Inside the pavilion, the interior was elegant and refined. A faint fragrance wafted from a censer, and on the southern-facing desk sat a token, several jade slips, and a bottle of pills.
Lu Bingxuan settled in at the desk, its position offering a perfect view of the courtyard and the distant Moon Sea. The scenery was breathtaking.
Curious, he picked up one of the jade slips, unsure how to use it. As he held it, glowing runes emerged from the slip, flying into his mind and embedding themselves there.
In an instant, a cultivation manual titled Lingyuan Sutra appeared in his consciousness.
Skimming through it, Lu Bingxuan discovered that the manual was specifically designed to build a foundation from Qi Refinement to the Foundation Establishment stage. It was one of the best foundational techniques in the Water Lineage.
The cultivation levels were as follows: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation (Golden Core), Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Refinement (Reversion), Integration, and Ascension.
Intrigued by the process of cultivation, Lu Bingxuan sat cross-legged and began practicing.
The profound text resonated within him, and an extraordinary sensation surfaced—one beyond the five senses, almost as if his consciousness extended outside his body.
It felt like he was immersed in an ocean of spiritual energy, a vast abundance of which he could sense all around him. After years in a metaphorical desert, this felt like discovering an endless oasis.
As the technique circulated within him, spiritual energy surged into his body. His Heavenly Root's unparalleled potential became evident as he absorbed vast amounts of energy like a black hole.
Moreover, the pavilion's location at the center of the Moon Sea made it the most abundant area in both water and spiritual energy. Combined with his Heavenly Root, the cultivation process was almost absurdly efficient.
A euphoric sensation coursed through him as the spiritual energy entered his body, making his mind tremble with pleasure. He finally understood how cultivators could endure hours of meditation without complaint.
However, his efficiency wasn't just due to the Heavenly Root and technique. His robust spirit, strengthened by two lifetimes and years of struggle, gave him a unique edge.
After days of uninterrupted cultivation, Lu Bingxuan's system suddenly chimed in.
[Ding! New check-in location: Changsheng Dao Sect, Water Lineage Pavilion, Luo Lingmiao's Private Chamber—Bathtub. Reward: Xuanming Dao Body.]
"???"
"What the hell?" Lu Bingxuan exclaimed, almost falling over.
"System, what's wrong with you? Are you trolling me?"
"First you gave me a weird task, and now you're out to ruin my reputation? If you want a new host, just say so! No need to mess with me like this!"
Fuming, Lu Bingxuan berated the system for a full half-hour, employing an impressive variety of vocabulary and insults without repetition. Yet the system remained indifferent, serenely ignoring his tirade.
"D*mn it. Fine, you win, you lousy ninja system," Lu Bingxuan muttered, feeling slightly defeated.
Turning his thoughts to the task, he began strategizing. The Xuanming Dao Body sounded unimpressive at first, but the "Dao" in its name hinted at its significance—perhaps even surpassing Mingxu's Overcast Rain Body.
But the name Luo Lingmiao screamed trouble. Everything about it suggested she was a stunning beauty and likely the source of endless drama.
If he barged in recklessly, his Heavenly Root and potential Dao Body wouldn't save him from humiliation. The White Jade Platform incident had just earned him some respect, and he had no desire to become the subject of sect gossip.
This system was clearly prone to such antics, so he decided to play it safe. First, he would gather some intel before acting.
Satisfied with his cautious plan, Lu Bingxuan turned his attention back to himself. Unbeknownst to him, his cultivation had already reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement. The process of absorbing spiritual energy had also purified his body, expelling impurities from his skin.
Unlike those born with Heavenly Roots or raised in wealthy families, Lu Bingxuan's acquired Heavenly Root and years of hardship had left him with plenty of built-up filth.
Rising to his feet, he refined the token on the desk, which granted him awareness of the island's formations and the pavilion's layout.
He headed to the second floor, using the token to activate the array and cleanse himself. Afterward, he found a set of black sect robes in a wardrobe.
The robes were imbued with spiritual energy, adjusting themselves to fit him perfectly. Feeling refreshed, he returned to the first floor to examine the remaining jade slips.
The first slip contained a technique called Five Element Conversion.
This technique explained the principle of spiritual root attributes. In this world, humans were born with only one type of spiritual root.
While spiritual energy was inherently neutral, a person's root gave it an elemental attribute. Through certain treasures or tools, energy could also be converted to other elements.
Single-attribute roots could only cultivate techniques of the same element, but Five Element Conversion allowed practitioners to learn spells from other elements by converting their energy.
The efficiency of conversion depended on the quality of one's root. Heavenly Roots were the best, with only a 10% loss during conversion. Superior Roots had a 30% loss, Upper Roots 50%, Middle Roots 70%, and Lower Roots a staggering 90%.
For instance, a fireball spell required one unit of energy for a fire root, but a Lower Root of another element would need ten units to cast the same spell.
After some time, Lu Bingxuan mastered the basics of Five Element Conversion and moved on to the second slip, which detailed the structure of the Changsheng Dao Sect.
The sect was divided into inner and outer gates. The outer gate was located among the Five Element Spirit Veins, while the inner gate resided in a mystical dimension known as the Blessed Land.
Despite its name, the Blessed Land was vast, far larger than the spirit vein regions. For example, the Moon Sea of the Water Lineage alone exceeded the size of all five spirit veins combined.
The Water Lineage was led by the Water Lineage Master, supported by thirteen island lords, each at the Soul Transformation stage.
Within the hierarchy, the lineage master's direct disciples (sequence members) outranked the island lords' direct disciples, who in turn outranked the ordinary inner disciples.
The sect's other lineages—Fire, Wood, Earth, and Metal—had their own responsibilities, such as alchemy, herbal cultivation, formations, and artifact refinement. However, disciples were not strictly confined to these specialties.
Lastly, there was the Sect Master's lineage, independent of the five lineages. They oversaw law enforcement, teachings, and sect missions.
The final jade slip was a straightforward guide to beginner spells. While Qi Refinement spells were limited in power, fire and metal techniques tended to have the most destructive potential.
As for the pill bottle, it contained ordinary fasting pills—useful but unremarkable. Given the abundance of spiritual energy in the sect and his Heavenly Root, Lu Bingxuan saw little need for them.
With his immediate tasks done, Lu Bingxuan took a deep breath and prepared to tackle his next challenge: figuring out how to survive the system's latest absurd demand.