Rapid Advancement in Cultivation

A high-grade Physical Ghoul Slave's memories are complete, and its intelligence is the same as when it was alive. Its most potent ability is the use of a small amount of sorcery. In a pure soul state, it possesses one or two innate minor Spiritual Powers. Furthermore, it can increase its cultivation by absorbing Yang energy, making it essentially a weakened version of the Soul Departure realm. The Head Steward and the five maidservants are examples of these ghostly creatures. However, they also have the inherent weaknesses of ghostly creatures, and Lightning Magic and the Golden Light Soul-Shattering Curse are their direct counters.

Under normal circumstances, ghosts fear the vital energy of living people. These Physical Ghoul Slaves completely overcome this weakness while possessing a physical body. Even when only in a soul state, they possess a certain resistance to the vital energy of living people, depending on their cultivation level. If they also have the enhancement of a White Bone Soul-Driving Banner, they are not afraid at all.

Shi Xuan couldn't help but marvel. This two-headed tiger was actually a genius capable of creating new refining methods. If it hadn't encountered him, it might have achieved great things in the future.

The following entries were a mix of cultivation insights and personal matters. The two-headed tiger had even created a new dual cultivation method for its high-grade Physical Ghoul Slaves based on a dual cultivation technique from the Great Method of Ghost Control. This method could greatly increase their efficiency in absorbing Yang energy, but it required the willing cooperation of the other party.

After reaching the Great Accomplishment of the Nourishing Qi and Strengthening Soul realm, the two-headed tiger could partially transform into a human form. It also began to attempt to master the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner. Shi Xuan was surprised to find that the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner was a high-grade Magic Tool of the Seven Heavens Perfection, meaning it had sixty-three layers of Earth Sha restrictions. This was a very advanced existence among Magic Tools, and even masters of the Spirit Soul Stage would covet it, as it would take eighty to ninety years of refinement to reach this level. (One layer of the Magic Tool stage refers to the perfection of nine restrictions.)

Shi Xuan felt immense pain. Such a precious Magic Tool had been destroyed by him, and he didn't know if it could be repaired. However, judging by its condition, the hope was slim. That Great Unity Sky Thunder Talisman was likely drawn by a Grandmaster of the Golden Core realm.

The two-headed tiger's mastery of the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner was far from sufficient. The notes mentioned that the two-headed tiger had only mastered one layer of restrictions before stopping, as it was busy with a ritual that required the blood sacrifice of forty-nine living people. It eventually succeeded in breaking through to the Soul Departure realm through this blood sacrifice.

After breaking through, the two-headed tiger went into seclusion to consolidate its cultivation, and the notes ended there. It seemed the two-headed tiger had fought him before fully stabilizing its cultivation and while only having refined a first-layer Magic Tool. However, Shi Xuan felt no lingering fear, as with the power of that Great Unity Sky Thunder Talisman, the two-headed tiger would have died even if it were twice as strong.

Shi Xuan put down the notes and picked up the manual for refining the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner, feeling a slight surge of excitement. After calming himself, he began to read.

This was a detailed process for refining and enchanting specific Magic Tools. The extremely detailed introduction to Magic Tool refining made Shi Xuan's eyes light up, greatly filling the gaps in his knowledge in this area. If it weren't for the fact that only the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner's refining method was included afterward, Shi Xuan would have been even happier.

Regarding Magic Tool refining, the first step was to prepare the materials. Then, various flames were used to fuse the materials according to specific steps and methods. This included descriptions of some flames, such as Wood Fire, Earth Fire, Samadhi True Fire, Pill Fire, Solar True Fire, Lapis Lazuli True Fire, Star True Fire, Sky Thunder Brilliant Fire, Purple Extreme Heavenly Fire, and so on.

However, in the initial stages, Wood Fire, Earth Fire, and Samadhi True Fire were generally only available to masters of Spirit Soul Union. Pill Fire, as the name suggests, was possessed by Golden Core Grandmasters. As for Solar True Fire, Lapis Lazuli True Fire, Star True Fire, Sky Thunder Brilliant Fire, Purple Extreme Heavenly Fire, and others, they could either only be collected by those above the Golden Core stage or were rare encounters.

