Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 220 Setting up a chessboard in Shanyin
The scenery and customs of Longquan Prefecture are quite different from those of other places.

Whether it was Beiya Mountain or Lanxi Cave, the cultivators in Longquan Prefecture always gave Song Yan a sense of ease and leisure.

From mortals to cultivators, the pace of life is very slow.

Perhaps due to its proximity to Shaoliang City, Lanxi Cave, from its market streets to its courtyards, retains a subtle ancient charm. Along its cobblestone streets and alleys stand taverns and teahouses.

The monks sat in twos and threes, some playing chess, others chatting.

Some low-level rogue cultivators set up stalls on the corners of the market to sell rudimentary talismans. Their calls were weak and listless, revealing a hint of laziness.

Even when Foundation Establishment cultivators occasionally appeared, they would only stop at the tavern to buy a pot of spirit wine to satisfy their cravings. Their steps were unhurried, completely lacking the sharp and aggressive aura of cultivators from other places.

During this month, Song Yan's cultivation continued without interruption, but it was not as urgent as before.

They mainly focused their efforts on gathering materials for the Wuxiang Pill and inquiring about the Luozhen Vine.

I took a deep breath in the early morning, the mountain mist still lingering.

Occasionally, the sounds of zithers and flutes drift from afar through the mountains, making the valley even more tranquil.

Xiao Ju's cultivation is gradually getting on the right track. Although her spiritual roots are mixed, she has the advantage of good comprehension and is willing to listen to advice.

Little He lazily lay on the bluestone by the stream, basking in the sun, occasionally flicking its tail to scare the little fish in the pond.

Liang Feng would come to the pond in the valley every three to five days to take care of the Tuoyue Ancient Lotus.

Sometimes, when Song Yan had free time from his cultivation, he would chat with him and learn things that Song Yan wouldn't normally pay attention to.

For example, the cultivation world of Chu has been holding a chess tournament for the past few months, and the finals will be held in a while.

The finals will be held in Beiya Mountain City.

Liang Feng said that his wife actually loves Go, and there are some seats available for watching the games at Lanxi Cave. A few days ago, he went to great lengths to get one, and he plans to go watch the games.

It must be said that the trend of "not doing proper work" in the art of self-cultivation is very strong in Longquan Prefecture.

Among these, the art of playing chess is the most popular.

Perhaps influenced by this, Song Yan also bought a set of chess equipment and studied chess records in his spare time.

The Five Stars Pulse-Catching Technique explicitly states that playing chess and calligraphy/painting can assist in cultivating the strength of one's spiritual sense.

Among these, the Way of Chess is the most effective in promoting the growth of spiritual consciousness.

However, every time Song Yan thought of the art of "cultivating the mind" before, it was after arduous practice. He was unwilling to choose the mentally taxing game of chess and usually chose calligraphy instead.

He has never given up on cultivating his divine sense, but recently the growth rate of his divine sense has been getting slower and slower.

"The way of both literature and martial arts requires a balance of tension and relaxation. Perhaps it really does require the art of 'cultivating the mind' to make adjustments."

Before Song Yan began cultivating immortality, he had learned some chess skills from his grandfather and the schoolteacher in Shiliang Town.

His skill level was certainly average, but his strong spiritual sense made his deductive abilities far superior to those of ordinary people.

Liang Feng's wife is named Hu Qing, and she is indeed a woman who loves chess very much.

According to Liang Feng, this savior would play chess in her bamboo house in her spare time, and she would also visit her.

Song Yan was looking for someone to play chess with, so he was naturally very happy to welcome them.

The two played a back-and-forth game.

However, Hu Qing relied on the skills and techniques of chess, while Song Yan relied on his extraordinary spiritual sense.

Judging from the results alone, they were evenly matched, with each side having its own wins and losses.

The elegant and mysterious "game" that the two of them were playing naturally caught Xiao He's attention, and she had been clamoring for Song Yan to teach her for the past few days.

As it happened, Xiao Ju was also very interested in playing chess, so Song Yan started a class to teach these two curious children.

The knowledge and skills he possesses regarding Go are actually quite limited, so teaching them wouldn't be difficult.

"Watch closely," Song Yan said, picking up a black chess piece. "This black piece is placed here."

He made his move.

Xiao He stared wide-eyed, her bright eyes fixed intently as the black piece was placed.

At this moment, on the chessboard, the black pieces are surrounded by a scattered group of white pieces, with white pieces eyeing them from different directions.

"The black piece has no way to survive, so it dies."

Xiao He stared at the chessboard and repeated, "Dead."

"But if Black plays this move here, then it will live."

Xiao He stared at the chessboard and repeated, "It's alive."

"Hey, what if I play my black piece here?"

Xiao He raised her head and said seriously, "Half-dead."

