Starting Cultivation During a Trip-Chapter 96 - 86: Ghost Refining of the Yellow Springs, Dad’s Old Friend (5k-word - ) (Part 2)
"Zhang Fan... This kid must be in his twenties by now, he should have changed a lot." The one-eyed man grinned, flipping the photo over, revealing an address written on the blank back:
Hongfu Garden, Building 73, Unit A, Room 903.
"Hongfu Garden..." The one-eyed man muttered the name, casually stuffing the crumpled photo into his pocket.
...
Yujing City, Fang Mountain.
Black clouds crossed the sky, obscuring the bright moon. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and a lightning bolt sliced through the sky, illuminating a clay temple hidden in the mountains.
"Brother, why did you come here?"
The mountain wind rose as Xiong Qianxing braved the wind to reach the clay temple, standing at the entrance where Xiong Qianshan was.
"You’ve got some nerve to act in the ancestral shrine," Xiong Qianshan said without turning his head.
"Brother, you already know?" Xiong Qianxing’s expression changed slightly.
He didn’t expect that his actions had already reached Xiong Qianshan.
"Brother, it was Xiong Ba..."
"Shut up." Xiong Qianshan scolded harshly, "I’ll deal with you later."
As he spoke, Xiong Qianshan’s gaze remained fixed into the depths of the abandoned clay temple. In the dim firelight, there was an ancient well. The well water was boiling, surging outwards, its color dirt-yellow, accompanied by strange sounds, as if someone was weeping.
"Is this... the Yellow Springs!?" Xiong Qianxing’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn’t help but speak out.
He never expected Xiong Qianshan to have found a Yellow Springs here.
The "Nanyang Strange Chronicles" once recorded that there was a spring behind the Nanyang Xitu Temple, its water muddy as dirt, often emitting strange sounds. At midnight, the water boiled, and strange figures would emerge, very bizarre.
In the southern part of the city, there was a scholar. In the second year of his marriage, his wife passed away. Grieving, he moved into Xitu Temple and stayed for half a year.
That night, missing his late wife, he went to the back of the mountain and saw the spring. At that time, the water was boiling, and his wife emerged from it.
The scholar was overjoyed. The two met like old times, poured out their hearts, and shared affections.
From then on, the scholar met his wife every night by the spring. But within half a month, he aged over ten years.
One night, as the scholar approached the spring again, just as his wife appeared, the temple’s bells tolled like a lion’s roar, shaking the woods. His wife let out a mournful scream and disappeared, and the scholar fainted on the spot.
When he awoke, he was in the temple. The Xitu Temple monks told him the spring was a Yellow Springs, leading to the Netherworld, connecting with the deceased, and those who approached were inevitably drained of their lifespan.
Sure enough, the scholar looked at himself in the mirror, his hair white, like an old man. From then on, he permanently stayed at Xitu Temple, sweeping and cleaning. No one ever saw the spring again.
The so-called Yellow Springs is a passage to the Netherworld.
It is said that the largest Yellow Springs lies beneath East Yue Taishan, connecting with the Underworld.
"Brother, this place is a treasure for ghost refining," Xiong Qianxing’s eyes gleamed.
The Yellow Springs is the Land of the Profoundest Yin, connecting Life and Death Nether.
For the Daoist of the Yin Mountain Sect, it is an invaluable place, especially for their family heritage skills.
"Soul Extraction and Ghost Refining!"
The Yin Mountain Xiong Family’s ancestral skill is the Ghost Refining Skill, requiring corpses, spirit bones, corpse oil, using Primordial Spirit as a guide, to summon Yin and gather souls, refining a ghost form in the shell acupoint. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
These ghosts are not wandering souls, but Daoist troops, able to break True Yang, swallow Daoist Skill, and are extremely fierce.
According to Xiong family’s tradition, the ghost refining skill is divided into Ghost Messenger, Ghost Soldiers, Ghost Evil, Ghost General, and Ghost General.
Just one Ghost Messenger can suppress a Daoist Sect Technique Apprentice.
As for a Ghost General, even those with High Skill find it a daunting existence.
"Brother, our Xiong family, up until now, has only one Yellow Springs, left by the Yin Mountain Ghost King Xiong Sanqi in the past." Xiong Qianxing couldn’t help but get excited.
With that Yellow Springs, the Xiong family spent immense effort and resources, only managing to refine a Ghost General, becoming the clan’s treasure.
It shows the magical utility of the Yellow Springs.
"Brother, with this Yellow Springs, you could elevate your Ghost Soldiers to the level of Ghost Evil." Xiong Qianxing got excited.
By then, Xiong Qianshan’s status in the clan would rise, naturally benefiting himself as well.
"Xiong Qianshan, your brother’s dreams are quite grand."
At that moment, a bell-like laughter echoed from the temple. In the eerie firelight, a young girl emerged, her short denim shorts revealing her long legs.
"Xiong Qianqiu!?" Xiong Qianxing looked at the newcomer, his face suddenly darkening.
Among the Xiong family’s younger generation, few could surpass his brother, but Xiong Qianqiu was definitely one of them.
"Brother..."
"Do not speak." Xiong Qianshan’s face was grim, looking at the girl emerging from the broken temple, speaking in a deep voice.
"Xiong Qianqiu, what do you intend to do with this Yellow Springs?"
"For the family, of course." Xiong Qianqiu said lightly: "Naturally, it will be given to the clan."
"Hmm!?"
Xiong Qianxing and Xiong Qianshan exchanged glances, showing unusual expressions. They hadn’t expected this woman to have such a broad view!
"Naturally, you wouldn’t know what our Xiong family is up to now." Xiong Qianqiu said calmly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ghost General!" Xiong Qianqiu gently rubbed her soft hands, her lips parting as she uttered two words.
"What? You mean... the clan is refining a Ghost General?"
"Back when Xiong Sanqi emerged majestically, his dominion was extraordinary, pressing down all disciples of the Yin Mountain line... From that time, the clan started researching ways to counter him."