Earth Fire was understandable and the best choice for Shi Xuan to refine Magic Tools at this stage. Wood Fire, as the name implies, was the fire from burning wood, even ordinary wood would suffice, but its temperature was not high enough and it was unstable. Often, formations were needed to increase the fire's temperature and stability. During refining, one also had to pay attention to how the wood was burning, making it often twice the effort for half the result. It could only be used to refine low-grade Magic Tools.

However, if very special woods like Frostwood, Spirit-Burning Wood, or Dutian Wood could be found, they had miraculous effects in refining special Magic Tools. But no one would waste them like that, as these special woods were materials for certain high-grade Magic Tools.

During the process of fusing materials, special techniques and incantations were also used for guidance. The techniques and incantations differed for Magic Tools with different functions. After forming, one would refine restrictions and nurture the Magic Tool according to its function and materials. Additionally, some Magic Tool restrictions needed to be infused during the refining process.

The high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade Magic Tools and the meaning of the multiple heavens of restrictions mentioned above were different. They referred to Magic Tools that had been formed but not yet enchanted. They were mainly related to refining materials, techniques, incantations, refining flames, and the environment.

Low-grade Magic Tools could withstand at most one layer of restriction and could be refined up to the third heaven's perfection. Further refinement would be unbearable. Mid-grade Magic Tools could be refined up to the sixth heaven. High-grade Magic Tools could be refined to the Earth Sha perfection and could withstand Earth Sha restrictions, which could be converted into Heavenly Dipper restrictions.

Enchanting Magic Tools was a process that became increasingly difficult as one progressed. Generally, the first layer of restriction could be enchanted in about an hour. The second layer would take half a day, the third layer more than a day, the fourth layer two to three days. The perfection of the first heaven would take about half a year, the second heaven more than a year, the third heaven more than two years, the fourth heaven about five years, the fifth heaven about ten years, the sixth heaven nearly twenty-two years, and the seventh heaven forty-five years. The eighth heaven would reach a terrifying ninety years, a full sixty-year cycle.

Of course, as one's own realm increased and their understanding of the fundamental principles of Daoist Magic deepened, the speed of enchanting Magic Tools would improve. Especially upon reaching the Golden Core and Primordial Spirit realms, there would be a significant increase in the speed of enchanting.

In summary, for cultivators below the Golden Core stage, depending on the Magic Tool and its restrictions, it would take anywhere from one hundred and fifty to three hundred years to enchant a Magic Tool to the eighth heaven of Earth Sha restrictions, seventy-two layers perfection. This was not something that cultivators in the Qi Induction and Spirit Soul stages, whose lifespans were only two hundred and three hundred years, could afford. Excluding those with abundant wealth or fortunate encounters, many cultivators did not even enchant their natal Magic Tools to Earth Sha perfection until they reached the Golden Core stage.

This White Bone Soul-Driving Banner had reached the seventh heaven perfection through the continuous refinement of several generations of cultivators from the Ghost Control Sect.

Mastering a Magic Tool was much faster. As long as the original owner's imprint could be removed, the time to master each layer of restriction was only a tenth of the enchanting time, or even less. If a Magic Tool of Earth Sha perfection was bestowed by an elder or obtained through a fortuitous encounter, it would only take ten to twenty years to fully master it.

Shi Xuan flipped through the subsequent refining techniques, incantations, and restrictions before taking out the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner from his bag. He gripped the remaining section of the flagpole at both ends, concentrated his mind, entered a state of Visualization, and then channeled his Internal Energy into his hands. Through the tactile sensation of his Internal Energy, his soul perceived deeper aspects of the White Bone Soul-Driving Banner.

