Chapter 20: Fate Source Object– Water Within Stone

The techniques recorded in the jade slips were something only the most powerful sects could produce, far superior to simple paper manuals that were just copies. When a cultivator used it, their spiritual energy would enter the jade slip, directly transferring the knowledge into their memory. 

Afterward, the jade slip would disintegrate into fragments of spiritual energy and disappear.

He Yu accepted the jade slip but looked at Qi Xiu with confusion, seeking his opinion.

Qi Xiu wasn't sure why Kan Lin was being so generous to He Yu. This jade slip was clearly a 2nd-grade item and seemed to be of high quality—a very valuable gift.

After thinking it over, Qi Xiu decided that Kan Lin didn't seem like the type to bully the weak or plot against others. He gave a slight nod, signaling his approval for He Yu to accept the gift.

He Yu opened the jade slip and saw five silver characters on the cover: "Mountain and Water Cavern Scripture." From the name alone, he knew it was perfectly suited to his own path. Overjoyed, He Yu gave Kan Lin a deep, respectful bow, and sincerely thanked him.

Kan Lin smiled slightly in acknowledgment, then shifted the topic and began discussing Daoist techniques.

Qi Xiu and the others were more than eager to seize this opportunity—something that would have been unimaginable for Chu Qin Sect in the past. And now, it was the second time in just half a month. 

They all focused intently on Kan Lin's teachings, quietly comparing his insights with the issues they had encountered in their own cultivation.

Zhang Shishi and He Yu occasionally asked questions, and Kan Lin patiently answered each one. Before they knew it, night had fallen, and Kan Lin finally stopped talking.

 Qi Xiu, thinking quickly, invited Kan Lin to stay the night again, and Kan Lin agreed, just like last time. He also invited Qi Xiu for a private conversation in the inner chamber, which Qi Xiu accepted.

The night passed.

Kan Lin quietly left again in the morning, leaving behind a low-grade talisman on the small table.

Picking up the talisman, Qi XIU felt a mix of emotions. Last night, Kan Lin had shared a lot with him, which boiled down to three key points.

First, Kan Lin had revealed that he had a technique called "Person Recognition," which allowed him to identify another cultivator's "Fate Source Object."

This technique could be learned by any cultivator, but if a cultivator's fate source object had the innate ability for Person Recognition, the results were much more accurate. 

For example, when Qi Xiu was three, a basic recognition technique identified him as having a single Fate Source object and a single Sool Root. However, it mistakenly identified his life-bound object as an ordinary monkey, leading his sect to see him as a rising star and invest heavily in his training. 

But when his cultivation stalled for years, the old sect master paid a significant price to take him to a cultivator from the Qi Yun Sect, who had the "Person Recognition" ability. 

This cultivator correctly identified Qi Xiu's fate source object  as a "Red-Tail Macaque," a rare and hard-to-find entity in the cultivation world, confirming that Qi Xiu's fate source object was essentially useless.

Because of the importance of "Person Recognition," cultivators with this talent hold high positions in various sects. Kan Lin, being a wandering cultivator with this ability, was quite rare. 

Occasionally, he helped smaller sects identify their disciples' fate source objects, but of course, he charges a fee for this service.

One of Kan Lin's reasons for talking to Qi Xiu last night was to offer this service, and Qi Xiu agreed that if Chu Qin Sect ever needed it, they would contact Kan Lin.

As for the fee, they decided it wasn't the right time to discuss that yet.

Second, Kan Lin discovered through his "Person Recognition" technique that He Yu's fate source object had been incorrectly identified by the Chu Qin Sect, although the mistake wasn't as severe as Qi Xiu's case.

The Chu Qin Secthad identified He Yu's fate source objects as "Green Stone" and "Water Below the Cliff," classifying him as having dual Water and Earth soul roots, which was considered relatively good cultivation aptitude. 

However, Kan Lin identified that He Yu's true life-bound object was "Water Within Stone," a very rare and special single fate source-object with dual soul roots. Though cultivating with this would be slightly slower than with a single soul root, the dual attribute of his fate source-object would allow He Yu to gain more and stronger innate skills, making him one of the most powerful types of cultivators.

When Kan Lin had first met He Yu, he realized that He Yu had completely misunderstood his own fate source-object and had been practicing the wrong path for the past ten years. 

Despite this, He Yu had still managed to cross the first threshold of cultivation, thanks in part to his hard work and in part to the reference object he'd bought for himself, the Spirit Water Jade Pendant, which had a subtle resonance with his true source fate-object Water Within Stone. 

This indicated that He Yu had exceptional insight and fortune in his cultivation journey.

Moved by He Yu's potential, Kan Lin had developed a desire to take him as a disciple. However, Kan Lin was a man of high moral character and did not want to poach a promising talent from another sect. 

