More than two weeks later, Lu Qingshan exhaled a breath. He was reminded once again of the potential lost from that one portion of Mystic Jade Essence. While the contents of the stone slab still looked good, his mood was not as arrogant as before.

  Lu Qingshan (21 years old)

  Lifespan Remaining: 45 years

  Cultivation: Mortal Shedding - Marrow Tempering

  Techniques: Blood Seas Inner Force (Level 3, 1219/10000), Tiger Fist (Limit), Deer Steps (Limit), Red Falcon Breathing Method (Level 4, 2467/10000), Blood Pulse Technique (Level 1, 732/10000), Stoneskin Technique (Level 3, 3102/10000), Great Ape Breathing Method (Level 3, 2/10000), Roaming Tiger Breathing Method (Level 1, 122/10000), Nimble Deer Breathing Method (Level 1, 23/10000), Seven Steps Technique (Level 1, 210/10000), Golden Drop Inner Force (Level 1, 70/10000), Tiger Roar Technique (Limit), Crane Wings Technique (Limit), Iron Bear Technique (Limit), Viper Strike Technique (Limit), Basic Hand-to-hand (Limit)

  Mystic Jade Essence - Dao Fruit of Sublime Miracles - Condensing... 0%

  Wu Ruoling's secret medicine was confirmed to be successful about a week into his seclusion. He used the combination of both it and the Great Ape's secret medicine to quickly achieve a breakthrough in the Great Ape Breathing Method. Though he was still at Marrow Tempering, his strength had increased by another level.

  His reflexes were faster than before. Combined with the Seven Steps Technique, he believed he wouldn't be as helpless against the Heart Clarity stage cultivator before he used the Mystic Jade Essence to create the Blood Seas Inner Force.

  He had also managed to cultivate the first level of Golden Drop Inner Force along with the two breathing methods. They didn't provide him with much help yet. It was why most martial artists chose to focus on a few martial arts - it took a really long time for them to provide benefits. But Lu Qingshan knew this was the best path for himself.

  There was a noise as a member of the Seven Mysteries Gate came into view. Apparently, the Elders had discovered something that needed his attention.

  Lu Qingshan was pleasantly surprised to see Li Fanghua and Qin Ye meet him halfway. "You've succeeded?" he asked.

  Qin Ye nodded, his eyes still lost in thought. Li Fanghua took over as his voice. "There is something," she said.

  He observed that the campsite's construction was going well while the two led him into a finished building. The other Elders were there too. He supposed they did keep an eye on the progress of his training, to know the exact moment when he broke through to the third level of the Great Ape Breathing Method. They didn't interrupt him though. From the looks on their faces, they seemed to already know what Li Fanghua and Qin Ye discovered.

  Lu Qingshan came up to the scroll and looked down. It didn't seem any different. But when Qin Ye took out a spirit stone and took a deep breath, the scroll glowed with light just like the spirit sensing stone did.

  "You've already sensed your spirit root?" he asked.

  The boy nodded. As expected of a local genius, his speed at entering Embryonic Breathing was quick. If only he had a suitable cultivation technique, the boy would soar into the sky.

  The light eventually died down while the stone's bluish energy turned dim. The first spirit stone crumbled away, but Lu Qingshan's attention was attracted to the glowing lines written on the three conjoined Seven Mysteries Gate scrolls.

  "Is this..." he whispered.

  "It's a genuine cultivation technique," Li Fanghua said. Qin Ye's cheeks were flushed as his eyes repeatedly read the scroll up and down. "Around half a spirit stone can be used to reveal this text for a week. Since we used up some spiritual energy to help us sense our spirit roots, this one should last less than three days."

  Lu Qingshan nodded. He knew there was something special, but not this special. Inscribed at the top of the scroll were the words: Deep Earth Golden Qi Technique.

  It was a technique to achieve Qi Refinement, the realm of cultivation after Embryonic Breathing. Since the information was condensed onto a single scroll, there was no mention of the realms above. Lu Qingshan had acquired a total of three related scrolls but they didn't speak of them either.

  The second scroll contained an alternative Qi Refining cultivation method, called the Ninth Storm Dark Capital Technique. The third contained a cultivation method suited for Embryonic Breathing: the Lesser Qi Sensing Technique.

