It took only the rest of the day for Heifeng Jiansui to complete the S-Rank and A-Rank missions. He was quite adept at refining Spiritual Equipment now. With the large amount of missions he had completed, a pile of merit points and unused top grade metals, materials and beastcores were accumulated. But since there was nothing he needed, those merit points were useless.

Further ahead when he actually began cultivation, he could use pills to refine himself. But as a mortal building his foundations, he could simply rely on his top-grade techniques and the energy of heaven and earth for training.

He planned to begin cultivating only at the age of 13. Thus, more than a decade of time was left to him for building up his foundations. Something like using pills to rush things would be meaningless.

Suddenly, his Sword Talisman began vibrating. Heifeng Jiansui checked it expecting a battle challenge. Heifeng Jiansui spent a short amount of time battling, but his opponents were all top-tier and furthermore, he always won. His Virtual Arena Rank rapidly rose, giving others enough incentive to beat him and snatch his position. So challenges were always incoming.

But this time, it wasn’t a challenge. Instead, it was a notice.

[You have completed 250 S-Rank Auxiliary missions.]

[You are now eligible to apply for S+ Rank, S++ & S+++ Auxiliary missions]

[The value of a S+ Rank Auxiliary mission (Forge One-Star Quasi-Earth Rank equipment) is equal to 10 ordinary S-Rank Auxiliary missions.

The value of a S++ Rank Auxiliary mission (Forge Two-Star Quasi-Earth Rank equipment) is equal to 50 ordinary S-Rank Auxiliary missions.

The value of a S+++ Rank Auxiliary mission (Forge Three-Star Quasi-Earth Rank equipment) is equal to 100 ordinary S-Rank Auxiliary missions.]

[Completing a certain amount of S-Series Auxiliary Missions can allow for a direct promotion to Meteor level/ Chosen Disciple.]

Quasi-Earth Rank... While Quasi-Earth Rank Pills and Formations existed, Quasi-Earth Rank was a classification mainly for equipment. These types of equipment had power close to Earth Rank equipment yet could be used by Body Transformation boundary martial artists. It should be known that Earth Rank equipment were restricted to Life Desolation martial artists, so having a power close to them as Body Transformation martial artists was a major boost in power!

A One-Star Quasi-Earth Rank equipment was restricted to cultivators of the Body-Mind Transformations who could use True Qi.

A Two-Star Quasi-Earth Rank equipment was restricted to cultivators of the Three-Sea Transformations who could use Spiritual Qi.

A Three-Star Quasi-Earth Rank equipment was restricted to cultivators of the Heart-Law Transformations who could use Yuan Qi.

While Heifeng Jiansui was still constructing blueprints for transforming the Nine Pillars of the Black Phoenix Allbeast Ruler array into top-grade Spiritual Weapons, he suddenly had the desire to change them into Quasi-Earth weapons! But he regretfully gave up on that idea. Even if he wasn’t concerned about abandoning all the progress he had made, the Quasi-Earth rank needle would not serve to temper his body, but simply blow it up into chunks of meat!

Even if Heifeng Jiansui forged these equipments, using them would be impossible. Of course before even thinking of that, forging them could be termed as close to impossible.

The current Heifeng Jiansui was simply a mortal. To even forge top-grade Mortal equipment, he had to connect himself with the formations to draw energy, so refining Quasi-Earth Rank equipment should be even harder! In truth, refining Quasi-Earth Rank equipment required True, Spiritual or Yuan Qi based on the amount of stars. Also, sufficient control over the energy must be maintained to avoid backlashes and failure. While this would only result in forging failures for refiners who had cultivated to the needed boundaries, a cultivation backlash like that might be fatal to Heifeng Jiansui!

Finding these types of Qi in nature without cultivating them was nearly impossible. Having a powerful helper who had reached peak Body Transformation would be the best for this. Of course, the only other way of completing these missions was if he found a Spirit Spring or a Spirit Vein Convergence Point. Of course, the grand formation over this island would not allow him to use the Spirit Springs as he pleased, and it was the only landmass in the surrounding sea. There weren’t even any rockmasses in the surrounding 100,000 sq. km., an arrangement of the former Ninebless Phoenix Sect to guarantee complete isolation and security!

With the Phoenix Essence Talisman, he could try to communicate with the grand formation and get a Spirit Spring he could use. After all, it controlled the majority of the Qi circulating on the island, so it could afford to let some go.

