Two Secret Methods

If the Su Household really were in trouble, Zhou Ning would be the first to board a small flying boat and flee.

His expression remained unchanged. "How much did the Su Household lose?"

Yuan Dahu reported, "During the operation to surround and kill the Guo Household, Lei Household cultivators suddenly attacked. The Su Household lost seven or eight Late Qi Refining fighters, and even Lord Nie, who led them, was injured. Fortunately, young master Yuanye arrived in time with his men and brought them back."

Nie Yi was a valued son-in-law of the Su Household. His cultivation was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, and he had always been in charge of its battles outside.

"The Su Household is interesting. It leaves all the dangerous work to outsiders while protecting its own direct descendants."

Judging by Yuan Dahu's demeanor, the Su Household must have been fine.

Zhou Ning was relieved. Though he disliked the Su Household, he had been living comfortably enough by leeching off it for now.

Once he had built up enough strength, he would seek out Su Yanghao of the Azure Mystic Sect and demand justice.

He nodded. "Be careful out on the lake."

Yuan Dahu said cheerfully, "Of course."

He left in high spirits.

As the leader of the fishing team, he was quite well-off, but nobody's Spirit Stones blew in on the wind.

He used one packet of Clear Eyes Powder every month. Buying it from Zhou Ning saved him more than ten jin of spirit rice each time, or nearly two hundred jin a year!

That was why he always shared a bit of news whenever he came.

"It's a pity I didn't bring him into the fishing team back then. Otherwise, today..."

Yuan Dahu was full of regret.

Then he thought of the hidden place where he had obtained the spirit net.

He had been planning for it for ten years, and Xu Qinghou and the others were all part of his plan.

Yuan Dahu thought, In the end, cultivation realm is everything. Once I seize the fortuitous opportunity, Foundation Establishment will be right around the corner!

Zhou Ning sent several retainers away.

To him, the low price of Clear Eyes Powder was merely a favor bestowed in passing.

Reputation was quite important in the cultivation world. Take the Lei Household: its strength was formidable, but it acted overbearingly.

Now, the False Core lineages led by the Duan Household, known for artifact refining, had rallied eighteen Foundation Establishment Aristocratic Clans to join the Jade Countenance Sect in a campaign against the Lei Household.

The Lei Household, which had once held the advantage, was being driven back at every turn.

Besides, with Zhou Ning's alchemy skills, he still made pots and bowls overflow with profit even when selling Clear Eyes Powder cheaply.

Among the retainers who benefited, there were bound to be some who knew to repay a favor. They would bring him news from outside, allowing him to plan ahead.

After pondering this, Zhou Ning noticed Old Jia beside him, looking as though he wanted to speak but was holding back.

He knew what this was about.

Ever since Zhou Ning had become an alchemist, Old Jia had asked Scholar Xu to arrange for his granddaughter, Jia Tingwan, to help Zhou Ning with his work, hoping she could learn some alchemy.

But the girl was simply too dim-witted. Moreover, Zhou Ning often produced six or seven pills per batch, which he could not let outsiders see, so he only had her handle some odds and ends.

For example, Zhou Ning refined Clear Eyes Powder into pills, and Jia Tingwan helped grind them into powder.

Zhou Ning thought that, with Jia Tingwan's intelligence, she could never learn alchemy. Rather than waste Old Jia's money, she might as well be a medicine attendant who was easy on the eyes.

Then Zhou Ning was taken aback. He remembered that Old Jia had looked at him the same way when he used to refine pills.

Alas, how did I become the very thing I hated?

Zhou Ning felt helpless, but he had to admit, it really did feel good.

Zhou Ning said, "Don't be anxious. Tingwan is already familiar with medicinal principles. In about a month, I'll let her watch me refine pills."

Only then did Old Jia brighten up.

"Tsk, tsk, alchemists really are admired. If Wan'er could become one someday, this old man wouldn't have lived in vain!" Old Jia exclaimed.

Had he known, he should have betrothed Wan'er to Zhou Ning when Zhou Ning was still of humble standing.

After attending to his daily affairs, Zhou Ning returned to his room and took out the brass Pill Furnace.

Two or three years of abuse from his pill refining had left the eldest Su daughter's Pill Furnace unable to bear the strain, especially since pills like the Ginseng-Nurturing Pill had to be tempered with Thunder Plasma Liquid.

