Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Naturally Cautious (Thanks to the Alliance Leader Hei Lanzhou!)”
Invisibility Technique, a magic that merges oneself with the nearby terrain to avoid detection by others. Overall, it’s a minor skill, but it could come in handy under special circumstances.
Sound Absorption Technique, this one is even more outrageous, allowing one to circulate mana within one’s body to create a small field that absorbs surrounding sounds so that others cannot perceive them.
Both of these cultivation techniques are quite mediocre, even a bit bizarre.
However, Ning Daoran soon formed an idea in his mind. What if he combined Concealing Breath Technique, Invisibility Technique, and Sound Absorption Technique?
He could only think of one word to describe it.
Stealth!
Yes, stealth! An assassin’s ultimate technique!
If he really could master these three basic skills to perfection, it would be unimaginable!
For now, he would learn them, but he would not dedicate his refining time to them, saving it instead for refining the Body Tempering Technique.
Quality steel must be used on the edge of the blade!
“Ning Daoran.”
The voice of a Brother, who was guarding the Book Collection Pavilion, timely rang out, “Your reading time is over, come out now.”
“Yes, Brother!”
Exiting the Book Collection Pavilion, he retrieved his Identity Jade Token, and immediately, Big Stupid Deer greeted him with an excited “Woo.”
Ning Daoran was taken aback. Big Stupid Deer was still tied to the wooden post outside, and even a kind Junior Sister had fed it a handful of grass.
“Old Lu!”
He immediately lowered his voice seriously and spoke, “You shouldn’t eat things given by others, do I still need to tell you this rule?”
“Woo~~~”
Big Stupid Deer rubbed against his shoulder, blinking its eyes continuously to tell him that the Junior Sister was very pretty and obviously a good person.
“No more next time, let’s go home.”
Ning Daoran stroked the deer’s head, smiling as he untied the leash and put it into his pocket.
Usually, he wouldn’t tie up Big Stupid Deer, as it didn’t like being restrained.
Returning to Spiritual Field No. 77, he continued to bury his head in planting Spirit Rice, reaping continuously.
One night.
The weather was sweltering, and Ning Daoran stir-fried edamame with a small rooster, along with green pepper potato shreds, and also steamed a large pot of Spirit Rice.
“Old Lu, it’s too hot.”
He kept fanning himself and suggested, “Why don’t we lift the table outside to eat?”
“Woo!”
Big Stupid Deer wagged its tail wildly, thrilled to dine outside again?
Before long, a man and a deer lifted the table laden with dishes and set it outside beyond the Small Cloud Mist Array, taking stools for themselves to enjoy the lavish dinner.
It was hot inside the house, but outside, the summer night’s breeze was refreshingly cool.
“Ah…”
Holding his rice bowl, Ning Daoran suddenly smiled, reminiscing about his childhood in the 1990s. Back then, when his family was poor and without air conditioning, they would also carry the table outside for dinner in the summer evenings.
“Old Lu, isn’t it nice and cool?”
Big Stupid Deer buried its face in the rice bowl, shoveling it non-stop, nodding its head while taking breaks only to pick out dishes.
As to how a deer manages chopsticks to pick up food?
Don’t ask.
Big Stupid Deer had an extraordinary talent.
At that moment, two people passed by Spiritual Field Courtyard No. 77.
Leading the way was a girl in a light blue Outer Disciple long dress, looking to be around 12 or 13 years old, with an exceptionally refined appearance.
At just a glance, Ning Daoran could tell she was a little beauty who would be a stunner when she grew up.
Following her was an old man in a gray long robe.
These two were the occupants of neighboring Spiritual Field No. 78.
“Oh?”
The girl noticed the duo and felt it would be rude not to greet them, so she stepped forward and bowed saying, “You must be Fellow Daoist Ning Daoran. I am Han Bing, we entered the sect in the same group, I entered a day later than you.”
