Chapter 26: Pah Pah Pah

Lin Ci was indeed quite happy.

This trip not only earned him Spirit Stones but also provided a method that might perfect his Heart Law even further.

Even his impression of Li Xingyao improved considerably.

When she wasn’t being difficult, she was actually quite pleasant.

Back at Wenxuan Peak, Lin Ci rummaged through the study for a long time and truly found a book recording acupoints and meridians.

He quickly began cross-referencing it with the Heavenly Book.

It wasn’t until nightfall, after Lin Ci had memorized the acupoints and meridian names by rote, that he finally understood the meaning behind Li Xingyao’s “homework.”

He decided to try practicing it.

There was still a month before the Great Sect Tournament, and right now, he had to seize every opportunity to strengthen himself so his plan could proceed smoothly.

Returning to his room.

He began circulating the Ninefold Heavenburning Formula (Reset Version).

Soon, Lin Ci felt that this revised Heart Law was actually much smoother to operate than the original.

The circulation speed was now a hundred times faster than before!

At the same time, he clearly sensed his internal spiritual power growing stronger…

The initial version of the Heart Law could only maintain his cultivation level but couldn’t enhance his spiritual power. At this moment, Lin Ci truly crossed into the threshold of being a cultivator.

He was genuinely cultivating!

When one cycle finished, Lin Ci happily glanced outside the window; it was already the early hours of the next day.

Reading books and refining his Heart Law, he had unknowingly spent the entire night immersed in his work.

Pushing open the door,

Xiao Chan was sitting in the courtyard, holding something in her hand.

Hearing the door open, she looked up, recognized her Senior Brother, and immediately cheerfully ran over.

“Senior Brother, you’re back!”

“Yeah, I came back last night.”

“How was it? That Li Xingyao… did she say anything too harsh?”

“She didn’t dare.”

After Lin Ci said this, he asked, “Why are you sitting in the courtyard so early?”

“Chan’er is practicing swordsmanship.”

Xiao Chan smiled and then showed what she held.

It was a wooden carving.

It roughly resembled a human shape, with an upright posture, but no detailed features had been carved yet, so the face was unrecognizable.

Lin Ci suddenly recalled that he had once mentioned swordsmanship could also be practiced through wood carving, using the carving to train sword strength, and sure enough, Xiao Chan was practicing swordsmanship exactly as he had suggested.

“Who is this wooden carving of?” Lin Ci asked.

“Of course, Senior Brother!”

Xiao Chan replied immediately, “Once I finish carving it, I’ll place it by my bedside, so I can see you every day.”

“Don’t you already see me every day?”

Lin Ci pinched her soft cheek speechlessly.

“Hehe, that’s true, but lately Senior Brother seems busy and rarely has time to practice swordsmanship with Chan’er.”

“Besides, if Senior Brother marries in the future… won’t you have even less time then?”

Hearing this, Xiao Chan looked a little downhearted.

Lin Ci shook his head.

“Getting married isn’t like dying, how could you have no time? Stop thinking so much.”

“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, Senior Brother, don’t say that. Senior Brother must always live, live forever!”

Xiao Chan’s eyes suddenly reddened, and she clung tightly to Lin Ci’s waist, burying her face in her Senior Brother’s chest like a little kitten.

Lin Ci hadn’t expected his casual words to affect Xiao Chan’s mood so much.

Super sensitive, huh…

He gently patted Xiao Chan’s brown hair to comfort her.

“Don’t be afraid. Senior Brother is so strong, how could he die?”

“You ptooey first…”

“Fine… ptooey, ptooey.”

Lin Ci helplessly obliged.

Finally, Xiao Chan relaxed a bit and then pouted.

“Anyway, if Senior Brother gets hurt, Chan’er won’t live either!”

“What kind of thing is that? You ptooey too!”

“Uh…”

Xiao Chan stuck out her tongue slightly and ptooeyed a few more times.

Lin Ci chuckled to himself, then suddenly remembered something.

“Right, circulate your Heart Law now. Let me check how well you’ve grasped it.”

Hearing this, Xiao Chan nodded vigorously. Her current cultivation speed was already more than three hundred times faster than when she first started!

