UGB Chapter 22 Seven Steps to Summoning the Spirit
Chapter 22 Seven Steps to Summoning the Spirit
The world is bustling, all come for the benefit, and the world is bustling, all go for the benefit.
Rules can restrain the timid, but they cannot restrain the audacious.
Fang Shi turned around and saw Han Laoliu emerge from behind the street corner, staring at him with an unfriendly expression.
Fang Shi cupped his hands and said, "Senior, what brings you here?"
Han Laoliu sneered and said, "Kid, I haven't settled the score with you from last time!"
At the same time, another voice rang in Fang Shi's ears, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet clear and distinct: "Young friend, don't panic. I want to buy the cold-resistant talismans drawn by the person behind you. Seven spirit fragments for each talisman, as many as you have."
Fang Shi felt a chill run down his spine.
This method of transmitting sound into the ear is not a particularly profound technique, but any magical power used will wear down the meridians, so cultivators will never use it lightly unless absolutely necessary.
This person is willing to sacrifice his cultivation to negotiate this deal; his intentions must be quite significant.
He composed himself, remaining calm and composed, and said, "This is not good, I haven't offended any seniors."
Han Laoliu said, "Whether or not we offend someone is not up to you!"
The voice transmission sounded again, saying, "The one leading the charge is from Baicaoxuan, so there's nothing to worry about."
Fang Shidao said, "Sanpan Temple is a place of righteousness. If there are any scoundrels or petty thieves, the virtuous disciples of the temple will bring them to justice."
Han Laoliu said, "What's this about petty theft or thievery between us?"
The voice transmission sounded again, this time with a hint of amusement, saying, "Sanpan Temple? Who isn't a member of Sanpan Temple? Lingfu Pavilion, relying on the power of its inner disciples, forces prices down and bullies rogue cultivators. How can they do anything honorably? Now that Baicao Pavilion is willing to step forward, it's the perfect opportunity to counterattack. If the person behind you can cooperate, doubling the price of talismans won't be difficult. You do the math: Lingfu Pavilion buys four talismans, Baicao Pavilion sells seven. How much difference is there?"
Fang swore, "Since you're not a petty thief, then don't block my way, or else..."
As he spoke, he glanced casually in the direction of Lingfuxuan's stall.
Han Laoliu followed his gaze. Although he couldn't see the young servant in blue from across the street corner, a hint of hesitation and resentment appeared on his face. After a moment, he snorted and said, "You're right."
Having said that, he turned and left.
At the same time, Fang Shi heard the last words: "If you can't make the decision, then ask the person behind you to make the decision."
Fang Shi did not reply, turned around, and walked away.
He had already made up his mind—he would not get involved with Han Laoliu, Lingfuxuan, or Baicaoxuan.
He only does business drawing talismans.
……
Now, Han Laoliu bid farewell to Fang Shi and turned into the alley alone, pushing open the door of a low house.
Zhao Xuan was sitting at the table, holding a bowl of tea. Seeing him come in, he put down the teacup and asked, "Did the person behind that kid agree?"
Han Laoliu plopped down on the stool, his face full of disdain, and said, "Agree my ass! He didn't even say a word. I think that kid is a coward, and the guy behind him is even more of a coward, afraid of dying, and doesn't dare to step forward at all."
Zhao Xuan frowned and asked, "What's going on?"
Han Laoliu then recounted his conversation with Fang Shi in detail, concluding, "I pleaded with him to the best of my ability, even offering seven pills from Baicaoxuan, but he wouldn't even agree to deliver a message. Tell me, isn't that just cowardice?"
Zhao Xuan said, "Perhaps it's out of caution. That kid may be young, but he's not stupid. Lingfu Pavilion is powerful, with inner disciples backing him up. If it were me, I would also have to think twice."
Han Laoliu snorted and said, "You're just a coward! Haven't you heard the saying, 'The bold get rich, the timid starve'? You and I are rogue cultivators, born with nothing. If we don't take a gamble, how can we get to where we are today? Have you forgotten how you advanced to the mid-stage of Qi Refining? If you hadn't gone deep into the Great Wilderness and fought for a chance, would you be where you are today?"
Zhao Xuan remained silent for a moment.
Of course he remembers.
That year, he was stuck at the third level of Qi Refining for three years, unable to make any progress. He gritted his teeth and followed a group of rogue cultivators into the Great Wilderness. After surviving by the skin of his teeth, he finally managed to retrieve a bottle of Spirit Guiding Pills from the cave of an unknown ancient cultivator.
That elixir is from a very old time, and we don't know if it's still effective.
But he took a gamble, swallowed it, and forcefully broke through the bottleneck.
If I had hesitated even a fraction of a second back then, I'd probably still be stuck at the third level of Qi Refining.
He said, "Taking risks and being cautious are not contradictory; you must think things through carefully."
Han Laoliu said, "There's no conflict, but being too timid and calculating in everything will make me lose my courage to forge ahead. That Lingfuxuan is wicked and has cut off my chance to improve myself, so I'll join Baicaoxuan and fight them. Old Zhao, we agreed to stand together, you won't go back on your word, will you?"
