Chapter 84: Inheritance

“Shixiong, do you think your spirit-conferment technique is for sale? I’ll pay one hundred spirit stones,” Huang Ying asked.

Although they had long since guessed that Chen Luo could draw talismans, seeing him produce his own spiritual talisman was still quite shocking.

After only a few months of learning, he could already draw a dust-removal talisman—then wouldn’t it be possible to draw even more advanced talismans after some time passed?

“No, it’s not for sale.” Chen Luo shook his head and refused.

The knowledge of immortal script he possessed came from the Great Mausoleum in Yue Province; the less he divulged about it, the better. When dealing with ancient tombs, there was inevitably a risk of attracting unwanted attention from those who would seek such information.

He just didn’t know if Xie Shuang and the others could hold their tongues.

As Chen Luo thought of Xie Shuang and the others, who had emerged from the Yue Tomb with him, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. It had been a long time since they last saw each other; he wondered how they were doing now.

He remembered that Goddess Jade Bamboo, Xie Shuang’s teacher, excelled most in creating talismans, which was even beyond her Longevity Daoist master Zhang Qing.

The disciples who had received his reply were visibly disappointed.

The legacy of magical symbols was extremely precious within the Divine Lake Immortal Sect. The technique for imbuing spiritual energy into objects could only be purchased individually from Tianlu Peak’s cultivators at a cost of one hundred and twenty spirit stones per lesson. Even if someone paid their way into Tianlu Peak, they would still have no access to the true techniques for crafting magical symbols, much less the ability to create spiritual talismans with spiritual power. At best, they might learn some basic theory and enough practical knowledge to deceive the ignorant mortals.

Only by spending money could one acquire the core skills.

In addition to having many rules, the Divine Lake Immortal Sect also forbade its members from divulging secret magics without permission; any such transgressions would result in pursuit and execution.

Huang Ying turned her thoughts around. “Then I’ll discuss business with Shixiong,” she said.

“From now on, you can sell all your spiritual talismans to me, and I will help you market them. Additionally, I will provide you with the materials needed to draw spiritual talismans.”

When Huang Ying first invested Chen Luo, she’d thought about using him to earn more spirit stones, but never expected that the return on investment would come so quickly.

Chen Luo glanced at Huang Ying, waiting for her to finish.

“I will take three parts out of every ten you sell. These three parts aren’t just for me; two parts must be handed over to the sect as fees for selling spiritual talismans, while only one part is mine.”

At this point, Huang Ying added, “I’ll also be selling Shen-shijie’s spiritual talismans through my channels, so if you leave them with me, I can ensure they’re sold more easily than if you were to try and sell them yourself.”

“Deal,” Chen Luo interrupted Huang Ying’s explanation.

He owed Huang Ying a favor, so any opportunity he could find to repay her was welcome. This lesson had been taught to him by his third uncle during their time in Yue Province: when it came to debts, money should always be paid back ahead of time, lest it become impossible to settle later on.

After bidding farewell to Huang Ying and the others, Chen Luo returned to the library clutching his newly acquired spirit stones. He once again approached the reception desk.

“Purchase level two of the ‘Spirit Comprehension Art’—the cultivation techniques for mid-Qi Refinement.”

After all this time training, Chen Luo had finally saved up enough money to purchase techniques. He had already perfected his free copy of the Spirit Comprehension Art, and the shixiong on the practice field only repeated the same handful of passages over and over again; he hardly ever bothered listening anymore.

Once his later-stage collaboration with Huang Ying was underway, opportunities to visit the library would undoubtedly increase as well.

The disciple on duty glanced at him briefly, then confirmed his identity token and accepted the two spirit stones. After storing them safely within the library, they retrieved a single-use spiritual slip for Chen Luo without wasting another word.

Upon returning to the cemetery, Chen Luo crushed the jade slip.

Familiar scenes emerged once more.

In the middle, Daoist Wuwei continued his sermon. Now, Chen Luo understood that most of the paid techniques available at the library were taught by the same Daoist Wuwei. The disciples of Wu Dao Peak provided him with cultivation resources, which could be considered one form of exploitation from upper-level cultivators toward their lower-ranking peers.

“The Spirit Comprehension Art originates from my Divine Lake Immortal Sect’s founding master, focusing on the power of the mind.”

Having seen this scene before, Chen Luo wasn’t nearly as shocked the second time around.

Daoist Wuwei was lecturing on techniques for cultivating the Spirit Comprehension Art, from the fourth level of Qi Refinement to the sixth, detailing every step and its nuances.

After listening once, the spiritual slip had been reduced to rubble; Chen Luo memorized all its contents with ease.

