UGB Chapter 21 The Cold Mist Dissipates
Chapter 21 The Cold Mist Dissipates
In dreams, things are bizarre and fantastical.
The things that linger in your mind during the day transform into all sorts of illusions at night, churning and unfolding in your dreams.
Some people dream of old friends they saw during the day, some dream of long-forgotten events, some dream of flying in the sky, and some dream of being chased by evil spirits—generally, it's a matter of what you think about during the day and what you dream about at night, and there's no particular logic to it.
But a few people have different dreams.
Their dreams always bring unexpected inspiration—like Mendeleev in his previous life, who deduced the entire periodic table in his dreams.
That is the power of dreams.
Even in his dream, Fang Shi vaguely sensed this incredible fortune.
He had realized he was dreaming, but he still felt powerless, like a bystander, forced offstage, forced to watch the play unfold, yet he clearly felt that he was the one performing.
This contradictory feeling, however, felt perfectly natural in the dream, without any sense of abruptness.
The logic in dreams is disjointed and chaotic.
Time and space can be folded, cause and effect can be reversed, yesterday and tomorrow can coexist, and life and death can be interchanged.
So he continued to draw talismans on the white, empty ground, again and again, stretching out his fingers to trace that illusory image.
However, proficiency does not always increase.
[Winter Protection Talisman Proficiency -1]
[Winter Protection Talisman Proficiency -1]
[Winter Protection Talisman Proficiency -1]
Those flawed thoughts and biased directions were directly reflected on the panel in the dream.
However, Fang Shi in the dream could not distinguish between right and wrong—in his perception, his proficiency in addition and subtraction seemed logically complete and self-contained.
What is wrong seems right, and what is right seems wrong; everything makes sense within the chaotic order of the dream.
He even felt that those wrong paths were still on the right track, just taken a longer route.
This feeling lasted until Fang Shi woke up.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a hazy, gray glow on my face.
He opened his eyes, staring blankly at the roof beams, the images from his dream still lingering in his mind.
But when he followed the train of thought from the dream, he found that all the flawless deductions in the dream had now revealed their flaws.
The leaps in reasoning, unnoticed in the dream, become like a jigsaw puzzle pieced together upon returning to conscious awareness—seemingly plausible from afar, but riddled with cracks upon closer inspection.
He glanced at the panel.
【Winter Protection Charm (Beginner): 60/100】
After adding and subtracting and struggling all night, eliminating those chaotic thoughts, my proficiency level dropped back to 60.
A dream last night, all for naught.
Fortunately, it's not entirely useless.
Several lines of thought appeared in the dream, and upon careful consideration, they vaguely gave Fang Shi some direction for inspiration.
He thought about one of the directions and felt that it had great potential, so he quickly wrote it down in his mind.
But when he looked at the panel, well, it was still wrong.
Continuing to extrapolate in that direction, it turns out to reduce proficiency.
Fang Shi pondered for a moment, and suddenly understood something.
It turns out that the skillful application of the "lying back to the root" posture, which has already reached a high level of proficiency, lies here.
The most difficult problems in the world are often not those where there is no answer, but those where we don't even know where the problem lies.
Like a computer that has crashed, it keeps going around in the same dead loop, unable to even think of trying a different approach.
The purpose of lying down and returning to one's roots is to help you restart in your dreams and let you see a completely new perspective.
Although that view may not be accurate, it is far better than being stuck in one place without any direction.
but……
Looking at the records on the panel, which were being added and subtracted, and recalling the details of his dream, Fang Shi gradually realized that he no longer needed to follow the wrong path like others.
The idea of lying down and returning to one's roots gave him inspiration, and the control panel cleared the way for him.
He sat up on the bed, closed his eyes, and continued to deduce the correct directions from his dream.
Those vague feelings gradually became clearer in my conscious mind.
He recalled the stroke of his finger across the void when he drew that flying line in his dream—the arc wasn't flat, but slightly curved, like a crescent moon, like a bowstring.
In the dream, I thought it was just something I did on a whim, but now I realize that the slight curve was the key.
And the teardrop-shaped talisman core—when finishing the stroke, one must not rush, but leave a moment to allow the magic power to circulate once within the talisman core before slowly withdrawing it.
[Winter-Proofing Talisman Proficiency +1]
[Winter-Proofing Talisman Proficiency +1]
……
[Winter-Proofing Talisman Proficiency +1]
【Winter Protection Charm (Beginner): 67/100】
In one go, seven points were added.
Fang Shi opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.
These 7 points came quickly, like water that had been stored for a long time, finally bursting forth from the dam.
However, he also knew that using the "Reclining Back to Roots" technique again would probably not have the same effect.
