Chapter 37: The Flawed Technique

The senior brother put down his rice bowl, straightened his Daoist robe, and gestured for Pan Yun to sit across from him. "Come, let me check you over."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, activated her cultivation technique, and looked at him again—his blood and qi were abundant, his aura upright and orderly; at the very least, he was a righteous and good-hearted man.

Pan Xiaohei had somehow run over and quietly settled down beside Pan Yun's feet.

Pan Yun glanced at it once, then sat down opposite the senior brother, crossing her legs in meditation posture.

She herself wanted to know what was wrong with her cultivation technique.

The Realm Spirit and Master Xuanmiao had mentioned it more than once, yet never got to the root cause.

The senior brother smiled, unbothered by her scrutiny, and when she was seated, said: "First, enter stillness. Perform one minor celestial cycle for me."

Pan Yun lowered her eyelids, breathed deeply and evenly, and soon entered stillness, her technique activating.

The senior brother was stunned, rubbing his eyes uncertainly, then sat bolt upright in shock when he confirmed she had truly entered stillness—his gaze upon her seemed to glow.

He couldn't help but glance at Tao Ji and Master Xuanmiao; they nodded to him—yes, she was truly this gifted.

The senior brother calmed his spirit, thought for a moment, then raised his hand, forming a seal and waiting silently. The surrounding qi stirred to life, flowing in unison with his hand seal toward Pan Yun.

First the qi near them, then expanding ten steps, twenty steps, fifty steps… the qi within the valley surged upward as well, rising like a white silk ribbon, spiraling gracefully to gather around Pan Yun…

Miaohe, who had come searching for the cat, stumbled in and froze mid-step at the sight of Pan Yun wrapped in white silk, no longer daring to make a sound.

Tao Ji and Master Xuanmiao turned to look at her; Miaohe immediately stood straight, pulled in her stomach, and wore an obedient expression.

Tao Ji waved her off; Miaohe turned and ran.

Tao Ji: …

Why is this disciple still so lively?

He sighed in worry.

Tao Ji turned back to gaze at the two seated opposite each other—Pan Yun was absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy as if inhaling clouds and exhaling mist.

Not only was her body greedily absorbing it, but Pan Xiaohei was also drawing upon the spiritual realm within her Upper Dantian, actively pulling in spiritual energy and assimilating it into itself.

In other words, Pan Yun's body was currently running two cultivation techniques simultaneously—though the spiritual realm's absorption was hidden beneath her massive intake of spiritual energy, utterly inconspicuous and never suspected.

Who knew how long it had been since a person and their spiritual realm had encountered such dense spiritual energy?

Oh, since descending into this world, they'd never encountered it again—apparently, not all of this world was as spiritually barren as Jingcheng; there were places like Sanqing, rich with spiritual energy like hidden realms.

I wonder how many more such blessed lands still exist?

Pan Xiaohei sighed contentedly, lying motionless on the ground—if only Pan Yun could always live in a place like this.

None of the three present noticed the spiritual realm or suspected Pan Yun's Upper Dantian, because the spiritual energy she absorbed scattered widely after completing one cycle—though much did reach her Lower Dantian, an equally large amount dispersed into her limbs and bones.

Despite the massive intake, the cultivation effect was not commensurate.

Although the senior brother could not directly peer inside her meridians, based on observing her surrounding spiritual energy and the hazy internal vision, he could judge seventy to eighty percent by experience.

The senior brother waited silently until she completed two minor celestial cycles before releasing the seal, letting the spiritual energy drift away.

Pan Yun slowly opened her eyes, astonished beyond words—she glanced at the senior brother's hands: without arrays, could he merely use hand seals to summon celestial spiritual energy?

The senior brother smiled warmly and asked: "Who is your master?" How could such a thing mislead a disciple?

Pan Yun shook her head: "I learned on my own. I have no master."

The senior brother relaxed at once, pointing to Master Xuanmiao: "I heard from these two that you excel in talisman arts. Would you consider becoming Master Xuanmiao's disciple? Among us at Sanqing Monastery, Master Xuanmiao is the greatest in talisman arts."

Pan Yun and Master Xuanmiao spoke in unison: "No!"

Though disappointed, the senior brother bore no ill will and accepted it quickly: "Alright, if you don't want to, then don't."

Still, he was willing to explain her cultivation technique: "Though some Dao cultivators do self-study and self-attain, they are rare. Most, like you, tinker on their own—and end up treading the wrong path."

Pan Yun looked utterly confused: How could it be wrong? This technique was taught in her past-life school—everyone in the nation learned it.

Some had even reached the Second Marquis realm, nearing the Third—rumor had it that entering the Third Marquis granted a thousand years of life, cloud-riding, no different from immortals.

Pan Yun never dared hope for the legendary realms of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh Marquis—her goal was simply the Third Marquis: cloud-riding, living freely for a thousand years.

And now someone told her her technique was wrong?

Pan Yun didn't believe it—and this was an ancient person. Could an ancient really be more capable than her, a person from the future?

