Cultivating the Soul Art

Back in the Inner City, the surroundings were much nicer, and the roads were wide. Few people dared to act so brazenly here.

Most of the people living here were officials and nobles, wealthy merchants, and talented members of Aristocratic Clans. It was a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons abounded.

He had his subordinates deliver the pig iron to the blacksmith's shop, then returned to the Fang Family with the many disciples. Their first stop was the Mission Hall, where they reported the completion of the mission.

Fang Man hadn't returned this time. Now that he'd reached the Houtian Ninth Layer, he wanted to gain more experience and build up his skills so he could break through to the Xiantian Realm as soon as possible.

"Young Master!"

The maid Xiao Zi and the others spotted Fang Yuan from afar. They promptly went up to greet him, their faces filled with respect.

"The Young Master is invincible! I'm sure you've returned in triumph."

Fang Yuan lounged in his chair, eating grapes that the maid fed him, and said with a smile, "What if I lost?"

"Young Master, you would never lose!"

Faced with such a deadly question, Xiao Zi smiled sweetly and replied.

"Take this jade bottle to Miss Ke'er." Fang Yuan gave Xiao Zi's nose a playful scrape.

When he'd broken through to the Xiantian Realm last time, his cheap old man had given him three Qi Condensation Pills.

He still had two left. There was no use in keeping them for himself, so he might as well give them to Ke'er and Fang Man.

"Also, tell them to give the blacksmith and laborers who transported the pig iron a reward," Fang Yuan instructed.

Xiao Zi made a mental note of it and soon left the courtyard, demonstrating her impressive efficiency.

"To break through to the Foundation Building Realm, I still need to sense the world through my spiritual world and condense Divine Sense."

Fang Yuan looked up at the sky, appearing to be lost in thought. In reality, he was holding a book of martial insights left behind by an old family ancestor, pondering the path of cultivation that lay ahead.

He who plans not for generations cannot plan for the moment.

He was now just one step away from the Foundation Building Realm. He needed to think everything through and prepare carefully.

"I'd better ask Father whether he has a suitable technique for condensing Divine Sense."

The Profound Clarity Mind Art didn't involve cultivating spiritual power. Divine Sense was still a blind spot in Fang Yuan's martial arts knowledge.

With the family head as his father, there was no need to scour the Library Pavilion for suitable techniques and martial arts. He could just ask.

"So you do still remember that I exist."

Fang's father put on an indignant act and spoke sternly. "You've been back for half a day and haven't even greeted me. Tell me what happened during your trip to Falling Mist Mountain."

"You already know everything that happened at Falling Mist Mountain," Fang Yuan replied with a smile.

"Enough about that. Did you come to ask about opening your acupoints or condensing Divine Sense?"

Fang Zhongwu's words made it clear that he knew Fang Yuan's cultivation progress like the back of his hand.

"Mainly about condensing Divine Sense. I don't have a technique for it."

Fang Yuan wasn't surprised in the least.

When his son admitted it outright, Fang Zhongwu's expression suddenly turned grave.

"What forbidden art are you cultivating? How have you advanced so quickly?"

Fang Zhongwu was afraid Fang Yuan had gone to extremes, burning through his body's potential by practicing some forbidden art that produced rapid results.

He'd traveled and trained outside the family when he was younger, and had seen many core disciples from great sects. None of them had progressed this quickly.

It had only been about a month since Fang Yuan returned from the Azure Cloud Sect's trial, yet his cultivation had risen several layers. It was too shocking.

"Father, there's no need to worry. I haven't practiced any forbidden arts."

Knowing words alone wouldn't be enough, Fang Yuan revealed his cultivation. The true qi around him was incomparably refined.

Fang Zhongwu narrowed his eyes. After carefully sensing Fang Yuan's aura, he discovered that Fang Yuan had opened 103 acupoints—and was shocked once more.

"Tall trees catch the wind; the wind will surely bring them down."

