As the crescent moon first showed, a streak of residual crimson lingered on the twilight horizon, red as blood itself. The earth, the forests, had already sunk into a dim half-gloom. The last vestiges of light were slowly vanishing, devoured by the encroaching darkness. Light and shadow danced incessantly. Changchun Residence, too, fell into shadow, save for the main chamber where lamps had been lit, their faint glow igniting that space and pushing the darkness back just a little.

In the main chamber. Medicine was simmering on a red clay stove, emitting a faint, herbal fragrance. Li Yuanbai roared with laughter. Defeating Sima Changbai's face this time was truly an unparalleled satisfaction; he hadn't laughed so happily in ages. Recalling Sima Changbai's ashen expression, Li Yuanbai couldn't help but laugh again. If one word could describe it, it was: satisfying. Indeed, satisfying. How long had it been since he felt such satisfaction? Ever since he realized his lifespan was nearing its end, joy had been a stranger. He still couldn't let go, could he? Never mind, never mind. No need to dwell on vexing matters. Only this instant, slapping Sima Changbai’s face, was so deeply satisfying.

“You performed admirably, but don’t think Sima Changbai will simply let this go. You won a skirmish, but given my dwindling lifespan, he will certainly seek you out again. Sima Hao will still covet your position as one of the Ten Great Direct Disciples. This was merely the first trial.” “There are other challenges awaiting you down the road.”

Lu Yuan nodded. Although he had managed to shame Sima Changbai, Sima Bo, and Sima Hao through his rebirth, as long as the premise of his Master’s limited lifespan remained unchanged, he was bound to face other trials. Of course, due to this recent defeat, they wouldn't trouble him again in the short term. However, if they chose to challenge him, let them come. Those who dared to scheme for his position would not meet a good end. This time, he struck Sima Changbai and Sima Hao hard across the face; the next time they came, he would strike even harder, even deeper.

Li Yuanbai spoke, “This time, even some among the Six Sword Immortals of the North Peak suspected that I, your master, interfered, believing I might have used some exceedingly strange methods to help you comprehend Sword Intent. I accepted responsibility for this. In the eyes of the North Peak Six Sword Immortals, half of your victory today was owed to me.”

Lu Yuan listened, knowing in his heart that his Master would never betray him.

“The finest wood is prone to the wind’s breaking. While the sect is generally harmonious now, there are still discordant elements. Take, for instance, the ambitious Sima Changbai of the Great Sun Sword Hall—did he cultivate so many subordinates just to play games? And among your generation, the senior disciple Yun Yi and the second disciple Yun Ping are constantly vying and fighting.” “If you draw too much attention, it will bring you trouble, pulling you into unnecessary maelstroms,” Li Yuanbai suddenly broke into a violent fit of coughing. After recovering, he continued slowly, “You have always possessed a lazy nature; you only exerted yourself this time because you were pushed to the brink. I know this well.” “You don't enjoy the spotlight, nor do you wish to stand out above the rest.” “By attributing half your victory in the North Peak Grand Competition to me, they will likely assume you are not that exceptional and won't pay you undue attention. This serves both to protect you and to suit your temperament, which is fundamentally that of a slacker.” Li Yuanbai explained patiently.

Lu Yuan nodded. This was fine. His exertion in the North Peak Grand Competition was only because he had been cornered. He should return to his slothful existence; that was truly him. What was the point of fighting for status and profit? Wasn't it exhausting? Of course, Lu Yuan understood that this was still a righteous sect; things were relatively better here. Everyone maintained surface harmony, with brotherly affection and senior guidance, punctuated only by minor conflicts. He had heard that in Demonic Sects, among the fiends and monsters, it was constant fratricide, scheming among peers, patricide, and matricide—utter chaos. If he maintained his current disposition in such an environment, he would surely be flayed alive, bones and all, before long.

—————— Still in Changchun Residence, but this time, within his own sleeping quarters. This bedroom contained only a table, a chair, and a bed—extremely simple. Some swords hung on the wall. Lu Yuan returned his Yangwu Sword to its place and hung his Changhong Sword on the wall beside it. With the two flying swords displayed together, the room seemed slightly brighter. It was said that in the Cultivation World, some Sword Cultivators kept their swords beside them even while sleeping; they ate with their left hand while holding their sword in the right; and they even placed their sword inside the bathing tub while washing. Alas, that wasn't his style. He wasn't that powerful.

