Cultivating To Immortality

From then on, Song Yan returned to his disciplined life of Cultivating his mind, Cultivating, and Cultivating his sword.

His physical condition was also gradually returning to its Peak.

In his leisure time, he also experimented with new Alchemy.

Since it was just an experiment and not a deep study, he chose the simplest Medicinal Pill suitable for Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators to consume, the Spirit Nurturing Pill.

In fact, after establishing his Dao Foundation, Song Yan’s Cultivation speed had improved to a certain extent.

If supplemented with the Spirit-Gathering Sword Array, even without consuming Medicinal Pills, his Cultivation speed could barely reach the level of a single Spiritual Root.

It was precisely because of this that Song Yan’s Alchemy now almost always aimed for High-Grade Pills.

The Medium Grade and Low Grade Medicinal Pills he refined were all sold off.

Only High-Grade Pills with pure Spiritual Qi would be consumed and refined by him as an aid to his Cultivation.

The Cultivation of his Realm progressed synchronously with his Divine Sense and Swordsmanship.

Although he hadn’t yet experienced the difficulty of Breakthrough for each stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, a rough estimate suggested that to reach the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment without any external help or Medicinal Pills, it would likely take more than ten years... not to mention Breakthrough, Late Stage, Perfection, and eventually reaching the Golden Core Realm.

"The Dao is long and arduous..."

However, in the Cultivation World, after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, no one cared about the age or time spent on Breakthrough for minor Realms anymore.

Because everyone’s Opportunity was different, it held no reference value.

For example, some Cultivators practiced Cultivation Techniques that leaned towards health preservation, so their Cultivation speed was naturally slower.

But because their Lifespan was slightly longer than ordinary Cultivators, they had more chances to Breakthrough to Golden Core.

Some Cultivators cultivated with fierce diligence, their Cultivation speed was very fast, allowing them to reach Foundation Establishment Perfection earlier than other Cultivators.

However, their Foundation was easily unstable, making it difficult to condense a Golden Core.

At least in a place like Chu State, there were only two outcomes that Foundation Establishment Cultivators cared about: those who eventually achieved Golden Core, and those who failed in their pursuit of the Dao.

It didn’t matter, Song Yan still had several hundred years of Lifespan, and infinite possibilities in the future.

It’s worth mentioning that during this period, the focus of his Sword Dao Cultivation was placed on the Insightful Void Sword Eye.

Ever since the eye technique strain from a long time ago, the Cultivation of the Insightful Void Sword Eye had always been an incidental effort.

He hadn’t deliberately spent too much thought or energy on it.

However, after Foundation Establishment, whenever Song Yan activated his eye technique, he would faintly feel his eyes sore and swollen.

Unlike the previous Cultivation strain, this feeling was extremely similar to the feeling of Cultivation reaching fullness and being on the verge of Breakthrough.

Especially after fully grasping Sword Intent on Dragon Pool Mountain and performing the ’Turn the Universe to Resurrect’ technique, this feeling reached its Peak.

Considering that Realm Breakthrough, and changes in Divine Sense, were not things that could be achieved in a short time.

And his other methods were all under Cultivation, the method of sword arrays, too much to chew.

If the Insightful Void Sword Eye could be improved before heading to the battlefield, it would be a significant help.

Thus, Song Yan picked up the Cultivation of this eye technique again.

Inside the quiet room, the Spirit-Gathering Sword Array operated, and the Flying Swords slowly floated, drawing in the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

Song Yan sat cross-legged on a futon, forming hand seals, his body’s Sword Qi spontaneously circulated, with countless small swords forming and dissipating within it.

His mind settled, and the Mind-Cultivation Technique of the Insightful Void Sword Eye slowly circulated.

Within his sword mansion, that lotus flower seemed to be gently swayed by an invisible breeze, subtly swaying.

With each circulation of the Mind-Cultivation Technique, a stream of Sword Qi, like a clear spring, flowed over the lotus petals, washing away dust, and shimmering with light.

However, this Cultivation was different from usual.

Initially, the circulation was smooth, as always.

But gradually, Song Yan felt an abnormal burning sensation in his eyes, with a cool Sword Qi surging deep within his eyeballs.

The burning sensation struck his Divine Thought, even overshadowing the coolness of the Sword Qi.

His eyes closed, but what he saw was not darkness, but a blinding golden light, with the phantom of a lotus slowly rotating within the golden light.

The originally peaceful and gentle spiritual mist around him suddenly became violent, forming a visible vortex that frantically poured into his eyes!

Pain! Intense pain!

It felt as if his eyes were being forcibly chiseled open, and then new, more powerful energy was being filled into them.

Song Yan gritted his teeth, his body trembled slightly, veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat instantly soaked his thin inner garment.

This kind of pain was even more unbearable than when Xin Shan tried to kill him before.

It was torture.

But he did not forcibly stop the circulation of the Mind-Cultivation Technique; instead, he focused even more intently on guiding the turbulent torrent of Spiritual Qi.

Buzz—!

At a certain moment, the intense pain reached its Peak, and then slowly receded like a tide!