She thought this inwardly, yet her mind churned like a storm—she thought of the state's intense focus and research on spiritual realms, then of the rapid, uncontrollable mutations of flora and fauna in her past life…

She knew her past-life nation lacked many lineages and lost many techniques—but she never imagined the national standard foundational technique, practiced by millions, was also wrong.

It was the only technique capable of reaching the Second Marquis.

If even that was wrong…

Pan Yun was still worrying inwardly for her past-life homeland when Pan Xiaohei lifted its head and meowed: "Worry about yourself first." Pan Yun immediately calmed her spirit, realizing—her shock had loosened the spiritual realm's barrier, allowing it to glimpse her thoughts.

Pan Xiaohei huffed: You're the one snooping! The Upper Dantian is now swirling nonstop—the noise pierces right through me; I can't help but hear it.

It's you who's deliberately creating noise, constantly disturbing me!

Pan Yun calmed her spirit and looked up at the Daoist seated across from her.

Seeing her tear-filled, bewildered eyes, the senior brother quickly comforted her: "Don't be afraid. If it's wrong, it's wrong—we caught it early. We can fix it."

Afraid she might cry, he spoke gently: "It's like a child learning to write—holding the brush wrong, then correcting it once they know. Though muscle memory lingers, making it harder, you're so clever—you taught yourself even with zero knowledge. This is nothing."

But she wasn't just newly cultivating—this psychological memory wasn't eight years—it stretched back to her past life.

Pan Yun took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Master is right. I will fix it."

How hard could it be compared to clearing her father's name?

It's just changing a cultivation technique.

She'll change it!

!. Read

Pan Yun looked at the Daoist with full trust and asked: "Then what technique should I switch to?"

"First, tell me exactly how your technique flows. Let me see if I can find one similar."

Pan Yun immediately told him.

The senior brother initially frowned attentively, but after a moment his brow tightened further—he felt as if he had seen this cultivation method before, yet could not recall where.

He stopped Pan Yun's words: "Let me think, let me think…"

The senior brother sat on the rock in deep thought, his face twisted in confusion—where exactly had he seen it before?

After waiting a long time without further sound, Tao Ji saw that night had fully fallen and said plainly: "Pan Yun, I'll take you to find a room to rest. When the senior brother remembers, he'll come find you."

Pan Yun left reluctantly.

The black cat remained motionless, still lying there—it was mocking her inside her mind: 【I thought you trusted him more. You told him your own cultivation method, yet told me to stay and eavesdrop.】

Pan Yun followed Tao Ji with an expression of heartfelt gratitude, inwardly sneering: "If you dare not stay, and I've misjudged him, we're both done for."

A cultivation method she could have learned upon entering her previous school, in exchange for a dedicated physician's examination and solution—how insignificant is that cost?

The only thing she needed to guard against was whether he truly wished to solve her problem.

Also, Xuanmiao and Tao Ji had always acted strangely toward her; though Xuanmiao had explained, claiming she was merely keeping a promise, Pan Yun remained half-skeptical.

Pan Yun rummaged through her basket and pulled out her small bundle, hugging it as she followed Tao Ji toward another courtyard.

He said: "Our Three Pure Ones Monastery has few people. The front is where we enshrine the Three Pure Ones, Ge Xianweng, and Scholar Li. Cultivation also takes place up front. Behind are two courtyards: this one is the men's courtyard, and that one is the women's courtyard."

"The place we just passed is the kitchen. It has no walls—it's built right against the cliff. Though spacious, be careful, especially at night—don't fall off."

Pan Yun asked curiously: "Why not build a wall?"

"Why build one?" Tao Ji replied as if it were obvious: "The space is large. When chopping firewood, you can face the cliff and watch the sea of clouds—how joyful."

Pan Yun thought about it and nodded in agreement.

"Few came out today because tomorrow is the first of the month—the senior brother will inspect our progress, so they rushed to cram. Miaohuo… probably couldn't sit still and got hungry. I told Miaohuo to come with you."

Tao Ji pushed open the door to the women's courtyard and called out, hands on hips: "Miaohuo! Miaohuo!"

A window on the left opened, and Miaohuo poked her head out, seeing the dark shadow in the courtyard: "Master?"

"Light a lamp quickly and take your… Sister Pan Yun to her room to rest."

Miaohuo replied and brought out her oil lamp, cheerfully telling Pan Yun: "Sister Pan Yun, we've already prepared your room—follow me."

Miaohuo opened the adjacent room and went in first, holding the lamp.

Seeing Pan Yun follow Miaohuo, Tao Ji turned and left: "Remember to get some food for Pan Yun from the kitchen later."

Miaohuo agreed.

The room was small. To the left as you entered, against the wall, stood a small bed—no mosquito net, just bare.

On the bed were a pillow and a quilt, neatly folded. Beneath the window was a table and a stool; opposite, near the rear window, a screen separated off an area containing the chamber pot.

Pan Yun said she could manage with late-night trips.

There was another window by the door—the front window—beneath which sat a table with a bronze mirror on it.

Miaohuo placed the oil lamp on the table and told Pan Yun: "This bronze mirror was sent to you by Fourth Sister."

The lucky numbers for today and tomorrow are those ending in 0. Screenshot as proof. Screenshot deadline: before the next chapter update.

(End of Chapter)