19: Chapter 19 Cultivation Techniques

By the time he returned to his small courtyard in Zone C, the sun had already dipped into the west.

Lin Xuan did not rush to study his Cultivation Technique or Spell, but instead first tried to channel a wisp of Thunder Spiritual Energy into his qingyun sword.

The blade emitted a faint bluish-gray halo, and as he swung it, there was a subtle sound of it cutting through the air.

"The power is limited, but it is still better than fighting with bare hands."

He was still pondering over his newly acquired Magical Artifact when the courtyard door was knocked upon, accompanied by Chen Hao's familiar booming voice: "Lin Xuan! Are you in?"

Lin Xuan ceased his Cultivate and stood up, pushing open the door to the Quiet Room.

Chen Hao had already pushed open the courtyard gate and entered on his own, his face full of joy, the pale red Flame Peak jade token at his waist swaying with his movements.

"Good fellow! You really made a Breakthrough!" Chen Hao walked up and slapped Lin Xuan's shoulder hard. Feeling the solid physique and the faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi, he grinned and said, "I knew you could do it! All that talk about bottom-tier aptitude is nonsense! The two of us, the Thunder and Fire Duo, will definitely make a name for ourselves in the Sanyang Sect in the future!"

Lin Xuan was amused by him: "What Thunder and Fire Duo... How do you have time to come over today?"

"I just finished a mission to clear out a fire ant nest, and when I returned, I heard the news of your Breakthrough, so I hurried over!"

Chen Hao sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard on his own accord and pulled an oil-paper parcel from his bosom. "Here, this is the 'Roasted Red-Toothed Pork' served by the Flame Peak dining hall today. It is rich in Spiritual Qi and tastes quite good. I specially saved a piece for you."

Lin Xuan took it; the meat was still warm and smelled delicious. The two shared the food, and Chen Hao said vaguely while gnawing on the meat: "Right, the important matter! I just heard confirmed news from the Mission Hall that the opening date for the Cloud Mist Valley has been set!"

Lin Xuan paused slightly: "When?"

"Five months from now! Specifically, the valley opens on the day of the Beginning of Autumn, and the duration is twenty days."

Chen Hao lowered his voice, "This time is a bit different from previous years. Only Disciples below Level 3 Qi Refining are allowed to enter in groups, with a maximum limit of five people per team. I heard that some areas require cooperation from multiple people to explore, and the Sect wants to encourage collaboration among Disciples."

He looked at Lin Xuan with bright eyes: "How about it, let's team up? I'll find two more reliable people. I know a few honest Senior Brothers from Flame Peak..."

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Haozi, thank you for your kind intentions. However... I want to go in alone."

"Alone?" Chen Hao's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? The Cloud Mist Valley is not the back mountain of our Emerald Bamboo Peak! Although only the outer area is open, even in the outer area, Tier 1 low-level Yao Beasts are not uncommon, and there are natural maze formations and poisonous miasma..."

"I know." Lin Xuan interrupted him, his tone calm but firm. "It is precisely because it is dangerous that I want to act alone. While teaming up is safer, my movements would be restricted, and the distribution of gains would also be an issue. My Cultivate is just starting; I need resources, and I want to explore at my own pace."

He paused and looked at Chen Hao: "Besides, I have some methods of my own, and having more people would actually make them inconvenient to use."

Chen Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Lin Xuan's calm gaze, he ultimately swallowed his persuasive words.

He understood his friend; although he looked gentle, he was actually very determined, and it was hard to change his mind once he had made a decision.

"Alright then... As long as you know what you are doing." Chen Hao sighed, then cheered up again. "How about this: I will help you keep an eye out for information on the valley's maps, common Yao Beasts, and spiritual materials! Many people from our Flame Peak go every time, and the news is varied, so I will compile a report for you!"

"Then many thanks." Lin Xuan did not decline this time. Information was crucial, and he accepted Chen Hao's gesture.

The two chatted for a while longer. Chen Hao talked about his experiences at Flame Peak, complaining that the Senior Brother who taught Spells was too strict and boasting about a small fire-control trick he had recently mastered; Lin Xuan simply mentioned receiving his Magical Artifact and selecting his Cultivation Technique and Spells.

"Breath Concealment Technique and Earth Listening Technique?" When Chen Hao heard the Spells Lin Xuan had chosen, he was stunned for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense, given your temperament... but they are indeed practical. For offensive Spells, you have Lightning Strike Technique, for movement you have Wind Control Technique, and for defense, you have Golden Armor Technique. Five months is enough to practice a few more offensive and defensive Spells."

He suddenly thought of something and asked: "Right, what Cultivation Technique did you choose? The Cultivation Techniques provided by our Sanyang Sect for the Qi Refinement Stage are mostly Tier 2 or 3. The 'Li Fire Scripture' I chose is Tier 3, and I heard it is quite good."

Lin Xuan hesitated slightly but spoke frankly: "I chose the 'Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art'."

"The 'Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art'?" Chen Hao was stunned at first, then gasped. "That incomplete Tier 4 one? I heard that is a masochistic Cultivation Technique! It requires using thunder to perform Body Tempering, the cultivation process is incredibly painful, and it doesn't value Spiritual Root attributes; it all depends on whether one can endure it..."

