Chapter 16

At that moment, Gu Tingshuang, listening from outside, felt an inexplicable irritation.

The book "The Ninefold Spirit Mastery," true to its name, did not contain the flashy techniques popular in contemporary cultivation manuals. Instead, it began with a straightforward introduction to the nine stages of spiritual sense cultivation, from "Initial Spiritual Awareness" to the final stage, "Command of the Ten Thousand Mountains," outlining a total of nine levels of attainment.

Spiritual sense was something inherent to everyone on the Nine Immortal Continents, and high-level spiritual beasts also possessed it, so it was not particularly rare. Generally, spiritual sense was used to observe one's surroundings in specific environments, revealing things hidden from ordinary vision, such as energies, miasmas, and spirits. Mortals call this "piercing the veil of heaven," and it was akin to having a divine eye.

For cultivators and immortals who had the right foundation, the most significant utility of spiritual sense might be limited to practical applications: it helped in cleaning out wandering ghosts from their residences, or navigating complex places like the Yellow Spring, Ghost Roads and God’s Tombs and avoiding harmful energies to prevent contamination.

In short, for most cultivators, spiritual sense was of little consequence. Losing it wouldn't have much impact, as they could still rely on other protective techniques to handle unseen threats.

However, this book offered a comprehensive description and explanation of the often-overlooked spiritual sense, detailing its origins and methods for its advancement.

The opening sentence read: "All things have spirits; spiritual sense grows longest, uniting all things as one."

After spending an entire afternoon flipping through it, Gu Tingshuang found that only the first four stages had been compiled in detail: "Emergence," "Intimidation," "Small Objects," and "Large Objects."

The first stage involved controlling the spiritual sense to manifest, retract, expand, and transfer its range. It was akin to using an invisible, unfettered eye to observe the minutiae of the vast world, allowing one to know the affairs of the world without stepping outside. This control was different from soul projection, causing no damage to the soul or foundation, but it required exceptional talent. Simply visualising spiritual sense in the mind sounded profoundly mystical and was not something an ordinary person would expend effort on.

The second stage was about cultivating within the spiritual sense. When spiritual energy was abundant, it could subdue external entities. Those who reached this level would encounter no danger even in the most sinister ghostlands; all ghosts would instinctively avoid them.

The third stage allowed for the control of "small objects." By entering the mind of a living being with spiritual vision, one could invade, control, and use them. Unlike soul-stealing techniques, the controlled individual experienced "subjugation" rather than "control." Throughout the process, the controlled person remained conscious and offered no resistance. At that level, one could transform into a butterfly or ride a dragon across the skies. However, this had a time limit and consumed a significant spiritual sense, making it unsustainable for those with insufficient cultivation.

The fourth stage involved "large objects," allowing long-term possession of other entities, overcoming the limitations of the third stage.

Gu Tingshuang closed the book and asked Ning Shiting, "What are the next five stages?"

The latter parts of the book were fragmented and decayed, gnawed by celestial insects into an unrecognizable state, making it impossible to piece together.

Ning Shiting looked at the damaged pages, his brows furrowing slightly. "The remaining five stages are beyond this book’s current form. I’ve heard of their existence but never encountered anyone who has mastered them or any texts that describe them fully. The original compiler must have faced considerable difficulty in documenting even the first four stages."

Gu Tingshuang pondered this information, understanding the profound implications of the advanced stages and the potential they held for one's spiritual cultivation. The incomplete knowledge before him was both an opportunity and a challenge, urging him to delve deeper into the mysterious realms of spiritual sense cultivation.

Ning Shiting thought for a moment. "The stages are Thousand Images, Ten Thousand Images, Pass, Open, and Order. I haven't seen detailed descriptions, so I don't know what each stage entails specifically, but I do know about the final stage..."

He trailed off, lost in thought.

Gu Tingshuang, waiting for the continuation, saw that Ning Shiting had stopped speaking and didn’t bother to press further. "Never mind, I'll reach the final stage myself. I don't need you to tell me."

