The servant boy could recognize some characters, but the second character of the manual stumped him.
"Young master, look at this book."
The blue-robed scholar took the book and read aloud: "Blood Fiend Grand Method."
"Blood Fiend Sect’s foundational Qi Refining manual."
"Cultivation techniques."
"Includes two supplementary spells."
As he flipped through the thin booklet, the scholar’s eyes widened with each page. Anyone literate could tell what was written here.
"Immortal?!" The servant boy stumbled back two steps, pointing at Zhao Shixian’s corpse in shock.
He had just rifled through an immortal’s undergarments!
Trembling, he began kowtowing repeatedly.
"Immortal, please forgive this ignorant child!"
"Wubao didn’t know any better!"
"If this belongs to an immortal... then it must be a demonic immortal."
The scholar showed remarkable courage. He crouched to examine Zhao Shixian’s wounds.
Now that he looked carefully, these were clearly injuries from an immortal battle, a sword wound through the chest that had pierced the heart.
"If this was truly an immortal, then this banner-like object must be a legendary divine artifact."
Li Qingfeng gripped the Soul Banner tightly.
Despite the sweltering summer heat, a refreshing coolness emanated from it, instantly dispelling his sweat and fatigue.
Even if he couldn’t unlock its true power, just using it to ward off heat would be worthwhile.
Inside the banner, Tu Shanjun finally exhaled in relief.
His greatest fear had been the scholar dismissing it as trash and tossing it away.
But if even villagers knew of immortals, then educated people surely believed in cultivators.
Bait them with benefits, tempt them with techniques, any discerning person would recognize the banner’s value.
Now, if only this scholar could cultivate...
Half of Tu Shanjun’s anxiety eased.
The other half remained, what if Li Qingfeng lacked spiritual roots?
"Wubao, carry the immortal’s body."
Li Qingfeng found an unused patch of wilderness and dug a grave with his decorative sword, hastily burying Zhao Shixian.
He erected a nameless wooden marker.
After kowtowing, he vowed:
"Today, I, Li Qingfeng, have obtained an immortal’s technique and divine artifact. If I achieve success in the Dao, I will retrieve this immortal’s remains and rebury them in a feng shui-blessed land."
"May the immortal watch over me."
From inside the book basket, Tu Shanjun observed everything.
His hatred hadn’t faded.
Remembering his suffering, a fierce aura twisted his features, causing the banner to tremble slightly.
If possible, he would have crushed Zhao Shixian’s soul to dust and buried his corpse standing in a yin-rich grave, waiting for it to rise as a mindless zombie slave.
But for now, he was merely a mid-grade Soul Banner with a fourth-layer Qi Refining primary soul.
By the time they finished, the sun had already begun its descent.
As they worked, occasional travelers passed by, peasants carrying shoulder poles, ox carts creaking along the road.
Only the black-armored cavalry from earlier had used horses.
Dusk approached, but hadn’t yet arrived.
Li Qingfeng and his servant boy resumed their journey, leaving behind another lonely grave.
Shielding himself from the sun with an umbrella, Li Qingfeng pored over the cultivation manual while Wubao carried the basket.
Though thrilled by his windfall and couldn’t contain his excitement, he feared others might discover it.
This was immortality within reach!
In Eight Directions City, immortals were elusive beings who rarely showed themselves.
His family had no connections to cultivation sects.
He’d only glimpsed an immortal once from afar.
Yet now, he held an immortal’s manual in his hands, how could he not be exhilarated?
"Blood Fiend Grand Method, the Blood Fiend Sect’s foundational Qi Refining technique."
"Requires sensing the interplay of yin and yang at dawn and dusk, guiding the sensed qi into the dantian to achieve the first layer of Qi Refining."
As Li Qingfeng mumbled the chant, a peculiar vibration arose in his mouth.
This rhythmic vibration spread through his skull, bringing an inexplicable comfort to his entire body.
Overjoyed, he tucked the manual into his robes.
"Truly an immortal’s technique, utterly miraculous!"
From the basket, Tu Shanjun watched intently.
As expected, Li Qingfeng couldn’t resist attempting cultivation immediately.
Being educated, his comprehension far surpassed ordinary folk’s.
Not that deep understanding was necessary, just memorizing the chant and assuming the proper posture during twilight hours could induce qi sensation in those with spiritual roots.
Then it was just a matter of nurturing that qi.
The Blood Fiend Grand Method was mediocre at best.
From the technique seed, Tu Shanjun knew it was attribute-neutral, suitable for any spiritual root, but inefficient at qi conversion.
The blood fiend qi it produced also had minor side effects.
It wasn’t that Tu Shanjun withheld better techniques, he simply had nothing else.
For now, this would have to do. If opportunities arose later, they could switch to superior methods.
But first, they needed to confirm whether Li Qingfeng even had spiritual roots.
Thanks to the technique seed’s knowledge, Tu Shanjun understood spiritual roots well.
A Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator, when they got the technique and familiarized themselves with it once, they would basically have a sense of qi.
Li Qingfeng had studied the manual countless times, even memorized parts, yet showed no progress, definitely not a heavenly root.
This wait lasted three months.
Three months without a shred of progress.
Inside the banner, Tu Shanjun’s eyes bulged, his expression twisting with frustration.
He never imagined Li Qingfeng’s aptitude could be this abysmal.
During these three months, Li Qingfeng had abandoned all classical studies, devoting himself entirely to the Blood Fiend Grand Method.
He consulted physicians about acupoints and meridian pathways.
Cultivated at dawn and dusk without fail.
Prepared with ritual baths beforehand.
Declined all social gatherings, barely leaving home.
His family, wealthy enough to support his studies, had seen him pass the imperial exams at seventeen.
Now he’d thrown himself into immortality pursuits, barely eating or sleeping.
His parents grew concerned, summoning physicians who found nothing wrong, just mild fatigue and blood deficiency.
They feared a fox spirit had seduced him, like in those folktales where bookworms waste away chasing supernatural lovers.
After repeated explanations failed, Li Qingfeng simply left his doors open while studying, pretending to prepare for further exams to reassure them.
But Tu Shanjun wasn’t reassured at all. His patience wore thin.
For three months, he’d chanted to himself:
"Finding the banner proves fate’s design, he must have spiritual roots."
"Fate wouldn’t be so cruel."
"I refuse to believe it!"
The endless muttering made him feel like a broken record.
He’d accepted that Li Qingfeng wasn’t a genius, those were rare.
But three days without progress ruled out dual roots.
A week meant no triple roots.
Fine, triple roots were decent anyway.
A full month suggested quadruple roots were unlikely.
Three months without sensing qi!
Tu Shanjun surrendered to destiny, acknowledging that perfection didn’t exist.
Yet Li Qingfeng remained undaunted. Despite setbacks, he persisted.
Then, one predawn morning...
As the first rays of sunlight pierced his window Li Qingfeng, seated in meditation snapped his eyes open.
A glimmer of spiritual light flashed across his pupils.