The young Taoist apprentice, Li Muzi, was stunned, feeling as if he had missed something important.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteenth Palace of Thunder. The trigram patterns instantly sent him back to his original location. He located his previous standing spot, stomped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from his meditative state, he opened his eyes to see the fox spirit, Seventh Miss, sitting cross-legged nearby.
Sensing movement from Shui Miao, Seventh Miss quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why did you return so quickly? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…”
Shui Miao gently shook his head, murmuring to himself while pondering, “It felt like I found someone, yet also like I didn’t. A White Armor Immortal General from the Fifth Heaven gave me a jade pendant. It merged into my soul, but I don’t know whether it can protect me.”
“It should be able to…” Seventh Miss was momentarily taken aback. She didn’t understand the pendant’s function, but she was astonished—after all, a Fifth Heaven immortal general was an extremely powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the general give it to you?” She had never been to the Immortal Realm, so she couldn’t offer a definitive answer.
Shui Miao interrupted this unresolvable topic and asked, “How much time has passed outside?”
“Just a moment. Time in the Ninth Heaven flows the same as in the mortal world,” Seventh Miss quickly replied. “Brother Shui Miao, you didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, right? I heard that entering the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
The little novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something important.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Thunder Palaces, where the Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to his starting point. He found the approximate spot where he had been standing earlier and stomped his foot. In an instant, his consciousness returned to his physical body. As he slowly withdrew from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It feels like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant, which fused with my soul. I’m not sure if it can protect me or not.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide a definitive answer.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as there was no way to verify it. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven flows the same as in the mortal realm,” Seventh Sister replied promptly. “Brother Shui Miao, I assume you didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven? I’ve heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his attention to Seventh Sister and shifted the conversation to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements energies. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke into a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Spirit Commander were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energy in this world could be the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought seriously and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly aura of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it couldn’t be that simple and shook his head gently. “Seventh Sister, if you have things to attend to, you should head back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have things to attend to.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao mulled over it repeatedly. Besides the vitality and deathly aura Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy but felt none were quite right—his ideas were too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone within the sect would naturally guide him on what to do. Now, the mysterious Spirit Commander had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was under the Spirit Commander’s protection. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate in his mind served as a gateway to the immortal realm. Should it open, immense gusts of immortal煞煞-wind would sweep in, bringing considerable chaos. Even the Ninth Heaven immortals were compelled to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade the煞煞-wind. How could a mere cultivator like him withstand such force? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, the influx of immortal energy would be insufficient, hindering his cultivation advancement.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much thought, Shui Miao concluded this was the only explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short time and was incapable of withstanding the powerful煞煞-wind. It would be better to accumulate strength slowly and wait until he was more powerful. As he pondered, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. Though the cracks appeared patched, immortal energy could still flow through unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Spirit Commander used to shield himself from the malevolent wind!
As his thoughts raced, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After absorbing it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he lacked?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“So close!” Shui Miao was inwardly alarmed. If it weren’t for the purple energy, who knows how much sinister wind would have blown into his consciousness!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao remembered that when he changed his clothes in front of the young novice Li Muzi, a purple Daoist robe had appeared. Was the jade pendant suggesting that he should use purple energy to counteract the sinister wind? With this idea in mind, he concentrated his thoughts, and the immortal energy within his consciousness split into streams of purple energy. Directed by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the invasion of the sinister wind.
Before long, the howling wind subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared, shooting out a murky yellow-black energy that flew beyond the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the suction force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to venture out immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little novice Li Muzi!”
“Hmm… Let me think…”
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Thunder Palaces. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his feet, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It feels like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant. It fused with my soul, but I don’t know if it can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” After a moment of contemplation, Seventh Sister countered, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke into a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have thought of it himself.
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the spirit commander were also rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to give him the jade pendant or come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are the natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister pondered seriously and thought of the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t concentrate on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said so if she had other matters to attend to.
Seeing that Seventh Sister wasn’t leaving, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
After much contemplation, aside from the energy of life and death Seventh Sister had mentioned, Shui Miao thought of many other terms related to energy. However, none felt quite right—his ideas were too simplistic. After a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop thinking, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter the meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within the meditative realm, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious spirit commander had given him a jade pendant. He was likely considered under the spirit commander’s wing, so seeking refuge in another immortal sect probably wasn’t appropriate.