He waved the book he held, and with a swift motion, sliced the neatly bound text in half. "I'll keep the first four stages for now."

Ning Shiting was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

Having just gotten out of bed, spoken with Gu Tingshuang, and eaten a bit of a snack, Ning Shiting now seemed weary and in need of rest.

"One last question." He heard the young man in the wheelchair say. "The person who wrote this book, what is their relationship with you?"

The title page bore no author’s name, only a cryptic poem signed as "Bu Cangqiong," written in a bold, powerful script that exuded the aura of an immortal.

Gu Tingshuang wasn't foolish. He knew that Ning Shiting was associated with his father. Even if their relationship was close enough for Ning Shiting to marry into the family, he would still carry the Ning surname, not Gu.

Gu Feiyin was deeply engrossed in political manoeuvring and always paid little attention to matters of celestial cultivation. Such a rare and precious cultivation manual could not have been acquired using the title of Qing Wang alone.

Ning Shiting spoke softly, "The person who wrote this book was my teacher."

"And where is he now?"

"It’s been many years since I last saw him."

Outside, they could hear the sound of Ting Shu hurriedly running over, likely because a new pot of medicine had finished brewing.

The wind was picking up outside, hinting at the possibility of rain.

Ning Shiting paused, appearing somewhat lost, and then quietly said, "Please return, Dianxia. Be cautious while practising this cultivation method."

"Don't worry," Gu Tingshuang replied. "I haven't even reached the first stage yet. I'm just looking at it for fun."

Ting Shu burst in clumsily but still managed to hold the medicine pot steadily.

The prescription given by the apothecary was long, with all sorts of strange ingredients added. The smell was unpleasant and bitter to the core.

Ning Shiting drank a bowl of the medicine, then rinsed his mouth. He already appeared very tired, prompting Ting Shu to quickly say, "Gongzi, you should go back to sleep for a while."

Ning Shiting nodded, stood up, and with Ting Shu’s support, started heading back to his room. He glanced back at Gu Tingshuang and nodded slightly.

After entering the room, they faintly heard Ning Shiting asking Ting Shu, "Today, I asked you to go to the Immortal Cheif’s Mansion and inform them that I’m unwell, and therefore unable to attend the Incense Competition. Did you deliver the message?"

Ting Shu lowered his voice to complain, "I didn't see any of their people at all. As soon as they noticed you weren't there, they started bullying our people from the Wangye’s residence. But after I transformed into my original form and looked around, I found out that their people really weren't there. They said Su Yue went out to prepare for the upcoming military campaign. The north is fighting with the Blood Clan again, and in half a month, the troops will pass through our Xizhou. I heard that whenever the army passes through, it always disturbs the Immortal people and common folk. If Gongzi were there, it certainly wouldn't be like this."

"Stop talking nonsense. Alright, you should get some sleep too."

"Gongzi, the small couch is uncomfortable to sleep on. I want to sleep next to you," Ting Shu said in a spoilt tone.

The child called Ting Shu only seemed like a child when he was with Ning Shiting.

"You are getting more and more unruly. Come on up. Don't touch me, just bring your own blanket."

Following this was the voice of the jiaoren, tinged with indulgence and leniency.

Footsteps could be heard, still the same pattering sound. Evidently, the child knew this was silent permission and quickly ran over happily to sleep beside him.

At that moment, Gu Tingshuang, listening from outside, felt an inexplicable irritation.

He thought for a moment and found a reason for himself: a master sleeping on the same bed with a servant would be the subject of gossip.

Ning Shiting truly was a lowly jiaoren. Even after so many years by Qing Wang's side, he hadn't learned anything of value. He had brought over the bad habits from the military, where everyone was carefree and undistinguished from each other.

Gu Tingshuang pushed the door open and walked out. The little wolf wagged its tail and followed closely behind.

Hulu had been waiting outside for an entire afternoon, and finally saw the young lord coming out. Although he didn't know what exactly the heir had done inside, it seemed...

