Formal Cultivation

Zhu Zhengwei left quietly, hiding his merit and fame deep within the shadows.

Soon, the entire night sky was torn asunder by a roar.

"Who is it?"

"Who shattered the second Head Sarira as well??"

The next morning.

In a port city of the Bronze Country, Zhu Zhengwei sat on a bench in the fountain square, holding a copy of the All Living Beings Scripture and beginning to read.

Although he had completed the single sentence in the general outline, he discovered that the entire book was essentially a comprehensive guide to the Qi Consumption Method, from beginner to master, leaving him unable to help but study it with insatiable hunger.

He felt like a self-taught college student looking back at elementary and middle school textbooks to fill in the gaps of his foundation, systematizing and standardizing all his knowledge.

The benefits were immense!

"According to my current level, I am roughly a Level 3 Senior Blessing Shaman, already among the top-tier combatants. After all, Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng is only a Level 4 Grand Blessing Shaman."

Zhu Zhengwei sensed his own state, marveling all the more at the mysteries within the book.

"The second volume, the 'Cultivation Arts' chapter, actually constructively proposes a Lifebound Shamanic Art—the Spirit Appeasement Art—which allows a Blessing Shaman to instantly cast unprecedentedly exquisite attacks."

Previously, a Blessing Shaman's attacks essentially consisted of extending Spiritual Power tentacles from the brain to strike directly.

As the book described the essence of Shamanic Arts: the brain's spiritual sea was like a steamer, constantly venting Qi to conduct attacks!

But this method was too straightforward; a steamer venting Qi was simply too crude and primitive!

The current proposal, however, was to transform the brain "steamer" into a "Spirit Binding Cage." In Zhu Zhengwei's understanding, the "Spirit Binding Cage" mentioned in the book was a Domed Exquisite Birdcage. By complicating the brain and constructing different structures to form a specific steam engine, one could vent a powerful, instantaneous Lifebound Shamanic Art.

This was the prototype of the "Spirit Appeasement Art."

"Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

Zhu Zhengwei read on with unquenchable thirst. "Why can one cast Shamanic Arts instantly? It's simple! It's just like modifying your simple brain into a firearm; once the layout is prepared in advance, you can naturally fire bullets instantly!"

By constructing different models of "steam engines" within his brain's Qi Consumption sea, one could manifest different instantaneous Lifebound Shamanic Arts.

Zhu Zhengwei glanced at the First Generation Steam Engines listed within. There were three in total.

In the illustrated diagrams, they were three incredibly complex models, resembling 3D renderings. They were varied in shape and immensely intricate, with structures as winding as labyrinths—enough to leave any poor student utterly bewildered.

Zhuyou Model, Purple Sickle: By constructing a sickle-style vent, it allowed Qi to be ejected instantly, killing with swiftness.

Zhuyou Model, Umbrella Shield: Constructs an umbrella-shaped Qi Shield for defense.

Zhuyou Model, Voice Transmission: Conducts mental communication across distances.

Zhu Zhengwei was deeply intrigued and continued reading. "Currently, each person can only construct one 'Spirit Binding'—that is, one steam engine. Once successfully built, dismantling and rebuilding it requires a long period of weakness."

"However, the book also proposes a vision for the future. Although one only has a single steam engine, in the future, it may be possible to achieve high-precision miniaturization, improving quality so that one steam engine can accommodate several instantaneous Lifebound Shamanic Arts simultaneously."

Upon reading this, Zhu Zhengwei could only describe it with one word: Awesome!

It was just too damn awesome!

This was like taking a single-cylinder engine and modifying it into a three-cylinder engine!

This kind of wisdom was truly terrifying; to have thought so far ahead when only the prototype of a single Lifebound Shamanic Art had been conceived!

"The Wind Swallowing and Qi Consuming Country—this really is a steam age where everyone vents Qi!"

"This is so punk! Humanoid three-cylinder engines, humanoid four-cylinder engines—won't they be flying through the skies and burrowing into the earth in the future? Building a humanoid steam airplane? The sense of civilization and technology has suddenly skyrocketed!"

