Qi Refining Layer Eight

Su Bai's gaze fell without hesitation on the three Jade Slip slips on the far right, the ones with the deepest aura.

Having Copy the Ice Court Chief's Talent, it's only natural to challenge the most difficult, and inevitably the strongest Ice Attribute Spell!

He took a deep breath, separated a wisp of his Spiritual Sense, and carefully probed the three Jade Slip one by one, reading the brief information engraved on their surfaces.

A moment later, Su Bai withdrew his Spiritual Sense, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.

"Chief Zhao," he looked up at Zhao Hanshuang, pointing to the central Jade Slip among the three, "this Disciple chooses this [Ice Snow Jade Puppet]."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanshuang's Clear and Cold face revealed a faint smile, "You certainly know how to pick, choosing the most 'practical' and also the toughest nut to crack among these three at a glance."

His tone turned serious, carrying a warning. "However, I must remind you that although this [Ice Snow Jade Puppet] is labeled as being cultivateable by the Qi Refining Stage, its essence is actually Quasi-Second Tier Law Technique."

"Its power far surpasses that of ordinary Tier One Spell, and the difficulty of cultivating it naturally increases exponentially."

He looked directly into Su Bai's eyes, his voice Clear and Cold: "It has extremely demanding requirements for the cultivator's Ice Attribute Spell Talent! Those lacking Talent, even if they exhaust years of hard work in the Late Qi Refining, may not even be able to get past the basics, wasting their time in vain."

"I advise you... to reconsider carefully and start with the Jade Slip slip on the left to solidify your foundation; that would be much more prudent."

Su Bai nodded, his face showing a serious expression, as if he had taken Zhao Hanshuang's advice to heart.

But he immediately spoke, asking a crucial question, "Then, Chief Zhao, may I ask... have you ever studied this technique?"

Zhao Hanshuang was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Su Bai to ask such a direct question.

But he wasn't angry; he simply nodded slightly and said frankly, "Of course I've practiced it."

He paused, as if recalling something, "Back then, it took me about six months to barely get to the point, which could be considered 'entering the field'."

It took another year or so to reach the ' Minor Accomplishment ' stage.

His tone was calm, but the information conveyed in his words was enough to make anyone who understood the difficulty of this technique tremble.

To be able to Minor Accomplishment such Quasi-Second Tier Law Technique within a year and a half during the Qi Refining Stage is truly astonishing!

It should be noted that even the Academy Master of the Ice Court, when practicing this technique during his Qi Refining Stage, was far slower than Zhao Hanshuang.

Privately, the Academy Master once lamented that, in terms of Ice Attribute Talent alone, he was no match for this Chief Disciple.

Upon hearing this, Su Bai showed just the right amount of amazement, then fell into "deep thought."

After a moment, he raised his head, his eyes filled with a stubbornness unique to young people (at least in Zhao Hanshuang's eyes), and said, "Chief Zhao, your talent is extraordinary; this Disciple naturally dares not compare."

"But... Disciple believe that diligence can make up for lack of talent, and I am willing to take the Chief as my role Disciple and give it my all. I still wish to choose the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet], and I humbly request the Chief's permission!"

Seeing that Su Bai was so "stubborn and unyielding," Zhao Hanshuang stopped wasting her breath trying to persuade him.

He shook his head slightly, said no more, and with a flick of his sleeve, the deep blue Jade Slip containing the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet] transformed into a stream of light and landed steadily in Su Bai's palm.

At the same time, he retrieved all the remaining fifteen Jade Slip.

"Since it's your own choice, you're responsible for the consequences."

Zhao Hanshuang's voice returned to its usual Clear and Cold, "If you encounter any difficulties during your cultivation, you may come to me three times a month, and I will provide guidance as appropriate."

"However, if you feel you are unable to master this technique and wish to exchange the Jade Slip, you will need to pay an additional Contribution Points as compensation for resource loss."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, the contents of the Jade Slip are strictly forbidden to be circulated outside the sect. Violators will be considered traitors and will be severely punished by both the sect and the Ice Court. They will not be let off lightly."

After speaking, he didn't linger. He turned and walked straight into an ice chamber next door, where the air was even colder, clearly to continue his cultivation.

In his view, although Su Bai was ambitious, he was perhaps too unrealistic.

