New Talent

Wu Tian remained in the cave dwelling, cultivating daily without haste. Besides practicing the four basic incantations to open his apertures, he also continued refining the Ruyi Rope.

Refining the Ruyi Rope wasn't something that could be done in a day; it required sustained effort over a long period. Every day, Wu Tian would set aside an hour to collect Bitter Bamboo from outside the cave, then use his own blood to inscribe incantations onto it.

There was also the practice of the Abdomen Pouch Spell. Swallowing and expelling Curse Artifacts into his abdomen daily counted as cultivation, and it was the simplest one.

Furthermore, Wu Tian's Spiritual Communication talent was gradually improving. He could now engage in simple communication with the beast soul bound within the Soul Stirring Bell.

The beast soul bound within this bell was the Yin soul of a wolf demon, fierce and formidable, mostly slumbering.

With his Spiritual Communication talent, Wu Tian could sense ghosts and Yin souls. Even without the Soul Stirring Incantation, he could awaken this wolf soul.

Thus, within the cave dwelling, one could occasionally see a White Dog barking furiously at the bell...

Five days passed in this manner. Wu Tian finally opened his last aperture. There were no earth-shattering phenomena, no bottlenecks or setbacks; everything progressed naturally.

The four incantations of water, fire, wind, and lightning were performed in rotation. As the turbid energy dissipated, the final aperture was opened.

The Tongyou Qi within his body, after more than two months of tempering and the refinement of the four incantations, had become even purer and more potent than when he first broke through.

It was already evening, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.

The Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram could only be practiced at night; it was ineffective during the day.

Wu Tian walked directly out of the cave dwelling and leaped onto a stone platform at the entrance. This area was more open, and the moonlight fell upon it unobstructed.

Wu Tian prostrated himself on the stone platform and slowly closed his eyes.

He had memorized the Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram over the past few days. Now, without hesitation, he began circulating the Tongyou Qi along the path of the diagram.

This circulation could not have the slightest error, or he would have to start all over. He had to follow the diagram and traverse all 72 apertures in one go.

This process consumed a significant amount of mental energy. Furthermore, as True Qi was circulated, the apertures would vibrate, causing his body to shake as well, which also greatly depleted his physical strength.

Wu Tian had the System Panel. Once a skill was recorded, he wouldn't fail and there wouldn't be the slightest mistake.

He slowly circulated his True Qi. Although the progress was slow, it was stable and precise. The Tongyou Qi flowed through each aperture, and by the time it reached the last one, the True Qi had just circulated to beneath his tongue.

At that instant, Wu Tian subconsciously opened his mouth, and a cool, refreshing energy entered his body, like a stream or dew from jade.

The Tongyou Qi beneath his tongue, like a spirit snake, swallowed the cool energy, almost as if it couldn't wait.

Man Xiongmu, who had been meditating indoors, suddenly opened his eyes. Magic Power flowed through his gaze, and he saw what was happening on the stone platform outside.

He saw White Dragon'er looking up, its mouth open as if to swallow. A beam of moonlight descended from the sky, precisely entering its mouth.

This scene was like the legendary celestial dog swallowing the moon.

"Over two months, and he's reached Aperture Opening Completion. He even mastered the profound and obscure Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram in one go. White Dragon'er is truly becoming more and more extraordinary..."

Man Xiongmu sighed with emotion. Since this dog came up the mountain, its cultivation progress had always exceeded his expectations. If he didn't know its origins from White Dog Stockade, he might even suspect it was the cub of a Greater Demon.

"No wonder that senior would pass on his techniques to him..."

Shaking his head slightly, he withdrew his gaze. He had just entered the Law Refining Realm and was currently practicing his first sorcery, the Gentle Wind Spell.

He had just planted the seed for the Gentle Wind Spell, and it was unstable. It required nourishment from various spiritual materials, refinement by magic power, and constant manipulation.

This step required a vast amount of resources and energy, which was why cultivators in the Law Refining Realm usually descended the mountain to travel.

After swallowing the first ray of moonlight, Wu Tian felt his mind clear. Even his Tongyou Qi showed visible progress.

"A single ray of moonlight is almost equivalent to a month's worth of refining True Qi for me."

Sensing the changes in his True Qi, he was both surprised and delighted.

In fact, disciples of the Sect Leader's Direct Lineage and Wild Dog Cave, even those with excellent aptitude, needed several months to reach the initial stage of swallowing the first ray of moonlight.

Wu Tian had the System Panel, so his skills wouldn't be flawed, which saved a lot of time.

Otherwise, he would have to attempt the circulation again and again until his control over True Qi was so refined that the circulation path, frequency, and rhythm were flawless before he could complete one cycle.

"Continue!"

Wu Tian was somewhat excited and circulated his True Qi again.

An hour later, he successfully completed another cycle and swallowed another ray of moonlight.

Unfortunately, his mental and physical energy were severely depleted, and he no longer had the strength to complete another full cycle, so he had to stop.

"This Moon Swallowing Qi Circulation Diagram consumes too much mental and physical energy." Wu Tian was exhausted but also felt an extraordinary joy.

Having only swallowed two rays of moonlight, his True Qi was already equivalent to two months of previous refinement. This efficiency was astonishing.

"Once I go down the mountain, I can't cultivate so recklessly. I must conserve enough energy to deal with potential changes and dangers."

"And I can't cultivate during the day, so I need to make the most of my time."

With this thought, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, the best way to recover his spirit and energy.

Time flowed by. Wu Tian diligently cultivated in the cave dwelling, circulating through the cycle and swallowing moonlight at night, while practicing various incantations and refining Curse Artifacts during the day.

During this period, Man Xiongmu redeemed the Soul Stirring Incantation from the Hall of Transmitted Teachings, giving Wu Tian another task.

After ten days of arduous cultivation, the Abdomen Pouch Spell, which progressed the fastest, reached completion, and a new talent was born.

Ding, system notification: Your Abdomen Pouch Spell has reached perfection and can awaken into a talent. Please choose one of the following three talents.

Option 1: Mountain Devourer. You can swallow creatures far larger than yourself with your mouth, but if it's a living creature, there's a high chance your abdomen pouch will be ruptured.

Option 2: Iron Stomach. Your digestive capabilities will surge, allowing you to swallow gold and eat iron, thereby enhancing your physical strength and recovery from injuries. Consuming gold and iron for extended periods can strengthen your physique to a certain extent.

Option 3: Weapon Hoarder. You can swallow a weapon and nurture it with your essence, qi, and spirit, improving the weapon's quality.

All three of these options are intermediate talents.

The talents born from Secret Transmission Curse Techniques are indeed far superior to those from Beginner Curse Techniques and ordinary skills. All three of these talents are excellent.

"If this Mountain Devourer talent is cultivated to perfection, perhaps one day I'll truly be able to swallow a mountain in one gulp."

"Iron Stomach goes without saying. Isn't this the talent of a gluttonous beast or a Pixiu? Not only can it enhance the physique, but eating also speeds up recovery of stamina and injuries. This is an extremely practical combat talent."

"The last one, Weapon Hoarder, can improve weapon quality. It's simple, direct, and extremely practical."

What should I do? Which one should I choose?

Wu Tian felt a headache coming on; he wanted all of them.