If he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate within this meditative realm served as a passage to the immortal world. Should it open, a surge of potent immortal energy would flood in, bringing considerable chaos. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to seek refuge within their celestial abodes to evade the overwhelming energy winds. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly withstand such force? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, the influx of immortal energy would be minimal, inevitably hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao was at a loss.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative realm: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it due to his still inadequate strength? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a brief period and was simply incapable of withstanding the formidable energy of the煞 winds. It would be wiser to gradually accumulate strength and wait until he became more powerful. As he reflected, Shui Miao suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread throughout the meditative realm and eventually reached the Heavenly Gate, sealing its cracks. Although the cracks appeared to be blocked, the flow of immortal energy remained unimpeded.
This energy must be what the spirit commander utilized to shield himself from the immortal煞 energy winds!
As his thoughts raced, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling. After inhaling it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he was no longer lacking in this type.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he still needed?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black!
“That was a close call!” Shui Miao thought to himself, feeling a surge of alarm. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of that deadly immortal煞 energy would have surged into his meditative realm?
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao remembered the moment he changed his clothes in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, when a purple Taoist robe had appeared on him. Was the jade pendant hinting that he should use purple energy to counteract the immortal煞 energy? With this thought, Shui Miao concentrated his mind, and the immortal energy within his meditative realm began to split into streams of purple energy. Guided by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the encroachment of the immortal煞 energy.
Before long, the immortal and malevolent energy subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit the meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the suction force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to venture out immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure hurriedly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
“I don’t think so.”
Shui Miao wiped sweat from his brow. If it were that simple, he wouldn’t be struggling to figure it out.
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had roughly been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao gently shook his head, lost in thought. “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level white-armored immortal general gave me a jade pendant, which fused into my soul. I don’t know if that jade pendant can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, Seventh Sister couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as there was no way to verify it. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I’ve heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his gaze to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment and then asked in return, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the spirit commander were also rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have something to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
After much contemplation, aside from the vitality and deathly energy Seventh Sister had mentioned, Shui Miao thought of many other terms related to energy. However, he felt that his ideas were too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his mindscape, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious spirit commander had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the spirit commander’s wing. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate within his spiritual realm served as a gateway to the immortal domain. Should it open, violent winds of immortal煞 would sweep in, bringing immense turmoil. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade these煞-winds. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly endure them? Yet, if he refrained from opening the Heavenly Gate, he would not receive an adequate influx of immortal energy, thereby hindering his cultivation advancement.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this mindscape—why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was far from capable of withstanding powerful煞-winds. It would be wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became stronger. Just as he was deep in thought, he noticed a purple mist suddenly emanating from his chest! The mist spread throughout his mindscape and eventually reached the Heavenly Gate, sealing its cracks. Although the cracks appeared to be blocked, immortal energy could still flow in unimpeded.
This energy must be what the spirit commander utilized to shield himself from the immortal煞-winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After inhaling it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the last missing type of spiritual energy?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“So close!” Shui Miao felt a wave of terror wash over him. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of the immortal malevolent wind would have invaded his mental realm!
“Purple energy—doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao remembered the moment he changed clothes in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, when a purple Taoist robe had appeared on him. Was the jade pendant hinting that he should use purple energy to counteract the immortal煞-winds? With this thought, he concentrated his mind, and the immortal energy within his mental realm divided into strands of purple energy. Directed by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the incursion of the煞-winds.
Before long, the immortal and ominous winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately afterward, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly was causing this trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
“You’re right…” Seventh Miss nodded thoughtfully. “Yin and Yang, the Five Elements—they’re natural energies, the breath of creation. What other creative forces exist in this world besides these seven? Could it be the breath of life and the breath of death?”
“Let me think again…”
Shui Miao still felt it couldn’t be that simple. He gently shook his head. “Seventh Miss, if you have something to do, you can go first.”
