In truth, the requirements for a Cultivator to practice the art of ’Controlling Objects’ were far more complex than Zhu Ju had imagined.

The selection of the ’object’ alone was incredibly stringent.

Gold had to be ’Refined Gold,’ silver had to be ’Divine Silver’... even jade had to be the ’Essence of Jade.’ Furthermore, it had to be kept close to the body, constantly nourished by one’s own aura.

Without this, even one who knew the Method would find it difficult to control the object at will.

The Jade Hairpin wielded by Granny Niu was once a three-foot-square block of Cyan Jade. Only after more than a decade of her nourishment and refinement did it shrink to its current size and gain its present power.

However, despite the high requirements, as long as one possessed a High Grade ’Artifact,’ the boost to one’s strength was equally terrifying.

If one had a legendary ’Magical Artifact’ in hand, a Magician could even kill a Mage, or perhaps even a Great Mage.

But such Treasures would never fall into the hands of an ordinary person.

"My turn."

The last person, a tall and slender man with hawk-like eyes and an aquiline nose, saw that the other two had already revealed their abilities. He stepped forward and said:

"I am Feng Hongda, a Guest Minister at the Government Office and a part-time Demon Catcher."

"My methods are hardly worth mentioning. Just some tricks for Insect Extermination and toying with birds for amusement."

He extended one hand, and a thick white smoke rose from his palm. When the smoke cleared, a lifelike rat appeared in his hand.

"This is the Soul Control Technique!"

"Brother Feng." Huo Yan clearly recognized Feng Hongda and knew the origin of this Magic. He frowned immediately.

"This technique seems to be an inheritance of the Celestial Capital Sect. Can it really be taught to outsiders?"

Hearing this, Zhu Ju also looked away. His primary goal right now was to understand this world and acquire things beneficial to himself, and he had no intention of stirring up trouble.

"You jest, Brother Huo." Feng Hongda shook his head.

"The Soul Control Technique isn’t some True Inheritance or Secret Technique. There’s no reason it can’t be taught. Besides, what I learned was only a fragmented version."

"Young Master Zhu."

He set the rat down, letting it circle around him as he explained:

"This technique allows one to transform a part of their consciousness into common creatures like rats, snakes, or eagles. The resulting creature is a Transformed Object, and what it sees, the user sees. It can be used as a Scout to survey the path ahead."

As he spoke, the rat scurried to a corner of the room, squeaking.

"There are three peanuts over there. One of them is only half-eaten. I suspect it’s poison intended for rats and pests."

Feng Hongda said, then walked to the corner and, sure enough, picked up three poisoned peanuts.

"Not bad!"

Zhu Ju asked,

"Can it turn into an eagle?"

Creating rats and snakes was of little use. It didn’t increase one’s strength, and it was a rather useless way to scout or search for secrets.

But an eagle was a different story.

An eagle soaring through the sky can see for several miles, a natural-born apex predator.

Whether for pursuing an enemy or guarding against pursuit, transforming into a goshawk was an invaluable tool.

"Yes."

Feng Hongda nodded.

"However, to become an eagle, one must cultivate the Soul Control Technique to the Third Realm. I only became a Demon Catcher after I was able to perform Divine Splitting and Eagle Transformation."

"Then..." Zhu Ju pressed,

"How long would it take for someone who has never practiced Cultivation to reach the Third Realm of the Soul Control Technique?"

"Five or six years for the fast, ten to twenty for the slow." Feng Hongda added,

"If they have a foundation and Talent, I’ve heard of someone who managed Divine Splitting and Eagle Transformation after just over a month of Cultivation."

Zhu Ju reached up to rub his brow and sighed helplessly.

’The Method is interesting, being able to create living things from thin air.’ 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

’But honestly, it isn’t very useful, and spending that much time in Cultivation isn’t worth the trade-off for me.’

"Young Master Zhu." Feng Hongda knew his Magic had its flaws. He hesitated for a moment before saying,

"Also, if Young Master Zhu needs help using Profound Light to break open his Ancestral Acupoint one day, I can assist with that as well."

"Oh!"

Zhu Ju’s interest was piqued.

Cultivation in this world first involved Sensing the Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, then Illuminating the Profound Light, and finally, using the Profound Light for Acupoint Breaking.

Once the Ancestral Acupoint is open, Magical Power is born. That is a Mage!

Without opening the Ancestral Acupoint and possessing no Magical Power, one is just a Mortal, no matter how many tricks they have. A Magician is also a Mortal.

But breaking open the Ancestral Acupoint is no easy feat. It has specific requirements for inheritance, medicine, and even environment. This is why Magicians are common, but Mages are rare.

However, a promise like this was just a sweetener; whether he could actually enjoy it was another matter entirely.

"My older sister is married to Xing Kanzi, the master of the Jile Spirit House. He is a Mage and sells Acupoint Breaking Potions."

