Mo Hua returned home and told his parents about his upcoming breakthrough to the fourth level of Qi Refining and the matter of needing to practice techniques.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were quite pleased. At Mo Hua's age, becoming a Qi Refining fourth-level cultivator was considered outstanding among his peers in Tongxian City.
As for the matter of techniques, Mo Shan reassured Mo Hua:
"We've discussed this with your mother. Since you can't learn the techniques from Tongxian Sect, we'll have to find some experienced independent cultivators to teach you. There's an elder named Han among the demon hunters in Tongxian City. He has a Five Elements spiritual root of medium quality. In a few days, I'll invite Elder Han for a drink and ask him for help. Elder Han is a straightforward person and should be willing to assist. We'll compensate him with some spirit stones. However..."
Mo Shan paused and added, "However, Elder Han is also from an independent cultivator background. He often mentions that although his family's technique is passed down and quite complete, it's not considered a great inheritance. In the later stages of cultivation, it might lack prospects..."
Mo Shan hoped to give Mo Hua the best, but this was the best they could offer, and there was a hint of disappointment on his face.
Mo Hua comforted him instead, "Father, I want to be a formation master in the future. As long as my spiritual awareness is strong, the technique itself doesn't matter much. This technique passed down by Elder Han's family indicates a stable cultivation path without major risks. That's better than anything else."
Mo Shan looked relieved at Mo Hua's words, and Liu Ruhua gently touched Mo Hua's head, saying softly, "Let's eat. After dinner, rest early. Tomorrow, you'll continue learning formations with Master Zhuang."
"Okay," Mo Hua obediently nodded.
Although Bai Zisheng said he would help Mo Hua find some techniques, Mo Hua didn't mention it to his parents. In large clans, lineage transmissions were strict and not casually shared outside.
Moreover, Mo Hua didn't want to owe Bai Zisheng any favors yet, especially since he couldn't repay them at the moment.
Unexpectedly, the next day, Bai Zisheng actually brought several jade slips, sneaking them to Mo Hua as if committing theft.
"I took these out while Aunt Xue wasn't paying attention. Take a look for yourself. See if there's anything suitable. If there is, choose one to keep, and I'll return the rest," Bai Zisheng said, with his mouth wide open, not knowing what to say.
Bai Zisheng felt proud, "So, what do you think? Are you touched?"
Bai Zisheng seemed a bit arrogant but was genuinely enthusiastic towards others.
Mo Hua asked, "Won't you be punished for secretly taking out the techniques?"
Bai Zisheng snorted, "I'm from the main branch of the Bai family. Even if it's a few medium-grade techniques or ancestral treasures, once I take them, no one dares to do anything to me."
Mo Hua clearly didn't believe him.
Bai Zisheng insisted, "Do you think I would lie to you?"
"It might just result in a year or two of confinement, nothing serious."
Bai Zixi said in a calm tone, though there was a faint smile in her eyes.
Bai Zisheng blushed a bit.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and shook his head, "I can't take these techniques. I don't want to involve you."
Bai Zisheng was displeased, "I'm not afraid. Why are you?"
Bai Zixi also said softly, "Although these techniques are precious, they're not too rare for the Bai family. You can cultivate with peace of mind. Otherwise, Aunt Xue wouldn't have let my brother take them out."
"That's right!" Bai Zisheng nodded hastily, suddenly exclaiming, "How did Aunt Xue know that I took the techniques out?"
Bai Zixi glanced at him lightly, "Everything you do is under Aunt Xue's watchful eyes. You only think others don't know."
Bai Zisheng shrugged, somewhat discouraged.
Mo Hua couldn't deny feeling tempted. He also wanted to know what kind of techniques were cultivated by the prestigious clans and families and what mysteries they held.
After understanding this, Mo Hua stopped refusing. He silently appreciated Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi's kindness and then took the jade slips from Bai Zisheng's hand to examine:
"The Small Five Elements Formula, suitable for medium-grade Five Elements spiritual roots. It's a simplified version of the superior Grand Five Elements Formula, allowing cultivators to refine up to thirty-three cycles of spiritual power and control basic spells of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth elements, easy to use widely..."
"The Ling Yin Formula, suitable for medium-grade water elemental spiritual roots cultivation, allows refining of spiritual power through twenty-eight cycles, ideal for concealment-type spells...
