The Beauty Cultivation Technique

Chapter 36: Knowledge in Action

Hehe.

Ji Yaoge let out a dry laugh.

A similar situation had occurred 198 years ago. She thought she had gained enough control over her emotions, but she had clearly overestimated herself. Her memory was intact, and the situation was even more terrifying than it had been 198 years ago. Everything that had just happened replayed in her mind as her consciousness cleared, finally freezing on the image of the young boy buried in her chest.

The idea of digging a hole and burying herself in it was obviously unrealistic. She forced herself to think—should she shamelessly act as if nothing had happened and leave, or should she grab Bai Yan and flee for her life? After all, she had just flirted with a cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage, and it didn’t seem like he had taken the flirtation as a sudden stroke of luck. This was equivalent to challenging his dignity and image in front of everyone, and his mood was unpredictable. She couldn’t be sure if he would get angry.

This survival instinct overcame her embarrassment—after all, she lacked the 幽精 (Youjing, a type of spiritual essence), so her discomfort with intimate contact was based only on moral understanding, without deeper feelings. Even if there was a slight surge of emotion, it belonged to the Snake Demon Hook Chen, and it dissipated once her mind cleared. She was still the emotionless Ji Yaoge.

The young boy had already slipped out of her weak grip, distancing himself from that sea of femininity. His expression was calm, his eyes revealing no waves, and his lips curled up, but his eyebrows were relaxed, and the corners of his eyes were smooth—a perfect example of a smile that didn’t reach the eyes.

"I..." She wanted to apologize, but after a moment of consideration, the words that came out were, "I think I need to go into seclusion for a while."

Yuan Huan stared at her, speaking slowly, "Then you’d better hurry. If you wait too long, I’m afraid you’ll relapse." With that, he turned and walked away, showing no intention of delving deeper.

Ji Yaoge held her head, which felt like it was being pricked by needles, and watched him walk far away before finally letting out a sigh of relief. She turned to meet Bai Yan’s inquisitive gaze.

"Senior Sister, who is he?" Bai Yan asked.

"Old Yuan, the owner of this place. You can also call him Yuan Huan," Ji Yaoge replied, rubbing her temples.

Bai Yan’s jaw dropped. "So, you just flirted with a cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage?"

"So what?" Ji Yaoge had issues with the word "flirt," but there was no denying the truth.

Bai Yan’s expression shifted from "Senior Sister, you’re amazing" to "Senior Sister, you’re so calm" to "Senior Sister, you’re biased," his gaze gradually turning resentful. "Senior Sister, this isn’t fair."

Ji Yaoge, already heading back to the cave, was puzzled. "Fair?"

"I’ve never been buried in a chest," Bai Yan’s face clearly expressed his desire—’I want to be buried in a chest too.’

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"Get lost!" Ji Yaoge’s face heated up, and she kicked him, quickening her pace.

Bai Yan called after her, "Senior Sister, next time you have a qi deviation, remember to call me to serve you." Although he didn’t understand the specifics, based on her conversation with Yuan Huan, he guessed she might have had a qi deviation.

Such a good qi deviation—he hoped it would happen again.

His answer was a piece of beast bone that Ji Yaoge picked up and threw at him. Ren Zhongping stomped his feet, clapping and cheering, "Fairy Sister, you’re amazing! I want a qi deviation too!"

"..." Ji Yaoge didn’t want to talk anymore.

——

The wooden girl didn’t follow Ji Yaoge but chose to stay by Yuan Huan’s side.

After all, they were the same person. Watching her main body make a fool of herself, as a part of the soul, she also felt embarrassed. However, both the flirt and the one being flirted with seemed indifferent, so explaining further would only make it worse. After carefully observing Yuan Huan’s expression for a while, the wooden girl finally made up her mind, "Brother Yuan, have you ever had a woman?"

Yuan Huan had been waiting for the wooden girl to speak, but he hadn’t expected her to ask this question.

"Hmm?" He made a questioning sound as he entered the stone cave. "I’ve lived for three thousand years. What do you think?"

It was a rhetorical question. The wooden girl scratched her head, finding it hard to answer—saying no might hurt his pride; saying yes, well, the facts spoke for themselves—she hadn’t seen any.

"In the past two hundred years, probably not," the wooden girl answered carefully. "Although many women admire Brother Yuan, and there are many beautiful ones, like Fairy Yunlian, who pursued Brother Yuan for many years, Brother Yuan has remained pure and steadfast, decisively rejecting them." After following him for 198 years, the wooden girl hadn’t wasted her time. "Fairy Yunlian is so beautiful, a national beauty, but Brother Yuan didn’t even waver..."

There was a hint of regret in her tone.

"What are you trying to say?" Yuan Huan grew impatient with her rambling.

