The first thing I did after hearing the White Demon Tiger King's warning from Wang Ren was to inspect the contents of the spatial ring I'd looted from that shadowy cultivator. From what the Spring and Autumn Sage had said, he was someone from the upper realm.

That explained his absurd talent and techniques, but not why he was so… weak. Wouldn't someone from a higher realm of existence see us down here as irrelevant obstacles?

Regardless, one of his elders had come down and clashed with the Spring and Autumn Sage, based on Wang Ren's accounting of the story and the warning from the ancient tiger. I knew I couldn't keep the dangerous treasures that could lead them to me, but it felt so wasteful to simply destroy it all.

That was why I decided to seek out Guan Jin and ask for its advice. Even though the serpent wasn't yet in the realm of sages, it had been disciple to Grandpa Guan—the only cultivator I knew of who'd ascended to a higher realm. Perhaps it had a deeper insight than even the White Demon Tiger King.

If not, I could trust it to dispose of any dangerous items and advise me on the rest. I'd wanted to wait for Manager Zheng to appraise them, but given their origins even she might not have a clue. I also couldn't afford to wait for her visit.

The most obvious item in the ring was a jade slip. It bore a single character that I didn't recognise. It was clearly the language of the empire, but that only made me more curious.

The benefit of a spatial ring was that my consciousness filled the entirety of the internal space as long as it was imprinted with my qi. I didn't need to take anything out in order to inspect it, which might risk that terrifying elder finding my location.

On the other side of the slip, there was nothing inscribed. This was a weakness of this particular method. Without withdrawing the slip I couldn't read the information contained within. Some kind of spatial layering restriction? Not my specialty, unfortunately.

Moving on, I felt my inner dragon growing stronger by the second. The ring was a veritable hoard of cultivation resources, with plenty I didn't even recognise yet could feel contained denser spiritual energy than anything I'd encountered before.

Surely some random resources wouldn't allow someone to track me…? It was tempting, but I was already at the cave entrance. Waiting a little longer to verify things with Guan Jin was the right thing to do.

Apart from the jade slip, there were only two other items that aroused my curiosity. One was a vial containing a strange glowing blue liquid that contained more spiritual energy than I'd ever sensed in a single object. The second was interesting for the opposite reason.

It contained not a single drop of spiritual energy. Well, there were a few sparse motes, but it basically amounted to zero. That and the fact it was… a stuffed animal. A bunny rabbit to be specific.

Why a talented cultivator from an upper realm would be carrying that about I had no idea, but it certainly deserved consideration. Also, if I encountered that guy again I could probably use it to taunt him. Childish, but would likely be highly effective as a distraction.

I had reached the cavern where the natural treasure had appeared all those weeks ago. The spiritual energy in the stalactite was barely a drop now, compared to the vibrant, humming ocean it had been the moment before the harvest.

It would take a long, long time for it to be ready once more. I also wasn't sure if harvesting the golden affinity spirit stones would affect its spawn rate, but Guan Jin hadn't protested yet so I had to assume it didn't, or that we hadn't taken enough to cause an impact.

As I reached the back of the cavern, peering over a ledge I hadn't noticed last time which led deep into the bowels of the earth, I realised I didn't know how to call upon the ancient serpent. Thankfully it seemed to sense my presence and moments after my arrival I felt Guan Jin rapidly approaching.

Even though I had seen it before, the sight of a colossal serpent's head rearing up over the ledge after ascending from the seemingly endless abyss was both magnificent and terrifying. It was as though a heavenly beast was rising victorious from hell.

"Interess-ting. It seemss as though your travels were profitable. Is this merely a courtess-y visit or do you have something to ask of this old ss-nake?" it hissed, eyes sparkling with faint amusement and a modicum of curiosity.

I was still convinced the whole 'sss' thing was an act, but I was happy to indulge the ancient beast if it meant having access to its wisdom and assistance free of charge. Plus, it had looked after the mountain while I was away, so it had more than earned some social leeway.

"Senior Guan Jin, it's great to see you in good health. How was the mountain while I was away? I hope my disciples didn't cause you any problems," I said, figuring that buttering it up a little couldn't hurt.

"Hmm? Oh, I suppose I did ssay I would watch it for you. You were back in the blink of an eye, of coursss-e nothing happened. I am feeling quite rejuvenated after molting during that little sss-cuffle with the invader. Molting is alwaysss a pleasant experience." The serpent's entire body seemed to undulate as it spoke, the golden scales reflecting what little light made it this far into the cave in a shimmering display.

"That's fantastic, I'm sure Grandpa Guan would be happy to hear you're doing well in his absence. I hate to take up your valuable time, but I acquired a rather… dangerous spatial ring on my journey and I hoped to get your help in appraising the risk it poses and potentially with destroying it, if such a measure is necessary," I asked, giving a shallow bow out of respect. No harm in giving it my all to secure some assistance.

"Show me."

I took the ring off my finger and threw it towards the snake. Rather than moving its body, I watched a dozen streams of qi explode out from its orifices to embrace the ring.

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It floated in front of the serpent's eyes, the reptilian lack of emotion giving away no clue as to Guan Jin's thoughts on the matter. About two seconds later, it sent the ring flying back at me.

I caught it, the force leaving a small welt on my palm. After slipping it back onto my finger, I felt that it was… cushioned? Hard to tell, but certainly the serpent had manipulated the artifact in some way.

"You noticed? Sharp sensesss," it hissed, leaning closer to me. The golden snout and forked tongue unnerved me, despite the serpent's nature as an ally.

"I couldn't quite work out what you did, but I felt the change," I replied with a shrug.

