Night fell, and the Mo family ancestral home sank into tranquility. Mo Tiange carefully pulled the book she had smuggled out from her schoolbag. She brightened the oil lamp, spread out a sheet of white paper, and began to copy.
She had learned to read at three and started formal schooling at six. Her handwriting wasn't yet beautiful, but it was already quite presentable.
In the latter part of the book, Layman Qinglian wrote more about his experiences in the Immortal cultivation world.
For example, within the entire Tianji Region, most cultivation sects were located in the Kunwu Mountain Range to the south. This mountain range stretched endlessly from west to east, bordering the entire southern part of Tianji. Deep within the mountains, there were said to be dense forests where many demonic beasts roamed. However, only cultivators above the Core Formation realm could cross these mountains to reach the lands beyond.
South of Tianji was an endless expanse of ocean. It was said there was land beyond the sea, but Layman Qinglian had only heard of it in passing, so he merely mentioned it briefly.
Mo Tiange thought of what her ancestor had said. South of the sea should be Yunzhong, the place her ancestor came from.
Layman Qinglian also mentioned that because those with Spirit Roots were one in ten thousand among mortals, while the descendants of cultivators had a much higher chance of possessing them, cultivation families had emerged.
In so-called cultivation families, the proportion of cultivators could reach one in a thousand or even one in a hundred. And if the parents were cultivators themselves, the chance of their offspring having Spirit Roots could be as high as one in ten. Therefore, both cultivation sects and families encouraged cultivators to marry and have children to continue their lineages. When cultivators married, they usually became dual cultivation partners, addressing each other as Fellow Daoist or Immortal Companion.
What greatly surprised Layman Qinglian was that in this cultivation world, strength was revered above all. Unless bound by blood or master-disciple ties, where lifelong seniority was fixed according to worldly age, everyone else's seniority was determined by their cultivation realm. There was no distinction based on age or gender.
This lack of gender distinction particularly intrigued Layman Qinglian. Male cultivators would take concubines, and female cultivators would actually keep male companions. However, since cultivators fought for every second in their cultivation, few kept concubines or companions. Moreover, in a world that revered power, being a concubine or a companion was looked down upon with great contempt. Unless their master was extremely powerful or had unspeakable difficulties, few cultivators were willing to become concubines or companions.
Nevertheless, even so, high-ranking female cultivators were still far fewer than their male counterparts. Firstly, rogue cultivators came from the mortal world, where women rarely left their homes and had few opportunities, so female cultivators among rogues were extremely rare. Secondly, female cultivators were still women, often emotional and sentimental, with few possessing decisive, ruthless natures. Therefore, among cultivators at the Core Formation realm and above, seven or eight out of ten were male.
The following content consisted of various rare items Layman Qinglian had collected, categorized into several major types: pills, magic treasures, cultivation techniques, formation arrays, and so on. His understanding wasn't deep, so he only briefly listed some examples commonly known in the cultivation world.
Mo Tiange spent over ten nights copying the entire book before secretly returning the original. However, as she was returning it, the Old Master saw her.
The Old Master flipped through the book, a dazed expression appearing on his face. After a long while, he sighed and said to her, "I originally didn't believe in so-called blood ties, but now I have no choice. Your interest in these things must mean your father's blood flows in your veins. Very well, if one day you find the way, perhaps you can seek out your father."
These words shocked Mo Tiange. Did the Old Master know about her father? And was her father also connected to cultivation?
"Master, what about my father?"
The Old Master put the book back and said, "This master isn't very clear either. It's just that when I associated with your father back then, I vaguely knew he seemed to possess Immortal Methods. I once asked him; he didn't admit it, but he didn't deny it either. Later, when your father left, he came to bid farewell. He frankly said the journey was dangerous and hoped I would look after you and your mother a little. You hadn't been born yet, but he already knew you would be a daughter. He undoubtedly possessed Immortal Methods."
After speaking, he patted her head. "You don't need to worry too much about this. Immortal Methods are hard to find. If you can't find them, just focus on your studies."
Watching the Old Master shake his head and leave, Mo Tiange grew excited.
Her father had Immortal Methods. If she practiced that Art of the Plain Maiden, would she become like her father? Could she then go find him?
Thinking this, she began to seriously recall that dream.
For some reason, while she usually forgot dreams upon waking, this dream seemed etched into her mind. Every word spoken by that female voice, and that Art of the Plain Maiden—when she recalled them, each character was clear and distinct.
After school, returning to the ancestral home, she didn't even feel like playing with Tian Qiao. She shut herself in her small room, recalling the Art of the Plain Maiden.
Her ancestor had said the Art of the Plain Maiden was a cultivation technique only female cultivators with a Pure Yin Constitution could practice, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. But she possessed a Five Elements Spirit Root. Without a specific technique, her cultivation would be very slow.
Mo Tiange felt a bit confused. Having a Pure Yin Constitution meant practicing this Art of the Plain Maiden would be faster, but having a Five Elements Spirit Root meant she needed a specific technique. What exactly should she cultivate?
After much thought, regardless of what she should cultivate, she only knew of the Art of the Plain Maiden now, so she could only start with that.
The first step in cultivation was to draw Spiritual Qi into the body.
Following the technique's instructions, she sat cross-legged, with her five centers facing the sky, thinking of nothing.
A child's mind was inherently much simpler. Soon, she entered a meditative state.
It was a wondrous feeling. The whole world was empty. Her own body seemed to float, lightly, like a grain of sand lifted by the wind. Slowly, it felt as if she were enveloped by water, warm and safe, like in her mother's embrace.
In this warmth, it seemed as if time no longer flowed, and she herself ceased to exist.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she was startled awake by noises outside. Opening her eyes, she realized it was already dawn, and she was still maintaining the cross-legged sitting posture.
This... had she succeeded? If she had succeeded, she hadn't felt any Spiritual Qi at all. If she hadn't succeeded, she hadn't felt the passage of time either, and she felt very energetic, not at all like someone who hadn't slept all night.
Before she could think more, Aunt Lin was already knocking on her door. She knew Aunt Lin calling her to help with work was definitely her grandmother's idea; otherwise, Uncle He and the others wouldn't have pretended not to see.
There was no choice. She would have to continue later.
Just as she was about to get off the bed, she almost fell. Sitting all night, her legs were completely numb. Fortunately, her spirit was still good.
In the following days, during the daytime, Mo Tiange would go to the academy with Tian Qiao and help Aunt Lin with some chores. At night, she would practice cultivation.
Day after day passed, and she still hadn't sensed the so-called Spiritual Qi. Each time she finished cultivating, she felt discouraged. But thinking of her father, she would rally her spirits and continue.
However, cultivation did have its benefits. For example, she no longer needed to sleep now. After each cultivation session, she felt very energetic. Her memory was also getting better. Whatever the Old Master taught, she only needed to hear it once to remember it completely. When reading books in the library, she didn't need to read them multiple times; just one pass, and everything was clear. She even became much stronger. Now she could carry a full bucket of water, and helping Aunt Lin with chores didn't tire her at all.
But still not sensing Spiritual Qi made her somewhat anxious. Could it be that her cultivation method was wrong?