Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture, Divine Dragon Piercing Cosmos Source Vein

Beside the Trial Stele.

Zhang Xingfeng placed his right hand on the Trial Stele, his heart still uneasy.

Though he had grasped spiritual awareness and awakened to the Dao, he was not confident he could light up the Trial Stele.

Clang!

Fortunately, the Trial Stele gave a soft chime, and a star lit up.

Zhang Xingfeng's eyes shone as he stared at the stele, hoping more stars would light up.

But the result disappointed him. The stele fell silent, with only a single star shining.

Right. I only awakened to the Dao with the help of the Spirit-Awakening Tree and the Dao-Enlightenment Stone.

It's not as if I'm truly gifted. One star is already pretty good!

At least I've gone from nothing to something. I can cultivate now, can't I?

Though still a little dissatisfied, Zhang Xingfeng lowered his hand and consoled himself.

"Xingfeng, don't be disheartened."

"A cultivator's spiritual aptitude isn't set in stone. There's something on the sect's northern mountain that can change it. Just focus on cultivating!"

Li Moqing seemed to see through Zhang Xingfeng's thoughts and offered him reassurance.

"Really, Master?"

Zhang Xingfeng looked up in delight.

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

Li Moqing answered without changing expression.

"Then what is it, Master?"

Zhang Xingfeng was brimming with curiosity.

"You'll find out in time."

Li Moqing smiled mysteriously, then changed the subject. "Xingfeng, now that you've sensed source qi, I'll pass the sect's cultivation method on to you."

"What cultivation method is it, Master?"

No longer dwelling on what could change his aptitude, Zhang Xingfeng asked eagerly.

He knew he needed a cultivation method to become a true cultivator.

"The Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture. A heaven-rank, high-grade cultivation method!"

Li Moqing answered calmly.

"Heaven... heaven-rank? High-grade?!"

Li Moqing had said it casually, but the words struck Zhang Xingfeng like thunder, making him sway.

Cultivation methods were a type of technique and, like other techniques, were divided by quality.

From highest to lowest, the ranks were heaven, earth, mystic, and yellow.

Each rank was further divided into low, middle, and high grades.

Quality determined the fastest speed at which a cultivator could cultivate.

For cultivation methods, a yellow-rank, low-grade method gave only normal speed; middle-grade doubled it, and high-grade tripled it.

Mystic-rank low-grade gave four times the speed, middle-grade five times, and high-grade seven times.

Earth-rank low-grade gave nine times, middle-grade twelve times, and high-grade fifteen times.

Heaven-rank low-grade gave eighteen times, middle-grade twenty-one times, and high-grade twenty-five times!

Of course, a cultivation method was not the only factor governing cultivation speed, but it was undoubtedly an important one!

With a heaven-rank, high-grade method, even someone with one-star spiritual aptitude would not cultivate slowly in source-qi-poor Search Province!

Such methods were usually possessed only by overlord powers like the Sacred Source Dynasty, which held an entire one of the seven regions to itself.

Zhang Xingfeng had never imagined that a sect in Search Province would have one!

As expected of a hidden sect!

He marveled inwardly.

"Please teach me, Master!"

Zhang Xingfeng gathered himself and made his request with delight.

[Ding! Congratulations! Your fabrication has been believed by your direct disciple Zhang Xingfeng. The heaven-rank, high-grade cultivation method—the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture—has become real!]

[This fabrication has used one opportunity to make a fabrication about Zhang Xingfeng real, obtained by accepting him as a disciple!]

[You have one opportunity remaining to make a fabrication about Zhang Xingfeng real: accepting Zhang Xingfeng as a disciple.]

[You must write the cultivation method yourself. As a reward, the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture you write can increase sect members' cultivation speed by up to thirty times!]

You've got to be kidding. I have to write it myself?

Li Moqing had not expected that.

But since the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture can surpass the speed limit of a heaven-rank, high-grade method, I suppose I'll make the effort!

With that thought, Li Moqing said solemnly, "I left the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture in the attic. Wait here a moment while I fetch it for you!"

"Yes, Master!"

Zhang Xingfeng's face filled with anticipation.

Fifteen minutes later.

Beside the Trial Stele.

"This is the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture!"

Li Moqing returned to Zhang Xingfeng and handed him a cultivation manual with a black cover. Naturally, Li Moqing had just written it himself.

Zhang Xingfeng took it at once and opened it impatiently.

"Gather source qi in the dantian; guide it through the eight extraordinary meridians. Turn the five organs into stars and cosmos, the six bowels into heaven and earth..."

"Draw in heaven and earth as the pure; breathe out rivers and seas as the turbid... Sense the workings of the universe and commune with the spirit in all things..."

The more Zhang Xingfeng read, the more absorbed he became. The words were somewhat strange, yet he understood them at a glance—and once he understood, he knew how to practice!

Those words also seemed to hold a peculiar magic. Reading them just once engraved them in his mind!

"Divine breath clears the heart; the great spirit becomes the heavenly scripture!" Only when he reached the final eight characters did he close the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture, still hungry for more. "That's it?"

Whoosh!

At that moment, the surrounding source qi surged into his body beyond his control. It was thin, but the sensation was wonderfully refreshing.

A heaven-rank, high-grade method really is extraordinary! I only read it once, yet it was like enlightenment poured over my head. In an instant, everything became clear!

"I can sense even more source qi, and my body's started absorbing it!"

"This feels incredible!"

Zhang Xingfeng shouted excitedly, drawing in the sect's source qi with all his might and making it his own.

He had begun cultivating in earnest!

Hmm? Now that the sect's been founded, it's time to change the source qi concentration. Xingfeng still has one chance to believe me, too.

Li Moqing watched the excited Zhang Xingfeng calmly, pondering to himself.

After half the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

"Huh? Is the source qi gone?"

Zhang Xingfeng calmed down and sensed his surroundings. Finding no source qi left for the moment, he felt reluctant to stop.

"That source qi was merely a wisp that leaked from the sect's ancient source vein. Naturally, there wasn't much."

Li Moqing smiled faintly.

"An ancient source vein?"

Zhang Xingfeng's pupils trembled with astonishment.

"Indeed. The sect's ancient source vein is called the Divine Dragon Piercing Cosmos Source Vein. It holds the power of a divine dragon, and its source qi concentration is eight hundred times that of the most concentrated place in Search Province!"

Li Moqing kept a straight face and spoke with convincing authority.

"Eight... eight hundred times?!"

Zhang Xingfeng cried out, finding it almost impossible to believe.

The Western Region Spirit Island was the place with the densest source qi on the Spirit Source Continent, and even there, the concentration was only six hundred times that of the most concentrated place in Search Province. Yet the sect's was eight hundred times!

Granted, source qi concentration only determined the upper limit of cultivation speed. How much a person could absorb depended entirely on the individual.

But cultivating where the source qi concentration was eight hundred times greater would certainly let him improve faster and go further than cultivating anywhere else!

Then again, the sect has a heaven-rank, high-grade cultivation method. Why would its source qi be lacking?

After a moment's thought, Zhang Xingfeng had no doubts.

[Ding! Congratulations! Your fabrication has been believed by your direct disciple Zhang Xingfeng. The Divine Dragon Piercing Cosmos Source Vein has become real!]

[The sect's source qi concentration will rise to eight hundred times that of the most concentrated place in Search Province!]

[This fabrication has used one opportunity to make a fabrication about Zhang Xingfeng real, obtained by accepting him as a disciple. You have no opportunities remaining to make fabrications about Zhang Xingfeng real!]