Ye Shu lowered his gaze to look at this jade pendant.
The touch was warm, and the quality was quite good.
In the mortal world, this might be considered a fine jade, but in the eyes of cultivators, it was rather ordinary.
The spiritual energy within it was extremely thin.
However, even if the spiritual energy was thin, there was still some, and faintly carved within the ordinary orchid enclosed in the jade pendant, there was an extremely crude rune.
Could this rune be for storing sound?
Ye Shu was knowledgeable about talismans, so he infused a bit of his mana into it.
In an instant, an ancient voice sounded—
【The Yan clan of Hongshan County, Yan Bei lineage, can use this pendant to find the Foundation Establishment cultivator Luo Qing of the Baixiao Sect and exchange it for a promise.】
Hearing this, Ye Shu understood: “So it’s a token.” He looked at Yan Changlan and said, “This item was left by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It seems that the lord of Yan City had some favor with Luo Qing when he was young, so Luo Qing left this item as a promise. But I don’t know why the news leaked out, causing the lord of Yan City to encounter such a disaster.”
Yan Changlan’s eyes were slightly red: “A cultivator with the surname Li sought this item to find the Foundation Establishment cultivator Luo Qing and exchange it for a promise? He is not a descendant of our family. How could he use this item for exchange?”
Ye Shu said, “Perhaps he didn’t know about the mystery within the jade pendant, or perhaps he knew about it but still wanted to give it a try.” Seeing Yan Changlan’s confusion, he sighed lightly, “We cultivators need to refine our qi after gathering it into our bodies before we can cultivate it. Qi refining consists of nine layers, and only after reaching perfection can we move to the Foundation Establishment stage. Among those who could move forward…” he paused for a moment, “…in places where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is thin, perhaps only one in a thousand or ten thousand can achieve Foundation Establishment. Therefore, for cultivators at the second level of Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment cultivators are beyond reach. If one can make a promise to let them become disciples, the possibility of establishing the foundation in the future will be much greater.”
Yan Changlan clenched his fists in silence.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Therefore, even though the opportunity was slim, as long as there was a glimmer of possibility, the cultivator surnamed Li would rather annihilate the Yan clan and seize the jade pendant!
It’s truly… a practice against the heavens, with limited resources, fighting to the death.
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Yan Changlan hurriedly said, “Brother Ye was concerned that it might not be usable by anyone other than the direct descendants? That’s not an issue. When brother Ye needs it, just call me, and I’ll be there.”
Yet Ye Shu shook his head: “It’s not like that. This item is of no use to me.”
Yan Changlan was slightly puzzled.
Ye Shu’s gaze softened as he said, “Brother Yan, now that you are about to embark on the path of cultivation and have this item in hand, you might as well take this opportunity to join the Baixiao Sect.” He then explained in detail to Yan Changlan, “In cultivation, ‘wealth, companions, methods, and land’ are the most important. ‘Wealth’ refers to resources; ‘companions’ to mentors and fellow cultivators; ‘methods’ to cultivation techniques and teachings; and ‘land’ to places of cultivation. These four elements can all be found within a sect. Once you join a sect and become an official disciple, you will receive a monthly stipend. Even if the stipend is insufficient, you can take on sect tasks to obtain resources. After joining the sect, you can take a master for guidance, choose cultivation methods, and practice with fellow disciples, learning from each other. Within a sect, there are often spirit-gathering formations that draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for the disciples, making cultivation much more efficient than outside…”
Yan Changlan intended to speak when Ye Shu declined, but he fell silent as Ye Shu continued.
He knew that brother Ye was giving him valuable advice, and every word was precious.
Seeing that Yan Changlan was listening, Ye Shu nodded subtly and continued, “Now, brother Yan, you have a cultivation method, which covers ‘methods’ to some extent, but you lack wealth, companions, and land. Seeking these on your own would be incredibly difficult. Across the world, sect disciples achieve far more than solitary cultivators, by a hundredfold. Given this opportunity, you shouldn’t miss it. In my opinion, brother Yan, you should now find a way to join the Baixiao Sect. With your dual spiritual roots of wind and thunder, entering the sect will be no problem. You could also find a good master, and with the jade pendant as a token, you could foster a relationship with Foundation Establishment cultivator Luo Qing, gaining an additional ally. From then on, your cultivation will progress rapidly, making it much easier to avenge your father. Even… if Luo Qing is a righteous person, he might see your potential and eliminate the cultivator surnamed Li for you.”
A surge of warmth filled Yan Changlan’s heart.
If he had previously held a faint hope for this world because brother Ye saved him, now seeing brother Ye thinking of him in every aspect and not coveting the benefits behind the jade pendant, it swept away his previous grievances, restoring his former state of mind.
—No matter what he encountered, as long as brother Ye was around, he wouldn’t feel that the world was bleak and hopeless.
Because of this, Yan Changlan valued this friend even more and said, “Brother Ye, since I can enter a sect with my wind and thunder spiritual roots, why not use this jade pendant to secure a promise and have you join the sect with me?”