Seeing this, Zhu Zhengwei felt completely invigorated.

Everything he had learned before was practically amateur, crude, and simple; it couldn't be compared to what was before him.

Squeezing toothpaste before?

No wonder I could only squeeze toothpaste. Everyone was exploring on their own, the methods were too wild, and the efficiency was too low!

He quickly began to ponder.

"Although it's not impossible to use other Shamanic Arts, Lifebound Shamanic Arts are instantaneous, while other arts are slow to activate. Each person's Lifebound 'Spirit Appeasement Art' is the key to determining their strength. The more powerful the Blessing Shaman, the stronger the steam engine they build! Since that is the case for me, I must carefully consider what my Lifebound Spirit Appeasement Art should be."

His own Lifebound Shamanic Art was of vital importance.

Attack?

Defense?

Functionality?

True powerhouses, of course, created their own Lifebound Shamanic Arts.

Zhu Zhengwei thought for a moment, and a bold idea suddenly popped into his head: "What if my Lifebound Spirit Appeasement Art, my brain steam engine, was the 'Mobile Dream Network'??"

To turn this world into his own Lifebound Shamanic Art?

As soon as this thought emerged, Zhu Zhengwei's heart began to pound wildly!

This actually felt a little thrilling, didn't it?

But the idea was too exaggerated, too insane; whether it could be realized was another question entirely.

Yet, this had already planted a seed of ambition deep within Zhu Zhengwei's heart.

He quickly skipped over the second volume, Cultivation Arts, and turned to the third volume, Artifact Forging, only to be stunned by the sheer ingenuity contained within.

This third volume encompassed three major chapters: "Artifact Refining," "Spell Medium," and "Gu Raising."

Artifact Refining was easy enough to explain.

It was simply the use of materials with shamanic properties to craft tools.

For instance, the previously mentioned Shaman Skull was a tool used to amplify shamanic techniques.

As for the tibias and skin of those Sea Giant Beasts, they were also creatures that consumed Qi; their remains could be used to craft staves, leather pouches, and all manner of Shamanic Artifacts.

Yet, that was still within the realm of the ordinary. What truly astonished Zhu Zhengwei?

It was the "Spell Medium" chapter.

This chapter was quite brief, little more than a rough draft consisting mostly of theoretical concepts. It explored the use of "material mediums" to instantly cast other shamanic techniques. Although it only contained a single formula for a medium to cast an "Explosion Spell," it was enough to leave Zhu Zhengwei dumbfounded.

One kilogram of flour, three grams of sulfur, seven grams of carbon powder, and a section of ox intestine.

The method of casting was simple: use a burst of shamanic energy to instantly compress the pouch. It would trigger an immediate explosion. Those who practiced it well, with precise control and the coordination of Qi to create vibrations, could instantly blow up a small cottage.

"What the hell? Isn't this just a Dust Explosion?" Zhu Zhengwei stared at the Shamanic Artifacts chapter, feeling somewhat dazed.

And that wasn't even the most extreme part.

It actually included a "Gu Raising" chapter.

After all, Artifact Forging referred to the creation of tools for shamanic techniques, a broad category that also included living tools.

This "Gu Raising" chapter was a complete prototype, with no finished results yet.

Because it required a vast amount of time and had not yet been tested, it instructed the Shaman Invocation to raise a bug, feeding it with Qi and one's own blood to form a small insect colony imbued with Qi, establishing a connection to achieve various miraculous effects.

"This is truly incredible."

Seeing this, Zhu Zhengwei couldn't help but marvel at the wisdom of a civilization; it was genuinely terrifying. "Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng, you are truly my superman, the master of an entire civilizational era—my Einstein, my Tesla!"

This was nothing short of a world-shaking masterpiece!

