87: Research on the Naling Method

After acquiring the Spirit Nurturing Method, Chen Cuo did not immediately study it. Instead, he followed White Egret to learn about the Bailu Smithy, apart from the storefront at the very front.

He explored all around, observing the roaring fires beneath the smithy's furnaces, burning without cease.

The intense heat of the boiling flames made even Chen Cuo break out in a sweat, which filled him with joy. It seemed the Bailu Smithy had a good foundation.

“Master Dai, this Fellow Daoist Chen is the new Artifact Refiner joining our smithy. His Innate True Fire is precisely controlled and quite powerful, and he also knows some basic Artifact Refining. Please take good care of him, Master Dai.”

White Egret first arranged accommodation for Chen Cuo, then brought him to get acquainted. Master Dai had already finished forging a low-grade Magical Artifact hoe.

Chen Cuo looked at the old man exuding a strong fiery Aura and did not insist, merely nodding slightly.

Dai Xiong scrutinized Chen Cuo, noticing that he only exuded the Aura of a newly advanced Innate Martial Artist, with fair and smooth skin, looking nothing like someone who could refine artifacts.

However, judging a book by its cover has always been a major taboo, especially for Innate Experts: “Shopkeeper, you are too kind. Since Fellow Daoist Chen is skilled in fire control, why not show us!”

“Hmm!”

Chen Cuo nodded in response, then activated his True Qi. A wisp of Innate True Fire emerged from his palm, forming a lotus-shaped flame, imbued with a gentle and controlled Concept. However, anyone who underestimated its power would suffer greatly.

Both White Egret and Dai Xiong were masters of fire, so they naturally perceived the formidable power within this small fiery lotus. The temperature of the fiery lotus seemed no less than the furnace fire in the forging furnace.

Fire-attributed True Qi is known for its scorching and violent nature. Just being able to transform formless True Qi into tangible True Fire, like Chen Cuo did, is something most Innate Experts cannot achieve. And he could control the flame to such a precise degree; such Aptitude was simply astonishing.

Dai Xiong secretly thought, “Just this technique of transforming flame into a lotus means this kid’s Aptitude for Artifact Refining will definitely not be bad. White Egret didn't lose out on this deal.”

“Fellow Daoist Chen, your talent is outstanding, and I, Dai, am impressed. Shopkeeper, rest assured, I will take care of teaching Fellow Daoist Chen Artifact Refining!”

Dai Xiong immediately patted his chest and readily agreed. He only sought to retire at the shop now. The better the Bailu Smithy’s business, the better it was for him. Given Chen Cuo’s Aptitude, he might even be able to teach a Great Master of Artifact Refining in the future, and he himself would become famous in Xueshan City.

“I will trouble Master Dai from now on.” Chen Cuo bowed slightly. As fellow Innate Experts, if the other party was willing to teach him the art of Cultivation, the knowledgeable should be respected as a teacher, and politeness was due.

Afterward, Chen Cuo personally handled the tools in the forging room and became familiar with the other apprentices and servants in the shop before returning to his room to rest.

The room was simple and elegant, without any signs of luxury, yet it exuded a comfortable feeling.

With miscellaneous matters settled, Chen Cuo officially began to understand the Spirit Nurturing Method, the beginning of the Immortal Cultivation Dao.

The night was deep, and residing in the Great Snow Mountain, the starry sky outside was not obscured by dark clouds.

Instead, one could see a brilliant starry sky, with stars appearing as large as dippers, as if one could clearly see the patterns on their surfaces, and a bright moon emitting starlight.

The Big Dipper also existed in this world, but unfortunately, this world was not the original world.

Chen Cuo collected his thoughts. In the room, only the rustling sound of turning pages could be heard.

The Heavenly Dao changes, Martial Dao is Immortal, all living beings have the opportunity to shed their Mortal forms. Some are born noble, some are born extraordinary, there are born Immortals, and there are great Cultivators who shed their Mortal forms and transcend.

The Heavenly Dao has forty-nine, one is escaped, so all living beings also have the opportunity to transform into demons. Of course, Mortals also have the foundation for Immortal Ascension.

It must be known that Cultivators all possess Spiritual Roots. Regardless of Aptitude, it is always a threshold.

Only with a Spiritual Root can one Cultivate magical power and attain longevity.

However, the Spirit Nurturing Method states that a great being opened the Immortal path for all living beings. As long as a Mortal enters the Innate realm through Martial Arts, opening all their Meridians, they can absorb a wisp of spiritual energy, causing their undeveloped false Spiritual Root to shed its Mortal form and become a true Spiritual Root, capable of transforming True Qi into magical power and entering the Immortal path.

