Black and White Twin Swords, Primordial Spirit Cultivation Method
"Ah, looks like there really aren't any Spirit Stones left."
Liu Yi gazed at the cave he had been digging in for three months, its rock walls pitted with holes.
He had found twelve Low-Grade Spirit Stones in the first month, but now he could not find even a trace of one.
He sighed helplessly, turned around, and left, abandoning the excavation.
Over the past three months, he had consumed 80 Low-Grade Spirit Stones in cultivation, and his cultivation had advanced smoothly to the Qi Refinement Twelfth Layer.
He felt that once he broke through to the Qi Refinement Thirteenth Layer, he could attempt to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Those in the Foundation Establishment Realm had a lifespan of 300 years. If he could break through to that realm, he would gain another 150 years of life.
That would give him ample time to carry out his plan to pull those immortal cultivators and powerful elites down from their high horses.
Of course, after breaking through to the Qi Refinement Twelfth Layer, his control over the Spacetime Realm had also reached 5.6%, and his deductive computational power had doubled.
Meanwhile, to perfect the cultivation method, he had used 33 mountain bandits as test subjects. The Yang-Devouring Cultivation Method had now been updated to its 80th version.
Although it could be cultivated, the energy produced by the method was far too violent.
So he planned to find more evildoers to serve as test subjects and continue refining the method.
During this time, he had also tried crafting an energy storage device and had achieved some initial results.
Using artifact-refining techniques learned on the second floor of the scripture repository, which he had further developed through deduction, he had crafted an energy storage device capable of absorbing and storing solar energy, but a new problem had followed.
The stored solar energy was too violent to be converted into gentle energy for cultivation.
He would have to keep experimenting and making improvements.
He planned to improve the formation so that it could convert the violent solar energy into gentle, controllable energy.
He had also crafted an External Brain, though its performance left much to be desired.
The External Brain had been crafted using artifact-refining techniques to imitate a CPU.
Although it could increase his deductive computational power, it consumed a great deal of spiritual power while running.
For him, who was bent on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and treasured every bit of spiritual power, using it was a losing bargain. He was better off doing the deductions himself.
He could only find time to improve it later.
He walked out of the cave, intending to return to his room, pack up his remaining 52 Spirit Stones and some valuables, and leave the stronghold.
Suddenly, a voice carried over from afar: "Mountain bandits inside, listen up! Come out and surrender, now! Otherwise, once we, the Black and White Twin Swords, fight our way in, you won't have a chance to surrender even if you want to!"
Hearing this, Liu Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. He had not expected someone to come dispensing justice. Curiosity appeared on his face, and he stepped out of the stronghold.
A man and a woman stood on the mountain path. The man was dressed in black and radiated a heroic bearing; the woman wore white and had a lovely face.
They held a black and a white sword respectively, and were watching the stronghold warily.
"The mountain bandits here have all been dealt with. You can leave now," Liu Yi explained to the two of them with a smile as he walked out.
"Hmph, how could it be such a coincidence? I bet you're a mountain bandit trying to trick us into leaving!"
The woman in white, Su Yaoguang, snorted coldly, her face full of suspicion. She turned to her companion and said, "Senior brother, let's take him down first!"
"All right, junior sister, I'll do it." The man in black, Ye Xuanxiao, nodded and drew his sword, thrusting it at Liu Yi. His swordsmanship was fierce, and Sword Qi soared into the sky.
Liu Yi's face darkened at once. He had only wanted them to leave, but he had not expected them to be so unreasonable.
In the blink of an eye, he flicked a finger, striking precisely three inches from the sword's tip as a surge of powerful spiritual power burst forth.
With a clang, the black sword flew from Ye Xuanxiao's hand. The next second, a hand like an iron clamp had seized him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
Although Ye Xuanxiao was at the Early Innate Realm, he was not worth mentioning before the current Liu Yi.
"Villain, let my senior brother go at once!"
Su Yaoguang shouted angrily, swiftly drew her white sword, and charged at Liu Yi with killing intent written all over her face.
Before the sword reached him, its chilling Sword Qi had already plowed a trench half a foot deep into the ground.
Liu Yi snorted coldly. Holding Ye Xuanxiao like a chick in one hand, he tapped the ground with his toes and appeared behind Su Yaoguang like a ghost.
Before she could react, his finger darted out like lightning and tapped her lightly on the back of her neck.
Su Yaoguang's eyes rolled back, the white sword clattered from her hand, and she crumpled limply to the ground.
Liu Yi loosened his grip slightly on Ye Xuanxiao's neck and said with a half-smile, "Both your lives are in my hands now. Tell me, what will you offer in exchange for them?"
Ye Xuanxiao's face was flushed, and he looked utterly helpless. He had never imagined he would fall into this man's hands today.
After thinking for a moment, he looked up and said, "A few days ago, I obtained a piece of animal hide with a profoundly sophisticated cultivation method recorded on it. Could I use it in exchange for both our lives?"
"Oh?"
Liu Yi had only been teasing him on a whim and had not expected such an unexpected windfall. "Where is it? Let me see. If you're not lying, I'll let you go."
"Inside my robes." Ye Xuanxiao's eyes lit up, and he hurried to answer.
Liu Yi reached into Ye Xuanxiao's robes and took out the animal hide. He unfolded it, and his eyes lit up at once.
It was actually an immortal cultivation method for cultivating the Primordial Spirit! Such methods were extremely rare in the immortal cultivation world; even the Heavenly Revelation Sect might not have one.
With this method, he could strengthen his Primordial Spirit and gain control over the Spacetime Realm faster, thereby increasing his deductive computational power.
He was secretly delighted. He had not expected these two rash fools to deliver such a generous gift of their own accord.
Thanks for nature's bounty!
He released Ye Xuanxiao and said with a smile, "Don't be so reckless in the future. Someone else might not be as easy to talk to as I am. I've already dealt with the mountain bandits in this stronghold, so you can leave."
Ye Xuanxiao hurriedly cupped his fists in salute, his tone respectful. "Thank you for showing mercy, senior!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up the unconscious Su Yaoguang, retrieved the black and white swords from the ground, and hurried down the mountain.
Liu Yi put the animal hide away, returned to the stronghold, and packed his belongings.
Then he left the stronghold with his bundle on his back and headed toward Liu Household Village.
In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and he finally returned to Liu Household Village, his hometown in this life.
During that year, he had cultivated without pause, raising his cultivation to the Qi Refinement Thirteenth Layer Peak, only one step away from Foundation Establishment.
He had also successfully cultivated the Primordial Spirit method recorded on the animal hide, the "Soul-Shifting Spirit-Refining Great Method." His control over the Spacetime Realm had now reached 8%.
His deductive ability was also about 20 times stronger than when he had first awakened his memories of his previous life.
Along the way, he had kept finding mountain bandits, brigands, and other evildoers to use as test subjects, continually refining the Yang-Devouring Cultivation Method.
The Yang-Devouring Cultivation Method had now been updated to its 140th version and could safely and efficiently use solar energy for cultivation.
He planned to begin cultivating the Five Elements Qi Refining Instruction 4.0, which incorporated the Yang-Devouring Cultivation Method, after paying his respects to his parents in Liu Household Village.
Once he finished cultivating the method, he planned to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He had only two years of life left. If he did not break through soon, he would truly have no choice but to be laid to rest.
His energy storage device had also gone through 20 iterations. Although he had not completely solved the problem of the violent energy, it could now just barely be used for cultivation.
The External Brain had reached its 15th version as well. Not only had its deductive computational power increased significantly, but its energy consumption had also dropped substantially.