At this moment, Zhu Zhengwei finally felt a sense of reality:

Once this civilization developed, the depth of its various knowledge would absolutely not be weaker than the 21st-century internet civilization of modern Earth. In fact, this civilization specialized in the soul and flesh—it might even be capable of achieving biological Genetic Engineering that modern times could not!

By the time he finished reading, it was already dusk.

"When we go back tonight, you must study the content your teacher taught you well, do you hear me?" a parent said to their child.

"Sentinels, begin the patrol."

Various sounds filled the plaza around the fountain, with pedestrians rustling as they headed home.

Zhu Zhengwei couldn't help but re-read it several times, feeling that each pass revealed new profound meanings and fresh insights.

Setting aside the grand, sweeping general outline that covered all things in heaven and earth, the remaining four volumes—Shaman Invocation, Cultivation Arts, Artifact Forging, and Illuminating the Heart—totaled thirty-one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one words. They were indeed the culmination of an era, every word a gem!

"Refreshing!"

Zhu Zhengwei felt as though he hadn't experienced the pure joy of reading in a long time.

As a Roll King, he put the book down, still wanting more, and began to organize his thoughts, planning to start constructing his "Spirit Appeasement Art." He pondered in his heart:

"Although the Mobile Dream Network is clearly impossible to construct right now, I can start by building a Lifebound Shamanic Art first. Once I grow stronger, I can dismantle it and replace it later."

He wasn't some foolish bird with delusions of grandeur; he knew not everything could be achieved in a single leap.

Since there were only three basic Lifebound Spirit Appeasement Arts available, he would simply choose one as a transition.

The offensive Purple Sickle.

The defensive Umbrella Shield.

The functional Voice Transmission.

"The last one is definitely excluded."

"Our modern society has telephones, and if I use Voice Transmission on someone, wouldn't I just be asking for trouble by letting people discover me?"

Zhu Zhengwei thought for a moment. "I can also skip the offensive one. This Spirit Scythe looks fierce, but its actual efficacy is probably only equivalent to a small-caliber firearm. For now, I'll prioritize defense and focus on surviving and developing."

He quickly made his choice.

He left the plaza, found a spot in the mountains to hide, and sat cross-legged.

It took over a week to complete the construction. He built this "Single-Cylinder Steam Engine" within his mind. At this moment, a beautiful Domed Exquisite Birdcage floated up and down in his consciousness. He felt the profound depth of it all; the knowledge and scholarship involved in constructing a "Spirit Appeasement Art" were no simpler than academic study.

"Even the simplest Lifebound Spirit Appeasement Art is so profound. For the more difficult ones, wouldn't it take years of practice to achieve anything?" He took a deep breath and left the Four-dimensional world.

Click.

He opened his eyes on his bed; only a few minutes had passed in reality.

A dream of a golden millet, nothing more!

His two Idiot Roommates knew nothing. They were unaware that he had returned after stealing techniques from the very Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng they obsessed over. They were still eating the breakfast he had brought back, busily working away at their computers with great enthusiasm.

"Let's give it a try."

Zhu Zhengwei felt a surge of excitement and silently, without drawing any attention, walked into the dormitory bathroom.

He thought for a moment, then turned on the showerhead above him.

Pshhh.

A massive spray of water poured down.

"Umbrella Shield."

He silently recited this unremarkable name.

He felt his brain surge like a steam engine, instantly venting a stream of Qi that expanded above his head, forming a transparent little umbrella with a diameter of one meter.

"Sigh, an instant-cast Spirit Appeasement Art, almost instinctive. It looks like I won't need to carry an umbrella when I go out anymore."

Zhu Zhengwei scratched his head, though there was one slight drawback: he felt like a giant mushroom venting steam from its cap. "I just get the feeling I'm a paratrooper."

He studied it for quite a while before finally walking out of the bathroom.

The two guys in the dorm were already posting online, "It blew up! It completely blew up!"

Hearing this, Zhu Zhengwei felt quite relaxed.

He was in a pleasant mood, so he approached his two roommates to see what kind of reaction these chives had after last night's "collective suona chant" for Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng.