Chapter 393 - 361: 9-Revolution Spirit-Condensing Divine Skill (2)
Chapter 393: Chapter 361: 9-Revolution Spirit-Condensing Divine Skill (2)
Steward Wang held up a finger, pointing upward. "It’s best to swear a Dao oath under an open sky. Let’s go outside."
The two walked into the courtyard together.
Zhao Lin looked up at the gloomy sky, his expression solemn as he declared loudly, "I, Zhao Lin, a disciple of the Chenghua Sect, hereby swear an oath to the Celestial Dao and the Sect. From this day forward, I will cultivate the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill, and I shall not reveal a single word of it to anyone."
"If I break this vow, may I be struck by a myriad of lightning tribulations and my physical body be utterly destroyed."
After reciting the oath, Zhao Lin took a deep breath. ’This is truly vicious,’ he thought. ’I wonder which elder came up with such a clever trick.’
Just then, Steward Wang handed him a dagger crafted from refined gold.
Zhao Lin took the dagger and slashed it forcefully across his palm. Channeling his energy, he made fresh blood spurt out.
As if sensing the power of the oath, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a complex, esoteric rune faintly materialized.
The rune quickly dissipated. It was followed by wisps of white light, fine as silken threads of rain, which descended upon Zhao Lin’s body and vanished in an instant.
Startled, Zhao Lin hurriedly circulated his Spiritual Qi to inspect his body. He found nothing wrong, which brought him a measure of relief.
Seeing this, Steward Wang chuckled. "Rest easy, young friend. As long as you don’t break your vow, it will have no impact on your cultivation path."
Zhao Lin breathed a sigh of relief, but then a question occurred to him. "Elder Wang, since I’ve made a Dao oath, I certainly won’t break it. But I do have one question."
"Oh? What’s that?"
"I swore my oath to the Celestial Dao of this realm. But what if—and I’m just speaking hypothetically—what if I entered some minor realm, revealed the Cultivation Technique to someone there, and then stayed in that minor realm forever? How could the Celestial Dao punish me then?"
Steward Wang roared with laughter, the wrinkles on his face crinkling together. "You’re a clever one, young friend. But since this is a Dao oath sanctioned by the Sect, how could it possibly have such a massive loophole?"
"Let me tell you, once you swear a Dao oath, a mark of the Celestial Dao is placed within your body. Even if you enter a minor realm, should you break your vow, the Celestial Dao of that realm will sense it and deliver a divine punishment all the same."
"Let me give you an analogy. A man who murders, robs, and commits all manner of evil is forced to flee to another land. After the locals learn of his deeds, how do you think they will treat him?"
"Besides, the mark of the Celestial Dao resides within you. Even if you managed to evade the divine punishment, the mark itself would shatter, and you would perish all the same, your soul extinguished."
He paused for a moment before asking, "Even if you could deceive the Celestial Dao, could you deceive yourself?"
Understanding dawned on Zhao Lin. ’So that’s how it is,’ he thought. ’I understand now.’
Back inside the room, Steward Wang told Zhao Lin to wait for a moment and then hurried off.
A short while later, Steward Wang returned, holding an exquisite jade slip.
"This is the first revolution of the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill. You are only permitted to view it; you must not copy it to your own jade slip."
"Also, never write it down on paper. If someone were to see it by accident, even if it wasn’t your intention, it would still be considered a violation of the Dao oath. Remember this well!"
Zhao Lin nodded in acknowledgment. ’They say the Celestial Dao is a reflection of the human heart,’ he thought. ’It really isn’t something you can trifle with.’
He immediately calmed his mind and began to examine the Cultivation Technique within the jade slip.
Cultivators have sharp senses and photographic memories. Zhao Lin read the text carefully three times, committing the entire content of the Cultivation Technique to memory.
...
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
During this time, Zhao Lin had focused on only two things: opening his Spiritual Acupoints to advance his realm, and cultivating the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill.
To date, he had opened thirty-five Spiritual Acupoints. He was just one away from perfecting the Qi Refining Third Layer.
In their second year of cultivation, disciples were allowed to cultivate in the Spirit Cave for one day each month.
Zhao Lin, however, used his merit points to spend at least ten days there each month, sometimes even half the month.
He did this for two reasons. First, cultivating in the Spirit Cave truly did accelerate his progress.
Second, it served as a cover, leading others to believe his rapid advancement was simply due to the extra time he spent in the Spirit Cave.
Otherwise, how could a Martial Cultivator with a medium-grade Spiritual Root possibly surpass a group of disciples who all possessed high-grade Spiritual Roots?
As for Magic, Zhao Lin had invested hardly any effort. Aside from putting on an act during morning lessons, he saved all his time for cultivating the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill.
