Demon Cultivator with Celestial Book-Chapter 54 - 39: A Deep Discussion on the Dao; Who’s the Grandson and Who’s the Grandpa?
"You’ve already gathered all the money?"
Inside the residence at the summit of Red Flame Peak, Yang Xun’s eyes were wide as he stared dumbfounded at the two large bags Jiang Yi had brought over.
Two hundred and twenty thousand talisman coins, bundled up tightly, were stacked on the table like bricks of clay.
The sight was absolutely staggering!
Even for someone like Yang Xun, who was used to seeing large sums of money, it was a shocking sight.
He was mainly astonished by how quickly Jiang Yi had made the money.
Steward Xu from Heshui Cave had bought the rights to the Cyan Ganoderma Dew recipe, paying a full one hundred and fifty thousand.
Where did the remaining seventy thousand come from?
This was a full seventy thousand talisman coins, an amount an Outer Sect Mortal Servant might not be able to save even after a decade of hard labor.
"A windfall. Donated by some charitable souls... ahem, voluntarily donated."
Jiang Yi gave a dry cough. The Luo Family Siblings’ sudden change of heart had him stumped, even after long consideration.
It wasn’t strange that Luo Qian’er, seeing his fortunes turn, would want to latch on to him for profit.
Luo Tong was probably trying to win him over so he would put in a good word for them with Xiao Tongquan and Li Ruohan... He understood the logic behind their actions.
But where did the two of them get the talisman coins?
Given Luo Qian’er’s character, unless she had come into a large sum of money, there was no way she would repay a massive fifty thousand all at once.
Luo Tong was even more outrageous. He could actually afford to take Nourishing Essence Pills.
That stuff was exceedingly rare and expensive. Across all of the Outer Sect Four Peaks, probably only Xiao Tongquan and Li Ruohan could afford them.
"You crafty little devil, you always find a way."
Yang Xun didn’t press the matter, just raising a hand and pointing playfully at him, radiating the warmth and kindness of an elder.
Besides, if any trouble arose, he would do his best to cover for Jiang Yi and resolve it.
"I was just worrying. You took that Tiger and Wolf Medicine before, so while your Cultivation rose quickly, your foundation is surely unstable.
A Qi Cultivation Ninth Grade Ritual might not be enough to make up for that deficit, strengthen your Primordial Essence, and help you break through to the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer."
Yang Xun brushed his hand over the small mountain of bright red talisman coins and continued, "Since you’ve gathered two hundred and twenty thousand, I’ll add another one hundred and eighty thousand. With a full four hundred thousand talisman coins, we can upgrade the quality of the main materials for the Pool of Fire and Water. That should be roughly equivalent to an Eighth Grade Ritual, which will be more than enough for you to break through to the Fifth Layer."
Jiang Yi felt a thrill of excitement. After several days of arduous cultivation and experiencing the slow pace of progress, he now truly understood the sheer pleasure of relying on "external forces."
Unfortunately, after breaking through the three barriers of Muscle Transformation, Bone Transformation, and Blood and Marrow Transformation, there were no easy shortcuts for this fourth stage.
Accumulating Primordial Essence in his organs and nurturing True Qi was a slow, grinding process that demanded patience and persistent effort.
Unless one used priceless Treasure Medicines and Spiritual Materials to comfortably nourish the entire body from within, there was no way to achieve it all at once and reach Perfection.
However, under this Dharma Lineage, ninety percent of all good things even remotely "spiritual" were confiscated by the Sect.
Stuck on Red Flame Peak, it was difficult for Jiang Yi to get lucky and just stumble upon some priceless natural treasure.
"Once the Quenching Room shuts down for the season, I’ll make a trip down the mountain. I’ll definitely have the Pool of Fire and Water built before the start of spring."
Yang Xun suddenly asked,
"Ah Yi, do you want to come along? It’s a rare chance to leave the peak. Don’t you want to broaden your horizons?"
Jiang Yi didn’t answer directly, instead offering an excuse,
"I’ve been planning to consolidate my Primordial Essence and advance my Cultivation recently, to bring my Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer to the Middle Stage. That will give me more confidence in breaking through to the Fifth Layer, so I can’t decide on leaving the mountain right away."
Yang Xun nodded in approval.
"Good. You have a steady temperament and know to prioritize your progress. That’s a good thing.
In any case, I’m not leaving for another three or four days, so I’ll check with you again then. And although you’ve settled the business with Steward Xu from Heshui Cave, I need to have a word with Elder Xu.
Otherwise, if the Cyan Ganoderma Dew doesn’t sell, or if some Disciple has a problem after drinking it, it would be unpleasant if he came looking for you to cause trouble."
Jiang Yi hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks.
’This is the importance of having "backing."’
’No business deal in this world is ever simple and clean, unless both parties are on equal enough footing that the potential gains from conflict are outweighed.’
’Heshui Cave is an Inner Peak enterprise, with an Elder from the Skill Transmission Institute as its backer.’
’Even if what I’m offering is worth the price, there’s no guarantee others won’t try to find fault or get ideas about swindling me or taking it by force.’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
’That’s why I need Yang Xun to act as my backer, to prevent any potential trouble from cropping up later.’
"There’s an irrefutable truth in our Demon Dao Dharma Lineage. It took me twenty years to finally understand it, and today, I’ll share it with you."
Yang Xun sounded quite emotional, his tone earnest and full of meaning.
"Promises made to you can always be broken; the only thing that counts is what you can control yourself.
You have no choice but to listen to what the great figures at the top of the Daoist Lineage say. But you must never treat their words as your lifeline, or else... you won’t even know what killed you!"
