Purple Gold Art

That night, in the room of the clan head, Luo Dingyi.

Old Luo cautiously took out an orange-red metal ring from his person. This was a ring Sanbao had once seen on Thirteen; it was a Storage Spirit Ring.

"Sanbao, this was entrusted to me by Lord Thirteen before he left. He said it could only be given to you after your bloodline was activated. You should recognize it, right? A storage ring is one of the most precious items for a Spirit Cultivator. Generally, only experts at the Spirit Emperor level or above can possess one, so I won't dwell on its importance. Before you have the strength to protect it, you must not let anyone know about it, including others in our Luo Clan, or it will only invite a fatal disaster. You are young, but your mind is steady; you should understand the gravity of this situation."

Sanbao nodded and took the small ring with great care. As he examined it closely, he pondered how one might open such a magical ring.

"Alright, I know what you're thinking. I will tell you how to open the space inside now," Old Luo said with a smile.

"If it is a ring that has not been claimed, you must first drip a drop of blood onto it to bind it. That way, others cannot open it unless the owner dies or a super-expert forcibly wipes away the soul imprint. As for this ring, Lord Thirteen has already dripped his blood to bind it for you. You only need to channel your spirit power to sense the existence of the space."

"But I don't have any spirit power right now, and I don't know what Thirteen left for me," Sanbao could only smile bitterly upon hearing that he needed to use spirit power.

"I don't know about that, and I cannot help you. Keep it safe for now; you will naturally be able to open it once you possess spirit power. Now that your bloodline is activated, your uncle has a small gift for you."

After saying this, Old Luo took a thin booklet from his bosom.

"This is the exclusive cultivation method of our Luo Clan—the Purple Gold Art. It is a metal-element growth-type technique, which is quite unique."

Sanbao took it and saw three bold black characters on the cover: Purple Gold Art. As he tucked it into his clothes, he asked:

"What is a growth-type cultivation method?"

Although Sanbao did not know much about cultivation methods and spirit techniques, he had heard of them. A cultivation method is the technique a Spirit Cultivator uses to cultivate spirit power, while a spirit technique is the specific application of that power.

Beyond their own realm, a Spirit Cultivator's overall strength is composed significantly of their cultivation method and spirit techniques.

Cultivation methods and spirit techniques are divided into grades: Low, Mid, High, Earth, and Heaven.

Each grade is further divided into levels.

The cultivation methods and spirit techniques practiced by ordinary rogue cultivators are usually only Low grade. Some small factions or clans might possess a few Mid-grade ones. Most High-grade methods are held by major powers, while Earth and Heaven grade techniques generally originate from super-powers or ancient hereditary clans.

Cultivation methods vary greatly depending on the system. Based on the five elements, they are typically divided into metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Every Spirit Cultivator has their own corresponding five-element talent, and different talents can only cultivate the corresponding five-element methods and techniques.

If one cultivates a method that does not suit them, they will ultimately achieve nothing.

The vast majority of Spirit Cultivators only possess one elemental talent.

Of course, there are some gifted individuals capable of cultivating two or even multiple elemental methods, but such people are a minority. Even in the entire world of Spirit Cultivators, they are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Take the disciples of the Luo Clan, for example; they all practice the metal-element method because the talent inherited in their bloodline is the top-tier divine beast of the metal element—the Purple-Eyed Golden Peng.

Metal-element methods and spirit techniques are what the Luo Clan excels at most.

"A so-called growth-type cultivation method means its grade is not fixed. If an outsider were to practice the Purple Gold Art, it would only be a basic Low-grade method. But if practiced by someone with our Luo Clan bloodline, it is at least a Mid-grade method. Its greatest benefit is that its grade increases as our strength improves. As for how high it can reach, that depends on each person's talent and opportunities. However, one thing is certain: the higher the bloodline talent, the faster it improves. Do not underestimate the small booklet in your hand; it is the supreme treasure of our Luo Clan."

"To put it simply, it is tailor-made for our Luo Clan. Take you, for example; even if I gave you a Heaven-grade method now, you would never be able to master it. The difficulty is too high, and your strength is too low to grasp it. But with the Purple Gold Art, I estimate you will be able to start immediately, and it can even evolve..."