He knew all too well the difficulty of cultivating the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet]. With Su Bai's novice Ice Attribute Talent, it would be extremely difficult to achieve anything without several years of hard work.

Time is precious during the Qi Refining Stage. Wasting it on this technique will likely result in serious setbacks, and you'll eventually have to switch to a simpler Law Technique.

He was too lazy to waste any more words; facts would teach this arrogant new junior a lesson.

Holding the cool Jade Slip in his hand, Su Bai could feel the immense information sealed within it.

He bowed slightly in the direction Zhao Hanshuang had left, then without lingering, he summoned the Azure Dragon Sword, Sword Flight, and transformed into a streak of azure light, returning directly to his Qingyun Cliff Cave Abode.

During his Sword Flight, Su Bai's mind stirred, and he brought up the interface in his mind that only he could see, and updated it:

[Name]: Su Bai

[Spirit Root Talent]: Dual Attribute Spirit Root (Fire and Wood)

[Sword Dao Talent]: Clear Heart Sword Intent (Yellow Tier)

[Spell Talent]: Ice Attribute Spell Talent (Third Tier)

[Immortal Talent Reflection]: Survey 1/1, Copy 0/1.

The number of Copy attempts has been used up, but the Survey capability remains.

Su Bai pondered for a moment, "This Survey capability isn't just for Copy."

"In future battles against powerful enemies whose strengths and weaknesses are unknown, this method could be used at crucial moments to probe their true strengths and weaknesses, such as their Spiritual Power attribute bias, general cultivation fluctuations, or even potential special Talent or hidden dangers... It's a decent auxiliary reconnaissance tool."

While he was pondering, he had already returned to his cave.

After activating the restriction, Su Bai did not immediately begin cultivating Law Technique. Instead, he continued to take the Blood Demonic Pill and circulate his Method Formula to improve his cultivation foundation.

Cultivation is the foundation, Law Technique is the branches and leaves.

Only after completing his daily cultivation practice would he dedicate time to studying his newly acquired Quasi-Second Tier Ice Magic, [Ice Snow Jade Puppet].

[Ice Snow Jade Puppet] truly lives up to its Quasi-Second Tier Law Technique; its complexity far surpasses any Law Technique Su Bai has encountered before.

There are as many as twelve basic Law Seals that require memorization and mastery, and their combinations and variations are complex.

The accompanying Incantations are even more obscure and difficult to pronounce, with strange syllables, requiring extremely precise Spiritual Power resonance and mental recitation.

Only with the aid of Law Seals and Incantations can cultivators initially sense and guide Spiritual Power, circulating it along the exceptionally complex route involving multiple secondary Meridians recorded in the Law Technique Jade Slip, thereby drawing upon the Ice Attribute Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth, condensing and shaping it, and ultimately forming an ice puppet with preliminary spirituality.

Su Bai did a preliminary estimate, and even with the 500% cultivation speed bonus from his current Third Tier Ice Attribute Talent, plus the increased comprehension of various "skills" from [Clear Heart Sword Intent].

To cultivate this [Ice Snow Jade Puppet] to the "beginner" level, it would probably require four or five months of continuous arduous training.

This speed is almost the same as Zhao Hanshuang's record of "mastering the basics in half a year" back then!

Su Bai thought to himself, "It seems the effect of this Talent enhancement is truly terrifying. Zhao Hanshuang was once known as a genius that the Ice Court saw only once every few decades... Now, I possess Talent at the same level as him."

Time flies, and cultivation knows no days or months.

Time slips away quietly in the midst of regular, arduous practice.

The daily increase in cultivation brought about by taking the Blood Demonic Pill was clearly perceptible, and the study of the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet] was also progressing steadily.

The cave was often filled with obscure ancient incantations and subtle chills that emanated from Su Bai's hand seals.

Before we knew it, it was already mid -November.

After nearly six months of secluded cultivation using the Blood Demonic Pill.

On this day, Su Bai's Spiritual Power in his dantian surged, and he successfully broke through to the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

My Spiritual Power increased by about half immediately after the breakthrough. As my realm stabilizes, my Spiritual Power will continue to grow. When I reach the Peak of the eighth level, it should be twice as much as when I Peak of the Qi Refining Layer Seven.

Secondly, as his cultivation level broke through, his Spiritual Sense was also enhanced simultaneously.

