Xu Xiaoxiao's Immortal Cultivation Life (Transmigration)

Chapter 63 Spirit Control Technique

Although the group was afraid when they saw that they were surrounded by people from other sects, they had no intention of backing down.

Yang Qingfeng stepped forward first, summoning the sect's bronze mirror. The mirror floated in mid-air, radiating light, protecting everyone behind it. He shouted, "Those who want to snatch the bamboo slips should think twice before acting!"

Seeing this, the thug grinned, brandished his broadsword, and, imbued with black spiritual energy, slashed down fiercely: "You won't listen to reason, so here comes the punishment! Brothers, charge!"

In an instant, enemy troops surged in like a tidal wave.

Xu Xiaoxiao snorted coldly, and her flying sword hummed as it instantly split into several sword shadows, piercing through the enemy formation with sharp spiritual power. She shouted, "No matter how many come, we'll beat them all back!" As soon as the flying sword passed, several henchmen fell to the ground screaming.

Yuan Mengyao was not to be outdone. Her whip moved like a nimble dragon, striking, wrapping, and twisting in one fluid motion, targeting the enemy's joints and weapons. When she wrapped around a person's blade, she suddenly pulled, causing the person to stagger. She mocked, "Is this all you've got? You dare to try and steal it?"

The enemy, however, outnumbered and outgunned them, launching wave after wave of attacks that gradually made it difficult for everyone to breathe.

One of the junior students was accidentally hit in the shoulder, groaned, and fell to the ground.

Yuan Mengyao reacted swiftly, flicking her whip to pull her junior brother back into the formation, and shouted, "Everyone, don't panic! Stand back to back and look out for each other!"

At this moment, a mysterious figure in black robes suddenly appeared from the enemy camp. He formed hand seals and unleashed a strange black light that devoured everyone's spiritual energy attacks.

The situation suddenly became serious, and everyone's faces turned solemn.

Yang Qingfeng's eyes sharpened, and he quickly whispered a few words to his senior sister beside him. The senior sister understood and changed her hand seals, quietly setting up a concealing spiritual energy array under her feet.

Yang Qingfeng took the initiative, drawing the attention of the man in black robes away, and feigned defeat and retreat.

The man in black robes fell for the trap and pressed forward relentlessly.

As soon as the man in black robes stepped into the range of the spiritual energy array, the senior sister suddenly activated the array. The array shone brightly, vines broke through the ground, and flames rose, trapping the man in black robes.

The man in black robes was terrified and struggled frantically.

Taking advantage of the enemy's disarray, Xu Xiaoxiao seized the opportunity, unleashing her full spiritual power to drive her flying sword straight for the enemy leader's throat; Yuan Mengyao swung her spiritual whip, sweeping down a group of close-range minions.

The group fought with increasing ferocity, but their physical strength was ultimately limited, and their spiritual power gradually waned.

Just when things were at their most critical, shouts of battle erupted from afar; it turned out that reinforcements from Haoyue Manor had arrived.

The reinforcements, with overwhelming momentum, quickly joined the battle, charging into the enemy like tigers among sheep.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the enemy scattered and fled.

Everyone collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, but their faces were filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

After this battle, they not only successfully protected the bamboo slips, but also deepened their friendship and tacit understanding. In the future, when they talked about this fierce battle, they felt proud and fearless of any challenge in the martial world.

Uncle Li led his men over and said, "You've all had a hard time. Are any of you seriously injured?" He checked their numbers and was relieved to see that none of them were missing. These were the youngest and most outstanding disciples of the Returning Heaven Sect, and they couldn't afford to die here, or he wouldn't be able to explain it to them.

Xu Xiaoxiao propped herself up and sat up, wiping the dust off her face. She grinned and said, "Uncle Li, we're tough! It's just that our spiritual energy was used up quite a bit, and we've run out of Rejuvenation Pills. Right now, our hands and feet are weak."

Yuan Mengyao also gently rubbed her legs and chimed in, "Yes, we finally got rid of those guys who were trying to steal the bamboo slips. They didn't embarrass our Huitian Sect."

Uncle Li breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and patted Yang Qingfeng on the shoulder: "Qingfeng, you did a great job this time! I was so worried when I saw you surrounded. The master repeatedly told me to protect you seedlings."

Yang Qingfeng clasped his hands slightly in a salute, his face still showing signs of fatigue from the fierce battle: "Thank you, Uncle Li, for your timely reinforcements. If it had been any later, the situation would have been dire. That man in black robes was truly troublesome and almost ruined everything."

Uncle Li frowned, his expression grave: "The man in black robes? Could it be the Shadow Cult members who specialize in robbing treasures near various ruins and appear out of nowhere? It seems the bamboo slips are of great importance, which has attracted their attention."

It is not advisable to linger here, lest there are still remnants of the gang.

Let's return to the manor first and report to the manor lord in detail.

Everyone stood up, helping each other along, and hurried back with the group.

On the way, a senior sister tugged at Yuan Mengyao's sleeve and whispered, "Junior sister, now that we've got the bamboo slips, will the manor lord reward us handsomely? I've been eyeing that lost Spirit Control Technique for so long."

Yuan Mengyao chuckled and poked her head: "You, you're always thinking about the benefits. But everyone has made great contributions this time, so the sect leader certainly won't treat us unfairly. Besides, the cultivation techniques in this bamboo slip are profound, enough for us to study for a while."

Xu Xiaoxiao, with her sharp ears, leaned over and teased, "Oh, you want to keep the Spirit Control Technique to yourself? You'll have to share it with everyone so they can all learn how to control spirits. Maybe they'll even find their own spirit pets later."

