A roomful of Demi-Immortal's Books?
Pick any two, and you could become immortal?
Liu Ruyan's clear eyes turned faintly cold as she stared straight at Jiang Chen. It was her first time hearing of Demi-Immortal's Books, and she could not shake the feeling that Jiang Chen was talking nonsense to tease her.
After all, there were very few secret manuals on the Ascending Dragon Continent that even she did not know about.
"Who did you hear that from?"
Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously. Gazing into Liu Ruyan's crystal-clear eyes, he seemed to glimpse the shadow of a fox.
"All things can be deduced."
Deduction was said to be an art of heavenly beings. If mortals wished to peer into the secrets of heaven, they had to use soul arts to simulate them.
The reason Thousand-Faced Fox had appeared in the Azure Mist Sect was precisely because she had once deduced that an opportunity lay here.
Especially after discovering that the Heavenly Demon Sect was acting against its usual ways and seeking to seize the Azure Mist Sect, she became even more certain that the sect hid a supreme treasure.
Her attainments in illusion arts were already rare, and her cultivation was not low either, yet she could only deduce the rough area where the opportunity might appear.
The time, the exact location, what kind of opportunity it was... she knew none of it.
Yet Jiang Chen, who had only reached the ninth layer of Body Tempering after two years in the sect and had relied on her Dragonblood Qi-Refining Pill to successfully enter Qi Refining, could deduce such details?
Half believing and half doubting, she decided to take a look herself and merely said:
"I'll be right back."
Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised.
He had not expected Liu Ruyan to be this confident. Could a fox demon really enter the Return-Form Formation and come back out?
"Wait. Thousand-Faced Fox has been active in Xihe Prefecture all these years, yet Reverend Guiqi has never targeted her. Either she has never dealt with Gray Castle, or her cultivation exceeds Reverend Guiqi's, making her unworthy of his attention."
Generally speaking, illusion arts were far too overpowered. Those skilled in illusions were usually not very strong in cultivation themselves, or else they would become the author's daddy with a single misstep... like Masashi Kishimoto's own father, who was an illusion expert.
Could Thousand-Faced Fox also be incredibly strong, the sort of person who was the Creator's own mother?
This thick thigh... Jiang Chen suddenly regretted not choosing the third ending last time.
Sure enough!
After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Liu Ruyan returned carrying two secret manuals.
Jiang Chen opened them in surprise.
The two manuals were different, and their contents were a complete mess as well.
"Are you sure you took these from the Scripture Pavilion?"
Jiang Chen could not help questioning her.
Liu Ruyan shook her head with a smile, unusually pleased.
"So there are things even you do not understand... Most of the contents in these two manuals are useless.
"But mixed within them are one hundred and eight similar cultivation formulas, though the two books phrase them differently.
"When cultivated, they are indeed the same technique."
Jiang Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
That old man was quite crafty.
If demons or monsters broke in and cultivated any secret manual they picked up, they would be cultivating the Return-Form Method.
By constantly cultivating new manuals, they would unknowingly deepen their mastery of the Return-Form Method.
Moreover, the Return-Form Method's effects were extremely subtle, concealed beneath the cultivation formulas in the manuals themselves, making it difficult to notice.
"You did well. This is indeed a genuine Demi-Immortal Method."
Liu Ruyan's face turned solemn.
"What Demi-Immortal Method?
"I have roughly circulated this cultivation formula through my spiritual meridians. Its effects are negligible, and it is completely contrary to becoming immortal.
"If I cultivate this method for a long time, it will only strip away my demonic qi, worsen my innate constitution, and gradually turn me into an ordinary mortal."
Jiang Chen smiled.
"The Demi-Immortal Method was prepared for true ordinary mortals like us. It is useless to freaks like you."
"Freaks?"
A chill flashed through Liu Ruyan's eyes, and her spine went cold.
Jiang Chen did not expose her.
"Do not be nervous. Those with heaven-defying cultivation talent are called freaks. At such a young age, you have already reached Foundation Establishment; you possess such profound illusion arts, have earned the trust of the Demon Sect, and can make a trip before Reverend Guiqi, whose cultivation is at the Nascent Soul Peak, and return safely. Naturally, you are a freak among freaks."
