Starry Sky Technique

Seven days later.

Cheng Buzheng returned to the Secret Chamber and set down a full basket of Spirit Stone Raw Ore in the corner. He sat cross-legged on the floor, his face alight with satisfaction. The day's harvest had pleased him immensely.

He sank his mind, and his consciousness entered his soul...

Master of the Heavenly Jade Disc: Cheng Buzheng

Realm: Third Level of Qi Refining

First-Order Cultivation Technique: Low-grade (Fine) Starry Sky Technique+

First-Order Spells: Low-grade (Extreme) Purple Crystal Bracelet+, Low-grade (Extreme) Earth Escape Technique+, Low-grade (Fine) Concealment Technique+

Spiritual Power Value: 2213

Faced with such an enormous Spiritual Power Value, he couldn't help but feel exhilarated. It was equivalent to more than two thousand Spirit Stones. Though it could only be used for deduction, it was still a tremendous fortune.

There was still one Spirit Stone Raw Ore storage point he hadn't managed to collect from. But after patiently lying in wait, he had successfully gathered ore from the other seven storage points, one by one.

Unfortunately, he had failed at the seventh storage point. Wang Daba was in seclusion inside the Spirit Stone Raw Ore cave, focused entirely on cultivation and never venturing outside. That left Cheng Buzheng no opportunity to make a move.

"Looks like it's because his cultivation is about to break through!

"In the past... he wasn't so single-minded about cultivation, shutting out the world around him.

"...That's the most likely explanation!"

Cheng Buzheng thought to himself.

He didn't dwell on it and decided to investigate again after some time. Each storage point held nearly three hundred units of Spirit Stone Raw Ore. He didn't want to give up such a juicy prize.

With more than two thousand Spiritual Power Value on the panel, Cheng Buzheng had no intention of letting it lie idle. It would only be useful if he put it to work.

At a thought.

Memories of the Starry Sky Technique surged through his mind. He drew out every detail and scrap of experience, then condensed it into a seed.

He placed it directly into the recessed nest at the center of the Small Plate. The little figure formed by his Three-Colored Soul touched the Starry Sky Technique entry on the panel with a finger.

At once.

The Spiritual Power Value on the panel dropped by eighteen points. The patterns on the Small Plate glimmered faintly, and countless streaks of white light wrapped around the seed.

As the Small Plate carried out its deduction, the patterns on its surface flickered without pause.

Before long.

The white light dispersed and the patterns went dark. A Grey Bead appeared in the recessed nest at the center.

Seeing that the technique's quality had improved, Cheng Buzheng didn't hesitate. He touched the Starry Sky Technique entry again.

As he spent without restraint, his Spiritual Power Value plummeted. At last, he had deduced the Starry Sky Technique to First-order High-grade Extreme. With a beckoning gesture, he summoned the Grey Bead from the recessed nest into his palm.

He examined it. The Misty Grey Vortex hadn't changed in size, but its exterior was vastly different. Countless Grey Text formed a thin layer around it, circling the Misty Grey Vortex within.

At the sight of it.

He raised his hand, opened his mouth, and swallowed it in one smooth motion.

In an instant, countless Grey Text surged out from his three souls and seven spirits, wrapping around his soul until not a trace of its original three colors remained.

A profound insight entered his soul. He absorbed the many insights and experiences related to the technique, turning them into nourishment for his cultivation.

As his understanding deepened, the Grey Text wrapped around him gradually dwindled, until it vanished completely. He had fully mastered the technique, to a degree rivaling its creator.

Then Cheng Buzheng saw that he still had enough Spiritual Power Value.

He steeled himself. His Three-Colored Soul extended a trembling right hand and touched Concealment Technique on the panel.

As Concealment Technique's grade kept rising, the Spiritual Power Value visibly plummeted.

Before long, Concealment Technique had reached First-order High-grade Extreme.

He beckoned, summoned the Transparent Bead from the Small Plate's recessed nest, and swallowed it whole.

His Three-Colored Soul seemed to be wrapped in a layer of flowing water, giving it a hazy, unreal appearance. Looking closely, one could see that it was made up of countless transparent characters.

As he comprehended them, the hazy illusion gradually faded away.

Then the little figure formed by his Three-Colored Soul looked toward the panel deep within his Sea of Consciousness...

Master of the Heavenly Jade Disc: Cheng Buzheng

Realm: Third Level of Qi Refining

First-Order Cultivation Technique: High-grade (Extreme) Starry Sky Technique+

First-Order Spells: Low-grade (Extreme) Purple Crystal Bracelet+, Low-grade (Extreme) Earth Escape Technique+, High-grade (Extreme) Concealment Technique+

Spiritual Power Value: 121

Cheng Buzheng saw that only a little over a hundred Spiritual Power Value remained, but he didn't regret it. The Starry Sky Technique had cost nearly two thousand points, but it was the cornerstone of his Great Cause of Longevity. No matter how much it took, he had to devote everything he could to completing its deduction.