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant, which fused into my soul. I don’t know if it can protect me or not.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide a definitive answer.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his attention to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Spirit Commander were rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have things to attend to, you should head back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t concentrate on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have things to attend to.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
After much contemplation, aside from the energy of life and death Seventh Sister had mentioned, Shui Miao thought of many other terms related to energy. However, none felt right—his ideas were too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to clear his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally guide him on what to do. Now, the mysterious Spirit Commander had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was under the Spirit Commander’s protection. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate within his consciousness served as a portal to the immortal realm. Should it open, fierce and malevolent immortal winds would surge forth, bringing considerable turmoil. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to seek refuge within their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How, then, could a mere cultivator like him endure such a force? Yet, if the Heavenly Gate remained sealed, the flow of immortal energy would be insufficient, inevitably hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state—why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was in no condition to withstand the formidable煞 winds. It was wiser to gradually accumulate strength and wait until he became more powerful. As he reflected on this, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. Although the cracks appeared to be patched, the flow of immortal energy remained unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Spirit Commander utilized to shield himself from the immortal煞 winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After absorbing it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the last missing type of spiritual energy?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“So close!” Shui Miao shuddered with a wave of fear. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of the immortal’s malevolent wind would have swept into his consciousness!
“Purple energy—doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao remembered the moment he had changed clothes in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, when a purple Taoist robe had appeared on him. Was the jade pendant suggesting that he should use purple energy to counteract the immortal煞 winds? With this idea in mind, he concentrated his thoughts, and the immortal energy within his consciousness split into streams of purple energy. Directed by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the incursion of the immortal煞 winds.
Before long, the immortal and ominous winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
“I, I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Miss hesitated. She thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, he had only said she could leave if she had something to do.
Seeing that Seventh Miss didn’t leave, Shui Miao was a bit helpless. He closed his eyes and focused on his thoughts, ignoring her.
Seeing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Miss immediately sat cross-legged beside him.
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant, which fused into my soul. I’m not sure if it can protect me or not.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide a definitive answer.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his attention to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Marshal were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t concentrate on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was chasing her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have something to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister wasn’t leaving, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao pondered back and forth. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy but felt they were all too simplistic. After a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop thinking, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Marshal had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the Marshal’s protection. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
If he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Moreover, the Heavenly Gate in his consciousness was the gateway to the immortal realm. Should it open, a torrent of immortal煞煞-wind would surge in, bringing considerable chaos. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade the煞煞-wind. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly withstand it? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, he would miss out on a substantial influx of immortal energy, inevitably slowing his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state—why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was in no condition to withstand the powerful and malevolent煞煞-wind. It was wiser to gradually accumulate strength and wait until he became more powerful. As he reflected on this, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. It made the cracks appear mended, yet the flow of immortal energy remained unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Marshal used to shield himself from the malevolent wind!
As this thought crossed Shui Miao’s mind, he guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After inhaling it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he was no longer lacking in this type.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he still needed?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black!
“That was a close call!” Shui Miao felt a wave of terror wash over him. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of that eerie wind would have invaded his consciousness!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao recalled the moment when he changed his clothes in front of the young Taoist novice, Li Miao, and how a purple Taoist robe had appeared on him. Was the jade pendant hinting that he should use purple energy to counteract the malevolent煞煞-wind? With this thought in mind, Shui Miao concentrated deeply. The immortal energy within his consciousness began to divide into threads of purple energy. Guided by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the invasive force of the煞煞-wind.
Before long, the fierce wind subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to exit his meditative state when he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared, shooting out a murky yellow-black energy that flew beyond the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly was causing this trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure quickly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
Looking at the cracked Heaven Gate in his meditation, Shui Miao felt confused again. The young Taoist apprentice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone would guide him. Now, the mysterious Spirit Marshal had given him a jade pendant, so he must now be considered the Marshal’s disciple. Joining another sect in the Immortal Realm would probably be inappropriate.
If he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t know what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heaven Gate in his meditation led to the Immortal Realm. Once opened, it would let in powerful Immortal Realm gales, which would be extremely troublesome. Even immortals in the Ninth Heaven had to hide in their celestial palaces to avoid these gales. As a mere cultivator, how could he withstand them? Yet, if the Heaven Gate remained closed, the flow of immortal energy would be limited, affecting his cultivation speed.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao was deeply troubled.
He also recalled why the immortal energy had self-destructed the last time he entered this meditative state.
Was it because his power was insufficient? After much thought, he concluded this was the only explanation. After all, he had only been cultivating for a short time. He couldn’t withstand the powerful gales yet. It would be better to accumulate strength gradually before attempting anything more.
