Fate Deduction

The library held a hundred thousand volumes. Some described the types and appearances of spirit herbs, some covered artifact refinement, some discussed alchemy, some recorded assorted rumors and miscellaneous notes, and some described cultivation methods, all scattered throughout the library.

For example, seventy-two techniques for cultivating spirit plants, along with many precautions.

There were also eighteen Pill Recipes for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

One book even described in detail how to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Unfortunately, without a Rank 2 Alchemist and all sorts of spirit herbs, even knowing the recipe made it impossible to refine one.

If one thought that merely holding a Pill Recipe meant they could refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, they were looking down on alchemists far too much.

An alchemist needed wood and fire attributes, powerful soul force, and spirit herbs to burn through. Only a small number of cultivators met the standards, and only Great families had the means to train them.

As for Rogue Cultivators, becoming an alchemist was exceedingly difficult unless they had a grotto-heaven behind them, with endless spirit herbs to squander.

It was like the previous life, where nearly everyone knew the theory behind making an atomic bomb: find nuclear fuel, separate it with centrifuges, then load it, and it could explode. Yet fuel and electricity alone stumped many nations; only a scant few countries were qualified to manufacture one.

The Pill Recipe for the Foundation Establishment Pill followed the same principle.

Many great powers deliberately leaked the Foundation Establishment Pill formula so that Rogue Cultivators and small clans would search for spirit herbs on their behalf.

If some hotheaded fool entered an ancient ruin, failed to recognize the spirit herbs, and ruined them, that would be a real loss.

Knowledge was priceless, yet also useless.

The difference between priceless and useless depended on who controlled the resources.

After entering the library, Lu Xuanji skipped past those sections and went straight to the Cultivation Method area, where he began flipping through books.

The cultivation manuals here were scattered about. There were roughly three hundred manuals of various attributes, along with cultivation methods deduced by Foundation Establishment Elders, outlines of certain cultivation methods, cultivation notes, and more. All could be read for free without spending contribution points.

The contents of these cultivation methods stopped at the Qi Refining Stage. Anything at Foundation Establishment and above required contribution points to obtain.

In the library, Lu Xuanji flipped through cultivation manuals one after another. His phone scanned the text, stored it in documents, and then began Fate Deduction.

Fate Deduction, at your service. Please confirm the direction of deduction?

There are two goals for the deduction. One is to increase cultivation speed; the other is to perfectly suit me, with wood and fire as the primary attributes and earth as the secondary.

As for combat power, he would ignore it for now.

Fate Deduction in progress... Ten Days required to complete the deduction.

Lu Xuanji let out a breath.

The deduction time was not long.

He then continued carefully reading the books and analyzing them.

Ten days later, his phone made a sound.

Ding. Fate Deduction complete. The first version of the cultivation method has been deduced. Please name the cultivation method?

"The cultivation method shall be called... Azure Lotus Creation Art."

Lu Xuanji said.

Cultivation method transmission in progress.

At that moment, lines of text appeared on the phone screen. The cultivation method outline was five hundred words long, its contents totaled three thousand five hundred words, and it was followed by detailed cultivation steps, explanations, and more—roughly thirty thousand words in all.

It had been deduced based on Lu Xuanji's body.

It perfectly suited him... As for anyone else who obtained this cultivation method, its effects could only be called mediocre.

As he circulated the cultivation method, the routes spiritual qi traveled within his body changed. The meridians it passed through, the breathing method, and everything else were different.

About half a day later, Lu Xuanji successfully switched to the Azure Lotus Creation Art.

When cultivating this method, one had to remove their shoes and stand barefoot upon the earth, absorbing earth spiritual qi, using earth to nourish wood and wood to nourish fire.

After circulating it for only one cycle, Lu Xuanji felt his speed rise by twenty percent.

A twenty percent increase in cultivation speed did not seem like much, but accumulated over the years, it could save a vast amount of time.

Because it perfectly matched him, his combat power would also increase accordingly.

"Not bad, not bad."

Lu Xuanji was delighted.

At that moment, he saw an old man walk in and immediately said respectfully, "Pay respects to Ancestor."

The old man was none other than the Lu Family Purple Mansion Ancestor, Lu Fuming.

"Reading?"

"Yes."

"Read well, but do not delay your cultivation."

Purple Mansion Ancestor said.

Lu Xuanji nodded in agreement.

"Why is the clan library open for free? A hundred years ago, entering the library required contribution points," Purple Mansion Ancestor asked. "Do you know why?"

"Free is the most expensive. If you wish to take, you must first give." Lu Xuanji said calmly. "Even fishing requires bait, let alone dealing with people."

He was very familiar with such tactics from his previous life—just look at Pinduoduo.

Purple Mansion Ancestor smiled, a gratified look on his face. "You are very clever. A hundred years ago, when the library was opened for free, many people did not understand. I did not understand either. Yet I still did it, because the Danyang Sect had done so first, and I could only follow."

"After opening the library for free, the clan's cohesion improved greatly, and even cultivation speed increased considerably. During their spare time, clan cultivators often came to the library to read and broaden their horizons."

"Ancestor is wise."

"It is not that I am wise, but that senior from the Danyang Sect was wise." Purple Mansion Ancestor seemed to recall something.

"The Lu Clan's first ancestor was named Lu Changsheng. Back then, our first ancestor was merely an Outer Sect Disciple of the Danyang Sect. After failing an assessment, he left the Danyang Sect, came to Qingfeng Commandery, married three Female cultivators, and founded the Lu Clan. Through wind and rain, a thousand years have now passed, with constant rises and falls. At the Lu Clan's most difficult time, only one Foundation Establishment Cultivator remained to guard it. There were fewer than thirty cultivators, and it nearly fell into becoming Rogue Cultivators... Fortunately, it endured."

Purple Mansion Ancestor reminisced as he spoke of the clan's thousand-year history.

Over the past thousand years, the Lu Clan had also suffered miserable times. Its ancestral land had been breached, most of its cultivators slain by powerful enemies, and only a few had escaped before struggling to rebuild.

It had also enjoyed glory. At its peak, three Purple Mansion Ancestors had overseen it, one of whom had even reached Purple Mansion Layer 8.

He spoke of the past, full of hardship and tribulation.

"Xuanji, how old are you?"

Purple Mansion Ancestor asked.

"Fourteen." Lu Xuanji said.

"You awakened your spirit root at six, entered Qi Refining First Layer at nine, and reached Qi Refining Second Layer in only Five Years. Your aptitude is not bad." Purple Mansion Ancestor nodded. "Have you taken any supplementary pills?"

"No."

Lu Xuanji said.

Even the cheapest White Yang Pill required one spirit stone to buy ten pills.

"Without taking supplementary pills, you reached Qi Refining Second Layer in only Five Years. Though you have a Triple Spirit Root, your speed rivals that of a Dual Spirit Root." A trace of surprise and delight flashed through Purple Mansion Ancestor's eyes.

"With only a Triple Spirit Root yet a speed comparable to a Dual Spirit Root, there are only two possibilities. One is exceptional comprehension; the other is a special physique." Purple Mansion Ancestor analyzed, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Comprehension is difficult to measure. As for a special physique, it can only reveal itself after Foundation Establishment."

"During the Qi Refining Stage, take fewer pills. That will Be Beneficial to you. Every medicine carries some poison. Pills contain Pill Poison; while taking pills can indeed increase cultivation speed, Pill Poison also accumulates in the body. When breaking through a major realm, this Pill Poison will erupt and reduce the chance of a breakthrough."

"Many cultivators fail to break through to Foundation Establishment because too much Pill Poison has accumulated within their bodies."