284: Chapter 283: The Secret of Tongxuan 2 [Seeking Votes at the Beginning of the Month] 284: Chapter 283: The Secret of Tongxuan 2 [Seeking Votes at the Beginning of the Month] Hou Niao didn’t stay with Li Chuping for too long, just as he felt, his time at the Mu Mansion and the Central Army Mansion was exactly the same; this was no coincidence, but rather a deliberate control by the three mansion masters, to demonstrate fair competition.
It was principled and interesting; the same amount of time, the same book of insights, the rest was left to him to make a choice.
This was the standard way cultivators conduct their scheme, compared to mundane forces, it had an extra touch of the cultivators’ unstrained style.
According to the rules of the Quanzhen Sect, after reaching the Tongxuan Realm, a cultivator has a two-year consolidation period, during which they are not allowed to leave the sect at will, as this is considered a mandatory protection phase; for a sect organization, Tongxuan cultivators are already very precious assets that cannot be lost lightly, unlike disciples who are left to roam freely.
Especially for sword cultivators, with mana enabling them to fly, possession of divine sense, and furthermore, a flying sword…
one could imagine what releasing them would result in;
The combat of Tongxuan Realm cultivators is much more brutal than at lower realms, and with all kinds of bizarre divine technique secret skills, accidents are prone to happen, so the two-year constraint is necessary.
Once they have a certain foundation, then they can be released to gain experience, which is a protection rule within a sect.
He indeed needed such a period to perfect his choice of cultivation technique, two years, which wasn’t too long, especially for him whose lifespan had theoretically reached one hundred and fifty years, it was just a not too lengthy experience.
If he was fortunate enough to achieve God Sensing and add fifty years, reaching the Natural Realm, his lifespan could be as much as two hundred and fifty years.
Although, that was the upper limit, there were too many short-lived ghosts in this world, for various reasons.
He set a small goal for himself, to first live to two hundred and fifty; to achieve this goal, he needed to plan his cultivation well.
He wasn’t in a hurry to read the three books of insights, as methods of learning varied.
For someone with strong opinions like Hou Niao, he disliked reading insights first, but preferred to make plans and judgments based on his understanding first, then compare them with the experience of predecessors, and finally choose the closest fit with the least detours.
He was very clear that he was not exceptionally gifted, able to overshadow his peers during his disciple days only because of the existence of the Soul Realm; but now, after reaching Tongxuan, wielding a sword was no longer the main combat method for sword cultivators, and being on the same starting line as other sword cultivators, it was questionable whether he could still be strong.
He didn’t look for a dwelling, because living in the city was no longer suitable.
In the following period, he was bound to focus on practicing with flying swords, incidentally including escape flight techniques, all of which a small courtyard in the city could not bear; he could only go to the outskirts to find an estate, or simply become a hermit.
He didn’t know how others solved this problem.
He vaguely heard Daoist Wang say that once one entered Tongxuan, numerous people would flock to curry favor, offering houses and lands readily; but for him, because of the prior wooing by the three prestigious mansions, others, limited by their status, didn’t dare to reach out rashly, resulting in, apart from the three books of insights, not a single tangible benefit gained.
A strange coincidence indeed.
Early the next morning, as soon as the Sword Storage Tower opened, Hou Niao was the first to sway in, his target this time being the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors, where the skills of the three Tongtian Realm levels were housed, although not so clearly divided.
The old man Lao Baquan was still in his muddle-headed state, no longer recognizing Hou Niao; he might deceive new disciples, but he certainly wouldn’t dare to harbor any crooked thoughts against upper cultivators.
Seeing his old face smiling like a blooming flower, Hou Niao sighed.
Everyone has their own way of life, and their own joys.
The fourth floor of the Sword Storage Tower is the Cultivation Technique Building, the fifth floor contains various combat assistance techniques, and the sixth floor is purely for swordsmanship, each level requiring his careful consideration.
The Realm is the foundation, but the cultivation technique comes first.
Starting now, the foundational cultivation technique given by Daoist Chong Ling no longer served a purpose, having completed its role in laying the groundwork; from here, various sects start to branch out, forming different schools of thought.
Standing on the fourth floor, Hou Niao looked around, there weren’t as many varieties as he expected, but there were as many as twelve kinds.
This is the attitude of a responsible sect, it’s not difficult to place hundreds of cultivation techniques here, but the content would be mixed, indistinct, and of inconsistent quality, providing no benefit other than creating a selection barrier for new people who ascend to the realm.
Therefore, through over a thousand years of practice, the Quanzhen Sect selected the twelve most suitable directions for sword cultivators and summarized them here, meaning it’s very clear that you should choose from these twelve directions, not look around.
Once your realm is high enough, not to mention choosing other cultivation techniques, even creating your own wouldn’t be interfered with.
The Five Elements Cultivation Technique includes Metal Sharp Internal Reflection, Thorough Wood Clarity, Kan Li Fire, Earth Element Escape, and Profound Water Flow.
The Five Elements are the foundation of cultivation; regardless of the school, it’s the essence.
However, at the Tongxuan Realm, cultivating all Five Elements is difficult, hence the divisions; a cultivator may specialize in one element, and later see whether to pursue the extremity of one element or complete the Five Elements.
This is also the mainstream cultivation technique of the Quanzhen Sect and, in fact, of all schools on the continent, just with different names and focuses.
Yang Brightness True Revelation and Yin Emptiness Bead Container are the precursors of the Yin Yang Great Way, also favored by many.
Libra Spirit Platform Secret Essentials and Mysterious Spirit Big Dipper Natal True Scripture are two star-related cultivation techniques, requiring certain star-sensing abilities, very talent-demanding for Tongxuan cultivators, those who practice these two are usually gifted with stars to rely on for sustenance.
Pure Yang One Qi Heaven, Six Meridians Huangting Decision, Three Night Thunder Law Regular.
Legend has it that the Quanzhen Sect’s Yuqing Sanctuary has some hidden special techniques, not necessarily stronger than the previous twelve, but with the advantage of being unexpected.
For fear that sword cultivators would forsake the basics in pursuit of novelty, they are sealed and not publicized, with access granted only when a cultivator reaches the Natural Realm of the Tongtian three levels.
In Jin City, only a handful of people have such qualifications, including the three mansion masters.
To be honest, Hou Niao didn’t know which technique would be best for him.
As a pragmatist, it was obviously impossible to try each technique before making a final choice, as you can’t know if you’re suited for these techniques without practicing them to a certain level, which requires a lot of time.
Fortunately, he still had three books of insights to reference and plenty of time; he was not in a hurry.
Today, he came here with the attitude of browsing, to see if there was a cultivation technique that captured his heart at first sight, as if it were tailor-made for him.
Could it be love at first sight…
Unfortunately, there were no green beans here, and he was no toad.
The twelve cultivation techniques each lead directly to the Great Dao, meaning they could be cultivated continuously, up to the Golden Core, Nascent Transformation, and even higher realms.
For most cultivators, the technique they choose in the Tongxuan Realm will accompany them for life, not easily changed, perhaps only adding one or two others as their realm increases.
Women fear marrying the wrong man, men fear entering the wrong profession, and in cultivation, choosing the wrong technique is the fear; something like that.