Before going to sleep, Heifeng Jiansui thought about all that he needed to do. The first thing on his mind was that he needed to create a Spiritual Rank Black Phoenix Allbeast Rule formation for his Phoenixflame Marrowforge Art to breakthrough. Other than that, he had to create a technique for Qinglan Weiwei to comprehend her Daoheart as a mortal. Also, the battle formation he had given his maids to train was too inadequate; he needed a formation that could unify their strengths as one. He also needed to communicate with the Formation Spirit of the Grand Formation controlling the island.

…Also, he needed to perform acupuncture on the Feilong siblings and clear out their bloodlines. He nearly forgot that.

After noting all this down at the back of his mind, he went to sleep.

+++

The next day, according to their previous arrangements, they six occupants of the estate had breakfast together. Steamed buns with tiger meat stuffed in, noodles broth in shark fin soup… All kinds of exquisite dishes were presented for Heifeng Jiansui’s eating pleasure. Three of his five maids were picked from the Imperial Palace’s Servant Quarters, after all. They could certainly cook.

The dishes served to the other girls seemed to be less exquisite than what Heifeng Jiansui was eating. Just when was about to ask this, Qinglan Weiwei spoke up. “Young master, how is my cooking? I cooked all this when I realized you weren’t keeping your seclusion during breakfast. Making this breakfast took up quite a bit of effort.” Her tone seemed like a dog wagging its tail, wanting to be praised.

“It is amazing. Initially, I didn’t think I could enjoy the same level of cuisine that I expected in the Imperial Palace, but you surpassed my expectations. Were you a cook of the Royal Palace?”, Heifeng Jiansui asked with genuine curiosity.

“Yes, young master! A cook would have greater access to beast meat, so I began working under a Imperial Cook at the age of 13. My skill has been polished through 8 years of tempering!” Qinglan Weiwei’s puffed up her chest in pride.

After saying this, before Heifeng Jiansui could speak, she immediately guessed his question and answered, “Young master, in the end we all are your maids. In the Imperial Palace, servants aren’t allowed to eat in the same room as the master. Even though we are violating that rule, we should show our understanding of our inferiority in our eating and demeanor.”

“I don’t care about the look of the dishes, but their nutrition value must be equal to mine. Don’t skimp on that, okay?” After hearing this, Qinglan Weiwei looked as if she wants to disagree, but she forced herself to nod.

After eating to his fill, Heifeng Jiansui waited for the others to finish before commanding the Feilong twins. “Yanyang, Shanxue, I have yet to use acupuncture on you two to clear your meridians, so prepare yourself for it. In the next three hours, thoroughly cleanse yourself, exercise your physique and use your technique to cultivate as preparation.” Hearing his words, the two girls were shocked. The young prince was also an acupuncture specialist in addition to a Mortal Auxiliary Master?

Shifting his attention to Qinglan Weiwei, he began. “Since we have three hours remaining, let us spar in the meantime. Display all your abilities you have inherited from the legacies. You are the strongest among my maids, so I need to gauge your strength.” Saying this, Heifeng Jiansui grabbed her by hand and led her to the sparring grounds.

Since the two remaining maids were not assigned any duties, they began clearing up the breakfast table and used dishes. If they couldn’t even do this, what use were they as maids?

+++

In the sparring grounds, Qinglan Weiwei held a long spear while Heifeng Jiansui simply held out his hands.

“Come at me with every technique that you have.” His fingers flashed with silver Swordlight. This power could evenly match against her top-grade Earth Rank spear.

Qinglan Weiwei did not dare to hold back. Since her master had told her to attack him with all her techniques, she had to oblige.

Flash! A azure streak of light was struck away by silver fingers. The blue light that followed was struck away as well. As expected, she couldn’t hope to match her lord with the techniques of her bloodline.

“Weiwei, you reached enlightenment into the principles of Wood and Water in these few days? Not only that, your existing comprehension of the basic principle of martial arts, ‘Hard-Soft’ was blended into the elemental laws of wood and water? Amazing!”

The contrasting truths of hardness and softness were the cornerstone of martial arts. The external strength of the physique and the internal strength of qi were the two strengths which martial artists relied on. Even cultivators of the Body-Mind Transformations aimed to unify these contrasting principles seamlessly to perfect their bodies and break through!