“Oh…”
Ning Daoran immediately put down his chopsticks and stood up: “Ning Daoran greets Junior Sister Han Bing!”
“Woo~~~”
Big Stupid Deer also raised its neck and called out as a greeting.
Han Bing couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle.
At this moment, the old man behind her frowned slightly and gave a light cough.
“Brother, I will head back first.”
“Alright.”
Watching Han Bing and the old servant walk away, Ning Daoran didn’t particularly mind. He continued to tend to his own Spirit Rice, indifferent to the outside world’s turmoil.
Seasons changed, and time flew by, and soon it was the end of the year, a frigid winter.
The north wind was like a knife, and the mountain forests whipped up layers of snow.
Inside the small cabin at Spiritual Field No. 77, a charcoal fire was burning. Ning Daoran leaned against Big Stupid Deer to keep warm, as in winter the deer’s fur was exceptionally thick and very warm.
Possibly due to eating a lot of Spirit Rice, its fur was slick, truly first-rate.
Watching the drifting snow and wind outside, inspiration suddenly struck Ning Daoran, and he couldn’t help but sing a few lines:
“Snowflakes drifting, the north wind howls~~~~ the vastness~~~ of earth and sky~~~”
Big Stupid Deer pricked its ears, its eyes squinting in enjoyment. It sounded so pleasant.
“A day’s worth lies in the morning, so we must not slack off. Time to cultivate!”
Ning Daoran stood up and glanced at his accumulated Refining Time. After half a year of accumulations, he had over 4,000 years’ worth of Refining Time.
In reality, he had tried various methods to improve the efficiency of acquiring Refining Time.
He had increased and decreased the amount of Spirit Rice bestowed by the Grass and Tree Holy Spirit, only to find that the results were more or less the same.
He had also adopted a “tiered planting” method where a batch of Spirit Rice was planted and then another batch two days later, trying to earn a time difference.
But those efforts ended in disappointment. The system of the Grass and Tree Holy Spirit seemed to have some kind of “rule”; the Refining Time it could produce in a year was no more and no less than ten thousand years, regardless of how fancy the planting method was.
Whether increasing or decreasing production, the total amount of Refining Time could only decrease, not increase.
Now, with over 4,000 years of Refining Time, this was equivalent to an ordinary cultivator having 4,000 years of lifespan to focus on perfecting a single technique, and one could only imagine how terrifying that was.
He slowly pushed down the Body Tempering Pile, setting up a stance resembling horse-stance in the warm cabin, and then infused Refining Time to continue cultivating the Body Tempering Technique that supported the foundation of his cultivation!
[First year, looking at your already Great Success Body Tempering Technique, you felt it was impossible to improve further, as this was already the pinnacle of your cultivation.]
[999th year, having sat dried up for a thousand years, you began to doubt life. Could it be that your talent and comprehension are really so poor that they’re detested by both gods and men?]
[Your hair turned silver, and those who had cultivated alongside you died off one after another.]
[The 2,006th year, more than two thousand years passed in a blink, and you still held onto the Body Tempering Technique silently. The text on the cultivation technique became like a Heavenly Book to you, incomprehensible.]
[The 3,100th year, your flesh began to wither. The constant cultivation made you like a well about to run dry, your life almost unable to sustain your cultivation.]
“I… My… God!”
Ning Daoran was baffled. Three thousand years and still no breakthrough from the Great Success of the Body Tempering Technique? What kind of divine comprehension and constitution has he gotten himself into?
He began to complain about his former life. With this level of talent, without his current self, he probably wouldn’t have been able to touch the Immortal Cultivation Path in his lifetime.
Although worried that the four thousand years of Refining Time might not be enough to cultivate to perfection, Ning Daoran decided to gamble.
Continue infusing, keep cultivating the Body Tempering Technique! Go for it!!
[Year 4,222, finally, a turning point appeared in your Blood Qi. At that moment, you felt like a person sitting in a dried well seeing a speck of light in the sky, as your dusty Daoist Heart awakened.]
