Chapter 149 : Observing the Method
Chapter 149: Observing the Method
“???”
Chen Beiwu’s eyes revealed a trace of surprise.
What he wanted was the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk, not an untrustworthy Foundation Establishment Dao partner.
Clearly, Yu Pan was not within the scope of his trust.
“How is it?” Yu Pan asked with confidence.
She believed that Chen Zi’ang would not reject her proposal.
If a female Foundation Establishment cultivator was willing to practice a dual cultivation method, taking the initiative to cooperate, nourishing yin to support yang, it could absolutely allow a Qi Refining cultivator to advance by leaps and bounds.
Of course, dual cultivation across realms was not without its drawbacks.
If a female Foundation Establishment cultivator harbored malicious intent, she could reduce a Qi Refining cultivator to a dried corpse in just three seconds.
“Junior Sister, could you perhaps change the condition? Before advancing to Foundation Establishment, I do not currently have any intention of taking a Dao partner.”
As soon as Chen Beiwu said this, Yu Pan’s expression stiffened, and the confidence on her face dissipated.
“I only have this condition.”
After saying this, Yu Pan lightly bit her lip.
For a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like her to be willing to form a Dao partnership with a mere Qi Refining mortal cultivator was already a tremendous show of sincerity.
Since Chen Zi’ang was unwilling to accept her allegiance, then there was no need to continue this matter any further.
After all, it was only ten years of imprisonment in the Eroded-Bone Abyss. She would endure, and it would pass.
At worst, once she came out, she would simply seek another patron.
Seeing Yu Pan’s expression, Chen Beiwu also knew that the negotiation to purchase the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk had collapsed.
“My promise remains valid at any time. If Junior Sister is willing to trade, I’ll owe you a favor.”
With those words, Chen Beiwu turned and left.
…
Outside the Eroded-Bone Abyss.
“Junior Brother Chen, how did the negotiation go?” a gaunt cultivator from the Punishment Hall asked curiously.
“It fell apart.” Chen Beiwu did not hide it.
As the middleman, Senior Brother Li Ranjie was the deputy hall master of the Punishment Hall under the Judicial Hall, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If not for Senior Sister Yun’s face being involved, Chen Beiwu alone could never have invited Senior Brother Li.
“Do you need me to give her some… special attention?” Li Ranjie suggested.
Chen Beiwu halted his steps, his eyes filled with doubt. “Senior Brother, what do you mean by ‘attention’?”
Li Ranjie chuckled. “Every year, a few cultivators always die in the Eroded-Bone Abyss. Very normal.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s heart chilled, and he refused without hesitation.
Although he valued the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk greatly, he would never go so far as to kill a fellow disciple for the sake of seizing a beast.
Otherwise, he would not have rejected Yu Pan’s condition of forming a Dao partnership.
Seeing his junior brother’s attitude visibly cool, Li Ranjie’s expression remained unchanged, but he did not speak further.
…
A side hall in the Formation Hall.
Hearing the footsteps behind her, Yun Yishu did not even turn her head. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me Junior Brother Chen actually agreed to your absurd proposal?”
“No. After I said that, Junior Brother Chen even instinctively became wary of me, thinking I was someone not to be trusted.” Li Ranjie laughed heartily, his tone filled with appreciation.
“He was right to be wary of you.” Yun Yishu’s voice was cold. “Only you could come up with something so vile.”
“If Senior Sister stayed in the Punishment Hall for a few days, you would understand—evil must be ground down by evil.” Li Ranjie was completely indifferent to Yun Yishu’s scorn.
If Junior Brother Chen had agreed, he truly would have taken action to kill.
In Li Ranjie’s eyes, even if Yu Pan spat out all the spirit stones she had taken in bribes, it would not change the fact that she had betrayed the sect.
Such a traitor—killing her was only natural.
Hearing this, Yun Yishu finally turned around, her expression solemn. “Junior Sister Yu is not an evil person.”
“Say whatever you like.” Li Ranjie shrugged indifferently. “So, Senior Sister, what do you plan to do next?”
“That is not something you need to concern yourself with.” Yun Yishu gave him a glance. “All you need to do is protect Junior Sister Yu.”