The range of perception has expanded from about one meter around the body to about two meters.

Although it cannot compare to the Spiritual Sense range of Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a two-meter Spiritual Sense range is Qualitative Leap for Qi Refining Stage Cultivator.

A stronger Spiritual Sense means more precise and nuanced control over remote operations such as flying swords and Law Technique, faster reaction speed, and a stronger grasp of the battle situation.

As a result of this breakthrough, our overall strength has been significantly enhanced in all aspects!

"Finally, I've broken through..."

Su Bai slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the surging new life force within his body.

"The Blood Demonic Pill were exhausted a few days ago, and when I finally broke through the bottleneck, I had to switch back to the Golden Marrow Pill... Fortunately, the bottleneck of the Qi Refining Layer Eight is practically non-existent for someone with Dual Spirit Root."

He silently calculated the time in his mind. "From the beginning to now, three and a half years, I have already cultivated to the Qi Refining Layer Eight."

"This speed would definitely be among the top in the Inner Sect."

He wasn't too worried that the sect would pay too much attention or become suspicious because his "adventures" were all traceable.

His diligence in the Outer Court, the Spirit Moon Lake Mission (on the surface), the gains from the Blood River Secret Realm, and most importantly, the huge amount of resources (Blood Demonic Pill) that Academy Master Xu Shangran invested to make the Sword Academy famous.

All of this, taken together, is enough to explain his rapid improvement in cultivation.

"However..." Su Bai frowned slightly, "The Blood Demonic Pill Golden Marrow Pill all used up. Even if I have enough Contribution Points and don't need to focus on missions, allowing me to dedicate myself to intensive cultivation every day, it will probably take two to three years to progress from the Qi Refining Layer Eight, if I proceed step by step."

This speed is considered extremely fast for ordinary inner disciple, but it is still a bit slow for Su Bai, who aspires to go even higher.

A thought flashed through his mind, "If the [Immortal Talent Reflection] skill refreshes next June, and I can successfully Copy onto a single -Spirit Root Talent..."

The cultivation speed of Single Spirit Root is far superior to that of Dual Spirit Root!

If he can obtain it, his cultivation will once again enter a period of rapid improvement.

"However, this requires a catalyst," Su Bai thought to himself.

"If I can win first Inner Sect Grand Competition this year, I will definitely be listed as a True Disciple. At that time, my status will be different, and I will have more opportunities to come into contact with higher-level figures in the sect, such as... those Elder who have already Foundation Establishment and possess Single Spirit Root."

For example, Wan Haoran, the Foundation Establishment Elder whom they had met once before and who was responsible for escorting them to the Blood River Secret Realm, was a rare single-attribute Lightning Spirit Root!

Using his status as True Disciple, and under the pretext of seeking instruction in Thunder Method, he sought a private conversation with Elder Wan, creating an opportunity for physical contact... This plan sounded quite feasible.

Of course, all of this is predicated on one thing: Su Bai must win first place in this year's Inner Sect Grand Competition!

"Now that I've advanced to the Qi Refining Layer Eight, the power of my Sword Qi energy, my Sword Flight control speed, and my overall control have all improved. I'm full of confidence in my offensive capabilities."

Su Bai assessed his own Combat Power, "My weakness lies in defense... I must speed up my training of the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet]! If I can't master this technique before the Inner Sect Grand Competition..."

A decisive glint flashed in his eyes. "Then we'll have to settle for second best and spend a large sum of Contribution Points to exchange for a top-grade defensive Law Artifact at the Inner Sect Treasure Pavilion!"

Although Contribution Points are precious, as they will be needed for future Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation and exchanging for Contribution Points Spirit Artifact, this investment is unavoidable if it concerns winning first place in the Grand Competition and obtaining the qualification to True Disciple.

"Contribution Points are hard to earn... Opportunities like 'stealing public funds' in the Blood River Secret Realm are rare and hard to come by." Su Bai shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions.

He circulated his Cultivation Method and spent about an hour stabilizing his newly broken-through realm.

Then, he adjusted his breathing, focused his mind, and began to skillfully form the starting hand Law Seals for the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet], while a deep and strange ancient incantation rang out from his mouth.

Su Bai devoted himself entirely to cultivating this Quasi-Second Tier defensive Law Technique.