Chapter 205: Chapter 94: Essence Wood Technique: Second Realm

Qianmu Temple.

It was as peaceful as ever.

In the small courtyard of the Mountain Peak Dojo, Shen Xiaozhu walked out of the room that used to be Liu Shuang’s. She had exchanged her leather armor for a cotton Cultivator’s Robe, and her greasy hair was now clean and tied up in a topknot, finally making her look a bit more presentable.

After leaving the room, she picked up a broom and began to sweep the courtyard. Meanwhile, Wang Ping had gone to the back mountain to see Yu Cheng Taoist.

Her feelings at this moment were rather complex—she was happy and expectant, yet also filled with apprehension and nervousness.

She began practicing martial arts at the age of eight and became fascinated with it. By fifteen, she had developed a sense of qi, but her tribe lacked the resources for her to advance any further.

So, she left her tribe and began a seventeen-year journey in search of the Dao. Unfortunately, in the world of the Hu Mountain Country, there was only the constant strife between clans. The major sects, like the Yuqing Sect, rejected her because she was over thirteen and had no clan recommendation.

Afterward, she continuously helped the Yuqing Sect with their peripheral affairs, all in the hopes of one day being chosen.

More than ten years passed in a flash, and her turn never came.

Now, by a stroke of luck, she had finally gotten her chance. Her heart was naturally filled with immense joy and anticipation for the future, but she also worried that she was too dull-witted. Combined with the fact she was already over thirty, she feared she would be abandoned.

Before returning to Nanlin Road, Shen Xiaozhu hadn’t had these worries. Back then, she thought the master she had acknowledged was just an unknown, somewhat down-on-his-luck Cultivator. She believed that if she followed him, was obedient in all things, and helped shoulder his burdens, she would surely reap some benefits.

But upon returning to Nanlin Road, she discovered that her master was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He had countless capable people at his disposal, and compared to them, she was truly insignificant.

"The path of cultivation emphasizes a peaceful Dao Heart. Do not forget your original intention." A voice drifted down from the sky. Yu Lian’s figure, shrunken to about twenty feet long, landed and draped herself over the eaves, staring at Shen Xiaozhu. "As long as you don’t forget the determination and perseverance you had when you first sought the Dao, you will surely bear fruit one day."

"Yes, Martial Aunt!"

Shen Xiaozhu immediately bowed in respect.

Yu Lian’s head drooped as she basked in the warm winter sun. With her eyes closed, she said, "I have high hopes for you. Don’t embarrass me, you hear? Also, your master went to see his eldest disciple and will be back soon. When he returns, there will be an endless stream of people to see him, so you’d better be sharp."

"Thank you for the reminder, Martial Aunt."

But Yu Lian paid her no more mind. She lay on the eaves and drifted off to sleep; in the winter, she always found it hard to resist slumber.

Not long after, a silent streak of light flashed across the sky, and Wang Ping landed in the courtyard. He ignored the sweeping Shen Xiaozhu, sat down at the Stone Table, and took out a storage pouch. It had dropped from the first Wood Cultivator who had tried to kill him.

The contents were a mess. The most eye-catching items were twenty gold ingots, followed by Elixirs. Most of them were Qi Gathering Pills, with a small number of True Essence Pills, and a special bottle containing some poison pills he had refined himself.

’It’s a pity I was in such a rush at the time. I didn’t get to collect the magic treasures from his body,’

Wang Ping thought to himself as he continued to sift through the other items. He skipped past clothes and scriptures, finally spotting a unique, cyan-colored bamboo slip. It had a very faint Divine Soul Mark on it, and he immediately took it out to examine it.

It was a Cultivation Technique, but it had a Divine Soul Mark. Forcing it open would likely destroy it instantly.

"Can you remove the Divine Soul Mark on this?" Wang Ping asked, looking at the sleeping Yu Lian on the eaves.

"Let me see..."

