Record of Mortals Slaying Heaven

Chapter 9: Worldly Ties and Spirit Stones

For the next few days, Shen Moqi spent almost all her time at Anjitang.

He helped Shi Tou wash clothes, taught Da Mao to read, and told Er Ya and Xiao Shuanzi stories. These stories all came from his own world—Snow White, Sun Wukong, and the Calabash Brothers—and the children's eyes lit up as they listened, pestering him to tell them again and again.

Stone chuckled from the side, "Brother Qi, how come you have so many stories to tell?"

Shen Moqi laughed as well: "I heard it from someone else; I have a good memory."

He didn't say that these stories came from another world, because they wouldn't understand anyway.

The days passed slowly but warmly. He spent his days with the children and his nights in a side room of Anjitang. He didn't practice cultivation; the National Preceptor told him to "relax his mind," so he truly put his cultivation aside for the time being. Strangely enough, the restlessness in his heart actually began to dissipate slowly.

On the evening of the fifth day, he and Shitou sat in the courtyard, watching the last rays of sunset gradually disappear on the horizon.

"Stone," Shen Moqi suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"I might have to leave in about ten days."

Stone paused, then asked, "Go? Where to?"

"I'm going to a very far place to learn cultivation from someone from a sect." Shen Moqi looked at the afterglow on the horizon, her voice soft. "I might not be able to come back for a long time, or maybe... I'll never be able to come back."

The stone fell silent.

After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, "Is it absolutely necessary to go?"

Shen Moqi nodded.

Shi Tou didn't ask any more questions. He lowered his head and started drawing something on the ground with his hand. Shen Moqi couldn't see what he was drawing, but she noticed his shoulder tremble slightly.

"Stone?"

Shi Tou looked up, forcing a smile. "It's nothing. It's just... a little reluctant to part with it."

Shen Moqi felt a pang of sadness. He reached out and put his arm around Shi Tou's shoulder, patting him hard.

"I will come back," he said, as if making a promise, or perhaps comforting himself. "Once I've finished my studies, I'll definitely come back to see you all."

Shi Tou nodded vigorously, his eyes reddening, but he didn't let the tears fall.

After a moment of silence, Shi Tou suddenly remembered something, ran into the house, and came out carrying a worn-out backpack.

"Oh, right, Brother Qi, this is for you." He handed over the backpack. "You left this with me before the big battle that day, and I've been keeping it for you ever since."

Shen Moqi took the backpack, a warmth spreading through his heart. Inside were his phone—the AI ​​that had helped him win the war—and the hand-cranked charger. Although the phone was long dead, it was his only connection to the past. He wondered if the AI ​​could help him cultivate immortality, Shen Moqi thought to himself, hoping to ask the AI ​​sometime.

"It's very important," he said softly, clutching his backpack to his chest. "Thank you, Stone."

Stone grinned: "No need to thank me, I don't need it anyway."

At night, Shen Moqi lay in bed, listening to the even breathing of the children in the next room, a mix of emotions swirling within him. His backpack lay beside his pillow; he reached out and touched it, the cold touch reminding him of the other world. He knew that this journey might be to another world. Shi Tou and the others would grow up, have their own lives, and gradually forget him. And he, he would walk alone on that arduous and long path to immortality.

But this is the path he chose himself.

Early on the sixth day, Shen Moqi left Anjitang. He didn't look back, afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave.

Stone stood at the doorway, watching his figure disappear around the street corner, for a very long time.

---

After leaving Anji Hall, Shen Moqi did not return directly to the Observatory. Instead, he went to the General's Mansion.

Zhang Cheng was handling official business at the manor when he heard that Shen Moqi had arrived, so he personally came out to greet her. Seeing that Shen Moqi looked somewhat downcast, he paused for a moment and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Shen Moqi shook her head and bowed: "General Zhang, I have a request."

Zhang Cheng quickly helped him up: "Don't talk about begging or not, you are a great benefactor of Yanjing. Just tell me what you need."

Shen Moqi paused for a moment before saying, "Those children from Anji Hall... Shitou, Damao, Erya, and Xiaoshuanzi. I'll be going to cultivate with the sect members in a few days, and I don't know when I'll be able to return. I'd like to ask the general to help look after them and make sure they're not bullied."

After hearing this, Zhang Cheng burst into laughter.

"That's all? Don't worry!" He patted his chest. "I know those kids; they're the ones who took the exam with you, right? The imperial court will see Anjitang's matter through to the end. Shitou is doing well at the grain shop, and Damao is also talented in his studies. If they really amount to something in the future, I'll personally recommend them for the army or government offices. You can rest assured!"

Shen Moqi was startled. It turned out that Zhang Cheng and his men had investigated her. Fortunately, they had won the war, otherwise they would have been caught in the same trap as Shi Tou and the others. But she couldn't say this outright yet, so she bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, General."

Zhang Cheng realized he'd let something slip and waved his hand awkwardly, "No need to thank me. You saved Yan Jing, you saved all of us, this is nothing. But you..." He looked Shen Moqi up and down, "I heard cultivating immortality is very difficult, you'd better hold on. If you can't, come back anytime, the General's Mansion will always have food for you."

Shen Moqi smiled and nodded.