At this point, he suddenly realized he didn’t know brother Ye’s spiritual roots. However, since brother Ye mentioned his qualifications weren’t as good, he might not be confident about entering the sect? If the jade pendant could help brother Ye, allowing them to cultivate together, he would be happier than gaining Luo Qing’s support. Brother Ye had said ‘companions’ meant mentors and fellow disciples, but he felt that brother Ye was his true mentor and friend. As for revenge, he could achieve it himself once he had advanced in his cultivation.
Ye Shu’s expression paused slightly, then he shook his head lightly: “What I said earlier was not a refusal, but the truth.” He looked at Yan Changlan, “To be honest, brother Yan, I am different from ordinary cultivators and cannot conveniently join a sect.”
Yan Changlan didn’t understand, but seeing Ye Shu’s sincere expression, he didn’t press further, although he felt some regret.
Not wanting to dwell on this matter, Ye Shu asked, “What do you plan to do next, brother Yan?”
Yan Changlan felt somewhat downcast: “Since my father is dead, I want to retrieve his body first and give him a proper burial. Besides that, I plan to seek out my father’s close friend to… to borrow some silver, and while cultivating, I’ll look for the Baixiao Sect.”
Then, Yan Changlan asked, “Brother Ye, do you know of places where cultivators gather?”
Ye Shu replied, “I do not know; otherwise, I would have already gone.”
Yan Changlan felt a bit regretful at first, but then he was also somewhat relieved—although he didn’t know why brother Ye was cultivating or how he knew so much, he had no intention of probing. If brother Ye hadn’t stayed here, they wouldn’t have met, and he would have lost such a close friend.
After feeling relieved, Yan Changlan extended an invitation: “Why don’t you join me in searching for places where cultivators gather?”
Ye Shu thought for a moment, then nodded and agreed: “That sounds good.”
Yan Changlan immediately smiled. Although his eyes still held some sorrow, one could vaguely see his former self: “With brother Ye by my side, no matter the dangers ahead, I won’t fear.”
Ye Shu had never heard anyone speak to him like this before and was somewhat stunned. He quickly nodded and said, “A few days ago, I promised to give you a gift in return, and it’s ready now.”
Yan Changlan’s somber mood lightened a bit: “Really?”
Ye Shu then turned around, took a wooden sword from a nearby barrel, and handed it to Yan Changlan.
When Yan Changlan took it, he saw that water droplets slid off the blade, leaving it completely dry and pristine. He couldn’t help but praise, “What a fine sword!”
He then examined it closely.
The sword was three feet long, entirely snow-white, without any decorations. Its material was indiscernible, appearing neither metallic nor wooden, and it felt smooth and light as if it weighed nothing. Although it was beautiful, the blade’s edge emitted a hidden cold light. As he turned his wrist, the blade’s edge glinted sharply, filling the room with a cold gleam.
Such a sword, if he had seen it in the past, he would have thought it was an extraordinary weapon. Now, looking at it, Yan Changlan realized that this sword was likely not an ordinary mortal weapon.
Thinking this, he asked about it.
Ye Shu replied, “This sword was crafted using some artifact refining techniques, but since my current mana is weak, the crafting was quite rudimentary. Against mortals, this sword is fairly sharp, but it is no match for the magical tools wielded by cultivators.”
Yan Changlan didn’t mind the quality of the sword; knowing it was specially made by Ye Shu for him was enough to make him happy. However, some words in Ye Shu’s explanation caught his attention: “Artifact refining? Magical tools?”
Ye Shu explained, “In the mortal realm, warriors have weapons. Similarly, cultivators have magical tools for combat. I am currently only at the first level of Qi Refining and cannot use even a low-grade magical tool. When I reach the second level of Qi Refining, I will be able to use both low-grade and mid-grade magical tools. The second level of Qi Refining only doubles the mana of the first level, but if a second-level Qi Refining cultivator has good fortune and obtains a low-grade magical tool, they can easily overpower a first-level Qi Refining cultivator.”
Yan Changlan quickly committed Ye Shu’s words to memory.
Ye Shu continued, “Those who craft magical tools are called artifact refiners. Although I am not very skilled, I have some knowledge in this area. The sword you have now will be useful at the first and second levels of Qi Refining. If you reach the third level, it may not be able to handle the mana, and you will need to switch to a higher-grade magical tool.” He added, “Qi Refining cultivators can at most use low-grade magical tools. It is often extremely difficult for lower-level cultivators to obtain suitable magical tools.”
Yan Changlan noted this information as well.
Since Ye Shu had mentioned these things, he explained various aspects of cultivation to Yan Changlan, ensuring that he would not be ignorant when entering a sect. As for magical tools, once Yan Changlan started cultivating, Ye Shu intended to help him acquire some refining materials to craft a suitable magical tool for him.
Thanks for the chapter!
thanks for the chapter! I’m enjoying this one, especially the quiet friendship. they’re too cute even through the tragedy.
Thanks for the chapter!!