Chapter 301 - 296: Sect’s Foundation Technique, Never to Be Taught to Outsiders

When Ai Miao met Du Youqian at the Celestial Master’s Mansion, he finally understood why He Mingzi had worn such a strange expression earlier.

It was an incredibly awkward situation for anyone involved.

He was so embarrassed he could have dug a cave with his toes.

’Oh, gods, his cultivation is even higher than mine. He’s already at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.’

And yet, in front of He Mingzi, he had kept calling him "young friend."

’This won’t do. I have to sneak over to the Chongzhen Sect under the cover of darkness and slaughter He Mingzi before he sells me out and spreads an exaggerated version of my mistake... That’s the only way to keep my secret safe.’

"Greetings, Mr. Baili." Ai Miao bowed his head, hiding his expression.

"My fellow cultivator, I believe we met once at the Tengguo Mountain Sacred Land. It’s been many years. I trust you’ve been well?" Du Youqian greeted with a smile.

"I have been well, thank you for your concern. Mr. Baili, I am Ai Miao, a fifth-generation Inner Disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion."

"Oh? And for what reason does an honored guest grace my humble abode?" Du Youqian said faintly.

His words were tinged with a coldness that kept people at arm’s length.

Just as Ai Miao was about to speak, Du Youqian cut him off. "It is already late today, and I still have my own training to attend to. Why don’t you come to the Grass Tower Temple tomorrow for a meeting? It will allow me to properly play the host."

If Du Youqian were just a Qi Cultivation Junior Cultivator, Ai Miao would naturally be displeased.

But in the Cultivation Realm, the one with the higher cultivation is respected.

What’s more, it wasn’t just that Du Youqian’s cultivation was high... it was that in a mere dozen or so years, his cultivation had surpassed Ai Miao’s own ninety years of effort.

Seeing Du Youqian, Ai Miao felt as if all his years had been lived in vain.

He knew very well that the gap between him and Du Youqian would not shrink in the future.

On the contrary, it would only grow wider.

Therefore, if Du Youqian did not wish to receive him tonight, Ai Miao couldn’t force the issue.

He simply didn’t have the standing to say "no" to Du Youqian.

「The next day.」

When Ai Miao arrived at the Grass Tower Temple, two Daoist Children immediately came forward to greet him.

"Are you Immortal Ai? The Celestial Master has invited you in."

Ai Miao studied them closely and asked tentatively, "What are your names?"

"I am Qingfeng." "I am Mingyue."

Both were very common names.

Ai Miao’s gaze fell upon Mingyue, and a fascinated look couldn’t help but appear on his face.

He deliberately teased Mingyue, "Little Daoist Mingyue, where are you from?"

"You jest, Immortal Ai," the exquisitely crafted Mingyue said with a smile. "You know full well that I am not human."

Ai Miao nodded. He was, of course, aware that this Little Daoist Mingyue was merely a Puppet.

As a Sword Cultivator, it was quite normal for him to be fond of the Puppetry Art.

Who said a Sword Cultivator couldn’t have other hobbies?

’This Master Baili not only has unfathomably profound cultivation but also such an extraordinary skill... It’s a shame he’s already at Foundation Establishment and can’t be recruited into the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion.’

’I wonder what path this genius, who is likely the reincarnation of a Core Formation Master from the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, will walk in this life.’

’Sigh, a Tier Two Peak Puppet... I want one so badly!’

Qingfeng and Mingyue led Ai Miao to the second floor and then quietly withdrew.

"Greetings, Master Baili."

Seeing him today, Ai Miao adopted an even more humble posture.

He had thought it through last night.

Although a dozen or so years ago, he was already at Foundation Establishment while this man had just begun Qi Refining, the current reversal of their statuses was somewhat difficult for him to accept.

But for that very reason, it was all the more important for him to adjust his mentality in a timely manner.

As long as this Master Baili didn’t perish in the near future, he was destined to reach Core Formation and become a major figure in the Cultivation Realm.

He shouldn’t even be thinking of comparing them. He needed to recognize his own position and clearly define his place.

As for his attitude, Du Youqian... couldn’t care less.

’Whether you respect me or despise me, like me or hate me...’

’What do I stand to gain or lose from it?’

"Please, have a seat." Du Youqian simply invited him to sit, then had Mingyue brew and serve tea for Ai Miao to enjoy.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ai Miao took the initiative. "Master Baili, I originally came here to invite you to visit the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion. My grandmaster, the Drunk Master, seems to hold you in high regard and wishes to meet with you."

The Drunk Master was Zeng Baoming.

Du Youqian had never seen Zeng Baoming drink and had no idea why he had chosen such a Daoist title for himself.

After a moment of thought, Du Youqian said, "The Drunk Master and I are old acquaintances, in a manner of speaking."

What he meant was that as Baili Jianxin, he had been taken to Yu Kun Mountain as a child by Baili Yingxiong to see Zeng Baoming, to ask for his help in treating a poison.

Of course, Zeng Baoming had probably felt the payment was too small, or perhaps that the Sword Intent was too illusory—in any case, he hadn’t treated him.

But to Ai Miao’s ears, it sounded as if this Master Baili had recovered some of his Past Life Memories, even recalling stories of his interactions with his own grandmaster, the Drunk Master, back in the sect.

