In the past few days, the village had been bustling with excitement. As soon as the news of the bonfire party spread, the young men, who had just begun to feel the sorrow of leaving their hometown, brightened up with smiles. They eagerly gathered in groups to head up the mountain and chop firewood.
Normally, such bonfire parties were only held after the village had made a big catch. This time, however, the village chief had decided to throw a special one, a rare chance for the children before they grew up to remember their roots and hometown.
The village chief was busy coordinating the event. The high platform used for testing spiritual roots had yet to be dismantled, so it would be the perfect spot for important guests and village figures to sit. Other families were arranged in a circle around it.
The beasts, still warm from their recent butchering, were being skinned and bled. The village butcher, a man with advanced cultivation, wielded a butcher's knife with great skill, swiftly cutting bones and dividing the meat. His movements were fast and efficient, and he did it all with an impressive ease that was pleasing to watch. The women, strong enough to carry massive chunks of meat weighing over a hundred pounds, moved with the grace of flight.
With the preparations in place, the village chief approached Xi Yunqing and the others. Chen Xiao didn't hide anything. He explained how he had found a spiritual vein while on the mountain, discovered the five-colored soil, and how it had caused a disturbance with the beasts. The village chief wasn't concerned at all. Instead, he laughed and said, "It's not often we have such an event where everyone gets to stretch their legs, and on top of that, they'll have enough meat to last for a long time. It's a win for everyone!" As for the spiritual vein Chen Xiao had pointed out, the village chief didn't understand its significance but promised to pass the word along, advising the villagers to stay clear of that area.
But that wasn't what Chen Xiao intended. He had told the village chief about the spot with the exceptional spiritual vein to make them aware of its value, so that it wouldn't be easily taken by others.
Had this been in his past life, fellow feng shui masters would have called him a complete fool for revealing such a discovery. Even if they found a spiritual vein, they would either keep quiet about it or mark it subtly with a piece of cloth. Only those in the know would understand its significance, while ordinary people would be none the wiser.
No one would ever give up a valuable find like this willingly. And it wasn't just a matter of claiming a spot. Spiritual sites weren't meant to be taken by anyone; doing so could bring bad luck, harm, or even shorten one's life. Feng shui masters viewed such spots as capital, something that could be used to help those with the right destiny. Of course, such people would usually be wealthy or powerful enough to bear the consequences. Otherwise, claiming a spot could be seen as harmful rather than helpful.
But Chen Xiao was different. He had no intention of hiding the spot. Instead, he wanted to raise awareness about feng shui and hoped that more people would understand its benefits. It was clear that while the village chief understood his words, he hadn't grasped the deeper meaning. Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel frustrated. After all, his words didn't carry much weight in a place like this.
Before sunset, with the sun low in the west, the bonfire was lit. The flames burned brightly, casting a warm glow over the scene. The villagers gathered together with great excitement, sitting according to their family units. Some, however, chose to sit with friends instead of their families, forming groups of three or five. These young people, some preparing to leave, others staying behind, seemed to have endless things to talk about.
Chen Xiao, along with the others, sat on the platform. The food before them was abundant, roasted meat as the main dish, accompanied by noodles, vegetables, and fruit. At first, he thought the bonfire party was just a casual gathering to eat, drink, and chat. What he hadn't expected was that there would be another event: a martial arts competition among the villagers.
To those sitting on the platform, this might have been just entertainment. But for the villagers competing, it was a crucial event that could determine their future. The village chief had already announced that five spots were reserved for adults over twenty. Since the spots were limited, it wouldn't be fair to just give them to someone, so a competition had been organized to decide who would fill the spots.
Earlier in the day, when the news spread that Ah Shou had applied to join, many had been envious. However, they knew they didn't have the same talent or spiritual roots, so even if they tried, it would only bring embarrassment. Now, with the unexpected opportunity, everyone felt hopeful and rushed to sign up.
The youngest contestant was twenty, and the oldest was even older than Ah Shou. Some were eager to leave the village and try their luck, while others had been working tirelessly to improve their cultivation. A couple had even registered together because their only child would be leaving. If they were selected, their family wouldn't have to be separated across two realms.
Frankly, Chen Xiao was surprised by how exciting the competition was. Although the villagers had only learned basic techniques and their cultivation levels mostly hovered around the advanced stage, with only a few having reached foundation-building, they still showed remarkable skills in martial arts and battle awareness. It was clear that their environment had shaped them. Living surrounded by beasts, they had to be strong to survive, and as a result, their combat instincts were sharp.
Xi Yunqing was also impressed. These villagers were well-trained, with battle experience that far exceeded many of the foundation-building disciples from Chongxuan Sect. If they received proper guidance and had their cultivation techniques aligned with their spiritual roots, they could become outstanding talents. He regretted that only a few spots were available.
However, it wasn't long before Xi Yunqing suppressed his thoughts. The decisions he made were not easily altered. Constantly changing his mind would only make people think he lacked authority. Moreover, the limited number of spots would make these people cherish and work harder for the opportunity, which could turn out to be a good thing.
