Chapter 20: Innate Realm
Absorbing the pure yin energy, a wisp of mortal dust energy was condensed.
Absorbing the pure yin energy, metal spiritual root +1.
Absorbing the pure yin energy, wood spiritual root +1.
Absorbing the pure yin energy, water spiritual root +1.
Absorbing the pure yin energy, fire spiritual root +1.
Absorbing the pure yin energy, earth spiritual root +1.
After more than half an hour, the same words appeared once more in the Book of All Flowers of the Mortal World.
Besides another wisp of mortal dust energy, his spiritual roots had increased again!
At this moment, Zheng Yi also began to feel somewhat weary. Especially Qin Yuyao at his side—her entire skin flushed, eyes as gentle as water, collapsed on the bed, utterly unable to move.
In order to guarantee the acquisition of mortal dust energy and spiritual roots, Zheng Yi had exerted every technique at his disposal. For someone experiencing such things for the first time, how could she endure such intensity? Not only was her body trembling, but even her consciousness sank into a hazy, drowsy state, utterly devoid of strength.
Seeing this, Zheng Yi felt a pang of pity and held her gently, comforting her for quite some time.
Only after Qin Yuyao had recovered did Zheng Yi give the order, "Attendants—"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The door opened, and two young palace maids entered.
"Tend to Lady Yao for her bath."
"As you command!"
With the support of the two maids, Qin Yuyao was helped to the hot spring behind the chambers to bathe and refresh herself.
Zheng Yi followed closely behind. With the maids in attendance, the two of them soaked in the hot spring, slowly regaining their vitality.
Fortunately, as the Retired Emperor, he had ample time to linger and enjoy such pleasures with beauties. If he were the Emperor himself, it would be an entirely different story.
By imperial protocol, when the Emperor favored a beauty, she was not permitted to sleep beside him afterward. Moreover, during their intimacy, the beauty was forbidden to make any sound. Should she utter a noise, an attendant eunuch would immediately enter and carry her away—truly a stifling arrangement.
Most crucially, when the appointed time arrived, the eunuch would still remove the beauty, leaving the Emperor alone in the room.
Of course, these rules were for diligent Emperors. Those foolish and fatuous were naturally exempt.
As the Retired Emperor, Zheng Yi could accompany whomever he wished for as long as he pleased. No other would trade places with him for such a position!
After bathing, Zheng Yi wrapped his arms around Qin Yuyao and drifted into a deep sleep.
The next day.
After a series of reports and arrangements, Scholar Hanlin Qin Zaidao from the Imperial Academy, along with his wife, entered Xingqing Palace to visit their daughter, Qin Yuyao.
Meanwhile, Zheng Yi retreated into a secret chamber in the Tower of Blossoms, preparing to use his store of mortal dust energy to further deduce the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art.
Of all the techniques in his possession, only the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art seemed to contain the effect of sensing spiritual energy. Naturally, he had to continue his deduction.
He now possessed ninety wisps of mortal dust energy. As before, he began by using ten to test the waters.
You have expended ten wisps of mortal dust energy on the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art.
Year one: You travel to Mount Longevity and cultivate the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art. In the realm of profound mastery, your mind is immensely sharp; you distinctly sense a wisp of spiritual energy swirling around you.
You attempt to absorb this spiritual energy using the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art, but you are unable to draw it into your body.
Unwilling to accept defeat, you recover, then continue your cultivation.
As expected, there was a change!
Zheng Yi’s eyes suddenly shone with excitement.
When he had no spiritual roots, the Book of All Flowers of the Mortal World described it merely as “that mysterious wisp of energy.” But now, having gained spiritual roots from Qin Yuyao, even if only the most mediocre and inferior ninth-grade pseudo-spiritual roots of the five elements, the prompt had changed to “that wisp of spiritual energy”—the true spiritual energy!
He steadied his mind and continued to examine the results.
Year two: You cultivate the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art. In the realm of profound mastery, your mind is immensely sharp; you distinctly sense a wisp of spiritual energy swirling around you.
You attempt to absorb this spiritual energy using the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art, but you are unable to draw it into your body.
Unwilling to accept defeat, you recover, then continue your cultivation.
Year three...
...
The deduction continued, but the content remained largely the same.
After several years of enlightenment, he could still only sense that wisp of spiritual energy, but no matter what, he could not draw it into his body.
Until the tenth year—
Year ten: You cultivate the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art. In the realm of profound mastery, your mind is immensely sharp; you distinctly sense a wisp of spiritual energy swirling around you.
You attempt to absorb this spiritual energy using the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art, but you are unable to draw it into your body.
Ten years passed!
Still, the spiritual energy could not be absorbed.
Zheng Yi’s expression grew exceedingly grim.
“Ten years, and still I cannot absorb this wisp of spiritual energy…”
“No wonder Master Yunhe of the Longevity Sect refused to accept Qin Yuyao as a disciple.”
“With the cultivation speed of a pseudo-spiritual root, she might remain at the very first stage of Qi Refining her entire life!”
He had spent ten years deducing with the Book of All Flowers of the Mortal World and still failed to absorb spiritual energy. Although his own spiritual roots were not as good as Qin Yuyao’s, he could clearly see the difficulty.
Thankfully, he had the Book of All Flowers of the Mortal World—what he lacked least were mortal dust energy and time!
“Another ten years… No, twenty years!”
Gritting his teeth, Zheng Yi declared, “Give me another twenty wisps of mortal dust energy! I refuse to believe I cannot absorb this wisp of spiritual energy into my body!”
“Book of All Flowers of the Mortal World, continue the deduction!”
You have expended ten wisps of mortal dust energy on the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art.
Year one: You cultivate the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art. In the realm of profound mastery, your mind is immensely sharp; you distinctly sense a wisp of spiritual energy swirling around you.
You attempt to absorb this spiritual energy using the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art, but you are unable to draw it into your body.
Unwilling to accept defeat, you recover, then continue your cultivation.
...
Year fifteen: You succeed in absorbing that wisp of spiritual energy into your body, but lack a corresponding cultivation technique to refine it into mana.
In the end, you can only use the Everlasting Spring Longevity Art to fuse this wisp of spiritual energy into your flesh and blood, enhancing your physical strength.
“I did it!”
Zheng Yi’s eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists unconsciously.
Fifteen whole years!
But…
There was no corresponding cultivation method?
Unable to convert spiritual energy into mana?
Wasn’t this all for nothing, then?
No, Zheng Yi drew a deep breath. Clearly, what he lacked now was a true cultivation method.
The deduction with the Book of All Flowers of the Mortal World continued.
Year sixteen: You succeed in absorbing three wisps of spiritual energy into your body, fusing them into your flesh and blood, enhancing your physical strength.
Year seventeen: You succeed in absorbing seven wisps of spiritual energy into your body, fusing them into your flesh and blood, enhancing your physical strength.
Year eighteen: You succeed in absorbing thirteen wisps of spiritual energy into your body, fusing them into your flesh and blood, enhancing your physical strength.
Year nineteen: You succeed in absorbing nineteen wisps of spiritual energy into your body, fusing them into your flesh and blood, enhancing your physical strength.
Year twenty: You succeed in absorbing thirty-five wisps of spiritual energy into your body, fusing them into your flesh and blood, enhancing your physical strength.
Your martial cultivation breaks through to the Innate Realm.