Chapter 32: The Wood Spirit Pearl, Cao Kong’s Sermon

The crane demon, fearing that Cao Kong might change his mind, hurriedly pushed the items in his hand forward. They were some spiritual herbs and seeds, all sharing the same origin of aura. Seeing this, Cao Kong put them away together with the wooden plaque and asked, “Do you have an extra small bottle, fellow cultivator? I’d like to share some with you.”

The crane demon recalled the earlier scene of spiritual energy leaking and quickly replied, “Yes, yes, I do.” As he spoke, he took out a small celadon bottle. Though not as fine as the one Immortal Willow had presented, it was still far better than the one in Cao Kong’s hand—barely qualifying as an item with spiritual essence.

Cao Kong took the porcelain bottle and, using his sleeve to cover his actions from the others, first poured in two drops, then silently condensed another drop before handing the bottle back to the crane demon. With the Scripture of Wine at his side, Cao Kong was well-versed in many spiritual herbs—unlike these demons whose horizons were limited.

What the stag demon said was true: the spiritual aura in the crane demon’s herbs and seeds was not particularly rich. But what none of the other demons, including the stag, knew was that the spiritual herb in the crane demon’s hand had linear, lance-shaped leaves and thick, brown fibrous roots. Its name was Cleansing Spirit Grass.

This grass appeared unremarkable, its spiritual aura hidden within. Eating it made it difficult to fully absorb its essence. However, if combined with other spiritual herbs and grains, it could be brewed into Cleansing Spirit Wine, which had the effect of refining one’s magic power.

Thus, Cao Kong believed he had gained an advantage and, quietly, gave the crane demon an extra drop. The innate nectar that all the demons coveted was, for him, easily obtained, so he simply followed his conscience.

After receiving the bottle, the crane demon opened it, glanced inside, and felt his heart skip a beat before looking up at Cao Kong in surprise. Cao Kong smiled and said, “The transaction is complete, fellow cultivator. Keep it safe.” The crane demon’s expression was complex, emotions unreadable, but finally he bowed deeply to Cao Kong and said, “Thank you.”

The other demons thought nothing of it, assuming the crane demon was simply too excited at having received the spiritual liquid.

The trading continued, and Cao Kong soon found the owner of the item he had his eye on earlier. While the standard of this treasure exchange gathering was not as high as he had imagined, it was well-suited to his current needs.

First, with two drops of nectar, he exchanged for a variety of spiritual herbs, gathering four of the five ingredients needed to brew Soul-Purifying Wine. Then, with his last drop of nectar, he obtained spiritual grain seeds—rice, millet, and wheat—from a cat demon who had arrived last.

All in all, it was a bountiful harvest for Cao Kong. Ordinary demons could only swallow spiritual herbs raw, judging their value by the richness of their aura. But Cao Kong was different. With his knowledge, he could combine different herbs for effects greater than the sum of their parts—not to mention the seeds, which, if tended well, could yield a harvest year after year.

Even the golden leopard asked Cao Kong for a few things, but after browsing the offerings, found nothing that truly caught his interest.

What puzzled Cao Kong, however, was that the ring-hilted broadsword he had placed on the ground attracted no takers at all. He could only think to take it back to Leopard Head Mountain and see if Yellow Lion Spirit could melt it down to forge a new weapon.

“Are you willing to trade this sword?”

Suddenly, a customer appeared: the burly man who had been glancing at the golden leopard earlier.

“Of course I’ll trade,” the golden leopard replied, “but it seems you don’t have anything good.”

The burly man grinned. “How could I not? I just haven’t taken it out yet. I have a pearl here called the Wood Spirit Pearl, acquired from a wood-aligned leyline. If you bury it in the earth, it will transform into vital wood energy, fostering life and nourishing spiritual plants and fields. How about trading it for your broadsword?”

“Of course,” Cao Kong interjected, stepping forward to examine the Wood Spirit Pearl with great interest. “But it seems this pearl is worth more than my sword.”

