Mastering all arts

Spread across the table were all the possessions Qi Yun had purchased with the enormous sum of one hundred Sacred Yuan.

A somewhat larger piece of [adamant metal], a strange, slender [know-myself vine] about half a foot long, ink-black throughout yet stubbornly sprouting a small cluster of tender golden shoots at its tip, two jade talismans for transmitting teachings, and more than a dozen paper books of varying thicknesses.

The [adamant metal] and the [know-myself vine], both natural spiritual objects, were meant for the Law Technique Panel to refine, advancing its automatic update progress.

As for that pile of books, they contained the cultivation world's common knowledge, secrets, taboos, and even some basic illustrated guides to plants and minerals, all carefully selected by him.

The greatest difference between outer manor disciples like us, with no roots or backing, and people like Shen Fan is the information gap created by our family backgrounds.

Although this knowledge and these secrets could not be converted into combat strength, they were an invisible foundation for surviving on the path of cultivation and traveling farther along it.

Besides, these things were absurdly cheap. One Sacred Yuan had bought all these books, practically a giveaway.

Looking at the books in his hands, Qi Yun sighed softly, then arranged them in a stack to one side.

He reached out and picked up one of the jade talismans.

This jade talisman was smooth and lustrous, with what seemed like flowing, multicolored clouds of light inside, making it look more extraordinary than the other.

The two spiritual objects and the books had cost only twenty-one Sacred Yuan altogether.

He had staked the entire remaining fortune of eighty Sacred Yuan on these two jade talismans.

"Innate One Qi Heart Method."

A faint thread of True Qi gathered at his fingertip and slowly flowed into the jade talisman.

In an instant, the jade talisman blazed with light. Words, diagrams, and chanting gushed forth like a surging spring, almost filling the room.

Raising his head to study the contents of the "Innate One Qi Heart Method" appearing in midair, Qi Yun nodded in satisfaction.

He had settled on this Qi Refining heart method only after repeatedly comparing and screening his options in the [Wuji Treasure Market].

Back on Ling Family Mountain, the so-called Qi Refining method they had been taught was merely the [Qi Tempering Method], stripped of its core principles and whittled down to a bare skeleton.

That thing was simple and crude. Its sole purpose was to quickly weed out the "scrap" with no aptitude.

Thus, almost every disciple newly admitted to the outer manor made it their first priority to desperately save money and switch to a Qi Refining heart method that could truly support their Dao Path.

"A Qi Refining heart method affects the choice of one's subsequent Dao Path. Most ordinary cultivators choose a single path and devote themselves to studying it, striving for the ultimate.

If I didn't have the Law Technique Panel, I ought to do the same.

But things are different now. The Law Technique Panel has taken some of the burden of studying Law Techniques off me, and granted every Law Technique limitless potential.

If I still chose only one, I'd be squandering heaven's gifts.

So I can only... take them all!"

Having experienced the miraculous transformations brought by Law Technique updates, Qi Yun had long since formed a clear blueprint for his future Dao Path.

Embrace everything, master all arts!

Otherwise, he would not have spent two whole days finding this heart method suited to him.

[Innate One Qi Heart Method]

Among the abyss-deep, ocean-vast collections of the Wuji Treasure Market, this Qi Refining heart method could only be considered middling.

There were plenty of heart methods more profound and mysterious, more powerful and formidable than it.

The reason he had chosen this Qi Refining heart method was that the Innate True Qi cultivated through the "Innate One Qi Heart Method" was compatible with almost every Law Technique.

Yet this very characteristic instead left other people with little interest in this heart method.

Being compatible with every Law Technique meant that Innate True Qi itself had no affinity with any Great Dao.

It also meant that Innate True Qi would not provide the slightest enhancement to any Law Technique.

It was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

This sort of jack-of-all-trades Qi Refining heart method sounded powerful, but in reality, no one would cultivate too many Law Techniques.

For one thing, it consumed mental effort and time. For another, cultivating an overly mixed assortment of Law Techniques was not necessarily a good thing.

Compared with cultivators who cultivated a single lineage and pursued its ultimate limits, they might even fall far short.

After several comparisons, this heart method's value for money became much lower.

But it was precisely because of this that Qi Yun had been able to purchase its Qi Refining-stage teachings for eighty Sacred Yuan.

"In the Wuji Treasure Market, Qi Refining heart methods are much cheaper than equivalent Law Techniques.

After all, demand for Law Techniques is high, and as cultivation realms rise, they get replaced by newer ones.

But no one can change heart methods every day. Once they've chosen one, they rarely change it.

That's probably the main reason heart methods cost less."

With a thought, Qi Yun put away the jade talisman containing the "Innate One Qi Heart Method" and picked up the other one.

After selling "Basic Swordsmanship," apart from that bottle of precious pills whose effects I can't figure out, I have nothing left to sell.

Under normal circumstances, my next step would be either to toil like an ox or horse for Sacred Yuan, like those fellow disciples collecting and delivering goods.

Or I'd have to take those sect missions dressed up in a shower of heavenly blossoms, but actually riddled with traps that could kill you without anyone paying for it.

The problem is, I don't want to be an ox or horse, but I still want Sacred Yuan.

My only hope is this volume-"Collected Annotations on Secret Seal Script."

"The art of drawing talismans is also a Law Technique of the talisman path. Once I've learned it, I can draw talismans and sell them to earn Sacred Yuan."

After spending these past few days immersed in the [Wuji Treasure Market], he had already learned the ropes.

Pills and talismans were the two bestselling kinds of hard currency, with the greatest trading volumes!

"Pill refining requires too much investment. A Pill Furnace, earth fire, a constant supply of medicinal ingredients... with my meager funds, I couldn't even afford a furnace leg."

He decisively ruled out pill refining.

"Although the profit on each talisman is thin, the advantage is the low initial investment.

A sheet of talisman paper, a talisman brush, a little spirit ink... if I succeed, the returns will definitely far exceed toiling like an ox or horse or serving as a test subject."

At this thought, he hesitated no longer. True Qi from his fingertip flowed into the jade talisman once more.

The jade talisman lit up in response, and a flood of information poured out: runes, drawing strokes, key instructions for circulating spiritual power, and more.

This volume of "Collected Annotations on Secret Seal Script" recorded only two talismans.

One was [Expel Evil], and the other was [Break Baleful Intent].

Demonic sect cultivators often came into contact with evil, resentment, and Sha Qi in their daily lives. Walk by the river often enough, and how could your shoes stay dry?

Nor did every demonic sect cultivator practice a heart method that granted immunity to evil, resentment, and Sha Qi.

Thus, these counted among the two talismans most commonly used in this sect.

If he could produce them steadily and in batches...

The business opportunities could truly be called boundless!

Looking at the neatly arranged items on the table, Qi Yun watched as a hazy outline of his future Dao Path slowly unfolded before him.

First, I'll refine these two natural spiritual objects and see whether they can push [Clear Breeze Technique] and [Basic Sword Qi] to update again.

With a thought, Qi Yun reached out and picked up the washbasin-sized piece of [adamant metal]. This piece of [adamant metal] was a full two sizes larger than the previous one, with more gold exposed in its center.

Presumably, it would also be more effective at advancing progress.

The moment the [adamant metal] entered his hand, the Law Technique Panel immediately responded.

He seized it and refined it in an instant!