Cultivation Progress

Needless to say, this Ruyi Rope refined from four different curse techniques looked quite impressive. It was purple and cyan all over, interwoven with patterns of water and fire, its radiance flowing in a halo. At a glance, it was clearly a treasure.

Wu Tian was rather pleased. He had spent two whole months painstakingly refining it, even bleeding himself every day, before finally completing the process on his own.

"One Ruyi Rope is already this troublesome. Even if I perfect the curse techniques later and increase my proficiency, making the refining process faster and faster, it'll probably still take quite a lot of time."

"To refine a premium Ruyi Whip, I'll need a full eighty-one Ruyi Ropes..."

Just thinking about it made his scalp prickle.

"I have eleven strands of Yin Soul Silk left, enough to refine only two Ruyi Ropes. After combining them, I'll have an inferior Ruyi Whip. Refining curse artifacts really is painstaking work!"

Wu Tian was in no hurry. Looking at the purple-and-cyan Ruyi Rope before him, he tried it out with great interest.

The Thunder Sound Curse, Fire Pupil Curse, Cloud Water Spell, and Gather Wind Spell were cast in turn. Thunder, fire, water, and wind surged across the Yin Soul Silk, flowing like misty mountain haze. It was quite a beautiful sight.

And then...

Nothing!

It was as if he had put on a fireworks show for himself.

That was because the Curse Artifact had not yet been completely refined. Only by combining three Ruyi Ropes could a complete Ruyi Curse pattern be formed, fully activating the Water, Fire, Wind, and Thunder curse patterns engraved upon it.

When that happened, he would only need to activate the Ruyi Curse to simultaneously wield the power of the four curse techniques within the Ruyi Whip.

Water, fire, wind, and thunder would surge together, absolutely capable of beating an enemy until their flesh was torn and their skin split.

Well, the idea is beautiful, but these claws still can't hold a whip...

Before breaking through the Mysterious Pass, Qi Nourishing Realm disciples could not project True Qi outside their bodies. They generally had to hold Curse Artifacts in their hands as weapons, then activate curse techniques to resonate with the Curse Artifacts and thus awaken their wondrous uses.

In this way, the Curse Artifact in their hands was far more powerful than ordinary mortal weapons. Combined with the corresponding weapon combat techniques, its might was extraordinary.

Every cave on Skull Mountain had corresponding weapon combat techniques, as well as close-quarters techniques using fists, palms, fingers, and claws. Wild Dog Cave had staff techniques, Fire Crow Cave had whip techniques, Black Bear Cave had spear techniques, White Crane Cave had sword techniques, Fierce Tiger Cave had saber techniques, and so on.

Qiyun Cave was most renowned for its short-blade assassination techniques. Combined with its cloud-concealment methods and extreme speed, it was the most terrifying hunter of the night.

Wu Tian looked at his dog claws. Clearly, there was no way for him to grip a whip and swing it.

"I still have to break through the Mysterious Pass as soon as possible!"

The other Skull Mountain disciples all used the Ruyi Whip as a weapon. With his dog claws, he could only learn the Art of Controlling Artifacts after breaking through the Mysterious Pass.

At that time, True Qi would surge into the Curse Artifact, allowing him to control it with his qi.

Breaking through the Mysterious Pass and gaining the ability to control objects was a fundamental leap.

After that, he would be able to control Curse Artifacts and kill people a hundred paces away. He could also ride the wind and skim across the vast sky.

That was when he would truly possess the bearing of a cultivator.

"The Mysterious Pass..."

He yearned for it. Two months ago, Chili Mu had broken through the Mysterious Pass with a single sword strike, stirring the wind and clouds for ten li. It had been utterly shocking.

"Now that I think about it, this bell isn't bad at all!"

Wu Tian spat out one of his spoils of war from his belly—the bell. It was the only premium Curse Artifact among his many spoils.

Previously, he had been protected by the Thunder Sound Curse and had thought this item was of little use. But after personally refining a magic artifact, he finally understood just how rare a premium artifact was.

"That Skull Mountain disciple probably spent several years of painstaking work and consumed a vast amount of spiritual materials to refine this premium Curse Artifact."

Wu Tian carefully examined the bell before him.