  It was apparent that the Seven Mysteries Gate had some deep secrets in the past. The scrolls had an addendum that there were a vast amount of different techniques in the world, and that they would never say these were the best. It warned them not to take their path lightly. These techniques would form their foundation.

  But it appeared that Qin Ye already had his heart set on cultivating as soon as possible. The boy looked almost feverish while reading. It almost looked like he wanted to run out and lock himself in a room for weeks.

  Lu Qingshan was more pragmatic. The Lesser Qi Sensing Technique was simple enough a choice since they had none other. It was widely flexible from the spells he saw on the paper, and there were many compatible Qi Refinement techniques in the future according to the description. The two Qi Refinement techniques required more thought.

  A cultivator at Mystic Membrane could break through to the realm of Qi Refinement using the methods provided in those manuals. But they also necessitated the use of a portion of the true qi of heaven and earth. And gathering this portion of true qi was the hard part.

  The Deep Earth Golden Qi was one such true qi. It could be extracted from deep below the earth. But finding it became a huge problem. They’d need to dig deep down and hope a wisp of the true qi would appear, which was very rare. This process had to be repeated multiple times to condense a full portion.

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  Meanwhile, the Ninth Storm Dark Capital required methods that were completely out of their reach. Under the ninth storm of a season, above a subdued city of suitable size, it was said a wisp of Profound Variations Thunder Qi could be found. However, it hadn’t rained that much in years. And venturing out into a city to collect such qi required access to extreme heights, or the ability to fly temporarily.

  Since both were not feasible, the sect just had to keep the possibility in mind. They didn't have to make a choice yet.

  The book also contained the method on how to store the qi, using a jade box. Lu Qingshan put that on the agenda. He also encouraged Li Fanghua to learn the Embryonic Breathing method with Qin Ye.

  He hoped that once one of them broke through, they would spend some time reading the two jades and inscribing them down onto a manual. That way he would also have a chance to figure out what could be done. With high hopes for them, Lu Qingshan returned to his martial arts practice, striving to break through to higher realms.

  ———

  Two years passed by in relative calm. Lu Qingshan had fed the remains of the two demonic cultivators over to the mother bear and her three cubs. He'd befriended them and thus gained various sources of medicinal plants over the years, enabling the whole sect to have a steady supply of secret medicines.

  Five people had broken through to the Bone Tempering realm as a result. Li Fanghua had achieved Spiritual Awakening, though only recently, while Qin Ye was approaching Mind Purification.

  Qin Ye had always pushed off the task of comprehending the methods hidden in the jade stones. He loved to prioritize his own cultivation, and as a sect master with bright visions for the future, Lu Qingshan was averse in forcing people to do things that were not completely necessary. There were ample rewards in completing the task, including a spirit stone if both were done, but the boy refused them to continue cultivating.

  It was Li Fanghua who gave him one of the transcribed manuals a month before. She had bowed her head in thanks, and Lu Qingshan was happy with her attitude. He saw fit to give her an additional two martial arts manual to learn. She chose the Seven Steps Technique and the Flower Dance Style.

  Dong Qianyu and Miao Mei were both nearing the Marrow Tempering stage, sitting solidly at the peak of Bone Tempering. Wu Ruoling was the dark horse joining them at the same level. In fact, she was almost faster. But none of their speeds could compare to Lu Qingshan, who was currently summoning the stone slab with a bright smile on his face.

  Lu Qingshan (23 years old)

  Lifespan Remaining: 43 years

  Cultivation: Mortal Shedding - Viscera Tempering

  Techniques: Blood Seas Inner Force (Level 4, 982/10000), Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique (Level 1, 7233/10000), Red Falcon Breathing Method (Limit), Tiger Fist (Limit), Deer Steps (Limit), Stoneskin Technique (Limit), Blood Pulse Technique (Level 1, 9244/10000), Great Ape Breathing Method (Level 4, 5722/10000), Seven Steps Technique (Level 3, 2691/10000), Roaming Tiger Breathing Method (Level 2, 3001/10000), Nimble Deer Breathing Method (Level 2, 2698/10000), Golden Drop Inner Force (Level 2, 1565/10000), Tiger Roar Technique (Limit), Crane Wings Technique (Limit), Iron Bear Technique (Limit), Viper Strike Technique (Limit), Basic Hand-to-hand (Limit)

  Mystic Jade Essence - Dao Fruit of Sublime Miracles - Condensing... 20%

  His cultivation level had reached the third organ of Viscera Tempering, with tempered spleen, kidneys, and liver. Only his lungs and heart needed further tempering to reach the peak of this stage. And due to the Blood Seas Inner Force, his speed of improvement was quite high. He estimated it would take another year to reach the peak — decades faster than some large sect experts in the rumors.