"The Fiery Blaze Formula, suitable for medium-grade fire elemental spiritual roots cultivation, refines spiritual power through thirty-five cycles, amplifying fire elemental spell potency by one to two tenths...
"The Wood and Water Spirit Technique, suitable for medium-grade water and wood elemental spiritual roots cultivation, refines spiritual power through thirty-six cycles. Practicing this technique cleanses meridians, nurtures the body, and reduces bottlenecks in cultivation. This technique is beneficial for health but not for physical enhancement, thus unsuitable as a primary combat cultivation technique. Required spiritual materials: Tiancan Wood, Boundless Water, and Alchemic Essence...
"..."
Mo Hua looked at these dazzling options and initially found each one appealing. However, as he continued reading, his brows gradually furrowed.
"Aren't any of these suitable?" Bai Zisheng asked upon seeing Mo Hua frown.
Mo Hua pondered and asked, "What is Tiancan Wood?"
"Tiancan Wood is the root of the Tiancan plant, good for nourishing the body and not overly expensive," Bai Zisheng replied uncertainly.
"And how much would that cost?"
"Tiancan sprouts are extremely valuable, but Tiancan Wood is much cheaper, probably a few hundred spirit stones per piece," Bai Zisheng ventured.
"And what about Boundless Water?"
Bai Zisheng scratched his head, looking to Bai Zixi for help.
Bai Zixi's eyes turned gently, "Boundless Water is the seawater from the Boundless Sea, which needs to be refined by an alchemist for forty-nine days to remove impurities, resulting in Boundless Water. It's not expensive, but it requires effort. A small vial of Boundless Water would cost about a thousand spirit stones. If in remote areas, it could be more expensive. Moreover, such spiritual items are quite rare, and even with spirit stones, they might not always be available."
Mo Hua took in a sharp breath of cold air.
What kind of cultivation techniques were these? He couldn't afford any of them!
For techniques like the "Wood and Water Spirit Technique," even if it only required a piece of Tiancan Wood and a small vial of Boundless Water, the cumulative cost of spirit stones far exceeded Mo Hua's expectations.
Moreover, judging by the descriptions of the techniques, they required spiritual materials for cultivation breakthroughs and daily practice. Altogether, the expenses were astronomical, far beyond what Mo Hua could afford.
And this was just the consumption during the Qi Refining stage. Let alone the Foundation Building stage, the further one progressed in cultivation, the more resources were required. This was a well-known fact.
Even if Mo Hua became a top-notch formation master, spending day and night on array formations, he might still not afford the costs of such cultivation.
Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and then at Bai Zixi, unable to help but ask, "Are these the kinds of techniques your family disciples cultivate?"
"Of course not," Bai Zisheng shook his head, "Disciples from the main branch cultivate superior techniques that require much more valuable natural treasures. Some spiritual items are even priceless, kept only within the family and never shared outside."
"But even these techniques cannot be casually shared. Without these specific spiritual items needed for cultivation, others cannot practice them."
"Do your family provide these spiritual items for cultivation?" Mo Hua asked.
"Others may not be clear, but for me and Zixi, the cultivation resources we use are provided by our mother," Bai Zisheng said.
Bai Zixi glanced at Bai Zisheng lightly, saying calmly:
"The family categorizes disciples by their lineage, status, and talents. The higher the status, the better the talents, and accordingly, the more resources are allocated for cultivation. For top talents from the main branch, as long as it's necessary for cultivation, it's basically provided without question..."
"For other disciples who wish to cultivate superior techniques beyond their allocated resources, they must find their own way. Typically, parents or other relatives may exchange merits within the family for spiritual items."
"In any case, children of prestigious families only need to focus on cultivation. They don't need to worry about sourcing their own spiritual stones and materials."
"Yes," Bai Zisheng nodded, "Whether it's our Bai family or other prestigious families, with lineages spanning at least a thousand years, they've accumulated vast resources and are well-versed in obtaining precious natural treasures. Except for those truly extinct, almost all obtainable natural treasures are not considered scarce."
Mo Hua was stunned. The resources of prestigious families were as vast as the ocean, with legacies as numerous as the clouds, while what independent cultivators could obtain was merely a drop in the ocean.
No wonder the Qi Refining stage was just the beginning for cultivators but a lifetime for low-level independent cultivators.
(End of the Chapter)