Chapter Twenty-Nine: The First Fruits of Magic

Six or seven days later, when the night had deepened and all was silent, the world outside was still; not even the rustling of leaves could be heard. Yet in Yingchen’s courtyard, a sinister wind howled through the darkness.

Vast streams of shadowy energy surged and swirled, gathering and dispersing, sometimes splitting into five distinct currents that stirred ghostly figures into motion, and at other times merging into a single torrent. Wherever it passed, sand and stones flew; even massive boulders, as large as millstones, were swept up with ease, rolling thunderously through the air.

Yingchen sat cross-legged at the very center of the courtyard, eyes closed, as the shadowy force coiled around him, circling ceaselessly. The enormous stone floated above his head, an awe-inspiring sight that chilled the blood. Yet he remained unmoved, serenely oblivious to the chaos.

Suddenly, the shadowy energy split apart again; its gathered force dissipated, and it seemed to lose its strength, unable to hold the giant stone aloft any longer. The boulder, bereft of support, plummeted toward Yingchen, poised to shatter his skull in the next instant—at the very brink of disaster—

Yingchen finally opened his eyes, unhurriedly raised a finger, and his lips moved ever so slightly. A faint, ghostly light shot forth from his fingertip, striking the boulder dead-on.

"Shatter!"

Without a sound spoken from his mouth, a tremendous crash erupted from the void. The millstone-sized rock exploded into fragments, shards flying in all directions, gouging pits into the ground and courtyard walls, raining debris down like a storm. Yingchen swept his sleeve, sending a wave of energy that whisked the dust away.

Only then did he allow a hint of a smile to touch his lips. Raising his hand, he summoned the swirling shadowy energy, which gathered into a stream and drifted down into his grasp, where he sealed it within a wooden talisman.

The talisman was made from locust wood, soaked for decades in a spirit-rich subterranean river, making it ideal for housing souls. After being refined with spellcraft, it became a perfect vessel for the Five Ghosts Transport technique.

Seven days ago, in the beast pens, Yingchen had haggled with the yellow-toothed attendant for half a day before finally securing a share of the water and fire turbid energies. As for why only these two types were available—these turbid energies were a lucrative sideline in the beast pens, already divided among the overseers and attendants, leaving little for Yingchen. The yellow-toothed attendant had only been able to offer them because he had secretly gathered some, intending to sell them later.

No matter the circumstances, Yingchen finally acquired five souls, their quality exceptional and bringing him great delight.

With the Five Ghosts Transport technique refined from the souls of cultivators, both its strength and speed were vastly superior. Take, for example, the giant stone he had brought to the courtyard as an experiment—moving it with ordinary object-manipulation techniques had cost him significant effort, but with the Five Ghosts Transport, it was as light as a feather, easily toyed with.

Even its ability to fly above the ground and the range of its actions were greatly improved. Of course, it demanded more blood energy and was harder to control, consuming greater magical power. Yet, compared to its advantages, these drawbacks were insignificant.

Yingchen was thoroughly satisfied with the Five Ghosts Transport technique, though the Minor Yin Thunder technique differed from his expectations.

The Five Ghosts Transport was relatively easy to master, given ready souls and a refined vessel; in a short time, Yingchen was adept at its use. But the Minor Yin Thunder was a formal internal cultivation spell, and Yingchen spent five out of the last seven days focused on it. Now, he had barely managed to grasp its basics; casting it required intense concentration and prolonged effort before a single Yin Thunder could be unleashed.

Though it bore the name "Yin Thunder," it was more a clever trick—its principle was the special condensation of magical power, which erupted explosively when triggered. Its power was immense upon release, the thunderous roar resounding like true lightning, and since it was formed from Yin-aligned energy, the name was not misplaced.

Fortunately, the Minor Yin Thunder’s power remained formidable overall. As for the speed of casting, only diligent practice could improve that.

As Yingchen pondered, he recalled the White Bone Flying Fork technique, which included the phrase "release at a thought." He had not understood its significance before, but now he realized its potency, stirring his eagerness further.

However... in just these few days, he had exchanged for spells, acquired souls, and purchased a fine piece of dark wood to craft the Five Ghosts talisman. Adding to his debts at the Examination Institute, Yingchen’s spirit stones were nearly exhausted—how could he refine the White Bone Flying Fork?

"Ah, yes, I haven’t collected my monthly stipend," Yingchen mused. "After the last top-grade examination, the monthly stipend is five spirit stones... Most importantly, I’ll receive a ‘Purple Ganoderma Pill’!"

The Purple Ganoderma Pill!

This was a genuinely ranked elixir, far superior to any ordinary pills or powders. Its effects were pure: it could increase magical power and enhance cultivation. One pill, in theory, was equivalent to one to three months of arduous training.

Such elixirs were supplied monthly to those who achieved top-grade results in the examinations—a testament to the vast gulf in status that came with such achievement. No wonder the gap between disciples admitted in the same year grew ever wider.

After the recent minor examination, the Examination Institute posted the rankings. Yingchen had gone to see them himself—among his cohort, some had already advanced to the eighth stage of Qi Refinement, and Yan He was no longer stagnant, having easily crossed the seventh stage.

This sense of urgency spurred Yingchen onward.

"I’ve never taken a Purple Ganoderma Pill before. The first use is when its effects are at their peak. Perhaps... just one pill will push me to the threshold of the seventh stage of Qi Refinement!"

Yet, the wiser choice would be to save it for his breakthrough moment; with the initial effect, he had a great chance of crossing the seventh stage in one leap.

Of course, nothing prevented Yingchen from first collecting his monthly stipend. The Purple Ganoderma Pill could be kept for later; the spirit stones could be used immediately, and there were other aids: Concentration Incense for supporting cultivation, Essence Pills to keep one nourished for a month, Jade Refining Ointment to toughen the flesh...

Additionally, he could make use of his skills in alchemy and talisman crafting—excellent ways to earn money.

"Yes, I could also try drawing Minor Yin Thunder talismans," Yingchen considered.

He had comprehended the entirety of the Minor Yin Thunder technique, which included not only its cultivation and use, but also the methods for drawing and crafting its talismans.

After all, talisman crafting was itself a form of spell cultivation, and the talismans produced could assist or even replace a cultivator in casting spells.

Thus, it was often said that spells and talismans were fundamentally connected in many ways.

With this in mind, attempting to draw Minor Yin Thunder talismans was indeed an excellent choice. Once he became proficient, he could "return to his old trade"—just as his predecessor had done—earning spirit stones by selling talisman papers.

The value of a Minor Yin Thunder talisman was much higher than that of a beast soldier talisman.

"And furthermore..." Yingchen thought, "my alchemy skills have made some progress. Refining the Three Ganoderma Moonlight Powder is almost certain; I can pay a visit to Elder Gu’s pill chamber."