Cultivation Method

In the early morning, the mist had yet to dissipate over Mount Chi Xiao.

Li Xuan sat cross-legged under an old plum tree in the courtyard, his eyes lightly closed.

Morning dew beaded on his eyebrows, trembling slightly with his breathing.

Three days. This was already his third day as an inner disciple.

Seven-tenths of the medicinal power from the Nine Revolutions Yang Returning Pill had been absorbed. His broken ribs were completely healed, and new pale red skin had grown over the torn flesh.

Only the residual Wolf Soul malevolent energy in his meridians still caused a dull ache, like tiny shards of ice embedded in his flesh.

[Status: Lightly Injured]

[Physique: 51.8 → 52.3]

In three days, he had diligently circulated his energy thirty-six cycles without rest, yet his physique had only increased by about half a percent.

This was partly due to his injuries, but more importantly, the spiritual energy here, though dense, lacked the battlefield malevolence he could absorb.

The Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique was like a starving beast trapped in a cage, unable to advance or retreat.

"Is Bing Qi's Li Xuan here?"

The courtyard gate was knocked, and a clear, youthful voice rang out.

Li Xuan opened his eyes. "Enter."

Pushing the door open was a young man in a green shirt, about sixteen or seventeen, with delicate features and a wooden outer disciple token hanging from his waist.

He held a lacquered tray bearing two plates of simple vegetables, a bowl of polished rice, and a pot of clear tea.

"Senior Brother, your morning meal." The young man placed the tray on the stone table, secretly glancing at Li Xuan before quickly lowering his gaze.

"Who are you?"

"Disciple... Disciple Zhou Ning, an outer disciple handyman responsible for delivering morning meals to the East Courtyard." The young man paused, lowering his voice. "Senior Brother... the steward asked me to give you a message."

Li Xuan picked up the teacup, but did not drink.

"Speak."

"At three quarters past the hour of Chen today, at the Contribution Hall. New inner disciples must collect their monthly stipend, select their cultivation techniques, and register their task intentions." Zhou Ning finished quickly, bowed, and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Zhou Ning stopped.

Li Xuan took three pieces of broken silver he had brought back from Iron Wall City from his sleeve and placed them on the edge of the lacquered tray.

Zhou Ning was stunned for a moment, then repeatedly waved his hands. "Senior Brother, please don't. I'm just..."

"Take it."

His voice was calm but left no room for refusal.

Zhou Ning bit his lip, finally accepted the silver, bowed deeply, and exited the courtyard.

Silence returned to the courtyard.

Li Xuan looked at the plain meal on the tray, finished it in three breaths, and got up to change his clothes.

The Contribution Hall was located on the western slope of Mount Chi Xiao, built against the cliff face, a three-story pavilion with blue tiles and white walls.

When Li Xuan arrived, five people were already standing in front of the hall.

Three men and two women, all wearing moon-white robes embroidered with an uncolored cloud pattern on the cuffs.

This was the mark of new inner disciples; the cloud pattern could only be dyed red after completing a certain amount of contributions.

As the five saw him approach, their expressions varied.

The leader was a dark-browed young man, powerfully built, carrying a sheathed heavy saber on his back. The saber's spine was as thick as three fingers.

"You're Li Xuan?" the dark-browed young man asked, his voice like a booming bell.

"I am." Li Xuan frowned slightly at the sound.

"Heard you carried the Heavenly Staircase to the top and defeated Zhao Yuanchen in three moves?"

"Just lucky."

"I hate the word 'lucky' the most," the dark-browed young man snorted. "If you can win, you win. If you can't, you can't. My name is Shi Yong, and I'm a new inner disciple just like you."

"If we have tasks later, let's team up and look out for each other, alright?"

Li Xuan glanced at him but didn't agree.

Shi Yong wasn't annoyed and continued on his own. "Are your injuries healed?"

"Not completely."

"Then hurry up and recover. We'll need someone who can fight for a task in a few days." He paused, as if adding a polite afterthought, "If you come, I can give you a share of the Contribution Points."

"What task?"

"Don't know." Shi Yong grinned. "But it's definitely not an easy job. The inner sect doesn't support idlers. Giving you food, lodging, and cultivation techniques comes at a price."

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged steward with a stern face, holding a roster, emerged from the hall.

"Six new inner disciples have arrived." His gaze swept over the crowd. "Upon entering the inner sect, there are three matters to be aware of in your first month."

"First, your monthly stipend. Inner disciples will receive three low-grade Spirit Stones, five Qi Gathering Pills, and ten portions of Body Tempering Powder each month. Those with merit will receive additional compensation."

He raised his hand, and a disciple behind him brought out six wooden trays.

Li Xuan took one; the wooden tray felt slightly heavy in his grasp.

He looked down. On it were three Spirit Stones, about the size of a pigeon's egg, and they felt warm to the touch.

There were five pills, sealed in wax balls, emitting no scent. The ten portions of Body Tempering Powder were tightly wrapped in oil paper.

"Second, cultivation methods. Inner disciples may freely choose to cultivate one low-grade Yellow tier cultivation method. Higher-tier methods require redemption with Contribution Points."

