Cultivating with Symbiosis Panel

The space was forcibly torn open by his Spiritual Power.

Inside appeared a scene, akin to the Early-stage Heaven and Earth Creation, devoid of anything extra, to the point of being empty, with only a cluster of Tribulation Fire burning amidst the heavens and earth.

Oh no.

To call it heaven and earth is somewhat of an overstatement.

Because the space here is merely around one acre; if not for the surrounding chaotic gray mist feigning vastness, even a Cultivator would feel slightly suffocated.

This place is where he nourishes his Golden Core, the Small Thousand World.

Everything here, including the composition of Spiritual Power, is in its most primitive and chaotic state, meaning that everything is in a form that can be freely smeared and painted.

Since he cannot analyze what the blood truly is.

Why not transform the blood into a Spirit Plant or Spirit Beast, allowing its spirituality to discern what it truly is.

"Come now."

"Let me see what you truly are."

Li Ye placed the soil he brought directly into the air.

Then he sat down in meditation.

Letting the entire world inject a touch of the most primordial force according to his will into this mound of soil.

Simultaneously drawing spirituality and Water of Life from the Jianmu.

Earth, water, vitality, and spirituality.

These four different forces fused under the "urging" of the consciousness of this newly formed Small Thousand World.

In this moment.

Li Ye felt a tremendous pressure.

His Divine Sense and Mana began to boil frantically like boiling water.

Even strands of blood seeped from his pores.

This was the backlash brought about by using his own will to drive the changes in the Small Thousand World; if not for the fact that this Small Thousand World had already been refined with the World Nourishing Pill Method, he would likely have been unable to fulfill his plans.

But fortunately, his luck has always been good.

The four forces gradually merged under the immense pressure of the invisible consciousness.

Approximately seven days later.

A drop of viscous ink and water gently fell.

"Drip."

The ink and water splashed upon the ground, blossoming into a mist of Spiritual Qi, forming what seemed to be characters.

[Name]: Ink and Water Demon Spirit

[Mood]: Uneasy, nervous.

[State]: Demon spirit born from the ink and water blood transformed from the Heart-Scapes method swallowed by the Duyu Spirit Yu Shichen.

[Bindable]: Any one of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum; after binding, it can freely move outside the Small Thousand World.

Oh?

This is quite an unexpected delight.

It even revealed its name directly.

But why does this name sound so familiar, as if I've heard it somewhere before?

Very strange.

He couldn't recall where he had seen it.

Considering his memory, the water here truly seems deep.

Li Ye quietly took note of it, then found a stalk of wintersweet, assisting in binding the Ink and Water Demon Spirit to the plum blossom, which astonishingly consumed as much as thirty thousand points of Vital Essence.

This number is indeed not small.

Which also suggests that the Ink and Water Demon Spirit is far from as simple as imagined.

After the binding was complete, the wintersweet, originally only at the Golden Core level of Spirit Plant, rapidly transformed, turning entirely into the form of ink and water, appearing in reality like something from a painting.

The newly born ink and water plum blossom initially remained motionless there, but in the next breath, it suddenly leaped, crashing directly into Li Ye's Taoist Robe, transforming into a water ink plum blossom quietly resting there.

"Huh."

Even with Li Ye's Divine Sense, if not for the connection, he couldn't tell whether it was a painting or real.

"Transforming reality into illusion."

"If this ink and water can be used well, it could produce quite a few Magical Treasures, even a whole army at once."

"But I wonder if the ink and water plum blossom has other functions."

He looked down at the plum blossom.

The latter's spirituality seemed incomplete, still slightly vacant, after all, it hadn't been long since its birth; it appears communication would take some time.

How is the outside world as I've been staying here these days?

If the people from Bitter Journey Academy come, Senior Brother Su will help entertain them, but letting Senior Brother Su bear the pressure, he felt a bit guilty after all.

Thinking about this, he left his Small Thousand World.

As soon as he left the courtyard, he heard a voice full of vigor yet unmistakably elderly:

"Mr. Li."

"You've kept this old man waiting!"

Li Ye turned towards the voice, his face already wearing a smile.

He spoke warmly, as if basking in the spring breeze:

"Good things are worth waiting for."

"I'm just surprised it's not Taoist Friend Lv who came, but Taoist Friend Rong, why are you here?"

—The one speaking is a figure sitting upright, dressed in deep, solemn black attire, like preparing to present something for a ritual to heaven and earth... a tree.

Indeed.

A tree almost indistinguishable from a person, but with an expression rigid and antiquated, as if carved from the trunk of an ancient tree into a human face.

[Name]: Bitter Journey Spirit Rong · Rong Yuewei

[Mood]: Uneasy, forced smile

[State]: Rong Tree Demon Spirit born from the Spirit Rong Hall in the Demon Spirit Inn of the Bitter Journey Academy, currently punished by the Bitter Journey Ruler, Spiritual Power disbanded.

[Bindable]: Any Holy Book that has birthed a Book Spirit.

Rong Yuewei's facial expression didn't change.

Or rather, he couldn't have any change, a hint of apology in his tone.

"It was originally supposed to be Taoist Friend Lv coming."

"But..."

"With your skills, you should have already discovered the polluted Grotto Heaven world is linked to a demon spirit, right?"

Li Ye naturally sat at the main seat.

With eyes bright like clear water, he looked at him, nodding, saying: "Indeed, so blocking Taoist Friend Lv at the Demon Spirit Inn, is there something you wish to say to me?"

"Let me be blunt."

"In the eyes of our Four Seasons Sect, the Demon Spirit Inn and Bitter Journey Academy are one. Your academy seeking assistance from our sect is about resolving the Grotto Heaven's pollution issue."

"But if the result is your internal politics and power struggles."

"Then don't blame our sect elders for coming to demand accountability."

An immense pressure emanated from his being.

Rong Yuewei understood; if things truly were as Li Ye described, then soon he would face inquiries from the Four Seasons Sect's Sect Leader True Man, and the Bitter Journey Academy would become a joke—seeking assistance only to find internal issues?

It's a grand sect.

Don't you know to cover your people's disgrace?

Thankfully, that's not the case.

He bitterly smiled, stood up, and clasped his hands, saying: "Gratefully it's not as Taoist Friend mentioned, actually I'm here to invite Taoist Friend to the Demon Spirit Inn."

"Your sect's Ancestor Tiansui's ginkgo elder brother is now one of our inn's elders, he eagerly awaits to meet True Man Li."

Ah?

So there is this connection?

"No rush."

The courtesy must be given, but Li Ye is now more curious about...

"Why indeed?"

"Inviting me so hastily, and invoking a connection with Ancestor Tiansui from my sect; I feel more and more suspicious about all this."

These words were no surprise to Rong Yuewei.

If it were him, this affair indeed seemed strange, having doubts was quite natural.

So he glanced around.

Su Ya saw this, and waved to have other disciples leave.

Then Mr. Rong spoke:

"True Man Li."

"Do you have the Bamboo and Locust Spirit Scrolls on you."

"The method of refining those scrolls is said to be from the author of a strange ancient book."

"That strange book is called... Strange Tales."

The name instantly jolted Li Ye internally.

Pu Songling's Strange Tales?

The familiarity that was previously unrememberable suddenly cleared a layer of fog.

Indeed!

The story of Duyu Spirit Yu Shichen is none other than the character from 'Suqiu,' a chapter in Strange Tales.

It turned out to be real.

Could more stories in Strange Tales also be related to the Bitter Journey Academy?

Things indeed have become even more intriguing; he has a premonition that this time he might uncover the secrets within the Spirit Scroll.