"The fetus forms from subdued qi, and qi rests from the existence of the fetus..."
"The spirit moves with the qi, the spirit rests with the qi. If you desire longevity, supplement spirit with qi..."
As Lu Bei was browsing through the "Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill", he nodded thoughtfully. He understood the words but had no idea what they meant, let alone how to cultivate them.
The conclusion was clear. It was indeed a peculiar book.
After hitting a roadblock, Lu Bei opted for a laid-back approach. Forget the self-study and enlightenment, the personal panel was more reliable. Every time he checked his panel, he could see his splendid talent.
[Do you wish to learn "Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill" for 80 skill points?]
[Do you wish to learn "Slaying Demon Sutra" for 80 skill points?]
"Slaying Demon Sutra?!"
Lu Bei's eyes widened as he flipped through the book in his hand several times. Not a single word related to 'demon' could be found.
Absurd!
"Where's this 'Slaying Demon Sutra' coming from? Is it a bug or am I not opening it the right way?" Disbelieving, Lu Bei shuffled through the book several times more, even randomly tearing a few pages to ensure there were no concealed layers.
"Could it be..."
Lu Bei took out a bottle of Spirit Awakening Elixir from his chest, swallowed two for a moment of clarity, then had an epiphany. Following the common pattern in martial arts dramas he had watched for years, the Slaying Demon Sutra must be hidden in the book. To reveal it, the book must either be soaked in water or burned.
The scene changed, and Lu Bei stared silently at the book that had turned to ashes in the burning pit.
He was careless, and did not anticipate the fire to rage so fiercely.
"No biggie. On the bright side, my late master specifically instructed me not to leak the 'Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill' to others. Now the book is gone, no one will ever know about it again."
With a sigh, Lu Bei was actually sure that the problem was insignificant. Although the book was gone, the information prompt on his personal panel remained. Now he had to decide which technique to learn.
This was a dilemma for those with the syndrome of difficulty in choosing, and it was a matter of picking one out of two - "Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill" or "Slaying Demon Sutra"?
Judging by the names, both techniques were meant for Tao Cultivators. One focused on defense and regenerating health, while the other was an attack-oriented skill. Given his current predicament, Lu Bei decided to rely on his luck this time.
It was his luck that had seen him rise above his colleagues, earning him the recognition of his boss, promotions, and the opportunities for double bonuses.
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, I wonder which one I should go..."
His finger landed on the "Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill". Without further hesitation, Lu Bei spent 80 skill points on his personal panel and learnt the "Slaying Demon Sutra".
Not because the "Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill" wasn't useful, nor was it due to his lack of faith in his own luck, but it seemed too ordinary. Conversely, the "Slaying Demon Sutra" sounded just a tad more cool.
As expected, Lu Bei's astonishing talent shone through his personal panel. He mastered the "Slaying Demon Sutra" in an instant, with the skill interface refreshing to display new information.
Skill: Slaying Demon Sutra Lv1 (0/5000)
"Indeed it's a unique book from the Far West Land, 5000 experience points for just Lv1."
Lu Bei nodding silently. Out of respect for the practice of cultivations, he decided to meditate for five minutes first.
If he recalled correctly, Mo Buxiu mentioned before leaving that the "Fetal Breathing Qi Replenishing Skill" was a peculiar book he obtained from the Kunlun Far West Land. The "Slaying Demon Sutra" was hidden within it, so by rounding up, it's also from the same place.
Speaking of the Far West Land, one couldn't leave out the Four Polar Regions in the Nine Continents World. When Lu Bei was first introduced to the game, he learned some geographic knowledge from the official website.
There were three mountain ranges in the Nine Continents, with four extremes in the world.
The three mountain ranges were Bu Zhou, Kunlun, and Mangyin. They cut across the Nine Continents from east to west. North of the Bu Zhou Mountain Range was the Greater Desolation, said to be the origin of the Monster Tribe. Further north was the perennial permafrost of the Extreme North Land, where even the sturdy Monster cultivators dared not tread.
South of the Mangyin Mountain Range was the endless Dead Sea, permeated with heavy yin energy and devoid of spirit qi. It was said that after dying, beings would enter the Extreme South Land, another world in itself.
The Kunlun Mountain Range, located between the two large ranges, was less dangerous than the Bu Zhou and lacked the chill of the Mangyin. It was known by cultivators as the origin of the roads to immortality.
