Chương 18: Preparations

Elder Bai didn't stand for much ceremony and was led into the courtyard by Lin Yi. As they walked towards the garden pavilion, the elder made sure Lin Yi was prepared.

"Disciple Lin, you made yourself familiar with the possible side effects during and after abolishing your cultivation?" Lin Yi didn't need to lie.

"Yes, Elder Bao. I occupied myself with the topic in the last two days." The elder only nodded. There was no need to make his student recite everything he knew. Elder Bao trusted him. In no time, they arrived at the pavilion and stepped inside. Elder Bao summoned two meditation cushions from his storage pouch. Both had the same grey color. He sat on one and signaled Lin Yi to do the same. He followed the instructions. Lin Yi's brows furrowed, and his gaze turned downwards towards the cushion.

He didn't know exactly why, but the seat felt different from the others he'd used in the sect. It was like an instinctive feeling; thus, he channeled his spirituality into it and was momentarily surprised. This... This is a magic tool. He thought as he looked towards Elder Bao, who had a smile on his face.

"You recognized the cushion quickly. That is good, disciple. Hah, Innate Spirituality is truly quite a gift."

"This is a magic tool, right, Elder? And not a low-grade one... I feel even a slight sliver of spirituality. This should be a high-grade magic tool." Lin Yi said, and Elder Bao nodded in approval.

"Yes, this is the high-grade magic tool, the Spirit Calming Cushion. One of its many kinds. The Artifact Refining Peak produces it in relatively high quantity, and nearly every elder has one." He pointed at Lin Yi's cushion.

"This one I borrowed from our division. After our cultivation session concludes, it needs to be returned. Lin Yi nodded in understanding. He wasn't foolish enough to believe he could keep it. Cultivation treasures, like most subjects in the cultivation world, were divided into realms and grades. Magic tools were equivalent to the Qi Condensation Realm, magical artifacts equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Realm, magical treasures equivalent to the Golden Core Realm and the Nascent Soul Realm.

And the fathomable and legendary spiritual treasures were equivalent to the Deity Transformation Realm. Each was more precious than the former. As a Qi Condensation cultivator, he could not grasp the true difference between their realms. Lin Yi knew only the details of magic tools and their rough grades. Unlike cultivation stages, grades of treasures were harder to divide, especially for magic artifacts and higher. A low-grade magic tool was not that different from a mortal tool in appearance and workings.

Except that they were harder, sharper, more durable, and made out of spirit metal, which allows magic power to flow freely. Mid-grade magic tools had the addition of special abilities. Magic power can be used to activate any effect they were imbued with. Some may become sharper or more durable, as with swords and shields. Others could spew fire or ice. Only imagination and ability hindered an artifact refiner from envisioning their dream treasure.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. High-grade magic tools were not much different. The sole exception was that they birthed a slight form of spirituality, the characteristic prelude to magic artifacts. This not only granted the tool greater power but also allowed the user more control over it. Lastly was the pseudo-magic artifact grade.

To this day, there were still discussions about whether it belongs to the realm of magic tools or artifacts. Most cultivators agreed it stood in between, similar to the pseudo-grades of other treasure realms. Naturally, there were always exceptions to the rules and standards. The sect plate, every disciple possessed, was one example. Lin Yi's sect plate did not yet have spirituality, so it was not a high-grade tool.

He didn't need to power it with magic power to use it, so it didn't fall under the category of mid-grade tools, but it had special effects. Thus, it wasn't low-grade either. It was considered a special kind of magic tool, a subordinate treasure of a greater one, or even a magic artifact. In fact, this was the truth.

Lin Yi's sect plate was the subordinate treasure of the Outer Court's sect-suppressing pseudo-magic treasure, which itself was the subordinate treasure of the true sect-suppressing treasure of the Charging Bull Sect, a real magic artifact. Elder Bao continued, waking Lin Yi from his musings.

"Like most meditation cushion treasures, its name insinuates it will help you to calm your mind to greater effect. No doubt, a great help for today."

"You won't need to do anything, disciple. I will power the meditation cushion with my own magic power." Lin Yi nodded and said.

"Thank you, Elder Bao. For helping me so much." The elder waved his hand and replied.

"No need to thank me, Lin Yi. I am your senior and an elder of the sect. It is my duty to nurture the next generation properly." Lin Yi felt his respect grow more and more, not just for Elder Bao but for the sect as a whole. Before he joined the Charging Bull Sect, he didn't know what to think about it. He knew from the stories in Old Pine Town that the sect would accept anyone with immortal talent. That alone made him like the sect, but in the end, he didn't know its rules, customs, or atmosphere.

He couldn't have known what the sect would be like and feared it might be similar to other sects in his past-life novels. But over the past month and weeks, he has had almost exclusively positive experiences here. The sect had proper rules, divisions, and hierarchies. There wasn't any bullying, stealing of resources, or regular crippling fights for honor and/or fairy sisters. He knew that the sect did hold competitions and tournaments, but no one was forced into anything.

It had more of a philosophy of letting disciples find their own ways and then supporting them in treading upon them correctly. It reminded him of the Human Sect in Chinese primordial era/wilderness/mythological stories, led by the Sage Laozi, who cultivated the dao of non-action. From Elder Bai in the Valley of the Immortal Seedlings, to other senior disciples, and Elder Bao now. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and supportive.

Despite sometimes missing his family and Old Pine Town, the sect slowly became a new home in his heart. Lin Yi nodded, and Elder Bao asked a last question before explaining the next steps.

"I have been told that you can enter the mental state of Wu Wei. Is that correct?" Lin Yi didn't hide it. There was no need for it. It was likely that Elder Bai had given the Scripture Pavilion his information, but that was only to be expected. After all, they needed to know their disciples. And Lin Yi didn't fear attention. Yes, his dao was of steady development, but that didn't mean complete hiding. The favor of his seniors and elders was not a bad thing.

In contrast, in line with the sect philosophy, it would only be a boon for him. The sect wouldn't send him to some forbidden regions to temper himself, even if they did have one of the most dangerous forbidden lands near them.

"Yes, Elder Bao. I can enter Wu Wei in around two to three hours." He looked briefly at the magic tool below him before returning to his elder.

"With the Spirit Calming Cushion, I think the time required would be even lower." At the mention of how quickly he could enter Wu Wei, Elder Bao showed a surprised expression. Is this fast? I thought most cultivators in later levels could enter Wu Wei. Lin Yi wondered inwardly as Elder Bao replied.

"That is good, even more than good. Especially for your future cultivation." At Lin Yi's confused expression, he explained the reason.

"Most cultivators at the Purple Mansion Stage can achieve Wu Wei. The birth of their divine soul alone allows their mental control to grow greatly, but even then many still need some time to enter it, and would use it mainly for more important cultivation sessions."

"Some also don't like the feeling of the state itself. Yes, one would still be in control of oneself, but it can feel weird sometimes, like one experiences everything in an automatic mode without control."

"I myself need at least twenty minutes to enter the state properly, and that is only in the safety of my own cultivation abode. If I were cultivating somewhere else or on the road, I would need multiple times longer." He looked Lin Yi in the eyes.

"But you can already achieve it in such a short time. I don't know if that really has only something to do with your Innate Spirituality or if you truly have a greater talent in that regard."

"But once you enter the late stage of Qi Condensation, you will likely only need a few minutes, if at all, to enter the state. Even if this sounds not much of a difference, you will learn it is." Lin Yi committed the explanation to memory as the elder began explaining the abolishment of his cultivation in detail.