Volume One, Chapter 10: The Mysterious Art of Fate Transformation

In his grandfather’s notes, it was mentioned that such a pattern was called a "Seal."

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet!

It was said that violet was the highest level, generally used to trap powerful demons. Yet, this one had hints of gold woven into the violet base. Zhao Fusheng found himself harboring a few suspicions about the woman before him.

"Little Junior Brother, do not let your mind wander, or your energy flow might go astray and lead to cultivation deviation," the woman whispered a reminder.

Zhao Fusheng murmured in acknowledgment but let his guard down slightly. If she had any ulterior motives, she could easily have taken advantage of his ignorance to disrupt his meridians, using that as leverage to extort medicine before escaping. That way, she would have ensured her own safety and perhaps even turned the tables. Yet, she had not done so.

"Alright."

Though still somewhat wary, Zhao Fusheng closed his eyes. He did not truly trust his surroundings, but his grandfather had once said, "How can one catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den?" This was the opportunity his grandfather had spent his entire life searching for; he did not want to miss it out of cowardice.

"Let's begin!" He swallowed hard.

"Starting from where my fingertips touch, follow the path to here." The woman’s finger moved down a few inches.

Zhao Fusheng’s young face flushed instantly. That spot was less than two finger-widths away from his perineum!

"Cough... Perineum, Coccyx, Jiaji, Yuzhen, Baihui, Upper Magpie Bridge, Zhongji, Guanyuan, Qihai—is that right?" he asked, deciding to clarify first. The path ahead involved areas that were simply too embarrassing.

The woman paused, then hummed in affirmation. "Little Junior Brother is quite different from ordinary cultivators; you actually understand the circulation of the Minor Heavenly Circuit in alchemy-based cultivation."

"Indeed."

"Then, after you follow the pressure I just applied to pass the three barriers and enter the Yuzhen, I will teach you how to breathe into the Baihui."

Acupoint charts had been Zhao Fusheng’s only amusement in the ruined temple. Back then, he hadn't known they were his grandfather’s research on cultivation; he had simply thought they were toys left behind for him. So, this circular path was called the "Minor Heavenly Circuit." He felt more at ease now; it was clear she knew far more than he did.

Following the pressure of her touch, he gradually guided his internal energy through the various portals. Many of his acupoints were blocked in different ways—some felt like they were stuffed with cotton, others like solid stones, and some were like impenetrable walls. Pushing through required a precise balance of force; too hard and it would cause damage, too soft and it would be ineffective. It required a delicate, clever touch, and not a hair's breadth of error was allowed. Without a guide, this process was a matter of life and death.

Finally, as he circled back to the Lower Dantian, a wisp of violet energy, accompanied by a subtle, faint fragrance, merged into his body. It was as if a dusty seal had been broken, causing his blood and energy to surge backward, leaving his whole body tingling and numb. But after a moment, the sensation faded.

Zhao Fusheng was drenched in foul-smelling sweat, as pungent as excrement! Furthermore, his previously smooth energy flow now felt incredibly heavy, as if mired in thick sludge. However, he did not panic.

The *Cultivation Chapter: Prologue* stated: "As the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually thins, only those with superior spiritual roots can absorb enough to thrive. Thus, the Upper Yang Heavenly Circuit method prevails. Methods like the Abdominal Dantian Minor Heavenly Circuit, unable to gather sufficient spiritual energy, have been discarded and eliminated."

He was experiencing this heaviness precisely because he had used the Abdominal Dantian method.

"It is done!"

"From now on, you no longer need to rely on that half-inch method for bitter cultivation. Just hunt more humans or demon cores, and one year will equal ten years of hard work!"

"With this, in just over a year, you will be able to fulfill your wish and repay that girl for the energy she provided..."

When he opened his eyes, he saw the woman panting, yet watching him with intense focus. This meant the path to increasing spiritual energy through "eating" was now open! The remaining thirty pages of his grandfather’s cultivation notes could finally be put to use.

However, Zhao Fusheng had already sensed a deeper meaning in her words. He gathered his wits and replied as quickly as he could: "Thanks! As agreed, I will heal your wounds by tomorrow. Once you are recovered, I will see you off."

The woman let out a long breath. Many renowned cultivators, eager to learn alchemy-based techniques, would capture demons, coerce them into teaching the arts, and then kill them to silence them. The selfish nature of those who valued reputation over life was well-known in the demon realm. That was why she had been so guarded.

"My name is Yun Yao..." She reached out a hand. "What is Little Junior Brother’s name? I would like to remember the name of my benefactor."