Zhao Xuan said, "Now that I've joined, there's no reason for me to regret it. Let's go find the next person."
Han Laoliu stood up and said, "I'll go find Wang Shun, and you go find Liu Yi. Both of them are old rogue cultivators at the fourth level of Qi Refining. One sells talismans on West Street, and the other lives at the south end. They're both being suffocated by the pressure from Lingfuxuan."
Zhao Xuan nodded, and the two parted ways.
In about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was already walking on the south side of the street.
The south end is different from the north and west ends—the north and west ends are where talismans, herbs, and monster pelts are traded, and the north end is where rogue cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining make a living.
The southern end, however, is mostly lined with restaurants, teahouses, cosmetic shops, and clothing stores. There are also a few stages along the roadside, where operas about talented scholars and beautiful women are sung on weekdays, making it a place of leisure for those wealthy cultivators.
Zhao Xuan doesn't like these things.
As a rogue cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining, he earned money and cultivated by drawing talismans every day. He had no spare money or time to listen to those decadent songs.
But today, as he passed by the stage, the lyrics drifting from there seemed to drill straight into his ears.
"Seeking the Way through a thousand mountains, enduring wind and snow, is not as good as half a field on a ridge."
The voice was desolate, like an old man sighing.
Zhao Xuan slowed his pace and involuntarily glanced towards the stage.
On stage, an old man in a tattered Taoist robe was leaning on a cane, singing a play that looked somewhat familiar to him.
He remembered—the play was called "The Farmer," and he had seen it when he was young.
It tells the story of a rogue cultivator who, after decades of arduous training, traversing mountains and valleys and venturing into the wilderness, achieved nothing in the end. His meridians were worn down, his cultivation stagnated, and he couldn't even break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining.
In his later years, he returned to his hometown and found that his former cultivation companions had long since given up cultivation and were now farming on the ridges, planting in spring and harvesting in autumn, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Although they had no cultivation, they lived a carefree and peaceful life.
The old man was singing the final scene—the rogue cultivator stood on the edge of the field, gazing at the golden rice paddies, and let out a long sigh.
Zhao Xuan stood below the stage, listened for a few moments, shook his head, and turned to leave.
This play is for those who have failed in their spiritual practice; it has nothing to do with him.
He regained his composure and quickened his pace.
The desolate singing continued behind me, note by note, drifting in the winter chill.
……
Fang returned home and went over the key points of the "Little Water Cloud Technique" he had deduced that day in his mind several times, and also studied the Seven Steps of Invoking Spirits.
Before I knew it, it was late at night.
Today we cooked the last of the wild rice grains; the delicate fragrance of the rice still lingers on the tip of my tongue.
He cast a dust-repelling spell and lay down on the bed fully clothed.
Place your hands on your lower abdomen (Dantian), and with each breath, focus your mind on relaxing from head to toe, inch by inch.
Perhaps it was because he had mastered the art of sleeping on wild rice and lying down, but he fell asleep even faster tonight.
This time, he dreamed that he was wrapped in soil again, like a tiny seed buried in the darkness.
He could feel the wind, the rain, the sunlight, and the shadows of the clouds outside, but he couldn't reach them or see them.
He could only lie there quietly and wait.
The soil was warm, damp, and soft.
Then he heard a very deep and resonant sound, like something breathing from deep underground.
The rhythm was so slow that it was almost imperceptible, but once you did notice it, you felt as if the entire earth was undulating along with it.
He tried to keep up with the rhythm.
One step, two steps, and he actually caught up.
With a single breath, spiritual energy surged in.
With a breath, the stale air dissipated.
Just as he was about to grasp something—he woke up.
[Reclining and Returning to Roots Proficiency +1]
[Reclining and Returning to Roots Proficiency +1]
【Reclining and Returning to Roots (Proficient): 2/200】
He lay there in a daze for a long time, just like before, before slowly coming back to his senses.
Sure enough, the wild rice had a remarkable effect.
Fang Shi sat up in bed and rubbed his temples.
He had only guessed at first, but now it was confirmed—there was indeed a trace of magical spirituality remaining in the wild rice, which was very beneficial to promoting the return to one's roots.
Since the advanced level of the "Reclining to the Root" technique can be performed in dreams, what would be the next step?
Unfortunately, he didn't have enough spiritual energy to grow more wild rice.
Cultivation requires spiritual energy, drawing talismans requires spiritual energy, and rice cultivation also requires spiritual energy.
There's only so much spiritual energy; if it's allocated to cultivation, then rice can't be grown.
He could only pick up the remaining energy stolen from the Pure Yuan Array and use it to raise a couple of pots of plants, which was better than nothing.
If we want to master the art of reciting wild rice, who knows when we'll reach that level of mastery?
Well, we can't rush the wild rice issue. For now, let's do what we can do first.
Next, he used the Lying Down Returning to Root technique to advance the "Little Water Cloud Technique" and the Seven Steps of Invoking the Spirit.