Ai Miao couldn’t help but feel a thrill. "I will certainly report this to the Master! I wonder, Master Baili, which of our sect’s seniors were you in your past life?"

Du Youqian was taken aback, only then realizing that Ai Miao had misunderstood.

But he thought for a moment and, instead of correcting him, simply said, "I don’t remember."

Ai Miao felt a tinge of regret, but he also understood that not remembering one’s past life was the norm.

Most of the time, even if a reincarnated cultivator recovered a small bit of their Past Life Memory, it would only be fleeting fragments, rarely coherent, clear images and sounds.

That was what the sect’s records stated.

Ai Miao said, "Since you have already reached Foundation Establishment, Celestial Master, you can no longer switch to cultivating the Sword Pavilion’s techniques. I have been presumptuous. However, being able to witness your grace today has made this trip worthwhile. If I could befriend a person like you, Celestial Master, it would be an honor that spans three lifetimes."

It had to be said, after more than a decade stationed at the You De Commerce Association, the once cold and arrogant Swordsman had learned how to flatter people.

But this level of flattery was a far cry from that of the treacherous officials in the imperial court. Du Youqian felt nothing listening to it; he even felt a little like laughing.

"If I have the time, I will pay a visit to the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion and see some old friends," he said ambiguously.

Ai Miao took the hint and didn’t press the topic, steering the conversation to casual matters.

He could only feel that this Master Baili was truly a man of immense learning, and his demeanor was as gentle as a spring breeze, lacking the cold, unapproachable arrogance common among genius cultivators.

’If only I could really become friends with Master Baili,’ Ai Miao thought as he left the Grass Tower Temple.

When Ai Miao, after a long journey, returned to Yu Kun Mountain and the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, his master looked at him in surprise.

"What are you doing back here?"

Ai Miao felt deeply wronged.

"This disciple has returned to cultivate!"

"Didn’t you go looking for that Master Baili?" his master said.

Ai Miao said, "I did meet him. Master, you have no idea, that Master Baili, he..."

"Then what are you doing back here?" his master interrupted.

Ai Miao was confused.

His master said patiently, "Since you met Master Baili, why didn’t you stay by his side to await his orders? What are you doing running back here?"

"???" Ai Miao wondered if his cultivation had gone awry and he was starting to have auditory hallucinations.

"This is your grandmaster’s will. From now on, you will stay by Master Baili’s side. Also, this is the subsequent cultivation method for the Human Dao Sword. You can study it yourself, then find a way to pass it on to Master Baili without a trace." His master shoved a Jade Scroll into Ai Miao’s hand.

’???? What happened to the Sect’s Foundation Technique that must never be passed to outsiders?’

~~~~~~~~~

Eight years later, Du Youqian had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, and every single one of his advancements had been a perfect promotion.

In Momenan, at least, the perfection of his physique was unprecedented.

The Wu and Yue War had already been going on for five years.

Because the Yue Kingdom had invaded first, the Wu Kingdom quickly counterattacked, carrying the flames of war into Yue territory. As a result, apart from a small number of casualties and the initial shock at the beginning of the war, the people of the Wu Kingdom were not greatly affected.

So much so that now, the people in the Capital City couldn’t feel the atmosphere of war at all.

If not for the storytellers who occasionally recounted some of the moving and tragic tales of soldiers and commoners, many people might have forgotten that the Wu Kingdom was at war with the Yue Kingdom.

To avoid wasting too much money and grain and crippling the domestic economy, Du Youqian didn’t dispatch a large number of troops. Instead, his forces were well-equipped, well-trained, and rotated annually to prevent morale from dropping due to homesickness, or discipline from deteriorating due to a lack of supervision during long overseas campaigns.

Although Xia Chuchu had asked Du Youqian to cause more casualties, even hoping that the Wu Kingdom’s army would massacre the civilians of the Yue Kingdom, Du Youqian could not bring himself to do such a thing.

He had agreed to cooperate with this war against the Yue Kingdom, and it was true he had his own ideas of diverting domestic conflicts and driving industrial upgrades.

But the most crucial point was... that Core Formation Master Xia Chuchu just wanted to kill some people to refine Demon Artifacts.

If the Wu Kingdom didn’t cooperate, she would naturally find another country to do so.

If she weren’t showing Du Youqian some face, she would have just marched her army over and started a conflict without so much as a warning.

To put it realistically, before Du Youqian reached Core Formation himself, he was powerless to stop this war. The only way would have been to make a great personal sacrifice by going to the Red Lotus Sect’s territory and killing several of their Core Formation Masters despite his lower cultivation level. After all, it wasn’t as if he could kill Xia Chuchu and expect the other Core Formation Masters from the Red Lotus Sect to just stand by and watch. If he was going to kill one, he’d have to kill them all.

Since he was powerless to stop it, Du Youqian could only try to gain as many benefits as possible from the war.

By his calculations, Du Youqian was already forty-two years old in this life.

After another year or two of refinement, he would have enough confidence to attempt to break through to Core Formation.

Perhaps it was time to go see Lin Sha and retrieve the Core Formation Spiritual Object suitable for Body Refining Cultivators that he had asked her to acquire in his previous life.