As he walked out of the general's mansion, he stood at the gate and glanced back at the faded plaque. This departure meant entering another world.

---

It was already evening when we returned to the observatory.

Qingfeng was sweeping the courtyard when he saw him return. His eyes lit up: "Young Master Shen is back? My martial uncle said you should go to the main hall to find him when you get back."

Shen Moqi nodded, carrying the worn-out backpack, and walked towards the main hall.

The Imperial Advisor remained seated on the futon, tea laid out before him. Upon his arrival, his gaze lingered for a moment on the backpack on the man's back, but he asked no further questions, merely nodding slightly.

"sit."

Shen Moqi sat down as instructed and placed her backpack beside her feet.

"What are your thoughts during your few days away?" the Imperial Advisor asked.

Shen Moqi thought for a moment and briefly recounted his experiences over the past few days. When he spoke of Shi Tou, Zhang Cheng, and the matter he had entrusted to him, his tone became somewhat somber, but his eyes remained calm.

"I'm thinking," he finally said, "that this is what my senior brother meant by 'worldly ties.' I can't let go, but I can't be led by the nose forever. Once I've settled them in, I'll feel at ease and can focus on my cultivation."

After listening, the Imperial Advisor's eyes flashed with approval.

"It's good that you think this way." He picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip. "Many people embark on the path of immortality either can't let go of the mortal world or are determined to sever all ties. The former are bound by worldly attachments, making it difficult to concentrate on cultivation; the latter seem resolute, but in reality, inner demons are brewing. The best state is that you can sever your worldly ties before entering the path, without any debts or losses."

Shen Moqi nodded, feeling a sense of relief.

"However," the Imperial Preceptor changed the subject, "have you found a solution to your cultivation difficulties?"

Shen Moqi paused for a moment, then shook his head. Although he hadn't cultivated these past few days, he still remembered his previous predicament clearly—slow absorption and even slower refining, the double slowness was suffocating him.

The Imperial Advisor looked at him, took out a small cloth bag from his sleeve, and placed it on the table.

"Open it and take a look."

Shen Moqi opened the cloth bag with a puzzled look. Inside was a stone about the size of a thumb. The stone was crystal clear and had a faint fluorescent glow. When held in her palm, she could faintly feel a warm current flowing through it.

"This is……?"

"Spirit stones," the Imperial Preceptor said, "are formed from the condensed spiritual energy of heaven and earth, containing pure spiritual power. The reason you have difficulty absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is because your spiritual root is of low grade and your affinity is insufficient. But spirit stones are different—the spiritual power inside them is readily available, and you don't need to bother to 'draw' it in; you only need to actively absorb it."

Shen Moqi's eyes lit up.

"Give it a try," the Imperial Advisor gestured.

Shen Moqi took a deep breath, gripped the spirit stone tightly, closed his eyes, and began circulating the "Basic Breathing Technique of Luo Xiao." Almost instantly, a warm current of energy surged from his palm, flowing upwards along the meridians of his arm, several times faster than when he had previously sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth!

Overjoyed, he quickly calmed himself and guided the flow of energy through his body for one cycle, finally sinking into his dantian.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he opened his eyes. The spirit stone in his hand was still crystal clear, but its luster seemed to be slightly dimmer than before. If you didn't look closely, you could hardly notice it.

"This...this is a spirit stone?" Shen Moqi exclaimed in disbelief. "It's absorbed so much faster!"

The Imperial Advisor smiled slightly.

"The spiritual energy in spirit stones is readily available, which is indeed faster than absorbing it from the world. However—" He paused, his tone turning serious, "You must remember, spirit stones are not for daily cultivation. They are the hard currency of the cultivation world, and their value is considerable. With your current status, the sect only provides two spirit stones per month. This amount is only enough to break through bottlenecks at crucial moments, or to trade for necessary items."

Shen Moqi was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the spirit stone in her hand and understood what the Imperial Preceptor meant.

"Then...this one?"

"This one is for you." The Imperial Advisor picked up his teacup. "But I don't have many; this is just enough for you to taste the flavor of spirit stones."

Shen Moqi nodded and carefully put the spirit stones away.

The Imperial Advisor continued, "The spiritual energy you absorb is ultimately from outside. To truly make it your own, you must refine it. No one can help you with this step. You possess all five elements; refining it once is not enough, you need to refine it five times. This is a slow and steady process, relying solely on accumulation over time; there are no shortcuts."

Shen Moqi fell silent.

The Imperial Preceptor looked at him and softened his tone: "You don't need to be discouraged. Cultivation is not something that can be done in a short time."

Shen Moqi lowered her head, looking at the spirit stone in her hand, feeling a mix of emotions.

There is hope, but also pressure; there is relief, but also confusion.

But at least he knew he wasn't completely hopeless.

"Thank you, senior brother." He stood up and bowed deeply.

The Imperial Advisor waved his hand: "Go, keep this spirit stone safe. You might need it when you break through in the future. Focus on your cultivation these next few days; the sect will be sending people over in a few days."

Shen Moqi nodded, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and turned to walk out of the main hall.

Outside, night had fallen. A crescent moon hung on the eaves of the observatory, its cool light spilling into the courtyard and casting a layer of silver frost on the ground.

He pressed the hard phone in his backpack and thought to himself:

I hope you can help me.