Chapter Thirty-Five: Above and Below, All Are Paths to Traverse

With a crisp snap, Jiang Yan reached out and deftly caught the pitch-black object in his hand. Rubbing his forehead, he climbed up from the ground, a mix of embarrassment and irritation flickering across his face as he looked at Yun Ying, who was sitting on the bed.

“Little girl, were you trying to murder your senior brother? What did you just throw at me? It’s damp—wait, is this an inkstone? Where’s all the ink from the inkstone?” Jiang Yan finally saw what he was holding. It was indeed an inkstone. He looked, puzzled, at the beautiful young woman staring at him in astonishment.

Yun Ying stuck out her tongue in surprise, her wide eyes fixed on Jiang Yan. She couldn’t quite comprehend why her senior brother had suddenly emerged from the ground. Then, a mischievous grin spread across her delicate, porcelain face as she pointed gleefully at Jiang Yan’s forehead. “Senior Brother, all the ink is on your head. Hee hee.”

Jiang Yan looked down at his hand, which he had just used to rub his forehead. Sure enough, his palm was now black as coal. He could only laugh at himself. “Well, so much for the Thirty-Six Celestial Techniques being easy to master!”

Tang Wan had already walked over with a spotless white handkerchief. She gently wiped the ink from Jiang Yan’s forehead, her eyes filled with concern as she noticed the large bump there. “Senior Brother, how did you get such a big lump on your forehead?”

Jiang Yan touched the bump and gave a helpless, wry smile. “Well, I bumped into something underground just now, so…”

Curious, Yun Ying ran over and stood at the edge of the bed. Rising on tiptoe, she reached out to touch the bump on Jiang Yan’s forehead, her face full of amazement. “Wow, it’s huge!”

Flushed with embarrassment, Jiang Yan reached out to tousle Yun Ying’s neatly braided hair and scolded her with a laugh, “You little rascal, you have no conscience. Your brother ends up like this, and you’re still gloating.”

Tang Wan continued to wipe away the ink from Jiang Yan’s forehead and hair. “Senior Brother,” she asked, somewhat puzzled, “how did you come flying out from underground? Is there a new earth-escaping technique in our sect? But I thought those could only be practiced after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage?”

Jiang Yan chuckled, letting Tang Wan clean the ink from his hair. “To tell you the truth, I was practicing the Earth-Leaping Golden Light, one of the Thirty-Six Celestial Techniques. Since I’m just starting, I lost my way, bumped into something, and got bounced back up.”

Tang Wan stared at Jiang Yan in astonishment. “Underground? Isn’t that an escape technique? I thought only cultivators at Foundation Establishment could channel the forces of nature?”

Jiang Yan gave a mysterious smile. “To be honest, this Earth-Leaping Golden Light can be practiced as soon as you reach the first level of Qi Refining.”

At this, Tang Wan smiled gently. In these last days, her senior brother had surprised her too many times: the majestic mountain gate, the magical spirit beast garden, snow-white spirit beasts, the spirit-rich fields… So for him to produce an earth-escaping technique suitable for Qi Refiners was no longer so astonishing.

“I want to learn, too!” Yun Ying, hearing her brother and sister discussing magical techniques, raised her hand and joined in the commotion.

“Hmph, I haven’t even settled the score with you for dumping ink all over my head with that inkstone!” Jiang Yan reached out and messed up Yun Ying’s carefully braided hair, still half-annoyed and half-amused.

Yun Ying wrinkled her nose, tipped her chin up, and said with feigned disdain, “Fine, I don’t want to learn anyway. Hmph, I don’t even like it.”

Tang Wan shot a reproving look at Jiang Yan for messing up Yun Ying’s hair, then took Yun Ying’s hand and drew her close, patiently fixing her little braids. As she did, she looked at Jiang Yan, her tone tinged with concern.

“Senior Brother, the Thirty-Six Celestial Techniques are wonderful, but our spiritual sense as Qi Refiners is weak. If we rush about underground like headless flies, eventually we’ll bash our heads in, no matter how sturdy they are.”