The Gongzi and the Shizi seemed to be getting along quite well?

The lotuses outside the main courtyard of the Shizi’s residence were slowly growing. Celestial plants were not as troublesome or delicate as mundane ones.

Just throw the seeds there, and after a few days, they would slowly sprout. The fire lotuses and ice lotuses had already begun to bud, and when the wind blew, it brought a refreshing and sweet fragrance.

Gu Tingshuang spent the entire afternoon and evening reading the half-volume of "Ninefold Soul Mastery" that Ning Shiting had given him.

In fact, he had just lied to Ning Shiting. According to the classifications in this book, he was already at the second stage and was about to break through to the third stage.

He could control the size of his spiritual power to observe all directions and know external affairs.

At the same time, his spiritual power had grown over the past four years, gradually subduing a portion of the wolf pack, making them usable for his purposes.

As for the remaining white wolf pack that wouldn't obey him, it wasn't because his spiritual power couldn't suppress them. Instead, it was because the White Wolf God, as a divine race, had the strongest sense of self-awareness and pride. Even though they could be driven temporarily, they would quickly develop rebellious thoughts and refuse to truly submit to him.

False submission was something Gu Tingshuang didn't want either.

Gu Tingshuang continuously controlled the group of white wolves willing to follow him. When the little wolf was born, its parents, two large wolves, had died in a territorial battle, and Gu Tingshuang had taken it in to raise.

If he could advance to the third or fourth stage, it would mean he could use the bodies of the wolf pack to fight, truly securing a place for himself on Spirit Mountain.

The eyes of the wolf pack would become his eyes. The bodies of the wolf pack would become his body. The claws and fangs of the wolf pack would henceforth become his claws and fangs.

He would no longer be completely physically disabled, and no longer need to struggle desperately just to survive.

The young man's eyes glowed with determination as he tightly grasped the pages in his hand.

The silver-white little wolf seemed to sense something and affectionately nuzzled his leg, placing its front paws on his knee and looking at him intently.

"Did the Shizi not eat dinner tonight?"

"No, Gongzi."

Ning Shiting smiled, "Let him be. Young people are always more energetic. Keep the food warm with a spell; he'll eat when he's hungry. Don't disturb him."

The servants told him that Gu Tingshuang had locked himself in the back courtyard, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving, and had not come out for a day and a night.

In his previous life, Gu Tingshuang was like this as well.

He originally had a Celestial Spiritual Root. Even though his Five Elements Root was completely destroyed, his comprehension, determination, and spiritual energy were still at the level of a Celestial Spiritual Root.

He still remembered how, in his previous life, this boy who was underestimated by everyone eventually brought a great surprise to the world.

A pearl hidden in the dust, if someone was willing to discover him, pick him up, wipe away the ashes, and carefully nurture him, would one day shine brightly for all to see.

However, Ning Shiting's own illness remained persistent. Although he now had a prescription, his body had become weak over the years. As the saying goes, "Illness comes like a mountain, but goes like a thread."

While the situation was not as severe as it had been a few days ago, it was still concerning. He had a poor appetite, tired easily, and often slept for long periods, feeling as if his bones had gone soft from laziness.

The good news was that the deep wound on his leg, which had once exposed his very bones, was slowly healing. New flesh was growing, and he could barely manage to get into the water again.

The Baicao Garden in Qing Wang's Palace had a Heart-Nurturing Pool filled with various herbs, making it an excellent medicinal bath.

As a jiaoren, Ning Shiting naturally loved water and cleanliness. Due to his special constitution, he couldn't use the medicinal bath, but if the medicinal pool was emptied, it would still be a good place for bathing.

Knowing that he had been lying in bed for days and was likely getting restless, Ting Shu started making arrangements for him to bathe in the Baicao Garden once his wound had healed.

All the medicinal herbs were removed, and the bath was cleaned three times. It was then filled with Ning Shiting's preferred bathing scents and dried flowers. The area was cleared of people, and Ning Shiting was then escorted over for his bath.

