C14 The Power of Yinyang Spell

Feng Yimo noticed that the cultivator who had fled earlier had come back to retrieve the bodies. He stowed away over forty corpses into his Storage Bag, indicating it was a high-level Storage Bag with a substantial capacity. Storage Bags are categorized by size into low-level and high-level. For instance, the one Feng Yimo possessed was merely ten feet in size, classifying it as a low-level Storage Bag.

Moreover, in the aftermath of the skirmish, Feng Yimo realized his Divine Sense went undetected by others, unless he intentionally used it to scan his surroundings. This was an unexpected but welcome discovery.

Assured of their safety, Feng Yimo drove the carriage through the checkpoint smoothly, under the astonished eyes of Xiao He, Ling Hai, Ling Ya, and the others. Once they had passed, they quickly caught up, their respect for Feng Yimo's bravery growing.

Ling Ya felt a pang of sorrow as they passed the graves of the seven silver guards. From within the carriage, she offered a distant bow, murmuring, "Thank you."

The remainder of their journey was uneventful, marked by an eerie calm. Feng Yimo spent his days driving the carriage and his nights in cultivation, finding a certain peace in the routine. Unbeknownst to him, the Yin-yang Sect and the Absolute Soul Sect had clashed repeatedly, with both sides sustaining losses. The conflict had escalated to involve cultivators in the late stages of Foundation Establishment. Zhou Guangyuan had been besieged numerous times, each escape made possible by the Thousand Li Divine Traversal Talisman gifted by his master. Despite his escapes, he bore multiple injuries, and his cultivation level had slipped from the peak of Qi Refinement down to the Tenth Layer, leaving him seething with frustration.

The Yin-yang Sect pursued him relentlessly, like a curse he couldn't shake off. After two months of pursuit, six of his sect brothers had perished, all at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. The Yin-yang Sect had also paid a heavy price, losing five mid-stage disciples. Looking ahead, Zhou Guangyuan saw the majestic and ancient Hundred Flowers City of Chu Country a few miles away. He quickened his pace, heading straight for the city.

…

Three days prior, Feng Yimo and his companions had reached Hundred Flowers City. With the County Princess's token, they were granted respectful entry by the city guards. From being captured as flower slaves to serving as a coachman, they had endured fifty-seven days of hardship. Now, Feng Yimo found himself in the role of Ling Ya's page, tasked with carrying luggage, holding the umbrella, and handling payments.

Girls seem to have a natural affinity for shopping, and Ling Ya was no exception. Since her arrival in Hundred Flowers City, she hadn't missed a single day of indulgence. From candied fruits to rattle drums, to the finest powders and rouges for her makeup, she snapped up anything that caught her eye. Feng Yimo, laden with both large and small packages, would dutifully carry her treasures back to their residence.

The residence, known as "Pear Blossom Courtyard," was a generous expanse of over a dozen acres, a gift from County Princess Chu Ling Er to Ling Ya. It boasted meandering streams, cool pavilions, and an array of blooming flowers and exotic plants.

Through Ling Ya, Feng Yimo learned about the origins of Hundred Flowers City. Fifteen years prior, on the day of Chu Ling Er's birth, despite it being the dead of winter, the city had burst into a sea of blossoms, filling the air with their sweet scent—a miraculous event that filled King Chu with immense joy, prompting him to rename the capital to Hundred Flowers City.

"What was the capital's name before?" Feng Yimo inquired.

"Black Wood City," Ling Ya responded.

Feng Yimo's mind reeled with the revelation. He had unwittingly found himself within his father's clan's domain. Yet, he was clueless about the Feng Family's standing or influence in Hundred Flowers City. Should he take the time to investigate?

While they were deep in conversation, a servant arrived with news of the Princess's approach. Ling Ya quickly gathered her attendants to greet her at the gate. Feng Yimo, averse to such formalities and merely a servant by role, chose to remain in the garden. Shortly after, Ling Ya returned, escorting a strikingly beautiful girl. Before she even reached him, Feng Yimo caught a whiff of an unusual scent. He was astounded to find it emanating from Princess Chu Ling Er herself.