“Having mastered the technique, now it’s time to pass the test.”

Chen Luo stood up, retrieved some talisman-making materials, and began another batch.

Time passed swiftly, and two months flew by in the blink of an eye.

Half a year had officially elapsed since Chen Luo joined the Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

The Miracle-Master Apprentice-Brother who shared his days at the cemetery finally reached the end of his six-month term. This time, he chose not to spend money but rather descended the mountain instead.

“Junior Brother Chen, this elder will take off first. Once you leave the sect, come visit me in my hometown and let us drink together.” The Miracle-Master Apprentice-Brother handed the key to his straw hut over to Chen Luo.

Although the spiritual energy within the cemetery was thin, staying there would allow one to remain within the sect’s jurisdiction. Before leaving, the Miracle-Master Apprentice-Brother went to the sect headquarters to transfer his remaining privileges to Chen Luo: more than a year’s worth. It would be enough time for Chen Luo to enjoy a period of peace and quiet.

“I’ll definitely do that.”

Chen Luo accepted his words and saw off Miracle-Master Apprentice-Brother all the way to the foot of Wu Dao Peak.

After descending from the mountain, the man’s status would no longer be that of a disciple of Divine Lake Immortal Sect, so it wouldn’t be easy for him to return.

After seeing off his shixiong, Chen Luo returned alone to the cemetery.

Inside the thatched hut, Chen Luo tidied up what had been left behind by Miracle-Master Apprentice-Brother and tossed it into the neighboring room.

This thatched hut possessed the best spiritual energy within the cemetery, but since he’d previously lived next door, Chen Luo had only been able to stay there temporarily while waiting for his shixiong to return. Now that the man was gone, this place naturally became Chen Luo’s residence.

“The spiritual energy here is even better than that inside the rooms occupied by ordinary disciples on the peak.”

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Chen Luo took a deep breath.

His spiritual roots flared with activity, and his Qi Refinement sped up slightly as well.

He reached out and retrieved twenty-four spirit stones from his bag of holding at his waist.

These were all the profit Chen Luo had earned selling talismans recently. Huang Ying’s sales network for spiritual artifacts was strong; once Chen Luo handed his creations over to him, he received payment in spirit stones the same day. Although the price offered was slightly lower than one could find in the market, it certainly saved Chen Luo much time.

Chen Luo picked up one of the spirit stones and held it in his palm.

The Spirit Comprehension Art within him immediately began to rotate, drawing the aura from the stone in his hand swiftly into his body. All three of his spiritual roots flared with activity as they transformed the absorbed spiritual energy.

Ordinary cultivators suffered losses when absorbing spirit stones. High-grade spirit roots could absorb seven or more layers, mid-grade five or six, low-grade four or fewer. The same resources yielded vastly different results depending on the cultivator’s aptitude.

For Chen Luo, this problem was entirely eliminated. With assistance from over a hundred brains, his rate of spirit stone consumption approached zero. Every brain had its own method for conserving power, so the multitude of methods converged together into a unique Qi Refinement technique that belonged solely to him.

In other words, his absorption of spirit stones was stronger than even the most gifted single-rooted prodigies!

“Breakthrough.”

After two months of saving, Chen Luo finally purchased all the government granules required to cultivate through the entirety of the Qi Refinement stage, allowing him to cultivate directly to the thirteenth level without stopping.

With this holistic perspective, his external brains all came alive.

Water elemental spiritual energy has been fully absorbed; I can now break through starting from the ancient music meridian.

The Heavenly Lake meridian is incompatible with my body’s spiritual roots; it is not recommended to cultivate along this qi vessel, as forcing the breakthrough will leave latent issues for later Foundation Establishment.

One suggestion after another surfaced in his mind.

In addition to the mummy brain, those of two other Foundation Establishment cultivators also provided specialized advice. The brains of other Qi Refinement Late Stage cultivators offered suggestions from their own perspectives, and one enlightenment insight after another rose to Chen Luo’s consciousness—these people had cultivated the Spirit Comprehension Art during life.

Based on their feedback, Chen Luo felt like he’d cultivated the Spirit Comprehension Art hundreds of times, rendering him incredibly familiar with it.

Krik!

As the last thread of spiritual energy entered Chen Luo’s body, the limestone in his palm disintegrated into dust.

A ripple coursed through Chen Luo’s aura, then swiftly subsided. Before, his spiritual energy had been as thin as a single hair, but once he reached the middle stage of Qi Refinement, it coalesced into a concentrated stream that swirled around his dantian like a lively little snake.

Qi Refinement Fourth Layer: a natural breakthrough, and one perfectly mastered at that.