The White Bone Soul-Driving Banner was indeed severely damaged. Not only were there holes in the banner surface and the flagpole broken, but the refined restrictions within were completely shattered by the Great Unity Sky Thunder. In other words, it was like a newly refined Magic Tool that was also severely damaged. Fortunately, the banner surface was large enough, and the hole in the middle was relatively high up. Shi Xuan could completely use the lower portion to re-refine a smaller banner surface. The flagpole was the same.

Since it wasn't a complete re-refinement of a brand-new Magic Tool, Shi Xuan estimated that Wood Fire would suffice. He felt a strong urge to try it, especially after just learning the basics of Magic Tool refining. However, Shi Xuan was a calm and cautious person. After considering it, he decided to postpone the Magic Tool refining and focus on improving his cultivation first.

After all, cultivation was Shi Xuan's foundation. Now, through the "Great Method of Ghost Control," which served as an external stone to polish his jade, he had a deeper understanding of the "Treasury Records." This was precisely the time to strive for progress. Moreover, with every increase in his cultivation, Shi Xuan's grasp of Magic Tool refining would improve, both in terms of control and endurance.

After considering his plans for the next few months, Shi Xuan flipped through the "Great Method of Ghost Control" again. Since the two-headed tiger's notes mentioned medicinal recipes, Shi Xuan wanted to see what they were. To his surprise, the last few pages of the "Great Method of Ghost Control" were missing. The previous page still listed common medicinal soups and Pill Formulas, but then it stopped, with clear signs of pages being torn out. After searching carefully and finding nothing, Shi Xuan didn't mind. He put away the three booklets, stood up with satisfaction, and walked out of the cave, ready to enjoy a tiger meat feast.

The deliciousness of the roasted tiger meat and tiger bone soup greatly satisfied Shi Xuan. Even more satisfying was finding the missing pages from the "Great Method of Ghost Control" that listed the medicinal recipes and Pill Formulas – they were in the kitchen! He surmised that the two-headed tiger had the servants tear off those pages when they were boiling medicinal soup and give them to them. As for why they weren't copied, it could only be explained that the two-headed tiger was fundamentally a brute! The village's naming style also reflected this characteristic!

Among the medicinal recipes and Pill Formulas, besides a few exclusive to the Ghost Control Sect that were unsuitable for Shi Xuan, there were two remaining body-tempering medicinal recipes, one medicinal recipe for replenishing soul consumption, and one medicinal pill for healing and blood replenishment. Unfortunately, Shi Xuan couldn't refine pills. The herbs in the cave were planted from rare herb seeds that the two-headed tiger had accidentally obtained. However, without corresponding medicinal recipes and Pill Formulas, the two-headed tiger had moved them into the cave, intending to eat them raw at any time.

For the next three months, Shi Xuan focused entirely on his cultivation, and his progress was rapid. His daily meals and medicinal soups were prepared by Yan Jujian and Ding Mingde. Of course, Shi Xuan did not mistreat them. The body-tempering medicinal soup from the two-headed tiger's recipes was no longer needed by the current Shi Xuan, but Yan Jujian and Ding Mingde were very satisfied with its effects. At the same time, Ding Mingde was learning the most basic martial arts under Yan Jujian's tutelage.

After drinking the medicinal soup for replenishing soul consumption, Shi Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling a warmth spread through his body. The medicinal power made his mind even clearer. He then circulated his Internal Energy to help the medicinal power flow. When the medicinal power reached its peak, Shi Xuan calmed his mind and began to visualize. The True Method of Clear Wind and Bright Moon Illuminating the Spirit became increasingly proficient. His soul, under the cleansing of the Clear Wind and the nourishment of the Bright Moon, became increasingly crystalline and clear.

During this visualization, Shi Xuan discovered that his soul had reached a limit. No matter how the Bright Moon converted Internal Energy to nourish his soul, it could not advance further. He quickly withdrew from the visualization, performed some boxing to calm himself, and then visualized again. He realized this was a good thing because he was beginning to touch the threshold of the Soul Departure realm. His entire soul powerfully tugged at the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head, causing it to feel slightly loose.