"Heavenly Fragrance Beans!" Feng Yimo thought, aghast. The Princess was afflicted with a deadly poison, one that typically claimed lives before the age of eighteen. By his calculations, she had just over two years left. Who could harbor such malice? The girl appeared fragile and slender, adorned with delicate jewelry, her movements graceful. Her eyes were exceptionally large and brimming with vitality. She was all smiles, chatting and strolling with Ling Ya, their hands intertwined as they admired the flowers. Feng Yimo wondered, did she know of the poison coursing through her veins?

Heavenly Fragrance Beans are an exotic flower, rumored to bloom every thirty years and bear fruit every thirty years. The scent of the flower is uniquely intoxicating but acts as a slow poison. Its fruit, on the other hand, serves as the antidote. However, no one has ever managed to witness the flower wither and fruit appear, and thus, anyone afflicted by the Heavenly Fragrance Beans' poison inevitably perishes.

Feng Yimo's heart swelled with empathy, and he found himself wanting to warn her repeatedly, yet he struggled to find the right words.

Princess Chu Ling Er felt a persistent gaze upon her and, turning, caught sight of a young man of similar age with delicate features, staring intently at her. Anger flared within her. This shameless rogue dared to brazenly gaze upon her in broad daylight! She resolved to put him in his place.

"Who are you?" she demanded icily, confronting Feng Yimo.

Ling Ya, witnessing the scene, swiftly interjected in a hushed tone, "Sister, he is my manservant and has always been by my side. If he has caused any offense, I implore you to forgive him. I offer my sincerest apologies on his behalf."

Ling Ya's countenance softened somewhat upon hearing this, but she remained irked by Feng Yimo's impertinence. After exchanging a few words with Ling Ya, she made her way back to the palace.

Ling Ya was baffled by Feng Yimo's bold scrutiny of Chu Ling Er. She had encountered numerous beauties on her travels, yet none had captured his attention as the princess had. Did he aspire to gain favor with the princess's esteemed position? The Flower Servants were typically serene and detached, not the sort to seek favor with the powerful. Even she, a great beauty, had never seen him pay her any special mind. What could his true intentions be?

Once the princess had departed, Feng Yimo also took his leave. Given her dismissive demeanor, he saw no reason to overstep. Since his arrival in Hundred Flowers City, he had sensed that the entire city lay within an immense formation. He couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of the formation, but it emanated a palpable danger, deterring him from practicing his cultivation within the city's confines.

Crucially, his Divine Sense had detected several golden glows within the northern palace: two in the west, three in the east, and two in the south. These glimmers were the emanations of golden cores, released by Core Formation cultivators during their practice. It was astonishing that the mere capital of Chu Country was safeguarded by ten Core Formation cultivators. It was no wonder that none dared to stir trouble in such a place.

Upon entering the city, the guards at the gates sternly cautioned the passing cultivators against engaging in magical duels within the city walls, warning that such actions would be met with lethal consequences.

Golden Core Cultivators earned their title by forming a Golden Core within their Dantian. These cores varied in quality, with the common ones radiating a brilliant golden hue, while the most exceptional Golden Cores were purple, earning the designation of Violet Golden Core Cultivators. Possession of a Violet Golden Core invariably signified an inevitable ascension to Nascent Infant Cultivator status. Feng Yimo observed only golden radiance, with no trace of purple, indicating that all ten cultivators he encountered were of the ordinary variety. Despite this, they were not to be trifled with by someone like him, a mere second-level Qi Training Period cultivator.

During his journey of over fifty days, Feng Yimo practiced his cultivation daily without any obstacles, smoothly advancing to the second level of Qi Training. This remarkable progress was thanks to the Yin-yang Spell, which had enhanced his cultivation speed by more than threefold, a testament to the exceptional nature of this technique.

Furthermore, the insights and teachings recorded on Chi Yangzi's jade slip revealed that Chi Yangzi was only twenty-eight years old. His white hair was not a sign of age but a consequence of cultivating solely the Yin component of the Yin-yang Spell. The strategy behind this approach was to bring oneself to the brink of death to foster a powerful resurgence. Once the white hair transformed back to black, advancement to the next level would occur as naturally as water flowing along a channel, free from any constraints.

This transformative ability was yet another testament to the formidable power of the Yin-yang Spell.