The inspirations that were triggered were mostly questions he had pondered before but had always been stuck in a dead end—he just didn't understand them at the time. Now, the "Returning to One's Roots" exercise helped him jump out of his dream and change his perspective.
Ultimately, returning to one's roots is simply about that key.
However, without these days of repeated contemplation, this key could not have been forged, and the treasure behind the door would naturally have been impossible to retrieve.
Regardless, returning to his roots by lying down ultimately accelerated his spiritual practice.
Those skills used to be something that could only be learned gradually.
Now that I have the ability to perform magic in my dreams, it's like having another path.
Fang Shi sat on the edge of the bed and carefully considered the current situation.
Given the current situation in Cold Mist Valley, Frost Spirit Grass is being fiercely contested by numerous independent cultivators, and its supply is dwindling day by day. At most, it will be exhausted in another month.
If I want to master the Cold Protection Talisman before the Frost Spirit Grass runs out, drawing five talismans a day, I'm afraid it's too late.
If that's the case, let's just stay where we are.
With a current proficiency level of 67, I can guarantee a near-perfect success rate in drawing talismans, and I can draw four talismans a day.
In that case, there's no need to waste any more time on the cold-proof talisman.
His goal is to improve his cultivation level, so he should focus his energy on things that can actually improve his cultivation level.
The "Little Water Cloud Technique" is of utmost importance, needless to say.
The Seven Steps of Spiritual Invocation can relieve meridian fatigue. If the fatigue after drawing talismans every day can be recovered quickly, more time can be squeezed out for cultivation. This practice also needs to be done every day without interruption.
He is only 6 points away from breaking through to the proficient level of Food Consumption and Guarding the Center. Once he succeeds, he will be able to absorb the spiritual energy transformed from food more efficiently, and the effect should be quite strong.
As for Xu Xing Shou Zhong—he wasn't sure yet what direct benefits this thing would have on his cultivation, so he decided to leave it for now and not rush to use it.
Of course, all of these arrangements are for daytime research.
Ultimately, he couldn't completely control what happened in his dreams.
All he could do was indulge in his thoughts during the day and dream about them at night.
Thinking this, Fang Shi got up and went to the kitchen. Today he was cooking wild rice.
There wasn't much wild rice left; at most, it would only last for one more day.
After eating wild rice last time, I've mastered the art of lying down and returning to my roots.
If tonight I were to lie down and return to my roots, but in my dreams I wasn't thinking about the things I studied during the day, but something else entirely, then there would be a reason for this wild rice.
However, that happened at night.
For now, let's draw a talisman.
……
By the time the four talismans were finished, the sun was already high in the sky.
Fang Shi put away the talisman and was about to leave when there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
"Thump, thump, thump."
Three quick, hurried sounds.
Fang Shi immediately knew it was that boy Wu.
Pulling back the latch, I saw that the sky outside was dark and the clouds hung low.
Wu Tong stood at the door, his usual playful expression gone.
Fang Shi asked, "But what happened in the north?"
Wu Tong said, "No, Brother Fang. I came to tell you something."
Fang Shi asked, "What is it?"
Wu Tong took a deep breath, as if trying to swallow it down: "Brother Fang, I'm going to Cold Mist Ravine to gather herbs."
Fang Shi was taken aback, then said, "You're only at the first level of Qi Refining, how could you have gone there?"
Wu Tong said, "Brother Fang, don't worry about the sale of the cold-resistant talismans. I've inquired, and the Frost Spirit Grass in Cold Mist Valley is becoming increasingly scarce. There's almost no stock left in the outer areas, only some remaining in the core area. The cold mist in the core is several times denser than in the outer areas, so ordinary cold-resistant talismans simply can't withstand it. Only talismans of higher quality can get in. Therefore, the price of cold-resistant talismans on the market will not only not drop, but will actually rise."
Fang Shi said, "That's not what I meant."
Wu Tong seemed not to hear him and continued, "It's strange, but now that the Frost Grass is gone, the outer mist has actually contracted, which is perfect for someone like me with low cultivation. I don't need to go into the core; I can just wander around the perimeter, picking up scraps of herbs that others don't want. Maybe I can even earn a few spirit fragments. If I can find that Frost Grass..."
Fang Shidao said, "Wu Tong!"
Wu Tong shut his mouth, lowered his head, and looked at his toes.
After a moment of silence, he raised his head, his eyes slightly red, but his gaze was unusually firm.
"Brother Fang, I understand what you're trying to say. My cultivation level is low, I don't know how to gather herbs, I have no experience, and it's dangerous for me to go to Cold Mist Valley. I know all of that."
"But Brother Fang, I want to cultivate, I want to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator. These things cannot be obtained by simply staying in Qiyuan Town."