[Your flesh began to boil, the mana from the Wash the marrow and change the meridians technique continuously compressed and condensed. The purity allowed them to form Spirit Mastery on their own, continuously cleansing your physical body and finally completing the Twelve Blood Qi Transmutations.]
[Body Tempering Technique. Lower Grade Yellow (Perfect)]
[Qi Refinement Fifth Layer]
[Remaining Refining Time: 356 years]
“Phew…”
Ning Daoran exited the Refining Time, breathing heavily, feeling as if his body was about to ignite.
Body Tempering Technique perfected. The Spiritual Power that was originally focused around his body had now transformed into little flakes of Spirit Mastery, you can imagine its defensive capabilities.
At this moment, operating the Perfect Body Tempering Technique, he could truly be considered as solid as a rock!
If, at that initial time, the arrow shot by the Third Master had fallen on Ning Daoran now, it likely wouldn’t even cause a scratch!
And another piece of good news.
Another breakthrough, now at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer!
Moreover, the aura of the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining was nearly at its peak.
Strictly speaking, he was now at the “Late Stage of Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Great Perfection,” or perhaps “Half-step Qi Refining Sixth Layer.”
In an instant, Ning Daoran felt his Blood Qi, skin, flesh, and bones reach an unprecedented state, his body’s Blood Qi as fiery as a blaze in the night.
Beneath the skin, a vibrant red was visible, accompanied by increasing mana, continuously gaining more Spirit Mastery.
The Perfect Level Body Tempering Technique was incredibly powerful!
It was truly a divine skill!
“No… must stay low-key, definitely can’t get carried away.”
Ning Daoran took a deep breath and calmly sat in his chair.
There’s a saying that the heavens will take away the reckless, especially in this dangerous Cultivation World, where his current achievements were hard won and must be cherished.
The next moment, he operated his Concealing Breath Technique, maintaining his emitted aura at the Third Layer of Qi Refining.
Half a year into the entry-level, perhaps it’s a bit lucky, but moving from Qi Refining First Layer to Third Layer could be considered reasonable?
“Fellow Daoist Ning, are you home?”
At this moment, an elder’s voice came from outside. It was Old Lu.
“I’m here!”
Ning Daoran opened the Small Cloud Mist Array and invited Old Lu into the courtyard, then immediately activated the array.
For Old Lu, being just an Early Stage disciple, his cultivation and observation skills couldn’t possibly detect the abnormal growth rate of the Grass and Tree Holy Spirit within a short period.
“I came from the lower Yellow Dragon Square, brought a flask of liquor, and bought a roasted chicken, to chat with fellow daoist.”
“Sure!”
Ning Daoran nodded with a smile, then lifted his fist and shot his thumb out towards the back, saying, “Old Lu, go fry two dishes for me.”
The Big Stupid Deer, without turning its head, grabbed the spatula and went to cook.
A flash of surprise crossed Old Lu’s eyes.
I swear, a Spiritual Beast helping with cooking is just freaking unbelievable, no wonder he’s an Outer Disciple!
The two drank cup after cup of liquor.
After three rounds of drinks, Old Lu finally brought up his intention indirectly.
“Recently, I discovered a relic with broken prohibitions in the Yellow Dragon Mountain Range, suspected to be the place where a Perfect Qi Refining Cultivator sat and transformed. Would fellow Daoist Ning be interested in exploring it together?”
‘Exploring a Secret Realm?’
Ning Daoran’s heart sank immediately, thinking that this was not a good idea at all, with a high mortality rate!
He politely declined right away, and no matter how Old Lu tried to persuade him afterward, he firmly refused.
Old Lu left reluctantly.
Ning Daoran watched his retreating figure, contemplative.
It’s a joke. I can break through and achieve longevity by cultivating Spirit Rice in the sect, so why risk adventure in some secret realm?
He was naturally cautious, always engaging in only guaranteed endeavors.