So, he proposed to Qi Xiu that if Chu Qin Sect ever became unsustainable, Qi Xiu should not prevent Kan Lin from taking He Yu under his wing. Moreover, Qi Xiu was not to reveal Kan Lin's intention of accepting He Yu as a disciple to anyone, including He Yu himself, as Kan Lin still needed time to assess He Yu's character and temperament.

Although Qi Xiu felt a bit reluctant, he knew that if the day came when the Chu Qin Sect could no longer continue, he couldn't let his personal feelings stand in the way of He Yu's future. So, he agreed.

Third, since Kan Lin was a local cultivator who frequently traveled between the White Mountain and the Qi Yun Sect, he shared a lot of information about the local cultivation scene with Qi Xiu. 

The jade slip the Southern Chu Sect had given to him mainly provided details about the western part of the Black River and the Southern Chu Sect, but Kan Lin was familiar with the entire area around the Black River. 

This was like giving Qi Xiu a torch to light his way in the dark, a huge help that Kan Lin offered effortlessly, hoping to build a good relationship.

With all this new information, Qi Xiu spent an entire day in his chamber, digesting it and making slight adjustments to his future plans. He had originally intended to use his connection with the Southern Chu Sect to trade the crimson jade formation plate with the Spreading Blossom Sect.

 But given Chu Youmin's attitude, Qi Xiu feared he might cause trouble, or at the very least, try to take advantage.

At the northern tip of Black River Peak, where it bordered slightly with the southern end of Qi Yun Sect, Kan Lin had mentioned that the Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge there is named Wang Kuan. 

Wang Kuan was a very righteous and kind-hearted person. Since Wang Guan didn't have many years left and saw no hope of advancing to the next stage, he was eager to build good relationships with other cultivators to leave a positive legacy.

Qi Xiu planned to visit Wang Kuan in the near future, hoping to ask him to mediate in negotiating the deal with the Spreading Blossom Sect.

On the eastern side of the Black River lied the territory of the The Beast-Taming Sect, overseen by a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Zhao Liangde.Given the unique nature of the Beast-Taming Sect, their cultivators were often considered half a level higher than others of the same rank, making it difficult for Qi Xiu to connect with him. 

However, Kan Lin mentioned that Zhao Liangde was known for being greedy, so perhaps Qi Xiu could use that to his advantage and form a connection.

Having made up his mind, Qi Xiu gathered everyone in the main hall and announced the true nature of He Yu's fate source-object. As per their agreement, he did not reveal anything about Kan Lin's intention to take He Yu as a disciple.

"Zhang Shishi, after hearing this, joked: 'Among us southerners, it's rare to find that three out of ten have such bizarre fate source objects.' He then exchanged a knowing look with Qi Xiu, and the two shared a laugh at their own expense.

He Yu was, of course, thrilled. His fate source-object, Water Within Stone, the Mountain and Water Cavern Scripture, and the reference object Spirit Water Jade Pendant were all highly compatible. 

Once the sect's spiritual energy issue was resolved, the path to Foundation Establishment stage would be incredibly smooth. 

And while he felt immense gratitude towards Kan Lin, he was still anxious about the Spirit Gathering Formation's activation. "Sect Leader, why don't we continue working on the Spirit Gathering Formation tomorrow?" He eagerly suggested. "We've rested for a day, and that should be enough."

"That might not be a good idea," Zhang Shishi voiced his concern, looking at Qin Weiyu, who was sitting dazedly next to Gu Ji, his face devoid of color and looking quite pale. "Even though we've rested for a day and should be close to recovery, Qin Weiyu is still young and has overexerted himself in the past few days. It's better to rest for a couple more days."

Since Zhang Shishi has been officially appointed by Qi Xiu to the position of passing on techniques and enforcing the law, He Yu had no choice but to accept what he said.

Qi Xiu saw He Yu mumbling to himself, unsure of what he was muttering about, and his usually sharp brows furrowed in frustration. Qi Xiu couldn't bear to dampen his enthusiasm. He Yu's talent and aptitude were such that even Foundation Establishment cultivators looked at him favorably; he was like a sharp blade that would eventually break free from its sheath. 

At just fifteen years old, it was the perfect time to cultivate his feelings for the Chu Qin Sect. Otherwise, as he advanced in cultivation, the sect would be able to offer him less and less. If he wasn't emotionally tied to the sect, He Yu might be tempted away by offers from elsewhere, and the Chu Qin Sect might not be able to keep such a talented person.

But Zhang Shishi had a point, and Qi Xiu didn't want to undermine his authority in front of everyone.

Qi Xiu, feeling troubled and racking his brains for a long time, suddenly had an idea. "The small holes in the Spirit Gathering Formation are connected from top to bottom. If it's getting harder to clear them from above, we could try working from the bottom up! Besides, we'll need to check out the pond at the foot of the mountain eventually to decide the size of the future protective formation."