Just as he was pondering, Shui Miao suddenly noticed a purple mist rising from his chest. The mist spread within his meditation and reached the Heaven Gate, sealing the cracks. Although the fissures were closed, the immortal energy could still flow in smoothly.
“This mist must be what the Spirit Marshal gave me to protect me from the Immortal Realm gales!”
Shui Miao quickly deduced the purpose of the purple mist.
Right!
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had roughly been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought as he muttered to himself, “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant. It merged with my soul, but I don’t know if it can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world,” Seventh Sister replied promptly. “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his attention to Seventh Sister, steering the conversation toward the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Marshal were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have things to attend to, you should head back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t concentrate properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have things to attend to.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao turned the matter over in his mind. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy but felt they were all too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed and bewildered. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Marshal had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the Marshal’s protection. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
If he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Celestial Gate within his consciousness served as a portal to the immortal realm. Should it open, ferocious immortal winds would surge forth, bringing considerable turmoil. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to seek refuge within their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly endure such forces? Yet, if he chose not to open the Celestial Gate, he would miss out on a substantial influx of immortal energy, thereby hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was in no condition to withstand the powerful and malevolent winds. It was wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became more powerful. Just as he was reflecting on this, he noticed a purple mist suddenly emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. It made the cracks appear mended, yet the immortal energy could still flow through unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Marshal utilized to shield himself from the immortal and malevolent winds!
As this thought crossed Shui Miao’s mind, he guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After inhaling it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he was no longer lacking in this type.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he still needed?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black!
“That was a close call!” Shui Miao felt a wave of terror wash over him. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of the deadly immortal wind would have swept into his consciousness!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao remembered the moment he changed clothes in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, when a purple Taoist robe had appeared. Was the jade pendant suggesting that he should use purple energy to counteract the immortal煞煞 winds? With this thought, Shui Miao concentrated his mind, and the immortal energy within his consciousness divided into strands of purple energy. Directed by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the invasion of the煞煞 winds.
Before long, the immortal and fierce winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared, shooting out a murky yellow-black energy that flew beyond the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the suction force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating into the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
The little novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Thunder Palaces. The Eight Trigrams pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had roughly been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao gently shook his head, lost in thought as he muttered to himself, “It seems like I found one, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant. It fused with my soul, but I don’t know if it can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as there was no way to verify it. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world,” Seventh Sister replied promptly. “Brother Shui Miao, I assume you didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven? I’ve heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his gaze to Seventh Sister and steered the conversation toward the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have thought of it himself.
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Marshal were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are the natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have something to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao mulled it over. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy but felt none were quite right—his ideas were too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter the meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within the meditative realm, Shui Miao felt perplexed and bewildered. The little novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Marshal had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the Marshal’s protection. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate within this meditative realm served as a portal to the immortal world. Should it open, fierce and malevolent immortal winds would sweep in, bringing considerable chaos. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How could a minor cultivator like him possibly endure such forces? Yet, if the Heavenly Gate remained shut, the influx of immortal energy would be minimal, thereby hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative realm: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a brief period and was in no condition to withstand the powerful煞-winds. It was wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became more formidable. As he reflected on this, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread throughout the meditative realm and eventually reached the Heavenly Gate, sealing its cracks. Although the cracks appeared to be mended, the flow of immortal energy remained unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Marshal utilized to shield himself from the immortal煞-winds!
As this thought crossed Shui Miao’s mind, he guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After absorbing it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he lacked?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“So close!” Shui Miao’s heart pounded. If it weren’t for the purple energy, who knows how much immortal煞-wind would have surged into his meditative realm?
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao reminisced about the purple Daoist robe he had conjured before the young novice Li Muzi. Was the jade pendant suggesting that he should harness purple energy to counteract the immortal煞-winds? With this idea in mind, he directed the immortal energy within the meditative realm to extract threads of purple energy. Under his guidance, the purple energy converged at the fissures of the Heavenly Gate, thwarting the incursion of the immortal煞-winds.
Before long, the immortal and sinister winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit the meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the suction force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to venture out immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure rapidly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little novice Li Muzi!”
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Thunder Palaces. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant, which fused into my soul. I don’t know if it can protect me or not.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide a definitive answer.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“That? Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have thought of it himself.
