Chapter 28: The Profound Mystery of Green Wood

When Mu Yuan saw the clear, sparkling look in Zha Yun’er’s eyes, his heart rippled slightly, but then quickly calmed down. Although he had never been in love himself, he didn’t consider himself the type to imagine affection where there was none. Even if he hadn’t personally experienced such things, he had heard plenty about them. In his daily life, Mu Yuan had read many classical novels and notes. It seemed that whenever a female protagonist fell in love, this was exactly how she reacted!

Mu Yuan felt excited because he never imagined he would have such a day, where a beautiful girl would gaze at him so intently. However, upon second thought, Zha Yun’er was behaving this way towards him only because she witnessed his mighty display of power earlier, when he saved the villagers of Feilong Village. As the saying goes, beauties love heroes. In truth, what mattered wasn’t the hero himself; no matter who the hero was, the beauty would be captivated. And he, Mu Yuan, was just the one who happened to stumble into the situation!

The moment he understood this, Mu Yuan returned to peace, his eyes becoming completely clear. He smiled and said, “Miss Yun’er, the strong enemy has retreated. The village is safe now. Let me take you home!”

After escorting Zha Yun’er back, Mu Yuan hesitated for a long while. Unable to resist Zha Ying’s earnest invitation to stay, he rested there. Tonight’s battle had benefited him greatly, but it had also left him extremely tired. Although the fight wasn’t long, he first faced the combined attack of Yuan Longtai and the unknown cultivator, falling into a disadvantage. Later, slaying the three cultivators seemed simple, but it required Mu Yuan to exert his full strength. Otherwise, even with a divine weapon like the Dragon Soul Sword in hand, how could he have so easily killed three cultivators in an instant?

Sitting in silence throughout the night, Mu Yuan took the opportunity to temper his Longevity True Qi. After this battle, he increasingly realized that when Tide True Qi and Dragon King’s Dynamic Force were used together in combat, their power was immense. But for nurturing himself and healing injuries, Longevity True Qi was unrivaled and without equal! This further strengthened his determination to practice the Longevity Art.

Although the expert who created the Five Elements Path once encompassed the entire Great Dao of the Five Elements, simplifying the complex and varied truths of the world into the Five Elements, if one sought Eternal Life, the wood nature was still primary. The other four paths merely displayed different principles and laws; from oneself outward, they undoubtedly provided a powerful boost to the cultivation of the Longevity Art!

For instance, if Mu Yuan were to practice the Longevity Art on his own, the time required to leap from the Second Layer of Qi Refining to the Third Layer would likely be much longer, requiring at least a year of diligent cultivation without pause. But now, using Tidal Flow as the foundation, the time was shortened considerably!

Among the supreme techniques of Longevity Palace, Mu Yuan had only practiced the most widely spread, yet also the most profound, Greenwood Divine Radiance sword technique. For sword techniques, the starting point was very important; most were easy to learn but difficult to master. Longevity Palace wasn’t worried about the risk of such ultimate techniques being leaked to outsiders! In the Cultivation World, although there were sect biases, they weren’t particularly severe. To achieve Elixir Formation or become divine, one must first not be confined to the methods of a single school. Learning broadly and observing widely, gaining extensive knowledge—this was how one could travel further on the rugged, thorny path to Eternal Life!

Each person’s natural talent and endowment were different, which also determined the unique experiences each would undergo in pursuing the path of Eternal Life. With the same technique, some could succeed directly, while others needed to incorporate other methods. In Longevity Palace, there were many cultivation methods from other sects. The Longevity Art wasn’t exclusive to Longevity Palace either; among friendly sects, exchanging methods over time wasn’t anything unusual!

As for a sword technique like Greenwood Divine Radiance, if it were spread outside, and one feared others cultivating it, that would mean losing the most fundamental confidence and pride of a cultivator. Such a person probably wouldn’t achieve anything great anyway!