The attendant pointed to the west side of the hall. "The first floor of the Cultivation Method Pavilion houses seventy-two low-grade Yellow tier methods and nineteen mid-grade Yellow tier methods. With this token, you may enter and select one for the duration of one incense stick's burn."

"The third, and most important, is tasks. New disciples must complete at least one sect mission within their first month to accumulate Contribution Points. Mission difficulty is determined by cultivation level, merit, and elder recommendation." The attendant paused. "Failure to complete a mission without just cause will result in a halving of your next month's stipend."

The disciples exchanged glances.

Shi Yong grumbled under his breath, "I knew it."

The attendant acted as if he hadn't heard, opening a roster. "Li Xuan."

"Present."

"An elder has decreed that you may select a cultivation method first, without needing to queue," the attendant said, looking up with a calm gaze. "However, the mission deadline remains unchanged; you must complete one sect mission within thirty days."

Li Xuan nodded. "Understood."

"You may enter the pavilion."

The first floor of the Cultivation Method Pavilion covered an area of ten zhang square.

Black sandalwood shelves lined the walls, holding bamboo slips, beast skins, and silk scrolls. Beside each scroll was a small plaque, bearing the cultivation method's name, tier, and the Contribution Points required for redemption, written in ink.

Li Xuan started from the east side, slowly scanning the shelves.

Green Wood Health Cultivation Method, low-grade Yellow tier, wood attribute. Cultivates sustained vital energy and blood, with remarkable effects in healing injuries. Contribution required: 120 points.

Stone Splitting Fist, low-grade Yellow tier, a powerful technique. Its fist energy can shatter stone. Contribution required: 80 points.

Flowing Cloud Steps, mid-grade Yellow tier, a movement technique. Moves like flowing clouds. Contribution required: 300 points.

Crimson Flame Saber Technique, low-grade Yellow tier, fire attribute. Saber strikes like flames. Contribution required: 150 points.

Li Xuan stopped at the northern corner.

Seven or eight beast skin scrolls were sparsely arranged on the shelves, all unpopular and overlooked.

The scroll in the innermost position had a curled edge, covered in thicker dust than the others.

The small plaque read:

Mountain Suppressing Art

Tier: Mid-grade Yellow

Attribute: Earth attribute body-tempering method. Cultivates solid sinews and bones, abundant vital energy and blood, particularly excelling in defense.

Contribution required: 280 points.

Li Xuan took down the beast skin scroll and unrolled it.

The opening eight characters read:

Suppress the mountain like a peak, unmoving, unwavering.

Following this were detailed descriptions of qi circulation paths, bone-forging sequences, and standing meditation methods.

Li Xuan read through, his fingertip stopping on a line on the third page:

--Upon mastering this technique, your vital energy and blood will be twice as abundant as with common methods. Your lower limbs will be like stakes, adept at absorbing heavy blows, making your defense the strongest among those of the same level.

His gaze lingered on this line.

Defense is the strongest among those of the same level.

He continued to flip through.

By the end of the scroll, his fingertip touched a few lines of small text.

The ink varied in age, and the handwriting was different for each line.

These were annotations left by previous readers over the years:

"Cultivated for three years but could not achieve mastery."

"Cultivated for five years with little result, switched to the Green Wood Method. Regret!"

Another entry, written in messy handwriting, as if penned with annoyance:

"Body physique only increased by half a percent in half a year. Too slow, abandoned."

Further down, someone had faintly written with a dry brush:

"With such patience, what cannot be achieved?"

No one answered.

Li Xuan stared at the four words, his fingertip pressing against the paper, unmoving for a long time.

He thought of the Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique.

How fast that cultivation method was.

On the battlefield, kill one person, and your bones grow one point harder; kill ten, and your Qi condenses by one percent.

From initial completion to perfection, he had only taken less than half a month.

But that was exchanged with his life.

What if there was no malevolent energy?

What if there was no battlefield, no slaughter, no endless stream of souls to devour?

He had been recuperating in the East Courtyard for five days, circulating his energy thirty-six cycles daily, yet the Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique had not progressed one bit.

This cultivation method, supreme in offense and killing, was like a parched beast trapped in a cage when separated from slaughter—possessing sharp teeth and claws but no food to consume.

And his injuries were not fully healed yet.

The Wolf Soul's malevolent energy still lingered in his meridians, like tiny shards of ice, causing hidden pain every day.

He needed a cultivation method that could be practiced in daily life.

As for whether he could endure the loneliness?

Suddenly, the steward's voice came from behind him, "This cultivation method progresses too slowly. Ordinary newcomers can't afford to waste time on it. Why not choose something like the Stone Splitting Fist or the Green Wood Method? They yield results in just half a year."

Li Xuan didn't respond.

He flipped the beast skin back to the third page and glanced again at that line of text:

Defense is the crown among peers.

"This one."

The steward looked up, glanced at him, and didn't try to persuade him further.

He simply said, "Go over there and make your own copy. Return the original scroll to the rack when you're done. Don't lose it."

Li Xuan nodded.

As he walked out of the Cultivation Method Pavilion, the morning light slanted down from the eaves.

Shi Yong was surprisingly still outside.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his greatsword planted on the ground, as if waiting.

Seeing Li Xuan emerge, he lifted his chin slightly.

Li Xuan walked past him, his steps not slowing.