Chapter 161: Jade Hidden in Stone
Chapter 161: Jade Hidden in Stone
Li Si’s mood was very complicated now. Looking at the small to see the big, just from the three spirit jades Cao Yu brought out, they couldn’t be called stunning, but one could easily say Lingjing Sect was a real turtle-in-its-shell sect.
If such a sect moved over and helped him guard the northern region, honestly, that would be perfect. It would be a win-win, no, a five-way win!
But after a glance at Lingjingzi, who was looking at the scenery in the distance, Li Si’s fiery heart just cooled down.
What was the success rate of persuading a True Immortal, or tricking a True Immortal?
Especially when the other party was also a master of the turtle-way.
Forget it, don’t invite humiliation.
Thinking for a moment, Li Si took out ten Longevity Elixirs he had refined himself and spoke calmly.
“This is the Longevity Elixir given to me by Ji Yuan, the sect leader of the Heaven-Mending Sect. Taking one pill can detoxify mutation poison. Taking two pills can repair hidden injuries and old ailments. Taking three pills can grant a Flawless Dao Body. Taking ten pills gives a high chance of obtaining a Fetal Breathing Dao Body. Taking thirty pills gives a chance to obtain a World Transcending Dao Body.”
After Li Si finished speaking, even Lingjingzi, who was looking at the scenery, turned his head in shock. Everyone in the Lingjing Sect, except for the young children who didn’t understand, had greedy green lights shining in their eyes.
Joking, who didn’t know the importance of a Dao Body?
Let’s put it this way: without a Flawless Dao Body, at best one could cultivate to the Foundation Building stage. Anyone who could advance to Golden Core must have a Flawless Dao Body.
Without a Fetal Breathing Dao Body, at best one could cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, but could absolutely not cross over to the Divine Transformation stage.
Not to mention the World Transcending Dao Body.
“Young friend Li Si, you can eat random food, but you can’t speak random words. How come I didn’t know Old Man Shendanzi’s Longevity Elixirs had such magical effects?”
Lingjingzi couldn’t hold back and loudly questioned.
Li Si turned his head, first cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then said calmly, “How it was before, I don’t know. But ever since the Heaven-Mending Sect moved here, nourished by the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, the effectiveness of the Longevity Elixir improving shouldn’t be that difficult. In fact, it’s not just the Heaven-Mending Sect that gained such benefits, but also my Floating Cloud Sect and the Jiuxuan Spirit Sword Sect. Senior, you can ask and find out.”
“Haha, to persuade my Lingjing Sect to move, you all really went all out with the bait,” Lingjingzi sneered. “Very sorry, but my Lingjing Sect is just fine now. That muddy water… better not step in it.”
“Young friend Li Si, just state your business, fair trade, no more tricks.”
Having his intentions directly exposed by Lingjingzi, Li Si didn’t look embarrassed, he just sighed. “Fine then, since it’s like this, let’s put the trade first. There’s a saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I didn’t come all this way easily. I don’t want your sect’s spirit jades. I only ask to borrow and read your sect’s technique secret manuals.”
Hearing this, Cao Yu didn’t dare make the decision and could only look at Lingjingzi.
Lingjingzi, however, narrowed his eyes and looked Li Si up and down.
“You, a disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect, even though you cultivated the Heaven-Turning Scripture to the fifth layer, doesn’t necessarily mean you are some rare, peerless cultivation genius. Do you think you can comprehend my Lingjing Sect’s techniques in a short time?”
“No, I cannot. But this junior can memorize them. After returning, I can teach them to children with good aptitude. Given time, we should be able to rebuild a Lingjing Sect branch in the east.”
Li Si told the honest truth.
“Hahaha!” Lingjingzi laughed loudly. “Fine, fine! In this world today, being able to spread my Lingjing Sect’s techniques is not a loss. Cao Yu.”
“Disciple is here.”
“Prepare a handwritten booklet of the first four layers of the Spiritual Essence Scripture for your Senior Brother Li Si. Also, include three of our Lingjing Sect’s basic core Dao Techniques. Other trades proceed as usual. I would be quite happy to see a branch sect of Lingjing Sect appear. But it’s a pity, you people might not even survive the year. Pitiful, lamentable.”
Lingjingzi waved his large sleeve, turned and went back to his Stone House, going online.
“Senior Brother Li Si, please take a look.”
