Departure

Zhou Changwang carefully put away the Spirit Farmer's Manual before taking out the several jade slips he had purchased from Six Directions Pavilion.

Compared to the jade slips personally inscribed by Rogue Cultivators, those bought from Six Directions Pavilion were far more compact and exquisitely crafted.

Zhou Changwang first looked at the Body Protection Technique.

If not for the protection of the Golden Light Shield Talisman in that previous battle, even if he had successfully slain Wang Chang, he would have been severely injured himself.

Now that the Golden Light Shield Talismans had been used up, he naturally needed to first learn a protective technique, ensuring that he would have some safeguard should he encounter such danger again.

He immersed his mind in it.

Only after a long while did Zhou Changwang come back to his senses.

"This Body Protection Technique is not difficult to cultivate, but it has quite a few rune structures—seven in all."

As Zhou Changwang pondered this, he familiarized himself with each rune structure within the spell in his mind.

This was also the most troublesome part of first learning a spell.

He needed to use his own spiritual power to 'write' the structures.

Only by ensuring that he had completely mastered a rune structure could he successfully cast the spell.

Yet every unfamiliar rune structure was complex and three-dimensional. Mastering one through memory alone was no easy task.

It was like a complicated landscape painting. Even if one merely copied it, it would be difficult to achieve a likeness; a hair's breadth of deviation could lead a thousand miles astray.

Half an hour later.

Once he felt that he had roughly memorized the rune structures within it, he began attempting to cast the spell.

Once, twice, three times, four times...

Failure, failure, failure...

Attempt after attempt, failure after failure.

This was a familiar process.

The Attribute Panel did not allow him to skip it.

Fortunately, he had experience cultivating other spells and had even cultivated several to Minor Mastery and Major Mastery. He had developed his own understanding of rune structures.

After more than thirty attempts.

Buzz!

At last, he completed the final rune structure. Once it was stimulated by the spiritual power within his body—

The spell instantly took shape.

Body Protection Technique +1

The Body Protection Technique had reached the entry level!

At once, he felt a thin layer of protective barrier appear around his body.

The barrier enveloped him from head to toe, yet did not obstruct his vision or hinder his spellcasting.

"Thus, the Body Protection Technique can be considered mastered.

Next came the process of casting it continuously to raise its proficiency."

Zhou Changwang sighed, then shifted his attention to the next spell—the Lightness Technique.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, the Body Protection Technique dissipated on its own.

Zhou Changwang hurriedly cast the Body Protection Technique again, casting it without interruption and continuously maintaining the spell.

An hour later, Zhou Changwang had also successfully cast the Lightness Technique.

The Body Protection Technique's experience had accordingly risen to (Entry Level 8/100).

Next came the Soundproofing Art, the Derivation Technique...

Of these two spells, the Soundproofing Art was the easiest to learn. It had only three rune structures, and he reached the entry level after practicing it merely a dozen or so times.

As for the Derivation Technique, perhaps because it was a divination-type spell, it was rather difficult to cultivate. It had nine rune structures, nearly comparable to a mid-grade spell.

Zhou Changwang spent a full two hours practicing without pause. He had no idea whether he had failed hundreds or thousands of times before finally succeeding once and truly reaching the entry level.

Yet after the spell succeeded, he merely felt an inexplicable aura spread outward, and then there was nothing more.

Nothing unusual happened.

"Perhaps it is because there is no danger nearby at the moment?"

Zhou Changwang muttered, but he did not think the spell had failed.

After all, the words indicating that the Derivation Technique had reached the entry level were crystal clear on the Attribute Panel.

Only then did he move on to the Breath-Concealing Art and the Sword-Controlling Technique.

The Breath-Concealing Art was not difficult to cultivate either, and he reached the entry level in half an hour. The Sword-Controlling Technique, on the other hand, was roughly as difficult as the Derivation Technique, but to truly display its power, it had to be used in conjunction with a magical artifact.

That was why it was so expensive.

After Zhou Changwang used it together with a magical artifact, he suffered a little for it as well... Many new scratches appeared around the room.

That was even with him deliberately keeping it under control.

"This spell can only be cultivated more smoothly in an open area."

Zhou Changwang sighed, yet a trace of joy appeared on his face.

Because after successfully cultivating the Sword-Controlling Technique, when he controlled his magical artifact, it was finally no longer limited to charging straight ahead as before.

It could turn appropriately and change directions.

As for controlling it as freely as one wished?

Zhou Changwang felt that he would at least need to cultivate the Sword-Controlling Technique to proficiency, or even to Minor Mastery.

Several days later.

Zhou Changwang stood at the city gate of the market.

In the distance, a merchant caravan of more than a hundred people was gathering.

Within the caravan, spirit beasts such as Blood-Silver Horses and Single-Horned Savage Oxen pulled carts piled high with goods.

"Father, take care on the road."

Zhou Changwang looked at Zhou Qiankun and spoke with a complicated expression.

As early as half a month ago, his father had told him that he would be leaving, preparing to return to the mortal world and live for himself.

Now that the moment had truly arrived, sorrow still lingered in his heart.

"Don't worry. Your father has traveled north and south for so many years—what raging winds and towering waves have I not seen?

This time, I am retiring and returning home. There is no need to pass through any especially dangerous places, so nothing will happen. Those few chests of gold and silver you gave me are enough for me to live as a wealthy old man.

It is you I am worried about. After I leave, you will be here alone, so you must be extra careful.

In all things, preserving your life must come first. Never take risks.

Do you know why I sent you into Spirit Plant Hall in the first place? It was because among the many professions in the cultivation world, being a spirit plant master is actually one of the safest.

Though you were not favored by the spirit plant masters in Spirit Plant Hall and could only become a spirit farmer, you still have a stable job now. That puts my mind at ease..."

With parting imminent, even the usually taciturn Zhou Qiankun became much more talkative.

He gave Zhou Changwang many instructions, most of them lessons drawn from experience.

Zhou Changwang merely kept nodding, without the slightest impatience.

"Oh, right. The reason I never allowed you to learn martial arts was indeed partly because of my own reasons, but the true reason was that the martial path wastes too much time.

Ordinary people might spend several decades before they could achieve anything, let alone reach the Innate Realm. Even in the cultivation world, where resources are not lacking, it would still take at least ten years. It is simply too much of a tasteless burden.

However, after observing for so many years, I have also discovered that while cultivators are strong, their strength lies only in their spell techniques. Their physical bodies are actually quite frail. Once a martial artist closes in on them, their combat power plummets, and they are no match for martial artists at all.

I have even slain mid-stage Qi Refining Realm cultivators after getting close to them."

As he said this, Zhou Qiankun looked slightly proud before his expression turned solemn. "That is why I left you that copy of the Eight Heavenly Origin Forms. Practice it whenever you have time. At the very least, it can strengthen your body."

"Zhou Qiankun..."

At that moment, someone from the merchant caravan called out.

"Coming."

Zhou Qiankun answered. He gave Zhou Changwang's shoulder one final pat, looked steadily at him for a moment, then waved his hand and turned away.