Chapter 9: Riding the Wind, Baoguang Temple

Outside Mu Xiaoyu's bedroom.

Li Yinsheng walked into the courtyard and shouted inside, "Junior Sister, it's 7:00 AM. Time to cultivate."

From the previously quiet bedroom, snores suddenly erupted, continuous and rhythmic.

"Junior Sister Mu?" Li Yinsheng repeated, slightly raising his voice.

The snoring continued, seemingly even louder than before.

"Ah... It seems Junior Sister cultivated too diligently last night and hasn't woken up yet. I won't wake her up today," Li Yinsheng muttered to himself, shaking his head.

The snoring in the room paused for a moment before returning to normal.

"It's just a pity that I can't take her to Baoguang Temple for shopping today." Li Yinsheng turned to leave. "Who knows if the next shopping trip will have to wait until a few months later..."

"Senior Brother!" A groggy voice came from inside the room. "Are you outside? I just woke up and thought I heard your voice."

"Oh? Junior Sister is awake?" Li Yinsheng stopped in his tracks.

"I'm awake, I just woke up!" Mu Xiaoyu hastily replied from inside.

"Then Junior Sister, hurry and bathe," Li Yinsheng said. "We still have to go to Baoguang Temple. If you're too slow, I'll just go by myself."

"I'll bathe right away! Wait for me, Senior Brother!" As Mu Xiaoyu spoke, a loud SPLASH echoed from the room.

...

A moment later.

Mu Xiaoyu opened the door, dressed in a Daoist Robe, her hair still slightly damp. "Senior Brother! Let's go!"

"Junior Sister, there's a change of plans," Li Yinsheng said without batting an eyelid. "We aren't going to Baoguang Temple today. We'll go tomorrow."

Mu Xiaoyu blinked, suddenly overcome by a very ominous premonition.

"No problem, we'll go whenever Senior Brother says!" Mu Xiaoyu said, quickly turning around to go back inside. "Then I'll go back to my room and tidy up a bit..."

"There's no need," Li Yinsheng said. "Since Junior Sister has already bathed and changed, let's dive straight into today's morning practice. After all, a good day starts in the morning."

With one foot already across the threshold, Mu Xiaoyu froze.

"Junior Sister must also cultivate diligently today. After all, we are going to Baoguang Temple tomorrow. If your cultivation today falls short, you'll have to stay in the temple tomorrow to make up for it."

"Yes..." Mu Xiaoyu's shoulders drooped as she turned and followed Li Yinsheng toward the training grounds.

...

Late at night.

Using the Artifact Manipulation Skill, Li Yinsheng floated a half-dead Mu Xiaoyu back.

"Senior Brother... why... why... did we do... two extra hours of training... again today..."

Mu Xiaoyu was placed on a reclining chair. Her eyes, looking at Li Yinsheng, were completely devoid of life, so hollow it was as if she had been burnt to a crisp.

"We're going to Baoguang Temple tomorrow, right? Since cultivation will be delayed tomorrow, it naturally had to be made up for today," Li Yinsheng explained righteously.

"Are... are we really going?" Mu Xiaoyu asked uneasily.

"Definitely. Tomorrow, I need to take you to buy a Magical Artifact that can aid your cultivation," Li Yinsheng said.

"Aid?" Mu Xiaoyu was somewhat confused.

"Yes." Li Yinsheng nodded. "With this Magical Artifact, you will temper your Physique and nurture your Primordial Energy much faster. Your progress through the first three layers of the Qingxuan Scripture will be quicker."

"Then... does that mean I can transition to seated meditation cultivation sooner?" Mu Xiaoyu's hollow pupils finally found some focus.

"Of course," Li Yinsheng nodded.

"What a good thing!" Mu Xiaoyu's eyes instantly lit up. "Senior Brother, is that Magical Artifact expensive? Will the money you gave me be enough to buy it?"

"It's not expensive," Li Yinsheng bent down and patted Mu Xiaoyu's head with a smile. "Besides, who said we're using your money? When a disciple's Cultivation is very shallow, all food, clothing, and daily expenses are provided by the Daoist Temple. Naturally, I will buy the Magical Artifact for you. Save your few talismanic coins for snacks."

Mu Xiaoyu raised her head with difficulty, looking at this handsome Senior Brother who had tortured her during the day until she begged for death. Her gaze was complex. She thought, "Even though this Senior Brother is incredibly strict, he really is a great person!"

...

The next morning.

