The effectiveness of the Blood Tree pollen originated from the earth’s true fire. Even after this transformation, it remained too potent and domineering for ordinary cultivators. She couldn’t consume it directly like Yun Ya, fearing her meridians would rupture and she would die—this was known as “the empty cannot withstand nourishment.” It had to be diluted with five or six parts water before she could drink it bit by bit, and after every three sips, she needed to regulate her breath through twelve complete cycles to refine its power.
The substance tasted sweet and smooth going down her throat, not much different from ordinary honey. However, immediately afterward, a rich and gentle power rose from her lower dantian, permeating every inch of her tissues, bones, tendons, and blood. The immense vitality it contained made every cell in her body want to rejoice and leap with joy.
This was the life force that the Blood Tree had transformed from the earth’s true fire. Feng Miaojun’s cultivation over the past three years had relied entirely on her exploration, like a physician testing poison on himself. Although there were benefits, her body had suffered some internal damage. This was unavoidable, but as long as she continued consuming the Blood Tree pollen for several dozen days, these injuries could be properly repaired.
This was its foundation-building effect.
She was still in the vigorous years of physical growth, so the effects weren’t as obvious. If an elderly woman were to take it, in just over ten days, her white hair and wrinkles would disappear, returning her to the appearance she had twenty or thirty years earlier.
Feng Miaojun hadn’t expected the pollen honey to be so powerful. She secretly diluted some of her private stock with a large cup of water and drank it, resulting in a full half-hour of breath regulation. When she finished, she felt both joy and concern.
The joy came from noticing that her entire body had secreted a sticky gray paste with a faint fishy odor. For a girl who valued cleanliness, this was incredible, but Feng Miaojun understood what was happening. After three years of diligent cultivation, despite her eclectic learning, she should have reached the “marrow cleansing” transformation. She had been anxious about not feeling it earlier, but unexpectedly, after consuming the Blood Tree pollen honey, it was immediately extracted.
People are born with mortal flesh, inhaling the impure air of the mundane world and eating grains. Gradually, the body accumulates impurities that invade the blood and bones, hindering the flow of spiritual energy. The process of expelling these impurities is called “marrow cleansing,” because blood comes from marrow—an inside-out process of lightening the body and nourishing the spirit.
With the world’s spiritual energy having declined to its current state, cultivation methods had adapted accordingly. Though unified standards of realm measurement no longer existed, “marrow cleansing” was universally recognized as a necessary milestone for cultivators. Afterward, one’s cultivation progress, while not increasing a thousandfold in a day, would still be many times more efficient than before.
At the same time, she was secretly dismayed. Yun Ya had told her they would “leave early in the morning” yesterday, but now the sun had already risen high. He would likely be displeased again.
Since she was already late, a little more time wouldn’t matter. Feng Miaojun steeled herself and decided to take a bath first to wash away the impurities before drying her hair and going to find the Imperial Advisor.
Now she felt as if all eighty thousand pores on her body were breathing freely, each one comfortable and at ease. Even walking a few steps on the ground made her feel as if she could fly.
Of course, this was just an illusion after the marrow cleansing and body lightening.
When she reached Yun Ya’s room, she first knocked once on the left doorframe, then twice on the right doorframe. An Eight Trigrams disk appeared in the air. She pressed once each at the Zhen position, Gen position, and Li position, and the Eight Trigrams disk disappeared.
Only now could she knock on the door, otherwise she would be struck by the wind and thunder protective formations guarding the room, leaving nothing behind—Yun Ya’s exact words. Was the position of the Eight Trigrams fixed? Of course not. The Imperial Advisor was capricious, setting whichever positions he wanted, ensuring there was no pattern to follow.
She knocked on the door—one heavy knock followed by two light ones—the code agreed upon with Yun Ya to identify herself.
Inside was completely silent.
Feng Miaojun frowned and knocked twice more.
Still no answer.
She looked left and right, noticing that the windows of the room were also tightly shut. Of course, as winter approached with cold nights and heavy dew, most people would close their windows while sleeping.
She thought for a moment, stepped back two paces, and stood silently, no longer knocking or pushing the door open.
About a quarter of an hour later, the door finally creaked open.
She hadn’t heard any footsteps.
Yun Ya stood inside the doorway, looking at her silently. Feng Miaojun smiled: “My lord, it’s getting late.”
Her smile was guileless, but Yun Ya asked: “Why didn’t you come in to wake me earlier?”
“You would rise when you wished to rise.” In truth, she believed nothing bad had happened to him. As Feng Miaojun answered, she noticed he was dressed, his face slightly flushed, his hair falling loosely, clearly having just awakened, the dreaminess in his eyes concealing his usual sharpness.
At this moment, Yun Ya looked somewhat innocent.
He covered his mouth, yawning, while walking back into the room: “Come in and bind my hair.”
The miscellaneous tasks she had to do were increasing. Was this guy going to give her a raise? Feng Miaojun pouted, taking a comb and grumbling: “You’re too tall, I can’t reach the top of your head.”
She was short, he was tall, and her hands could barely reach his forehead.
Without a word, Yun Ya sat in front of the mirror, allowing her to untangle his hair with her fingers.
Her movements were nimble and gentle.
Yun Ya’s hair was black, strong, smooth, and lustrous—a pleasure to touch. Feng Miaojun found it strange. Since hair was the excess of blood, only those with exceptionally rich and full qi and blood could grow such hair. Young men’s hair typically grew vigorously, but with age, hair strands gradually became dry, thin, yellow, and prone to falling out, the hairline receded, and upon entering old age, either fell out completely or turned white.
The quality of one’s hair was closely related to one’s physical condition. If Yun Ya’s health was poor, how could he have such an outward appearance?
As Feng Miaojun pondered this, seeing his eyes half-closed, still in a drifting state, she couldn’t help but gently press and massage his temples with her fingers.
As soon as she touched him, Yun Ya suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze like lightning, scanning Feng Miaojun’s reflection in the mirror.
She was slightly startled and stopped, silently cursing herself for daring to touch his vulnerable point.
However, Yun Ya narrowed his eyes again and said lazily: “Continue.”
She gently massaged him, with just the right amount of pressure. Though Yun Ya didn’t make a sound, he appeared comfortable, even withdrawing that spark of imposing manner, wholly enjoying her service.
His expression was like a cat napping by the fireplace, contented and relaxed.
Could it be that the Imperial Advisor also liked to sleep in? Feng Miaojun recalled that during their days in the White Elephant Mountain Range, Yun Ya seemed to substitute meditation for sleep, but his body desperately needed a good rest, didn’t it?
Sleep was the best way to restore physical vitality and eliminate fatigue. Thinking of this, she stuck out her tongue, silently exclaiming how dangerous it had been. For Yun Ya to allow himself to fall into deep sleep, he must have prepared ample safeguards. If she had barged in without knocking earlier, she would likely have met a terrible fate.
She had unknowingly walked to the gates of hell and back, which was the true meaning of his earlier words.
This guy was truly full of malice toward others.
Men’s hairstyles were much simpler than women’s. Feng Miaojun arranged his long hair meticulously, binding it with a white jade crown, producing a strikingly handsome man.
When Yun Ya opened his eyes again, there wasn’t a trace of sleepiness left.
He stood up and was about to leave when he suddenly turned and lifted Feng Miaojun’s chin, examining her carefully.