Thanking Me for Finding You a Wife?

Half an hour later.

The man appeared again and addressed everyone. "Now I will explain the Water-Wood Visualization Method to you."

Jiang Man did not dare hesitate and listened quietly.

As long as he roughly understood how to circulate it, he could learn it quickly.

His Cultivation Method purple qi would provide a safety net.

The Visualization Method differed from the Qi Refining Method and the Qi and Blood Method from before.

It had no movements to assist with cultivation.

Instead, it used the circulation of spiritual qi to help form a visualization image, further tempering the mind.

Jiang Man listened carefully, not daring to miss a single detail.

But the man spoke at a brisk pace, making it far too difficult to understand everything.

He could only do his best to memorize it.

Then try it out step by step.

An hour later.

"That is the general outline. The rest is up to you to cultivate on your own. We will observe your cultivation to obtain the circulation results we want," the man told everyone.

Someone wanted to ask a question, but the man shook his head. "Whatever questions you have, seek the answers through cultivation.

"Only practice can yield truth."

With that, no one dared speak again.

Jiang Man found this Mortal Grade Superior Visualization Method truly difficult to learn.

Even after the explanation, its contents were hard to digest.

He had too little relevant knowledge.

Yet even the young masters and young ladies from wealthy families were drenched in sweat, their eyes full of questions. Many of the terms were ones they had never heard before.

But they could not ask, so they could only grit their teeth and try cultivating.

Jiang Man increasingly felt that this was no trial of a cultivation method at all. It was clearly a test of its difficulty.

But this was his only way to learn a Superior Visualization Method, so he could only begin trying to circulate it.

As he circulated it, the purple qi moved with it.

But halfway through the circulation, the purple qi receded.

His body shuddered as well.

The clash of spiritual qi forced him to stop cultivating.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Man drew on the purple qi to try to find the correct way to cultivate.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times he tried,

the purple qi always receded when he began forming the visualization object.

He could not puzzle it out, however hard he thought.

Seeing that time was running short, Jiang Man committed all the contents to memory.

As long as he could remember them, he would have a way once he returned.

At that moment, the woman standing off to the side looked at the man. "Senior Brother Lu, have you read the information on these six people?"

Senior Brother Lu nodded. "I have. That Jiang Man is the most interesting. Reaching Qi Refining Sixth Layer in three months is fairly decent, but someone must be supporting him in secret.

"Besides, his talent is not as great as expected. He has not even identified the specific problem with this Visualization Method.

"Do you have any thoughts, Junior Sister Xia?"

Junior Sister Xia shook her head slightly. "What thoughts could I have? I am only accompanying you this time. But aren't you going to try placing a bet, Senior Brother?

"This Jiang Man is fairly good. It would be a pity to miss out on him."

"What would I have to regret?" Senior Brother Lu said with a smile. "He is the one who should regret it. He still falls a little short.

"Perhaps they could never dream that the Qi and Blood Method and the Visualization Method are merely bait accompanying the real thing.

"What we truly intend to teach is the Qi Refining Method.

"Naturally, I would place my bet over there. Betting here would only be a waste.

"His performance was mediocre, so he missed out on a great opportunity like me."

Junior Sister Xia sighed as well. "That genius has already caught the sect's attention. He should have sufficient resources. He will most likely take the assessment with the people from the rear courtyard next year, so we should see him in the sect in the latter half of next year.

"I wonder whether he will stir up a storm in the sect."

After that, they said no more.

Instead, they observed everyone's cultivation.

Until the midnight hour arrived.

The pitch-black sky brought not the slightest coolness.

Jiang Man and the others were all drenched in sweat.

They kept trying without pause.

But in the end, every one of them failed.

Two even collapsed from weakness and lost consciousness.

"All right, time is up." Senior Brother Lu looked at everyone. "Report your situations one by one. You may also memorize the cultivation method and cultivate it after you return.

"But you must not pass it on. If you do, it will constitute teaching a sect cultivation method without permission.

"Someone will naturally come looking for you then."

