Chapter 9

The scent drifting over was that of calming incense.

Calming incense can soothe the mind and bring tranquility to the spirit. When lit during cultivation, it helps the practitioner quickly enter a meditative state and delve deeper into their training.

Unfortunately, the incense burning now was not made with enough refinement—only barely reaching a first-grade premium quality. It wasted the fine materials used; had it been crafted with greater care, it could have been a masterpiece.

Le Li shook her head lightly, about to move forward, but suddenly stopped, recalling something.

How could she have forgotten about spiritual incense? She remembered clearly that in her previous life, she had also made calming incense.

Back then, when Feng Xiaoxiao went out for her trials and her soul was disturbed by malevolent spirits, she returned to the sect uneasy and unable to enter meditation easily for a long time. Le Li had bought materials and personally made calming incense for her, staying by her side day and night until Feng Xiaoxiao recovered rapidly.

Le Li’s sensitivity to spiritual incense was especially keen; just a brief sniff was enough for her to judge its grade, even to guess the ingredients used, and vaguely discern any flaws in its making—unless it was flawless top-grade incense.

At that time, she made calming incense because the ones she bought didn’t work well for Feng Xiaoxiao, so she wanted to try making it herself as a gesture of goodwill.

She hadn’t found it difficult to make; it came naturally, and the finished product was unexpectedly good, directly reaching second-grade premium quality.

It was her first time making it, and although all the materials were top-notch, there was definitely a boost from innate talent!

But at that time, all her attention was focused on protecting Feng Xiaoxiao, and she never thought deeply about it. Once Feng Xiaoxiao recovered, she never made calming incense again, missing the chance to discover her talent.

Later, she occasionally recalled that feeling but had long since lost the mindset needed; it was not the same as before.

Thinking of this, Le Li smiled wryly and followed the scent to a stall selling spiritual incense.

The vendor was a late-stage Qi Refinement outer disciple who greeted her quickly, “Junior Sister, welcome! Our calming incense here is top quality. Besides calming incense, I also have Bright Court incense, insect-repelling incense, and foul-odor avoidance incense—all premium goods. Don’t miss out.”

Le Li sniffed lightly and immediately identified that the other incense shared the same quality as the calming incense. The insect-repelling and foul-odor avoidance incense were self-explanatory in their use, while Bright Court incense cleared the spirit platform and kept confusion at bay.

“How much do you sell the spiritual incense for, Senior Brother?”

“Calming and Bright Court incense are two sticks for one spirit stone. If you buy ten sticks at once, I’ll give you one free for five spirit stones. Insect-repelling and foul-odor avoidance incense are three sticks for one spirit stone, or ten sticks for three spirit stones.”

Le Li lowered her eyes and took out three spirit stones. “Senior Brother, two sticks each of calming and Bright Court incense, and three sticks of insect-repelling incense.”

“Alright,” the vendor took the stones, wrapped the three kinds separately in paper, put them in a box, and handed it to Le Li. “Use them well. If they work for you, come back next time. I usually set up shop here on days divisible by five.”

Le Li accepted the box. “Did you make all these yourself, Senior Brother?”

“Of course,” the vendor smiled. “From choosing the materials to crafting the incense, all done by me.”

Le Li’s gaze shifted. “Do you still have materials for making calming incense? Could you sell me two portions?”

The smile on the vendor’s face instantly faded. “Junior Sister wants to make incense herself?”

“Your incense is excellent,” Le Li complimented slightly, but the vendor knew a turning point was coming. “However, I’m not fond of the scent, so I want to try making some myself.”

“If it’s the scent you don’t like, that’s easy. Just tell me what kind you want, and I’ll make it for you.” The smile returned to the vendor’s face.

Le Li smiled along. “You understand, some things are just a feeling, hard to explain in words. I can describe a little, but I’m afraid it still won’t be exact, which would trouble you. It’s better I adjust it myself slowly. If you can sell me two portions of materials, I’d be grateful. If not, I’ll find some elsewhere.”

The vendor’s expression stiffened. He couldn’t tell if Le Li was sincere or just using that as an excuse, but he took her last words to heart.

Materials for making calming incense were not rare. A quick walk around the market could almost gather seven or eight out of ten needed. As for the recipe, it wasn’t a secret; one could spend some contribution points in the library to copy it.

“I have a few portions left. I can spare you two.”

In a flash, the vendor understood. Low-grade spiritual incense tests crafting skill more than materials or recipe. If Le Li really started making incense to sell, he couldn’t stop her, but at least he could make some profit from the materials.

So Le Li spent thirteen spirit stones to buy two portions of materials.

The vendor had made incense for years, always using good-quality materials. If done well, one portion could yield forty sticks of calming incense.

Le Li packed away the materials and continued browsing the market, hoping to find an ice-attributed spiritual item that pleased her eye.

Her Taiji Twin Elephants technique was not yet smooth, and her basic swordsmanship had just begun. She wasn’t in a rush to refine ice-attributed items, nor did she have enough spirit stones to buy them, but she wanted to prepare early—after all, truly suitable items were hard to come by.

Indeed, it was not easy. After wandering around, she found only a small piece of fine cold iron, the size of a fingertip, exuding biting cold. But holding it, she felt no desire to refine it, even a bit repelled by it. It was simply not meant to be, so she put it down.