These two skills are different from the cold-resistant talisman, but he has studied them for many years. Perhaps once he activates the "Reclining Back to Roots" skill, a whole host of inspirations will come to him.
……
Over the next ten days, a new stall suddenly appeared at the north end of Panshi.
The stall was as large as Lingfuxuan's, with a wooden sign next to it bearing the three large characters "Jicaotang" in vigorous handwriting and bright ink.
On the first day of Ji Cao Tang's opening, Lin Zhong, the young servant in blue from Ling Fu Xuan, scoffed and spat across half a street, saying, "The people from Bai Cao Xuan don't sell herbs properly, they come here to sell talismans, aren't they afraid of ruining their reputation?"
But by the second day, he could no longer laugh.
Ji Caotang announced: They will buy all the Cold Protection Talismans and Flame Body Talismans for five Spirit Shards each, as many as you can get.
When the news spread, the entire northern capital was in an uproar.
Upon hearing this, the independent cultivators who sold talismans flocked to Ji Caotang's stall.
It turns out that Baicaoxuan had been secretly colluding with independent cultivators for some time, quietly acquiring nearly a hundred talismans at a price of seven each, all for today.
If you buy one item and sell it off immediately, your stall will be deserted. What will you have to compete with Lingfuxuan?
Now that the goods are in stock, it demonstrates determination, and the words spoken are convincing.
Lingfuxuan reacted quickly as well.
On the third day, Lin Zhong changed the price tag to five and a half grains.
Jicaotang followed suit, rising to six pills.
Ling Fuxuan gritted his teeth and the pills rose to six and a half.
Ji Caotang skips directly to seven grains.
The two families went back and forth like two children arguing, pushing and shoving each other, neither willing to admit defeat.
Fang has been selling talismans these days, going to whichever shop is best, going with the flow, which is quite carefree.
What used to be a daily income of just a few dollars is now equivalent to a day and a half of what it used to be.
After ten days, after deducting expenses and rent, he had accumulated 327 fragments of spirit.
He secretly calculated that if he closed himself off to cultivate, these fragments of spirit would be enough to sustain him for four months.
What's even more ingenious is that Baicaoxuan not only raised the purchase price, but also lowered the price of the talismans sold to herb-gathering cultivators.
The number of Cold Protection Talismans has decreased from eight to six, and the number of Flame Protection Talismans has also decreased significantly.
The herb gatherers carrying their baskets cheered and talked about it as they walked along the road.
"Have you heard? Ji Cao Tang is selling six winter-warming talismans now! That's two talismans cheaper than Ling Fu Xuan!"
"You bet you are! I bought one yesterday, and it works great. I knew it! These talismans are supposed to be this price; eight pills a pack, who can afford that?"
"Lingfuxuan has also lowered his price, to seven pills. Let them fight it out; we'll save our spirit fragments."
When Fang returned from selling the talisman, hearing these words reminded him of Wu Tong.
That kid went to Cold Mist Ravine and never returned; no one knows whether he's dead or alive.
He sighed inwardly, suppressed those distracting thoughts, and headed home.
……
Back home, Fang Shi didn't sit down to study the "Little Water Cloud Technique" and the Seven Steps of Spirit Invocation as usual. Instead, he used the Dust-Avoiding Technique to cleanse his body and then eagerly lay down on the bed.
He had practiced the Seven Steps of Spirit Invocation for many years and thought he had mastered them by heart. However, after practicing the Reclining Return to Root technique every day these days, he discovered that every detail, from the rhythm of his steps to the arc of his raised hands and the timing of guiding the spirit into his body, was worth studying.
Once the inspiration was sparked, it never stopped. He followed this momentum and deduced the steps day and night, and even pushed the Seven Steps of Invocation to the level of [Seven Steps of Invocation (Beginner): 95/100] in his dream.
Therefore, he had a premonition—today's dream was the time for a breakthrough.
With this thought in mind, Fang Shi completed the ritual of returning to his roots and fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he stood again on that vast, white, empty field.
This time, however, what was hanging in front of him was not the phantom of a talisman for warding off the cold, but a shadow that looked exactly like him, walking in a set of steps that he knew all too well.
Step with your left foot to the right, move your right foot to the left, advance and retreat with ease, and be successful in all directions.
Slowly raise both hands, palms facing each other, as if holding a ball.
The shadow's movements were more fluid and graceful than his, each step perfectly timed to an unseen rhythm, neither hurried nor slow.
Fang Shi involuntarily followed the shadow. One step, two steps, three steps.
The shadow took a step, and he followed; the shadow stopped, and he stopped too.
After walking through it once, the shadow started walking it a second time, and he followed it a second time.
He walked countless times, and gradually felt his steps become lighter, as if he were walking on clouds or on water, feeling comfortable all over.
The shadow's steps quickened, and so did his.
Later, he could no longer tell whether he was following his shadow or his shadow was following him.
[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]
[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]
……
[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]
【Seven Steps to Invoking Spirits (Beginner): 100/100】
[Seven Steps to Level Up: Beginner → Proficient↑]