He abandoned his original plan of combining several spells into one.

It had taken three techniques to deduce the Starry Sky Technique, and every additional technique would multiply the Spiritual Power Value required. The farther the deduction went, the more staggering the cost became.

If he hadn't gathered enough Spiritual Power Value by picking over the leftovers, he wouldn't even have dared to dream of it. More than two thousand Spiritual Power Value was equivalent to over two thousand Spirit Stones—far beyond what he could afford.

Combining several spells into one would consume far too much Spiritual Power Value. Spells were merely a Protective Skill, not the cornerstone of his Great Cause of Longevity. Wouldn't it be better to learn a few more spells instead?

Deducing Concealment Technique to First-order High-grade had cost him less than two hundred Spiritual Power Value.

If he combined several spells into one, it would cost at least thousands upon thousands of points. The expense simply wasn't worth it; the gap between the cost and the benefit was far too great.

As for Purple Crystal Bracelet and Earth Escape Technique, they were the best practical methods at this stage. Further improving their grades would only make them deadweight, since his magic power couldn't sustain such enormous consumption.

At the sight of this.

He wanted to test what was so miraculous about a First-order High-grade Extreme technique.

Then Cheng Buzheng closed his eyes slightly and began circulating the new technique.

At once.

Wisp after visible wisp of Spirit Energy quickly gathered around him, and he drew it into his body without pause.

Cheng Buzheng circulated the new Circulation Route Map. The Grey Spirit Light in the cycles' worth of meridians within his body grew brighter and brighter, while the meridians themselves began to transform. At the center of his dantian, the Grey Vortex gradually darkened as it, too, underwent a transformation.

At that moment, fine beads of sweat kept seeping from his brow. His face was pale, his teeth clenched as he silently endured the transformation within his body. He knew this was an irreversible process.

Spirit Energy flowed like water through his Misty Grey meridians. As he rapidly circulated it through the Celestial Cycle, he quickly refined it into wisps of Grey Spiritual Power that were purer and more potent.

The moment each wisp of Grey Spiritual Power entered his dantian, a terrifying force swept it away, absorbing it completely. It vanished into the Misty Grey Vortex at the center of his dantian.

A wisp of incredibly pure, astonishingly potent Misty Grey magic power appeared in the clouds beneath the vortex, gleaming with a Gold Jade-like Sheen. His original magic power was reforged and tempered once more.

Three days later.

Inside the Secret Chamber, Cheng Buzheng opened his eyes where he sat cross-legged. A sharp glint flashed in them, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

His speed of absorbing Spirit Energy now rivaled that of a Mutated Spiritual Root. The efficiency of his Celestial Cycle had also improved tremendously. Yet his cultivation still advanced no faster than before.

That was because the magic power refined by the newly deduced Starry Sky Technique had undergone a tremendous transformation in quality.

He lifted his hand slightly, and a wisp of Misty Grey magic power, gleaming with a Gold Jade-like Sheen, shot from his fingertip.

He put it to the test.

The strength and purity of his magic power were now beyond comparison with what they had been before. Its quality could absolutely rival that of a Late Qi Refining cultivator's magic power. Though he had far less magic power than a Late Qi Refining cultivator, its essence was the same.

Though their essence was the same, a Late Qi Refining cultivator could kill him with a casual blow. That was the crushing effect of Absolute Magic Power.

He couldn't wield high-grade magical artifacts or cast First-order High-grade offensive and defensive spells. Support Spells didn't consume much and could be cast even in the Early Qi Refining Stage, but they were still relatively taxing.

But now, Cheng Buzheng could kill an Early Qi Refining cultivator with a casual blow, and even contend with a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. Against a Late Qi Refining cultivator, he would have to flee for his life.

Having gained a clear understanding of his own strength, he prepared to resume cultivation. For the sake of his Great Cause of Longevity, he wouldn't slack off for even a moment.

A burst of magic power shot from Cheng Buzheng's fingertip, wrapped around a piece of Spirit Stone Raw Ore, and sent it flying toward him. He caught the irregular chunk in his hand.

Then, holding the Spirit Stone Raw Ore, he closed his eyes. Wisps of Spirit Energy began gathering around him. Once he completed a Celestial Cycle, he drew a great quantity of Spirit Energy into his body, then began again.

The underground Secret Chamber was utterly silent. Only one cultivator sat cross-legged on the floor, cultivating with painstaking devotion.