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the spirit commander were rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have things to do, you should head back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have things to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister wasn’t leaving, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao turned the matter over in his mind. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy but felt none were quite right—his ideas were too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone within the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious spirit commander had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the spirit commander’s wing. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate within his consciousness was a gateway to the realm of immortals. Should it open, ferocious immortal winds would sweep in, bringing great turmoil. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven had to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How could a mere cultivator like him withstand such forces? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, he would miss out on a significant surge of immortal energy, inevitably slowing his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was in no condition to withstand the powerful and malevolent winds. It was wiser to gradually accumulate strength and wait until he became more formidable. As he reflected on this, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. Although the cracks appeared to be blocked, the flow of immortal energy remained unimpeded.
This energy must be what the spirit commander utilized to shield himself from the deadly, immortal煞煞 winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After absorbing it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he lacked?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“That was a close call!” Shui Miao felt a wave of terror wash over him. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of the deadly immortal wind would have swept into his consciousness!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao recalled the moment he changed his attire in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, when a purple Taoist robe had materialized on him. Was the jade pendant suggesting that he should harness purple energy to counteract the immortal煞煞 winds? With this idea in mind, he concentrated his thoughts, and the immortal energy within his consciousness began to separate into strands of purple energy. Directed by his will, the purple energy converged at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the incursion of the煞煞 winds.
Before long, the immortal and fierce winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the suction force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to venture out immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure rapidly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Thunder Palaces. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It feels like I found one, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant, which fused into my soul. I don’t know if it can protect me or not.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide a definitive answer.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before asking in return, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Spirit Commander were likely rare and precious. If they were ordinary, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was chasing her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said she could leave if she had something to attend to.
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao pondered back and forth. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy. However, none felt right—his ideas were too simplistic. After a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop thinking. Calming his mind and focusing his thoughts, he re-entered the meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within this state, Shui Miao felt confused and perplexed. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Spirit Commander had given him a jade pendant. He was likely considered under the Spirit Commander’s wing, so joining another immortal sect probably wasn’t appropriate.
If he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate, in this state of deep meditation, served as a gateway to the immortal realm. Should it open, ferocious immortal winds would sweep in, bringing considerable chaos. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly withstand them? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, the flow of immortal energy would be insufficient, thereby hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state. Why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was in no position to withstand the powerful and malevolent winds. It was wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became more powerful. As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread throughout his meditative state, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. Though the gaps appeared patched, the flow of immortal energy remained unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Spirit Commander utilized to shield himself from the eternal and malevolent winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling. After absorbing it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he lacked?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turning black.
“So close!” Shui Miao was inwardly alarmed. If it weren’t for the purple energy, who knows how much of the immortal’s malevolent wind would have disrupted his meditative state?
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao recalled the moment when he changed his clothes in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, and a purple Taoist robe had appeared on him. Was the jade pendant hinting that he should use purple energy to counteract the immortal煞煞 winds? With this thought, he concentrated his mind, and the immortal energy within his meditative state began to separate into streams of purple energy. Guided by his will, the purple energy gathered at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the invasion of the煞煞 winds.
Before long, the immortal and eerie winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit the meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared, shooting out a murky yellow-black energy that flew beyond the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to venture out immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure rapidly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
“Hu hu hu…”
Suddenly, howling winds came from beyond the Heaven Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the crack in the Heaven Gate turn black.
“That was close!”
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had roughly been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao gently shook his head, lost in thought as he muttered to himself, “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant, which fused into my soul. I don’t know if it can protect me or not.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao cut short this unverifiable topic and asked, “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world,” Seventh Sister replied promptly. “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I’ve heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his gaze to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke into a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the other two types of spiritual energy required by the Spirit Commander were also rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought seriously and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t calm his mind to ponder the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was chasing her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have something to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao racked his brains. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy but felt none were quite right—his ideas were too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone within the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Spirit Commander had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the Spirit Commander’s wing. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he couldn’t learn what to do next.
