Chapter Two: The Golden Mirror

“Greetings, Master.”
“Greetings, Master.”
Mo Ling’er stood beside Mo Liang, as the others each stepped forward to pay their respects in turn.
“Your cultivation progress is commendable. Keep it up.”
“Very good—once you sense the fetal breath, I will personally write a recommendation to the Immortal Sect for you.”
Mo Liang’s face bore a kindly smile; from time to time, he offered a few words of guidance, praised those advancing quickly in their training, and painted grand visions for the future.
Those praised were both flattered and elated, hearts brimming with excitement.
Lu Qian, however, could only sneer inwardly.
There was no Immortal Sect at all; all those promises were nothing but the old man’s empty dreams.
What awaited these people was nothing but a fate as dry bones.
Of course, Lu Qian had no intention of warning them.
These people were like a herd of tamed slaves—even if they saw the truth with their own eyes, they would find some excuse to deceive themselves.
Soon, it was Lu Qian’s turn.
“Greetings, Master,” Lu Qian said, bowing deeply.
“How has your cultivation progressed lately? Have you broken through to the fetal breath stage?” Mo Liang stroked his beard, eyes narrowing slightly.
Within the nameless cultivation method, perceiving the sensation of breath was called the fetal breath.
“Master, not yet,” Lu Qian replied.
At that moment, Mo Liang stood up and reached a hand toward Lu Qian’s shoulder.
It’s over!
Why is he checking now?
Lu Qian’s heart pounded, his pupils contracted, and he struggled to control his expression, not daring to reveal any sign.
When Mo Liang guided others, he would always place his hand on their shoulder, infusing true energy to circulate through their meridians.
Every detail of a cultivator’s condition would be laid bare—there was no hiding anything from him.
“What if he discovers I’ve already sensed the breath?” Lu Qian’s mind raced with frantic thoughts.
Even setting aside the risk of being discovered, just trying to deceive him would be more than he could handle.
Should he simply play dumb and pretend to have broken through at the last moment?
That was pointless—at best, it would only delay the inevitable.
Mo Liang’s large hand clapped down, but no surge of heat followed as expected. Soon after, he got up and walked away, looking weary, likely to rest.
Lu Qian breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed he’d worried too much.
Once the group departed, Lu Qian took his hatchet and headed up the mountain to chop wood.
The mountain was called Green Mountain.
Because it lay by the lake and was shrouded all year round in a deadly green miasma, it was given this name.
Mo Liang had spent significant effort clearing the summit of the poison before it was fit for habitation.
Even so, from mid-mountain downward, the forests were still wreathed in toxic mist, like green-skinned demons from hell patrolling the woods.
There was only one path leading down the mountain.
A reckless descent would likely end in death from the poisonous vapors.

As Lu Qian chopped wood, he pondered his next move.
Unconsciously, he wandered into the grove where he’d previously found the relics.
The ground was damp, thick layers of rotting leaves piled deep, mixed with animal remains and droppings, giving off a stench almost unbearable.
His feet crunched down, sounding a muffled ‘creak’—the leaf litter was easily three feet thick, and without quick steps, one might well sink in.
Beneath the roots of a tree ahead, several articles of clothing were piled.
This was the very spot where Lu Qian had discovered the predecessor’s belongings.
“Hm?”
Lu Qian’s eyes narrowed as he noticed a patch on one of the blue garments; the patch was slightly raised, as if something was hidden inside.
Unpicking the thread, he found a thumb-sized object wrapped in oil paper, with a few lines of fine script written on it:
“Astragalus and Angelica Qi- and Blood-Replenishing Powder: Nourishes tangible blood, generates intangible qi. Best taken at rest; consume orally, tongue against the palate, tap the teeth thirty-six times before swallowing.”
Surprisingly, it was a medicinal powder to replenish blood and qi.
The fetal breath stage involved refining essence into qi, transforming the body’s blood and energy to form the sensation of breath; the next step was circulating the body’s energy in a full circle, strengthening inner power.
This powder was clearly meant to supplement blood and energy, promoting the circulation of inner qi.
Lu Qian had only just begun to sense the breath, not yet formed the full internal circuit.
Even so, his physical strength had already increased considerably.
If he were to take this powder and circulate his qi fully,
Wouldn’t that raise his chances of escape?

