89 The Trifles of Body Tempering 3 (1/2)

An Fei distinctly recalled Xiao Ying blabbering about the importance of insight. By referring to other techniques regarding martial arts and cultivation or perhaps even observing close combat between two cultivators, a practitioner could chance upon a divine-sent opportunity to advance his skills.

As if granted leeway to heaven, the practitioner's skills would improve at a rate akin to leaping over the Dragon Gate to ascend into a Heavenly Dragon. Cultivation prowess, martial arts skills, or perhaps advancement in the use of arrays or formations, all aspects of the cultivator would metamorphose into a single entity of a higher realm.

Thus, if it were possible, though it appeared no more than a logical fallacy, could she… strip the fundamental concepts of the and apply it to the 's method of cultivation?

If it were possible, wouldn't she gain the ability to imitate the and perhaps other martial arts and cultivation techniques without suffering that disastrous backlash?

”Merge spiritual essence gathered from a Yin acupuncture point with a Yang acupuncture point…” the girl murmured to herself whilst chewing on the tip of the brush grasped in her right hand.

”The manual never described that the spiritual essence had to be refined from the atmosphere's spiritual qi belonging to this world – it was plainly labeled as spiritual qi passed through the Conception vessel…”

”Fourth Young Miss, did you say something?” Xiao Ying called from the side. The maidservant was viciously reading the book bound by tattered leather, a dusting feather grasped in her other hand.

”If, if, if… the Sanctum similarly has spiritual qi… No! Spiritual qi is merely the atmosphere's fundamental energies – the manual never described that it had to originate from this world. If I were to practice it in the Sanctum – of course only referencing the fundamental principles, never the whole product, then could I really achieve it?”

”Fourth Young Miss!”

”Ah?” the young girl blinked, raising her gaze to be level with the maidservant.

”Xiao Ying, something wrong?”

”…the Fourth Young Miss is spilling ink over the gown…” the maidservant dutifully replied, directing a sorrowful gaze towards the soiled dress on the young girl's body.

An Fei froze, and her gaze inched downwards to discover a series of black stains. The upper half of her gown, her exposed arms, and even the tips of her socks – all were splattered with various stains of freshly ground ink originating from the brush clenched between her lips.

The girl inadvertently opened her mouth to sigh, not realizing that she still had a brush between her teeth. As a result, the brush rolled down her gown and onto the floor – all the while drawing a splendid line of black, viscous ink.

”Ah…”

”Fourth. Young. Miss!!!”

The maidservant yelled in a mixture of amusement and exasperation, dropping the and the feather duster to march over to stand before An Fei. Dragging her to the drawers and closing the curtains, the maidservant soon pushed a young girl out freshened up and changed into a new dress.

Of course, when Xiao Wen returned with a wooden container filled to the brim with delicious food, both gave evasive answers as to why Xiao Ying had ink stains on her clothes, or why An Fei was in a different gown.

-

When night fell, the Flowing Wind Residence had descended into a lighthearted slumber. The servants departed to rest at their quarters, and Wei Xuan left to hug Sheng Miaolan to sleep, granting An Fei some reprieve for the night.

The Sanctum, on the other hand, was buzzing with activity. Rather, the atmosphere was charged with the panicked cries and shouts of a young girl within the seventeenth Archive.

Each night she went to sleep in the Flowing Wind Residence, the girl had deigned to enter the Sanctum to ponder on a few matters regarding her cultivation. Additionally, she desired to eat food created from ingredients obtained from the medicine garden…

The voice was soft and tender, pleasing to the ears and tugging at the heartstrings of the listener. Combined with the nervous and panicked tinge underneath, any listener would gladly cough up blood to continue hearing such an adorable sound.

”No, no, no…” the girl murmured to herself as she raised a hand to slap her cheek.