The peaks of the Canglang Mountain Range rose one upon another, thirty-six in all.
The Shen Family occupied seven of the major peaks, and the Scripture Pavilion stood on Tianwei Peak in the far north.
Tianwei Peak towered into the clouds. A massive platform had been carved into its mountainside, and at a glance, a three-story pavilion stood at the platform's center.
The Scripture Tower was built entirely from spiritwood, fitted together with mortise-and-tenon joints, red lacquer and jade tiles adorning it. Its outer walls were engraved with all manner of Immortal Cranes and auspicious beasts, lending it an antique elegance.
Shen Yun stepped inside. Only a scattered few people occupied the first floor, making it seem especially spacious.
All kinds of Jade Slips sat neatly on wooden racks, nearly a thousand in total. Beside every Jade Slip was a book introducing its contents.
If someone wished to exchange for a Cultivation Method, the keeper would open the restrictions and deduct the corresponding Contribution Points afterward.
At that moment, a white-haired old man slowly approached. The young man before the shelves respectfully said, "I want to exchange for this Water Origin Cultivation Method. Sorry to trouble you, Elder Ming."
With a casual wave of his hand, Shen Ming made the Jade Slip flash with light, then said, "Eighty Contribution Points per hour. Call for me when you're done."
Watching this, Shen Yun found it a little strange and subconsciously raised his head to look ahead.
At the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, a young man dressed in a loose white robe lounged in the sun on a reclining chair. He read while sipping tea, utterly carefree.
"Young people lie flat while the elderly toil away. What a complete reversal of the Heavenly Dipper."
Shen Yun muttered softly, then tossed the matter aside and said to Shen Qingruo, "You must have already chosen your Cultivation Method. You don't need to wait for me."
Shen Qingruo shook her head and softly replied, "It's fine. I happen to be looking for a movement technique too."
Shen Yun nodded and began selecting Cultivation Methods. He failed to notice the young man on the reclining chair glance at him and mutter, "I was already working before he was even born."
After yawning, the young man closed his eyes for a short nap. Elder Ming came over to light sandalwood incense and replace his tea, the whole exchange utterly natural.
After making a circuit, Shen Yun discovered that the first floor contained only Qi Refining Realm Cultivation Methods. Cultivation techniques accounted for one-fifth of them; most were combat spells, though there were also some unorthodox methods.
"I have Three Spiritual Roots: Metal, Fire, Wood. I should choose a Metal Element Cultivation Method first."
Shen Yun picked out a copy of Golden Edge Art. Metal Element Spiritual Energy possessed the strongest offensive power and greatly enhanced Magic Tools such as Flying Swords and Flying Daggers, so it was generally the first choice.
After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Shen Yun had committed all its contents to memory. Then, he felt something strange.
"Are cultivation methods this simple? It feels like I've already achieved Entry."
Shen Yun thought it might be an illusion, so he began recalling every passage of Golden Edge Art. Yet the sensation only grew stronger. It seemed that as long as he circulated the Cultivation Method, he could immediately draw Qi into his body and enter the Qi Refining Realm.
The contents seemed as simple as one plus one in his eyes; he could not feel the slightest difficulty. So he switched to Blazing Fire Cultivation Method, only to find no difference at all.
Shen Yun's heart stirred. He continued reading Green Wood Cultivation Method, and once he had used up his three free chances, he immediately wanted to return home and test it out.
So he greeted Shen Qingruo and hurried home without stopping for even a moment.
Elder Ming gave him a somewhat puzzled look and muttered, "He used up all three chances in a quarter of an hour. What a strange fellow."
The young man on the reclining chair stretched lazily and said offhandedly, "This kid's 'spirit' is exceptionally powerful. Comprehending a few Qi Refining Cultivation Methods isn't difficult for him."
Elder Ming was inwardly startled. The last person acknowledged by Mister Fang dated back forty or fifty years.
The young man sat up and looked at Shen Qingruo, who stood slender and graceful. That kid is still a little inferior to the little girl. She drew Qi into her body in a single day. The Shen Family has produced a fine seedling this time.
Shen Yun's home lay on Falling Cloud Peak. The place boasted clear mountains and lovely waters, with magnificent scenery. Beneath its waterways ran a Spirit Vein, and Spiritual Qi shrouded the entire peak, brimming with immortal aura like a landscape ink painting.
Father Shen, Shen Pingsheng, was a cultivator with Three-Attribute Spirit Roots. At forty, he broke through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and became a steward of the collateral branch. Only then did he settle down on Falling Cloud Peak.