He stared at Lin Xuan and lowered his voice: "You didn't choose this just because of your low Spiritual Root attributes, did you?"

Lin Xuan smiled: "That is one of the reasons. But more importantly, this Cultivation Technique suits me."

Chen Hao looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly slapped his thigh hard: "Alright! You kid always makes unexpected decisions. But be very careful, take it easy when you Cultivate, and don't actually ruin yourself."

As twilight deepened, Chen Hao stood up to leave, and before he left, he urged again: "Think more about the Cloud Mist Valley matter, and if you change your mind, come find me anytime! Use these few months to Cultivate diligently and practice your Cultivation Technique and Spells until you are proficient; that will give you a better chance of success."

After seeing Chen Hao off, Lin Xuan returned to the Quiet Room.

Outside the window, the twilight deepened, and bamboo shadows swayed. He did not immediately study his Spells, but instead took out the purple Jade Slip of the 'Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art' and pressed it against his forehead.

A vast stream of information flooded into his mind, far more massive than he had imagined. The opening chapter was the general outline: "The Purple Heaven refers to the extreme heights of the Nine Heavens, and the Divine Thunder is the authority of the Dao's punishment. This method does not value talent, only willpower. Use thunder as a hammer to perform Body Tempering; use pain as fuel to temper the Dao Heart..."

The intent of the Cultivation Technique was extremely high, viewing thunder as a tool to temper the Dao body and a whetstone to hone one's willpower.

The Qi Refining section had nine levels, each accompanied by a unique "Thunder Tempering Method" — channeling the power of thunder or violent Thunder Spiritual Energy to impact and cleanse the Physical Body and Meridians in a specific way. The process was incredibly painful, but upon completion, the Physical Body's strength, Meridian resilience, and the purity of Spiritual Qi would all be greatly enhanced.

Lin Xuan tried to follow the technique of the first level, guiding the Thunder Spiritual Energy in his Dantian to circulate.

The route was exquisite and complex, requiring extremely high control over Spiritual Qi.

But more importantly, when circulating to a certain node, the Cultivation Technique required actively triggering a trace of the "violent" characteristic of thunder to impact specific Meridian acupoints!

Having tried it only once, Lin Xuan felt a tearing pain from that Meridian, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

"As expected... painful." He gritted his teeth, ceased his cultivation, and took a few deep breaths.

But after the pain, he keenly noticed that the impacted Meridian seemed to have slightly widened, and the Thunder Spiritual Energy flowing through it had become purer and more condensed.

"Pain in exchange for Foundation..." A realization flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes.

This 'Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art' took the most difficult path, but every step was incredibly solid. As long as he could endure it, his Foundation would far exceed those of the same level.

Moreover, he had the long-term feedback from the thunder-attracting vine, and his Spiritual Qi naturally contained a trace of residual Heavenly Thunder, so his tolerance for thunder was inherently stronger than others.

Inside the Spirit-Taming Tower Space, the thunder-attracting vine was still growing, and in the future, it might be able to provide gentler thunder power to assist in Body Tempering...

"This Cultivation Technique, I chose correctly." Lin Xuan was certain in his heart.

Putting away the Cultivation Technique Jade Slip, he then took out the 'Breath Concealment Technique' Jade Slip and pressed it against his forehead.

A cool stream of air surged into his mind; a Spell of several hundred words, along with the route for Spiritual Qi circulation and the essentials of mental coordination, were clearly imprinted into his consciousness. The spiritual light of the Jade Slip dimmed slightly.

"So that's how it is... Concealing one's aura is nothing more than the eight-character essence of 'locking Qi within' and 'blending in without'." Lin Xuan contemplated it carefully.

He sat cross-legged, and according to the Spell, mobilized the Thunder Spiritual Energy in his Dantian, slowly circulating it along specific Meridians, while simultaneously gathering his focus, shrinking his outward life aura and Spiritual Qi fluctuations inward bit by bit.

At first, it was quite obscure. But soon, that trace of "residual Heavenly Thunder" from the thunder-attracting vine again showed a miraculous effect.

When Lin Xuan circulated the 'Breath Concealment Technique', this residual trace naturally combined with the concealment Spiritual Qi, forming an extremely faint "membrane" on his body surface that carried an aura of upright majesty.

This membrane not only perfectly concealed his aura but also had a natural repellent and confusing effect on yin-evil and dark types of probing power.

"An unexpected joy." The corners of Lin Xuan's mouth curled up slightly.

This 'Breath Concealment Technique', combined with his unique Thunder Spiritual Energy, was much more effective than he had anticipated.

When he exited the cultivation state, the sky outside the window was already filled with stars.

He felt the Thunder Spiritual Energy flowing steadily in his Dantian, looked at the bluish-gray qingyun sword on the wall, and the purple Jade Slip in his bosom that recorded the incomplete Tier 4 thunder-path Cultivation Technique, his thoughts gradually becoming clear.

Level 1 Qi Refining was just a starting point.

The 'Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art' was a thorny path leading to the Dao.

The Cloud Mist Valley was the next test, and also an opportunity.

Walking forward alone might be lonely, and it might be dangerous, but this was the path he had chosen.

"One step at a time." Lin Xuan said softly, and blew out the oil lamp.

The Quiet Room plunged into darkness, with only bits of starlight shining through the window paper, casting faint spots of light on the ground.