"Spirit Blood Gu-Nurturing Scripture," "Kill-Character Sword Art," "Brahma Demon-Refining Art."
The names of the three jade slips caught Qing Chen's eye, and he could not help examining them one by one.
The "Spirit Blood Gu-Nurturing Scripture" was a spiritual art that blazed a different trail in nurturing gu, using one's own vital blood, flesh, and bone to nourish gu insects in pursuit of a state where gu and human became one.
But if anything went wrong, the consequences ranged from damaged cultivation to becoming neither human nor ghost, one's soul scattered into oblivion, forever fallen into the netherworld.
The "Kill-Character Sword Art" entered the Dao through killing and nurtured killing with killing.
None but a genius of the sword could practice it; none without a will firm as iron could practice it; none who had not severed all affection and attachment, whose heart was not as still as water, could practice it.
The "Brahma Demon-Refining Art" was incomplete, with only the Qi Refining section and a fragment of the Foundation Establishment section remaining.
This art required consuming the power of one's own soul to refine the vital blood of demonic beasts and enemies, or to refine one's own blood essence.
Combined with specific cultivation methods, it could raise one's cultivation relatively quickly.
For those whose souls or vital blood were not strong enough, it would backlash against them and devour their lifespan.
Those who practiced this art would have short lives even if they did not die from it.
These three cultivation arts were indeed far more powerful than the other Yellow Grade arts on the first floor.
The might of Mystic Grade immortal cultivation methods was truly formidable beyond compare.
Yet the flaws they contained made people shrink back at the sight.
Judging by their descriptions, practicing these arts meant, if not ten chances of death and none of survival, then nine chances of death and one of survival.
After reading the three jade slips, Qing Chen found it hard to settle his thoughts. He went on to examine the other jade slips around him; he could not waste the time he had left.
Even a mosquito's morsel of meat could not be dismissed, much less this opportunity, which was worth ten spirit stones.
An hour slipped quietly by. Holding a jade slip, Qing Chen walked up to Qin Zigu and respectfully handed it over. "Senior Brother Qin, I wish to cultivate the art recorded in this jade slip."
"Mm, all right." Senior Brother Qin agreed calmly and was about to instruct Qing Chen to swear a heart-demon oath never to pass it on.
Before he finished speaking, he glimpsed the words on the jade slip. His eyes went wide, and even his voice changed pitch. "What? You chose the 'Brahma Demon-Refining Art'?"
Qing Chen nodded, his tone level. "Indeed, Senior Brother Qin. I have made up my mind. This 'Brahma Demon-Refining Art' caught my eye, and I wish to practice it."
Qin Zigu's brows knotted together. "Have you thought this through? Although the 'Brahma Demon-Refining Art' has peerless power and allows rapid progress, its demands on the soul are extremely high!
"If you force yourself to practice it, not only will it deplete your soul, but it can easily damage your vital blood as well, ultimately shortening your lifespan. Quite a few fellow disciples have perished because of this art, dying in its practice."
He leaned closer to Qing Chen. "I advise you to switch to the 'Indestructible Vajra Body.'"
Qing Chen's expression remained unchanged at those words. "The path of immortal cultivation has always been a struggle against Heaven for one's life. My aptitude is mediocre, and I have no particular skills in immortal cultivation.
"If I do not strive to advance and improve my cultivation and combat strength, I fear I will eventually die of old age in the Qi Refining Stage. I might not even reach peak Qi Refining. Rather than that, I might as well stake everything on one attempt."
Qin Zigu remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
He remembered that when he had chosen a cultivation art back then, he too had considered choosing a Mystic Grade one.
But in the end, he had been afraid and chosen a safe Yellow Grade art. As a result, after ten years of practice, he was still at the middle Qi Refining stage and could only while away his days guarding the Scripture Repository.
Looking into Qing Chen's resolute eyes, he suddenly felt a little envious. At least this lad still had the courage to gamble.
"So be it."
Qin Zigu sighed and took a blank jade slip from inside his robe. Spiritual power gathered at his fingertips as he copied the contents of the "Brahma Demon-Refining Art" into it:
"Swear the heart-demon oath. You will never pass on the 'Brahma Demon-Refining Art' you learn in this life. Should you break this oath, heart demons will devour your body, and your Dao foundation will shatter."