The group chatted and laughed along the way, which helped to dispel much of their fatigue.

Back at Haoyue Manor, the manor lord, Huang Hao, was already waiting in the main hall. Seeing everyone return, he looked pleased and said, "Children, this expedition to explore the ruins was fraught with danger. I am very proud to hear about the battle. Now, bring the bamboo slips here for us to see."

Yang Qingfeng stepped forward and respectfully presented the bamboo slips.

The manor lord accepted the bamboo slip, infused it with spiritual energy, and it began to glow. After a long while, a look of delight appeared on his face: "It truly is an ancient treasure! The cultivation technique is exquisite, and the clues to the ruins are priceless. You have found such an opportunity for the manor; you deserve a great reward!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall showed joy on their faces.

Master Huang Hao continued, “However, now that the Shadow Sect has its eye on you, you must be doubly cautious in your future actions. I will make a copy of the cultivation techniques and map in this bamboo slip for you, as a reward for your return to the Heavenly Sect. In addition, you can all learn our Bright Moon Manor's Spirit Control Technique. From now on, you can focus on your seclusion, consolidate your cultivation, and study the techniques. Once your strength has greatly increased, there will be many important tasks entrusted to you. I hope you will not fail the manor's expectations.”

Everyone responded in unison, their fighting spirit high.

Deep within the tranquil back mountains of Haoyue Manor lies a sacred ground specifically created for studying spirit control techniques. Surrounded by concealment arrays, it isolates itself from external disturbances, and its spiritual energy is so dense that it is almost tangible, swirling and drifting like clouds and mist.

As soon as Xu Xiaoxiao and her group stepped into the place, they jumped up excitedly, reaching out to grab the wisps of spiritual energy, exclaiming, "Wow, the spiritual energy here is abundant! Cultivating the Spirit Control Technique will definitely be twice as effective!"

Yuan Mengyao chuckled and patted her lightly: "Don't just focus on playing. The manor lord gave us such a good place because he hopes we can quickly comprehend the Spirit Control Technique. Hurry up."

The group sat in a circle, and Yang Qingfeng took out the ancient bamboo slip first. He infused it with spiritual power, and the bamboo slip floated in the air. The characters of the Spirit Control Technique shimmered and were projected into the air.

With a focused expression, he said in a deep voice, "Everyone, look carefully. The opening section discusses the classification of spirits. Understanding the temperament of different spirits is the first step in controlling spirits. I have heard that fire spirits are violent and aggressive, and are mostly found in volcanic and geothermal areas; water spirits are gentle and often hide in spiritual springs. Let's start by memorizing the theory."

A senior student scratched his head, looking puzzled: "Senior Brother Yang, the principles on paper are easy to understand, but how do you actually sense a spirit? I closed my eyes for a long time, but I didn't feel anything."

At this moment, the senior sister spoke gently: "Don't rush. To sense a spirit, you need to calm your mind. As the Spirit Control Technique says, abandon distracting thoughts and use your own spiritual power as tentacles to slowly reach out. Come on, everyone, follow me."

Having said that, he closed his eyes and focused his mind, his spiritual energy trembling slightly as it slowly emanated outwards.

Everyone followed suit, and a moment later, Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly opened her eyes and excitedly shouted, "I think... I feel something small swaying in front of me on the left, it's icy cold, is it Shui Ling?"

Yuan Mengyao opened her eyes, her spirit whip in hand, and said cautiously, "Don't panic, calm your mind, and slowly lure it over. Don't scare it."

Xu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement, and sent wisps of spiritual energy toward that spot, softly chanting words of comfort. Suddenly, a pale blue spirit materialized, looking timid.

"It's done!" Xu Xiaoxiao grinned, but she didn't expect that her movements were a bit too big, and the spirit was startled and tried to escape with a "whoosh".

Yuan Mengyao reacted swiftly, flicking out her spirit whip to gently entangle the spirit, and scolded, "You, be careful." She then turned and whispered to the spirit, as if apologizing and comforting it.

Once the spirit was settled, Yang Qingfeng nodded approvingly: "It's good to have a start. Next is the contract stage. The Spirit Control Technique says that you should use an equal and sincere heart, and inject your own spiritual power as a guide to build the contract bridge."

The group tried again with great effort, but the process was fraught with setbacks. Some people's spiritual power was unstable, causing their contracts to break; others were resisted by the spirits, causing them to break out in a sweat. Fortunately, by encouraging each other and sharing their experiences, they gradually found the knack and successfully formed contracts with their first spirit.

In the days that followed, such conversations were often heard in the spiritual land—

"Why is my wood spirit so stubborn? It never listens to me when I try to nurture spirit plants!"

"Your control of spiritual power is too rough. You need to go along with the nature of the spirit. Like me, I still have to figure out how to control my temper when I'm getting along with Yan Ling."

Several months later, everyone had become skilled at using spirits in combat.

During a sparring session, Xu Xiaoxiao channeled the power of her spirit into her flying sword, causing it to shine brightly as she shouted, "Watch this move! Spirit amplification doubles its power!"

Yuan Mengyao was not to be outdone; her spirit whip, imbued with spiritual power, lashed out and shattered the boulder.

"Senior Sister Yuan, it's been almost a year and a half since we came down the mountain. I miss my master and senior brothers." Xu Xiaoxiao sheathed her sword, looking a little downcast.

Seeing her like this, Yuan Mengyao put away her spirit whip. "Xiaoxiao, you're young and it's your first time traveling so far. It's normal to miss home. But we've completed our mission and will be returning to the sect to report soon. Just bear with it a little longer." She reached out and hugged Xu Xiaoxiao.