Night had fallen, deep and silent.
Lu Qian sat cross-legged, eyes half-closed in meditation.
He unfolded the oil paper and swallowed the black powder.
An unbearable bitterness exploded in his mouth.
Suppressing the urge to retch, he tapped his teeth thirty-six times before swallowing.
Boom!
A wave of heat surged down his throat, spreading through his limbs and bones, sweat pouring from his skin.
Lu Qian guided his inner qi from the lower elixir field, through the perineum, up the Governing Vessel, passing the tailbone, spine, and jade pillow, arriving at the crown, then to the tip of the tongue, descending back down the Conception Vessel to the lower field.
One full circuit of the meridians was complete.
The heat in his lower elixir field was now several times stronger than before.
Lu Qian opened his eyes—a flash of sharp light gleamed and vanished.
The world before him seemed transformed;
He could easily spot ants in the soil outside the window, birds flitting through the sky.
His strength, too, had grown by several degrees.
The nameless cultivation method only covered the fetal breath stage.
He didn’t know if Mo Liang had more advanced techniques; in any case, the man would never teach him.
Lu Qian once more sat and began to circulate his energy.
Boom!

Suddenly, a tremendous roar sounded in his mind.
White light filled his vision; the glare forced him to shut his eyes.

“What’s this…”
Within his mind appeared a golden, round disk, like a mirror of purest gold.
The Golden Mirror was cast entirely from gold, its surface inscribed with profound runes, shining with a divine radiance.
Upon it, two rows of small characters could be seen:
Nameless Cultivation Method (Entry: 3/10)
Yin Soul Paper-Folding Art (Entry: 0/10)
After each line was a black circular ring, marked with several dark increments.
Beside the nameless method, three increments were lit, a third of the black ring now gilded.
“What is this…” Lu Qian was astonished; based on his years of experience, this black ring seemed to be some sort of progress bar, the marks indicating advancement.
What fueled this progress bar?
Would filling it signify a breakthrough to the next level?
“The Yin Soul Paper-Folding Art… That seems to be something passed down from Grandfather.”
What surprised him even more was this Yin Soul Paper-Folding Art.
He remembered it now.
In his previous life, Lu Qian had been sorting through his grandfather’s belongings at home.
By chance, he’d found a golden mirror and a slip of paper detailing the Yin Soul Paper-Folding Art.
Suddenly, the mirror shone with a golden light, and when he regained consciousness, he was already in another world.
“Could the stories my father told really be true?” Lu Qian murmured.
His grandfather had lived to a hundred, fathered a child at sixty,
And ran a shop that crafted paper effigies for funerals.
Rumor had it that in his youth he was a figure of note, and the paper figures he folded could even come to life, transforming beans into soldiers, wielding powers of gods and ghosts.
It was said that during the war, he’d used paper figures to wipe out a whole bandit stronghold.
Of course, Lu Qian had always regarded these as fanciful stories.
But thinking back, perhaps Grandfather truly had some extraordinary skill.
There were often luxury cars parked outside their shop when he was a child;
Those visitors never bought paper figures, but came specifically to see Grandfather, though he always drove them away.
“If there are increments, there must be a way to advance them. Heaven helps me—there’s hope yet!” A glimmer of fervor shone in Lu Qian’s eyes, his palms sweating slightly.
If this family’s paper-folding technique was truly so powerful, then before the assessment ten days from now, he would have no need to fear for his life.
The urgent matter was to figure out how to fill the black ring’s increments.
The nameless method had three increments lit.
Thinking back, all he’d done was circulate his energy and take some medicine.
Could it be related to practicing or medicine?
At this thought, Lu Qian quickly sat cross-legged and began to circulate his inner qi.
Half an hour later, after a full circuit,
In his mind’s eye, the black ring glimmered with golden light—one more increment had brightened.
Nameless Cultivation Method (Entry: 4/10)