Chapter 50: Glimpses of the Past

Having just heard the old Daoist describe numerous characteristics of spiritual objects, she had only managed to grasp a general understanding.

A more precise identification would undoubtedly require her to examine the actual items later.

“What is it you need me for?”

Pushing open the door to the inner room, Qíngyǔ found Little Girl sprawled on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around something, her small head burrowed between them as if hatching some secret scheme.

“Didn’t I tell you to change into your pajamas before climbing into bed?”

Qíngyǔ felt a pang of helplessness. While the Daoist robes she crafted were impervious to worldly dust, habits from her prior life still clung to her. Seeing Little Girl recline on the bed without changing into nightclothes always left her with a subtle sense of unease.

“Mama! Come quickly and see!”

The girl glanced up at her mother, then swiftly buried her head once more, leaving Qíngyǔ utterly bewildered by her antics.

“Honestly… what kind of mischief are you plotting?”

Just as Qíngyǔ leaned closer, intent on discovering her secret, Little Girl suddenly lunged forward, enveloping her in a tight bear hug.

With the girl’s enthusiastic embrace, countless shimmering fragments of silver light scattered into the air, momentarily resembling a celestial river spilling into the mortal realm before vanishing just as quickly.

From within those ephemeral “silver streams,” Qíngyǔ could distinctly perceive the profound essence of the ‘moon’.

“What is this?”

“Hehe, it’s moon essence! I painstakingly gathered it over the past few nights!”

The girl giggled, seizing the chance to nuzzle her small face against her mother’s shoulder, greedily inhaling the faint, mingled scent of ink and orchids.

“Oh, you child, isn’t this simply a waste?”

Qíngyǔ shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips, as she cradled Little Girl and settled onto the edge of the bed. She then reached out, gathering the lingering silver essence that had yet to dissipate.

If this truly was the fabled moon essence, what then was the nature of those spiritual artifacts the old Daoist had mentioned?

Were they special objects imbued with the true essence of the Five Elements?

Lost in thought, Qíngyǔ closed her eyes, activating her unique ink-wash vision. When she opened them again, she gazed upon the shimmering, water-like silver essence held in her palm.

It remained a stark tableau of black and white, revealing no discernible peculiarities.

Evidently, this technique served only for observing spiritual qi and proved incapable of discerning the nature of true spiritual artifacts.

“It won’t be wasted! You see, if I don’t manage to establish my foundation, my cultivation won’t be able to advance any further!”

Little Girl shifted her position, turning her back to Qíngyǔ and snuggling deeper into her embrace, appearing utterly content and comfortable.

Could her embrace truly be that comforting?

To be frank, in this life, owing to her rather sparse diet, Qíngyǔ remained quite slender. She doubted she offered much comfort for cuddling, possessing, as she did, little in the way of cushioning flesh.

“Then I’ll take it and put it to use, shall I?”

This shimmering luminescence might very well aid her in grasping the ‘moon’s true essence’. Perhaps, once she fully comprehended it, a mere wave of her hand would be enough to summon boundless moonlight.

“Does Mama need this substance?”

“I don’t know. I’m merely experimenting.”

Qíngyǔ gently ruffled the hair of the little one in her arms, then playfully pinched her cheek.

She had, indeed, never attempted to use an object imbued with a specific true essence to aid her cultivation.

More often than not, she felt as though she were searching for a needle in a haystack, painstakingly sifting through a boundless expanse of mental images to find what she sought.

This was precisely why, throughout her entire previous life, she had only managed to comprehend a mere handful of true essences.

More frequently, her spellcasting relied not on these true essences, but on a surge of spiritual energy refined from them.

“Then Mama should try it right now!”

Hearing that her little trick might actually prove useful, Little Girl immediately turned, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, to stare intently at her mother.

She was pressing too close.

The girl’s face was so near that Qíngyǔ could discern the delicate, fine hairs upon her small, elegant nose.

This tiny creature felt like a miniature furnace; the warmth radiating from her body was almost overwhelming.

“Alright, alright, I’ll try it now.”

Silently, Qíngyǔ nudged Little Girl back a little, then took a deep breath, drawing the stream of moon essence directly before her gaze.

‘The bright moon hangs distant, yet who in this world does not gaze upon it?’

So much, indeed, was contained within this moon essence. In the terminology of her life before her last, this would have been called ‘information’.

In her immediate past life, it was known as an ‘image’ or ‘symbol’.

And in this current existence?

In a hazy, dreamlike state, she seemed to perceive countless figures gazing up at the moon – some forlorn, others reunited, some filled with bitterness…

Ultimately, it was a tapestry woven with the joys and sorrows of many households.

As aeons passed, Qíngyǔ witnessed several streaks of golden light darting towards the silent moon.

They wove a net, erecting a formation that ensnared the greater part of the moon essence, which had remained unchanged through the vast expanse of time.

