Chapter 22: Pine Patterns May Yield, but the Dao Heart Remains Unmoved

As twilight deepened, the slanting sunlight filtered through the window.

Jiang Youling returned to her room, carefully reviewing everything that had happened since she joined the sect.

She conducted herself with low profile and disliked ostentation, having never harbored any grudges against others.

Why was Senior Sister Ruan targeting her on her very first day in the Talisman Academy?

Was it because she had taken first place in this year's grand examination, inciting jealousy?

...No, that wasn't right. Everyone who had taken the examination with her were disciples who had only just entered the sect this year. How could these new disciples possibly move Senior Sister Ruan to act against her?

Was it the Sect Master, or perhaps another Superior, who was dissatisfied with her, prompting Senior Sister Ruan to act this way?

That wasn't right either.

If a Sect Master or a Superior wanted to deal with her, they could suppress her with a mere flick of a finger; there would be no need to use a proxy.

Furthermore, Jiang Youling felt that the Sect Masters and Superiors, mindful of their status, would never deign to use such petty means to deal with a new disciple who had not yet entered the Dao.

Therefore, the person acting against her in the shadows must possess a certain status—someone capable of commanding a leading disciple like Senior Sister Ruan—yet their cultivation and age would not be too high.

Why would such a person make things difficult for a mere handyman disciple?

After her thoughts turned several times, Jiang Youling's gaze finally fell upon the Pine-Patterned Sword hanging on the wall.

She stepped forward, drew the sword, and examined it closely.

An ordinary man is guiltless, but possessing a jade makes him a criminal.

If there was anything about her worth coveting, it was only this high-grade Mortal-rank Pine-Patterned Sword bestowed by the Sect Leader.

Jiang Youling performed a sword flourish, sheathed the blade, and hung the Pine-Patterned Sword back on the wall.

Some little brat with a bit of status wanted her sword. Should she give it or not?

Although this high-grade Pine-Patterned Sword was sharp, firstly, her cultivation was still shallow, and she had no use for such a fine weapon.

Secondly, she had never studied swordsmanship; forcing its use might only result in poor technique.

Moreover, when Grandma Cui was at home, she had repeatedly urged her to endure all things and avoid offending petty people.

She said that in her own youth, she had been too headstrong and had offended a leading senior brother, which resulted in her wasting many years in the General Affairs Hall without any progress.

No matter how she looked at it, giving the Pine-Patterned Sword away to settle the matter seemed like the most cost-effective option.

However—

Jiang Youling frowned. If she compromised this time, there would be a next time.

If she yielded the sword today, what would she have to yield tomorrow?

This sword was a reward from the Sect Master; it belonged to her by right.

To walk the path of immortality from a mortal body was already difficult; if she could not even protect a single sword, how could she speak of the Great Dao?

It would be better to just pack her things and head down the mountain early.

This sword could not be given away!

Jiang Youling exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling immensely lighthearted.

The person in the shadows instructing Senior Sister Ruan to trouble her could, at most, use the sect rules to expel her from the Talisman Academy.

If she left the Talisman Academy, there were still eleven other academies she could join.

They couldn't simply expel her from the mountain without any reason.

However, driving her out of the Talisman Academy would not be that easy!

Calming her mind, Jiang Youling took out a silk pouch from her sleeve and poured out a spirit stone and a smooth, brown medicinal pill.

This pill was the Heart-Clearing Pill.

Jiang Youling first examined the spirit stone for a moment. Seeing no visible "spiritual energy" within, she put it away and swallowed the Heart-Clearing Pill in one gulp.

Once the pill entered her stomach, it immediately transformed into wisps of cool air, traveling through her meridians.

Jiang Youling felt as if her entire being had been submerged in an icy lake; her chaotic thoughts instantly became clear.

She sat cross-legged. Without needing to consciously guide her breath, it naturally became long and steady.

It felt as though a veil had been drawn over her ears, isolating her from the clamor of the world.

With the medicinal power of the Heart-Clearing Pill, her perception of *qi* became increasingly acute. Within a few breaths, she captured several strands of *qi*.

However, when she tried to peer into its trajectory and patterns of movement, she still lacked the method.

After several attempts, Jiang Youling simply gave up.

She followed only the cultivation method described in the *Basic Qi Nourishment*, closing her eyes to look inward at the Shanzhong point, visualizing a heart-lamp flame as small as a bean. With her intent, she guided the flame to move slowly from the Shanzhong point toward the Yunmen point near the collarbone.

At first, the flame remained motionless, as if frozen within the Shanzhong point.

Jiang Youling remained patient, continuously driving it with her intent.

After about fifteen minutes, the flame suddenly trembled, as if pushed gently by an invisible hand, and began to move slowly along the meridian.

As the flame moved, she clearly felt a trickle of warm current rising from the Shanzhong point and spreading toward the Yunmen point.

Wherever the warm current passed, the meridian grew slightly hot, bringing a tingling sensation of numbness.

As the warm current reached the halfway point, the stinging sensation intensified. Fine beads of sweat broke out on Jiang Youling's forehead, but she endured in silence.

When the warm current reached the vicinity of the Yunmen point, it suddenly transformed into a sensation of thousands of ants crawling, nearly causing her mind to lose its focus.

Jiang Youling grit her teeth. If not for the help of the Heart-Clearing Pill, she might have lost her cultivation at this moment!

She struggled to guide the flame with her intent into the Yunmen point.

But just as the bean-sized flame illuminated the Yunmen point, something suddenly snapped with a "pop"—

The previously obstructed meridian was suddenly cleared, and the stinging numbness instantly transformed into a soothing warmth.

At this moment, the line from Shanzhong to Yunmen felt as if warm water were flowing slowly through it, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort and ease.

She could even clearly perceive *qi* flowing slowly along this small segment of the meridian.

She had succeeded!

Although she had only cleared a small segment of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian from Shanzhong to Yunmen, she could clearly feel the flow and changes of *qi* within it.

Jiang Youling's heart raced. Just as she intended to use this momentum to continue clearing the segment from Yunmen to the Tianfu point on her upper arm, that sensation of being submerged in an icy lake suddenly vanished.

In its place was a faint sense of fatigue.

The medicinal power of the Heart-Clearing Pill had been exhausted.

As the night grew deeper, Jiang Youling thought for a moment and decided not to continue her cultivation.

Visualization would consume a portion of one's intent; cultivation required steady progress and moderation. She had made great progress today; she would continue tomorrow.

The next morning, when Jiang Youling woke up, she clearly felt that her energy was much more abundant than the day before.

Was it because she had lit the heart-lamp and cleared the meridian from Shanzhong to Yunmen?

Immortal arts were indeed powerful; to achieve such results from just the first practice... once she reached a profound level, she would surely be able to perform all sorts of miraculous feats like Grandma Cui!

Jiang Youling composed herself and went to the courtyard to practice.

Halfway through her practice, she heard Shen Yingshu push open the door and say excitedly

"Youling, I have successfully visualized the heart-lamp! Hahaha!"

"Congratulations!"

Jiang Youling gave a gentle smile.

Shen Yingshu's face was full of excitement. "The Heart-Clearing Pill is just too effective! It's a pity the sect only issues one per month. If we had a few more, I could definitely push through in one go and clear the entire Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian overnight!"

Jiang Youling shook her head with a smile. "Clearing meridians isn't as simple as you think.

I took a Heart-Clearing Pill last night, and although I cleared the small segment from Shanzhong to Yunmen, it is precisely because the pill's effect is so good that if one relies on it too much, it will actually hinder daily cultivation."

(End of Chapter)