Chapter 19: Nameless Body Refining Technique
Shi Feng was startled and looked around, but Dao Chong was nowhere to be seen. He then looked around and saw several fellow students gathered together, heatedly arguing about the fight that had just taken place. Judging from their expressions, it was obvious that they had not heard what Dao Chong had said.
Back at Yuxiu Mountain, Liu Yunzi gathered his seven disciples and gave a detailed analysis of today's competition. The disciples were either praised or criticized, and it took an hour for everyone to disperse. Shi Feng stayed at Yuxiu Mountain that night and did not return to the Sword Forging Valley.
At the second watch of the night, Shi Feng quietly got up, descended the mountain path, and used the teleportation array to return to Iron Sword Peak. He followed the path all the way to a valley in the west. This was where Taoist Master Dao Chong was in seclusion. It had always been a forbidden area for the sect, and it was quiet and deserted.
The valley was full of bushes and thorns, and there was no road at all. Shi Feng walked through the woods, one step deep and one step shallow. Fortunately, the moon was very bright tonight, and there were no poisonous snakes or beasts in the valley. Around three o'clock in the morning, Shi Feng found a cave on the edge of the cliff on the west side. The entrance of the cave was not big. In the moonlight, he saw a couplet engraved on the left and right, which read "The wind is rising from all directions, and the moon is full in thousands of mountains." It was the "Qiyuan Cave" where Taoist Chong was in seclusion.
Shi Feng was about to announce his name loudly when a faint voice from inside said, "Come in." It was Dao Chong's voice. Shi Feng quickly responded and entered the cave. The cave was quite spacious, but empty. He only saw Dao Chong sitting cross-legged on the west side. There was a faint cave door behind him, which seemed to indicate that there was something hidden inside. Shi Feng didn't dare to look closely and knelt down to pay homage. "Disciple Shi Feng greets the Grandmaster."
Dao Chong nodded and said, "Stand up and talk." Shi Feng said, "Yes!" and stood up. Dao Chong said, "Shi Feng, you have been a disciple for a year, right?" Shi Feng replied. Dao Chong asked, "Where are you currently working?" Shi Feng said, "I am in the Sword Casting Valley, helping to refine the materials for the refining of weapons."
Dao Chong said "Oh", "It's with Senior Brother Ganchu. Senior Brother Ganchu is a very kind person, but a little stubborn." Shi Feng agreed, but thought in his heart, what Senior Brother Ganchu, I haven't even met any of his disciples.
Dao Chong asked, "What kind of skills have you practiced in the sect?" Shi Feng said, "I have no spiritual roots, so I don't have any training methods. Oh, by the way, Senior Brother Changqing taught me the Pure Yuan Gong, saying it can strengthen the body and bones." Dao Chong said, "Indeed, I see that your bones and muscles are stronger than those of ordinary disciples. It seems that you practice diligently." Shi Feng thought to himself, it's not that I practice diligently, but I can't last long in places like the Earth Fire Furnace every day without practicing. He said, "Thank you for the compliment, Master."
Dao Chong said, "I called you here today precisely to discuss the cultivation method. I see that your muscles and bones are strong, so you're suitable for the path of physical cultivation." Shi Feng was bewildered. "Body cultivation?" Dao Chong said, "Body cultivation is the use of spiritual energy to cultivate muscles and bones. It's an external cultivation method, the exact opposite of internal cultivation."
Seeing that Shi Feng was still puzzled, Dao Chong continued, "Internal cultivation is about storing spiritual energy in the Dantian Qi Sea and transforming it into one's own magic power, while physical cultivation is about using spiritual energy to temper the body's bones and skin. If a physical cultivator reaches a high level, every move they make will have the power of a dragon or elephant, and ordinary Qi cultivators may not be their match. Moreover, physical cultivation is also very beneficial for breaking through the bottleneck of internal cultivation. After all, strong bones and flesh are always a good thing."
Shi Feng scratched his head and asked, "If that's the case, then why don't everyone focus on physical cultivation as well? I've seen that my fellow practitioners are all focusing on internal cultivation, not physical cultivation." Dao Chong laughed, "That's an interesting question. While physical cultivation is good, human strength is limited. Physical cultivation also requires time to absorb spiritual energy. The energy you gain from meditating all day is limited, so should you use it to enhance your magic power or to strengthen your body? Furthermore, physical cultivation has higher requirements than internal cultivation, requiring not only spiritual roots but also a strong physical body. Therefore, among humans, physical cultivation has always been far inferior to internal cultivation. On the other hand, among the demon and devil races, there are quite a few physical cultivators."
Shi Feng finally understood. Dao Chong continued, "Many of our outer disciples do pursue the path of physical cultivation, but our Taiji Sect is primarily an internal cultivation sect, and we don't have any physical cultivation methods at all. The few books on physical training techniques we have collected were collected from outside, and they don't seem very advanced. I have a manual on physical cultivation techniques here, so I'll pass it on to you."
