Solving the Cultivation Speed Problem

The canteen was crowded in the evening. It was mealtime, and lines had formed in front of every serving window.

Xue Lingyun carried his tray to a corner table and sat down. He had only taken a few bites when someone sat across from him with a tray.

"Xue Lingyun."

He looked up. Tang Ya was watching him with a somewhat complicated expression.

"Something wrong?" Xue Lingyun set down his chopsticks.

Tang Ya nodded, glanced around, and lowered her voice. "What you told Yuhao last time... about Blue Silver Grass. I want to talk to you about it somewhere private. Is that convenient?"

Xue Lingyun looked at her and thought for a moment. "Sure. Come to my dorm tonight. Room 106."

Tang Ya froze for a moment. "106? Isn't that the boys' dormitory?"

"Yeah," Xue Lingyun said. "The academy only says boys can't go to the girls' dormitory, and anyone caught will be expelled. But it never says girls can't come to the boys' dormitory. The rule only goes one way: it stops boys from going upstairs, but not girls from coming down. The first floor is a public area anyway. At most, people will stare if a girl comes by to visit. No one will make a big deal out of it."

Tang Ya opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only managed, "...Fine. I'll come over later."

She picked up her tray and stood up, then turned back after taking two steps. "About when will you be free?"

"After dark," Xue Lingyun said. "There'll be fewer people then."

Tang Ya nodded and turned to leave.

That night, after darkness had fully fallen, someone knocked on the door.

It was not the "knock knock knock" signal Huo Yuhao and the others used, just an ordinary knock. But it was very soft, as if the person was afraid of being heard.

Xue Lingyun got up and opened the door.

Tang Ya stood outside, looking left and right with a nervous expression.

"Let me in, quickly," she whispered.

Xue Lingyun stepped aside, and she slipped inside in a flash.

Only after the door closed did Tang Ya lean against it and let out a breath. Then she began looking around the dorm room.

"This..." Her eyes widened slightly. "Why does yours look different?"

"This is a single room," Xue Lingyun said casually, pointing at the sofa. "Sit."

Tang Ya sat down on the sofa, but she clearly had not recovered from her earlier nervousness.

She glanced toward the door and muttered softly, "When I came over from the stairwell just now, I almost got seen by someone passing by..."

"So what if you were seen?" Xue Lingyun sat across from her. "Nothing would happen. It's not like you snuck in. You came through the front door openly. It's normal for someone to see you."

Tang Ya shook her head without responding to that. "I want you to explain in detail what you told Yuhao last time."

Xue Lingyun looked at her but did not answer immediately.

Tang Ya paused, then continued, "I thought about it for a long time after I went back. The more I thought about it, the more I felt... you were right. Ancestor Tang San's path might truly not be something everyone can follow."

She pursed her lips as though she had made up her mind. "I know Blue Silver Grass has a low ceiling, but I used to think that as long as I worked hard enough and matched my Soul Rings according to Ancestor's path, I could keep going. What you said that day made me think about a lot of things... Ancestor reached that point because he was the Blue Silver Emperor. I don't have that fate."

Xue Lingyun was silent for a while before saying, "It's not like there are no other ways."

Tang Ya's eyes lit up. "What way?"

Instead of answering directly, Xue Lingyun asked, "Do you know what the origin of Blue Silver Grass is?"

Tang Ya was taken aback. "Life?"

"Yeah," Xue Lingyun said. "The core attribute of Blue Silver Grass is life. The path you took before—stacking resilience and strength—was using its limited life force on other things. I'm not saying it was wrong, but the priorities can be adjusted."

He paused. "If you can put the accumulation of life force first and let the origin of Blue Silver Grass grow stronger, it will change on its own. Its resilience will catch up, its strength will catch up, and it may even undergo a qualitative transformation."

Tang Ya listened intently. After a while, she asked, "Then how do I accumulate it?"

Xue Lingyun thought for a moment. "The most direct method is to focus the Soul Rings you absorb toward life attributes. Absorb more Soul Beasts with abundant vitality and gradually nurture your origin."

Tang Ya paused before giving a bitter smile. "But my first three Soul Rings have already been set, and they have little to do with life attributes."

"And I just absorbed my Third Ring. It'll still be years before I reach level 40... I can't just wait around, can I?"

She looked at Xue Lingyun with anxiety in her eyes, but also a trace of hope.

Xue Lingyun looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"I have a way," he said. "But it isn't free."

Tang Ya nodded. "Tell me. As long as it's something I can provide, just name it."

Leaning against the backrest, Xue Lingyun said lazily, "Doesn't your Tang Sect sell Hidden Weapons? Give me a few finished Hidden Weapons. Not the kind with Self-Destruct Devices—ones that can be used normally. And give me some basic Structure blueprints. I don't need the Core Forging Method."

Tang Ya was briefly stunned, then nodded. "That's possible. Hidden Weapons are meant to be sold anyway. Selling them to you is no different from selling them to someone else. As for the blueprints... as you said, I'll copy you a set of basic Structure Diagrams later."

