Heretical Cultivation Technique

"System, level me up!"

Chu Huai Xu sat cross-legged on the bed, spending 79 Experience Points to raise his Character Level from 0 to 1.

As for why it was 79 points, the system had its own algorithm.

It was closely tied to the player's own attributes and the Match Rate with their cultivation technique.

Xue Hu, who died that rainy night, probably never dreamed that Chu Huai Xu could open Acupoints as easily as breathing.

Of course, now he couldn't even dream anymore.

Xue Hu had actually managed to open two Acupoints too.

In his youth, he bought Aperture Opening Pills through some shady channels, then used a Body Refining Technique to stimulate his body, enduring immense pain before barely achieving that feat.

He knew deep down that this probably wasn't his limit.

But the agony was so unforgettable that he didn't even have the guts to push further.

Besides, two Acupoints made his physique slightly stronger than an average person's, enough to pull strings and get into the Patrol Office.

Too bad, on this rain-drenched night, he ran into Chu Huai Xu, a cheater.

His death contributed 100 Experience Points to this transmigrator, becoming the "fuel" for his Acupoint breakthroughs now.

Inside the main hall of Inquiry Peak, a group of Seventh Realm and above experts were all stunned.

Three breaths to open an Acupoint?

And a completely blocked one at that?

What did this mean? The spiritual energy had barely entered his body and instantly broke through the Acupoint?

It was utterly baffling, shocking beyond belief.

For context, the Profound Yin Physique living next door took nearly a full incense stick's time to circulate the Ice Purity Art through her body for one cycle before successfully opening her Acupoint.

Among this crowd, the most agitated was Li Chunsong.

This Sixth Elder, jokingly called the "Charitable Gambling King," "Li the Pure Giver," and "Everlasting Loser" by players on the forums, was breathing heavily!

His body was even trembling slightly.

His plain, unremarkable face flushed red, and he was visibly ecstatic, as if electric currents were zapping through his entire body.

"I won?"

"I, I actually won!"

He could barely remember the last time he'd won a bet.

The thrill felt like his skull was about to blow off.

But before they could start chattering in shock, something unexpected happened.

Chu Huai Xu, who had just opened an Acupoint in three breaths, suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The pain hit him like a truck—no, like a motorcycle repeatedly running over him, determined to leave tire marks on every inch of his body.

It all happened so fast that the agony made him dizzy.

He was already sitting cross-legged on the bed, but after a dizzying spin, he tumbled off.

The Jade slip laid out in front of him and the small booklet beside it fell to the ground.

This young man with a Fox Face passed out from the pain.

Just before losing consciousness, he suddenly understood the words written on the Jade slip.

"Heaven and earth as a furnace, the body as a sword, spiritual energy tempers, forging the body to open Acupoints."

Night wind blew in through the window, flipping the booklet's pages by chance, evoking the feeling of "the breeze doesn't know characters, so why does it mess with the pages?"

The large words written on the first and second pages emerged.

"Don't Cultivate!"

"Listen to Advice!"

Inside the Bamboo House next door, Han Shuangjiang opened her beautiful eyes, having undoubtedly heard that agonizing scream.

She startled up from the bed, standing straight.

"What's wrong with him?" she looked toward the direction of the neighboring Bamboo House.

But her childhood experiences and recent turbulent life had made her lean toward coldness.

After some inner struggle, though, she decided to "meddle in others' business."

After all, at her core, she was always a kind person.

Han Shuangjiang strode forward, her strikingly proportioned jade-like legs creating a unique beauty when taking long, quick steps.

Short legs, by contrast, would often look a bit ridiculous.

She pushed open the bamboo door, arrived at Chu Huai Xu's house, and raised her hand to knock.

"Thump, thump, thump--!"

No one answered.

"You..." Han Shuangjiang paused before continuing, "Are you alright?"

Still no answer.

Earlier, she had always worn a veil in front of Chu Huai Xu.

Now, without the veil, she revealed a flawless, exquisite face—breathtakingly beautiful.

She gritted her silver teeth, made a decision in her heart, and directly pushed the door.

"Creak—!" It wouldn't budge. Locked.

Come on, you're a demonic woman carrying the dual-cultivation technique "Joyful Entanglement," and you call me a cultivation cauldron the moment we meet. Of course I, Chu Huai Xu, would lock the door!

What's the most important thing for a guy out in the world?

Protecting himself!

After all these years as a companion, he knew one truth well—women are all the same. If you let them have you too easily, they won't cherish you.

A man who doesn't love himself is like rotten cabbage.

Han Shuangjiang lowered her gaze slightly, guessing the problem was serious, suspecting he might have already passed out.

She looked around and finally decided to find Steward Niu.

That guy, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, seemed upright and kind-hearted. Even though it was this late at night, he probably wouldn't get angry, right?

Just as she was about to set off, a figure flew over from afar at high speed. As he neared the door, he flicked his sleeve, and spiritual power blasted the door open, then he landed gracefully.

A smooth, effortless series of moves—quite dashing!

The less-than-impressive Sixth Elder, Li Chunsong, glanced at Han Shuangjiang before walking inside with a worried expression.

"Strong physique, no major issues."

"In fact, it's a bit too strong." Li Chunsong was puzzled.

How could someone who had only opened one of nine apertures make such progress?

He raised his right hand, and the jade slips scattered on the floor flew into his grasp.

Li Chunsong took a closer look and couldn't help blurting out:

"Where did this heretical cultivation technique come from!"

As a dignified Great Cultivator of the Seventh Realm, he could see through a mere Aperture Opening Stage technique at a glance.

"This technique actually integrates Body Refining Technique directly, making it both internal and external cultivation."

"And it uses the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to temper the physical body?"

"How is this any different from the final step in artifact refining—spirit quenching?" Li Chunsong's frown deepened.

Sword Refining Art, Sword Refining Art.

Damn it, this really is treating a person like a sword to be refined!

But when he calmed down and deduced it step by step, he found that this technique was actually feasible—as if it had taken artifact refining as a foundation and adapted it into a bizarre heretical Aperture Opening Stage technique!

"This person's artifact refining skill is definitely at the Grandmaster level!" Li Chunsong was shocked again.

After all, the entire Dao Sect had only one Artifact Refining Grandmaster.

That was the broad-minded Ninth Elder of the Dao Sect, Nangong Yue.

In terms of rarity, Artifact Refining Grandmasters were even fewer than Great Cultivators above the Seventh Realm.

"This definitely wasn't cooked up by Ninth Junior Sister. Something this unorthodox—it's more like something Chu Yinyin would do!" Li Chunsong thought to himself.

He decided he'd go wake up Niu Yuanshan later and ask him about it.

The Sixth Elder turned his head to look at Han Shuangjiang and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, it's fine. He just passed out from the pain due to the technique's peculiarity."

"Passed out from pain?" Han Shuangjiang was baffled.

A grown man, actually knocked unconscious by pain?

This technique was that terrifying!

When she had practiced the "Ice Purity Art" earlier, she felt completely refreshed, as if a gentle energy had spread through her body, washing away the fatigue of the entire night.

She never imagined cultivation could be such a pleasant experience.

But why was he in so much pain?

Han Shuangjiang glanced at Chu Huai Xu lying on the ground and felt that, despite his pale face, that Fox Face had taken on a different kind of beauty.

"A perfect cultivation cauldron should be like this." Her old habit from the Joyful Sect flared up again, and she even offered a critique.

(PS: Requesting monthly votes during the new book period~)