudden appearance of Xiao Ran, he has no recourse!

But Yan Buji is not entirely unprepared.

Since the Yan King's Judgment of Ghosts Diagram can block a martial artist's scouting, perhaps it can also block abnormal scouting!

Last time it was due to the rubbing; perhaps its power wasn't sufficient.

But this time!

Yan Buji changed his clothes, disguised himself, and went to a shop in the city.

It's a tailor shop; after inquiring around, I learned that the tailor used to do tattoo work for criminals, but he's retired due to old age.

"What would you like, sir? Our fabrics are all top-notch," the old man laughed.

"Old sir, I heard you can help people get tattoos here?"

The old man's face changed: "Customer, do you know what tattooing entails...."

"I know, but I just like it—is that not allowed?"

The old man rolled his eyes.

Fine, why not?

You insist on making yourself look as lowly as a criminal just to make money—I've seen plenty of you martial arts types!

"Then come over; what ink do you want to use?"

"Vermilion cinnabar ink."

"Cinnabar is toxic, though its shelf life is long—it won't change color for decades...."

"I'm not afraid."

"Then it seems you're not afraid of pain either."

Yan Buji put on a mask, removed his upper garment, and handed the Yan King's Judgment of Ghosts Diagram to the old man.

Upon seeing it, the old man's face immediately turned strange.

"How arrogant—ordinary martial artists just tattoo a dragon or a tiger; why would you put Lord Yan on your back?"

"You really aren't afraid of inviting unclean things."

"Where would you like the tattoo, sir?"

"On the chest."

"All right."

The old man picked up several slender long needles, began preparing the vermilion cinnabar ink on the side.

These long needles are specially made, hollow inside to draw the vermilion cinnabar ink, then when tattooing the ink is pressed onto the design.

Generally, such a complex tattoo also takes considerable time.

After the old man finished tattooing Yan Buji's chest, he wiped his sweat.

"Customer, it's done—how does it look?"

"Good, here's the money."

"Thank you."

Yan Buji chuckled, then slapped him on the crown of the head.

The old man rolled his eyes and collapsed, but without bleeding or any wounds.

Yan Buji placed him on the nearby lounge chair, gave a cold snort, and left.

Warmth came from his chest, the skin tingled slightly, but now even he himself couldn't probe his internal condition; he could only judge by the circulation of qi and blood and internal energy.

"Indeed, this spirit‑ghost diagram possesses unfathomable power, and this time no illusion appeared—truly excellent." Yan Buji chuckled.

I hope this can block Xiao Ran's strange probing ability; perhaps Xiao Ran also possesses some cultivation‑world treasure, but for Yan Buji that isn't the most important.

In other words, even if something happens between Xiao Ran and Yan Xirou causing some unexpected developments here, they won't exceed Yan Buji's control.

Frankly speaking, Yan Xirou is also his daughter; he has plenty of ways to make her accept reality!

As for Xiao Ran, if he minds his own business and doesn't meddle, that's fine; but if he dares to interfere, he won't be spared.

"Only ten days left, only ten days left—don't cause me any trouble!" Yan Buji took a deep breath and said.

Two days later.

Xiao Ran normally went to school with Yan Xirou, but at the academy he didn't talk much with her, just silently reading, then strolling around the academy to see if there was any way to reach the mountain peak.

After these two days of walking around the academy, Xiao Ran actually found a way. Many scholars usually go up to the mountaintop to view the scenery; as a student of the academy, Xiao Ran could naturally go up under the pretense of borrowing books to search for the blessed land's location.

Indeed, today he actually found it!

"Time is short; let's go in and take a quick look."

Following the old thing's guidance, Xiao Ran drew some strange patterns beneath the giant stone, after which he could enter the giant stone.

"How miraculous!"

【That's natural; this illusion formation targets perception, and with a slight alteration one can enter it.】

"Then what is that pattern you had me draw on the ground?"

【Hmph, the way of formations isn't as easy as you think, nor is it as simple as you imagine. Only this old man can easily let you, a mortal, enter without a key!】

The old thing was quite pleased, and Xiao Ran didn't want to say more, offering a compliment: "You're really impressive."

【Hahaha】

Xiao Ran briefly inspected the cave dwelling, but didn't seem to find anything else.

The study was also in disarray, with a large amount of torn paper scattered on the floor.

【Looks like someone got here first, but it doesn't matter; they're just useless ordinary books.】

"How do we tell them apart?"

【Cultivators basically use jade slips to carry techniques, record textual information, etc., which remain intact for tens of millions of years, whereas ordinary books are too easily damaged.】

Xiao Ran nodded: "I see."

Walking into the bedroom, Xiao Ran saw the stone bed and, out of curiosity, sat on it.

"So cold!"

【This cold marrow stone bed has the effect of condensing the mind and calming the qi, aiding cultivation; it counts as a special accumulation device. Feel around—there should be a hidden compartment; take out what's inside.】

"Oh."

Xiao Ran felt around on the bed but found nothing unusual.

【Alas, I still have to intervene myself!】

The old thing seemed to sense that this wasn't something a mortal could touch; at that moment, the ring Xiao Ran wore around his neck flashed with a burst of light that struck the stone bed!

The stone bed instantly shattered into square chunks, and in the very center there was a smooth-polished jade bamboo.

【Clear heart bamboo, a second-tier spiritual material—your luck's not bad. This spiritual bamboo, whether taken out alone for display or melted into the body to refine into an accumulation, is excellent spiritual material.】

"Can I use this thing first?" Xiao Ran asked.

"If it's unusable, what's the point of taking it?"

【Hmph, you brat, look down!】

"Huh?"

Xiao Ran stood on the fragments, looked down from where he had just taken the clear heart bamboo, and discovered another world!

"What's down there?"

【If I'm not mistaken, below is the true secluded retreat of this place's master! See that pool of water? That's spiritual water infused with spiritual qi, which can aid cultivation techniques and quickly open the mud pill!】

Xiao Ran widened his eyes, but the cave mouth was too small for him to enter for now; he'd need to enlarge it.

He also needed to build a ladder.

"What are those white flowers growing beside the pool?" Xiao Ran, sharp-eyed, spotted the flowers by the spiritual pool and asked curiously.

【That's a one-leaf ghost orchid, a first-tier spiritual material, containing considerable spiritual qi that can aid cultivation. This kind of ghost orchid grows one leaf every thousand years; with nine thousand years it can grow nine leaves, and if it goes further, after enduring the vegetative life-and-death calamity, it can bloom. At that point, it becomes a six-transform immortal material nine-leaf ghost orchid—considered the sole easily cultivated celestial material in the entire cultivation world.】

"Nine thousand years to sprout leaves?"

"One still needs to survive the tribulation to bloom before it becomes celestial material?"

"Considered easy to cultivate?"

"Although Xiao Ran lacks common knowledge, just hearing it sounds like something he couldn't possibly come into contact with."