"Thank you for your guidance, Grandpa. I will take it to heart."
Jiang Yi’s heart skipped a beat. Seeing Yang Xun’s expression, it was clear he was speaking from deep experience.
’He probably believed his fair share of empty promises from the Inner Peak when he was younger.’
"Have you run into any difficulties with your cultivation lately?"
Yang Xun asked cheerfully.
Jiang Yi selected a few questions to ask for his guidance.
’But as they spoke, he got the strange feeling that Grandpa’s understanding wasn’t quite as deep as his own?’
"This part here, ’Refine with Fire Control, transform the Essence of food and drink,’ I think the meaning is..."
Jiang Yi eloquently recited the analysis from the Celestial Book. At first, Yang Xun didn’t pay it much mind, but the more he listened, the more engrossed he became, nodding from time to time as if suddenly enlightened.
When Jiang Yi reached the deeper concepts, Yang Xun couldn’t help but ask a series of questions.
"’The mystery of using fire is as if it is there and not there.’ What does that mean?"
"It speaks to the ’firing process’ of cultivation: inhale to ascend, exhale to descend. When advancing the yang fire, your intent should focus on the ascent, not the descent, so that during the ascent, the descent is present yet seems absent. When retreating the yin symbol, your intent should focus on the descent, not the ascent, so that during the descent, the ascent is present yet seems absent..."
"Then what about ’Fanning the Xun wind, moving the Kun fire’?"
"When the yin essence is difficult to subdue, you use wind and fire to transform it. The ’wind’ refers to one’s breath. When body and mind are both settled and your breathing is regulated to be continuous and without strain, you can fan the Xun wind..."
They discussed the profound mysteries of the Dao, analyzing the text and its meaning, for a full four hours.
When Yang Xun looked up again, the sun had already set, and the light was fading in the west.
His mind was filled with the "scholarly understanding" of concepts he had previously failed to grasp, and he felt a powerful urge to go into seclusion for several days to verify his new insights.
"What talent! This is clearly a true Dao Material!"
Yang Xun was beyond excited. How long had it been since Jiang Yi obtained the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique?
He had already grasped seventy to eighty percent of it!
What kind of heaven-sent talent was this?!
"Could it be... that I’ve truly stumbled upon a treasure?"
Yang Xun’s eyes burned with fervor as he hurriedly said,
"It’s getting late. Ah Yi, why don’t you stay here for the night? I’ll have the Daoist Child prepare a meal. We can talk all night by candlelight and have a proper chat!"
Jiang Yi had no objection. Whenever he had a spare moment or a question, he would consult the Celestial Book, which would answer his queries word by word, sentence by sentence.
To put it bluntly, when it came to genuine insight into the secrets of the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique, all the other Qi Cultivation Cultivators on Red Flame Peak combined probably couldn’t hold a candle to him.
With a wave of his hand, Yang Xun ordered,
"Child! Bring me that jar of ’Nine Insect Wine’!"
The Little Daoist Child found this unbelievable. His master treasured that jar of Spirit Wine and normally wouldn’t even let him touch it.
Had the sun risen in the west today? He was actually going to open the seal and drink heartily with someone.
About an hour later, lanterns were hung in the main hall, and candlesticks were placed all around, illuminating the room brightly.
A spread of various Spiritual Meals and dishes brought from the Inner Peak covered the table. Yang Xun slapped open the jar of Nine Insect Wine, and a clear, fragrant aroma instantly filled the room.
"This wine wasn’t easy to brew. It was made with over a hundred fine herbs from Gathering Herbs Peak. It can kill the ’nine insects’ in the body and nourish the organs. I was originally planning to save it for... Come on! Drink with me to your heart’s content!"
Yang Xun’s expression was full of sorrow; he had clearly been reminded of his son, Yang Zhi, who had lost his life in the Hundred Beasts Cave.
Jiang Yi stood up and poured the wine, filling a bowl for himself and then one for Yang Xun. He held his bowl up with both hands and said respectfully,
"Thank you, Grandpa, for not giving up on me, for supporting and nurturing me! To you!"
GULP, GULP. He drank the whole bowl in one go.
As the Nine Insect Wine went down, it wasn’t harsh on his throat, nor did it cause any burning pain in his chest. The taste was remarkably mellow and smooth, leaving him wanting more.
The more he drank, the warmer his body became, yet his mind remained perfectly clear.
It was truly worthy of being called a superior Spirit Wine that Yang Xun had treasured for many years!
"You’re a young man with vigorous qi and blood, brimming with vitality. You can drink more of it."
Yang Xun sipped his own wine slowly, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile he couldn’t suppress. As he drank, he kept putting more food into Jiang Yi’s bowl.
"Great wine! Great food! What a satisfying feeling!"
Wisps of the Fire Attribute surged from Jiang Yi’s mouth and nose, transforming into faint balls of light as he refined the dense alcoholic energy within his body.
For a moment, he felt ecstatic, completely lost in the blissful sensation.
「Not long after.」
Having had their fill of food and wine, the pair—one old, one young—once again began "mutually verifying" their understanding as they deconstructed the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique.
Their shadows danced in the lamplight, a picture of harmonious joy.
As the Little Daoist Child cleaned up the messy table, he glanced at Jiang Yi sitting on the couch, then his gaze shifted to Yang Xun, who had moved a small stool over and was sitting upright below him.
He muttered quietly to himself,
’Well, this is great. Not only has the master been talked into becoming the grandson, but he’s also turned into an apprentice. He’s really getting younger the older he gets.’
