Chapter 304: Learning to Praise Myself

Wang Feiyin dragged the chest out and opened it for them to see.

Inside was a huge, round, smooth-surfaced, jet-black boulder.

Pan Yun touched it and said in surprise, "A meteorite?"

Wang Feiyin nodded and said, "It really did fall from the sky. I spent quite a bit of effort snatching it back then, hauling it all the way back from the great desert."

Wang Feiyin sighed, "Back then, I didn't even have my Sleeve Universe yet. I dragged it back the whole way, and I still had to deal with all those covetous villains."

Pan Yun looked at him admiringly. "So heavy, Senior Brother. You worked hard."

Wang Feiyin said with a beaming smile, "As long as you all know I worked hard, that's enough."

"But this meteorite's density is so high. If you want me to use it to make a flying magic treasure, are you trying to make me bounce up and then smash someone to death by dropping straight down?"

Wang Feiyin patted her head. "Nonsense. Am I that unreliable a person?"

He pointed at that piece of wood and said, "Do you know why I had you look at that piece of wood first? Although I don't know what kind of tree it is, after pondering it for years, I did manage to discover one of its properties."

He said, "This wood is harder than steel, but it can make a person light and float upward."

Pan Yun: "Eh?"

The others also crowded around the wood in surprise to look.

Wang Feiyin said, "Combine the two. The wood's property can offset the weight of this meteorite. Then use saponified clay to fuse the two into one. As for malleability, there's no need to worry at all. The question is... what shape do you want to make it?"

Pan Yun was also thinking. "Senior Brother, who's going to refine it? Generally, artifact refiners design according to the client's needs, right?"

Wang Feiyin looked thoughtful. "You're not wrong to say that. Back then, my medicine cauldron was also designed by that person. As long as you clearly state the functions you want, that's enough."

Wang Feiyin said, "I'll give you one night to think about the flying magic treasure you want. Tomorrow I'll take you on a long trip."

He said it was a long trip, but he had no intention of taking a carriage or walking. Instead, he flew straight there.

This time Wang Feiyin didn't even bother using his own medicine cauldron. He pulled out a sword, tossed it into the air, grabbed Pan Yun, and whoosh—up they flew, vanishing into the horizon in the next instant.

Tao Yanbai looked up at them flying into the distance and couldn't help sighing, "They really fly fast~~"

Unfortunately, his Dao-cultivation talent was average. He might never enter the Dao in his entire life and could only learn some martial arts for self-defense. Otherwise...

Tao Yanbai's eyes were full of envy. When Tao Ji turned her gaze back and saw him still looking, she said, "Senior Brother figured out a new cultivation method. Combined with acupuncture cultivation, aside from the pain, there are no other problems. If you can steel yourself, once I return from outside, I'll give you the acupuncture cultivation."

Tao Yanbai was stunned. "I—I can cultivate primordial force too?"

Tao Ji: "Not primordial force, it's internal force. It improves the efficiency of refining essence into internal force. Once your internal force is deep enough, it will naturally convert into primordial force."

Tao Ji paused, then said, "It doesn't matter if you can't convert. I see your Little Xiao Shishu has a lot of talent in this matter. When she comes back, I'll ask her method and see if I can work out one suited for you."

Zhang Liuzhen hadn't worked out a new cultivation method, had she? Pan Yun noticed something off at the first moment and had been helping Zhang Liuzhen perfect that cultivation method all along.

He had heard his junior sister mention that this cultivation method could let people with average talent also "see" spiritual energy, attract spiritual energy, absorb spiritual energy, and then convert it into primordial force.

Although he had never broken through to the First Marquis, he knew how to convert internal force into primordial force, knew how to inhale and exhale spiritual energy, convert it into internal force, and then internal force into primordial force...

Tao Yanbai was just missing one step. As long as he could grasp the trick of converting internal force into primordial force, he would have taken the first step and gained the chance to enter the Dao.

Unfortunately, this trick could only be comprehended by oneself. Predecessors could only tell them some general experiences.

Why was it said that Seeing Miao Zhen and You had the talent for Dao cultivation, and that their talent was very high?

It was because they were naturally attractive to spiritual energy. Even before they began cultivating, spiritual energy was already more亲和 to them.

And after they cultivated internal force, one day, by accident, they converted the internal force in their Upper Dantian into primordial force. Thus they could learn spells and touch the threshold of the Dao.

Precisely because of their talent, everyone in the Sanqing Temple knew that as long as they didn't die young and cultivated step by step, one day they would break through the First Marquis and formally step over the threshold of Dao cultivation.

As for Tao Yanbai... it was very difficult.

But it didn't matter. If innate endowment was lacking, acquired effort would make up for it.

Tao Ji said, "Besides acupuncture, there are also pills. I've figured out a few more ingredients. Once I come back from my trip, I'll refine them for you to take. Acupuncture and pills together—I don't believe you won't succeed in training."

A chill ran down Tao Yanbai's spine. He said with a trembling heart, "M-Mar... Xiao Shishu, actually I wanted to rely purely on my own effort..."

Tao Ji grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him toward the rear courtyard. "Fool. If you can rely on external things, why rely purely on yourself? I think it's precisely because your brain isn't good enough that your talent isn't good enough. You need to change your way of thinking..."

Wang Cong silently shrank to one side without speaking. Only after his martial uncle and junior brother had walked far away did he let out a breath, then openly walked into the main hall.

Pan Yun, who had flown high and far, screamed twice and was about to hug Wang Feiyin.