"Brother Yuan must be waiting for a woman who can make you fall in love at first sight," the wooden girl’s romantic side kicked in, her eyes filled with peach blossoms. "Just now... when you were hugged, how did it feel?"

Yuan Huan didn’t hesitate, "It hurt my face."

"..." The wooden girl was at a loss for words. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Is that all?"

"What else do you want?" Yuan Huan’s patience was wearing thin.

"That’s good, I’m relieved," the wooden girl sighed with relief, clutching her chest. "I was just afraid you’d fall in love with her. You know, she’s missing me, so she won’t feel emotions. And as for me, even though Brother Yuan is so good, I already have someone I like. Sigh. You were born before me, and I was born when you were already old..." Her words were heavy with emotion, but her phrasing was imprecise, typical of a young person trying to sound poetic.

Yuan Huan was shocked—such a large 幽精 (Youjing, a type of spiritual essence) was a rare sight.

He grabbed the wooden girl, his face cold, "Do you think she’s the kind of woman who would make me fall in love at first sight?" Was he blind? With a wave of his hand, he didn’t wait for her to answer and threw the wooden girl out of the cave.

The cave door closed tightly, finally bringing peace to his ears. He raised his hand and tossed out a talisman. The talisman emitted a faint white light, and a shadowy figure appeared within it. Yuan Huan clasped his hands in greeting before speaking, "Brother Tang, I hope you’ve been well."

The shadowy figure smiled, a bit of warmth breaking through his otherwise icy expression, like a flower blooming in the dead of winter. He was an extremely handsome man.

"Brother Yuan, what brings you to me?" His voice was as pleasant as his appearance.

"I need you to investigate something. The three sects’ trial at Wanzhen Mountain—does it have anything to do with the Linghai incident?" Yuan Huan got straight to the point.

Tang Huai didn’t respond, but Yuan Huan understood, "Don’t worry, the usual rules between us apply—mutual benefit. If there’s news about Linghai, Brother Tang will certainly be rewarded."

"I’ll get back to you in three days," Tang Huai nodded, and his shadowy figure quickly disappeared.

——

Luofeng Mountain in Tiyu State was where the main peak of Tiyu Mountain, Shen Ting’s cave, Guiyunxu, was located. It was also the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the entire Tiyu State. Although Guiyunxu was large and luxuriously built, it wasn’t a sect—it was just Shen Ting’s cultivation cave, where he kept many female cultivators and servants to serve them. Essentially, Shen Ting was just a relatively powerful rogue cultivator. Although he managed this mountain range, he had no intention of founding a sect, preferring to live a carefree life.

Thanks to the tributes from the seven major sects, his life had been quite comfortable until 198 years ago, when the battle between Yuan Huan and Xiao Wuheng destroyed most of Tiyu State, plunging him into hardship. However, after so much time had passed, everything had been rebuilt, and his carefree days had returned.

"This Tiyu State isn’t too big or too small. The seven sects and sixteen factions all give me some face. If you encounter any difficulties, just send someone to inform me, and I’ll do my best to help," Shen Ting said, waving the feather fan in his hand, his face full of smiles as he personally escorted the guests who had arrived that morning to the mountain gate. He was surrounded by several beautiful concubines and a dozen servants, putting on the grandest display to welcome the two young cultivators, a man and a woman, who had come with a light entourage.

The two guests, however, were much more reserved, their manners impeccable, leaving no room for criticism. Despite Shen Ting’s ostentatious display, they exuded a subtle sense of nobility and pride. Although their cultivation levels were slightly lower than Shen Ting’s, they didn’t show the respect usually expected when facing a higher-level cultivator. Shen Ting, for his part, didn’t exert any pressure on them, instead, he seemed somewhat eager to please.

It was clear that these two had a background that forced Shen Ting to treat them with caution.

"Thank you, Mountain Lord Shen," the female cultivator spoke first, her gentle voice instantly making a good impression. She was fair-skinned and beautiful, with delicate features. Dressed in a sky-blue robe and holding a jade-green bone flute, she had an air of otherworldliness. However, compared to the male cultivator beside her, her otherworldliness seemed rather plain.

The male cultivator was handsome, with a strong, masculine beauty. His sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes radiated confidence, like a painting in bold strokes. He carried an innate nobility and pride, even in his well-mannered behavior. His smile, which should have been as warm as a spring breeze, had a hint of aloofness, though only a little. His sect’s teachings of humility and courtesy were deeply ingrained, giving him excellent manners, but his pride was etched into his very bones.

"Thank you, Mountain Lord Shen," he and the female cultivator spoke in unison, their tone warm and polite.

"You’re too kind. It’s an honor for Tiyu State to host the three sects’ trial. I’ve met your masters a few times, so we’re old friends. It’s only right for me to look after the younger generation of the three sects," Shen Ting said, waving his feather fan.