The soreness in his eyes remained, but Song Yan did not open his eyes immediately.

Two lines of clear tears trickled down from the corners of his eyes.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes.

Inside the quiet room, there was no wind, yet things moved on their own.

An indescribable sharp aura spread from his eyes.

His eyes were still a deep golden color, but upon closer inspection, one would find that the profound patterns contained within them had changed.

From the original one lotus petal, it had become two.

A dreamy mist surged in the center of the lotus, flashing in and out of existence.

"Hoo—"

The advancement of this eye technique was truly unpleasant; his eyes were incredibly sore.

He casually wiped away his tears and looked down.

He had originally thought he would shed blood tears or something, but it was just ordinary tears.

Song Yan let out a long, turbid breath, feeling the changes in his eyes.

He casually cast a Fireball Spell to float in the air, carefully observing it.

"Hmm..."

Although it would take more use to truly feel the difference, the peculiar changes in the Spiritual Qi within his eyes were already much clearer and more intuitive.

At least the effect of Guan Xu seemed to have become stronger.

He stretched out his hand and took out a Low-Grade Spirit Stone and a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone from his Storage Bag.

Under this gaze, the Spiritual Qi and Impurities contained within the Spirit Stones became incredibly clear and three-dimensional.

The flow of Qi within them was revealed in minute detail.

The Mid-Grade Spirit Stone contained far fewer Impurities than the Low-Grade Spirit Stone, and its Spiritual Qi was more refined.

He played with them for a while, then put them away.

"Not bad."

But clearly, the effect of the eye technique after advancement was far more than this.

He concentrated his mind, his gaze falling on a wisp of spiritual mist floating in the air.

With a thought, a dreamy aura surged and diffused from the golden light in his eyes.

Within his eyes, the two lotus petals rotated serenely.

The Sword Qi around his body surged towards his eyes.

At this moment, that ordinary wisp of spiritual mist, under the illumination of his gaze, suddenly became illusory and distorted.

A solid, milky-white sword phantom condensed out of thin air at the location of that wisp of spiritual mist.

As soon as it formed, it carried a hint of illusory transformation and slashed towards the stone wall of the quiet room.

Puff.

The stone wall was immediately cut open, but under Song Yan’s control, the cut was not very deep.

However, the sword phantom dispersed, turning into specks of spiritual light.

The sword mark on the wall also disappeared without a trace.

That wisp of spiritual mist still floated in its original spot, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.

"A portion of the Mirror Flower, Water Moon Sword Intent can actually be cast through the Insightful Void Sword Eye... Interesting."

Song Yan had already experienced the power of Sword Intent.

If it could be wielded simply through an eye technique, then even if it was only a partial effect, it would be enough to make many opponents difficult to guard against.

The soreness from the eye technique’s Breakthrough still lingered, the golden light in Song Yan’s eyes dissipated, and he slowly closed his eyes to rest... Several days later.

Inside the endless treasury.

Song Yan sat cross-legged by the Ink Pool’s dark waterfall, his Insightful Void Sword Eye activated, staring at the Ink Pool.

The Heart Demon had fled, and indeed, that eerie demonic shadow was no longer there.

He just didn’t know why, but the Ink Pool and the waterfall still existed.

He turned his head and looked at a flute floating beside him.

This ancient tao tail flute, ever since Song Yan acquired it, he had intended to find a big buyer to sell it for Spirit Stones to aid his Cultivation.

But at first, he had no time to manage it, and later he never found a suitable Opportunity, almost forgetting about it.

A few days ago, Xiao He said she wanted to go look for Shan Hai Jian, didn’t she?

Besides wanting Xiao He to improve her strength, Song Yan also wanted to give her some useful things to protect herself.

After much thought, this flute seemed to be related to Spirit Beasts, so he decided to give it to Xiao He.

Leaving the endless treasury, Song Yan walked out of the quiet room, but did not see Xiao He’s figure in the Immortal Cave.

He pondered for a moment, then released his Divine Sense to scan the area.

Then he walked out of the Immortal Cave; Xiao He was currently sitting on a large stone in the bamboo forest, gazing at the distant sea of clouds and mountains.

Snake Babe’s small hands were wrapped around her knees, her chin resting on her arms, staring into the depths of the clouds, as if some unresolved worry was hidden within the rolling clouds.

Song Yan slowly floated up and sat down beside her.

"Xiao He."

Hearing the voice, Xiao He looked up blankly, as if she hadn’t fully come to her senses.

Then she saw Song Yan offering her the flute in his hand.

"Oh? What is this... a flute?"

She blinked, the childlike sorrow in her eyes greatly diluted by curiosity.

Actually, Xiao He had seen this flute before.

But her memory was so poor that she had now forgotten it.

The tao tail flute fit perfectly in Xiao He’s hands, neither too big nor too small.

The end of the flute was carved with a black cloud, and the broken part of the black cloud had a sword tassel attached to it by Song Yan.

"Hmm," Song Yan’s voice was gentle, "This flute is called Tao Tail, it’s considered an antique."