This item was called the Soul Stirring Bell. It was a legacy Curse Artifact of Mountain Ghost Cave, one of the Thirty-six Caves, refined from beast souls, Yin stones, mica rock, and many other spiritual materials.

Aside from the materials and secret refining method, the most crucial part of the bell was the Yin Soul combined into its clapper.

The stronger the Yin Soul, the more powerful its soul-stirring and spirit-seizing effect.

When the bell rang, the Yin Soul would shriek and roar. The bell could amplify those shrieks and send them straight into an enemy's mind.

In battle, as long as it restrained the enemy for even an instant, it could seize the initiative—or even determine life and death.

Wu Tian had the Thunder Sound Curse protecting him, which was why he had thought the bell useless. In truth, it was one of the most practical legacy Curse Artifacts among those passed down by the Thirty-six Caves.

Strengthening the Soul Stirring Bell was simple: he only needed to continually replace the Yin Soul inside the clapper. The stronger the Yin Soul, the higher the quality of the Curse Artifact.

Of course, once the bell's material was insufficient, the Yin Soul would break free of its restraints and turn on its master.

But the ingenious part of this artifact was that Tongyou Qi could be used to nourish its material. After decades of nourishment, it would continue to advance in rank.

If he could cast a cauldron in the future, he could likewise recast the bell's material.

"It's just a pity that activating a Curse Artifact requires the corresponding curse technique. The Ruyi Whip needs the Ruyi Curse, for example, and this Soul Stirring Bell likewise requires a corresponding curse technique before it can be used."

"I'll ask Master Man Xiong after he returns and see whether he knows the corresponding curse technique..."

As things stood, the Soul Stirring Bell was actually more useful than the Ruyi Whip in the short term. He only needed to hang it around his neck and activate the curse technique for it to work.

"Actually, the perfect solution would be not having to spend time and effort refining it myself..."

Wu Tian thought for a moment, then swallowed the Ruyi Rope he had refined together with the bell, storing them in his belly to be nourished.

Nowadays, he mainly treated the Abdominal Pouch Spell as a portable storage pouch. As for its ability to nourish Curse Artifacts, it was better than nothing.

"The space inside this Abdominal Pouch Spell is far too small. I wonder whether the innate talent formed after it reaches perfection can expand the space."

Wu Tian felt a little insatiably greedy as he thought about it.

"But Master Man Xiong, when exactly are you coming back?"

"Every time he says he'll return within a month, he's never once been on time."

Wu Tian grumbled, growing somewhat restless.

Now that two months had passed, along with the acupoints he had previously opened, he had fully opened a total of sixty-eight acupoints.

At most, he needed another four or five days to open all seventy-two acupoints. Then he could enter the second stage, Qi Circulation.

If Master Man Xiongmu did not return soon, his cultivation progress would be delayed. He did not want to waste even a single day.

With a thought, Wu Tian opened his System Panel.

Name: Wu Tian

Age: 4

Bloodline: Southern Border White Dog

Realm: First Level of the Qi Nourishing Realm 94%

Talents: Immunity to All Poisons 20% (Intermediate) Thousand Mile Divine Speed 24% (Intermediate) Auspiciousness and Avoidance of Disaster 21% (Intermediate) Eating Radiance, Drinking Dew 30% (Intermediate) Spiritual Communication 60% (Beginner)

Skills: Fire Pupil Curse 15% (Superior), Thunder Sound Curse 18% (Superior), Cloud Water Spell 61% (Secret Transmission), Gather Wind Spell 61% (Secret Transmission), Silk Drawing Curse Technique 66% (Secret Transmission), Abdominal Pouch Curse 75% (Secret Transmission), Ruyi Curse 32% (Secret Transmission)

Note: Perfected skills have been hidden.

The cultivation progress of the Cloud Water Spell, Gather Wind Spell, and Silk Drawing Curse Technique had already surpassed sixty percent. The Abdominal Pouch Spell was progressing even faster, already reaching seventy-five percent. None of them were far from perfection.

"At most, in another month or so, all four Secret Transmission Curse Techniques will reach perfection one after another. By then, four new talents will be born, and the Spiritual Communication talent will also advance."

"My strength and aptitude will be able to surge another notch..."