Gu Xingzhi smiled. Although Shen Ting claimed to have met their masters, it was likely only from a distance at a grand event in Wanzhen Mountain, and they hadn’t even exchanged a word. But Gu Xingzhi didn’t expose him, instead politely saying, "I’ll remember Mountain Lord Shen’s kindness. When I return, I’ll report it to my master. If there’s an opportunity, we’ll invite you to Wanzhen Mountain for a gathering."

"Oh, you’re too kind," Shen Ting said, his smile revealing his teeth.

"It’s getting late, we should take our leave. Mountain Lord, please stay," Gu Xingzhi said as he reached the bottom of the stone steps, clasping his hands in farewell.

Shen Ting waved his feather fan, "Take care, young friends." But after watching them leave, his expression changed slightly.

Gu Xingzhi and Zhao Jing flew back on their swords, and as they rode the clouds, Zhao Jing couldn’t help but speak up, "Senior Brother Gu, that Shen Ting is an old fox. He didn’t let anything slip, not even a hint."

Gu Xingzhi stared straight ahead at the endless sea of clouds, his tone calm, "That’s normal. The cleaner he tries to appear, the more suspicious he is."

The three sects’ trial was held in Tiyu State, and Shen Ting was the mountain lord here. Even though Wanzhen Mountain was powerful, a strong dragon wouldn’t suppress a local snake. Gu Xingzhi had to inform Shen Ting in advance. His visit wasn’t just to pay respects but also to gather information about the battle between Xiao Yuan and Yuan Huan. However, Shen Ting, despite his rough appearance, was tight-lipped, playing verbal games with them for half a day without revealing anything.

"If we could find Uncle Yuan’s whereabouts soon, Senior Sister Bai would suffer less," Zhao Jing said, her brows furrowing with regret.

At the mention of Bai Yun, Gu Xingzhi’s gaze briefly shifted to Zhao Jing but quickly returned to the front. "Thank you for your concern on behalf of my junior sister."

Though his gaze was brief, it made Zhao Jing’s ethereal demeanor blush with a touch of human emotion and a hint of sadness—only when Bai Yun was mentioned did he pay her any attention.

His gentleness was like the moon in a deep, cold pond, unreachable by others, reserved only for Bai Yun.

After exchanging a few words, they fell silent. Gu Xingzhi, preoccupied with his thoughts, was particularly quiet. Finding Yuan Huan wasn’t just for Bai Yun; it also involved a secret order from the sect, but no one else knew, and he didn’t say more. Zhao Jing wasn’t from their sect; she was the senior sister of Lingxiu Sect, so he couldn’t reveal too much.

After flying for a while, they arrived at Chuilian Mountain, where the disciples of the three sects were staying. They descended from the clouds, and the disciples who had been sent out for trials during the day had all returned, now gathered in a chaotic and excited crowd.

"What’s going on?"

Gu Xingzhi’s voice rang out, and the chaotic crowd immediately parted and quieted down. Among these disciples, all in the Foundation Building stage, Gu Xingzhi, with his mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, was undoubtedly the leader. In other small sects, someone of his level could already establish their own sect, but in Wanzhen Mountain, he was still the outstanding young senior brother, beloved by his elders and respected by his peers, with high prestige.

"Senior Brother Gu, you came just in time. Come and see, the four disciples from Bixinzong have been seriously injured, and Junior Sister Zhou is the worst off," someone immediately reported.

Gu Xingzhi frowned. Zhou Ling was the daughter of Bixinzong’s sect master, Zhou Mian. If she was injured during the trial, he would be held responsible. Zhou Mian was known for being narrow-minded and protective, and if word got back to the three sects, there would likely be trouble. With this in mind, he quickly walked into the crowd and saw the four Bixinzong disciples lying on the ground, with Zhou Ling in the worst condition, her face pale and her breathing erratic.

"The... Solar Mirror..." Zhou Ling’s eyes reddened when she saw Gu Xingzhi, looking at him pitifully.

Catching Gu Xingzhi’s puzzled look, Lin Canzhi explained, "The Solar Mirror was destroyed."

Gu Xingzhi was shocked—the Solar Mirror was a powerful treasure of Bixinzong, and destroying it wasn’t something an ordinary cultivator could do.

"Who did you encounter?" he asked.

"At Shigong Ridge, that enchantress was practicing her dark arts. My senior brothers and I went to investigate but were discovered. She used her enchantments to try to capture us for her cultivation. We had no choice but to fight back, but her subordinates were powerful. We barely escaped with our lives. Senior Brother Gu, you must help us get justice. That enchantress is truly hateful!" Zhou Ling said, her eyes red with hatred.

"You went to Shigong Ridge on your own?" Gu Xingzhi’s expression darkened, wanting to scold them, but seeing their miserable state, he swallowed his reprimand and instead asked, "Who is this enchantress?"

"A disciple of the Chixiu Palace seductress sect... Ji Yaoge."