"Now, I’m giving it to you."

"For me?"

Xiao He immediately sat up straight, her eyes wide with surprise and delight.

"Yes, Xiao He, you are extraordinarily gifted. I imagine it won’t be long before you Breakthrough your Realm and become a second-tier demon beast."

"When you go with Fellow Daoist Bai Qi to find Shan Hai Jian, we might not see each other for a long time."

"And your memory is so poor, I’m afraid you’ll forget me."

Song Yan chuckled, "Won’t you remember me when you see it?"

"My memory isn’t that bad..."

Xiao He retorted, but she held the tao tail flute in her arms, as if cradling a priceless treasure.

The flute felt cool and smooth in her hands, with a jade-like texture, and the ancient black cloud pattern on it made her feel inexplicably close to it.

She remembered, this was the first time Yan Yan had ever actively given her something so elegant.

Before, if she wanted something delicious, or toys, or something pretty, and pestered him to buy it, Yan Yan would agree.

But actively giving and asking for something were not the same.

This time, he had actively given it to her, and it was such an exquisite and elegant object.

Hehe, Yan Yan must like me.

Snake Babe giggled foolishly, her joy barely concealed in her laughter.

"You’re really giving it to me, no take-backs, okay?"

"Of course," Song Yan nodded gently, "This item seems to have some connection with Spirit Beasts, so it’s not very useful for me to keep."

"Xiao He is a demon beast, so it’s useful to give it to you."

He wasn’t entirely sure of the flute’s specific uses, but since he couldn’t use it, giving it to Xiao He was perfect.

Snake Babe, at this moment, couldn’t hear any useful words. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and her previous worries were thrown to the back of her mind by this surprise.

She lovingly fiddled with the flute body, then mustered up her courage and clumsily brought the flute horizontally to her lips.

She took a deep breath.

"Puff—!"

With a forceful blow, the flute immediately emitted a dull, unpleasant sound that echoed in the bamboo courtyard, startling even herself.

Song Yan couldn’t help but smile, "That’s not how you blow it, is it?"

He gently took the tao tail flute from Xiao He’s hand, "Come, I’ll teach you."

Song Yan wasn’t very good at playing the flute either, but when he was young, he had learned a little from Mr. He in Shiliang Town, so he still knew the basics.

He adjusted his grip on the flute, pressing his fingertips over several holes near the mouthpiece.

"Look, cover here gently with your fingers, don’t press too hard, fingertips towards the air holes."

He held the flute horizontally to his lips, "Relax your lips slightly, and gently blow, like this, don’t use too much force."

"Woo—"

He exhaled gently, and the flute produced a fairly stable sound.

"Wow!" Xiao He’s small face brightened again, "Yan Yan, you’re so amazing, how do you know everything..."

"I learned it, I learned it, let me try."

She excitedly snatched the flute, mimicking Song Yan’s posture, puffing out her small cheeks, and carefully aiming at the mouthpiece.

This time, she held back some strength.

"Woo..."

Although her breath was still a bit unstable, and the sound was sometimes high, sometimes low, at least it sounded like a musical note.

Xiao He was ecstatic, completely forgetting her previous troubles.

She tried again and again, from being able to produce only one or two single notes to barely being able to play three out-of-tune sounds in a row, having a blast.

Although the sounds she played were intermittent and off-key, this did not affect her enthusiasm at all.

This was a treasure Yan Yan gave her, and he was teaching her knowledge!

She looked down at the flute in her arms, feeling that it was more precious than all the candied haws, marbles, and toys she had ever asked for combined.

This was Yan Yan’s heart.

She even secretly tied a red hair tie from her own head onto the end of the flute, as her own mark.

"Once you’re skilled, you might even discover its miraculous uses."

Song Yan rubbed her head, "From now on, whether you go to Shan Hai Jian or not, it will accompany you."

"Mm!" Xiao He nodded vigorously.

They continued to try and practice playing, watching the sun set.

Suddenly, Song Yan’s heart stirred, and he stood up.

He leaped, landing off the bluestone.

"Go back to the Immortal Cave early, okay?"

He turned and said to Xiao He.

Xiao He enjoyed the time she spent with Song Yan, but she knew Yan Yan had his own things to do.

"Got it."

Song Yan returned to the Immortal Cave and went directly into the quiet room.

His brows furrowed slightly, and he took out the Nuo God mask inscribed with "Jia Zuo" from his Storage Bag.

At this moment, the mask was glowing with a strange luster.

A ripple of Spiritual Qi emanated outwards from it, circle after circle.

Song Yan hadn’t done anything to it.

He hadn’t refined it a second time, nor had he infused Spiritual Qi into it, so why did it suddenly change?

Could it be because he played the tao tail flute?

Unlikely, neither he nor Xiao He had used Spiritual Qi or Demonic Qi, they just played it as a musical instrument, so it shouldn’t have had any effect.

"..."

Song Yan was silent for a moment, then gently put it on his face.

Before his eyes was still that familiar black mist.

Only this time, within the black mist, faint voices could be heard.