Cultivation Plan

It took the father and son three days to complete the copies of the Nine Yin Manual and the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, while General Mu's Principles of War was temporarily set aside. The Lin Family had no ambitions of conquering the world and had no use for military strategy for now. Lin Lan had never considered presenting it to Xue Ye either. The relationship between the Empire's nobles and royal family was not that close, and Lin Lan was not some loyal minister devoted wholeheartedly to his country—otherwise, he would not have become such a carefree Count. Besides, if he handed it to Xue Ye, he would have to find a way to explain its origins. Upon seeing such a powerful military treatise, there was no guarantee Xue Ye would not develop murderous intentions and seek to wipe out everyone who knew of it, keeping the art of war entirely in the royal family's hands. After some thought, General Mu's Principles of War was shelved for the time being.

After copying the two secret manuals, Lin Feng had also decided on his cultivation path. Lin Lan and Hua Jieyu seemed to have some plans for his cultivation as well, so after breakfast that day, the family of three sat down to formally discuss the matter.

Hua Jieyu spoke first. "Feng'er, while you and your father were copying the cultivation techniques these past few days, did you think about your future direction? You have been clever since childhood and have your own views on many matters. If you have any ideas about your cultivation, bring them up first. Your father and I have discussed it too and made some plans for you. We can talk them over together."

Lin Feng said, "Dad, Mom, I do have some ideas. I'll say them first, and then you can see whether they work. My two Martial Souls, the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Slaying Saber, are one light and one heavy, one supple and one fierce. The Heavenly Sword can follow a technique-based path, defeating enemies through skill, while the Dragon Slaying Saber can follow the path of overwhelming all techniques with brute force. As for the order, I want to cultivate the Heavenly Sword first. Techniques require time to practice, so it is best to begin young. As for defeating enemies with strength, later on I only need to add power-type Spirit Rings to the Dragon Slaying Saber, which should be comparatively easier." Of course, Lin Feng also had a little selfish thought hidden in his heart: he thought swords were cooler. As a veteran wuxia fan who had dreamed since childhood of roaming the world with a sword at his side, the sword was naturally his first choice. Besides, he wanted to fly on a sword one day. Flying on a saber... well, not cool.

Hua Jieyu said, "That happens to align with what your father and I were thinking. We also decided to let you cultivate the Heavenly Sword first. As you said, sword techniques are more complicated than saber techniques and do indeed require more time to practice. There is another reason as well. Your saber is named the Dragon Slaying Saber, and that name inevitably offends the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. That clan has always been extremely domineering. Before you possess sufficient strength, it would be best not to let them know that your Martial Soul is called the Dragon Slaying Saber."

Lin Lan took over. "And Feng'er, your mother and I do not intend to reveal your Twin Martial Souls talent to the public either. According to the records, you are the third person in the history of Douluo Continent to possess Twin Martial Souls. This talent is simply too heaven-defying. If the outside world learns of it, it will be difficult to guarantee they will not do something. Moreover, we need time to research how Twin Martial Souls can avoid conflicts and bodily explosion when adding Spirit Rings to the second Martial Soul."

Hua Jieyu said, "Right. We plan to tell everyone that your Heavenly Sword is a favorable mutation of the Seven Star Sword, and that you possess Innate Full Soul Power because of this Martial Soul mutation. Such talent is already enough to earn you all the treatment a genius deserves within the Heaven Dou Empire. People need to hide their trump cards, but in order to receive the treatment they deserve, they must still reveal some talent when appropriate. Otherwise, if someone keeps pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger, they might eventually truly become a pig."

Lin Feng said, "Dad, Mom, I understand. That was what I thought too. As for the cultivation of Twin Martial Souls Dad just mentioned, I have some ideas as well.

"First, the initial difficulty in cultivating Twin Martial Souls comes when adding Spirit Rings to the second Martial Soul, as the Martial Souls may conflict. But my two Martial Souls give me an extremely strong sense that they share the same origin, as though they were once a single Martial Soul. So I do not think Martial Soul conflict will be a problem for me.

