Bitter Cultivation

"Senior, I have successfully established my foundation. I'll soon begin circulating qi and condensing form, so I wanted to ask how I should cultivate."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yushuang said coldly, "Cultivation in the Qi Nourishing Realm is the foundation. Only by opening the acupoints can you circulate qi, thereby altering your qi meridians and cleansing your marrow. Only by condensing form can you first comprehend the meaning of the laws and break through the Mysterious Pass."

"The fourth stage of Qi Nourishing focuses on circulating qi and condensing form."

"The key to circulating qi lies in the Qi Circulation Diagram. Only a superior Qi Circulation Diagram can nourish the soul, greatly benefiting the casting of the cauldron."

"A Qi Circulation Diagram that isn't superior can only slightly enhance talent or combat power. It's better than nothing, but useless to the Great Dao."

"Although I possess a superior Qi Circulation Diagram, it doesn't suit you. You must open all three hundred and sixty acupoints before you can cultivate it."

Wu Tian didn't feel disappointed upon hearing this. He hurriedly asked through his mind, "Senior, is the Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram passed down by Wild Dog Cave on Skull Mountain a superior cultivation method?"

Zhu Yushuang said, "That's right. Skull Mountain's Foundation Establishment method isn't superior, but one of its Qi Circulation Diagrams belongs among the superior methods."

"The so-called Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram is the direct inheritance of their sect master's lineage. It can swallow and expel moonlight to nourish Form and Spirit, so it naturally qualifies as a superior method."

Wu Tian was instantly overjoyed. If that was the case, he was determined to obtain the Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram. However, the opportunity to ask questions was extremely rare, so he didn't dare waste time. He continued, "Senior, what about the realm of condensing form? Are there any requirements?"

Zhu Yushuang pondered for a moment before saying, "The realm of condensing form means transforming True Qi into the forms of all things under Heaven and Earth. The key is to borrow the forms of Heaven and Earth, comprehend the laws of Heaven and Earth, and thereby nurture a wisp of law-intent within the True Qi."

"The sun, moon, mountains, rivers, grass, trees, lakes, demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters can all serve as forms for condensing True Qi."

"However, when condensing form, the greatest taboo is largeness and emptiness, and an even greater taboo is borrowing external objects. Skull Mountain uses the flesh, skin, and Yin Soul of spirits and monsters to assist in condensing True Qi. That is taking the wrong path and ruining one's foundation. It is not the proper way."

"But the disciples of Skull Mountain generally have poor aptitudes. If they don't borrow external objects and rely solely on themselves to condense True Qi into form, fewer than one in a hundred could succeed. Their choice in this matter is also one of helplessness."

"If you have confidence, you may choose and take the form of any of the myriad things. If you succeed, the Mysterious Pass can be broken with a casual gesture, and casting the cauldron will be within reach!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Tian felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun shone through. He now thoroughly understood the cultivation of the fourth stage of Qi Nourishing and knew how he should proceed in the future.

However, there was still one matter he didn't understand. He shamelessly continued asking, "I'm planning to refine a Curse Artifact. I wonder if Senior has any advice?"

Zhu Yushuang was silent for a long while. "The great sects of the Central Plains never refine Curse Artifacts. The fourth stage of Qi Nourishing is merely foundational. Once you reach cauldron casting and spell refinement, you can forge magical artifacts. Why waste your time?"

"However, I once happened to obtain the Abdominal Artifact Concealment Technique. It can nourish Curse Artifacts, so I'll give it to you."

"Go. Don't come bother me with such trivial matters again!"

As soon as her voice fell, she flicked out a streak of jade-green light that landed precisely between Wu Tian's brows.

Wu Tian gathered his mind at the spirit platform and sensed a rune flowing with jade-colored radiance. As his mind touched it, a dense mass of runes surged forth.

After concentrating and sorting through it for a moment, a new skill naturally appeared on the System Panel.

Abdominal Pouch Curse: Secret Transmission Curse Technique. Can swallow a Curse Artifact into the abdomen and naturally nourish it while circulating qi.

It was an exceedingly simple curse technique, looking more like a certain kind of trick.

