53 Blood Test (Part 1)

Ji Lingxiao pondered for a moment, lifted his small paw, and nonchalantly brushed across Yao Qian's palm.

Yao Qian felt a tickle in her palm as he scratched her. Unable to help herself, she giggled and pulled the little black cat into her arms, rubbing her small face against its furry little visage. "Does Little Black not like the teasing wand? Do you just want big sister to keep you company?"

Joy filled Yao Qian's heart. She had always thought Little Black was aloof and cold, but she never expected him to be so clingy! Indeed, raising a pet was just like raising a child; as long as you put your heart into it, they would grow close to you!

Ji Lingxiao glanced at his foolishly grinning little disciple, utterly failing to understand how this action of his could make her so happy. When his paw had brushed across Yao Qian's palm, it had already extracted a drop of her fresh blood, which he then cast into his own River of Oblivion.

Previously, he had merely allowed Yao Qian to enter his River of Oblivion without having her drip her fresh blood into it. Now, if he wanted to accurately ascertain her constitution, he had to test her blood to conduct a detailed investigation. Yao Qian's drop of blood fell into the River of Oblivion without causing the slightest ripple, but very soon, every secret of Yao Qian's body unfolded within Ji Lingxiao's sea of consciousness.

His guess had been correct after all. This girl did not possess the pristine glazed constitution he had previously assumed, but rather the wood spirit constitution, which was exceedingly rare among human cultivators! Like the pristine glazed constitution, the wood spirit constitution was a top-tier immortal-cultivation physique, and it was basically a constitution possessed only by high-level demon cultivators.

Moreover, the true form of a demon cultivator with such a physique had to be spiritual vegetation capable of growing vitality, such as fairy mushrooms or snow spirit ginsengs. The probability of the wood spirit constitution appearing among humans was extremely low—not a single one would appear in several millennia. Humans with this constitution almost always had demon bloodlines in their ancestry, and Yao Qian was no exception.

She indeed possessed a demon bloodline, but it was already exceedingly thin. Ji Lingxiao could not even rely on a single drop of blood to determine exactly what kind of spiritual vegetation her ancestors had been; that would require essence blood to verify. His brows relaxed slightly. No wonder he had been deceived initially—who could have guessed she possessed a constitution that appeared once every few millennia?

Unless subjected to a blood test, her true constitution would be very difficult to detect unless a high-level cultivator like Ji Lingxiao spent day and night with her. The pristine glazed constitution was simply one of the external manifestations of special immortal-cultivation physiques like the wood spirit constitution.

One could say that among top-tier immortal-cultivation physiques, the pristine glazed constitution was the most common, as all other immortal-cultivation physiques shared the effects of the pristine glazed constitution. Ji Lingxiao recalled the sect's investigation into the Yao family: regardless of aptitude, eighty percent of the Yao family disciples possessed wood-affinity spiritual roots.

At the time, he had merely glanced over that data. It was quite normal for disciples within a family to have similar spiritual root attributes—for instance, the majority of the Ji family possessed fire-affinity spiritual roots. Now that he thought about it, it was related to their demon ancestors.

Ji Lingxiao was reluctant to extract his disciple's essence blood. When the members of the Yao clan arrived, he could extract fresh blood from several of them; as long as the quantity was sufficient, they could also determine the classification of their ancestors. Ji Lingxiao thought to himself that if this girl truly had the wood spirit constitution, then the "Azure Dragon Scripture" could be considered a cultivation method tailored specifically for her.

If even a wood spirit constitution could not be trained to its ultimate limit, then no human in the world would ever be able to achieve it. However, the higher the cultivation of a wood spirit constitution, the more troublesome it became; a wood spirit constitution at the Yang God realm was a natural longevity-extending medicine. Ji Lingxiao possessed profound cultivation and had no worries regarding his lifespan; he had no intention of raising his disciple to be a longevity-extending drug.