"’The four gates are sealed: the eyes do not see, the nose does not smell, the mouth does not speak, the ears do not hear. Let go of all worldly ties, focus the will, and guard the center. In time, ten thousand thoughts become one thought, and the one thought becomes no-thought...’"
’Sigh... I just can’t quiet my mind!’
Outside the window, a gentle rain fell, blanketing the world in silence.
Yet Zhao Lin’s mind was a tangled mess, and he felt restless and agitated.
After closing his eyes for a moment, he finally shook his head. He picked up a green talisman from beside him and slapped it with a flick of his wrist.
A ball of Spiritual Light flared to life, and waves of refreshing coolness washed over him.
Zhao Lin’s expression relaxed, and his mind gradually settled.
The Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill consumed a great deal of Divine Sense. While cultivating, it was easy for distracting thoughts and various emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—to arise, making it necessary to use a Clear Heart Talisman to alleviate the pressure.
The Clear Heart Talisman was derived from the Daoist "Qingning Skill." It could calm the mind, quiet one’s qi, and dissolve Heart Demons, making it highly beneficial for cultivation.
Unfortunately, this particular Magic was extremely difficult to learn and took a great deal of time to master.
Fortunately, a talisman master had simplified it, inscribing it into talismans that were thus highly sought after by cultivators.
Of course, one couldn’t expect a talisman costing five Spirit Coins to be overly effective; it only lasted for a quarter of an hour.
Every time Zhao Lin cultivated, he used at least three Clear Heart Talismans. Over the past six months, he had spent over two hundred Spirit Stones just on purchasing them.
HUUU...
Two hours later, it was time to end his cultivation. Zhao Lin felt his Divine Sense had grown stronger yet again.
His Divine Sense swept out the window, reaching a distance of about thirty-six zhang.
He cultivated in the same spot every day, so he had a very clear perception of the changes in his Divine Sense.
One of the benefits of the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill was that one’s Divine Sense didn’t just suddenly expand by thirty zhang upon completing the first revolution. Instead, it grew incrementally as one’s Divine Sense became stronger.
’Not bad. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’
Zhao Lin nodded in satisfaction, a slight smile playing on his lips.
’At this rate, I can complete the first revolution within three years.’
’By then, my own realm will probably be at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. Combining the two, my Divine Sense should be able to reach eighty zhang. I won’t have to be afraid of encountering Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators anymore.’
’However, that’s all contingent on a steady supply of Spirit Refining Class pills.’
At this thought, Zhao Lin took out his Body Stone to check his remaining merit points. The smile on his face slowly faded.
He had originally thought that even if he cultivated in the Spirit Cave every day, at a cost of three merit points per day, his points would last him a year or two.
But now, after only six months, he was left with just over four hundred.
The pills required to cultivate the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill were primarily of three types: the Spiritual Replenishing Pill, the Soul Nourishing Pill, and the Spirit Storage Pill.
The formulas for Spirit Refining Class pills included many rare types of Spirit Grass, and they used the brain fluid of a Demon Beast as a catalyst. This made them extremely difficult to concoct and, consequently, very expensive.
The Spiritual Replenishing Pill was to be taken once every three days. Each one was worth three Spirit Stones, or three merit points.
The Soul Nourishing Pill was taken once every ten days. Each one was worth five Spirit Stones, or five merit points.
The Spirit Storage Pill was only taken at the start of each revolution and was worth one hundred Spirit Stones, or one hundred merit points.
It was possible to cultivate the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill without pills, but doing so would force him to shorten his training sessions or stop cultivating altogether, waiting for his spiritual soul to recover before he could continue.
Zhao Lin, in his pursuit of speed, had been taking the full dosage of pills, so his merit points were naturally being consumed at a rapid rate.
’Truly, one cannot cultivate the Dao without wealth!’
Zhao Lin sighed softly. His remaining merit points would barely last him until the end of the year. If he wanted to continue cultivating the Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill next year, he would have to find a way to earn more.
...
"That’s incredible! Congratulations, Brother Yan, on mastering your Divine Skill!"
"Yeah! If Brother Yan polishes his offensive Magic a bit more, he could even participate in the sect’s grand competition."
"You have to treat us! Treat your brothers to some Hidden Sword Cold Fish..."
That morning, as Zhao Lin passed by the Demonstration Pavilion, he saw a group of senior disciples gathered together, talking animatedly.
"Not at all, not at all! You all are too kind!"
Yan Yuan stood in the center of the crowd, beaming, his eyes narrowed to slits, looking as if he’d just come into a great fortune.
’What’s the happy occasion?’
Zhao Lin’s interest was piqued. He stood at a distance and listened for a moment. It turned out that Yan Yuan’s Rock Armor Skill had reached the grand mastery level, and everyone was congratulating him.
’This really is a happy occasion!’
A flicker of joy sparked in Zhao Lin’s heart. He was genuinely happy for Brother Yan.
’My own Rock Armor Skill can be upgraded now...’