As Xi Yunqing pondered, Chen Xiao, who was sitting next to him, shifted a little. Xi Yunqing instinctively turned to look at him. Chen Xiao's face no longer held the excitement he had earlier during the competition. Instead, he was sitting there in a daze. After a moment of thought, Xi Yunqing leaned slightly in his direction and said, "If you don't feel like watching, you can leave first. It won't be rude if you leave before the others."
It wasn't surprising that Chen Xiao found the competition boring and began to space out. Despite possessing the ability of Feng Shui, he was still, at his core, an ordinary person with no cultivation. He didn't possess agility or martial skills. Watching a competition for a long time would naturally become dull.
Chen Xiao seemed to snap out of his trance as if waking from a dream and looked at Xi Yunqing in confusion. "Hm?" He blinked a few times, then slowly grasped the meaning behind Xi Yunqing's words. He quickly straightened up and shook his head. "It's alright. I'll wait for everyone to leave together."
Xi Yunqing smiled slightly. "This gathering is very laid-back. Staying until the very end isn't required to be polite." Then his voice softened. "Listen to me, if you're tired, you should go rest first." He had already started to show signs of fatigue himself, and it was clear that he was exhausted.
Chen Xiao paused but didn't argue further. He decided to heed Xi Yunqing's suggestion and leave early. That night, Wu Qing, who had managed to sit up, also arrived. Ah Shou was busy taking care of him and didn't have time for Tong Nuonuo. Du Rong had to stay until the very end to accompany Tong Nuonuo back when the event concluded.
When Chen Xiao stood up, Du Rong initially intended to send him back. However, Chen Xiao firmly declined. He didn't need an escort; he'd be fine going to his room on his own. After thinking about it, Du Rong understood and decided to stay to continue watching the competition.
Chen Xiao descended the stage alone, bypassing the crowd and following the village's path. As he got farther away, the voices of the people began to fade, and only the faint glow from the bonfire remained. At this point, Chen Xiao could no longer contain himself and sprinted forward. He had held it in since noon, and now, finally, he let loose without hiding his excitement.
When he had inserted the rod into the ground earlier, it had been a major discovery. However, Chen Xiao's shock was just as great as Tong Nuonuo. As the iron rod pierced the surface and entered the hole, a torrent of energy flowed up through the rod and into his body!
Tong Nuonuo and Du Rong were both completely absorbed by the essence of the mine heart, not noticing him at all. In his mind, the compass suddenly appeared, glowing brightly. It seemed to greedily absorb all the energy flowing into his body, pulling it in large quantities.
At first, only the central "Heaven Pool" area of the compass glowed, while the other parts remained dull. But now, golden energy overflowed from the Heaven Pool, flowing in a clockwise direction and illuminating the adjacent areas. As the golden light completed a full circle, the compass's innate eight trigrams positions lit up one by one, turning the compass into a replica of the central Heaven Pool. Chen Xiao was still in awe when the golden energy continued flowing, lighting up the second layer and illuminating all the stars of the Luo Book.
That was why, while Du Rong and Tong Nuonuo were overjoyed, Chen Xiao appeared absent-minded. When Xi Yunqing came over, he mistakenly thought it was because the commotion from the wild beasts had startled him.
Earlier, when he was on the stage, Chen Xiao couldn't hold back and secretly summoned the compass in his mind. He wanted to see what would happen when the compass lit up two layers. It turned out that the compass had incredible properties, and once it made contact, it immediately displayed its new abilities.
Once the innate eight trigram layer was lit, the compass completed a new eight-trigram positioning. Originally, the eight trigrams each represented one thing. But now, after absorbing the energy from the earth's veins, the compass could represent this world's same elements in the form of eight trigrams, no longer just ordinary symbols. In the future, it would be of great help to Chen Xiao in his Feng Shui practices.
The Luo Book stars layer was even more remarkable. The stars were now completely different from the past, and the old star positions could no longer be used. After the compass absorbed the energy, the stars of the Luo Book automatically shifted, realigning the sky's constellations to reflect the new star patterns based on the world's current position. It replaced the original Big Dipper, reordering the palace positions!
Author's Note:
Chen Xiao has no spiritual roots, so he cannot cultivate in the usual way. He can only use a special method, Feng Shui, to practice immortality. The compass is essentially his spiritual root and core.
When he helps others with their homes, it's like grinding through small tasks to accumulate progress. But finding dragon veins and placing the right spots is like battling a big boss, resulting in a huge leap in experience.
Previously, when Chen Xiao helped with homes, it wasn't in vain. He was about to level up, and by finding a spot, he directly unlocked two layers of the compass.
Chen Xiao's cultivation level is represented by the layers on the compass. Right now, with two layers, he is equivalent to a low-level cultivator at full Qi Gathering. One more breakthrough, and he'll reach the Body Refining stage, becoming a high-level cultivator.