"No..." Song Yan rubbed Xiao He's head in exasperation, messing up her hair.

“Senior Song, if Black plays here and White doesn’t respond, it seems like White will be in danger of being surrounded by Black.”

Xiao Ju, who had been quietly listening to the lecture, spoke up.

Song Yan nodded approvingly, thinking to himself that Xiao Ju's brain was indeed sharp.

"Indeed, that was a brilliant move. If White doesn't respond, its position will be extremely dangerous. But if it does respond, it will be led by the nose, allowing Black to escape danger."

"In the end, the white pieces will still be captured by the black pieces."

"Ah..." Xiao He looked at Bai Qi with a worried expression.

In her eyes, white represents good people, and black naturally represents bad people.

With a wave of her hand, her demonic power manipulated the black chess pieces, connecting them into a small snake that slithered across the chessboard.

"Okay, okay." Xiao He pointed to the chessboard where only white pieces remained, looked up and said, "The black pieces escaped, white won."

Song Yan flicked her forehead: "That doesn't count."

Snake Baby's face fell, as if she was very dissatisfied.

This made Xiao Ju laugh as well.

During this period, another major event occurred in the State of Chu, which was news from the mortal world.

The only news in the mortal world that is worthy of being heard by cultivators is the change of dynasties and the succession of emperors.

A few days ago, the capital established an heir apparent, and King You of Chu appointed his eldest son, Shi Ying, as the crown prince.

However, since it was just mundane news, cultivators only treated it as gossip and didn't pay much attention to it.

Perhaps only a small number of small cultivation families that still have interests ties with the mortal dynasty will treat this matter as a major event.

On this day, Song Yan had just finished collecting the morning sun's energy.

This habit had already been formed within the sect, and it remained the same no matter where they went.

"This place is really suitable for retirement."

The cultivators of Longquan Prefecture live just like ordinary people.

But can you say that behind this comfort lies another form of spiritual practice?

"If one does not see the path to immortality, being a mortal seems like a good option."

He stretched, told Xiao Ju and Xiao He to watch the house, and then walked out of the valley alone.

There is a stretch of road from the location of the nameless valley to Lanxifang.

Walking along the babbling brook, Song Yan occasionally encountered cultivators fishing, but she quietly walked around them to avoid disturbing the fish and causing a quarrel. Spirit fields were scattered throughout the valley, where spirit plant masters tended to their herbs at a leisurely pace, chatting with their neighbors from time to time.

Lanxi Market is also built along the stream, with bamboo buildings and wooden pavilions scattered about.

The seven auxiliary ingredients for the Wuxiang Pill had already been collected. In fact, he had tried to refine one batch a few days ago, but unsurprisingly, it failed.

Song Yan was not discouraged, after all, it was already considered a second-tier pill.

He came to the market for two reasons: first, to replenish some alchemy materials, and second, to inquire about the main ingredient of the improved Foundation Establishment Pill, the Fallen Vine.

The cultivators of Lanxi Cave are skilled in business, and their shops exchange goods and information with each other, making them well-informed.

Liang Feng told him that Lanxifang would be holding an auction in a few days, and he heard that some precious medicinal herbs would be included.

He quickly came to ask.

If there were any Fallen Vine among them, that would be the best.

"I wonder if Brother Li Yi has reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet."

When the decisive battle took place, Li Yi was already at the ninth level of Qi Refining, close to the perfection of his cultivation. After winning the top position, he received a Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward.

It's something to be envied.

In fact, disciples with similarly outstanding talents like Song Yan and Xiang Zhaoling could most likely obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill after returning to the sect upon completing their Qi Refining stage and applying to the sect.

However, Song Yan was not a reincarnated immortal, and he had never experienced the Foundation Establishment stage before, so he had no experience.

He always felt that one Foundation Establishment Pill was not enough.

It's best to have a few on hand, just in case.

Moreover, he had lost his spiritual root and only had the seed of swordsmanship left. The information about foundation building in the Dongyuan Sect could only be used as a reference and could not be followed step by step.

Song Yan stepped into a medicine shop called Ru Dan Tang.

This is an old shop, but business is lukewarm. The shopkeeper is lying on a recliner behind a screen, humming a tune that Song Yan has never heard before.

There were two employees in the shop, one of whom was at the counter, haggling with several regular customers.

Another waiter saw Song Yan enter, noting his extraordinary bearing, and immediately stepped forward.

He cupped his hands and asked, "What does this fellow Daoist need? Our shop has a full range of pills, and we also deal in spiritual plants and materials."

Song Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the screen behind the counter, and said directly, "Please inform Manager Zhang that I have something to ask you."

The waiter was taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "So you know my manager, fellow Daoist. Please wait a moment."

After saying this, he quickly walked around to the back room and whispered.

A short while later, a rustling sound came from behind the screen, and a middle-aged man wearing an indigo robe with slightly graying temples walked out.

