Iron Body Art and Elephant Armor Force
The Blood Li Rice in the Spirit Field Li Ye had tended himself from the very beginning was in the best condition. Now, it had also become the first Spirit Plant to give him Spiritual Essence feedback.
His skills had improved by leaps and bounds since he first started working the fields, and he now had a thorough grasp of the rice seedlings' condition.
Thus, after the first feedback came, every seedling yielded its corresponding Spiritual Essence within just a day or two, rather than trickling in sporadically as before.
The other Spirit Fields still need some adjustments, and the Blazing Sun Flowers are growing even more slowly. I can't count on them anytime soon...
Flying his boat between the peaks within the sect grounds, Li Ye wore a smile.
But these hundred strands of Blood Li Spiritual Essence are enough to let me start body refining!
He brought the flying boat down on a peak, stopped before a courtyard, and lightly touched the restriction on its gate.
Before long, Old Man Luo emerged with a smile on his face.
"Senior Brother Luo, I've come to trouble you again."
Li Ye smiled.
"Not at all! I'm delighted you've come, Junior Brother. Please, come in!"
Waving a hand, Old Man Luo welcomed Li Ye inside, visibly pleased and even somewhat solicitous.
The change in his attitude was strikingly obvious.
Li Ye saw it and knew it was another knock-on effect of his becoming a Spirit Plant disciple under an elder.
Once inside the residence, they took their seats. Old Man Luo brewed tea for Li Ye and remarked with a sigh,
"You truly are an extraordinary man, Junior Brother. Even after Xiong Yinxiu went that far, you still won a clean and decisive victory..."
"Oh! I haven't congratulated you yet on securing the position of tending the elder's Spirit Fields!"
"Hahaha, thank you, Senior Brother!"
Li Ye replied with a smile, "It was all just a bit of luck. I don't deserve such praise..."
"I owe this fortuitous opportunity entirely to your recommendation, Senior Brother. I'll remember it!"
Seeing Li Ye speak so earnestly, Old Man Luo smiled even more broadly, his wrinkles almost bunching together like a chrysanthemum.
"You're too kind, Junior Brother..."
Having received that promise, Old Man Luo felt greatly reassured and tactfully asked,
"Is there something you came to discuss, Junior Brother?"
He knew Li Ye's temperament.
If nothing were the matter, why would Li Ye come looking for him for no reason, instead of properly tending the Spirit Fields and enjoying the place rich in Spiritual Qi, now that he had finally become a Spirit Plant farmer under an elder?
"There is indeed something I'd like to ask you about!"
Li Ye didn't stand on ceremony. His expression turned serious as he said,
"My earlier injuries depleted my Qi and Blood, so I'd like to practice a body refining method a little... You've served as a deacon for many years, Senior Brother, and know a great deal about sect affairs. Could you recommend one or two to me?"
"A body refining method?"
Old Man Luo's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help thinking of Elder Ji Qing.
That elder was renowned for his Yang-attribute Cultivation Method and his mastery of body refining!
Li Ye had only just begun tending his Spirit Fields, and he was already planning to refine his body...
Could he be trying to draw the elder's attention and get him to take him as a disciple?
Such a scheme would be a case of the pavilion closest to the water catching the moonlight first.
Although body refining required considerable resources, if it worked out, it would be a small investment for a ten-thousandfold return!
Now that he had Li Ye's promise, Old Man Luo had unconsciously tied some of his own interests to Li Ye's. The higher Li Ye's future achievements, the greater the rewards he himself would naturally receive!
I have to help him with this!
His thoughts turned, and Old Man Luo immediately grew solemn. "This is important. Since you trust me, Junior Brother, although I don't know much about this path, I happen to have a good friend on duty at the Scripture Pavilion. Why don't we go take a look now?"
Why does it seem this old man has imagined something again?
Seeing how serious he was, Li Ye found it a little odd, but readily agreed. "In that case, sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother!"
The two immediately set out for the Scripture Pavilion.
On an ordinary, solitary peak stood a tower-like building.