Shi Feng quickly knelt down to express his gratitude, and said, "Haha, don't be in a hurry to thank me. Just listen to me. It's still a matter of time before you decide whether you want this book or not. In fact, there is a reason why I wanted to pass this technique to you. This technique has no name at all. It was discovered in an unnamed cave when my junior brother Danyang and I were traveling in a foreign land more than a hundred years ago. There was a very powerful monster in it at that time. Junior brother Danyang was seriously injured in order to protect me." Although he has always been calm, he couldn't help but sigh when he thought of the past.
Dao Chong continued, "When we got back, we discovered this technique was a physical training technique, completely useless to us. Furthermore, not only did it lack a name, but it was also missing half of its contents, lacking the magical power training section." A complete text usually begins with the training method, followed by instructions for applying the magical power transformations. This text was missing half, meaning even if we practiced, we wouldn't know how to use it.
Shi Feng's eyes flashed with disappointment. Dao Chong said, "Haha, that's not the worst part. Besides, this technique doesn't even explain how to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth." Shi Feng almost jumped up. If he didn't know how to practice or use a classic, what else was there? Dao Chong seemed to see his doubt and said, "This technique only explains how to guide the absorbed spiritual energy of heaven and earth and how to strengthen the body, skin and bones. But I have carefully studied this technique and it seems very profound. Are you willing to learn it?" Shi Feng thought to himself, if I don't learn it, what else can I learn? Nodding, he said, "Disciple is willing."
"Alright. But there's one thing I must tell you. This technique has an unknown origin. You must not tell anyone else about it. If it's a secret from some sect, and you take it without being able to explain its origin, you'll cause trouble, and I won't be able to save you. Okay, I'll pass the technique on to you. Go ahead." Dao Chong said, extending his finger and pointing. A ray of light shone onto Shi Feng's forehead, and Shi Feng felt as if a thin tome had appeared in his mind. Without even turning a glance, Shi Feng kowtowed to Dao Chong and hurriedly stood up to leave.
He returned to his residence and hurriedly flipped through the tome. Sure enough, it had no title. There were no methods for absorbing vital energy in the front, nor any magical powers for applying it in the back. It was entirely devoted to how to temper the body. Shi Feng had no knowledge of physical cultivation, so he could only understand about ten or twelve parts of the tome.
He didn't want to ponder it too carefully, so the next morning, he went straight to find his senior brother Chang Qing and asked, "Senior brother, do you know how to cultivate your body?" Chang Qing said, "Body cultivation? Why are you asking that?" Shi Feng said, "I heard that people without spiritual roots can also cultivate their bodies, so I want to give it a try."
Chang Qing said, "I don't know much about the art of physical cultivation. Even among outer disciples without spiritual roots, few practice physical cultivation." Shi Feng asked curiously, "Why is that? If they can't cultivate internally, why don't they pursue physical cultivation?" Chang Qing said, "Physical cultivation simply strengthens the body, increasing strength and thickening the skin, but in terms of power, it might not be as good as a low-grade spiritual weapon. Outer disciples are descendants of various aristocratic families. Even if their family background is meager, they can still afford one or two spiritual weapons. Why bother with physical cultivation? It's not only difficult, but without spiritual roots, one can't build a foundation or form a core, nor can it increase lifespan. It's just a waste of effort."
Shi Feng smiled bitterly and said, "Brother, you know I'm from a poor family. I'm free, so it's okay to practice." Chang Qing sighed, "That's true. But brother, I don't understand the method of physical cultivation either. In theory, your Pure Yuan Gong can be considered physical cultivation, but it's just a simple cleansing of the body with vital energy, not an authentic physical cultivation technique. If you want to practice authentic physical cultivation techniques, you'd better look for them in the Sutra Library. But I advise you not to get too much hope. Even if the Sutra Library has them, they're probably just some common stuff."
Shi Feng asked, "The Sutra Library? Can I go there?" Chang Qing said, "Inner disciples can go there, so why can't you?"
The Sutra Repository is located on Yantai Ridge, which is the seat of the Tai Chi sect's main branch. It is surrounded by the other four sects and is located in the center. As the name suggests, its shape resembles an inkstone. Although the mountain is not high, it is flat and covers the largest area.
The Sutra Repository is located on the west side of Yantai Ridge. It is the center of the sect protection formation. Although it looks isolated, it is actually well guarded.
However, from the outside, the Sutra Repository is unremarkable. It is a six-story tower with a somewhat shabby appearance. There are no strict guards at the door. There is only a long-faced man sitting at the door, meditating with his eyes closed.
Shi Feng walked over and saw that the man was wearing a green robe, clearly an inner sect disciple. He clasped his fists and said, "Brother, may I ask if this is the Sutra Repository?" The man opened his eyes and asked coldly, "Where's the token?" Shi Feng quickly took out his nameplate and handed it over.