Moreover, the Heavenly Gate in his consciousness led to the immortal realm. If it opened, countless gusts of immortal malevolent wind would blow in, causing great trouble. Even immortals of the Ninth Heaven had to hide in their immortal mansions to evade these winds—how could a mere cultivator like him withstand them? Yet, if he didn’t open the Heavenly Gate, he wouldn’t receive a substantial influx of immortal energy, which would slow his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much thought, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short time and was in no position to withstand powerful malevolent winds. It was better to accumulate strength slowly and wait until he was more powerful. As he pondered this, Shui Miao noticed a purple mist suddenly emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. It made the cracks appear patched, yet immortal energy could still flow through unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Spirit Commander used to protect him from the immortal malevolent winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After inhaling it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the last type of spiritual energy he lacked?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A series of howling winds suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black!
“So close!” Shui Miao was inwardly alarmed. If not for the purple energy, who knew how much immortal malevolent wind would have blown into his consciousness!
“Purple energy—doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao recalled that when he changed his clothes in front of the little Taoist novice Li Muzi, he had manifested a purple Taoist robe. Was the jade pendant hinting that he should use purple energy to counter the immortal malevolent winds? With this thought, Shui Miao focused his mind, and the immortal energy within his consciousness separated into strands of purple energy. Guided by his will, the purple energy gathered at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, blocking the invasion of the malevolent winds.
Before long, the immortal malevolent winds receded.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to exit his meditative state when he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to venture out immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
The little novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something important.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Eight Trigrams pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had roughly been standing earlier and stomped his foot. In an instant, his consciousness returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought as he muttered to himself, “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant. It fused with my soul, but I don’t know if it can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world,” Seventh Sister replied promptly. “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his attention to Seventh Sister and steered the conversation toward the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke into a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Spirit Commander were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said she could leave if she had other matters.
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao felt helpless. He closed his eyes, ignored her, and began contemplating on his own.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
Shui Miao pondered back and forth. Besides the energy of life and death that Seventh Sister had mentioned, he thought of many other terms related to energy. However, none felt quite right—his ideas seemed too simplistic. After a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop overthinking. He calmed his mind, focused his thoughts, and entered a meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his mindscape, Shui Miao felt perplexed and bewildered. The little novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally guide him on what to do next. Now, the mysterious Spirit Commander had given him a jade pendant. He was likely considered under the Spirit Commander’s wing, so seeking refuge in another immortal sect probably wouldn’t be appropriate.
If he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate within his mental realm served as a gateway to the immortal domain. Should it open, a torrent of immortal miasma would sweep in, bringing considerable turmoil. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to seek refuge within their celestial abodes to evade the miasma. How could a mere cultivator like him withstand it? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, he would be deprived of the abundant immortal energy essential for his cultivation, thereby hindering his progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this mindscape: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was utterly incapable of withstanding the powerful煞煞-wind. It would be wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became more powerful. As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed a purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread throughout his mindscape and eventually reached the Heavenly Gate, sealing its cracks. Although the cracks appeared to be blocked, immortal energy could still flow through unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Spirit Commander used to shield himself from the malevolent wind!
As his thoughts raced, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After absorbing it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the last type of spiritual energy he lacked?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“So close!” Shui Miao was inwardly alarmed. If it weren’t for the purple energy, who knows how much sinister wind would have blown into his mindscape!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao recalled the moment when he changed his clothes in front of the young novice Li Muzi, and how a purple Daoist robe had manifested. Could the jade pendant be hinting that he should use purple energy to counteract the malevolent wind? With this thought in mind, he concentrated his focus, and the immortal energy within his mental landscape began to separate into strands of purple energy. Guided by his will, the purple energy gathered at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the invasion of the malevolent wind.
Before long, the howling wind subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little novice Li Muzi!”
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Palaces of the Thunder Department. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought as he muttered to himself, “It seems like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant. It fused with my soul, but I don’t know if it can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide any definitive answers.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as there was no way to verify it. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world,” Seventh Sister replied promptly. “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned his attention to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before countering, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself.
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Spirit Commander were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be considered the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly aura of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it wasn’t that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister initially thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have something to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister hadn’t left, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
After much deliberation, aside from the energy of life and death Seventh Sister had mentioned, Shui Miao thought of many other terms related to energy. But none felt right—his ideas were too simplistic. After a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop thinking, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed again. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone from the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Spirit Commander had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the Spirit Commander’s wing. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to seek refuge with another immortal sect now.