She hurriedly followed Senior Brother into the room and began sitting in meditation, cultivating the Ninefold Heavenburning Formula.

After one cycle.

Lin Ci didn’t even look at her and stroked his chin.

“You’re practicing your Heart Law incorrectly…”

“What?”

Xiao Chan was startled. Had she been practicing it wrong all this time?

“Senior Brother, where am I wrong?”

“Look, the spiritual power circulating to the Stone Pass Acupoint could actually fold back through the Ren Meridian to Yindu…”

Lin Ci repeated what Li Xingyao had told him once more to Xiao Chan. After seeing her puzzled expression, he mentally smacked his forehead.

Damn, I forgot this girl is a complete beginner too!

“Of course, you might not understand what I’m saying now. I’ll teach you how to recognize acupoints and meridians later. For now, I’ll show you how it works. Pay close attention…”

Zhangmen Peak.

After Li Xingyao woke up, she stepped outside and saw wind and snow blowing fiercely. She exhaled a white breath and walked out. Her dark red hair fluttered like flames in the storm.

Arriving at Meng Yunlan’s chamber door, she suddenly heard violent coughing inside and her face darkened. Frowning, she asked:

“Mother, how are you feeling?”

“Cough… don’t worry about me, just take care of yourself…”

Meng Yunlan’s hoarse voice responded, “How did Chief Disciple Lin teach you yesterday? Did you learn anything?”

“Yao’er was just about to mention that…”

Li Xingyao forced a cautious smile. “Mother, could you let Lin Ci come over more often in the future?”

After her words, silence fell inside. Soon the door slammed open, and pale Meng Yunlan leaned on the doorframe, half stepping out.

“Mother, it’s snowing outside. Please go back inside…”

“I said it doesn’t matter!”

Meng Yunlan snapped coldly, then extended a palm.

“The Disciplinary Whip… bring it here?”

“Huh?”

Li Xingyao was stunned.

“Bring it. I know you have it with you… Yao’er, you’ve never been one to lie, right?”

Li Xingyao pressed her lips together and took out the vine whip talisman from her Storage Pouch.

“That’s better.”

Meng Yunlan took it, holding it up to the light for a moment before sighing softly.

“This wasn’t used even once yesterday…”

“Mother.”

“Don’t try to deny it. I should have guessed it. You wanted Lin Ci to teach you because he’s also young and won’t pressure you too much. He even listens to your demands and lets you play.”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“Tell the truth. No lies!”

Meng Yunlan weakly but sternly tapped the doorframe.

“Tell me, did you really train continuously yesterday without playing at all?”

“If you say yes, I’ll believe you. Just say it… did you play or not?”

“If you say no, I’ll let Lin Ci keep teaching you.”

Li Xingyao trembled all over.

Her mind was half filled with memories of playing Five-in-a-Row with Lin Ci and the other half with her mother’s disappointed gaze…

Finally, tears welled in her eyes.

“Lin Ci first corrected my mistakes to teach me the Heart Law, then we played Five-in-a-Row. He said that if you’re going to play, you should play to your heart’s content…”

“Hmph.”

Meng Yunlan gave a knowing look and slowly sighed.

“Yao’er, I won’t punish you this time. I know… you’re under a lot of pressure, but you must understand, I want you to train hard because it’s for your own good!”

“You’re meant to replace your father as Sect Leader, do you understand?”

“If your older brother had survived, he would have done better than you, but unfortunately…”

Meng Yunlan paused and softened her tone.

“Forget it. I’ll give you a day off today. Play all you want. Tomorrow, I’ll find you a suitable teacher.”

Li Xingyao bit her lip tightly, heart torn as she lowered her head.

“Yes, Mother…”

“Go on.”

Meng Yunlan said faintly.

However, just as she was about to return to her room, she suddenly noticed a change in Li Xingyao’s aura.

She looked at her daughter’s body.

A clear and pure light, like a spear breaking through, descended from the sky and condensed at Li Xingyao’s brow.

It was…

Meng Yunlan’s pupils trembled.

Sudden Enlightenment!