Xue Lingyun nodded and continued, "Also, your Tang Sect's secret arts—Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Mysterious Jade Hand—you use them against enemies normally, don't you? Demonstrate them for me once so I can see how they work."

Tang Ya frowned. "Isn't that a little excessive? Those are the Tang Sect's secrets, not to be passed on."

Xue Lingyun spread his hands. "I'm not asking for the Heart Method. Just demonstrate them once and let me see the forms and techniques—other people can see them when you fight anyway. That isn't leaking secrets. I just want to broaden my horizons."

Tang Ya thought about it and felt that seemed to be true.

The outward forms of the Tang Sect's secret arts could be seen during battle anyway. Letting him watch once did not count as violating the Sect Rules.

"Fine." She stood up. "Watch carefully."

She stood in the middle of the living room, took a deep breath, and began to move.

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon emphasized overcoming strength with softness and the flowing circulation of force.

The core of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track lay in the word "change," its footwork elusive and unpredictable.

Mysterious Jade Hand condensed Soul Power into the hands, combining offense and defense.

Her movements were fast, yet every move and stance was clearly displayed.

Xue Lingyun leaned back on the sofa, fully opening the perception of Huangji Jingshi.

He did not memorize the outward appearance of the moves. Instead, he watched the flow of energy within her body—how her Soul Power moved, how force was released, and how angles shifted.

Those things could not be learned merely by watching the surface, but with his perception, he could make out most of them.

After completing the set, Tang Ya withdrew her stance. A faint sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead.

"How much did you understand?" she asked.

Xue Lingyun nodded. "I have a rough idea."

Tang Ya looked at him skeptically, but she did not ask further. "Then take your time figuring it out. I'll copy the blueprints when I get back and bring them to you once they're done."

She sat down again, suddenly remembering something. "Right, that method you mentioned... what do you need me to do?"

Xue Lingyun did not answer. He stood and walked over to her, extending a hand. "Release your Martial Soul."

Tang Ya did as instructed and released Blue Silver Grass.

Several vines spread out from her palm. Their color was somewhat dark, and their leaves were thin and weak. They truly did not look very lively.

Xue Lingyun released his Second Soul Ring, drew out a thread of Jade Rhinoceros's Original Life Force, and infused it into her Blue Silver Grass.

Tang Ya's entire body trembled.

A warm, gentle sensation welled up from the depths of her Martial Soul and flowed through her meridians, spreading throughout her body.

The leaves of the Blue Silver Grass slowly unfurled, and even their color seemed to brighten a little.

"Mmm..." She could not help letting out a soft moan, then realized what she had done and immediately flushed bright red.

Xue Lingyun withdrew his hand, his expression unchanged, and returned to the sofa.

Tang Ya lowered her head, her ears burning. Only after several seconds did she ask softly, "What... what was that?"

"A Life Mark," Xue Lingyun said. "It will usually remain hidden deep within your Martial Soul, without showing itself. When you cultivate somewhere with many plants in the future, it can help you draw upon the life force of the surrounding vegetation and have them nourish you in return."

He paused. "Over time, your Blue Silver Grass will be nurtured by that life force and gradually develop in a better direction."

Tang Ya stared at him blankly, unable to find words for a moment.

After a long while, she stood up and bowed to him. "Thank you."

Xue Lingyun waved a hand. "No need. It's just a transaction."

Tang Ya nodded and walked toward the door. When she reached it, she turned back, hesitated, and asked, "Um... was it really okay when I came here just now?"

Seeing how nervous she was, Xue Lingyun suddenly thought of something, the corner of his lips curling up.

"It's fine," he said. "If you're worried, you can climb in through the window next time."

Tang Ya froze. "Through the window?"

"Yeah." Xue Lingyun pointed at the window. "I have a friend who does that every time."

Tang Ya looked at the window, then at him, her expression somewhat complicated.

"Your friend... is pretty unusual."

She opened the door, poked her head out to check the hallway, and after confirming that no one was there, slipped out in a flash and quietly closed the door behind her.

The room became quiet.

Xue Lingyun leaned against the sofa and reviewed the energy flows he had memorized.

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Mysterious Jade Hand... without the Mysterious Heaven Skill to support them, their effects would be discounted, but at least he now knew how their paths worked.

If he used them in the future, he could say that "the Tang Sect's sect master demonstrated them in person," making them easier to explain.

As for Huo Yuhao—that kid came here every day and never hid his cultivation from him.

Xue Lingyun had already observed the energy flow of the Mysterious Heaven Skill well enough. Although he did not have the Heart Method's mnemonic verses, he had a clear idea of how the technique operated and how Soul Power circulated.

He did not know whether the kid practiced the complete version, but with Tang San as a ready-made example, its upper limit was certainly guaranteed.

He did not intend to practice the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

His own Heart Source Circulation Technique was his foundation. There was no need to neglect the root and chase the branches.

But studying more cultivation methods and gathering more inspiration would always benefit his efforts to improve his own technique.

With Tang Godking's endorsement, the Mysterious Heaven Skill naturally ranked higher in priority than other methods.

Now that he had some free time, he picked up the diagram Fan Yu had drawn and continued studying it.