“Tch, no fun at all.”
Li Ranjie strode away, and the Formation Hall returned to silence.
“Is the barrier between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core truly insurmountable?”
After a long while, Yun Yishu’s soft murmur slowly echoed.
The closer she came to Core Formation, the more she felt the terrifying power of a Golden Core True Person.
It was no exaggeration to say that Foundation Establishment and Golden Core existed on completely different planes.
The former was merely transcendent, able to drink dew, dine on wind, and ignore mortal illnesses; while the latter comprehended the Dao, akin to an immortal, able to suppress the transcendent with just a finger.
For this reason, once the sect’s patriarch entered seclusion, the Golden Core True Persons became the helmsmen of the great ship that was the sect.
…
Elsewhere, in the Mission Hall.
Looking at the contribution points recorded in his identity jade slip, Chen Beiwu’s face revealed hesitation.
The sect’s reward of seven thousand contribution points, added to the three thousand gained from completing the Ferry Fish mission, had brought his available contribution points soaring to thirteen thousand one hundred.
Though this seemed like a great amount, in truth, it was not enough at all.
The Spirit Fusion Pill cost as much as eight thousand contribution points, while the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining cost a staggering ten thousand contribution points.
He could not have both. Chen Beiwu could only choose one.
“Gulu?”
Gold Egg showed a puzzled look.
“It’s nothing.” After some hesitation, Chen Beiwu ultimately decided to let Gold Egg endure hardship and prioritized exchanging for the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining.
He trusted Gold Egg far less than Iron Egg.
If Gold Egg, after advancing to a second-tier Lesser Beast, grew rebellious and harbored defiance, it would be difficult for him to handle. He might even risk the collapse of their Companion Beast contract.
Furthermore, compared to his earlier plan of strengthening himself first to drive others’ growth, using the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining to backfeed into the All Laws Converge, Heaven Book of the Divine Tree and break through to Flawless Qi Refining was clearly more feasible.
Heading to the Transmission Hall, Chen Beiwu spent ten thousand contribution points to exchange for the jade slip of the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining, then hurried back eagerly to the Moon-in-Water Dwelling.
Inside the cave abode, Chen Beiwu sat on the meditation cushion, using his divine sense to observe the jade slip before him.
The Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining, also known as the Twelve Earthly Branches Hidden Meridian True Explanation.
This was a rare Qi Refining secret method that even loose cultivators of the Southern Wastes could hardly hear of in their lifetime, much less practice—and it was now right before him, available for study.
This was the foundation of the Mirror Moon Sect, one of the Five Great Sects of the Earth Proliferation Territory.
“One Qi unites to divide into Two Forms, the Earthly Branches conceal mysteries within.”
“The celestial cycle refines the Yellow Court, hidden meridians flow as time transforms into dawn.”
“The circulation of zi and wu seizes fortune, the meeting of chen and xu reverses reincarnation.”
“…”
This twelve-layer Qi Refining secret art was profound and abstruse, almost fully complementing the hidden meridians of the twelve Earthly Branches in the human body.
After a rough perusal of the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining, Chen Beiwu set down the jade slip and let out a sigh.
Through the tempering of the Dream Sermon from the Divine Statue within Nine-Breath Chaos, Chen Beiwu’s comprehension had soared far beyond the ordinary, able to learn a basic first-tier technique at a glance and grasp its general principle.
Yet even so, in attempting to comprehend the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining, he still felt it was fraught with difficulties, let alone understanding its profound essence and cultivating it.
No wonder the vast majority of sequence disciples in the sect were unwilling to attempt cultivating it.
The method was difficult to achieve, requiring those of extraordinary aptitude at least a hundred years to see results.
As for Qi Refining cultivators at the eleventh level, with mediocre aptitude and scarce resources, even if they exhausted their lifespan, they would never touch its threshold.
With this thought, Chen Beiwu put away the jade slip and closed his eyes to operate the Qi Refining Aperture-Consolidating Method.
In cultivation, the greatest taboo was aiming too high.
Right now, he was only one step away from advancing to the eleventh level of Qi Refining.
Before that breakthrough, the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining would remain something to ponder slowly over time.