Needle Control Technique

There were good people in the cultivation world too!

Guo Qiao Lian was a tremendously good person!

At least, in Su Qing's eyes at this moment, holy light seemed to be shining behind the petite and exquisite Guo Qiao Lian!

"Th-this doesn't seem appropriate, does it? How about I give you some Spirit Crystals?"

This sudden surprise left Su Qing, who had been plagued by terrible luck these past three days, somewhat doubtful of life itself. He dared not believe that something like getting a free ride could happen to him.

"There's nothing inappropriate about it. When Fellow Daoist Su refined the Spirit Lotus Leg, you did not avoid letting me watch at all. You must have been giving me an opportunity to learn Biomimetic Runes.

Qiao Lian may be a little simple, but I'm not a fool. I've always remembered Fellow Daoist Su's kindness!"

Guo Qiao Lian said this frankly. The Spiritual Sense Micro-manipulation Method was indeed one of her family's inherited spirit healing arts, but Su Qing's Biomimetic Rune techniques were no ordinary craft either.

In her view, exchanging the Spiritual Sense Micro-manipulation Method for Su Qing's Biomimetic Rune techniques meant she had come out ahead.

Yet Su Qing had not considered that. The reason he did not mind Guo Qiao Lian watching him refine Spirit Lotus Legs was that she could learn, at most, the surface of it. It would already be impressive if she managed to draw a Tier 1 Biomimetic Rune.

Moreover, she was a Spirit Healer and could not become his competitor. Since she liked watching, he let her watch.

Of course, there was another reason that was not fit to say aloud. While he worked, having a fangirl like Guo Qiao Lian—blessed with both figure and looks—watching him with admiring eyes made him more efficient, did it not?

Now that he knew why Guo Qiao Lian was being so generous, he still did not believe that merely allowing her to observe his Biomimetic Rune techniques could offset the value of her family's inherited Spiritual Sense Micro-manipulation Method.

He silently considered that, once he had learned this technique, he should still give Guo Qiao Lian suitable compensation.

It was morning, and nearly all Rogue Cultivators were out hunting. It was not yet time for anyone to get injured, so Guo Qiao Lian was not busy. She directly followed Su Qing into the Spirit House he rented.

As soon as they entered, Su Qing shut the door. A lone man and woman sharing a room—Guo Qiao Lian could not help but blush, her little face growing faintly hot.

But when she saw Su Qing's eager, thirsting-for-knowledge expression, she immediately came to her senses and said seriously:

"The Spiritual Sense Micro-manipulation Method, also known as the Spirit Splitting Method, allows cultivators to use one mind for multiple purposes and manipulate inanimate objects.

War Cultivators, Spirit Healers, and puppet masters all cultivate such methods. Qiao Lian does not understand why Fellow Daoist, whose puppet-master techniques are so exceptional, has not yet cultivated this method."

Guo Qiao Lian's question was entirely reasonable.

Proper puppet masters placed extraordinary importance on cultivating their spiritual sense, but he was not a proper puppet master!

Of course, he knew that proper puppet masters would grit their teeth and purchase the Spirit Splitting Method to cultivate.

Not every puppet master was like him, born with powerful spiritual sense and accomplished in Intelligence Runes. He only needed to set commands for a puppet, and it could act independently.

Puppets without Intelligence Runes could only be effective when controlled through a cultivator's spiritual sense.

For that very reason, if puppet masters wanted to bring out sufficient combat strength, they had to use one mind for multiple purposes in order to skillfully control several puppets at once.

He had once heard that on the battlefield of the Immortal Nation, a puppet master had fielded several thousand puppets alone. One person was an entire army. Though the ending was that a Golden Core Cultivator from the opposing demonic sect caught the thief by catching the king and directly killed him, he had at least been glorious once.

There were two reasons he had not purchased and cultivated the Spirit Splitting Method.

First, Spirit Splitting Methods were too expensive, and the ones circulating in the Market were all of the same grade as the Spring Return Technique—absolute common goods with poor effects.

