Secret Methods (Please Bookmark, Please Follow)

(Some settings are introduced in this chapter. There is no need to memorize them too carefully; they will be explained in detail later. A general impression is enough.)

Wang Ping would never do something like breaking up a pair of lovers with a club, but he still needed to understand the specifics. So, on the Second Day, he went to the Inner Court to find Zhao Qing and had him send someone to investigate the Liu Family of Yongshan County.

Early on the Third Day, Wang Ping followed his Master's instructions and headed to the small courtyard on the Back Mountain.

Daoist Yucheng had been waiting for a long time. He held the Annotation of Heaven and Man that Wang Ping had been studying, while steam rose from the tea on the Stone Table. No Young Disciple was there to attend him.

"Come, sit."

Before Wang Ping even entered the courtyard, Daoist Yucheng spoke.

Wang Ping quickened his pace. After entering the courtyard, he first paid his respects before sitting across from Daoist Yucheng.

"How did it feel after Foundation Establishment?" Daoist Yucheng asked.

"It feels like the spiritual energy around me is no longer enough. Before, it only took an hour to refill my Qi Sea, but now it takes Five to Six Hours."

"Just set up another Spirit Gathering Array. When traveling outside, you can also refine a simple Spirit Gathering Array as a backup. With your current abilities, you can do it yourself." Daoist Yucheng took out two teacups, and Yulian immediately woke from Wang Ping's wrist and slithered onto another chair.

"Yes!"

Wang Ping had indeed been considering refining a Spirit Gathering Array.

The most practical method was the Five Elements Condensation Technique, which skipped the fusion step and used the mutual generation and restraint of Five Elements spiritual energy to condense an Array Eye that could absorb the spiritual energy nearby.

"If you find it troublesome, the Daoist Scripture Hall sells simple Spirit Gathering Arrays. Buy one and refine it a little, and it will be ready for use."

After pouring the tea, Daoist Yucheng added that sentence. Then, changing the subject, he said, "There is one more thing you must remember. Do not casually fly through the air beyond Shang'an Prefecture unless you have special permission from the Daoist Scripture Hall or the consent of the Cultivators in that region."

He lifted his teacup and explained with grave seriousness, "For example, if you go to Sanhe Prefecture and reveal your identity, given the relationship between us and Sanhe Temple, they will not make things difficult for you. But if you go elsewhere, remember: do not take to the air!"

"May I ask, Master, is there some deeper reason behind this?"

Daoist Yucheng paused for half a beat, as if organizing his words, before finally saying:

"From the Ancient Civilization to the flourishing of the Human Way, cultivation in this world has endured for tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of years. The forces across the Five Continents have long been as clearly divided as the Jing and Wei Rivers, maintaining a hard-won balance. And one of the most fundamental rules preserving that balance is that Cultivators may not freely fly over lands under another's jurisdiction, unless..."

"Unless one has cultivated beyond the Fourth Realm..."

Wang Ping frowned slightly. He had thought that from now on, he could soar through the skies and become an unfettered 'immortal,' yet there was such a rule. It made Heaven and Earth seem like an invisible cage!

Daoist Yucheng's words came to an abrupt halt. He drank the bitter tea in his cup, savoring its aftertaste for a long while before continuing:

"Now, let us speak of secret methods. There are countless secret methods under heaven, yet no matter how they change, they never leave their source. Eighty percent of cultivation methods evolved from the Xuanmen Five Elements Orthodox Method and the Heavenly Gate Nine Heavens Arts. Take the Sanhe Temple you know well, for example. They cultivate Water Spirit. Unlike Linshui Prefecture, they connect to a source of Underground Water Milk, and at most can cultivate to the Second Realm."

"Our Thousand Wood Temple cultivates the Taiyan Talisman. It belongs to the Orthodox Xuan Gate Method and is one of the seven secret methods capable of glimpsing the Supreme Great Dao." With a solemn expression, Daoist Yucheng set down his tea.

"It is exceedingly difficult to enter its path. Among the hundreds of thousands of Qi practitioners in the Xia Kingdom, perhaps only one succeeds every few decades. And even after succeeding, further cultivation is extraordinarily slow. Have you truly considered whether you wish to cultivate it?"