When Li Yinsheng arrived again, Mu Xiaoyu was already waiting in the courtyard, her delicate face brimming with excitement.

"Senior Brother, are we going to Baoguang Temple?" Before Li Yinsheng even stepped into the courtyard, Mu Xiaoyu trotted over to him, asking with a face full of anticipation.

"Yes, we'll leave right now, but..." Li Yinsheng looked down at Mu Xiaoyu. "Before we go, I have a question for you, Junior Sister."

"I brought money! A full two hundred talismanic coins!" Mu Xiaoyu pulled out her purse, showing the talismanic charms mixed in with gold and silver leaves inside. "I kept the rest safely stored in my room."

"Heh... Two hundred talismanic coins? If you only buy food, that would fill several cabinets," Li Yinsheng shook his head and laughed.

"I didn't say I'd spend it all," Mu Xiaoyu said, a bit embarrassed. "Even if I really bought that much, I wouldn't be able to carry it."

Li Yinsheng patted her head, pondering. He thought, "It seems I really should buy a Qiankun Bag for Junior Sister while we're at it; otherwise, it will be far too inconvenient."

Although Qiankun Bags were not cheap, with even the lowest quality ones costing over a thousand talismanic coins, earning talismanic coins with his current Cultivation was far easier than before. There was no need to be stingy.

Anyway, since Junior Sister was stepping onto the path of cultivation, a Qiankun Bag was essential. It had to be bought sooner or later.

Moreover, he could use the Qiankun Bag as a reward to entice her into working hard on her cultivation for a few more days.

A Qiankun Bag could not only hold plenty of mortal food but also preserve it for a long time. It would surely be very tempting to her.

Once Mu Xiaoyu carefully tucked away the purse containing the talismanic coins, Li Yinsheng said, "Junior Sister, what I wanted to ask wasn't how many talismanic coins you brought."

"Then what did Senior Brother want to ask?" Mu Xiaoyu was puzzled.

"You must know, although Baoguang Temple is relatively close to the other Daoist Temples, that is only relative. In reality, it is still separated by over a dozen mountains and dozens of miles. Naturally, we cannot go using ordinary means. So..."

Li Yinsheng lowered his head and looked at Mu Xiaoyu with a smiling expression. "Junior Sister, are you afraid of heights?"

Mu Xiaoyu: ???

After Mu Xiaoyu shook her head in confused bewilderment, indicating she wasn't afraid of heights, Li Yinsheng stepped forward and grabbed the back of her collar.

"Eh?" Mu Xiaoyu let out an even more perplexed sound.

Li Yinsheng formed a hand seal with one hand and chanted an incantation that Mu Xiaoyu couldn't understand. Instantly, a fierce gale swirled up from beneath his feet, causing his clothes to flap wildly.

Wind-Gathering Skill!

This was the spell with the highest ceiling among all the Magic Li Yinsheng currently mastered, but it was also the one that demanded the most Cultivation.

When his Qingxuan Scripture was only at the Fifth Layer, the Wind-Gathering Skill in his hands could only stir up a moderate breeze. Aside from airing out a room, it was of no great use.

But now that he cast it again, the wind was more than ten times fiercer than before, looking as though it could lift him and Mu Xiaoyu straight into the sky at any moment.

However, this wind still fell just a bit short.

A few days ago, Daoist Zhang, who came to invite him to be a concubine, had to rely on a highly valuable Fuyao Talisman to ride the wind.

Although Li Yinsheng's Cultivation was now far superior to his, he lacked a specialized flying treasure like the Fuyao Talisman. The Wind-Gathering Skill was only adept at summoning and manipulating wind, not specialized for flight. Furthermore, he hadn't practiced this Magic for many years.

However, with a mere thought from Li Yinsheng, a sliver of Clear Spirit Qi cultivated from the Qingxuan Scripture surged out of his Dantian, bolstering the fierce gale.

In an instant, the gale intensified dramatically, lifting him and Mu Xiaoyu into the sky.

...

Hundreds of feet in the air.

Carried by the fierce gale, Li Yinsheng and Mu Xiaoyu streaked through the air. The mountain forests below retreated rapidly, flowing backward like a boundless green river.

"WAAAAAH—"

Mu Xiaoyu's screams echoed through the blue sky.

"Stop screaming, Junior Sister." Li Yinsheng gripped the back of Mu Xiaoyu's neck. Although the gale was carrying both of them, he still held tightly to her collar. "Didn't you say you weren't afraid of heights?"