Soon, Cao Yu brought one large handwritten booklet and three small handwritten booklets and handed them to Li Si.
“Obtained the first four layers of the Lingjing Sect’s core technique, the Spiritual Essence Scripture.”
“Obtained the primary Dao Technique, Spirit Concealment Charm.”
“Obtained the primary Dao Technique, Spirit Gathering Charm.”
“Obtained the primary Dao Technique, Spirit Light Charm.”
So stingy! Li Si really wanted the Dao Technique that could make Protective Jades, but it wasn’t included.
But he didn’t say anything more at this time. He just traded four hundred Spirit Cultivator Talismans and ten Longevity Elixirs to Cao Yu, took the three spirit jades Cao Yu offered, turned and left.
“Senior Brother Li Si, you came from thousands of miles away, why not rest a while?”
Cao Yu stopped him, but Li Si just shook his head. “Thank you for your kindness, Junior Brother. I failed my mission on this trip, how dare I stay longer?”
“This… alright then, I’ll see you off, Senior Brother.”
Cao Yu was, after all, the current person in charge of the Lingjing Sect. How could he be petty and stingy? Since he couldn’t make him stay, he immediately decided to escort Li Si for a while.
Li Si didn’t refuse. The two of them, one in front and one behind, left the Lingjing Sect’s great formation and traveled east for another fifty li before Li Si stopped and cupped his hands in thanks.
“Thank you, Junior Brother, for your kind escort. Please stop here.”
“In that case, please take care, Senior Brother, and return safely. If there is a chance another day, come visit again.” Cao Yu also cupped his hands.
Li Si suddenly sighed at this moment, his expression hesitating for a moment, then he suddenly took out a full fifty Longevity Elixirs and quickly handed them to Cao Yu.
“Junior Brother, I know this action lacks righteousness, but thinking of our shared lineage in the cultivation world, could you give me a few more offensive, defensive, and guardian Dao Techniques? You know, after I go back this time, I’m afraid I won’t have another chance to come. If I cultivate several dozen children who practice the Spiritual Essence Scripture over there, but only have three rather useless Dao Techniques, wouldn’t I be harming them?”
“If it starts like this, wouldn’t it be better to just let them directly join the Floating Cloud Sect?”
Li Si spoke sincerely and earnestly. Cao Yu was also quite moved. Well, mainly the fifty Longevity Elixirs smelled very good.
Actually, he really wanted to say, if you had taken out these fifty Longevity Elixirs earlier, his Master might have agreed, but—
“Senior Brother, please wait a moment.”
Cao Yu, with a mysterious and unpredictable technique, instantly put away those fifty Longevity Elixirs. Then, in less than a moment, he grasped Li Si’s hand and, without any change in expression, passed over a warm, smooth piece of jade.
“Senior Brother, please take care!”
“Junior Brother, please take care too!”
Li Si nodded heavily, quickly turned around, released his flying treasure, and directly flew away.
Ah, Junior Brother Cao Yu was a truly decent fellow. Not only did he give him the last two layers of the Spiritual Essence Scripture, but he also gave four core Dao Techniques, including that protective charm.
Most importantly, there was also a Jade Severing True Explanation written by Cao Yu himself.
Because of their techniques, the Lingjing Sect’s daily cultivation couldn’t lack jade. But where could they find so much jade? So they had to refine ordinary mountain rock into jade themselves. This process was called Severing Jade, somewhat similar to the talisman paper making section of the Floating Cloud Sect’s Talisman Crafting Art.
Very practical, in short.
Of course, the biggest contributor to all this was luck. His luck had now become +8.
After this, Li Si didn’t stop anymore. He sped along like the wind, completely unafraid of encountering anything. Then, for every ten thousand li he flew, his luck decreased by 1. By the time he returned to his own territory, his luck had become +5.
Nothing could be more amazing than this.
After teleporting back to the Yunhua Sect outpost, Li Si received an inquiry from his Fairy Leader, and also a hypocritical inquiry from that Lingjingzi. Did this guy still think something good could happen?
Get lost, you!
Ignoring Lingjingzi, Li Si also felt too embarrassed to reply to his Fairy Leader. Should he say, ‘I wanted to relocate the Lingjing Sect but messed things up, and now I’m returning in disgrace and need your comfort, Fairy’?