The burly man laughed heartily. “Whether it’s worth more or not is for me to decide. If I say it’s a trade, then it’s a trade.”

In his previous life as a human, and now after decades of wandering in this dreamlike mortal world, Cao Kong had developed a knack for reading people. He sensed something sinister lurking behind the burly man’s hearty smile. Still, he paid it no mind and said, “Very well, the sword is yours.”

With a gentle kick, the sword vibrated and flew to the burly man, who caught it with ease and then tossed the Wood Spirit Pearl over as if he didn’t care in the slightest.

After another half a day, all the demons in the cave had completed their trades. Under Immortal Willow’s guidance, they began sharing their own cultivation insights.

Immortal Willow was generous, explaining various breathing techniques for absorbing energy, tailored to different times of day so that one could draw in as much of the world’s spiritual aura as possible. Whenever a demon had a question, Immortal Willow answered patiently.

The other demons also shared their own tips and tricks. Those able to take human form all possessed a certain amount of fortune and natural understanding, each with their own clever insights.

As for the burly man, he was rather perfunctory, brushing off the conversation with a few careless words.

When it came to Cao Kong’s turn to speak, while he did not touch on the true methods of Golden Core cultivation, his understanding of the Dao, extending from the breathing techniques he had previously practiced, was explained with such clarity that all the demons benefited greatly.

Sometimes, one could discern a person’s cultivation and mastery from their words alone. The demons present were filled with admiration; even the thousand-year-old Immortal Willow often fell into deep thought, at times slapping his knee in approval, and when something was unclear, he humbly sought guidance. Cao Kong was happy to oblige.

Only the burly man’s eyes revealed a deep wariness.

When Cao Kong had spoken to his heart’s content, it also served to sort out his own cultivation. In the past, his realizations remained within; now, by voicing them aloud, he gained new insights.

The golden leopard, who had always been lax in his cultivation, was struck by two things at this treasure exchange: first, witnessing how eagerly the other demons vied for what he usually obtained so casually; second, seeing all the demons listen attentively to his elder brother’s teachings, grateful as if receiving a rare opportunity.

He realized then that the path of cultivation was truly difficult, and that he was only so well cared for because he had been lucky enough to have a good elder brother. His temperament changed—he sat up straight, listened intently, and unconsciously stroked the longevity-inscribed wooden plaque in his palm, causing it to appear ever newer, the character for “longevity” radiating an increasing spiritual glow.

Meanwhile, more and more minor demons began peeking into the cave, eyes lit with delight. Some, having grasped insights, would stamp their feet or rub their palms in excitement, creating a commotion that disturbed the demons inside.

The stag demon turned and scolded, “You little sprites and imps, disperse at once! Don’t delay my chance to learn from Brother Daoist!”

Cao Kong smiled gently at the scene. “Since fate has brought them here, I am glad. Fellow Daoist Immortal Willow, might I ask to borrow your esteemed place?”

Immortal Willow’s expression turned solemn. “If you have such an intention, it is truly a blessing for us all.” He gestured, “Please.”

Leading the way to a platform, Immortal Willow sent someone to fetch a meditation cushion and invited Cao Kong to be seated.

Cao Kong accepted without hesitation. For demons, cultivation was not easy; without luck or fortune, it was hard to find a true lineage. Though his own path was just beginning, he was more than capable of teaching these young demons.

So he began to expound—on breathing in spiritual energy, on following the cycles of nature, on the proper way to cultivate.

He spoke for several hours. The questions the young demons asked seemed simple at first, but upon reflection, were worthy of deep thought. Fortunately, Cao Kong was a person to whom one principle revealed a hundred others—his talent and understanding were extraordinary, and he quickly provided answers.

As evening approached, the setting sun cast its rays upon Cao Kong, lending him an indescribable aura.

When the lecture finally ended, all the demons rose to bow to Cao Kong, chanting in unison, “Thank you, Brother Daoist, for your enlightening teachings.”