On the other hand, the twin laws of water and wood complemented each other. Water nurtures wood, this was a principle of the Five Elements and a true law of nature. These twin laws were certainly more profound than that of Hard-Soft!

Qinglan Weiwei had been training martial arts for more than two decades. Her perception was extraordinary, so she gained insight into ‘Hard-Soft’ long ago and perfected them over the years. She might have gained understanding of the Laws of Water and Wood due to her battle spirit, her martial arts or any other reason. But to fuse all these principles into one and use them in battle? Even monstrous geniuses wouldn’t be able to accomplish this!

On being praised by her young master, Qinglan Weiwei was joyous. “Young master, this isn’t the only thing I have accomplished! Brace yourself!” Suddenly, her breathing changed and she seemed to disappear as a misty fog appeared.

Heifeng Jiansui was surprised to see that even her footwork had incorporated the fused principles of Wood-Water and Hard-Soft. The feet were sometimes light like mist and sometimes heavy like a banyan tree. The spear strikes were flexible like water yet unyielding like a stubborn oak.

In terms of helping her cultivation, he could only supply her pills, forge equipment for her and set down formations for gathering energy and everything else would rely on her. But if it was comprehending laws… he could personally help her!

Heifeng Jiansui’s fingers suddenly changed, completely losing the swordlike intent and transforming into straight spears. His fingers fell like a mighty waterfall, converging the might of soft water until it could shatter even sturdy rocks! His feet fell like falling leaves, unpredictably dancing under the wind!

Even if Heifeng Jiansui showed off the utmost profoundness of the laws, the girl before him could not grasp it. So all he showed off were relevant to the understandings that she had gained, completely reversing them.

The water that you have been using flexibly to counter strength can be used to produce heavenly might! The wood that you have been using to inflexibly smash down can dance unpredictably as well!

After comprehending the sliver of a law, a cultivator would think that it was an immutable truth of the universe and further build on it! But the true laws were never limited in such ways! By challenging Qinglan Weiwei’s understanding, she would gain a perception that would analyze the laws down to the core, fixing any imperfections and mistakes after quickly noticing them, not being blocked by her dogmas assumed while comprehending them!

Both of them battled like this, with Heifeng Jiansui providing priceless guidance to Qinglan Weiwei. Finally when Qinglan Weiwei fell exhausted to the ground, the sparring session stopped.

“Young master, your methods are profound and without peer. I thought that simply comprehending the principles of wood and water from the heritage arts rendered me undefeatable, but your understanding was even greater… I thank you for disseminating the Dao to me!” Qinglan Weiwei never thought that her young master was so skilled. She was in the end a carp who had encountered good fortune and leapt through the Dragon Gate, but her master was a phoenix who danced through the heavens long before she fathomed that there was a sky above!

“Methods profound and without peer… Disseminating the Dao… Weiwei do you think this I am a thousand year old geezer or something? I simply used random wood and water-based techniques that I memorized on a whim. In truth, it is more praiseworthy for you to comprehend something from that random mishmash of techniques.” Even though Heifeng Jiansui said this, he felt joyous in his heart. What thousand year old geezer, this young master is a hundred thousand year old geezer!

“Young master, I thought that you prohibiting me from advancing to a true cultivator was for a profound reason. And today I understood why! With the understanding you have provided to me, I can turn the Law Intent and Bone Engravings even more profound! Once I do that…” Qinglan Weiwei was struck by excitement as today’s battle had made her path of cultivation even easier to tread!

“Weiwei, the Dao you are trying to comprehend is the Azure Dragon’s Water-Wood Nourishing Dao. If you plan to nurture it as your Daoheart, I know a spear technique that can help you comprehend a sliver of it as a mortal.” Hearing Heifeng Jiansui’s words, Qinglan Weiwei’s thoughts turned to a mess. Gaining insight into the Daoheart as a mortal was nearly impossible, something that happened by gaining fortuitous chance after fortuitous chance, something that could only happen to a true Son of Heaven.

And she, Qinglan Weiwei, a trash that could not cultivate even at the age of 21, could gain it? How was this possible?

Just then, she realized that her young master would be buying it for her. Something that could only be attained by a Son of Heaven, what price would her young master have to pay for it? “Young master, something like that is too precious. I…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. Since it is for nurturing you, even a high price is worth paying. Expect it in half a day or so.” Saying this, Heifeng Jiansui left, leaving Qinglan Weiwei in a daze.