Jiang Yan frowned. Tang Wan was absolutely right. Once a cultivator mastered the Earth-Leaping Golden Light, their body turned into golden light and sped through the earth. Relying on the five senses alone, especially sight, was nowhere near enough. That’s how he’d crashed into something underground and been knocked back to the surface.

Using spiritual sense to navigate was the way, but for Qi Refiners, spiritual sense was weak. Not only was it difficult to scout ahead, but even extending it underground was strenuous. He recalled how, when the spirit beast garden had sunk into the earth, he couldn't probe it with his spiritual sense; how then could he hope to navigate underground?

“Senior Brother, why did you go underground just now?” Yun Ying’s clear, childish voice rang out beside Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan replied as if it were obvious, “Of course I went underground. The Earth-Leaping Golden Light technique says only by…”

Yun Ying, nestled in Tang Wan’s arms as her hair was tidied, looked up in confusion when her brother’s explanation trailed off. “Senior Brother?”

Tang Wan gently stopped her from asking further. “Little Sister, Senior Brother is thinking. Don’t disturb him.”

A look of curiosity flashed across Yun Ying’s face. She muttered to herself, “Is Senior Brother thinking?”

Suddenly, Jiang Yan reached out and pinched Yun Ying’s adorable, dimpled cheek, bursting into laughter. “Such a clever little sister, so clever indeed.” With that, he paid no further attention to the bewildered pair of beauties, channeled his spiritual energy, and in a flash of golden light, darted out the door.

From afar, his laughter echoed in the air, “Earth-Leaping Golden Light, Earth-Leaping Golden Light—one may travel through earth, but so too across the land!”

At the foot of Mount Hua, before the mountain gate.

Jiang Yan gazed at the gate, shrouded in layers of mist, a surge of pride welling in his heart. Since his arrival, this once dilapidated sect at least looked like a real one now. Fixing his eyes on the ethereal peaks of Mount Hua, a translucent interface appeared before him.

Sect Name: Mount Hua
Sect Location: Mount Hua
Sect Rank: Vassal Sect under Golden Flame Sect

Number of Disciples: Five
Sect Buildings: Grade One Mountain Gate, Grade One Spirit Beast Garden, Grade One Training Grounds, Grade One Spirit Fields, Grade One Main Hall
Sect Spirit Beasts: Moon Marten (grade unknown), Howling Celestial Hound (top grade one), Howling Soul Hound (mid grade one), Golden-Eyed Eagle (low grade one), Spirit Earthworm (low grade one)
Sect Techniques: Grade One Azure Wood Art
Sect Guardian Treasure: Grade One Sword Token (top grade), can be upgraded
Sect Defensive Array: **Array can block cultivators up to Qi Refining Level Five

Jiang Yan tightened the pack on his back and addressed his junior brothers and sisters, who were all looking at him with concern. “Alright, you all go back now. Wan, while I’m gone, you’ll be in charge of all sect affairs, and keep an eye on Little Sister’s cultivation. Nan, keep the Azure Wood Archery manual safe. Once someone breaks through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, pass it on. Mu, train hard and strive to reach Qi Refining Level Four soon—don’t let Little Sister surpass you again this time.”

A flush crept over Mu Yun’s round, chubby face, and he stammered, “Senior Brother, I’ll do my best—I promise!”

Jiang Yan squatted down, ruffled Yun Ying’s hair, and adjusted the sect identity jade token hanging from her neck. “Little Sister, while I’m away, listen to Senior Sister and cultivate diligently. When Little White and Little Black come out of the Spirit Beast Garden, you must take good care of them.”

Yun Ying nodded vigorously. “Senior Brother, I’ll take good care of the puppies. You can go without worry.”

Jiang Yan stood, looked once more at the towering Mount Hua, then cupped his fist in farewell to his junior brothers and sisters. With that, he turned and became a streak of golden light, disappearing swiftly down the main road.

…

No internet today, so the update comes a bit early. Gao Wei, your cameo has been approved. Now, which area do you wish to excel in—cultivation, talismans, alchemy, forging, spirit planting, or perhaps another mysterious profession…