Second, he had already raised his Intelligence Runes to Tier 2. His puppets could move better on their own than under his control, so why would he split his mind to control them himself?

Would it not be better to spend the Spirit Crystals for buying a Spirit Splitting Method on materials, and the time for cultivating one on Refining Puppets?

To make money faster and make more of it, Su Qing had never tried cultivating the Spirit Splitting Method.

Now, facing the Meditating Doll and shaking his head with a sigh, he could only blame himself.

Seeing Su Qing merely give a wry smile, Guo Qiao Lian pursed her red lips and hurriedly dropped the subject before continuing:

"My family's inherited Spirit Splitting Method is called the Needle Control Technique. It is a Profound Grade Secret Technique, divided into three levels.

The third level involves wonderful uses related to spirit healing. Daddy does not permit me to privately teach it to others. But as for the first two levels, I can pass them on to Fellow Daoist!"

Su Qing nodded in understanding. Guo Qiao Lian might only be somewhat simple, but she was not truly foolish. If she had handed over her family's inherited secret technique in its entirety, she would have been sold off long ago.

The first two levels alone were already a tremendous surprise to him.

Secret techniques such as the Spirit Splitting Method were even rarer than cultivation methods and combat techniques.

The Eight Spirit Method, widely circulated in the Market, was merely a Yellow Grade Lower Grade Secret Technique, yet Hundred Treasures Pavilion dared to sell it for over three thousand Spirit Crystals.

This Profound Grade Secret Technique—even only its first two levels—would likely cost thirty to fifty thousand Spirit Crystals if sold, and even then it might not be enough.

Once Guo Qiao Lian finished speaking, she took out a stack of yellow paper and began silently copying the first two levels of the Needle Control Incantation for him.

Moved by this, Su Qing also understood the principle of returning courtesy for courtesy. He pulled a thin booklet from his robes.

"This humble one sees that Fellow Daoist is quite interested in Biomimetic Runes. This contains a few insights I have gained from studying Biomimetic Runes. It is nothing remarkable, but if Fellow Daoist thinks it worthwhile, please take it and have a look."

After the Proficiency of all types of runes and puppet-refining techniques was maxed out, they transformed into torrents of information that poured into the Sea of Consciousness.

With his Tier 2 Biomimetic Rune attainments and lofty perspective, the booklet Su Qing had compiled to help others cultivate Tier 1 Biomimetic Runes was in reality far from as simple as he claimed.

But it cost him nothing to do, and giving it to Guo Qiao Lian was perfectly suitable.

"What are you doing, Fellow Daoist? Qiao Lian has still withheld part of the Needle Control Incantation. How can I accept such a great gift from Fellow Daoist?"

Guo Qiao Lian naturally knew how precious this booklet was. Her round little face flushed red with anxiety as she repeatedly declined.

"It's fine. We're friends, after all. You help me, I help you; everyone takes what they need. I'm giving it to you, so just take it!"

Su Qing smiled at Guo Qiao Lian. This booklet truly was nothing to him.

Yet there were exceedingly few people he trusted enough to take out such a thing for. Aside from Guo Qiao Lian, Tang Wanqing was likely the only other person he would be willing to give it to.

When he called them friends, he truly did regard them as friends in his heart.

Guo Qiao Lian clearly understood this as well. Only after nodding heavily did she accept the booklet and push open the door to leave.

After shutting the door, Su Qing casually tossed out over a hundred pounds of beast meat and told Fire Egg:

"Guard the house properly, understand? This meat should be enough for you to eat. Don't go mooching food off other people again next time. You may not find it embarrassing, but I do!"

Fire Egg held a chunk of beast meat in its mouth and nodded like a pounding garlic pestle. It only thought that later, it had to carry this meat and make a proper round through the White Tooth Elephant's place. Fire Egg might eat less than it did, but the quality was much higher!

After sending off the excited and thrilled Fire Egg, Su Qing shut the door and focused all his attention on the Needle Control Technique.