Nor was he willing to let his disciple become someone else's longevity medicine. He had better forge a magical artifact for her to conceal her aura, and find an opportunity to remind her not to easily raise demon beasts anymore, lest she encounter another fake demon beast like himself.

Yao Qian held Little Black's little fleshy paws and played with them for a good while. Primarily, she was the one playing with Little Black, while Ji Lingxiao cooperated just like a puppet cat. Only after she had her fill of cat-snuggling did Yao Qian contentedly hug Little Black and say, "Little Black, big sister needs to cultivate. You play by yourself for a bit, and I'll keep you company after I finish cultivating, alright?"

Ji Lingxiao did not utter a sound. He recalled her detailed inquiries earlier regarding the cultivation of the Golden Core and Yin God; surely she didn't want her Yin God to leave her body, did she? Yin God detachment without any preparation was extremely dangerous, but he did not stop her either. He knew all too well how heavy a child's curiosity could be.

Stopping her now would not make her retreat in the face of difficulties; instead, it would only keep her obsessing over the matter. Rather than letting her run amok outside, it was better to keep her under his own watch. The sensation of Yin God detachment was no pleasure; once she tried it, she wouldn't do it lightly a second time. This was more effective than any persuasion.

Ji Lingxiao looked on coldly as his own disciple courted hardship. Pei Changqing shared his master's sentiment. While he was momentarily distracted to check on his junior sister's cultivation progress, he sensed his master's aura and very tactfully departed. With Master present, the junior sister would certainly come to no harm.

Yao Qian had no idea she was being watched by an audience. She was earnestly studying the method of Yin God detachment given to her by her eldest martial brother. The method was very simple: it required her to earnestly wish for her own Yin God to leave her body, whereupon her Yin God would detach automatically.

Yao Qian: "..." What kind of method was this? Why were the cultivation methods she encountered recently all so unscientific? However, cultivation was inherently unscientific. She closed the scroll, lit a stick of purified incense, focused her mind, and concentrated in meditation, hoping her Yin God wouldn't be as difficult to cultivate as the Azure Dragon Scripture.

To Yao Qian's surprise, Yin God detachment was much easier to cultivate than the Azure Dragon Scripture. True to form, the moment she concentrated her thoughts, her Yin God genuinely detached from her body. She turned around in astonishment, gazing at her own physical body in the secret chamber, her emotions somewhat complex.

This was her first time looking at herself from the perspective of an observer. After looking for a long time, she felt as though she might no longer recognize her own face. Books stated that a Yin God's first detachment might cause discomfort, but Yao Qian felt no discomfort whatsoever; instead, she clearly sensed genuine qi flowing through her Yin God.

During her usual cultivation, she also experienced the sensation of genuine qi flowing around her body, but it was far from as distinct as experiencing it directly with her Yin God. With a subtle shift in her expression, Yao Qian concentrated her thoughts and began practicing the "Greater Yin Scripture". She had no idea how solid her Yin God actually was, so she did not dare to immediately practice the "Greater Yang Scripture".

The moment she began this cultivation, she immediately perceived the benefits of Yin God cultivation. Her spiritual roots were close to perfection, and the amount of spiritual qi she absorbed and exhaled in a single breath was far greater than that of ordinary people. Yet, even that still fell short of the speed of Yin God cultivation, because during Yin God cultivation, every single part of her entire body was simultaneously absorbing and exhaling spiritual qi.

At the center of her Yin God's brow, a talisman as brilliant as quicksilver flickered with a faint light, corresponding to the lunar radiance in the sky. The essence of the lunar radiance poured down like a waterfall, endlessly washing over Yao Qian's Yin God. She felt as though her entire being, from the inside out, had been bathed in the essence of lunar radiance.

Unawares, the lunar phase within her sea of consciousness grew increasingly distinct, and her body seemed to drift closer to that lunar phase. Crossing an ocean condensed from countless Greater Yin true flames, she arrived above the lunar palace she had first laid eyes upon.

