"This is the Misty Sect's defining cultivation technique."
Ye Feng looked at the ancient tome with a solemn expression and slowly spoke. Then, he noticed something odd about the text.
"Sect Master Uncle, it's upside down."
Li Jiaojiao whispered a reminder.
"Ahem!"
Ye Feng subtly corrected the orientation and finally saw the ancient characters on the cover.
Basic Cultivation Technique: "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan".
Long Tianxing blinked and said with a strange expression, "Sect Leader, I remember "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan" is a basic cultivation technique used throughout the Shenzhou Continent, how did it become our sect's defining technique?"
Ye Feng's face stiffened.
Of course, he had no idea that "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan" was a commoner's basic cultivation technique.
After all, the Old Sect Leader had said before his seated meditation led to passing that it was the Misty Sect's defining technique and that he must take good care of it.
But who knew, the Old Sect Leader had been so unscrupulous, deceiving him even on his deathbed.
"It's quite normal for Sect Master Uncle not to know this, after all, no one has told you before," Li Jiaojiao stood up and explained at this moment.
Hearing her explanation, Ye Feng quickly asked, "Speaking of which, what are the categories of cultivation techniques?"
Upon hearing this, Long Tianxing's face stiffened.
The Sect Leader himself didn't know the categories of cultivation techniques, so how could he teach his own disciples?
But recalling that Ye Feng was a master in the teaching of spells, how could he not understand the classification of cultivation techniques?
"I understand now, the Sect Leader is pretending not to know so as to test his disciples' earnestness in their cultivation," Long Tianxing figured.
Then Li Jiaojiao earnestly began to explain,
""Five Qi Dynasty Yuan" is a cultivation technique developed by numerous Ancient Saints of the Shenzhou Continent, including the methods of cultivation from the Qi Refining Realm to the peak of the Void Break Realm."
"This technique allows one to cultivate the spiritual energies of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, eventually undergoing the 'Five Qi Dynasty Yuan' at the peak of the Void Break Realm to instantly become a Saint."
"Thus, it is a technique that can cultivate up to the level of an Ancient Saint. As for how to cultivate after becoming a Saint, that we do not know."
"Due to the wide dissemination and ease of cultivation of "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan", and because it's suitable for our constitutions, it has been categorized as a basic cultivation technique."
"Nowadays, every cultivator practices this technique."
"However, while cultivating the basic technique "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan", one can also practice auxiliary techniques to become stronger."
"It's said that the Liuyun Sect, a thousand miles from Whitefloat City, has their own auxiliary technique, the Liuyun Technique. Once cultivated, it not only allows the spiritual energy within one's body to flow more smoothly but also provides other amplifying effects."
"Of course, auxiliary techniques are something only major sects possess. A sect like ours only has the basic technique "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan"."
Li Jiaojiao, true to being a meticulous girl, spoke in great detail, enlightening Ye Feng like a sudden epiphany.
"So there's so much to consider with cultivation techniques."
Ye Feng suddenly nodded in realization, thinking, "So it seems that "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan" is like the main textbook for students, which everyone studies, whereas auxiliary techniques are like guidebooks that can make oneself stronger if studied."
After hearing this, Long Tianxing felt as if he had pushed open another door of mystery and his desire to cultivate deepened.
"At least a Star-Level Sect could have control of such auxiliary techniques, and within the entire Whitefloat City, probably only the City Lord would possess one!" Mo Ying said with her arms crossed, still appearing somewhat aloof.
"The Old Sect Leader once said that our City Lord indeed possesses an auxiliary technique that can drastically increase his combat power, easily overpowering cultivators of the same level. In the entire Whitefloat City, he is the strongest within the Element Gathering Realm," Shi Lei joined in.
"If only we could get our hands on an auxiliary technique," Huo Yunjie mused longingly.
"With the current strength of our Misty Sect, if we had an auxiliary technique, it would probably lead to our extermination if word got out," Mo Ying dashed everyone's hopes with her reality check.
At her words, everyone else felt a chill.
"This is what they call 'a man is not guilty of his possessions, but having a treasure brings trouble'," Ye Feng sighed, "Enough talk, let's start cultivating!"
He flipped through the "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan" and exclaimed softly, "This cultivation technique is actually divided into five major volumes: Qi Refining, Element Gathering, Spirit Sea, Divine Origin, and Void Break, and right now only the first volume is available."
"Cultivation techniques require spirit stones to purchase, and our Misty Sect is too poor; the Old Sect Leader could only afford the first volume," said Li Jiaojiao.
Ye Feng asked, "Where can I buy the subsequent volumes of the technique?"
Li Jiaojiao thought for a moment and then said, "They are for sale at the trade associations in Whitefloat City; it is said that you need more than one thousand pieces to buy the second volume of "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan"."
"That expensive?"
Ye Feng was taken aback.
He had thought that having two or three hundred spirit stones made the Misty Sect relatively wealthy; it turned out they couldn't even afford the second volume of the technique.
"Cultivate diligently and find opportunities to earn spirit stones in the future to develop the sect, otherwise we'll be so poor that we can't even afford cultivation techniques."
Ye Feng muttered to himself.
Next, Mo Ying and the other disciples returned to their rooms to cultivate on their own.
Ye Feng and Long Tianxing stayed in the Sect Leader's Great Hall, studying the "Five Qi Dynasty Yuan" together, understanding the recorded routes of technique circulation, key points of cultivation, and so on.
This ancient tome marked some of the Old Sect Leader's cultivation experiences, which they could follow for practice.
Sometimes, walking the path of those before you is more convenient.
"Sect Leader, I will begin cultivating now,"
Long Tianxing took just an incense stick's time to finish and memorize the entire content of the first volume, then sat cross-legged on the ground, with his palms facing upward, using his Spirit Eyes to gaze at the sky.
Ye Feng activated his Spirit Eyes, intending to observe how Long Tianxing cultivated first.
As Long Tianxing began to cultivate, a vortex of spiritual energy at the mountain peak started to separate five-colored spiritual energy, drawing it bit by bit into his body.
Under Ye Feng's watchful eye, this aura circulated several times in Long Tianxing's meridians before finally entering the Qi Sea and condensing into a small whirl of energy.
"Sect Leader, I've reached the first level of Qi Refining,"
Long Tianxing opened his eyes and exclaimed with delight.
"Oh, that's great!"
Ye Feng said joyfully.
After that, he began to cultivate in earnest.
However, after half an hour, Ye Feng felt somewhat autistic.
He had tried many times, but the surrounding spiritual energy remained motionless, beyond absorption, as if it was from a different world.
With no choice, Ye Feng could only ask in his mind, "System, why can't I cultivate?"
"The host is already at 'Qi Refining Ninth Level Peak +,' and as long as the disciples' cultivation levels increase, the host's cultivation level can also increase without the need to re-cultivate," the System replied.
Hearing this, Ye Feng was at a loss for words.
He realized that his inability to cultivate was purely the fault of the damned System, insisting that he already had a cultivation level.
But the problem was, he couldn't feel it at all!
"Am I destined to not live past a hundred years?"
Ye Feng sighed deeply in his heart.
"Roar!"
At that moment, a roar came from outside the door.
Ye Feng was in a foul mood, but when he heard the noise, he rushed out of the door and saw Brother Flathead standing upright, charging at him with an angry face.
Ye Feng smiled and went straight for a sliding tackle.