Directory of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist Contemplation Methods

Contemplation Society

When Li Xijun entered the Contemplation Society again, he felt a distinct sense of the quiet atmosphere within the nine-story pavilion, which seemed to isolate the sounds of the outside world.

The nine-story wooden pavilion looked no different from an ordinary library, but the feeling of being divided into two separate worlds truly felt like a divine technique.

Especially when, after achieving Great Perfection in Aperture Opening, Li Xijun looked at the plaque of "That which is sacred and unknowable is called God" again, the powerful mental will emanating from the brushstrokes and ink seemed to carry a hint of eternal indestructibility, making Li Xijun feel insignificant, as if standing beneath boundless heaven and earth.

Just this calligraphy alone puts more pressure on me than when I met Su Nianyi in the cafeteria.

It seems the Spirit-Refining System in this world can be cultivated to higher realms.

It definitely has a broader prospect than previous mental power talents.

Li Xijun's anticipation for the second realm of Spirit Refinement grew, and he walked directly towards the middle-aged scholar in a long robe at the desk on the first floor.

"Oh? Young man, you've actually become an Aperture Opening cultivator?"

Before Li Xijun could speak, the other party looked up from his newspaper and couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

The other party's words made Li Xijun freeze.

He hadn't expected the man to recognize him as an Aperture Opening cultivator at a glance.

"Heh heh, young man, there's no need to be so surprised. There's a world of difference in aura and eyes between ordinary people and Spirit-Refining cultivators."

"Not to mention, in my years at the Contemplation Society, I've seen countless people come to buy introductory texts for the Spirit Solidification Realm after achieving Aperture Opening."

"Even cultivators in the Spirit Solidification Realm would be able to recognize you as a fellow Spirit-Refiner if they saw your situation."

Hearing the other party's words, Li Xijun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the man could only tell the difference between him and an ordinary person after reaching Aperture Opening, and not that he possessed some special ability to directly discern his specific Spirit Refinement cultivation realm.

He quickly bowed respectfully and said, "Senior, your eyes are like torches. I have indeed entered the Aperture Opening realm and have been cultivating for some time."

"I've come this time to get the introductory texts for the Spirit Solidification Realm as soon as possible."

The middle-aged scholar was quite pleased with Li Xijun's demeanor. He stroked his goatee, tossed the newspaper aside, and got up to walk towards the stairs.

"Young man, you can just call me Mister Jia. Follow me."

Li Xijun naturally complied and followed Mister Jia up the stairs.

After passing through the second, third, and fourth floors, which were filled with Confucian classics, Taoist scriptures, and Buddhist sutras, they finally arrived at the fifth floor, which was slightly more spacious and contained only one bookshelf.

Because it was so open, Li Xijun immediately spotted the spiral-bound book, "Spirit Solidification Realm Introductory Guide," placed in the middle of the bookshelf, with a price tag of 200 taels of silver below it.

Mister Jia didn't play any games. He directly led Li Xijun there and handed him the "Spirit Solidification Realm Introductory Guide."

Li Xijun quickly reached for his money pouch, but this time the middle-aged scholar was exceptionally lenient.

"Ah~ No rush, no rush. You can pay for the book after you've finished reading it."

This seemed different from the strict requirement of paying before reading that he had encountered the first time.

This made Li Xijun feel a bit wary, and he silently activated the warning mode and toxin detection of his nano-protective suit.

After confirming that there were indeed no issues, he began to flip through the "Spirit Solidification Realm Introductory Guide" bit by bit.

The author of the book was as arrogant as ever, describing the power of the Spirit Solidification Realm.

First, as Li Xijun had thought, cultivation in the Spirit Solidification Realm began with strengthening one's own divine soul, allowing Spirit-Refining cultivators to possess power beyond the mundane.

Although cultivators in the Spirit Solidification Realm could not yet project their mental power externally, upon reaching Minor Accomplishment in Spirit Solidification, they could begin to refine and use magical artifacts with their minds.

Among the most famous and common magical artifacts were the flying swords forged from the Blood Vein Cord by those who practiced Taoist alchemy.

These flying swords were exceptionally sharp and could easily pierce through rock.

With these, cultivators who had achieved Minor Accomplishment in Spirit Solidification could easily kill Martial Warriors in the Tendons and Bones Realm, and if they caught their opponents off guard, especially through a surprise attack, it was not impossible to kill a Martial Master in the Viscera Refinement Realm.

Cultivators who had achieved Great Perfection in Spirit Solidification could begin to influence the enemy's mind with their divine souls, such as by intimidating the enemy's mind, causing a brief mental blank during combat, or confusing the enemy's mind to induce them to reveal the truth.

After boasting, the text proceeded to explain the entire cultivation process of the Spirit Solidification Realm and its various details, in a very thorough and meticulous manner.

As Li Xijun flipped to the last few pages, the text that had previously appeared on the final page of "Introduction to Spirit Refinement," which felt like basking in a spring breeze, reappeared.