But Wang Feiyin wanted her to overcome her psychological fear, so he pushed her far away. Holding her with one hand, primordial force swirling around, he didn't let her get close.

Pan Yun grabbed the fat cat趴ing on her shoulder and held it in front of her face, eyes tightly shut, listening to the wind whooshing past.

She kept telling herself in her heart, 【I can do it, I'm already at the First Marquis, even if I fall I can fly back up!】 【Not bad! Even if I fall I can fly back up!】

Pan Xiaohei was furious: 【I don't believe a word you say!】

【Put me down, and I'll believe you two parts out of ten!】

Pan Yun ignored it and continued to give herself mental suggestions. 【Even if object-controlling flight is difficult, I still have lightness skill. One circulation of primordial force and I'm invincible under heaven. Who do I fear?】

Pan Xiao Hei: 【You fear heights!】

【Shut up,】 Pan Yun said angrily, 【Don't you know I'm curing myself? Such a great opportunity can't be wasted. Come on, come praise me!】

Pan Xiao Hei fell silent. It also knew that praising her at this moment would work better than打击 her or scolding her. Actually, it didn't really want a宿主 who feared heights.

But looking at Pan Yun's face, it really couldn't praise her.

Since it couldn't praise her, Pan Yun praised herself in her heart. As she praised, she really did feel she'd become厉害, felt that standing on the flying sword wasn't dangerous at all.

First, Senior Brother was very reliable. He absolutely wouldn't let go;

Second, even if Senior Brother's hand slipped and dropped her, he would immediately catch her;

Finally, she was already at the First Marquis. She was so awesome, so厉害, she would definitely be able to toss out the flying sword from her spiritual realm space at the critical moment and fly up. If even that failed, when she was about to hit the ground, she could also use lightness skill to fly up.

!. Read

Important things said ten times. Slowly, the panic in Pan Yun's heart faded a little.

Her heart cured her body. She instantly felt her weak legs steady a bit.

Pan Yun stood up straight, and at the same time moved Pan Xiao Hei, who had been firmly fixed in front of her face, down a little, revealing a pair of eyes.

Wang Feiyin had been keeping an eye on Pan Yun. Seeing her peek out from behind the cat, and seeing the fingers that had been gripping so tightly they almost dug into the cat's body relax a little, he slowed his speed and thoughtfully blocked some of the wind for her.

The violent wind softened into a gentle breeze, and Pan Yun's experience improved considerably. She exhaled a breath, and seeing that Wang Feiyin didn't seem to notice her, she straightened her back, and her whole person instantly grew much taller.

She slowly held the cat against her chest, revealing her entire face, gazing straight ahead without looking sideways.

No one knew how long they had flown. Wang Feiyin descended in a hidden spot, carrying Pan Yun as he landed.

"We can't let people see us flying in the sky. This is an unspoken rule. In the future, you must remember this point too—certain abilities need to be kept away from crowds."

Pan Yun: "Why?"

"Under heaven, the number of people who can cultivate the Dao is exceedingly few. Letting them know there is another world, giving rise to desires they can never touch—that is a cruel thing."

Wang Feiyin said: "It brings no benefit to the people, no benefit to the nation, so we must avoid crowds."

Pan Yun: "Then what about our divination, performing rituals, and subduing demons and vanquishing monsters…"

Wang Feiyin smiled slightly and said: "These are all things that benefit the people. The believers believe, the non-believers don't. In the common folk's understanding, those who do these things all have flaws—the Five Deficiencies and Three Shortcomings. So although they are powerful, people don't yearn for it."

"But if they knew we could fly, gain abilities beyond nature, and pursue longevity…" Wang Feiyin paused, then said: "Even Qin Shi Huang couldn't control such desires. How many common folk under heaven do you think could control them?"

In Pan Yun's past life, the revival of spiritual energy was a matter known to all the public, and such a problem simply didn't exist.

She pondered for a moment. "So, when everything is merely imagination and suspicion, the common folk won't collectively believe or collectively pursue it. But if you let them see us flying in midair, and they confirm the legends to be true, they will definitely collectively pursue it."

"Not bad," Wang Feiyin nodded and said: "To speak frankly, what benefit do you and I bring to the nation and the people? We pay no taxes, perform no corvée labor, idle about all day, and occasionally act violently and brawl."

Pan Yun: "……"

Wang Feiyin: "That's why the Great Ancestor, the August Emperor, managed monks and Daoists strictly. If everyone ran off chasing longevity, the nation would be finished."

Pan Yun: "……Then shall we pay some taxes too?"

Wang Feiyin shot her a sideways glance and said: "Taxes and corvée labor go together. If a Daoist Priest pays taxes and performs corvée labor, when would there be time to ponder the Great Dao?"

Pan Yun muttered: "……In my past life everyone paid taxes equally, paid according to income."

However, in the Great Ming, taxes and corvée labor were tied together—paying taxes inevitably meant performing corvée labor.

Pan Yun sighed and said: "If only one day corvée labor could be abolished, all the common folk under heaven wouldn't have to perform corvée labor."

Wang Feiyin raised an eyebrow. "If no one performs corvée labor, who will repair the roads, build the dikes, dredge the rivers?"

Pan Yun: "Spend money to hire people, of course."

"Then who will carry the sedan chairs, strike the watch drums, sweep the streets, deliver the letters?"

That's right, these are all corvée labor.

Pan Yun: "Spend money to hire people!"

She paused, then said: "The common folk truly suffer. If these corvée duties could be eliminated, they would be so much more relaxed, so much happier."

Good night

(End of chapter)