After a long while, Fang Zhongwu recovered. He was pleased by Fang Yuan's progress in martial arts, but also felt a deeper sense of worry.

"Be careful whenever you're away from home. When you fight, go all out and leave no survivors."

A genius who hadn't yet grown into his strength was still just a genius.

He'd seen too many peerless talents fall at the hands of true powerhouses. Sometimes, the halo of genius was more like a death curse.

"I'll remember your teachings, Father."

Fang Zhongwu nodded slightly, then took a technique book from beneath his desk. It was called the Soul Art. It seemed he'd prepared it long ago.

"As I've said before, if there's anything you don't understand, come ask me anytime."

Night fell.

Bathed in the starlight, Fang Yuan practiced the Myriad Star Fist, his figure flickering back and forth across the courtyard.

He'd honed his martial arts outside the city at the hands of the Fifth Chief of Green Ridge Stronghold, and his progress had been clear. He could feel himself brushing against the threshold of the pinnacle.

The Myriad Star Fist, now at the Great Achievement stage, had begun to reveal its might. With each punch, he could draw the true qi within him into motion, like a meteor falling from the sky.

Once he reached the pinnacle or even perfection, each strike would unleash several times its usual power. The true qi he sent flying would not weaken, and its might would be unfathomable.

Everyone knew that true qi in the Xiantian Realm could take on all kinds of shapes and even leave the body to injure people, but it was still limited by distance.

Usually, once it traveled more than ten meters, its killing power would diminish greatly. To keep it potent, one needed to attach the true qi to an object.

The Myriad Star Fist could clearly break through this limitation, leaving its practitioner invincible among those of the same realm.

After practicing for a while, Fang Yuan returned to his room and began studying the Soul Art.

It was his first time working with a technique for cultivating spiritual power. Fang Yuan felt unfamiliar with it, but all paths led to the same destination.

"No wonder Foundation Building cultivators can draw in the spiritual energy around them. So Divine Sense serves as the bridge."

Fang Yuan soon became immersed in cultivating the Soul Art. He could clearly feel the spiritual power in his mind begin to pulse in a steady rhythm.

After a night of cultivation,

Fang Yuan felt neither tired nor sleepy. Instead, he felt that his spiritual power had grown a little stronger.

"At this rate, condensing Divine Sense will take too long."

As Fang Yuan pondered, he wondered whether the year's worth of cultivation gained through painstaking effort in the Heavenly Origin Earth Realm could be used to cultivate spiritual power.

He wasn't sure.

Before this, increases in his cultivation had indeed strengthened his spiritual power somewhat, but only by a little.

"I'll find out in a couple of days."

After breakfast, Fang Yuan instructed the servants not to disturb him and sat cross-legged in his room to cultivate.

Add points!

[You cultivated painstakingly for a year and broke through three barriers in succession. Parts of your body have been strengthened, but your cultivation has not yet made a substantial breakthrough.]

The wording was no different from last time.

But Fang Yuan could clearly feel the changes in his body. Warm currents flowed through three places: his arms, waist, and abdomen.

As one of the barriers broke, it felt as if his whole body were soaking in a hot spring. It was unbelievably comfortable.

"The Quchi, Life Gate, and Qi Sea acupoints have all been opened!"

At that moment, Fang Yuan's entire body seemed like a tiny whirlpool, with every cell greedily drawing in the spiritual energy drifting through the world.

"Looks like I'll be able to open all 108 hidden acupoints in my body tomorrow." Fang Yuan was excited.

In the afternoon, after finishing his arduous cultivation, Fang Yuan had planned to call Xiao Zi over, enjoy himself, and make arrangements.

But he couldn't find her.

"Miss Xiao Zi went out. It seems she had something to take care of," the maid replied respectfully.

Fang Yuan frowned slightly. Xiao Zi had served him for many years and was very good at following the rules. She would never disappear without leaving a message.