Qi-Blood Self-Generation

After the noon patrol ended, Li Yuan did not return directly to his residence. Instead, he turned toward the northwest corner of the market district.

There stood a two-story stone tower, with the words Hidden Merit Pavilion hanging above its entrance. It was where the Wang Family stored its cultivation techniques.

Outer cultivators who had signed contracts could use Contribution Points to exchange for techniques inside, from immortal cultivation spells to mundane martial arts. The selection was not particularly extensive, but it had most of what one needed.

The original owner had come here several times before, but each time, he had headed straight for the shelves of immortal cultivation techniques and had not spared mundane techniques a second glance.

That was only natural. In the original owner's eyes, spending Contribution Points on a mundane technique was nothing but a waste.

Li Yuan pushed open the stone tower's door, and a faint scent of wood washed over him.

The first floor was a small hall. A table stood on the left, behind which sat a guard cultivator in his thirties, at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. He was resting with his eyes closed.

Hearing the footsteps, the man opened his eyes, glanced at the vice-captain's badge at Li Yuan's waist, and gave a slight nod. "Browsing or exchanging?"

"Browsing first."

"Go upstairs."

Li Yuan went up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

The second floor was much more spacious than the first. Bookshelves lined all four walls, neatly packed with booklets and scrolls.

The rows on the left held immortal cultivation techniques and spells. The booklets were in good condition and arranged neatly, with a small wooden plaque placed before each one, stating its name, grade, and required Contribution Points.

The three rows on the right were clearly far more deserted. There were less than half as many booklets, and they were not arranged with much care. A few had even been shoved in sideways.

Mundane techniques.

Li Yuan walked to the first shelf on the right, his gaze sweeping from left to right as his fingers casually brushed over the spines.

Body Nourishing Art, Stone Splitting Palm, Bronze Skin Technique, Eight Brocades...

There were quite a few names, but most were common beginner techniques, little different from those sold at the stalls outside.

Li Yuan did not rush to flip through them. Instead, he lightly rested his palm on the edge of the first shelf and slowly moved it forward.

The System Panel did not react at all.

Li Yuan placed his hand on the second shelf.

Still nothing.

When he reached the third shelf, the moment his hand touched it, a line of translucent text suddenly flashed before his eyes.

[Detected equippable items (multiple)]

There they were.

Li Yuan withdrew his hand from the shelf and began touching the books one by one.

There were more than twenty mundane techniques across the three shelves. Li Yuan touched each one in turn. Most of the booklets gave no response, but three of them brought up the System Panel.

The first was Cloud-Parting Palm.

[Detected equippable item: Cloud-Parting Palm (Complete)]

[Item trait grade: White]

[Note: This item does not belong to you. Unable to equip. Unable to view detailed information.]

Li Yuan checked the wooden plaque before the booklet. It read: Cloud-Parting Palm, mundane technique, four Contribution Points.

The second was Nurturing Origin Technique.

[Detected equippable item: Nurturing Origin Technique (Complete)]

[Item trait grade: White]

[Note: This item does not belong to you. Unable to equip. Unable to view detailed information.]

The wooden plaque read: Nurturing Origin Technique, mundane technique, seven Contribution Points.

The third was Mystic Turtle Body.

[Detected equippable item: Mystic Turtle Body (Complete)]

[Item trait grade: Green]

[Note: This item does not belong to you. Unable to equip. Unable to view detailed information.]

Green Trait. Li Yuan's gaze lingered on the booklet for another moment before he looked at the plaque—

Mystic Turtle Body, mundane technique, thirty Contribution Points.

Thirty points. He could not afford it.

Li Yuan returned Mystic Turtle Body to the shelf, his gaze moving back and forth between Cloud-Parting Palm and Nurturing Origin Technique.

Both were White Traits. Cloud-Parting Palm was cheaper, costing only four Contribution Points, while Nurturing Origin Technique cost considerably more at seven.

When the original owner had sold his belongings to buy a Breakthrough Pill, he had not spent all his Contribution Points and had saved five. Adding the three points issued this month, he had a total of eight points on hand.