Without giving her time to react, he took the two manuals from her hands.
"Since you dislike the Demi-Immortal Method, give both of them to me."
Unexpectedly, Liu Ruyan snatched one back.
"I insist."
Jiang Chen shrugged and asked curiously.
"Speaking of which, how did you get the manuals from Reverend Guiqi?"
Liu Ruyan said:
"I gave him a reason he could not refuse."
"What terms?"
"That is a secret."
Jiang Chen was helpless.
This Plot Simulation had not ended, so he could not review the simulation recording. He could only wait until it was over.
Still, since he had successfully obtained the Demi-Immortal Method, this simulation was more than half a success.
Dusk was approaching, and more than half a day remained.
Jiang Chen glanced at Liu Ruyan. The evening glow shone upon her delicate face, reflecting a beauty that surpassed humanity.
A rich woman was great, and now that he had the Return-Form Method, he could absorb the demonic qi shed by the fox demon to cultivate...
He could take a gamble, but it was dangerous too.
Now that he had obtained the Form-Returning Book, he had to consolidate his gains and secure a guaranteed save file first. Only then could he take risks during the third simulation.
For now, Jiang Chen did not probe further into Liu Ruyan's secret. He clapped his hands, rose to his feet, and said:
"Then thank you for the resources and the Demi-Immortal's Books. I am going to cultivate."
With that, he turned and returned to the disciples' quarters.
Liu Ruyan was left standing there in confusion, watching his back vanish into the blazing sunset.
"Reverend Guiqi has cultivation at the Nascent Soul Peak, is proficient in countless arts, and excels in forbidden techniques. He is far stronger than Sect Master Qingxu Zi; he truly counts as a hidden dragon crouching tiger."
"But the Demi-Immortal Method is utterly useless for the cultivation of our demon kind. Clearly, it is not the opportunity meant for me."
"It seems I will have to wait until the Heavenly Demon Sect attacks the mountain before the truth becomes clear."
That night.
In the disciples' quarters of Pure Heart Palace.
Jiang Chen decided to treat the second ending as his safeguard, so he did not immediately cultivate the Demi-Immortal Method.
He did not want the method to be unsuitable for him, or to conceal some backdoor that would instead throw his spiritual meridians into disarray.
Safety came first. He put on the soft hedgehog Spirit-Guarding Armor Liu Ruyan had given him.
The armor was soft in texture and silky to the touch. Jiang Chen felt as though a rich woman were holding him snugly in her arms, warm and attentive.
Then, he took out medicinal pills and spirit stones and began swallowing pills to cultivate.
If talent was lacking, resources would make up for it.
After three years since transmigrating, this was his first time experiencing the cultivation of a tycoon.
Daybreak arrived.
By the time the plot ended, Jiang Chen had used up dozens of spirit stones and all ten Qi-Refining Spirit-Nurturing Pills, successfully advancing to the second layer of Qi Refining!
"This talent really is mediocre..."
Even so, after the Plot Simulation ended, Jiang Chen looked at the cultivation advancement on the system panel and still felt delighted.
[Name]: Jiang Chen. [Cultivation]: Second Layer of Qi Refining. [Money]: Low-grade spirit stones ×50. [Items]: Multipurpose Machete ×1 (Mortal-grade); Azure Mist Sect Disciple Sword ×1 (Low Spirit-grade); Rapid Spirit-Healing Pellet ×3 (Low Spirit-grade); [Skills]: Eight-Step Mad Blade: Minor Accomplishment; [Main Plot]: The first simulation of Main Plot Two, "Demi-Immortal's Books," has been completed. You may review this simulation's footage at any time. [Butterfly Effect]: No unviewed footage.
Only then did Jiang Chen recall something.
He wanted to check the recording and see exactly how Liu Ruyan had subdued Reverend Guiqi.
He opened the simulation footage.
Jiang Chen was dumbfounded as well.
He had thought she had conquered Reverend Guiqi with force, or stolen the manuals through illusion arts...
He had never expected that she truly made Reverend Guiqi a transaction he could not refuse.
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