"Brother Fang, I know you mean well, but if I don't fight, how will I ever have a chance? I'd be better off staying on the edge of the Great Wilderness, chopping wood and making charcoal, just waiting to die, and never thinking about cultivation."
The wind blew in from the alley entrance, making the hem of Wu Tong's old cotton-padded jacket flutter.
He stood at the doorway, his thin body appearing particularly frail in the winter sunlight, yet as straight as a spear.
Fang Shi stood at the door, looking at the half-grown child in front of him.
Three years ago, Wu Tong was a little beggar who eked out spiritual energy by the wall. He was as thin as a stick and was chased and beaten by people.
For three years, he gathered information for Fang Shi, ran errands for him, and watched over his stall.
Three years later, he still harbored a strong desire to move up the ranks.
Fang Shi remained silent for a moment, then took out a talisman for warding off the cold from his pocket and handed it over: "This is for you."
Wu Tong stared at the talisman, stunned, then waved his hands repeatedly: "Brother Fang, this is unacceptable! You're going to sell it yourself—"
Fang swore, "Take it."
Wu Tong tried to refuse, but Fang Shi had already stuffed the talisman into his hand.
Wu Tong looked down at the talisman, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a word.
A moment later, he suddenly knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground heavily, making a loud kowtow, his voice hoarse: "Brother Fang, thank you for taking care of me these past three years."
Fang Shi didn't dodge and accepted the beating.
Wu Tong stood up, carefully tucked the talisman into his pocket, and smiled at Fang Shi.
Then he turned around, strode out of the alley, and his old cotton-padded coat disappeared in the winter morning light.
Fang Shi stood at the door, gazing in the direction he had left, remaining motionless for a long time.
……
North head.
The young servant in blue at Lingfu Pavilion was examining a talisman when he looked up and saw Fang Shi. He said, "Oh, Fellow Daoist Fang, why are you so late today?"
Fang said, "I was just dropping off a friend, which caused the delay."
This young man's surname was Lin, and his given name was Zhong. He was a distant relative of the Lin family of Lingfuxuan. He came from Taoyuan Town to make a living. Because he was quick and efficient and did things properly, Lin Xiuyuan arranged for him to collect talismans at the stall.
Fang Shi has been selling here every day these days, so we've become familiar with each other and can chat occasionally.
Lin Zhong took the three talismans for warding off the cold from Fang Shi and examined them one by one, scrutinizing the patterns and holding them up to the light to observe the flow of spiritual energy. He clicked his tongue and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, your talismans are getting better and better. The batch I bought yesterday had some people who drew them like dogs had chewed them; the patterns were crooked and the spiritual energy was scattered, yet they dared to sell them."
Fang Shi said, "That talisman is probably useless."
Lin Zhong carefully put away the talisman, counted out twelve fragments of spirit from the money box, and said, "Exactly. Did you really think my Spirit Talisman Pavilion was easy to fool? By the way, I was just thinking that Zhao Xuan and Han Laoliu went to cause you trouble today because you didn't come."
Fang Shidao asked, "What?"
Lin Zhongdao said, "You don't know? Those two didn't come to sell talismans this morning. Usually, they arrive before dawn, sell out, and leave as soon as they're done, more punctual than a water clock. Today, I waited until the sun was high in the sky, and I didn't see a single one of them."
Fang Shi said, "Perhaps something has happened at home."
Lin Zhong handed over the twelve fragments of spirit energy and said, "Perhaps. But be careful. That Han Laoliu is a brute; when he gets angry, he won't care about anything. Zhao Xuan is a bit more shrewd than him, but he's no pushover either. You're only at the second level of Qi Refining; don't go head-to-head with them."
Fang Shi accepted the broken spirit, put it into his robes, and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Lin."
Lin Zhong waved his hand and said, "Go on, go on, I'm busy."
Fang Shi turned and left the north.
Nothing unexpected happened along the way, but there were many more herb gatherers carrying medicine baskets than usual.
"I really can't go to Cold Mist Ravine anymore! The fog on the outside isn't so thick anymore, but the medicine is gone too. It's all bare; I can't even find a single blade of grass."
"That's right. Those overconfident Qi Refining Level 1 cultivators are trying to squeeze in, not only failing to gather herbs but also blocking the way. I saw one yesterday; his lips were purple from the cold, he was staggering as he walked, but he stubbornly refused to come out."
Fang Shi paused slightly, then continued walking.
That kid Wu Tong has guts, hopefully he'll have good luck too.
He had just stepped out of the north end of the street and was about to turn when a shout suddenly came from behind him—
"Hey kid, stop right there."
Before Fang Shi could turn around, a voice transmitted into his ears, saying, "I want to buy the cold-proof talismans drawn by the person behind you. Seven spirit fragments per talisman, as many as you have."