The Shizi's residence also received the notification from Ting Shu, saying that the Gongzi was going to take a bath and they should not go there and cause any disturbance.

Hulu and Lingjiao dutifully took care of Gu Tingshuang with all their effort.

Hulu said, "Hiya, how could we disturb him? We've been busy tending to the plants these past few days, and Dianxia has been engrossed in the scrolls, not leaving the room for two or three days, as if possessed."

Lingjiao agreed, "Exactly. We barely even see Dianxia these days. He hardly eats and spends all his time with his little wolf. He won't be leaving the house."

In the backyard: 

Gu Tingshuang's voice was cold and commanding, "Again."

The little silver-white wolf had shed its usual playful demeanour and adopted the gaze and posture of an adult wolf, calm and serious as it obediently endured its master's attempts to control its body.

Despite Gu Tingshuang's repeated failures, it showed no signs of resistance.

The alpha never retreats; they would fight to the death to the last moment.

Two days and two nights without eating or drinking, the prolonged concentration rapidly drained his energy and physical strength. Yet, Gu Tingshuang's eyes remained alight with an undying flame, burning ever more intensely.

His divine sense expanded.

Even before Ning Shiting gave him the scroll, he had already reached the second stage of the Lingjue technique. He hadn't mentioned this, partly to keep Ning Shiting on his guard.

However, now his cultivation was thorough, and the previous obstacles were effortlessly resolved, breaking through the long-standing bottleneck.

What did it feel like?

Everything became his eyes—the perspective from the sky, the view from the clouds, from the sluggish tips of trees to the buried gravel under the ground. At the moment he issued commands to all living things and spirits—his eyes opened!

His gaze focused, narrowing until it solidified between himself and the small wolf.

The youth's eyes were deep and shining, swirling like ink clouds in tumultuous change.

The little wolf's azure eyes brimmed with clarity, ethereal and proud, amber that could radiate light.

In that instant when their gazes met, it was like the tipping of a balance, the unravelling of threads, like the first dawn breaking through the horizon, the first drop of rain falling after a torrential downpour.

Gu Tingshuang watched the swirling clouds, feeling the gradually increasing cacophony: the wind, the sound of nonexistent rain, the breathing of trees and flowers, the joyful sound of water swirling around. In that moment, everything around him ceased to exist, his physical body dissolved, and his soul was left far behind.

He reached out his hand, and looked down to see silver-white, sharp claws.

The earth spread its arms to him, the wind and warm sun embraced him. The shackles of mortal flesh were cast off, replaced by the lightness and strength of the White Wolf's spirit. The restlessness and fierce nature deep within the young wolf's bones and blood also drove him:

Run out!

Run out!

He didn't want to do anything else; all he wanted was to "run out," a single action to break free from the four years of sinking darkness and dusk, and to reclaim everything he had lost.

Turning back, he saw himself—the youth in the wheelchair, eyes blazing intensely, leaning as if frozen in place, as if in a trance.

The snow-white little wolf dashed out from the Shizi’s Residence.

Those who were accustomed to seeing it daily would be astonished at the change in this young wolf if they encountered it now: the once innocent and carefree demeanour was gone, replaced by a sudden silence. Ears erect, fur bristling, exuding wildness and sharp aggression.

It treaded across icy springs and leapt over rugged mountain rocks. Wherever it passed, a gust of wind swept the ground.

Aloof and sharp, yet indomitable.

The Author has Something to Say

Ning Ning: "Come take a nap."

Ting Shu: "Gongzi, Gongzi, can I sleep with you?"

Persimmon: "That... I..."

(the words are on the tip of the tongue, but he just can't get them out, oh)

• Based on everyone's feedback, many of you go to sleep around midnight, which isn't very friendly for those who want to follow updates. So, moving forward, updates will be scheduled for noon, except on special occasions (such as the day we go V), there shouldn't be any more changes.

After today's update, there will be another update at noon, so you won't have to wait another twelve hours. Bō jī. (the sound of a kiss)