Halfway up the mountain stood a bamboo forest, within which was a two-story wooden pavilion, simple yet elegant.
Shen Pingsheng often said, "I would rather go without meat than live without bamboo." He had planted this bamboo forest with his own hands when he arrived, and now it had grown lush enough to form a canopy.
Shen Yun took out a Jade Talisman. At once, a breeze swept through the bamboo forest, making the leaves rustle. Then the pavilion doors slowly opened.
Father Shen had personally arranged this formation. He often bragged that his dashing appearance while setting up arrays had attracted Mother Shen, allowing him to rise above numerous rivals.
Shen Yun doubted that, but Shen Pingsheng's skill with formations was indeed quite good. At the very least, it ensured that the two of them never lacked food or clothing.
"Dad isn't home. Did he go to the Market to pick up private work again?"
Shen Yun shook his head. Other parents wished they could accompany their children to the Spirit Testing Ceremony, but Shen Pingsheng seemed not to care at all.
Last night, after drinking, he had even laughed and said, "It doesn't matter whether you have Spirit Roots or not. Laozi has long since saved enough money for you to squander for a lifetime."
Shen Yun smiled. If he had not had such a father, he would not possess his current relaxed state of mind.
Back in his room, Shen Yun sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion and began circulating Golden Edge Art.
In an instant, Spiritual Qi surged in like the tide, slowly swirling all over his body.
The Spiritual Qi appeared in three colors, with the golden radiance the most dazzling. It entered his meridians with every breath.
It sounded as though an egg had cracked. A mysterious gateway opened within his Dantian, and golden Spiritual Qi flooded into it like a tide, weaving together a watery expanse.
"This should be the sea of qi."
Shen Yun carefully sensed it. Spiritual Qi settled within the gateway, gathering into a sea of qi the size of a puddle, signifying that he had already broken through to the First Layer of Qi Refining.
Breaking into the Qi Refining Realm in a quarter of an hour was so smooth that it was hard to believe.
As Golden Edge Art circulated, his comprehension of the Cultivation Method deepened further.
His sea of qi, originally the size of a puddle, grew larger and larger. After an hour, it had reached the size of a bucket.
As Spiritual Power was continuously refined, the absorption speed began to slow, and the sea of qi was no longer as stable as it had been at the start.
"I should stop. If I force a breakthrough, my foundation will probably be unstable."
Shen Yun sensed it carefully. He was only one step away from breaking through to the Second Layer of Qi Refining, but he forcibly suppressed the urge.
His mastery of the Cultivation Method was simply too high. Like a water pump, his sea of qi had reached its limit after expanding again and again. He needed time to settle and digest the gains.
After pondering for a while, Shen Yun figured out the mystery and turned to cultivate Green Wood Cultivation Method.
Wood Spiritual Energy flowed in like water and intertwined with the Metal Spiritual Energy. The total amount did not change, but its nature quietly transformed.
In less than half an hour, the two kinds of Spiritual Power stood shoulder to shoulder, rising and sinking within the sea of qi. Though his cultivation had not broken through, his foundation became even more stable.
Shen Yun felt as if he had discovered a new continent and cultivated Blazing Fire Cultivation Method once more.
An hour later, Three-Colored Rosy Clouds illuminated the sea of qi. His Metal, Fire, and Wood Spiritual Power had achieved complete balance, forming a three-legged standoff.
He discovered that no matter which type of Spiritual Power he used, their might was very similar. The total quantity of his Spiritual Power had increased by less than ten percent.
"No wonder single-attribute Spirit Roots are hailed as Heavenly Spirit Roots. Even multiple attributes don't provide much improvement. Cultivation speed is still more important."
Since childhood, Shen Yun had been full of enthusiasm for novel things, so he began trying all sorts of methods. If he could not increase his Spiritual Qi, he would exhaust it and replenish it again. The proficiency of all three Cultivation Methods rose at a breathtaking pace.
A quarter of an hour, half a quarter of an hour... a hundred breaths.
Spiritual Qi poured into him as if through an empowerment, charging directly into the sea of qi. In the end, Shen Yun needed only twenty breaths to fully replenish his Spiritual Power once.
"It seems I can't get any faster. Have I already reached the end of my training?"
Shen Yun tried repeatedly, but the time remained stuck at twenty breaths. He could not advance even an inch further.
"Son, come out and eat dinner!"
Only when Shen Pingsheng's voice reached him did Shen Yun stop cultivating and rise.
"Tomorrow, the Fifth Elder will be giving a lecture at the Lecture Hall. I'll know then."
Shen Yun withdrew his thoughts and went to the dining room to eat.
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