Without joining another sect, he wouldn’t be able to learn what to do next.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Gate in his mind served as a gateway to the realm of immortality. Should it open, ferocious immortal winds would sweep in, bringing immense turmoil. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven had to retreat to their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly endure them? Yet, if the Heavenly Gate stayed shut, only a trickle of immortal energy would seep through, significantly hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state—why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much contemplation, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short period and was in no condition to withstand the powerful and malevolent winds. It was wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became more robust. Just as he was deep in thought, he noticed a sudden surge of purple mist emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. It gave the appearance of the cracks being patched, yet the immortal energy continued to flow through unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Spirit Commander utilized to shield himself from the eternal, malevolent winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling earlier. After inhaling it, his luck had peaked!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he already possessed it.
So, what was the last missing type of spiritual energy?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black!
“That was a close call!” Shui Miao felt a wave of terror wash over him. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of the immortal’s malevolent wind would have swept into his consciousness!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao recalled the moment when he had changed clothes in front of the young Taoist novice Li Muzi, and a purple Taoist robe had appeared on him. Was the jade pendant hinting that he should use purple energy to counteract the immortal煞煞 winds? With this thought in mind, he concentrated his focus, and the immortal energy within his consciousness began to separate into streams of purple energy. Guided by his will, the purple energy gathered at the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, effectively blocking the invasion of the煞煞 winds.
Before long, the immortal and eerie winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to exit his meditative state, he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly is causing this trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul emerged above the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure swiftly retreating into the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
Not long after, the Immortal Realm gales receded.
The little Taoist novice Li Muzi was dumbfounded, feeling as though he had missed something.
Shui Miao returned to the platform of the Sixteen Thunder Palaces. The Bagua pattern instantly transported him back to where he had started. He found the spot where he had been standing earlier, stamped his foot, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body. Slowly withdrawing from the meditative state, he opened his eyes to find the fox demon Seventh Sister sitting cross-legged beside him.
Sensing Shui Miao’s movement, Seventh Sister quickly opened her eyes. “Brother Shui Miao, why are you back so soon? Did you find an immortal to help you?”
“It’s hard to say…” Shui Miao shook his head gently, lost in thought. “It feels like I did, but also like I didn’t. A fifth-level immortal general in white armor gave me a jade pendant. It fused with my soul, but I don’t know if it can protect me.”
“It probably can…” Seventh Sister was taken aback. She didn’t know the purpose of the jade pendant, but she was astonished—a fifth-level immortal general was an incredibly powerful being. “If it couldn’t protect you, why would the immortal general give it to you, Brother Shui Miao?” Having never been to the immortal realm, she couldn’t provide a definitive answer.
Shui Miao changed the subject, as it was impossible to verify. “How much time has passed outside?”
“Only a short while. Time in the Ninth Heaven is the same as in the mortal world.” Seventh Sister quickly replied, “Brother Shui Miao, you probably didn’t make it to the Eighth Heaven, did you? I heard that reaching the Eighth Heaven requires passing some kind of trial.”
“I didn’t go!” Shui Miao turned to Seventh Sister and shifted the topic to the nine types of spiritual energy he was interested in. “Between heaven and earth, there are the energies of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Do you know if there are any other types of spiritual energy besides these seven?”
“Oh, that! Let me think…” Seventh Sister pondered for a moment before asking in return, “Does demonic energy count?”
“Probably not!” Shui Miao broke out in a sweat. If it were that simple, he would have figured it out himself!
Needless to say, the two additional types of spiritual energy required by the Marshal were likely rare and precious. If they were so common, the immortal general wouldn’t have needed to come all the way from the Fifth Heaven to give him the jade pendant and deliver that message.
“You’re right… Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements are natural energies, the breath that creates all things. Besides these seven, what other energies in this world could be the breath of creation? Could it be the energy of life and death?” Seventh Sister thought carefully and came up with the vitality of the living and the deathly energy of ghosts.
“Let me think again…” Shui Miao still felt it couldn’t be that simple and gently shook his head. “Seventh Sister, if you have something to do, you can go back first.”
With Seventh Sister around, Shui Miao felt he couldn’t focus properly on pondering the eighth and ninth types of spiritual energy.
“I… I don’t really have anything to do…” Seventh Sister thought Shui Miao was trying to send her away, but upon reflection, she realized he had only said “if you have something to do.”
