His body trembled lightly, and immediately, a Dharma spell like a fleeting shadow brushed before his eyes, transforming into countless fine golden Erosion Texts, directly imprinting themselves into his mind.
He felt an involuntary jolt of spirit and carefully studied it, exclaiming with joy, "So I was granted this technique! With this, I have no worries!"
This Dharma technique was called the "Small Movement Escape Technique."
It could be said that he had witnessed this technique before. That day, Qi Yuntian brought him out from the Demon Cave. In just a single instant, they returned to Shouming Island—the very same Divine Skill at work.
Zhang Yan silently pondered. The reason why he previously failed to discern this method might have been because the True Fire within his acupoint had not yet been cultivated to a suitable degree. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t grasp the Dharma technique within.
But now that his cultivation had reached the necessary stage, the obstacle vanished, and he naturally could glimpse its essence.
At this thought, his heart was gripped with a sense of awe. The Mingcang Sect’s stringent standards for selecting disciples became evident. Even though Sect Leader Qin clearly favored him, they would not offer unsolicited help lightly.
As evident in his current situation, if he hadn’t opened enough acupoints, he would not have been able to master this Minor Divine Power.
When he returned to the mountain gate, the Sect Leader could simply form a hand seal to determine if Zhang Yan was worth further cultivation investment. If he couldn’t even activate the talisman, they would abandon him without hesitation, not sparing him a single glance.
On the path of cultivation, the higher one climbed, the harder it became. In heterodox practices, a Nascent Soul cultivator was already a rarity. Even with a lifespan of a thousand years, without true inheritance or fortuitous encounters, one could not attain the Great Dao and would ultimately become nothing more than bones beneath yellow earth.
The Mingcang Sect had ten notable disciples in total. Barring unforeseen events, those of great future achievements would inevitably arise from amongst them.
These ten disciples received constant guidance from their senior mentors. They practiced the most superior cultivation techniques, obtained rare external resources for cultivation, and were granted exceptional Dharma Treasures for protection. These ten were the very foundation of the Mingcang Sect’s future.
Yet they did not appear out of nowhere. Qi Yuntian, Zhuang Bufan, and Luo Qingyu, for example, all first showcased their talents at the Sixteen Sects Sword Competition and went on to defeat numerous sect members within, thereby securing their positions.
Ordinary True Disciples were worlds apart in comparison to them.
Zhang Yan quietly resolved in his heart: Once I condense my Core Pill, I will contend for a spot among those ten disciples!
After pondering for a moment, he withdrew his scattered thoughts and focused his attention on the "Small Movement Escape Technique" imprint in his mind.
This technique was a Minor Divine Power. Once deployed, it could allow one to escape hundreds of miles away in the blink of an eye.
However, all Divine Skills required mana to wield. Without reaching the Hua Dan Realm, one would be unable to perform it. Luckily, Sect Leader Qin had imbued a strand of Essence Qi into the talisman. With this Essence Qi’s help, Zhang Yan could temporarily use this technique without much effort in practice.
Holding the Broken Jade in his hand, Zhang Yan immersed his mind into it and carefully contemplated it. He discovered that the amount of Essence Qi was neither excessive nor sparse—sufficient for three or four uses. Against ordinary situations, this was likely enough, but in facing a Nascent Soul cultivator, he dared not take it lightly.
He smiled faintly. Fortunately, he still had in his possession a Golden Core bestowed upon him by True Master Tao. With this technique at his disposal, even if Dong Jinzi could not assist him in a critical moment, he could borrow a sip of Elixir Qi to swiftly flee thousands of miles away in an instant.
With these thoughts settled, all his remaining anxieties dissipated, and he felt his heart and spirit calm.
Seated upon the stone platform, he thought for a moment and pulled out the Daoist Book bestowed upon him by Elder Yan, leafing through it carefully. He mulled, "The Nine Elixirs required for Core Condensation—excluding the Upper Three Elixirs, which are elusive and must be sensed by a cultivator directly—the most challenging ones to obtain are Bright Stone Milk, One Qi Ganoderma, and Four-Season Water. Now that these three are in my hands and the remaining three are easier to come by, it seems my Core Condensation day is not far away."
The three medicinal items he held—Bright Stone Milk and One Qi Ganoderma—were classified as external medicines, while Four-Season Water was an internal medicine. Ning Chongxuan had spent twenty years traversing the world, dedicating most of his time to searching for these three ingredients.
The Bright Stone Milk was difficult to gather, only produced in deep pits and caves on cliffsides. Even if one found it, it was limited to a drop or two at best. A cultivator often had to spend years traveling arduously before accumulating enough.
The bottle of Bright Stone Milk Zhang Yan now possessed was an accumulation made over uncountable years by Mu Hongchen’s teacher.
The Four-Season Water, on the other hand, formed in places where the Earth Qi was densely concentrated. Often, it took decades—or even longer—for it to emerge, making it the hardest to obtain among the Inner Three Elixirs. This was why Xiao Han, despite being a Direct Disciple of the Xiao Family, had to venture to the outer sea to acquire it.
As for One Qi Ganoderma, its quality was best within Qingcun Mountain. Unless one was a disciple of a renowned sect, even obtaining a low-grade specimen would be inferior to searching outside the mountain.
The Ganoderma Ancestor now in Zhang Yan’s possession would likely surpass any other medicine mushroom for Core Condensation purposes in the entire world.
The three medicines he still lacked were Spirit Cleansing Cave, Que Jue Thunder, and Hidden Marrow Refining.
A cultivator must enter the Spirit Cleansing Cave to blend medicinal ingredients, refine the pill, and breathe in the old to expel the new during Core Condensation.
These caves were scattered across the East Splendor Continent and were easy to locate. The Daoist Book gifted by Elder Yan detailed many rare caves, so when the time came, Zhang Yan simply needed to select one. Read complete version only at novel{f}ire.net
Que Jue Thunder, however, required crafting a golden plate in advance and traveling to Shendu Peak in the northern part of East Splendor to lure down a single strand of Thunder Radiance. Once obtained, the cultivator could not delay and would need to condense their Core Pill within half a month, or else repeat the process anew.
The Hidden Marrow Refining, on the other hand, came from the bodies of avian creatures.
Every summer, dozens of alien bird species migrated to Shendu Peak. Within their spinal bones resided marrow—an essence their entire life force concentrated upon. If one could capture such a bird alive on the same day they harnessed the Que Jue Thunder and then extract its marrow, the two medicines would complement each other perfectly.
For Zhang Yan, these two items would not be difficult to acquire, though they would require spending some time at Shendu Peak. However, he could foresee that by then, opportunistic individuals such as the likes of the Hou Family’s members might lie in ambush, deliberately using this opportunity to cause trouble for him.
He let out a cold laugh to himself. The path of the Great Dao held no concept of right and wrong. If someone dared block his way, he would simply break through them with his sword and carve a bloody path forward.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)