As his words fell, those who had lost consciousness woke up.

Although they could return and cultivate, they felt no joy.

Without explanations and guidance, learning the cultivation method would be difficult.

Counting on their elders at home to guide them would not be easy either.

If they rashly showed the cultivation method to their elders and were discovered, they would be in serious trouble.

The first to step forward was the tall man from earlier.

Rather dejectedly, he reported his progress. He had only completed a quarter of the cultivation method's circulation.

The others were much the same.

Only after the others had left did Jiang Man, the last one remaining, report his progress.

Nearly halfway.

Senior Brother Lu was not surprised and simply let him leave.

Jiang Man walked out of the room. There was no one outside anymore.

He headed back alone beneath the moonlight.

All along the way, he could not understand why he had failed.

After returning to the Stable, Jiang Man sat down in front of Old Yellow Ox.

"Failed?" Old Yellow Ox asked.

Jiang Man nodded. "I failed, but I don't understand where I went wrong."

"Tell me the cultivation method," Old Yellow Ox said.

"Will that have any consequences?" Jiang Man asked.

"As long as I don't cultivate it, there won't be a problem," Old Yellow Ox answered.

With that, Jiang Man recounted the cultivation method in full.

Soon, Old Yellow Ox reached a conclusion. "You failed because you couldn't discern people's hearts. The cultivation method is wrong. Or rather, the person teaching it deliberately made it so."

Jiang Man found that hard to believe. "Wrong? Why?"

"Because it was a pretext, probably. Of the Qi Refining Method, the Qi and Blood Method, and the Visualization Method, perhaps only one is correct. They wanted to teach a particular method to a particular person, and included all of you so it wouldn't look too conspicuous.

"But they didn't give you the correct cultivation methods.

"The people from the Dharma Transmission this time were a little stingy, leaving such a long braid for others to grab." Old Yellow Ox spoke casually. "I'll amend it for you, then you can try again."

"Also..."

Old Yellow Ox looked at Jiang Man. "You only have about a week left. Can you reach the thirteenth layer of the Visualization Method?"

Jiang Man lowered his gaze. "It will indeed be somewhat difficult."

Somewhat? Old Yellow Ox did not joke around either and proceeded to amend the cultivation method.

This time, when Jiang Man cultivated again, he still stumbled at first.

But at last, he outlined a Water Cauldron in his mind.

Then he used the cauldron to temper his mind once.

With that, he completed one visualization, and the cauldron remained within his mind.

Visualization into Painting, the first layer of the Water-Wood Visualization Method.

He had become a Beginner.

There really had been a problem with the Visualization Method.

Brother Ox really was a senior.

After that, Jiang Man continued visualizing.

Cultivating the Visualization Method was much faster than cultivating the Qi Refining Method.

After two repetitions.

The second layer of the Visualization Method.

After four repetitions.

The third layer of the Visualization Method.

After eight repetitions.

The fourth layer of the Visualization Method.

Sixteen repetitions...

Thirty-two repetitions...

Sixty-four repetitions...

The seventh layer of the Visualization Method.

At that moment, a Water Cauldron flickered in and out of view around Jiang Man.

Beside him, Old Yellow Ox froze.

The seventh layer of the Visualization Method before dawn?

For a moment, Jiang Man's earlier words about it being somewhat difficult echoed through his head. He felt that Jiang Man was making a fool of him.

At daybreak.

Only then did Jiang Man open his eyes.

He was now at the eighth layer of the Visualization Method.

He remarked with feeling, "This progress is quite good."

As he spoke, Jiang Man turned to Old Yellow Ox. "I have you to thank for being able to progress this quickly, Senior."

Old Yellow Ox: "..."

Thanking me for getting you a wife?

After cleaning up the Stable, Jiang Man continued cultivating.

He planned to take a few days off.

Until he cultivated the Visualization Method to the thirteenth layer.

Because he was uncertain how many repetitions the later advances would require.

If he ran out of time, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The closer he came to the end, the less he could afford to be careless.