[The path of martial refinement, the Skin and Muscle realm, is the simplest. With sufficient medicinal baths and elixirs, even mediocre talents and rotten wood can achieve cultivation.]

[In the Tendons and Bones realm, a martial practitioner needs talent beyond that of ordinary people. With continuous medicinal baths and elixirs, it takes half a year to cultivate. Those with slightly better aptitude will spend three years to solidify their tendons and bones, while those with poorer talent will stop here for their entire lives.]

[However, we Spirit-Refining Cultivators have extraordinary souls. After achieving minor success in spirit refinement, we can easily and precisely guide Qi and blood to temper tendons and bones. This is something ordinary martial artists cannot achieve. With an ample supply of medicinal baths and elixirs, it only takes three to four months to achieve great success in tendons and bones, with skin like bronze and bones like iron, perfect and flawless.]

Li Xijun nodded continuously as he read, feeling that according to the book, achieving Viscera Refinement in ten months was entirely possible.

So, the problem arises:

You've rambled on and on in this "Spirit Solidification Realm Introductory Guide," but where is my [Contemplation Method]?!

It turns out this book is missing the most crucial part, the Contemplation Method!

Li Xijun's gaze quietly fell upon the middle-aged scholar standing by his side.

As if anticipating this, the scholar, seeing Li Xijun's speechless look, stroked his goatee, chuckled, and took out a "Directory of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist Contemplation Methods" from his sleeve, handing it over. He said:

"After the East-West War back then, although the court promoted the methods of spirit refinement, allowing many commoners and scholars to become cultivators."

"However, the Contemplation Method is of utmost importance. It can be considered the foundation for the subsequent realms of spirit refinement. In Buddhism, Taoism, and even Confucianism, it is not something to be easily passed on."

"According to the rules of the Contemplation Society, I have two proposals:"

"First, if you swear with your soul to join our Da Sheng Contemplation Society and henceforth receive the court's salary, I can authorize a mid-grade Contemplation Method for you."

"Second, you will have to spend another three hundred taels of silver to purchase a basic low-grade Contemplation Method from here."

"The quality of the Contemplation Method determines your future path in spirit refinement, so you should think carefully, young one."

Mister Jia's words plunged Li Xijun into silence.

He browsed the "Directory of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist Contemplation Methods" that the other party handed him, and his brow furrowed deeper the more he read.

According to what was written:

The Contemplation Method is the fundamental technique for Spirit-Refining Cultivators.

Low-grade Contemplation Methods can only cultivate to the great success of the Spirit Refinement realm.

Mid-grade Contemplation Methods can cultivate to the great success of the Sitting in Oblivion realm.

High-grade Contemplation Methods can cultivate to the great success of the Embryonic Breathing realm.

The most top-tier are the supreme Contemplation Methods from the various sects of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, which can cultivate to the great success of the Manifest Saint realm.

Not only that, Starting from mid-grade Contemplation Methods, they all have their own special attribute bonuses.

The most top-tier Contemplation Methods of the three religions even come with accompanying divine abilities and spells in the later Embryonic Breathing and Manifest Saint realms.

For example, the supreme Contemplation Method of Great Enlightenment Temple in Buddhism, "Dragon Elephant Bodhisattva Demon-Slaying Contemplation," possesses Dragon Elephant Sanskrit sounds, eight-armed Asura guardians, and various divine abilities and spells.

During the East-West Continental War, the Manifest Saint realm abbot manifested the "Great Dragon Elephant Vajra Prajna Bodhisattva Heart-Image," wielding divine abilities and spells, fighting across realms, and killing three high-grade Potion sequence experts of the Black Night Church's Sequence 2 consecutively, which made him famous throughout the world.

Near Jinmen, the Eternal Life Taoist Temple has a mid-grade "Twenty-Four Rank White Lotus Salvation Chart" and a high-grade "Eternal Life Salvation Mother Vacuum Contemplation," which possess the abilities to attack the soul and to conceal and teleport through the void, respectively.

The basic Contemplation Method purchased for three hundred taels of silver is essentially a blank slate, and its cultivation efficiency and progress are far inferior to these Contemplation Methods.

"Sigh, it's truly a feudal society; the control over cultivation techniques is too strict," Li Xijun sighed inwardly.

Things like the Federation in the main world, where one could spend money to buy cultivation technique copyrights, or exchange credits for various cultivation techniques and Outer Scenery Moves in universities, were ultimately rare occurrences.

However, with his promising future marked by the Grand Luo Mark, it was even more impossible for him to join the Contemplation Society.

"Just give me a basic Contemplation Method first."

He planned to cultivate a basic blank slate and find an opportunity to obtain a better one later.

So, how could he get his hands on a good Contemplation Method?

Li Xijun recalled the rumors about Su Qiuzhen's connection to the Eternal Life Taoist Temple.