Just as Mo Fan was stunned by Fang Ru’s sudden ascension, two more figures soon flew over.
Mo Fan turned his head and saw Bai Yaoyao in white robes, accompanied by a little fellow in a red bellyband. It was none other than the Yingying Monster.
Over the past year, the little one had spent most of his time hovering around Bai Yaoyao. The reason was simple: Bai Yaoyao spoiled him utterly, feeding him spirit stones as if they were sweets.
“Teacher Fang, congratulations on breaking through to the Core Formation stage!”
Bai Yaoyao first nodded to Mo Fan, then offered her felicitations to Fang Ru.
“Sister Bai, are you saying I have truly broken through to the Core Formation stage? But why do I feel almost nothing? Moreover, I seem never to have cultivated before. How can I cultivate at all?”
Fang Ru looked at Bai Yaoyao, somewhat bewildered.
“Fang Ru, you do indeed now possess Core Formation stage cultivation. As for why this has happened, I am not entirely sure myself. Perhaps it is related to the purple qi from earlier.”
Mo Fan spoke up, confirming Fang Ru’s cultivation realm.
“Actually, this is not difficult to understand. The paths of cultivation in the world are not limited solely to the dao of qi refinement!”
At that moment, the Yingying Monster in the red bellyband suddenly spoke. He circled Fang Ru once, then addressed Mo Fan. “Daddy, Teacher Fang’s method of cultivation differs from what you usually see, which is why you are all puzzled.”
“A different method of cultivation?”
Mo Fan frowned slightly. Then, as if something dawned on him, his face filled with surprise. “You mean the Confucian dao?”
“Precisely. Teacher Fang cultivates the Confucian dao, but not through righteous qi. She uses literary qi!”
The Yingying Monster nodded, then continued. “I read some interesting information in my bloodline inheritance memories, including records about literary qi.
The so-called literary qi is a unique power of cultivation belonging to scholars. It stands on the same level as spiritual qi, demonic qi, and righteous qi.
Unlike righteous qi, however, literary qi does not require diligent cultivation. All scholars naturally possess literary qi, but it is extremely difficult for them to perceive it. Thus, although countless scholars exist in the mortal world, very few truly enter the dao through literary qi.
Even scholars themselves cannot sense the literary qi gathering upon them, so other cultivators naturally find it hard to detect. But if a scholar suddenly achieves enlightenment and becomes aware of literary qi’s existence, then she can truly be considered a cultivator.
Only, she would be a cultivator who entered the dao through literary qi.
Moreover, literary qi has one special characteristic: it can command other powers of cultivation.
Strictly speaking, as long as the literary qi is sufficiently vast, it will naturally attract many other cultivation powers to surround the body. This is the true reason why such abundant spiritual qi appeared around Teacher Fang.
In fact, whether one enters the dao through literary qi or righteous qi, both count as cultivating the Confucian dao.
However, those who enter through literary qi are far more powerful. Compared to righteous qi, comprehending literary qi is countless times harder. Yet once comprehended, condensing literary qi becomes much easier!”
So that is how it is.
Mo Fan gradually understood. He then asked, “Does that mean Fang Ru, in just these two short years, broke through to the Core Formation stage via literary qi?”
“Not exactly. Although cultivation speed is swift for those who enter the dao through literary qi, it is not to the extent of ascending in a single step. Therefore, what enabled Teacher Fang to reach Core Formation in one leap was not the literary qi itself.”
“Not literary qi?”
Mo Fan immediately grew confused again.
“It was merit that shaped her!”
At this point, Bai Yaoyao took over the explanation. She looked at Fang Ru, who was listening attentively, and smiled. “The phenomena just now were actually a manifestation of merit from heavenly rules, also known as heavenly merit.
In the end, the heavenly merit transformed into fortune-creating purple qi, descending upon our Black Wind Mountain. This is the heavenly rules’ acknowledgement and reward towards us!”
“Heavenly merit? Fortune-creating purple qi?”
Mo Fan felt somewhat lost in the clouds. Heavenly merit was not hard to grasp, but what was this fortune-creating purple qi?
“Recently, I absorbed some inheritance from the Frost Dragon Pearl and gained certain memories from it, including mentions of heavenly merit and fortune-creating purple qi.”
Bai Yaoyao smiled faintly and continued. “As I said earlier, heavenly merit is nurtured by heavenly rules. Only beings who have made great contributions or rendered great service to their world can trigger the descent of merit. This counts as the heavenly rules’ recognition of them.
The most well-known example is the birth of a sage. Whenever a supreme sage emerges in the world, heavenly rules almost always manifest phenomena, drawing merit down to the world. Thus, such phenomena can also be called sage phenomena.
Fortune-creating purple qi is in fact one form in which merit manifests. Merit has many other forms besides this, but the most coveted is Dao Source, something even immortals envy!”
At this point, Bai Yaoyao glanced at Mo Fan beside her and went on. “The effect of fortune-creating purple qi emphasises two words: ‘fortune creation’!
Different people experience different effects after absorbing it.
Those on the verge of death from grave illness become lively and vigorous in an instant. Those with severed limbs regrow them completely. Those stuck in mediocrity all their lives suddenly gain enlightenment and advance by leaps and bounds. Those long unable to break through in cultivation receive divine assistance and break through repeatedly. Naturally, there are also cases like Teacher Fang, ascending to the heavens in a single step!”
“So that is how it works!”
Mo Fan and Fang Ru both came to a sudden realisation. Seeing this, the Yingying Monster immediately said to Fang Ru, “Actually, since you entered the dao through literary qi, what has condensed in your body should not be a golden core, but a literary gallbladder. Am I correct?”
A literary gallbladder?
What is that?
Mo Fan’s face showed surprise upon hearing this. Then he saw Fang Ru close her eyes briefly. Soon she opened them again and nodded in amazement. “I did indeed discover a misty area within my body, with a golden stone the size of an apple suspended there!”
“The misty area is your sea of consciousness, and the golden stone is the literary gallbladder… Wait, you said it is golden?”
The Yingying Monster first nodded, but soon stared at Fang Ru in shock.
Fang Ru, not understanding, simply nodded again.
Seeing this, Mo Fan asked, “Is there something wrong with a golden literary gallbladder?”
“Daddy, according to some information in my inheritance memories, literary gallbladders condensed from literary qi come in three colours!” The Yingying Monster looked at Mo Fan and said slowly. “They are grey, red, and gold.”
“What differences are there among the three colours?” Mo Fan asked further.
“Though all are literary gallbladders, their cultivation aptitude differs. Grey is the most ordinary. Above grey is red, and then gold!” the Yingying Monster explained.
“This is not hard to understand. In the primordial era, human cultivators’ foundation establishment and golden cores were also divided into several tiers.”
Bai Yaoyao smiled from the side and looked at Fang Ru. “This time, with merit descending from heaven, Teacher Fang’s literary gallbladder directly turned gold under the effect of the fortune-creating purple qi. That is understandable.”
“However, the commotion this time has been rather large. I fear it will attract many powerful demon cultivators here. We had best quickly settle matters on Black Wind Mountain first!”
Mo Fan nodded and immediately said gravely, “In that case, let us take action at once!
Pass the order to the various commanders to register all the newly advanced lesser demons on the mountain. Those who do not wish to remain on our Black Wind Mountain may leave as they please!”