Feng Hongda explained, while also hinting at his own background.

"Good."

Zhu Ju smiled and nodded.

"Then we’ll stick to the original agreement: three hundred taels of gold for one Magic technique, including your respective methods for Sensing and Illuminating the Profound Light."

"Heh heh..." Granny Niu chuckled lowly.

"Young Master Zhu, we may have come here for the three hundred taels of gold, but we never said we would definitely agree, did we?"

"Magic is hard to come by. Don’t you think three hundred taels is a bit too cheap?"

Huo Yan and Feng Hongda exchanged a look, a flicker of surprise in their eyes, but they both chose to remain silent.

Gold!

Not silver.

Three hundred taels of gold for one Magic technique wasn’t cheap.

But since Granny Niu was willing to play the bad guy, they weren’t going to interfere. After all, a deal like this also depended on whether the buyer was qualified to buy.

"Oh?"

Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes.

"Granny Niu, we are all perfectly aware that the Magic techniques the three of you are willing to teach all have significant flaws."

"Brother Huo’s ’Divine Summoning Skill,’ once used, cannot be used again for a short period. At other times, it’s just for show."

"And you..."

"I don’t need to say much about the Object Controlling Technique, do I? It’s not your own signature skill to begin with, Granny Niu."

Zhu Ju remained expressionless. He slowly reached out, picked up a gold ingot, and began to gently rub it in his hand as he continued:

"The Soul Control Technique is the same. It’s too bland to savor, yet a pity to discard. Three hundred taels of gold is already not cheap."

"SHH-SHH..."

Fine gold dust trickled from Zhu Ju’s hand, causing the expressions of the three to change.

Gold may not be as hard as steel, but to rub a gold ingot into dust was something no ordinary person could do.

This method didn’t seem as ferocious as Huo Yan’s Divine Summoning Skill, but it was actually more difficult to achieve. This level of strength was enough to qualify him to trade with them.

"Five hundred taels!"

Zhu Ju spoke.

"If anyone disagrees, you can leave now. I will not force the issue."

"Young Master Zhu is generous." Unexpectedly, the first to step forward was the grim-faced Feng Hongda. He took a booklet from his robes and handed it over.

"This is the Soul Control Technique, a legacy of the Celestial Capital Sect. However, the version of the Magic I have is incomplete. It can only be cultivated to the Third Realm at most. I’ve included some of my own notes for your reference."

Zhu Ju took the booklet, flipped through it casually, and nodded.

"Brother Feng is a man of his word. You may take the five hundred taels of gold for yourself."

"Thank you!"

Feng Hongda clasped his hands in thanks, took five hundred taels of gold on the spot, and departed in a hurry, as if he had urgent business to attend to.

He had arrived in a rush, his face anxious, and he left in a rush as well. However, his expression relaxed considerably after getting the gold. It seemed he had sold the Magic because he was in desperate need of money.

"I’ve made a fool of myself in front of Young Master Zhu." Granny Niu chuckled.

"The Magic I cultivate is rather special and consumes a great deal of silver taels each day. I have no choice... but to be a bit calculating."

"This is the Object Controlling Technique."

Huo Yan followed suit, taking out the manual for the Divine Summoning Skill and promising that if Zhu Ju had any questions, he could consult him at any time.

Of course, it would cost money.

*

*

*

「Leping County.」

「The Zhu Mansion.」

Three booklets of varying thickness lay on the table. Zhu Ju ran his hand over them one by one, a faint smile appearing on his face.

The Magic of this second Otherworld was profound and unique, but in truth, its killing power wasn’t strong—at least, not at the Magician stage. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to trade with the three Magicians face-to-face.

If it came to blows, he had no fear of facing a Magician.

Especially in close quarters.

Zhu Ju was confident he could finish off Huo Yan and the other two within a few breaths, unless they had other tricks up their sleeves.

’Magic?’

’I’m interested in Magic, but unfortunately, these techniques are more like parlor tricks. They might be somewhat useful at the Entering the Realm stage, but they’re not very effective for an Inner Qi Expert.’

’Compared to the Magic techniques themselves, the methods for Sensing the Ancestral Acupoint and Illuminating the Profound Light are the real prize.’

Sensing the Ancestral Acupoint and Illuminating the Profound Light are the fundamentals for any Cultivator starting out. Even if Granny Niu and the other two held back on the Magic techniques, they wouldn’t fake such a Basic Method. It would be too easy to expose, and in their eyes, pointless.

Little did they know, the Basic Method was precisely what Zhu Ju truly wanted to obtain.

’A combination of a Cultivation Technique, potions, and a Secret Technique is needed to sense the existence of the Ancestral Acupoint, and from there, illuminate the Profound Light and begin Cultivation.’

The Basic Methods in the three books were nearly identical; only the potion formulas were slightly different. He could simply choose one to practice.