BUG of the Heavenly Stele Sacrifice

With Zhu Sheng's endorsement, Jiang Che had no further worries and prepared to free up his hands to cause some trouble for the Cao Gang.

He just couldn't help it; that was his vindictive nature.

However, before that, he had one more thing to do: cultivate a defensive technique to enhance his own strength.

As for the body-refining technique in Zhu Sheng's possession, he was somewhat hesitant at the moment.

This was because it wasn't an ordinary body-refining method but a hereditary technique of the Zhu family.

What price would he have to pay to obtain it?

Marrying Zhu Qingqing and becoming a live-in son-in-law of the Zhu family!

That was not within his options.

For now, Savage Bull Strength could still be cultivated to strengthen his inner breath, so he wasn't in a hurry.

It wasn't as if the Zhu family's body-refining technique was the only one in existence.

That night.

West of the city, Liu Manor.

This was also a recently acquired residence by Liu Zhi. Having been transferred here, he wouldn't be moving for several years unless something unexpected happened, and he had already made arrangements to bring his family to live in Yanggu County.

Therefore, the house he chose was also quite large.

A grand courtyard with three entrances and three courtyards, though not as grand as the Zhu Manor, it had its own unique charm.

Several temporarily hired servants led Jiang Che to the main hall. Liu Zhi was seated at the head, holding a cup of hot tea and enjoying it leisurely. Upon hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Sit."

Jiang Che cupped his fists slightly, then took his seat as instructed.

Waving his hand to signal the servants to withdraw, Liu Zhi chuckled, "You've come at just the right time. Here, try this tea. Don't let its appearance fool you; this cup alone is worth more than an ounce of silver outside."

Jiang Che's eyebrows twitched slightly, a hint of surprise in his expression.

Could Liu Zhi afford such expensive tea?

Despite his thoughts, Jiang Che obediently poured himself a cup and brought it to his lips, taking a gentle sip.

The faint tea fragrance entered his mouth, flowed down his throat, and spread through his body like a warm current. He felt his body lighten, his eyes brightened, and he couldn't help but nod, "Indeed, excellent tea."

"Haha, naturally. This tea is called Calming Heart, sourced from deep mountain cliffs. It's very rare, and especially beneficial for martial artists, as it can suppress restless blood and qi.

Drinking it for a long time can even repair internal injuries."

Liu Zhi laughed heartily, clarifying for Jiang Che.

"My lord certainly knows how to enjoy himself."

"How could I afford such fine tea? These were given to me by a friend a couple of years ago who asked for my help. I went to great lengths to get them, and now they're almost all gone."

Jiang Che lowered his gaze and replied, "Since my lord enjoys it, your subordinate will think of a way to get more for you in a few days."

"You're too clever. I asked you to come tonight to choose a saber technique, not to repay me with favors. You can't afford the exorbitant price at your current level.

If you were to send it after you achieve success in the future, then I would gladly accept it."

"Alright, if your subordinate achieves something in the future, I will ensure my lord drinks Calming Heart tea every day."

Seeing that Liu Zhi wasn't hinting at anything, Jiang Che joined in the lighthearted banter.

Without further ado, after they finished a pot of Calming Heart tea, Liu Zhi knew Jiang Che was eager. He opened a black cloth bag on the table, revealing a stack of books of varying thickness.

"These are the various martial arts techniques I've accumulated over the years. Take a look and see which one suits you, then take it to practice."

Jiang Che looked at the books and nodded, reaching out to pick up a volume and began to flip through it.

"Mountain Quake Fist."

"I obtained this in my early years at a martial arts school."

"Cool Wind Blade Momentum..."

"This was a spoil of war I acquired when I followed a commander to suppress bandits."

"Zhao Family Saber Manual..."

"This is..."

Every time Jiang Che picked up a book, Liu Zhi would tell him the origin of the martial art. Some were complete manuals, while others were incomplete fragments, leaving Jiang Che dazzled, but none truly caught his eye.

This was because the upper limits of these saber techniques and martial arts were not high.

"Three Absolute Shocking Fiends..."

When he picked up the last saber manual, Jiang Che's gaze held a hint of confusion. Unlike the thickness of the other martial arts books, this one... was only a single page.

Furthermore, its material was unlike any other paper.

This was a silver foil as thin as a cicada's wing.

It was densely inscribed with lines of small text, with no illustrations whatsoever.

"This page of silver foil is different from other saber manuals. I found it in a pool of blood when I was young, following Shangguan to quell the Demonic Sect. I've kept it secretly for almost ten years.

I can guess that the saber technique recorded on this silver foil is extraordinary. Even if it's just a fragment, it's absolutely priceless. But... I've cultivated for many years without grasping its essence, so it's just been gathering dust with me."

Seeing Jiang Che staring intently at the silver foil, Liu Zhi couldn't help but sigh.

Anyone could guess it was a treasure, being inscribed on silver foil.

But even if it was a treasure, what was the use if one couldn't even get started?

At this moment, Jiang Che was contemplating whether to use the Sacrifice to the Heavenly Stele to cultivate this incomplete saber technique.

Cultivation would be no problem, as long as the cost of sacrifice could be met, anything could be achieved.

But what he was considering was whether he could exploit a loophole in the Sacrifice to the Heavenly Stele when it was only a fragment. Could he use the Heavenly Stele's ability to fill in gaps to help him cultivate the true Three Absolute Shocking Fiends?

If he could, then in the future, he could specifically search for top-tier cultivation techniques and martial arts that were only fragments. He wouldn't even need to pay a significant price, because for martial artists, the value difference between a fragment and a complete technique was enormous.

This wasn't Jiang Che talking nonsense.

In fact, he had already had this guess.

The anomalies that appeared during the Sacrifice when Savage Bull Strength reached great success were still fresh in his memory. Moreover, the Savage Bull Strength he cultivated was very different from what ordinary people and the manual described.

He guessed that the Sacrifice to the Heavenly Stele had also repaired the deficiencies in Savage Bull Strength while performing the sacrifice.

If that was the case, why couldn't he do that?

Currently, the body-refining method after the Inner Breath Realm was a major problem that had been troubling him. But if he could succeed, this problem would be instantly resolved, and he wouldn't need to ask Zhu Sheng to teach him the family's body-refining method.

As long as he could find a fragment of a body-refining method, he could perform the sacrifice.

But... the key was... he had no chance to experiment.

The intention conveyed by the Heavenly Stele had already been very clear.

If he failed to complete the intended sacrifice, he would not be able to perform the next one.

It was equivalent to his golden finger being directly crippled.

Should he gamble?

Jiang Che's expression was thoughtful and serious.

On one side was the immense reward of a successful experiment, and on the other side were the severe consequences he would have to bear.

Was this difficult to choose?

No.

Of course not.

Gamblers never end well.

He couldn't afford to lose his golden finger.

With the Sacrifice to the Heavenly Stele, he could steadily improve his strength.

Taking a risk was too inadvisable.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Che put down the silver foil, suppressing the greed in his heart.

"I know what you're thinking. You're probably tempted, just like I was. Are you worried that you can only take one book from me? Hehehe... I asked you to come tonight not for you to make a choice, but for you to select.

It's fine even if you take all these saber techniques and martial arts with you."

Seeing Jiang Che's hesitant expression, Liu Zhi thought he had guessed his thoughts and immediately said.

He had no use for these things; he just wanted to do Jiang Che a favor.

This was a genuine act of mentorship.

"Mm..."

Jiang Che's eyes suddenly lit up.

Liu Zhi's words enlightened him; he seemed to have fallen into a misunderstanding.

Why should he take a risk?

He could completely avoid it!