It is said that everyone is born with Spiritual Roots, but most people in the world have blocked Meridians and mixed, uneven Spiritual Roots, mostly false and mixed Spiritual Roots, making it difficult to enter the Immortal path.

The Spirit Nurturing Method is an Immortal method created by a great being. After a Martial Artist reaches the Innate realm, they can temper their spirit, nourish their body, open all their Meridians, and absorb a wisp of pseudo-Spiritual Root Qi, refining it into their bones with a secret method, thus enabling them to embark on the Immortal path.

The stories within are a mix of truth and falsehood. The book claims that the great being who created this Heaven-Defying method has already Ascended, but imprinted their Cultivation Technique into the Dao of this Cultivation world, allowing their created method to be passed down to this day, giving these Martial Artists the opportunity to shed their Mortal forms.

Most Innate Martial Artists' Cultivation Techniques are based on opening the twelve main Meridians and the eight extraordinary Meridians, opening more acupoints and increasing power. Therefore, Innate Martial Artists naturally have already stepped onto the Immortal path.

However, without the Spirit Nurturing Method, they ultimately cannot succeed. The Spirit Nurturing Method is divided into three steps: opening all Meridians is just the first step; the second step is for the essence, Qi, and spirit to be full and unified, without Impurities; and the third step, nurturing the Spiritual Root, is no different from defying fate and requires enduring unimaginable pain, which must be overcome through sheer willpower.

Of course, most importantly, you must have a Spiritual Root. The Spiritual Root for nurturing refers to a wisp of Spiritual Qi that exists in living beings with spiritual energy in heaven and earth.

Don't underestimate this wisp of Spiritual Qi; it cannot be used casually. First, it must have a certain living attribute, how to put it, it must possess spirituality.

For example, the spiritual energy of rushing rivers, the Innate Purple Qi of the rising sun, are all types of this Spiritual Qi. But such Spiritual Qi, not to mention the difficulty of collecting it, Innate Experts simply cannot do it.

Although these Spiritual Qi are of extremely high quality, they exist for a very short time, often only for an instant. It is difficult for non-Divine Ability users to collect them, and this refers to the outside Cultivation world.

In this Jueling Realm, using this type of Spiritual Qi as a Spiritual Root is out of the question.

Secondly, the nurtured Spiritual Root must conform to one's own Cultivation Technique. Forcibly nurturing a Spiritual Root of another attribute will inevitably cause damage to the Meridians and acupoints, leading to more harm than good.

Furthermore, nurturing a Spiritual Root is not creating something out of nothing, but rather similar to implantation, or using an external physical Spiritual Root or Spiritual Qi to fill the original void. It is repair, not creation.

Therefore, the amount you nurture does not affect whether you are still a false mixed Spiritual Root in terms of Aptitude. It only gives you the opportunity to transcend the Mortal world. Your Cultivation speed will probably only be half that of a true natural Spiritual Root.

Of course, the quality of the Spiritual Root you incorporate still has some influence.

As for nurturing Spiritual Roots in the Jueling Realm, most Innate Martial Artists use physical objects that carry Spiritual Roots, which also possess good vitality and potential.

Chen Cuo has three such Spiritual Roots: the Shaomu Qi from the gangmu stone fetus. The Shaomu Qi itself is an earth-attributed Spiritual Root Qi, and it also has the effect of carrying the earth and catalyzing the formation of Geng Metal Qi, making it one of the rare Spiritual Qi.

The silver kill holy sword is a Magical Artifact. As for its grade, Chen Cuo cannot tell for now, but it should not be low. It contains a tiny bit of Geng Metal fragments. Through the efficacy of the Shaomu Qi and the starlight tempering sword True Qi from the “Big Dipper Seven Kill Sword Scripture,” it can actually refine Geng Metal Qi, which is simply incredible.

Finally, there is the Medicine Spirit Energy on Xiao Ling. The Medicine Spirit Energy is born from Xiao Ling’s Divine Ability talent, used for self-preservation by severing its tail. Its efficacy is powerful, it can smooth out hidden injuries, prolong life, and it is also an infinitely regenerative resource.

“The silver kill holy sword can only refine Geng Metal Qi once, but the other two attributes are renewable, however…”

Chen Cuo quickly outlined an idea in his mind and immediately cried out in excitement.

“Indeed, it turns out that when I achieved Innate by following the idea of Five Elements unification, this path might truly be passable.”

“So, now I only lack water and fire attributed Spiritual Roots. There is still plenty of time, I can collect them slowly. For now, let’s first get started with the Spirit Nurturing Method!”