Face-to-Face Spirit-Drawing Entry

"Five-Element Spirit Roots are indeed very difficult, but I heard that if you choose the more outstanding one among your Spirit Roots to cultivate, perhaps..."

Yue Shuo adjusted his initial plan and changed his wording.

Earlier, he had intended to discuss how to draw in spiritual energy and enter meditation, then reveal his Calligraphy Meditation Method and let the two see him successfully draw in spiritual energy with their own eyes.

He would then take the opportunity to offer up his experience.

Naturally, that meant it was necessary to look at the cultivation techniques of the two of them.

And incidentally establish the persona of someone with high comprehension.

Now that the conversation had reached this point, he took the opportunity to ask to see cultivation techniques for the metal and fire attributes.

Tian Wan and Zou Chongying both casually took his technique manual and looked through it.

They did not consider cultivation techniques particularly precious.

After all, they had already gone through the process of selecting techniques once before, and the old man at the External Affairs Pavilion had never told them to keep their techniques secret.

Perhaps first-tier techniques were not valuable?

Such a guess flashed through Yue Shuo's mind.

But just because they were not precious to other cultivators did not mean he could casually get his hands on them right now.

So, he used a little scheming.

He successfully obtained the Blazing Sun Art and the Sharp Metal Art, flipped through them once, and let the panel record them.

Two flickering technique names appeared under the cultivation techniques section.

[First-Tier Sharp Metal Art]

Cultivation Requirement: Metal Spirit Root

Cultivation speed +2 per level, spell penetration +5%... At completion, additional armor-piercing damage +4%.

Can activate: First-tier spell 'Golden Light Slash'.

(A golden light slash of the metal attribute that deals massive damage to the target.)

[First-Tier Blazing Sun Art]

Cultivation Requirement: Fire Spirit Root

Cultivation speed +2 per level, alchemy efficiency +20%... At completion, additional alchemy efficiency +40%.

Included secret art: Flame Palm.

(Its power is fairly decent.)

What is the difference between a spell and a secret art? Yue Shuo returned the two technique manuals to the boys and fell into thought.

Still, once he activated and used them later, he should understand.

After returning the technique manuals, Yue Shuo sighed.

"I really want to switch techniques, but I've already rented a Spirit Field. If I don't have enough harvest after a year..."

Zou Chongying and Tian Wan both wore looks of understanding.

Having achieved his goal, Yue Shuo planned to move on to the next topic and send them off sooner.

"Forget it, I'd better cultivate the Wood Essence Art first. Oh, right, I feel like cultivating near the Spirit Field has given me some insights. The wood spiritual energy here should be richer..."

"Also, when I was practicing calligraphy earlier, I vaguely seemed to sense something."

His experience of entering tranquility through calligraphy could count as an exchange for their techniques.

Upon hearing this, Zou Chongying and Tian Wan had no time to echo him or comfort him. They hurriedly asked what he had sensed.

"It seemed like there were multicolored motes of light around me..." Yue Shuo said thoughtfully.

Zou Chongying hurriedly said,

"I sensed them too, but they weren't multicolored. That should have been the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but the moment I got anxious, I couldn't sense them anymore!"

Tian Wan nodded as well.

They all had Spirit Roots.

By entering a special state, they could naturally sense the light motes of heaven and earth's spiritual energy corresponding to their Spirit Root attributes.

It was also mentioned later in the cultivation techniques.

They described entering tranquility and meditation, sensing spiritual energy, and drawing it into the body.

They could occasionally sense spiritual energy, but they could not calm their hearts. The moment they became happy or excited, their sensing would fail.

Usually, they needed several days of polishing before they could maintain the state of sensing spiritual energy.

Only then could they stabilize that state.

They had spent the past few days polishing their state, so they all seemed somewhat more composed.

For those whose temperaments were too restless and jumpy, this step was very difficult.

That was why they were given one month to achieve Spirit-Drawing Entry.

As for why they were not given more time?

After the three began discussing Spirit-Drawing Entry, neither Yue Shuo nor Tian Wan understood.

Only Zou Chongying gave an answer.

"Steward Yan said it was because we suddenly came from places with low spiritual energy into an environment with high spiritual energy."

"For a period of time!"

"We'll have a heightened sensitivity to spiritual energy. After around a month, our bodies will get used to this environment..."

"Then, drawing spiritual energy into the body will become even harder!"

"It might take several months of grinding. Half a year or even a year is possible. People like that generally have extremely poor talent, low comprehension, and inadequate temperament!"

People like that had no prospects for cultivation even if they possessed Spirit Roots.

Of course, Zou Chongying did not continue that sentence.

After all, Yue Shuo had a Five-Element Spirit Root, while Tian Wan only had a Four-Element Spirit Root. Both could be considered among those with poor talent.

Leaving one's parents and living independently always made people grow up quickly.

Especially when they had been trying to enter tranquility over the past few days.

All manner of colorful thoughts had churned through their minds.

After thinking more, some things—and some words their parents had repeatedly warned them about—suddenly became clear.

Other than not yet having formally cultivated through Spirit-Drawing Entry.

Both Zou Chongying and Tian Wan felt that they had matured.

"So, we currently find entering tranquility rather difficult, but trying to draw in spiritual energy after entering tranquility several times is even harder!"

Zou Chongying and Tian Wan were both more or less in this state.

They had accepted the invitation to come over because they wanted to relax their taut nerves.

That would help them try to enter tranquility in the morning and evening.

"Morning and evening?" Yue Shuo repeated those words doubtfully.

"That's right! Little Shuo, didn't you know? It was written in the technique manuals too. It's best to cultivate in the morning and evening. Those two periods are the most suitable for entering tranquility and cultivating!"

Yue Shuo thought back and seemed to recall such words.

But in his view, it should have meant this:

After waking up, one's Divine Sense was full. Then, after recovering throughout the day, one would have enough Divine Sense before sleep to support cultivation.

But he had a panel that displayed the data clearly.

Others did not.

As Yue Shuo was thinking, he heard Zou Chongying and Tian Wan seriously reminding him.

"Still, not everyone can cultivate in the morning and evening. If you find entering tranquility extremely difficult and your mind restless, Little Shuo, don't force yourself to cultivate!"

Zou Chongying's expression was solemn.

"That's right! Cultivating once a day is the safest. If you force yourself to cultivate twice, injuring your mind and disrupting your breath will affect your condition for several days!"

Tian Wan also remembered that Yue Shuo lived here alone.

Unlike them, he had senior and junior brothers to talk with.

Hearing this, Yue Shuo found the two more pleasing to the eye. He quickly steered the conversation back and mentioned entering tranquility through calligraphy again.

The two did not think practicing calligraphy could have much effect.

While they were discussing it.

Yue Shuo began experimenting on the spot.

One incense stick's time later, before the two boys and Gu Jiu, Yue Shuo entered tranquility, entered meditation, and successfully drew in spiritual energy.

Zou Chongying and Tian Wan: "..."

Because Yue Shuo had already successfully drawn spiritual energy into his body and reached Qi Refining through the Wood Essence Art ten times before.

This time, he finished in less than one double-hour.

After waking, he checked the timing scale.

In his mind, it converted into a time measurement he was more familiar with—1 hour and 50 minutes.

"Little Shuo, no, Senior Brother Yue..."

After Spirit-Drawing Entry, one had formally embarked on the path of cultivation. Although seniority rankings would only be established after reaching Qi Refining Level One.

In the eyes of the new disciples, successfully drawing in spiritual energy meant one was a cultivator!

Mortals and cultivators were different.

Zou Chongying had always been somewhat bold and unrestrained, yet even he could not help hesitating.