Li Ye and Old Man Luo landed together and entered after their identities were checked. Behind a counter in the hall, they saw a dejected-looking middle-aged man engrossed in a book.
Sensing someone had arrived, the man raised his eyelids slightly. Only when he saw Old Man Luo did he show surprise.
"Senior Brother Luo, what brings you here? Haven't you already read all the cultivation and care texts in the Scripture Pavilion? No matter how much more you search, that's all there is!"
"At your age, it's perfectly normal to find your strength no longer matches your ambition. Why not cultivate your character and settle down? Even if your cultivation can't advance, don't tire yourself out too much and damage your vitality!"
He offered the advice with a measure of goodwill.
Still fighting on the front lines with his spear at his age? He really is old in body but young at heart!
Li Ye instinctively cast Old Man Luo an admiring look.
Old Man Luo's aged face instantly changed color. "Niu Ba, stop talking nonsense!"
"How am I..."
The dejected middle-aged man tried to argue, but Old Man Luo rushed over in a few strides and promptly clapped a hand over his mouth, giving him a few meaningful looks.
Only when the man nodded did Old Man Luo let go.
"Ahem... Junior Brother Niu likes to joke around. Don't take it to heart, Junior Brother..."
Old Man Luo spoke to Li Ye, then composed his expression.
"Junior Brother Niu, this is Junior Brother Li. He's looking for a suitable Body Refining Cultivation Method. I hope you can offer him a recommendation!"
"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Niu!"
Li Ye promptly stepped forward and spoke sincerely as he slipped a few Spirit Crystals into the man's hand.
Hearing Old Man Luo's tone and instinctively weighing the Spirit Crystals in his hand, Niu Ba immediately understood, and a smile appeared.
"It's just a small matter, and Senior Brother Luo even came in person. You're too polite, Junior Brother..."
"But you've truly come to the right person. Of everyone on duty here, none knows these low-level books better than old Niu!"
Showing a hint of pride, he listed them off as though counting his own treasures:
"The first floor holds nothing but miscellaneous mundane books. Only on the second floor do the cultivation texts begin, including the Body Refining Cultivation Methods you're looking for. There are five in total."
"Excluding three incomplete manuals that are difficult to master, only two can truly be cultivated properly to the realm of perfection: the Iron Body Art and Elephant Armor Force!"
"What kind of Spirit Root do you cultivate with?" Niu Ba asked, seeing Li Ye's interest.
That was hardly a secret, so Li Ye answered readily, "A wood Spirit Root."
"In that case... I recommend you choose Elephant Armor Force, Junior Brother!"
A distinctive gleam entered Niu Ba's eyes. "It has no elemental inclination whatsoever and focuses solely on strength and physique. Once mastered, it grants the strength of an elephant and skin tough enough to be hard to break through—a veritable beast in human form!"
"The Iron Body Art requires tempering with iron sand and absorbing its metallic nature. Though it is equally formidable, it runs counter to your Cultivation Method."
"What's more, legend has it that Elephant Armor Force is a low-level Cultivation Method derived from the rather famous Myriad Beast Body. If you truly achieve something in body refining, and fate allows you to reach Foundation Establishment in the future, you can smoothly switch to cultivating it without any obstacles!"
His analysis of the pros and cons explained the various circumstances thoroughly.
This showed the benefit of Li Ye's making a special trip to find Old Man Luo.
Without some personal connection, even if Li Ye had been willing to part with a few Spirit Crystals, the man probably wouldn't have analyzed everything for him in such detail.
"You jest, Senior Brother. Foundation Establishment is far too distant for people like us. How would I dare dream of such a thing..."
Li Ye gave an embarrassed smile and shook his head. "But your analysis is certainly sound, Senior Brother. I'll choose Elephant Armor Force!"
A smile immediately appeared on Niu Ba's face.
"The complete Cultivation Method costs two hundred sect contribution points or fifty Spirit Stones. You'll also have to swear never to pass it on to outsiders... How would you like to pay, Junior Brother?"
"Uh..."