"Second, before level fifty, the age limit of every Spirit Ring one can absorb depends entirely on one's physical constitution. The stronger the constitution, the older the Spirit Ring one can absorb. For example, the currently accepted upper limit for a First Spirit Ring is 423 years, but considering the physical constitution I have built through dietary supplements and Medicinal Baths since childhood, my First Spirit Ring can definitely exceed 423 years. Overlimit Absorption of Spirit Rings should also be capable of breaking a person's physical limits. Therefore, when adding Spirit Rings to the Heavenly Sword, as long as I begin with the First Spirit Ring and absorb every Spirit Ring beyond the limit, by the time I reach the Titled Douluo level, I believe my physical constitution will be strong enough that even if the two Martial Souls conflict when I add Spirit Rings to the Dragon Slaying Saber, my life will not be in danger.

"Furthermore, both the Divine Medicine King Chapter and the Nine Yin Manual mention Yin-Yang Harmony and the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements. They also state that the human body contains the Five Elements: the lungs belong to metal, the liver to wood, the kidneys to water, the heart to fire, and the spleen to earth. With Five Elements Mutual Generation, life goes on without end. So I want to add Spirit Rings to the Heavenly Sword according to the Five Elements. Once Five Elements Mutual Generation is formed, I believe it will bring a tremendous improvement to my physical condition. With cultivation like this, I think I can resolve the cultivation dilemma of Twin Martial Souls." Lin Feng could actually guarantee that his idea was correct, because he held the script and already knew the method for cultivating Twin Martial Souls. Furthermore, the Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber originated from the Heavy Profound Iron Sword and were inherently of the same origin. The mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements was even common knowledge in the world he came from. Still, his explanation was sound and well-supported, so it should be enough to persuade his parents.

Lin Lan and Hua Jieyu considered his words seriously. Then the husband and wife exchanged a glance, each understanding the meaning in the other's eyes. Hua Jieyu said, "Feng'er, we think what you just said makes a great deal of sense. We can give it a try. My son truly is a genius. Originally, your father and I planned to have the Heavenly Sword primarily absorb Spirit Rings from life-attribute Spirit Beasts, continuously strengthening your life force and improving your physical constitution through life-attribute Spirit Beasts before cultivating your second Martial Soul. With the Nine Yin Manual and the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, you do not need to care much about what Spirit Skills your Spirit Rings can grant you. Besides, your mother's Seven Star Sword and my self-created sword techniques will be enough for your future battles. But the idea of Five Elements Mutual Generation is worth trying as well. If it succeeds, it truly has greater potential than life-attribute Spirit Rings."

Lin Feng said, "Yes, Mom. And we do not need to fear failure. Even if the path of Five Elements Mutual Generation does not work, we can abolish our cultivation and start over. According to the Nine Yin Manual's Healing Chapter, even if a Titled Douluo's cultivation is abolished, they could probably recover completely in just half a year. I will only be trying five Spirit Rings at most. Even if it fails, starting over would only take a month." Lin Feng gave his parents another dose of reassurance, making them more confident in him. There was no exaggeration in his words. Back in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Hong Qigong and Prince Duan had not taken long to recover despite their strength. That was the strength of the Five Greats—converted to this world, they would be at least Super Douluo.

Lin Lan said, "All right, Feng'er. We'll do as you say. With the Nine Yin Manual in our hands, we can advance or retreat as we please, so there is no need to hesitate. We'll make preparations, and in a couple of days, we'll go hunt your First Spirit Ring. Your mother has also just broken through level seventy and needs to add her seventh Spirit Ring."

Lin Feng said, "Dad, I want to wait half a year before hunting my First Spirit Ring. I want to cultivate the Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter of the Nine Yin Manual first. At my current age and strength, half a year should greatly improve my physical constitution. You and Mom can also cultivate the 'Spirit Skills' within the True Scripture and the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Half a year should be enough to double your combat strength. Then, when we go hunt Spirit Rings, it will be safer. The Spirit Beast Mom needs should be at least fifty thousand years old, right?"

Hua Jieyu said, "Feng'er is right. We'll wait half a year before setting out and let Feng'er cultivate the Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter first. But Feng'er, even if your father's and my strength does not double, we are still strong enough to hunt Spirit Rings for you and me. When the time comes, you will get a good look at just how powerful your father and mother truly are."