Le Li also picked up a set of incense-making tools and some spices, then turned and headed home.

When she returned to Purple Bamboo Courtyard, there was still some daylight. She tended to her spiritual field and planted seed of the Vermilion Sunflower. The field was small, suitable for only one medicinal herb to avoid interference, and she had carefully inscribed a simple formation to envelop the field.

The formation was primarily to gather fire spirit energy, promoting the sunflower’s growth.

That evening, before cultivation, Le Li deliberately lit the calming incense. Sure enough, she entered meditation swiftly, and her practice was deeper than the previous two nights.

A gentle breeze stirred the bamboo leaves as dusk brightened. Le Li slowly concluded her session and opened her eyes, feeling her spirit unusually calm. Her swordsmanship felt lighter and more agile than in days past.

For the next five days, she did not leave the house, practicing basic sword techniques during the day and cultivating at night. During her free time, she tended her spiritual field and gradually began processing the incense materials—removing impurities and grinding them into powder.

Some materials were especially hard, and with her current spiritual power, grinding them into powder was no small challenge.

On the early morning of the sixth day, as Le Li summoned the Hongming Blade to strike, her storage pouch vibrated with a voice-transmitting jade slip. She probed with her divine sense and heard her master’s summons, calling her immediately to his cave abode.

Le Li hastily sheathed the Hongming Blade and rushed to the cave. “Greetings, Master!”

“Hmm,” Han Yongnian smiled at her. “You’ve been studying the Taiji Twin Elephants technique for seven days. How is your progress? Any questions?”

Le Li responded respectfully, “Master, I’m gradually understanding it and have already begun practicing.”

“Oh? You’ve started practicing?” Han Yongnian looked slightly surprised, not expecting such speed. He extended his divine sense to her meridians and dantian, observing the perfect flow of the technique’s energy. “You truly have exceptional comprehension. Even for Foundation Establishment disciples, understanding this technique so thoroughly in such a short time is rare.”

But Master, I returned after late Foundation Establishment stage, and in my past life, I practiced a technique even harder to grasp than the Taiji Twin Elephants. After years of deep study, starting anew and quickly mastering this technique is only natural.

Le Li dared not say this, humbly replying, “The Foundation Establishment seniors explained it carefully in the past three years; I’ve learned much from them.”

“They did their best, but without good comprehension, it’s hard to grasp the meaning fully,” Han Yongnian acknowledged both sides. “It’s clear you’ve been diligent practicing basic swordsmanship these days. Very good, keep it up. Swordsmanship has no shortcuts; it’s all built stroke by stroke. What are your plans regarding ice spirit energy?”

“I’ve decided to cultivate ice-attributed spell techniques. I’ve copied 'Refining Spirit Art' from the library,” Le Li said, presenting the jade slip with the spell.

Han Yongnian’s divine sense scanned the contents swiftly, his eyes gleaming. “Your choice is beyond what I expected. This technique isn’t difficult to operate; it just requires patience and perseverance. If you nurture it attentively, success will come naturally.”

Just as he finished speaking, he gave Le Li a storage pouch. “I had someone craft a protective artifact for you and prepared some spirit stones. Choose your ice-attributed spiritual items carefully; don’t settle.”

“Thank you for your generosity, Master!” Le Li bowed deeply, thinking how her master understood her urgent needs perfectly.

Han Yongnian twirled his long beard. “I intended to teach you more about the Taiji Twin Elephants today, but since you’ve already begun practicing it, I will teach you Daoist principles. The technique is the surface; Daoist principles are the foundation. Study them well.”

“Yes, Master!” Le Li replied joyfully, sitting cross-legged at Han Yongnian’s feet, focusing intently.

Before her rebirth, she hadn’t heard such teachings for years. Now, fully immersed, she unknowingly entered a trance-like state.

Some of the Daoist principles she had heard and grasped in her previous life. Now, after enduring so much, listening again felt like opening a new door, bringing fresh insights.

Cultivation was never just about mastering a few techniques. Often, it involved profound mysteries. Without guidance, relying on oneself could lead astray or leave one lost, wasting precious time.

Throughout the path, doubts and questions inevitably arise—knowing what but not why, like seeing flowers in fog or the moon’s reflection on water, trapped in illusion and confusion. Only by dispelling the fog can one glimpse the truth, and the essence of Daoist principles is the best tool to clear that fog.

Though Han Yongnian valued the teachings of Foundation Establishment disciples, their insights couldn’t compare to those of a Golden Core Realized master. Since Le Li’s cultivation was still low, he began from the beginning, explaining step by step from simple to complex.

Gradually, Le Li entered a peculiar state—half dreaming, half awake—her spirit drifting between reality and illusion. Her master’s words struck deeply one moment, then floated far away and blurred the next, incomprehensible.

Han Yongnian observed her state, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. The principles he taught exceeded the understanding of a mid-stage Qi Refinement disciple, yet Le Li could still deeply comprehend them, impressing him anew with her exceptional talent.

The teachings continued. Han Yongnian deliberately raised the difficulty, making them more profound and broad, hoping to lay a few more bricks on Le Li’s cultivation path.