Two more notches had appeared in the furnace's body. The firebox was still in decent shape, but it could blow up one day without warning, costing him an entire batch of pills.

A batch of Ginseng-Nurturing Pills was worth two or three Spirit Stones.

When Su Wen comes, I'll ask her to replace it with one of a higher grade.

After all, over the past year, my love for the Su Household has left no detail unattended. I've selflessly stuffed pill ingredients into my own pockets. It's time they repaid my kindness.

He also needed to begin preparing for Foundation Establishment in the future. After all, Zhou Ning was already at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement in the Land of Wei.

With the Land of Wei's cultivation methods, one had to master a Secret Method to reach Foundation Establishment.

For example, to advance to Foundation Establishment with Chai Dingchun's [Void Wind Qi-Unifying Instruction], one had to master the Secret Method "Vast Righteous Qi Instruction."

The [Xinsi Golden Scripture] Zhou Ning cultivated contained two Secret Methods. Each one he mastered would raise his chance of Foundation Establishment by thirty percent-more heaven-defying than even a Foundation Establishment Pill.

One Secret Method was called "Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils."

It used heart fire to refine an eye and bind it to one's Divine Sense, forging a fiery eye.

Within the range of this eye's vision, one could release Delusion-Burning Fire to block an enemy's Divine Sense.

Zhou Ning was astounded. This Secret Method was far too heaven-defying! In a future battle, he could simply sweep his gaze over an opponent, and their Divine Sense would no longer be able to detect him. Wouldn't that make them blind?

It was just that this Secret Method was extremely difficult to master. He first had to remove his eyeball, toss it into his Dantian, seal a strand of Divine Sense within it, and temper it with heart fire.

One careless mistake, and the eye would be ruined!

For cultivators, their limbs and other body parts were of vital importance.

Once severed, they were easy to regrow. After all, many spirit medicines could regenerate severed limbs.

But growing one identical to the original was extremely difficult.

A cultivator's physical body was densely threaded with meridians and was continually tempered as their cultivation advanced. It was an integrated whole of Law Power, soul, and Qi and Blood, with all parts fitting together perfectly.

Once the body was incomplete, spiritual power would no longer circulate smoothly, Qi and Blood would be lost, and cultivation would regress.

A limb restored afterward caused all sorts of problems; it was no different from using a prosthetic.

Only top-grade spirit medicine could repair it without a flaw.

I'd better not practice it in this world, since it involves my physical body. But I can practice it in the Land of Wei!

Zhou Ning felt a stir of anticipation. If he mastered this Secret Method, then broke through to Late Qi Refining someday, he would probably have nothing to fear even from a Foundation Establishment cultivator of Chen State!

Ever since breaking through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage, Zhou Ning's Divine Sense had expanded to a range of three hundred zhang, not much less than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

If I met Old Man Gray Shuttle, who hunted me down in Forget-Return Market, again now, I should be able to fight him.

Zhou Ning pondered.

I can't practice the first Secret Method, but I can practice the second.

This Secret Method was called "Jade-Casting True Gold Talisman."

It involved panning for gold in fire with the gold-and-fire Law Power cultivated through the [Xinsi Golden Scripture], separating out the sharpest gold power, purifying and compressing it, and then imbuing it into warm jade.

Finally, it was placed in the Dantian, nourished with Law Power day and night, and branded with one's own Divine Sense and natal breath.

It was somewhat like the Lei Household's Thunder Explosion Pearl, but more wondrous.

Though the Thunder Explosion Pearl was powerful, it was not easy to hit someone with it. Cultivators were no fools; why would they stand still and take the hit?

The "Jade-Casting True Gold Talisman," however, formed a golden blade when activated. It was as sharp as an immortal weapon and extremely fast; a single strike could kill.

Not only could this Secret Method be used to attack, it could also help form an Immortal Foundation.

The separated gold power was, after all, the essence left after spiritual power had been purified, so it could serve as a tonic when forging an Immortal Foundation.

Zhou Ning mused, It doesn't sound difficult. As an alchemist, I'm best at this sort of separation and condensation.

As for the jade, I'm afraid first-tier jade won't do. Although there isn't much Law Power in the Land of Wei, it's extremely concentrated. I'll need at least second-tier jade.

I remember that second-tier talismans use spirit jade as their medium...

As he pondered, the formation flags flickered gently.

Zhou Ning knew that Su Wen had arrived. He thought, This woman is well suited to running errands for me.