Within the lunar palace, there remained only a single osmanthus tree and a six-eyed jade toad with its eyes closed in repose. Recalling the crisis she had encountered during her first cultivation session, Yao Qian remained on her guard, not daring to breathe and exhale in unison with the jade toad this time. She merely observed this magnificent toad palace with attentive care.

The "Sun and Moon Scriptures" caused her to construct the dual phases of the sun and moon within her sea of consciousness. The toad palace was the sole structure within the lunar phase, and she had to construct it. During her usual cultivation, she merely visualized a full bright moon and rarely had the opportunity to witness the intricate internal details of the Greater Yin. Such an opportunity was rare; she had to memorize the entire structure of the toad palace as best as she could.

The flying eaves and azure tiles, the pavilions and storied buildings within the toad palace, intertwined and meandering with circuitous twists, possessed grandeur amidst their exquisite beauty. Yet, these pavilions and towers were cold and desolate, clearly devoid of any inhabitants. The only two living beings were the osmanthus tree in the courtyard and the six-eyed jade toad.

The trunk of the osmanthus tree was thick and soared into the clouds, making its canopy almost invisible. The bark on its trunk was a lovely pale silver, shimmering with a faint, regal glow, and a branch grew from top to bottom, bearing pale yellow osmanthus flowers with petals resembling both orchids and lotuses.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt as though she caught a whiff of an exquisitely pleasant fragrance. She could not describe what this fragrance actually smelled like, having never encountered it before. Taking a single breath of it left her feeling thoroughly refreshed throughout her entire body, as if she had consumed some rare and precious treasure.

Subconsciously, she wanted to inhale another breath of this fragrance, but she suddenly recalled her previous encounter in the lunar palace. Alarm bells rang loudly in her mind, and she remained on her guard, not daring to make any more rash movements. Even so, the fragrance continued to surge toward her in an endless stream.

Inexperienced as she was, Yao Qian knew she had once again encountered heavenly demons obstructing her path. Not knowing how to block this fragrance, she simply crossed her legs, concentrated in meditation, and visualized the construction of the lunar phase within her sea of consciousness. At this moment, the lunar phase within her sea of consciousness was still merely a pale, illusory shadow.

It was completely incomparable to the lunar phase before her eyes, which was clearly a true projection. Yet, this very round of pale, illusory shadow actually forced back that all-pervading fragrance. Yao Qian's mind steadied completely, and free of any distractions, she continued to construct her own lunar phase within her sea of consciousness.

As time flowed on, her lunar phase grew increasingly solid, ultimately forming a pale yet distinctly corporeal bright moon. Yao Qian stared in a daze at the lunar phase in her sea of consciousness, a mix of shock and joy filling her heart. Was this the convenience of practicing with a detached Yin God?

Although she did not know how long she had been cultivating, the duration certainly could not have been very long. This single session of cultivation was equivalent to at least half a year of ordinary effort! No wonder Golden Core cultivators possessed such formidable strength—so the speed of cultivating with a Yin God was astonishingly fast!

Yao Qian was unaware that her cultivation had progressed so rapidly this time entirely because it was her first Yin God detachment and because she had encountered lunar demons obstructing her path. Unless she could encounter lunar demons every single time she cultivated, achieving this kind of speed was utterly impossible.

Had Yao Qian failed to channel her energy to resist the corrosion of that fragrance, the aura of the lunar demons would have imprinted itself upon her. Over the long passage of time, her aura would have been thoroughly polluted by the lunar demons. In the future, even if she ascended, she would not attain supreme liberation; instead, she would ascend to the Heaven of Freedom, becoming nourishment for the lunar demons.

This was the most perilous aspect of demonic cultivation techniques—or rather, ancient cultivation methods: rapid advancement, swift acquisition of strength, and the ability to cultivate using heavenly demons without accumulating karma. Yet, the moment one failed to withstand the temptation of the heavenly demons, one's very self would become nourishment to nurture them.