To the east of the Kunlun Mountain Range was a mythical island hidden within a vast ocean, details to be revealed in version 3.0. To the west, it was a popular place for demon cultivators, known as the Far West Land. Describing it as chaotic would be a compliment to its security and people's customs.
The "Slaying Demon Sutra" that hailed from the origin of the demon cultivators seemed interesting enough to think about.
Here's a side note. Wu Zhou, where Ning Province is located, leans slightly towards the Bu Zhou Mountain Range, hence the greater number of monsters. The safety of life and property were guaranteed by the authorities. Anyone with a household registration could not only become an apprentice cultivator under a sect but also hold an official post.
The 'Zhou' in Wu Zhou was an attempt to draw upon the destiny of the Bu Zhou Mountain Range, in hopes that the country would be as unyielding as the mountains through the ages.
As for the Nine Bamboo Mountain, it was not an extension of the Bu Zhou Mountain Range. It could be best described as a ripple caused by the mountain range's shudder, forming a wrinkle on the surface of the earth, millions of miles away.
This relative, I can't climb up to Nine Bamboo Mountain.
Unworthy!
Five minutes later.
Martial skill: Slaying Demon Sutra Lv1 (1/5000)
"This is too slow, at this rate, it will take at least half a month of not eating or sleeping to advance the Slaying Demon Sutra to the second level." Lu Bei frowned in silence, having several questions since discovering he had an NPC panel.
Could he do tasks, could he gain experience?
If not, when players enter later, their level surpassing him will be as simple as child's play. If yes, what then? Would he be a player with an NPC panel?
In the end, will he be able to respawn if he dies?
This is really important.
"Or should I give it a try?"
Trying could mean dying, Lu Bei promptly discarded the suicidal idea and got up, patting his butt and heading towards the backyard.
In the forest, a red shadow hurriedly flashed by. Lu Bei stopped in his tracks, knowing it was a little fox demon attracted by the Spirit Awakening Elixir. He called out in the direction where it was hiding: "The mountain gate is being refurbished, it will take about two to three months. Don't come here during this period, there are only vigorous bad men around. If you're caught by them, your fate will definitely be worse than death."
"..."
The grass didn't move, it seemed like the little fox demon had run far away.
"Remember that!"
Lu Bei spoke again: "If you still crave the Spirit Awakening Elixir, wait until the mountain gate is repaired and come find me. I'll leave you a back door. Rest assured, I'm not like those bad guys."
Bad in a different way!
...
"What, you say you have a martial skill!"
That night, Bai Jin, who returned from the Great Victory Pass, found Lu Bei. Upon learning that the latter had officially embarked on the path of cultivation, his face turned frosty with anger.
"Is it from Ding Lei? Did he sell you the martial skill?"
Bai Jin's eyes gleamed with a coldness, a murderous kind of coldness.
A martial skill is not irreplaceable for those cultivating immortality. After all, there are superior and inferior martial skills. There are realm differences. Changing to a better one while cultivating is not surprising.
It's strange, somewhat interesting. But that's what cultivation is.
All martial skills in the world are created by founders of sects. Each step forward requires exploration. When these geniuses die halfway, their remaining martial skills also lack follow-ups. Their successors either supplement or re-select them.
The reason Bai Jin is angry is that Lu Bei just embarked on the cultivation path and needs a good martial skill as a foundation. This directly affects the height he can achieve in the future.
He will either shine as a genius or become ordinary and fall into oblivion.
The martial skills that Ding Lei sells...
It's not that Bai Jin looks down on Ding Lei, but that she simply doesn't regard Ding Lei at all. Out of the hundred or so people in the Emei Sect, not one of them is capable. Lu Bei cultivating his provided martial skill has at least ruined half of his talent.
Very angry, wants to slaughter a Ding...
No, she can't kill anyone or the Imperial Sect will invite her for tea.
Still very angry, want to chop off Ding Lei's arm to vent anger.
"Senior sister, calm down, this has nothing to do with Leader Ding."
Lu Bei hastily spoke out, saving Ding Lei's wives and concubines in a dangerous situation, and said to Bai Jin: "After senior sister left, I contemplated on the Twelve Taoist Treasures again, rummaging them through my mind. I was amazed by the profound spiritual rhythm of the Taoist Scriptures, and then I got enlightened."
"What did you enlighten?" Bai Jin swallowed her saliva.
"I've grasped a few cultivation techniques that suit me best."
Lu Bei scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, but he had no choice. It was all due to his talent.