"Well, you're sss-till a brat. Yet you're already approaching my realm. However, knowledge is not a byproduct of cultivation, it requiresss separate effort and dedication."

"I understand, senior. Your advice is most appreciated."

Its tongue flicked out of its mouth once more, before it raised its head away from me. I let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. "I have shielded the ring from divination and tracking techniques. Most of the things in there are safe to use, but you should avoid anything that warps the seal," the serpent explained. Seeing my confused expression, it added, "You'll be able to sense it."

"I am in your debt. If there is anything I can do to repay you, Senior Guan Jin, please tell me," I replied with a bow.

"Well… For now there isn't much I desss-ire. Although, if you happen to run into any enlightened or illuminated beast cores from other sss-nakes, I'd accept them as a gift."

"I will do my utmost to locate a suitable core to repay you for this favour," I replied. It shouldn't be too hard to find one.

Then again, an illuminated beast was the equivalent of a Core Forging Realm master. I wasn't yet ready to subdue an opponent of that calibre. I gave a final bow before turning to leave.

Guan Jin began to slip back into the dark depths of the cavern. Before it vanished, I felt a faint prick of qi on the back of my head.

There's a branch from a thousand-year sylvan maple in there. You should give it to that disciple of yours. You'll find the results quite interesting, I believe. The serpent's voice rang out in my mind, surprising me and then making me smile.

A quick check of the ring was enough to locate the branch. It was small, but bursting with spiritual energy that resembled my own medicinal qi. I could've sworn it wasn't there when I last inspected the ring…

A problem for another time. If Guan Jin said it would help Xiao Cui, then I would heed its advice. Satisfied that I'd avoided disaster for the time being, I made my way back to the peak.

****

When I'd returned, there was a messenger waiting for me outside the Grasping Life Palace. I recognised the sigil of the Golden Leaf Consortium and welcomed him inside.

He'd informed me that Manager Zheng was busy for another week, handling an issue that had arisen with one of their supply chains. It was disappointing, but I understood that her own business came before ours.

It wasn't only bad news he'd brought. The messenger did tell me that Manager Zheng had found a promising avenue for investment regarding my golden spirit stones and would bring further information when she visited.

Even with the vast wealth I'd accrued in the Blossoming Heavens, I knew that developing a sect was going to be a money black hole. Any profits were welcome.

I thanked the messenger and sent him on his way. The news lifted my spirits. Along with a guarantee of safety from Guan Jin, I felt there should be no major threats coming our way. For a short while, at least.

This world was too chaotic and violent to guarantee any lengthy period of peace. My mood soon soured as I realised the gulf which still existed between where I was now and my envisioned destination.

However, sulking wouldn't help me progress. It was time to work on my skills. Teaching Little Cui and Feng Mei had shown me where my own abilities were lacking and I knew only one way to rectify them—practice.

****

Unlike the pavilion where the lower priority patients were, this hall was filled only with the sounds of suffering and the stench of dying men and women. It was a grim ambiance I had long grown used to. In a twisted way, I enjoyed the atmosphere—the injured and sick were the crucible through which I would advance my skills.

That sounded horrible, but I would be curing them, not simply treating them as lab rats. If anything went wrong while I was working, a heavy-handed application of my healing technique would alleviate all afflictions.

I could heal about an eighth of those present in a single day, but they would soon be replaced by more patients. Doing everything myself would mean those who the sect had taken in would learn nothing.

I couldn't spend my whole life treating mortals and Body Tempering practitioners. Accepting that was difficult, but necessary.

My first patient was a young man. He looked healthy at a glance, which would be true if not for a complete lack of flesh beneath the waist. He had lost both legs in a dispute over a woman.

I kept a neutral face as he told me the story, but internally I couldn't help but laugh. His rival had truly gone all out to curtail his passions.

The version of me up until the Blossoming Heavens wouldn't have bothered to inspect the situation beyond the superficial, restoring the two limbs with a wave of my hand. It was crude and far from the pinnacle I aimed for.

My goal here was to learn the ins and outs of my medicinal qi. I didn't want to be a spectator to my own powers, but the guiding hand behind them. When it restored a limb or cured an affliction, what was this mysterious energy actually doing?

"Alright, I'm going to begin. It might be a little uncomfortable, but please don't move too much," I told the youth.

It was quite useful that I now had the ability to heal at range. If I'd needed to place a hand against his pelvis it might have made the treatment a little awkward. I started slow, only allowing the minimum amount of qi necessary to initiate the technique.

I heard a muffled yelp as the man's flesh began to regrow. I admit, I had undersold the pain of regrowing two limbs at once, but it was the oldest trick in any doctor's book. He was a fool for believing me.

Despite the initial outcry, he was resilient and didn't complain or move much after that. I observed as my medicinal qi suffused the two stumps, before beginning to extend the severed bones.

It was difficult for me to see what was really happening. My enhanced spiritual senses allowed me to follow the flow of my qi during the entire restoration process, but when I tried to look deeper, I felt something snap inside me.

A tremor ran through my spiritual sea. Small waves rippled outwards and I felt the fragment of the Dao of Healing vibrating rapidly. I pulled back my senses and the chaos abated.

Was trying to uncover the secrets of my physique impossible? I refused to believe that. Where there was a will, there was a way.

The young man's legs had been fully restored, but I was no closer to my goal. Well, a tiny fraction closer perhaps, thanks to the miniscule increase in my qi and the backlash I'd endured. He had passed out at some point, but I left him in the care of one of the mortal disciples, who was staring at me wide-eyed after the display of healing prowess.

For now, an advanced understanding of medicinal qi eluded me, but there were hundreds more patients to experiment—ahem, treat. I would figure this out, no matter what it took.

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