Ji Lingxiao and the others had long since perceived that Yao Qian was encountering heavenly demons obstructing her path. The reason no one spoke of it was, firstly, that such obstructions had no preventive measures; the sole means of resistance was to guard one's mind and refuse to be deceived by the illusions of the heavenly demons.

Yao Qian possessed a firm disposition and was not easily misled by the illusions of the heavenly demons. Telling her the truth about the demonic obstruction might instead give rise to other stray thoughts in her mind. By keeping silent and letting her endure it on her own, she would reap far greater benefits.

Secondly, it was related to the fact that the Infinite Sect was a Demonic sect. The cultivation of disciples within Demonic sects followed the law of the jungle, where the strong preyed on the weak—especially for disciples like Yao Qian who learned the true-transmission mental arts without officially being true-transmission disciples. The sect would tilt all its resources to help them become true-transmission disciples.

Conversely, they also had to pass various trials. True-transmission mental arts were not passed outward; failing the true-transmission disciple trial meant only death. Allowing disciples to face heavenly demons obstructing their path without prior knowledge was the first step of the sect's trial for true-transmission disciples. If they could not even pass this hurdle, the trials ahead would be all the more impossible.

Ji Lingxiao had been constantly distracted to check on his little disciple's cultivation progress, standing ready to slap her Yin God back into her body at any moment. He simply had not expected that after her Yin God detached, not only did the little girl experience no discomfort whatsoever, but she persevered in cultivation for dozens of days. This surprised him to a certain extent.

Had this girl comprehended the runes of the Yin-Yang Scriptures? Otherwise, how could she have allowed her Yin God to cultivate for so long? Had she not only just begun practicing the Yin-Yang Scriptures? To have comprehended them so quickly?

Ji Lingxiao was also someone who had comprehended the runes before guiding qi into his body, so he was not overly astonished by Yao Qian's comprehension. Since he could achieve it, others could as well. Come to think of it, Pei Changqing's comprehension was also good, but that child carried too many heavy thoughts and could not cultivate with single-minded devotion like the little girl, which made his comprehension appear insufficient. People with simple natures were better suited for cultivation.

Ji Lingxiao contentedly stroked the whiskers beside his cheeks with his little fleshy paw. To have obtained these two disciples meant his luck was not bad either. Pei Changqing required no management from him, but the little girl was still young and needed to be closely monitored in her cultivation to prevent her from squandering her own aptitude. She seemed not to have started practicing the Azure Dragon Scripture yet—was it because she hadn't found the time to read it, or because she couldn't?

Right now, Ji Lingxiao wished even more for her to cultivate the Azure Dragon Scripture. With her longevity-fruit physique, once exposed, those righteous sect cultivators who vaunted themselves as gentlemen would likely all want to extract her blood for alchemy. He had no desire to serve as this girl's personal bodyguard; she needed to elevate her strength as swiftly as possible.

Author's note:
Ji Lingxiao: I am going to train my disciple and nurture her into a violent steamroller. I do not want to be my disciple's personal bodyguard.
Later on: What a delightful surprise.
There should be a double update this evening, though the time is uncertain; everyone can check it out tomorrow.
Thanks to the little angels who cast "Overlord Tickets" or irrigated nutrient fluid for me between 2022-04-13 22:24:10 and 2022-04-14 09:12:41~
Thanks to the little angel who cast a shallow-water bomb: Tiehuan Princess x1;
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: su, Polka Dot Tie x1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated nutrient fluid: Ruan Ling x30 bottles; Mese Qiqi, 19301609 x20 bottles; Tingzi x7 bottles; Yue Zhan Hong Chen Fu Pi Han Shu x3 bottles; Ning San Gongzi, Weizi, Zhai A Zhai, Nishang, Qiushui Ruoxia x1 bottle;
Thank you all very much for your support; I will continue to work hard! :,,