Looking at the Changhong Sword, Lu Yuan clicked his tongue approvingly. This was won; it felt exceptionally good. Right, this time he won more than just this sword; there were other gains, such as forty Low-grade Spirit Stones. He had truly struck it rich this time. The forty Low-grade Spirit Stones were already in his hands. Recalling Sima Bo’s expression when he handed over the forty stones made him feel utterly comfortable, as if he had consumed a Ginseng Fruit—every pore in his body felt blissful, a sensation of extreme mental euphoria. Forty Low-grade Spirit Stones? Use them up immediately. Why keep them? Low-grade Spirit Stones were meant to be used; keeping them served no purpose. Rumor had it that some in the Cultivation World liked to collect Low-grade Spirit Stones for appreciation. Some great Sages could supposedly glean profound insights just by gazing at them. Lu Yuan could only marvel at this. He was a common man, thoroughly common. What Lu Yuan wanted from his Low-grade Spirit Stones was simply to absorb the inner spiritual energy to enhance his own mana; nothing else concerned him.

Cinnabar was used to draw on the talisman paper. There were five sheets in total, each inscribed with strange characters. These odd symbols were, in fact, ancient seal script. He had learned some ancient seal script from his Master, and virtually all talismans in the Cultivation World were drawn using characters completely different from modern script. If the characters on the five sheets were translated into modern meaning, they would be: "Metal Seal," "Wood Seal," "Water Seal," "Fire Seal," and "Earth Seal."

He muttered "Quick," and struck these five talismans onto five cardinal points. In an instant, a Five Elements Spirit Sealing Array was established. The Five Elements Spirit Sealing Array was a restrictive formation designed to lock down spiritual energy. In these times of resource scarcity, no one could afford to waste even a sliver of spiritual energy, so the Spirit Sealing Array was invented. Once inside the array, if you broke open a spirit stone and released its energy, that energy would be firmly trapped within the Five Elements array, preventing any dispersal—maximizing utilization without the slightest waste. This necessity was born from hardship, considering how scarce resources were in the Great Jin Kingdom. Everyone had to seek ways to both increase supply and reduce consumption, devising every means to conserve spiritual energy.

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the very center of the Five Elements Spirit Sealing Array. He drew his Changhong Sword and sliced open the forty Low-grade Spirit Stones. Immediately, forty faint streams of spiritual energy drifted out. While a single stream was meager, forty jets erupting simultaneously formed an exceptionally robust influx of spiritual energy. As the forty Low-grade Spirit Stones were cracked open one by one, the forty streams of energy converged, and the spiritual energy within the entire array became surprisingly dense.

Lu Yuan was ecstatic. What an act of extravagance! Perhaps not even the Ten Great Direct Disciples had experienced such luxury—shattering forty spirit stones at once to release the inner energy for cultivation. Such extravagance, if publicized, would shock many. This luxurious act brought immense satisfaction. Of course, the greater thrill was that these forty Low-grade Spirit Stones were won from his opponent, Sima Bo. Indulging in such extravagance using energy won from a foe made every inch of his body feel utterly wonderful down to the core. The spiritual energy was too thick. Just sitting there, before even circulating his cultivation technique, he could feel the energy surging towards his body. Then, he settled into his meditative posture. Inhale and exhale. Exhale and absorb. Following his breath, this intensely dense spiritual energy was rapidly drawn into his body, surging through his Twelve Main Channels and Eight Extraordinary Meridians. ... Inhale and exhale, exhale and absorb. At this moment, Lu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes. He had just absorbed all the spiritual energy from the forty stones, and he had advanced to the Mid-stage of the Fifth Heaven Cycle of the Qi Refining Stage—a massive leap. In the Cultivation World, every minor realm is divided into early, middle, and late stages, and breaking through each stage is exceptionally difficult. Of course, this breakthrough didn't require insight; the difficulty lay in accumulating mana, which was no easy feat—as hard as climbing the Shu Road. This time, relying on what he had won, he progressed in one step from the Early-stage to the Mid-stage of the Fifth Heaven Cycle, marking a tremendous improvement. If Sima Bo knew that his own Low-grade Spirit Stones had helped Lu Yuan significantly advance his mana, his nose would surely be twitching with rage.

(The splendid third update is here. Summoning recommendation slips! Everyone please collect, recommend, and reward generously. Oh, and the cover art appeared today—I really like this cover; it captures exactly the feeling I wanted.)