Chapter 52: The Hall of Mental Cultivation

Tiny white flakes drifted down from the horizon, growing larger as they descended, as if tainted by the mortal world. The entire sky was filled with snow, shimmering under a beam of moonlight.

"Crack! Crack!..."

The snowfall was exceptionally heavy; within mere hours, the earth was draped in a white mantle.

On Wudang Mountain!

As the sun rose and the moon set, the cycle of day and night inverted. Wudang Mountain was cloaked in snow, with drifting clouds making it feel as though one were amidst the heavens.

Inside the side hall of the Hall of Nurturing Heart:

Two wooden doors were pushed open with a "crack." Sunlight slowly filtered in, followed by four figures who brought a touch of vitality to the quiet hall.

The Hall of Nurturing Heart, as the name implies, is a place for saving lives and soothing injuries. As a sanctuary for healing, medicinal herbs are essential, and these herbs are grown on another peak of the Wudang range.

The Kilimanjaro mountain range consists of seventy-two peaks, stretching into the deep clouds, with Wudang Mountain being the highest. The Hall of Nurturing Heart, also known as Yuxu Peak, sits on the southern side of Wudang Mountain, mirroring the Wuzhu Peak. These two peaks rise like bamboo shoots, flanking Wudang Mountain like a throne—high in the middle and low on the sides.

The summit of the Hall of Nurturing Heart brushes the horizon. With its stable climate throughout the four seasons, shielded from harsh winds, rain, and air pollution, it is the perfect habitat for medicinal herbs and is known in the martial arts world as a natural pharmacy. Gazing out from the summit, one sees an ethereal, immortal landscape; the legends of Penglai are born of such sights.

The Hall of Nurturing Heart usually sees very few people, as only those with severe injuries come here. The side hall is so quiet that not even the chirping of birds can be heard.

Xu Yue looked at Mo Shan, who lay on the bed, and walked toward him.

"This young man was only brought in last night. Why are you trying to take him away today? His meridians are shattered beyond repair; it will be no easy feat to wake him!"

The sudden voice made him stop and look back. The man who entered was middle-aged, walking slowly from a distance, yet his voice was exceptionally resonant.

"What? Are you afraid I won't pay you enough spirit stones?"

Xu Yue turned around and grinned, though his mouth twitched, clearly betraying a hint of fear.

Spirit stones are objects of cultivation, formed from the condensation of rich heavenly and earthly energy. Deep beneath the mountains, through the sedimentation of ages, this energy transitions from gas to solid, forming the essence of spiritual power—the spirit stone.

Practitioners of martial arts can easily harness the energy within to enhance their internal strength. Spirit stones are categorized into low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade.

Low-grade spirit stones contain many impurities and little spiritual energy; they are opaque and difficult to absorb. Medium-grade stones have fewer impurities, are semi-transparent, and are rich in energy, making them easier to absorb. High-grade spirit stones are hard, clear, and bright, containing the purest essence of nature; they are covered in countless crystals and are extremely rare.

Originally, the Hall of Medicinal Herbs did not require spirit stones for entry, as training inside offered twice the result with half the effort. But the entire Wudang population—thousands of disciples—began crowding in to cultivate. Not just the disciples, but the elders and even the masters of the various peaks would lose all decorum, coming to "lick" his herbs, stealing leaves to eat when he wasn't looking. They would hypocritically claim they were "testing for poison." He knew his own herbs; he had allowed them entry out of extreme tolerance, yet they had discarded their dignity for the sake of cultivation. To put it politely, they were shameless; to put it bluntly, they were thieves.

It was an insult. Anyone who spent their life painstakingly growing herbs, only to have them plucked by others without payment—while being told it was a "poison test"—would eventually snap. Even a clay figurine has a temper.

In a fit of rage, he changed the Hall of Nurturing Heart to an hourly rate. You pay based on the time you spend; it costs even more in the herb fields. This price applies whether you are seeking treatment or buying herbs.

At first, some tried to sneak in or cultivate outside the hall. Though he was kind-hearted, he realized that if he let one in today and two tomorrow, they would soon believe they could enter at will. He established that whether inside or outside, the price was the same, and outside the hall, it was doubled.

Even then, some tried to charm him into conversation. The etiquette of a host is to invite guests inside for a chat, but while he enjoyed the company, he grew bored when the halls became empty. He chatted for a day or two, but by the third or fourth day, he was annoyed. From then on, he stopped entertaining guests unless they were there to buy herbs or were dying. Very few people climbed Yuxu Peak after that.

Today, however, a young man on the verge of death had finally arrived, and he intended to take good care of him! This was a massive haul of spirit stones! Especially since he was a friend of the Hall of Punishment’s master—he could really bleed them dry. Thinking of this, his eyes gleamed. Using spirit stones to nurture herbs was a wonderful choice; it would double his efficiency!

"As for the spirit stones, Senior, have no worry, as long as you can cure him!"

The crisp, clear voice echoed through the hall, fresh and melodic, like a gentle breeze. The speaker was Nangong Bingyun, the elder sister of Lin Ruoxi. Her voice carried a hint of anxiety. Though she was desperate, Hall Master Xu Yue had already told her about the state of the town.

Although she only returned home three or four times a year, it was still the place that gave her life. It was where her father, to whom she was bound by blood, and her beloved younger sister lived. To her, family was far more important than spirit stones.

She knew that returning was useless and would only add to her sorrow. The only thing she could do now was wake him up to find out what had happened, where they had gone, and who had left the town in such a battered, desolate state, with the blood of all living things drained dry.

"Tsk! This young man has suffered excessive loss of vital energy. There is nothing else critically wrong, but he requires many blood-replenishing herbs. Only with time and gentle care will he wake," the Hall Master sighed.

Since he was brought in yesterday, with a severed left arm, massive blood loss, and his internal organs shifted, he had been channeling his own internal energy to heal him, yet there had been no improvement.

"Elder Qian! He is vital to us. Yesterday, a bizarre incident occurred at the foot of the mountain. Everyone in the town was drained of blood and died a miserable death. He was the only one to escape. We need to understand everything he knows!"

Another person spoke slowly, his voice deep, calm, and composed. He was the Sect Leader of Wudang Mountain. Such a grave event required his personal attention. After all, as a neighbor, failing to protect those nearby—and knowing nothing about the threat—was unacceptable. Perhaps one day, Wudang Mountain itself would suffer a catastrophe.

According to Xu Yue’s description, he suspected that the "Demon Race" was stirring up trouble again. The specifics, however, would have to come from this young man.

The group of four included Qi Yun, the Master of Wuzhu Peak, who was responsible for the enlightenment of martial artists. As the name suggests, he was in charge of recruiting newcomers and helping them generate their sea of energy and internal power. Newcomers were often volatile, especially teenagers. If their parents back home met with disaster, these youths would be in an uproar, creating a headache for everyone.