Yu Lian descended on a cloud, shrinking down to perch on Wang Ping’s shoulder. She leaned her head against his and stared at the bamboo slip in his hand. After probing it with her divine soul for a few breaths, she said, "Done. Read it quickly. I can only stabilize it for a quarter of an hour. With your intelligence, you should be able to memorize it."

After she spoke, she patted Wang Ping’s back with her tail, as if to encourage him.

Wang Ping didn’t waste time with boasts. He unfurled the bamboo slip in his hand, and the first thing he saw was the title, "Essence Wood Technique," written in large characters.

"The Six Heart Sect’s Refined Wood Technique?" Wang Ping was surprised for a moment, then came to an understanding.

"You only have a quarter of an hour," Yu Lian reminded him.

Wang Ping reached out to flick Yu Lian’s forehead, but she dodged it successfully. He chuckled, then fully unrolled the bamboo slip. It only recorded two volumes, containing the content up to the Second Realm. Since he had already obtained the First Realm, he skipped it and looked directly at the Second Realm. After he finished reading, a screen of light popped up:

[Essence Wood Technique (Second Realm): Use Wood Spirit Consciousness as a guide to devour enough Essence Wood Souls, cultivating an Essence Wood Soul within your body. Then, fuse it with your own divine soul to complete a leap in your level of life. During this process, you must not have overly active thoughts, or there is a high probability the fusion will fail.]

[1. Completely fuse the Wood Spirit planted in your Qi Sea until it becomes a part of your body. During this process, you will need to assimilate its strange and volatile memories. You will require a Calming God Array, or find a way to make your physical body enter a long period of deep sleep. Remember, you must use your divine soul to complete this step within a fixed Calming God Array. You may attempt this a maximum of 6 times per day. If you do not succeed within ten years, please give up in a timely manner. (Progress 0/100, Today’s Progress: 0/6 attempts).]

[2. After successfully fusing with the Wood Spirit planted in your Qi Sea and its memories, attempt to absorb Essence Wood Souls to enhance your affinity with Wood Spirit Qi, preparing for the next leap in your level of life. You may attempt this 2 times per day. As long as you maintain a steady state of mind, you can succeed within thirty years. (Progress 0/100, Today’s Progress: 0/2 attempts).]

[3. When you have mastered the use of Wood Spirit Qi, you must begin to nurture your qi—specifically, the essence wood qi within your body. Circulate the Grand Circulation within your body 20 times a day, just as you did during Qi Cultivation. You can succeed within fifty years. (Progress 0/100, Today’s Progress: 0/20 attempts).]

[4. Within a fixed Wood Spirit Gathering Qi Formation, use your divine soul, infused with an Essence Wood Soul, to control the Wood Spirit planted in your Qi Sea and absorb sufficient Spiritual Qi to complete the leap in your level of life. You must choose the right moment. The current Spiritual Qi reserves in your location are insufficient. Success Rate: (1/100).]

[Note 1: The Calming God Array for assimilating memories is shown in the diagram below...]

[Note 2: It is best to choose an Essence Wood Soul that is compatible with your own divine soul. Otherwise, the absorption process will be extremely long and may exceed the lifespan your divine soul can endure. Alternatively, you can adjust your own divine soul.]

[Note 3: Persist in your Qi Cultivation and do not slacken. Reaching this step means you are already halfway to success.]

[Note 4: The Gathering Qi Formation map is shown below...]

This was an unexpected windfall. With the second volume of the "Essence Wood Technique," Qianmu Temple had gained another legacy, even if it might not be used for a hundred or two hundred years.

As Wang Ping was marveling at his good fortune, the bamboo slip in his hand made a crisp sound. The next moment, its middle section snapped. A continuous series of cracks followed, and the bamboo slip disintegrated into dust.

"Did you memorize it?" Yu Lian asked curiously.

"Of course!"

Wang Ping took out a Talisman, communicated his intent to the ’Luck-Borrowing Talisman,’ and then recorded the content he had just seen onto it. This was just in case.