After raising the question, Daoist Yucheng's gaze instantly fell upon Wang Ping.

Wang Ping felt a surge of pressure descend upon him. His Master's gaze seemed able to pierce through his body and reach directly into his Spirit Sea. The quiet Yulian returned to him at top speed, coiling around his Left Arm and flicking her tongue at Daoist Yucheng.

After enduring the pressure and thinking for more than ten breaths, Wang Ping met Daoist Yucheng's eyes with an unwavering gaze. "Of course! I cultivate bitterly and wholeheartedly to glimpse the Great Dao, not to cling to life like a coward!"

He had the Light Screen Panel's strategy guide. What was there to worry about?

"Very good..."

Daoist Yucheng smiled and refilled his teacup. Yulian also released Wang Ping's Left Arm. After the two held a brief exchange within the Spirit Sea, she returned to the chair where she had been sitting.

"Among all secret methods under heaven, everything outside the Five Great Xuanmen Sects and the Two Great Heavenly Gate Sects is collectively called the unorthodox paths!" Daoist Yucheng continued the previous topic.

"Besides those evolved from the seven great sects, the methods of the unorthodox paths include secret methods derived from Star Gods, Demon Weapons, or Monsters, as well as the special Moon God, Sun God, and Divine Arts."

"There are many kinds of Star Gods. Most exist in chaos and are extremely difficult to subdue. A small number are neutral, and some will connect with Cultivators on their own. An exceedingly small number possess goodwill and independent personalities. There are three you need to know about. One is in the Daoist Scripture Hall, possessing strength in the legendary Fifth Realm. It is the being called 'Jiao' among the First Seats."

"The second may be more familiar to you: True Lord Yuanwu, whom people must worship when cultivating crops. This Star God can drive away diseases afflicting plants."

"The third is called Star Demoness Meng. She often appears in the form of a Nine-tailed Fox. She seems to possess the ability to alter memories, and while she enjoys playing tricks on people, she does not harm them."

"As for the Moon God and the Sun God, you may already have read some stories about these two..."

Daoist Yucheng looked at Wang Ping, hoping he would speak the rest.

Wang Ping hurriedly answered, "I only know that the Eastern Alliance on the East Continent believes in the Moon God, and the Moon God Cult is their State Religion. The Moon God protects only those who believe in him and never interferes in the affairs of other regions. Only once in a while do one or two of his envoys travel through various lands. As for the Sun God..."

"It is said to be a sect that split from the True Sun Sect, the primary faith of the North Continent. It also split into the extreme 'First Day,' as well as the 'First Sect,' which cares only for bitter cultivation and never concerns itself with worldly affairs!"

"A fine summary!" Daoist Yucheng nodded in satisfaction, then continued:

"Finally, there are Demon Weapons. They are even more complicated than Star Gods. When some Qi practitioners are driven to the end of the road, they choose to fuse with a Demon Weapon and become Secret Method Cultivators, allowing themselves to survive a little longer. Most of these Cultivators lock themselves away in some unknown place, lest the slightest stir from the outside world turn them into Madmen."

"Others actively choose to fuse with Demon Weapons, and quite a few succeed. A small number of geniuses can even develop their Demon Weapons to the Third Realm, or even the Fourth Realm, but there is still a limit."

Daoist Yucheng stopped there, picked up his teacup, and quietly savored the bitterness within.

Wang Ping slowly digested this information. Seeing Wang Ping's solemn expression, Yulian picked up a teacup and imitated Daoist Yucheng, putting on airs as she tasted the tea.

After two cups of tea had gone down, Daoist Yucheng continued, "Lastly, the most special are Artifact Cultivators. They use the flesh and blood of Monsters to sacrifice and refine magical artifacts, then use True Essence to refine those artifacts into a part of themselves. At present, the highest their cultivation has reached is the Third Realm. Remember this: if you encounter such people in the future and accidentally become enemies, it is best to find an opportunity to kill them immediately!"

"Speaking of Monsters, some Qi practitioners also learn the cultivation methods of Monsters, but they ultimately become demonized. In addition, there are rumors that the Heaven Sect actually has four great sects. One of them is the Demon Race, while another is the Underworld Specters from mythological tales. But none of this can be verified, and there are no Underworld Specters in this world!"