"Zhao Fusheng. This is just a business transaction, like when I used to sell charcoal for money. It does not count as a favor." Zhao Fusheng refused to shake her hand.

Yun Yao pouted and said, "Oh."

"Rest now. I am going to prepare the medicine." He rose and walked to the other side of the room. As agreed, he needed to concoct a remedy for Yun Yao’s stab wounds. Midnight was approaching! Fortunately, the notes covered this as well. Plantain, catechu, musk, dragon's blood...

Too many junior brothers had died in this guardhouse. The one thing they were never short of was medicine. There were finished pills in porcelain jars, as well as an entire cabinet filled with raw herbs for external and internal injuries.

He used the Mysterious Female Alchemy Furnace. After blowing the charcoal embers to a glow, he prepared to begin.

Yun Yao turned over, unable to resist watching with curiosity. Her vertical pupils reflected Zhao Fusheng’s focused expression, and she couldn't help but feel a stir in her heart.

"Even my own kin never treated me this way... They only cared for themselves, using me as a mere bargaining chip," she muttered, her gaze drifting.

Zhao Fusheng heard her and noticed the sadness in her eyes. He didn't know what had happened, but for a demon to flee the demon realm and seek refuge in a sect guardhouse—powerful demons like her were usually prime targets for sects to harvest as spirit medicine. She had been sealed, which was why she was unable to resist him and had been wounded by Jiang Xue. The ordeal she had suffered was likely far more terrifying than anything he had encountered in Tangkou Village.

Just as he was thinking this, she spoke: "Little Junior Brother... may I ask a favor? I cannot return to the other side, and I have nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to. You are the only one I can trust. Could you let me stay here for a while?"

"In return, I will help you hunt the rat-demon clans to refine your Abdominal Dantian and raise your cultivation level!"

Zhao Fusheng paused. He looked up and chuckled. "You just said there is no difference between human and demon, and now you want to help me hunt those rat-demons who are striving to cultivate?"

"But if you don't hunt, how will you condense your pill?" Yun Yao asked, confused.

As he finished measuring the herbs and began the refining process, the ancient spiritual furnace began to pulse with resonance. Strange, vaporous smoke erupted! In mere moments, the entire room was filled with a thick, fragrant medicinal aroma. When he lifted the lid, a pale green mist swirled around the contents. He took out the paste, rolled it slightly, and it solidified into pills.

"Why don't you try my grandfather’s method?"

Yun Yao took it, and though she didn't understand, she trusted him and swallowed it. Within moments, the sallow color of her face was replaced by a healthy flush! She unconsciously pressed her hand to her abdomen, feeling an experience identical to "devouring" the pill-energy of others. It was even... better!

"This... how is this possible?" she gasped. "There isn't a drop of blood or gore! These are just herbs that grow in the mountains, things that cattle and horses are fond of eating?"

A sense of pride welled up in Zhao Fusheng. This was because his grandfather had spent a lifetime preserving this wisdom! The thirty pages of notes were filled with his grandfather’s ratios, recreating the pill-energy formula that could be absorbed by the Abdominal Dantian. If even a single half-ounce of an ingredient was missing, the Dantian would not recognize or absorb it! It was an experiment without precedent. And the facts proved his grandfather was right.

"One can achieve alchemy-based cultivation without devouring the cores of others! Grandfather, your concoction method... it works!" Zhao Fusheng whispered to himself.

Just then, he heard a soft sigh. He turned to see Yun Yao biting her lip. "It seems Little Junior Brother does not need the rat-demons' cores. Since I am of no use, I will leave as soon as possible so as not to disturb you further!"

Zhao Fusheng laughed. "You said people are chasing you; wouldn't going back be a death sentence? I don't need you to hunt rats, but I do need you to do one thing for me: act as my guide. I want to meet some rat-demon friends."

Yun Yao was stunned. "Did you practice wrong and lose your mind? Why would you want to seek out those demons?"

Zhao Fusheng’s eyes hardened. He thought of the wealthy, influential families in his village. When others were in crisis, when his grandfather and uncles were shivering with frostbite, those people had charcoal fires filling their rooms, stripping off their clothes to revel in warmth and gluttony.

*Behind the crimson gates, wine and meat go to rot; on the road, the bones of the frozen lie.*

"To do business, of course," he replied. "If I can sell them medicinal pills to replenish their energy, I can exchange them for enough gold and silver! In this world, gold and silver are the best tools for cultivation."