The man took it and scanned it with his spiritual sense. The nameplate showed the image of a young man in a green robe, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and dark skin, a perfect match for the man before him. He tossed the token back, saying, "Go in." Shi Feng said, "Thank you, Senior Brother. May I ask what the rules are for this Sutra Repository?" The long-faced man said impatiently, "It's written inside, check for yourself." He was an inner sect disciple, and cultivation was his real job, but guarding the Sutra Repository required inner sect disciples. It was also a sect duty, so they had no choice but to assign him. He had the misfortune of being assigned to guard the Sutra Repository for a year, and he was already fuming.
Shi Feng didn't dare to say anything and entered the tower. Sure enough, there was a stone tablet at the entrance, which detailed the rules of the Sutra Library. The Sutra Library has five floors. The first and second floors are completely free, and any inner disciple can view the collection at will. The third floor requires three spirit stones every hour, the fourth floor is six crystals per hour, and the fifth floor is ten crystals per hour.
Shi Feng walked into the first floor of the tower. The tower was hexagonal, with stone walls. The walls were built with rows of stone shelves, on which were placed jade slips, and there were quite a few of them. Shi Feng was stunned when he saw the jade slips.
He tried to pick one up and place it against his forehead, but besides feeling the coolness of the jade, he couldn't read a single message. It turned out that the jade slips had to be activated by mana to be reflected in his mind. Shi Feng walked around twice, unable to come up with a good idea. Fortunately, the stone wall below the jade slips contained a summary of the slips' contents. Shi Feng browsed through them in detail. The contents of the slips on this floor were very superficial, mostly travelogues, anecdotes from the world of cultivation, introductions to sects, and so on. They were basically of no great value. The first floor was also empty.
Shi Feng went up the stairs to the second floor. At the foot of the stairs sat a middle-aged Taoist priest with a dark complexion. He closed his eyes and sat in meditation. When he heard Shi Feng coming upstairs, he didn't even open his eyes.
There were three or four disciples sparsely on the second floor, holding jade slips and reading classics. Shi Feng walked around the place and read the introductions of each jade slip. The quality of the classics on this floor was much higher than those on the first floor. There were some notes from the elders of the sect, introductions to various spiritual herbs and exotic beasts. Among them were two body cultivation techniques, "Iron Skin Technique" and "Blue Dragon Secret". However, judging from the names, they were probably not very advanced. They sounded like the "secret skills" commonly used by the street guys selling strength pills.
However, what surprised Shi Feng was that there were quite a few books on weapon refining on the second floor. Shi Feng had been in the weapon refining hall for a year and had gained considerable knowledge. He found that some of these weapon refining books were quite precious, yet they were just placed there casually.
After thinking about it carefully, Shi Feng understood that Taiji Sect was an internal sword sect that did not focus on these external skills, so these weapon refining books were only stored on the first and second floors. Of course, there was not a single copy of the internal cultivation techniques, even the most basic ones, on the second floor.
Shi Feng secretly selected a few in his mind, but he was unable to use his physical strength to drive his spiritual sense to read the jade slips. After thinking for a while, he could only helplessly walk to the dark-faced Taoist priest who was guarding the stairs and said, "Brother, can I copy the jade slips on the second floor?"
The black-faced Taoist priest still didn't open his eyes, and said coldly, "Yes, the copy is free, but you have to bring your own jade slips." But Shi Feng's next words made him open his eyes immediately, "Could you please help me copy these jade slips, I just forgot to bring them with me today."
The dark-faced Taoist priest wondered if he had misheard. He was wasting time copying it for him, and even had to produce the jade slip himself. Did this kid take the wrong medicine? But Shi Feng's next words immediately made him smile.
Shi Feng took out a small bag and said, "Here are ten crystals. Thank you, Senior Brother."
Inner disciples weren't actually very well-off. Although the sect gave them five crystals each month, it was far from enough to cover their expenses. Firstly, inner disciples were all striving for advancement, and the elixirs that boosted their cultivation were astronomically expensive. Secondly, inner disciples also cultivated supernatural powers, which consumed a large amount of mana. While this consumption could be restored through meditation, it was too slow, disrupting their cultivation time. Therefore, restorative elixirs were essential. Thirdly, there was the expense of spiritual artifacts. A suitable spiritual artifact could greatly increase a cultivator's strength, but the price of spiritual artifacts, especially the better ones, was difficult for most inner disciples to afford.
The Iron Sword Peak sect competition had a first-place prize of a low-grade spiritual weapon, a feat that had over a hundred disciples vying for. Consequently, most inner disciples could only acquire a single spiritual weapon for self-defense—an ordinary magical instrument without any engravings or restrictions. Of course, the material also depended on the item; if it was high-quality, it could still be quite valuable.