Greenwood Divine Radiance’s killing power wasn’t particularly great, but its force was robust and its variations weren’t many. It focused more on overwhelming opponents with momentum, growing stronger when facing strength, rising step by step. Mu Yuan was by nature a straightforward and spontaneous person. He personally preferred the flexible, unpredictable style of Canglang Water Sword and felt somewhat resistant to Greenwood Divine Radiance!

But now, having felt the profound subtlety of the Longevity Art, Mu Yuan calmed his mind and began to carefully ponder the marvelous uses of Greenwood Divine Radiance, continuously practicing this sword technique. A mass of green light formed into a thin, one-inch small sword in his hand. Although he couldn’t condense Qi into a weapon, transforming external objects was more than sufficient. Such a light sword was only for intimidating others; it had no killing power whatsoever. But it was perfect for Mu Yuan to use in testing and comprehending the sword technique!

A small section of green-blue energy radiance rolled back and forth in his hand, demonstrating a subtle variation. But it was far less exquisite and unpredictable than Canglang Water Sword. Mu Yuan naturally didn’t expect Greenwood Divine Radiance to surpass Canglang Water Sword in terms of variation. Recalling the true meaning of “growth” in the Longevity Art, he began to elevate his Zhenqi. The green-blue glow in his hand grew brighter and brighter, until it was like a stretched-out rod of sunlight, emitting a dazzling, brilliant radiance. It swirled and surged, appearing externally as a sword, but internally, it was the flow and surge of Zhenqi, like chaotic currents and tides. It seemed disordered, yet it followed Mu Yuan’s will, continuously building momentum and strengthening the energy force according to the path of Greenwood Divine Radiance!

Inside him, the Longevity True Qi surged fiercely. The light sword in his hand grew increasingly bright. Mu Yuan felt as if his vitality had expanded countless times. The Azure Dragon phantom in his Dantian instantly became as solid as a real entity. The meridians throughout his body seemed to transform into extending branches and trunks. His Dantian was like the roots, the various acupoints like leaves. He himself was like a towering giant tree, reaching up to scrape the clouds, as if existing since ancient times, destined to persist for endless years to come!

“Is this the true meaning of Eternal Life?” Mu Yuan felt his entire body brimming with essence energy. The Spiritual Sense in his Sea of Consciousness also felt full to bursting in an instant. It seemed he could exist indefinitely, without aging, without illness, and without perishing!

“After reaching the Third Layer of Qi Refining and perfecting the Dharma Body, one can use the essence energy of the physical body to supplement the soul energy of the Sea of Consciousness. This is Spirit Refining. The Longevity Art excels in vastness; in this aspect, it is far stronger than Tidal Flow!” Although Mu Yuan was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer, from the very start of his Qi Refining, his cheap master had explained the entire cultivation process to him!

Mu Yuan’s master had already reached the Core Formation Realm himself. Combined with his extensive reading, his explanations of the first six layers of cultivation perfectly combined theory and practice, and were very lively. For the later three layers, the old man also relayed some insights, experiences, and lessons from predecessors. But since he hadn’t experienced them himself, he could only convey them verbally, not through personal demonstration, making them somewhat abstract!

Mu Yuan could now imagine the steps ahead up to Qi Refinement and Elixir Formation, but beyond that, things became somewhat blurred and confusing. Fortunately, he had an optimistic nature. If he couldn’t figure something out, he wouldn’t dwell on it. Reaching the sixth layer of Elixir Formation was his immediate goal; everything else could be considered later!

After the Great Completion of the Dharma Body came the Spirit Refining realm, which all cultivators dreamed of. Using the substantial to supplement the insubstantial required not a small amount of Magical Power. Whether it was Dragon King’s Dynamic Force or Tidal Flow, both fell far short of the Longevity Art in terms of accumulated depth and richness. While comprehending Greenwood Divine Radiance, Mu Yuan finally discovered the significant, marvelous utility of the Longevity Art—its unique aspect that surpassed other techniques!