He was flipping through a yellowed ancient book in his hand, and when he looked up, his eyes were sharp and piercing. It was Zhang Dandong, the shopkeeper.

"Oh? So it's Fellow Daoist Song."

Zhang Dandong closed the ancient book and tapped the cover lightly with his fingertips.

Song Yan clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Manager Zhang, how have you been? This waiter just now looked quite unfamiliar."

"They were recruited in the last few days."

Song Yan initially came here to sell some of the pills he had previously refined, and also to inquire if there were any materials for the Wuxiang Pill and the improved version of the Foundation Establishment Pill.

I never expected that this pill shop was indeed not as it seemed; almost all the auxiliary ingredients for the Wuxiang Pill could be bought here.

He simply bought everything from this Dantang shop; he was quite a big customer.

Over time, I became acquainted with the shopkeeper.

Manager Zhang invited Song Yan to sit down and then called over a waiter to bring a cup of spiritual tea. The two then began to chat.

After some pleasantries, Song Yan got straight to the point: "I've heard that Manager Zhang is in charge of the Lanxi Cave Auction House?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dandong roughly knew why this distinguished guest had come.

He nodded and said, "That's right, I am one of the seven managers of the Lanxifang Joint Auction House."

"Fellow Daoist Song, do you have any treasures you wish to consign, or would you like to know about the treasures that will be auctioned at the next auction?"

Talking to smart people is so easy.

Song Yan got straight to the point: "I've heard that there will be a batch of precious medicinal herbs at the auction in a few days."

Seeing Manager Zhang nod, he continued to ask, "The main reason I came here is to inquire whether there is such a thing as 'Fallen Vine' among them?"

Zhang Dandong's eyebrows twitched slightly. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Fellow Daoist, you are very well-informed. Indeed, there is a batch of rare medicinal herbs transported from a secret realm in Northern Chu at the auction."

However, he changed the subject: "But the Fallen Vine... this is really rare. It has never appeared in the auction catalog of Lanxi Cave in recent years."

Seeing Song Yan's slightly serious expression, he added, "However, if you are not in a hurry, I can keep an eye out for you and send a message if there is any news."

After a moment's thought, Song Yan took out some spirit stones from his Qiankun bag and pushed them onto the table: "Then I'll have to trouble Manager Zhang."

"Oh my, Fellow Daoist Song is so generous. I, Zhang, will not stand on ceremony and will accept this gift with pleasure."

Zhang Dandong noticed the excellent quality of the spirit stone, and his smile deepened. He accepted the spirit stone and casually took out a bamboo scroll from under the counter and unfolded it.

“Here.” He pointed to a spot on the bamboo slip: “Fellow Daoist, you may wish to take a look at the list. These are the spiritual herbs that will be sold at the auction in a few days.”

"Although we don't have the Fallen Vine, we have another herb called 'Mysterious Spirit Grass,' which has similar medicinal properties to the Fallen Vine. Perhaps we can use it?"

Song Yan's gaze swept over the bamboo slips, which indeed contained many precious alchemy materials, but none of them were what he wanted, so he shook his head and declined.

He then purchased more ingredients for the Wuxiang Pill here before leaving the Pill Refining Hall.

We are preparing to return to the nameless valley.

Is this *Ipomoea quamoclit* really that hard to find? I can't find it anywhere.

Song Yan planned that if he hadn't found the medicinal herb by the time he reached the Qi Refining stage, he would return to his sect.

Finally, try your luck. If all else fails, there's nothing you can do but see if you can exchange sect contribution points for a regular Foundation Establishment Pill.

In the current cultivation world of Chu, the medicinal materials needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill are extremely difficult to find.

It has been estimated that even if all the Foundation Establishment Pills produced by the six major sects were combined over a decade, the total number would only be around a thousand.

Given its rarity, I wonder if I have enough contribution points.

He had heard that some disciples in the sect only did two things from the moment they entered the inner sect: one was to bury themselves in cultivation, and the other was to tirelessly complete sect tasks and earn contribution points.

All for the sake of obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill as soon as possible.

After all, elixirs are scarce and limited. If you're lucky enough to get one, you might have a chance to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. If you're unlucky, you'll just have to register and wait in line.

Not far from the Dan Hall, as Song Yan was walking slowly in thought, he heard a noisy commotion coming from the entrance of the market.

There was a slight unease among the crowd.

A raggedly dressed boy suddenly burst out from the crowd and headed straight for Song Yan.

He staggered a few steps before lunging forward, grabbing the man's sleeve, his voice urgent and hoarse: "Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist, don't go!"

"Ok?"

Song Yan frowned slightly and scanned the area briefly with his divine sense.

He was just a mortal?

How did this person manage to break in...?

(End of this chapter)