So he simply went into seclusion and began cultivating the Spiritual Essence Scripture. This technique wasn’t the most top-tier, but it was absolutely the most turtle-like one. Well, one of them, anyway.
It was the most turtle-like one Li Si had encountered so far.
The core of this technique wasn’t about emulating Heaven and Earth, or some grand, vast goal. It had just one core concept: Spiritual Rhyme Hidden Within.
Or, one word: ‘Hide’. That single word fully expressed the Lingjing Sect’s core tenet.
That’s why the Lingjing Sect disliked showing off, disliked taking risks. Even when Li Si personally came to invite them this time, a clearly beneficial move, they refused. The whole sect was like an old turtle.
Oh, but a turtle isn’t even qualified enough.
The Lingjing Sect had very high attainment in this ‘Spiritual Rhyme Hidden Within’ concept. Why did they value jade so much?
Because they believed Jade is Hidden in Stone.
Under heaven, there was no concealment more masterful, more refined, more restrained, and with more style than this.
After comprehending this core concept of Jade Hidden in Stone, cultivating the Spiritual Essence Scripture became much simpler.
Li Si only used half an hour to master the first layer. Then, Luck +4.
Damn, felt like he had discovered some incredible secret.
Another three hours passed, and Li Si achieved the second layer of the Spiritual Essence Scripture. Luck +3.
Alright then, who was taking advantage of whom exactly?
Another twelve hours passed. Li Si comprehended and achieved the third layer of the Spiritual Essence Scripture, obtaining a Spiritual Rhyme Golden Core. Then, Luck +2.
Speechless. But only after seventy-two hours had passed, when Li Si successfully comprehended and achieved the fourth layer of the Spiritual Essence Scripture, obtaining a Spiritual Rhyme Nascent Soul, his luck became +0.
If Lingjingzi discovered this cultivation speed, wouldn’t he fight with his old life to snatch Li Si back and make him his closed-door disciple!
Sadly, he would never find out, because the Fate Forge’s Divination Misdirection could mislead not just True Immortals; even Unknown Deities/Demons could only ever be misled, never correct.
“Successfully mastered the fourth layer of the Spiritual Essence Scripture. You have currently mastered six techniques. Use the Fate Forge to perform divination and obtain a brand new, all-encompassing master technique. Divination success rate 95.2%. Requires consumption of 100 portions of Golden Fate.”
A line of information silently appeared, but Li Si directly spat on it in rejection. He believed other things, but this technique divination? He absolutely would not believe it. Unless he currently had ten thousand portions of Golden Fate in his hands.
“The Spiritual Essence Scripture isn’t the strongest technique, but it’s the most suitable for me right now.” Li Si was very satisfied, and he selected three Lingjing Sect Dao Techniques, comprehending and upgrading/enhancing all of them to Primal Divine Abilities in one go.
Put differently, they were all now fifth-tier Divine Abilities, the strongest power achievable in the Nascent Soul Realm.
These three Dao Techniques were respectively—
Primary Dao Technique Spirit Concealment Charm, upgraded/enhanced to Primal Divine Ability: Return to Truth Law Curse. This was, so far, the strongest concealment Divine Ability Li Si had mastered. Not only did it have a high chance of avoiding divination, it could also evade some Bizarre curses. It even had some effect against the Blood Coffin Curse.
Primary Dao Technique Spirit Gathering Charm, upgraded/enhanced to Primal Divine Ability: Nurturing Spirit Law Curse. Li Si hadn’t thought much of this Dao Technique at first, believing it wasn’t much different from the Floating Cloud Sect’s Spirit Gathering Spell. But after checking the Jade Severing True Explanation, he was proven wrong. Because this Divine Ability was comparable to turning stone into gold. It was the most important method the Lingjing Sect used to jade-ify rock. With this Divine Ability, even if placed in the poorest mountains, evil waters, or purgatory, one could quickly turn the situation around.
Primary Dao Technique Protective Charm, upgraded/enhanced to Primal Divine Ability: Protective Law Curse. Using this Dao Technique, one could make Protective Jade. One could carry many pieces and activate them instantly. Those who used it knew its value. This was the Lingjing Sect’s most, most, most important core Divine Ability.
Li Si himself had decided: in the future, if he advanced further, this Protective Law Curse would be one of the key Divine Abilities he must upgrade/enhance again. It could be used as a core skill.