Dao Technique Advances on Its Own

But... Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping must have had a reason for wanting this Dao Intent Map.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan decided to negotiate the price.

"Senior brother, how much are you asking for this map?"

Chen Xuan looked at the vendor as he spoke.

The vendor froze, then lit up with delight.

Finally, someone wants to buy it!

The vendor said eagerly, "You want it, junior brother? I can sell it to you for less, but... this is a Dao Intent Map for a top-tier Dao Technique, after all. The price..."

"Senior brother, that's not quite right. You said yourself this thing is hard to sell. Besides, my purse is thin. If you ask too much, I'll have no choice but to pass."

Chen Xuan spoke up at once.

He was willing to buy it, but he did not want to spend too many Contribution Points.

He still had plenty, in fact. Between the reward for placing first in the trial and the points he had received for exchanging more than four thousand tokens, he had over fifty thousand Contribution Points.

The vendor's expression stiffened. He sighed. "Ah, junior brother, name your price."

"How about a hundred Contribution Points?"

Chen Xuan named his price without hesitation. You asked me to.

The vendor gaped at the number. "Come on, junior brother, don't joke around!

It's still a Dao Intent Map! A hundred Contribution Points might buy you a map for a low-tier Dao Technique!"

That said, he really did want to sell the map as soon as possible.

After a moment's silence, he continued, "If you truly want it, how about three thousand Contribution Points or three thousand Spirit Stones?

I can't go any lower. I paid two thousand Contribution Points for it myself."

"I won't make you take a loss, senior brother. Let's say twenty-five hundred."

Chen Xuan pressed the price down a little further.

He was in no hurry. This could hardly be the only one in existence.

The vendor considered it for a moment.

Then, with a sigh, he shoved the Dao Intent Map at Chen Xuan. "Take it, take it."

"Thank you, senior brother."

Smiling, Chen Xuan took out his Disciple Token and transferred twenty-five hundred Contribution Points to him.

The Dao Intent Map was his.

Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping could hardly wait.

Chen Xuan stopped wandering and rode his White Cloud Artifact out of the Marketplace.

Back at his residence,

Chen Xuan went inside and opened the Dao Intent Map.

The way to use a Dao Intent Map was simple: observe.

But a Dao Intent Map could generally be used only once. After someone absorbed the Dao resonance within it, the map would vanish on its own.

Watching it was useless to anyone who had not learned the corresponding Dao Technique.

Chen Xuan did not know whether looking at it would do him any good.

As he spread the map open,

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping" began comprehending the Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing Dao Intent Map!]

[Clouds move with the wind; I move as my heart wills.]

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping" is completing and perfecting itself.]

Chen Xuan was surprised to see the messages appear.

Completing and perfecting itself?

Recalling how Purple Imperial Dragon Flame had evolved, a suspicion rose in his mind.

The next instant, it was confirmed.

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping" has advanced into "Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing."]

"Holy shit!"

Chen Xuan cried out.

It actually worked. You're pretty damn incredible.

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing" is challenging your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms" to avenge the day it was forced to become its underling.]

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing" has been suppressed by your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms."]

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing" is begging for mercy.]

[Big brother, I was wrong! I was only joking.]

Chen Xuan: "..."

Chen Xuan could not help wanting to laugh.

You're a movement Dao Technique. Even if you're top-tier now, how were you going to fight a versatile Dao Technique like that?

Still, Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping's advancement had given Chen Xuan a considerable surprise.

Redeeming Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing from the sect would surely have cost him a great many Contribution Points. Instead, he had gotten it for just twenty-five hundred.

By that logic...

My other cultivation techniques and Dao Techniques might be able to advance too, right?

There was surely a better cultivation technique above Flowing Cloud Technique.

His three top-tier Dao Techniques might even advance into supreme Dao Techniques.

But that was something he would have to take slowly.

At least he now had a rough idea of how to advance a Dao Technique.

A Dao Intent Map.

Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping appeared to have advanced by drawing on Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing's Dao Intent Map.

Then again, perhaps it had advanced so easily because the two Dao Techniques came from the same lineage.

Chen Xuan put the thought aside.

In any case, if his cultivation techniques or Dao Techniques sensed a chance to advance, they would surely alert him.

Just as they had today.

For now, he would let things happen as they would.

Chen Xuan looked at the Dao Intent Map before him. Even after Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping had comprehended it, the map had not vanished.

He certainly would not use it again, and Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing would not absorb its Dao resonance. He would put it away for now rather than waste it, then sell it if he got the chance.

After putting the map away, Chen Xuan took out his alchemy furnace and the ingredients for Qi Gathering Pills. It was time to start Alchemy.

He did not start refining them himself.

Instead, he called to Purple Imperial Dragon Flame in his mind.

"Purple Imperial Dragon Flame, you do it."

At the same time, Chen Xuan summoned Purple Imperial Dragon Flame.

The next instant, Purple Imperial Dragon Flame swept up a set of ingredients, tossed them into the alchemy furnace, and began refining.

It really can do it.

A smile appeared on Chen Xuan's face.

Cultivation had become absurdly easy. He did not have to cultivate, he did not have to practice his Dao Techniques, and now he did not even have to refine pills.

He could just lie back and do nothing.

Thank you, system. Thank you, my esteemed cultivation techniques and Dao Techniques.

Though that was what he thought, Chen Xuan still pretended to be refining the pills himself.

Ever since leaving the Floating Cloud Secret Realm and learning that someone had watched the entire trial, he had grown more cautious.

Who knew whether some mighty figure in the sect was watching him now?

Even if one happened to glance his way, it would be bad if they noticed anything strange about him.

No one could tell that his cultivation techniques and Dao Techniques practiced on their own.

But Mystic Fire refining pills by itself was different.

If the flame was refining pills while he was off doing something else, anyone could see that something was wrong.

Until he was strong enough—or certain no one could suddenly catch a glimpse of him—he intended to keep up the act whenever he refined pills.

All he had to do was sit in front of the furnace and stare into space.

How could he not manage something so easy?

Back to the matter at hand.

Purple Imperial Dragon Flame's Alchemy was truly superb. As an alchemical flame, it could also control the heat at will, and a batch of Qi Gathering Pills was soon ready.

The pills flew over to Chen Xuan.

Twelve supreme-grade Qi Gathering Pills.

Smiling, Chen Xuan put the pills away and continued refining.

Over the next few days,

Chen Xuan stayed home refining pills.

Every batch yielded twelve pills, each one supreme-grade.

While Purple Imperial Dragon Flame refined pills, Flowing Cloud Technique cultivated on its own. He never ran short of spiritual energy, and like a perpetual-motion machine, he finished all fifty batches.

With the pills refined, it was time to take them.

Chen Xuan picked up the Qi Gathering Pills and swallowed them one by one.