Cloud-Parting Palm could be bought for four points, saving money.

But although Nurturing Origin Technique cost seven points, he could still afford it.

The price was nearly double, but he preferred Nurturing Origin Technique.

After thinking it over, Li Yuan picked up the small booklet beside Nurturing Origin Technique. It contained an introduction to the technique.

Naturally, mundane techniques could not possibly be protected by restrictions, so the entire Nurturing Origin Technique had been wrapped in specially made paper and could only be unsealed after purchase.

Nurturing Origin Technique, a mundane Qi-Blood technique, comprising five forms. After cultivation, it could strengthen the body and increase Qi-Blood. Long-term practice could make one's Qi-Blood abundant and physique robust. This technique also possessed Yangyuan effects. Once cultivated to a certain level, the Qi-Blood within the body could nourish injuries on its own, or one could actively consume Qi-Blood to stimulate recovery.

Li Yuan closed the booklet, then picked up the introduction to Cloud-Parting Palm and flipped through it.

Cloud-Parting Palm was an offensive palm technique and should not have been placed here, because no matter how formidable mundane martial skills were, they could not withstand a Fireball.

However, it had been improved by cultivators, and its advantage was that it could use spiritual power and Qi-Blood to attack.

But offensive methods were not what he needed right now.

Setting down the booklet, Li Yuan took Nurturing Origin Technique in hand and went downstairs.

The guard cultivator on the first floor opened his eyes and looked at the booklet in Li Yuan's hand. "Nurturing Origin Technique, seven points."

Li Yuan handed over his badge. "Exchange it."

The guard took the badge, pulled out a register from beneath the table, found Li Yuan's name, and checked his Contribution Point balance.

"Eight points. Deduct seven, leaving one."

The guard made a few marks in the register, stamped a small seal onto the booklet's cover, and returned the badge.

"Once you take the technique, it cannot be returned. If you lose the booklet, there will be no replacement."

Li Yuan nodded, put away his things, and left the Hidden Merit Pavilion.

After returning to his residence, Li Yuan slid the door bolt into place, sat beside the bed, took out Nurturing Origin Technique, and unsealed it.

The paper was much thicker than the one for Iron Ox Technique. The writing was neat, and each form came with a simple illustration.

Translucent text appeared at the same time:

[Detected equippable item: Nurturing Origin Technique (Complete)]

[Trait preview: Qi-Blood Self-Generation (White)—Qi-Blood recovery speed increased by fifty percent; the healing speed of external and internal injuries is accelerated]

[Permanence condition: Cultivate this technique to Perfection, then cultivate for a cumulative twenty-four hours while in a state of Qi-Blood Fullness]

[Current Equipment Slot (2/2). Replace current equipment?]

Qi-Blood Self-Generation.

Qi-Blood recovery speed increased by fifty percent, and it could also accelerate the healing of injuries.

This trait differed in direction from Iron Ox Technique's Viscera Strengthening—Viscera Strengthening focused on the upper limit of what the body could endure, while Qi-Blood Self-Generation focused on recovery.

One made him able to take a beating; the other restored health.

However, its permanence condition was more complicated than Iron Ox Technique's.

Not only did the technique have to be cultivated to Perfection, but he also had to cultivate for a cumulative twenty-four hours while in a state of Qi-Blood Fullness.

Twenty-four hours was not short, and cultivating in a state of Qi-Blood Fullness was not easy either, but it was not some outrageous condition. He could accumulate it slowly.

More importantly, Iron Ox Technique's permanence condition was to cultivate two mundane techniques to Perfection.

Now that he had Nurturing Origin Technique, he had gathered the second one.

As long as both Iron Ox Technique and Nurturing Origin Technique reached Perfection, Viscera Strengthening could become permanent.

Then, once he made Nurturing Origin Technique permanent as well, the two White Traits would be locked in place—his Qi-Blood would recover quickly, his viscera would be able to withstand punishment, and both cultivation and battle would benefit.