Wu Tian was delighted, but suddenly sensed something in his heart. He hurriedly used his Talent for Seeking Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity to inspect Skull Mountain. He felt a malicious intent gathering above the mountaintop into a dark cloud, resembling a demon or evil ghost, about to pounce straight at him.

Although the dark cloud was vicious, it contained no blood omen. Clearly, it posed no threat to his life.

Moreover, the dark cloud had not yet reached the top of his head. This meant that the other party merely harbored malicious intent and had not yet had the chance to act.

"Who is this now?"

Wu Tian felt troubled. The other party possessed only a wisp of malicious thought, yet it was already transforming into the shape of a demon ghost and was exceptionally vicious. This showed how profound its strength was. If not for the decree protecting him, he would probably have long since been reduced to a sheet of blood-red light.

He completely abandoned the thought of returning to his Cave Mansion. He had originally planned to return there and spend this time cultivating the Silk Drawing Curse, but now he decided to obediently remain halfway up the mountain and wait for another opportunity.

"That old fellow Tong Guan was watching me earlier. I had to enter this Forbidden Area of Skull Mountain right under his nose. Now that the old fellow has left, it's time to search for the spoils of war."

Wu Tian shot out like a streak of white light, rapidly rushing toward the place where they had fought earlier.

When he arrived, he saw that the bodies lying in pools of blood had already been devoured by birds, Poisonous Insects, snakes, and ants. Some vicious birds and fierce beasts were even drawing near, but they feared the lingering baleful aura in the air and paced around the outskirts, not daring to approach.

Wu Tian opened his mouth and bit down on a bell, then walked toward the lakeside.

After setting down the bell, he returned to the woods to carry more items.

After making seven or eight trips, he finally brought all the Curse Artifacts back. As for the corpses, they had long since been bitten until they were barely recognizable as human.

There were eight magical artifacts in total: a banner, a large net, a bell, and five ironwood rods.

Most of these Curse Artifacts were merely good-quality items. Only the bell, which could affect the mind, could be considered a fine-grade artifact.

But they were basically useless to Wu Tian. He possessed the Thunder Sound Curse, and once cultivated to perfection, his roar would be like thunder—far more useful than this bell.

He was not human to begin with, and the other Curse Artifacts were even more useless.

Wu Tian wasn't disappointed. No matter what, these were still his spoils of war.

He lay atop the banner and began circulating his cultivation technique.

He cast the Water, Fire, Wind, and Thunder curses one after another, then cleansed the turbid qi and opened his acupoints.

The vital essence of Heaven and Earth surged, rosy radiance spread everywhere, and time passed unnoticed.

Within this Forbidden Area, no one disturbed him. When thirsty, Wu Tian drank some mountain spring water. When hungry, he darted into the woods to hunt or swallowed some wild fruit. It was spring, and he had no shortage of food in these dense mountain forests.

He immersed himself in cultivation, ignoring everything outside.

After only three days, he was already able to perform the Abdominal Pouch Curse to a preliminary degree.

Wu Tian gave it a try. The space inside his abdomen was limited for now, and he could barely swallow the bell.

He wasn't disappointed and continued his arduous cultivation without pause, placing most of his energy into opening acupoints. He could almost open one acupoint every day.

In his spare time, he used the Silk Drawing Curse to draw threads from the ironwood rods. This both honed the Silk Drawing Curse and allowed him to weave Yin Soul Silk.

The wood threads drawn from the ironwood rods still had to be refined with the Cloud Water Spell and Gather Wind Spell, then woven with a secret method before they could become the qualified low-grade spiritual material Yin Soul Silk.

With the System Panel, the cultivation speed of the four Secret Transmission Curse Techniques—the Cloud Water Spell, Gather Wind Spell, Silk Drawing Curse, and Abdominal Pouch Curse—was extremely fast. He could advance by 1% almost every day.

Although the Thunder Sound Curse and Fire Pupil Curse were cultivated much faster than they had been during Foundation Establishment, they still took five or six days to increase by 1%. To reach perfection, he would need at least another year.

Besides that, after nurturing Tongyou Qi, the previously slow advancement of his Intermediate Talent had also begun to accelerate.

Wu Tian could clearly feel his strength improving every day, and it was an all-around improvement. His talent, skills, and cultivation were all advancing at an astonishing rate.