"Boohoo... I'm not afraid of high buildings, not high altitudes! Ahhh, Senior Brother!"

Mu Xiaoyu clung desperately to Li Yinsheng's wide sleeves. Her eyes were shut tight, and all she could hear was the howling wind.

"If Junior Sister is truly afraid of heights, I actually have a solution," Li Yinsheng chuckled.

"Tell me quickly, Senior Brother, ahhh—" Mu Xiaoyu gripped his sleeve even tighter.

"I also know the Armor-Horse Skill. Once cast, we can scale mountains and cross ridges as if walking on flat ground, moving through the forest faster than a steed galloping on an official road," Li Yinsheng smiled. "It's just that Junior Sister will have to go through the trouble of running the remaining dozens of miles on foot."

Before his Cultivation improved, he traveled like this every time—first enhancing himself with the Armor-Horse Skill, then borrowing the power of the wind with the Wind-Gathering Skill. It wasn't slow, but it couldn't compare to flying through the air like this.

He didn't mind dropping to the ground and running, as that was how he had spent the first dozen or so years of his life anyway.

But after spending these past few days together, based on his understanding of this Junior Sister in his grasp...

Mu Xiaoyu was still trembling, but she spoke without hesitation.

"There's no need, Senior Brother. Flying in the sky is perfectly fine. How can I waste your time just because I'm afraid of heights? Let's just keep flying, Senior Brother!"

Li Yinsheng: ...

...

Morning, Golden Jade Peak, in front of Baoguang Temple.

The wind descended from the sky. Gripping the back of Mu Xiaoyu's collar, Li Yinsheng landed steadily as the gale weakened.

Mu Xiaoyu stumbled slightly.

With weak legs, she then opened her eyes, looked at the sight before her, and unconsciously gaped in awe. "Wow..."

For a moment, she even suspected her Senior Brother had taken them to the wrong place.

How was the place in front of her a Daoist Temple? It was clearly a bustling temple fair market!

Bluestone slabs paved everywhere the eye could see. Dozens of shops were neatly arranged, framing several spacious stone-paved streets. Many stalls were erected along the roadside, and some were simply a cloth spread on the ground with the stall owner sitting cross-legged right there.

If not for looking outward and seeing several verdant mountain peaks surrounding them, Mu Xiaoyu would have genuinely believed her Senior Brother had brought her to a mortal provincial capital.

Although her Senior Brother had mentioned earlier that Baoguang Temple was a place to buy things... there was clearly only a market here. Where was the "Temple"?

"Senior Brother, this is Baoguang Temple?" Mu Xiaoyu still couldn't quite believe it.

"Yes." Li Yinsheng patted her shoulder and smiled. "Baoguang Temple is in the very back, blocked by these shops. But people who come here don't come for Baoguang Temple itself; they come for these shops and stalls."

"It looks completely different from our Xuanzhen Temple," Mu Xiaoyu said innocently.

"Ahem." Li Yinsheng cleared his throat lightly. "Different Daoist Temples have very different styles. It's normal for them to look different."

"Mm," Mu Xiaoyu nodded, completely missing any deeper implication. Having recovered, her mind was now entirely occupied with food. "Senior Brother, let's go in quickly! I want to buy lots of delicious food!"

"Wait a moment."

Li Yinsheng stopped her. Under Mu Xiaoyu's confused gaze, he took out a black Conical Hat from his Qiankun Bag and placed it on his head. A circle of black veils hung from the brim, completely concealing his face.

Mu Xiaoyu was stunned for a few seconds before she spoke up rather nervously, "Senior Brother, are we going in to steal things?"

Li Yinsheng backhanded a rap on the top of Mu Xiaoyu's head, producing a hollow THUNK. "Of course not!"

"Ugh..." Mu Xiaoyu clutched her head. "If we aren't stealing things, is it because there are your enemies inside, Senior Brother?"

"No to that, too," Li Yinsheng shook his head.

"Then why?" Mu Xiaoyu couldn't wrap her head around it.

"It's to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Li Yinsheng didn't elaborate, merely shaking his head as he said, "Honestly, showing my face wouldn't cause any major issues, but hiding it will make things more convenient. So, it's better to save ourselves the extra trouble."

"Ah..." Mu Xiaoyu didn't understand.

But Li Yinsheng had already stepped forward and headed toward the Baoguang Temple market. Mu Xiaoyu tossed her confusion to the back of her mind and closely followed Li Yinsheng inside.