Qing Chen repeated the oath, accepted the copied jade slip, and cupped his hands. "Thank you, Senior Brother Qin."
Then he turned and sped away, heading straight for his cave abode.
Watching Qing Chen's back disappear around a bend in the mountain path, Qin Zigu took a Voice Transmission Talisman from inside his robe. A faint glow shone at his fingertips as he infused spiritual power into it:
"Senior Brother Mo, another disciple has chosen the 'Brahma Demon-Refining Art.' His name is Qing Chen, a new outer sect disciple. I saw no sign of any backing."
With that, he raised his hand and sent it off. The Voice Transmission Talisman turned into a streak of spiritual light and flew toward Inner Sect Peak.
In a secluded cave abode on Inner Sect Peak, a pale-faced man sat on a meditation cushion.
A trace of blood hung at the corner of his mouth, and he clutched an empty pill bottle in his hand.
The Voice Transmission Talisman landed before him. He reached out to catch it, swept it with spiritual power, and raised his brows slightly.
"Qing Chen?"
As soon as he spoke, he began coughing violently. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, which was instantly stained blood-red.
He hurriedly took a blood-red pill from his storage pouch and stuffed it into his mouth. The pill dissolved on contact, and only then did his coughing gradually subside.
"I'm running low on Blood Pills again. The deeper I go in cultivating this, the harder it gets." Looking at the empty pill bottle, the man gave a bitter laugh.
Qing Chen ran all the way back to his cave abode. The moment he shut the door, he eagerly took out the copied jade slip.
The details of the "Brahma Demon-Refining Art" grew ever clearer in his mind!
The first layer of the art came with the "Brahma Aperture Blood-Refining Secret Art."
It could open a "Brahma Aperture" in the soul to store excess blood essence, which could be burned without harming one's foundation.
Upon reaching the late Qi Refining stage, one could practice a secret art recorded in the third layer of the "Brahma Demon-Refining Art."
This would add an extra fifteen percent chance of success when attempting Foundation Establishment.
This secret method was largely why Qing Chen had chosen this cultivation art.
For others, the greatest difficulty with this art was the strength of their souls.
Secret arts that could strengthen the soul were all too rare, and satisfying the requirements of the "Brahma Demon-Refining Art" would take more than an ordinary soul secret art.
Qing Chen guessed that it would have to be at least a Mystic Grade secret method.
For him, however, this was no problem at all, because during the battle at Northern Mang Mountain, Qing Chen had obtained a jade slip from the secret chamber.
This jade slip was no ordinary thing. Inscribed upon it was a mysterious and unfathomable secret art, the "Demon Seed Golden Lotus."
The "Demon Seed Golden Lotus" had three layers.
The first layer: Demon Seed Condensation.
To practice this secret art, one had to begin in the Qi Refining Stage, using a unique secret method to temper the soul and conceal one's aura.
Using the power of the soul as a guide, one nourished and brought forth the all-important Demon Seed.
This step was the cornerstone of cultivating the "Demon Seed Golden Lotus."
The second layer: Foundation Establishment Demon Fire.
After reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, with the Demon Seed as a foundation, one nourished it further with the liquefied magical power and blood essence of the Foundation Establishment Realm, causing it to bloom.
Not only could it condense demon fire, but it also offered considerable aid on the path to Core Formation.
If one could refine one's magical power nine times with demon fire, the success rate of Core Formation would gain an extra twenty percent. It was truly wondrous beyond compare.
The third layer: Demon Fire Golden Lotus.
A demonic lotus was nurtured within the fire, refining all things. Qing Chen could scarcely imagine such power.
Qing Chen guessed that this secret art had to be a Divine Ability of Earth Grade or higher.
The secret method for tempering the soul recorded within it would surely satisfy the "Brahma Demon-Refining Art's" stringent demands on soul power.
Now, he only needed to obtain more blood essence to continue cultivating and increase his strength.
On this point, Qing Chen was brimming with confidence and felt there should be little difficulty.
In these seas, demonic beasts and cultivators were the last things in short supply.