The Heavy Mysterious Ruler weighed more than he could have imagined. Like a mountain, it pressed mercilessly against Xiao Yan's spine. Every step demanded all the strength in his body, his bones groaning beneath the unbearable burden.
Sweat streamed down his forehead and back like little rivers, soon soaking his clothes through. They clung stickily to his skin, making him even more uncomfortable.
At last, Xiao Yan could hold out no longer. His legs buckled, and he pitched heavily onto the grass.
The Heavy Mysterious Ruler struck the ground with a dull thud, pressing a deep imprint into the turf.
He gasped for breath, his chest heaving like a worn-out bellows with a ragged wheezing sound. His throat burned, and his lungs hurt as though needles were piercing them.
Gazing at the blue sky and the few white clouds drifting past, Xiao Yan finally calmed a little. Once he had caught his breath, he called to the ring in his mind.
Teacher, now that I've become a Dou Zhe, isn't it time you taught me a decent cultivation technique?
As soon as he spoke, Yao Lao's figure slowly materialized beside him. Looking at his disciple, drenched in sweat and exhausted yet still resolute of gaze, the old man nodded approvingly.
"Mm, very good. It is time. Now that you've entered the ranks of Dou Zhe, you ought to choose a cultivation technique. Today, I shall teach you a new one."
Yet Yao Lao did not immediately produce a technique scroll. Instead, he turned his palm over, and two identical wooden boxes, plain and timeworn, appeared in his hand.
He set the two boxes floating side by side before Xiao Yan, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.
"Still, cultivating a technique also comes down to affinity. There are two techniques