Seeing that Seventh Sister wasn’t leaving, Shui Miao had no choice but to close his eyes, ignore her, and lose himself in his thoughts.
Noticing Shui Miao meditating, Seventh Sister immediately sat down cross-legged as well.
After much deliberation, aside from the vitality and deathly energy Seventh Sister had mentioned, Shui Miao thought of many other terms related to energy. However, he felt none were quite right—his thinking was too simplistic. After pondering for a while, he grew increasingly frustrated and decided to stop, calm his mind, focus his thoughts, and re-enter his meditative state.
Gazing at the cracked Heavenly Gate within his consciousness, Shui Miao felt perplexed and bewildered. The little Taoist novice Li Muzi had said that if he joined an immortal sect, someone within the sect would naturally tell him what to do. Now, the mysterious Marshal had given him a jade pendant, which likely meant he was considered under the Marshal’s protection. Joining another immortal sect now would probably be inappropriate.
But if he couldn’t join another sect, he wouldn’t be able to find out what to do next.
Moreover, the Heavenly Gate in his consciousness served as a portal to the immortal realm. Should it open, ferocious immortal煞-winds would surge in, bringing immense chaos. Even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven were compelled to retreat into their celestial abodes to evade these winds. How could a mere cultivator like him possibly endure such forces? Yet, if he chose not to open the Heavenly Gate, he would miss out on a significant influx of immortal energy, thereby hindering his cultivation progress.
It was a dilemma, and Shui Miao felt stuck.
He also recalled his previous experience in this meditative state: why had the immortal energy self-destructed?
Was it because his strength was still insufficient? After much thought, Shui Miao concluded that this was the only plausible explanation. It made sense—he had only been cultivating for a short time and was in no position to withstand powerful malevolent winds. It would be wiser to accumulate strength gradually and wait until he became more powerful. Just as he was pondering this, he noticed a purple mist suddenly emanating from his chest! The mist spread within his consciousness, eventually reaching the Heavenly Gate and sealing its cracks. Though the cracks appeared blocked, immortal energy could still flow through unimpeded.
This energy must be what the Marshal used to shield himself from the immortal煞-winds!
As this thought crossed his mind, Shui Miao guessed the purpose of the purple mist.
That’s it!
Purple energy!
It suddenly occurred to Shui Miao that this purple energy might be one of the nine types of spiritual energy the immortal general had mentioned.
Thinking of purple energy reminded him of the purple energy he had seen while gambling, which he had inhaled into his body, bringing him incredibly good luck!
But if purple energy was indeed one of the nine great spiritual energies, then he was no longer lacking in this energy.
So, what was the final type of spiritual energy he still needed?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A howling wind suddenly blew in from outside the Heavenly Gate. Shui Miao looked up and saw the cracks in the gate turn black.
“So close!” Shui Miao felt a surge of panic within. If it hadn’t been for the purple energy, who knows how much of the immortal’s malevolent wind would have invaded his consciousness!
“Purple energy… doesn’t my immortal energy also contain purple energy?”
Shui Miao reminisced about the moment when he had changed his attire in front of the young Taoist novice, Li Muzi, and a purple Taoist robe had appeared. Was the jade pendant hinting at using purple energy to counteract the immortal煞-winds? With this notion in mind, Shui Miao concentrated his thoughts, and the immortal energy within his consciousness divided into streams of purple energy. Directed by his will, the purple energy converged at the fissures of the Heavenly Gate, thwarting the incursion of the煞-winds.
Before long, the immortal and malevolent winds subsided.
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to exit his meditative state when he suddenly sensed a force sucking away his purple energy! Before he could react, the jade pendant reappeared and shot out a murky yellow-black energy straight through the Heavenly Gate. Immediately, the sucking force vanished.
“What exactly was causing that trouble?”
Not daring to investigate immediately, Shui Miao waited a few seconds before extending his consciousness beyond the Heavenly Gate. His soul stepped onto the clouds, and he saw a familiar figure rapidly retreating in the distance…
“It’s him—the little Taoist novice Li Muzi!”
“What was that?”
Shui Miao didn’t dare to chase after it immediately. After waiting a few seconds, he extended his consciousness beyond the Heaven Gate and found himself standing on the clouds. Not far away, a familiar figure quickly disappeared into the distance…
“It was him—Li Muzi, the young Taoist apprentice!”
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