As Old Luo slowly explained, Sanbao finally understood the preciousness of this cultivation method.

The two talked for the entire night.

It wasn't until the next morning that Sanbao stumbled out of Old Luo's room. Although his face was dark with exhaustion, the glimmer of excitement in his eyes was visible to anyone.

"Third Young Master, your body is so weak, how can you stay up all night without sleeping? Quickly, drink this bowl of pheasant soup," Meimei began to fuss as soon as he returned to his room.

"It's fine, I've been sleeping for over half a year. It's rare to be this happy. Alright, I'll drink the soup..."

At this moment, although Sanbao's bloodline had been activated, his body was as thin as a skeleton; at first glance, it was enough to frighten anyone.

A month later, under Meimei's meticulous care, Sanbao's body gradually began to improve.

Under Old Luo's instruction, Sanbao began his cultivation.

Although Sanbao had made sufficient preparations before starting—he had memorized the Purple Gold Art until he could recite it in his sleep, familiarized himself with the characteristics of his heart meridians and vessels, and received careful guidance from Old Luo—he only realized once he began that spirit power cultivation was far more difficult and painful than he had imagined.

From absorbing spirit energy from the outside world into the dantian of the heart meridian, to circulating it through every part of the body, one had to endure the pain and discomfort of spirit energy repeatedly impacting the flesh while simultaneously tempering the physical body.

If one failed to control it properly during the process, the spirit energy would go astray. The misdirected energy felt like countless chaotic steel needles constantly piercing every part of his body; it was truly agonizing.

The most frustrating part was that, after unremitting effort, the essence of the spirit energy that could finally enter the dantian was pitifully small.

Sanbao finally understood that every success is built upon countless sacrifices, and every session of cultivation is a torture to both the body and the mind.

Fortunately, where there is a will, there is a way. Sanbao was a person of strong will, and with a powerful soul and unobstructed meridians, he finally completed one full cycle after three whole days.

Regardless of the cultivation method or its grade, the general process is similar: inhale the spirit energy of heaven and earth from the outside world into one's heart meridian, control this flow to circulate through the meridians of the entire body, and finally return it to the dantian at the base of the heart meridian.

This is one cycle of cultivation. After one cycle, the spirit energy that returns to the dantian becomes a part of the body, slowly settling and transforming into "water-like" spirit power that remains forever in the dantian.

The difference is that a good cultivation method will significantly shorten the time of one cycle, and the essence of the spirit energy that enters the dantian will be greater.

Of course, the advantages of a high-grade cultivation method are not limited to this; it also has a series of other effects, such as better results in tempering the physical body compared to low-grade methods.

During his cultivation, Sanbao discovered something very interesting.

In his past life, Sanbao was an acupuncturist, and his mastery and understanding of the body's acupuncture points were far beyond that of an ordinary person. Since these points are almost all intersections of the body's meridians, his circulation of spirit power went exceptionally smoothly. This saved Sanbao at least several months of bitter work.

Otherwise, as a cultivation novice like Sanbao, let alone completing a cycle in three days, it would have been difficult to even clear up the state of his meridians in three months.

In his past life, Sanbao often mocked himself: "The most useless of all are the scholars." It turned out that fate had long since ordained it; even his obscure profession had a time to shine.

Feeling the faint trace of spirit power in his dantian, Sanbao smiled and took the orange-red ring from his person.

He finally possessed spiritual power; it was time to open the ring and see what Thirteen had left for him.

Under the control of Sanbao, that sliver of spiritual power slowly moved from his dantian toward the Firefly Acupoint in the center of his right palm. However, before it had even traveled halfway, all the spiritual power vanished into his meridians. The amount of spiritual power was simply too meager; it couldn't even fill the meridians it passed through, let alone be emitted from his palm.

"Wait a little longer; sooner or later, I will be able to open you."

Sanbao let out a self-deprecating laugh, realizing he had been too impatient.

With the experience of his first success, Sanbao's cultivation gradually stabilized. Although the process remained excruciatingly painful, he became increasingly proficient in his grasp of cultivation.

The first cycle took Sanbao a full three days, while the second cycle took less than two days, and by the third cycle, he completed it in just a single day.