  All his other martial arts had also achieved a small breakthrough, especially the Seven Steps Technique that was his primary focus. With it, he could now run up segments of walls, and his speed on land was even faster.

  The Red Falcon Breathing Method had finally hit the limit of its cultivation. It gave him the ability Red Falcon Soaring Leap, an enhanced jump that could even cross the buildings in his camp. It also allowed him to use his blood energy to slow down his falling speed.

  Lu Qingshan set the Blood Pulse Technique as his next major focus, but it was very slow to gain experience. Though he was almost at the next level, he felt the need to go out and see what was happening.

  The distribution rights of cultivation manuals had been put on hold due to a collective decision by the Elders. It wasn’t as if they could cultivate anyway. Qin Ye also needed to earn his keep, and with three spirit stones remaining in the sect reserves, there weren’t many times they could activate those manuals. But the boy didn’t seem to need another look.

  Li Fanghua was about to receive two personal chances to look for herself. The technique she had discovered in the Seven Mysteries Gate’s jade was another Qi Refinement-level technique. But this technique was quite different from the ones in the scroll.

  Hundred Beasts Refinement was a body cultivation method, not just qi. It took the blood essence of many different species of monster beasts, mixed them into a medicinal bath, and imbued the cultivator with enhanced strength. The technique accordingly had many ways to practice it depending on what qi was employed to commence the refinement. Lu Qingshan's mind bloomed with theories on how to incorporate it for his own use.

  Lu Qingshan, seeing Li Fanghua still inside her abode, left for the forest to meet up with the bears again. Previously while training, the mother bear had taken the initiative to spar with him. He was evenly matched before Blood Sea’s breakthrough, dominant afterwards, and now, he didn’t know what level he had reached.

  But they knew the forest and could guide him around. His eagerness for battle was already high, and his blood only boiled more when he came across a scene near the bears’ cave.

  Lu Qingshan saw a group of four men attacking the family of bears. One of the cubs was on the floor, twitching, while the mother bear defended it with all her life. The other two cubs tried to look threatening at her sides.

  A tiger roar shattered the calm faces of the enemy men. Seven steps skipped across the forest like wind. Lu Qingshan’s fist erupted through the weakest martial artists. His next blow completely shattered the guard of the second weakest enemy, a Viscera Tempering stage expert, and left him gasping in pain.

  He did not know why three Viscera Tempering experts had appeared in this stretch of woods. Two were even nearing the peak of their stage with four organs tempered. They looked like a pair, sharing similar furious expressions at the death of their companion.

  Lu Qingshan met them head to head without faltering. For a few moments, he stalled them, one against two. Just enough to gain a good grasp of his current level of power with the addition of the Red Falcon Breathing Method at its limit. Then he stopped holding back.

  A sudden burst of speed sent his claw tearing through a man’s armored chest. Lu Qingshan met the last enemy’s palm with palm, breaking his opponent’s wrist with a single strike. The man fell to his knees, clutching his heart.

  Without reaching the peak of Viscera Tempering or having the innately strong body of a monster beast, they were very vulnerable to the effects of the Blood Pulse Technique. Lu Qingshan crushed their skulls and wiped his hands clean.

  The mother bear came up to him, making soft noises. Lu Qingshan took out some of the medicine his sect had prepared. He applied it to the heavily injured cub’s wounds while the other three bears watched on in worry.

  “Don’t worry.” He reassuringly patted a frantic cub’s head. “She’s still alive.”

  While the bear family fretted, Lu Qingshan furrowed his brows, examining the corpses and the area around them. He found four bags hidden in tree holes filled to the brim with the supplies for a long excursion in the mountain ranges. They were even more specialized than the equipment the Seven Mysteries Gate had made over the years.

  Something was afoot.