“We cannot allow anyone else…”

“Then she was fortunate…”

“Prudence…”

The fragmented words were utterly incomprehensible. Just as she instinctively sought to harness the grand cosmic forces of past and present, intending to step forward and shatter the formation,

The vivid scene before her eyes dissolved into thin air in an instant.

Snapping back to reality, she realized that the moon essence in her hand had completely dissipated.

“How was it? Was it useful?!”

Little Girl, witnessing her mother’s shifting expression and the sudden coalescence and subsequent dispersion of the moon essence in her palm, beamed with unadulterated delight.

“Yes, it was useful.”

It was undeniably useful, though she could not fathom why it had granted her glimpses of ancient scenes.

Qíngyǔ shook her head slowly.

Theoretically, she could only glimpse a fleeting moment of the past if she shared a deep karmic connection with a person or object, and if that entity was also willing to reveal itself through linked imagery.

Most of the time, the impressions she received were hazy and indistinct; only the individual themselves could perceive the scenes with clarity.

Her master from her previous life had possessed far greater prowess; while teaching her the Dao, he could simply inscribe the two characters “Cangxuan” and allow her to witness all her past memories.

Yet, even now, Qíngyǔ could, at best, only offer others a momentary glimpse of recollection.

Unaware of Qíngyǔ’s thoughts, Little Girl simply sensed that her mother’s aura was remarkably unstable, flickering between joy and sorrow.

“Then shall I give Mama a little more?”

“Yes, let me look again.”

Saying this, Little Girl once more condensed a few wisps of moon essence and offered them into Qíngyǔ’s outstretched hand.

Qíngyǔ reached out to accept it, then gently set the little one she had been cradling to the side. With a solemn expression, she sat cross-legged, allowing the profound essences to circulate within her divine consciousness.

The moon essence in her palm melted away as if it were snow, ultimately leaving behind only pure spiritual energy, which permeated Little Girl’s body, leaving her feeling utterly refreshed and comfortable.

“Is it useful?”

“Yes.”

This time, however, the effect was merely one of general comprehension.

In the mysterious depths of her being, she sensed a profound need for a specific catalyst, a pivotal moment that would allow her to once again glimpse those ancient memories.

Alas, she had no idea where that vital opportunity might lie.

[Hmm? When did you run off to a blessed land ?]

Even as Qíngyǔ pondered, Immortal Sword was vaguely roused from its slumber by a sudden surge of spiritual energy absorbed by Little Girl.

[No, I’m still at home.]

Just yesterday, when Little Girl’s cultivation reached the pinnacle of Qi Condensation, Immortal Sword had imparted to her the subsequent cultivation methods of the Moonfall Scripture.

However, establishing her Dao foundation would also necessitate the guidance of Five Element spiritual artifacts.

Following that, Immortal Sword had to resort to extensive persuasion, even using Qíngyǔ’s lifespan as a scare tactic, before Little Girl reluctantly agreed to venture out and search for spiritual materials only after reaching adulthood.

[Then where did that pure spiritual energy just now originate?]

Immortal Sword felt utterly bewildered. The spiritual energy Little Girl had absorbed moments ago, and indeed, similar faint traces that had appeared over the past few days, were always so minuscule that she had dismissed them as mere illusions or strokes of luck.

[My Mama created it.]

[What? Your Mama?]

[Yes, I just gave all my moon essence to Mama, and then, somehow, a stream of spiritual energy drifted over.]

Immortal Sword quickly borrowed Little Girl’s senses to observe Qíngyǔ, yet still failed to detect even a faint trace of spiritual power emanating from her.

She was clearly utterly devoid of spiritual energy, wasn’t she?

Immortal Sword knew, of course, that Qíngyǔ possessed certain abilities, but she had always believed those talents were entirely separate from the methods of immortal cultivation.

[Then next time you gather more moon essence for your Mama, remember to wake me up.]

Unable to find any logical explanation after much deliberation, Immortal Sword reluctantly set her doubts aside for the moment.

[You’re not trying to trick me, are you?]

[Of course not! Didn’t we agree I’d help you surpass Mama?]

[Very well then. I’ll call you next time.]

Still harboring her doubts, Immortal Sword retreated back into Little Girl’s sea of consciousness, yet could not resist adding one last remark.

[You must listen to your Mama. Don’t just run off on your own; it’s very dangerous out there.]

[I have no desire to leave Mama.]

Little Girl retorted with a huff, then abruptly surged forward to embrace Qíngyǔ, who was still lost in thought, completely scattering her mother’s contemplation.

[That’s good then.]

Seeing Little Girl’s reaction, Immortal Sword resigned herself to the fact that her words would likely go unheeded today, and with a sigh, retreated back to her ‘old home’.

‘Why does this child always side with others? I’ve been here for so much longer.’