Although Du Chen had recalled the content of Xi Shen Jue (The Divine Skill of Xi), he was completely unable to recite it due to his lack of understanding of ancient texts. So, Cang Hai decided to take a risk and try it himself. After a long while, Cang Hai shakily lowered the jade slip from his forehead, clutching his head in pain, though he slowly started to recover.
After resting for a while, Cang Hai said, "I suspect the headache is because it exceeds the usual capacity of the brain. I recommend everyone try it; although it's painful, it's beneficial for improving brain utilization."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Also, there's another reason why I suggest we all read Xi Shen Jue ourselves. Not only can Du Chen not explain it, but even if I could understand the ancient text, I wouldn't know how to proceed. For example, there's a passage that goes: 'Nèi yǐ yǎng jǐ, ān jìng xū wú. Yuán běn yǐn míng, nèi zhào xíng qū. Bì sè qí duì, zhù gù líng zhū. Sān guāng lù chén, wēn yǎng zǐ zhū, shì zhī bù jiàn, jìn ér yì qiú.' I can roughly understand the meaning, but I still have no idea how to cultivate according to it."
The five of them discussed this for a while but couldn't come to any conclusions, so they took turns trying the technique. Of course, each one of them ended up clutching their heads in pain.
That night, Du Chen once again found himself in the bamboo forest of his dream, facing Yu Shu.
"How are you progressing with the technique?" Yu Shu asked, his tone calm as always.
This time, Yu Shu wasn't holding his treasured zither. Instead, a low table stood in front of him, with a teapot and teacups resting on it. He raised his elbow slightly, holding a white jade tea bowl between his thumb and middle finger, his little finger elegantly lifted as he sniffed the tea's fragrance, enjoying a calm and composed tea break.
Du Chen inwardly sighed. Truly, a beauty drinking tea was a sight to behold. He admired the way Yu Shu's fingers curved in that delicate gesture. Little did he know, in ancient times, this "lanhua finger" gesture was actually meant for men, symbolizing their masculinity. There were even books written specifically on the subject.
After a moment of admiration, Du Chen spoke up, "The technique seems really powerful, but no one can understand it."
Yu Shu sipped his tea and smiled warmly. "What don't you understand?"
"Everything!" Du Chen shamelessly moved closer, taking a tea cup for himself and drinking it in one gulp. He seemed to find it not quite satisfying, so he filled himself another cup and said, "We don't know how to practice at all. Having the technique is useless if we don't understand how to cultivate it."
Yu Shu raised his gaze and gave him a slight smile. "That's not too difficult. If you're willing, I can offer you some guidance."
"Yes, yes! Please, teach me, goddess!" Du Chen eagerly agreed.
Yu Shu set down his cup, his expression suddenly becoming serious as he sat upright. "Since you want me to teach you, you must first show respect. Serve me a cup of tea, bow three times, and call me 'Master.'"
Du Chen grinned, without any hesitation or resistance. He immediately followed Yu Shu's instructions and performed the formal bowing ritual.
Yu Shu looked satisfied with his respect and began explaining.
"Cultivation is neither too difficult nor too easy. In simple terms, it's about drawing in the spiritual energy of the outside world and using the meridians to circulate it through the body, strengthening the muscles and bones. You've read so many books, so this concept should be easy for you to understand."
Du Chen, sitting obediently on the floor and listening intently, reflected on the hundreds of web novels he had read. He nodded in agreement. The principles of cultivation in those stories were often described in wildly imaginative ways, but at their core, they all shared the same essence.
"Nowadays, people usually divide the cultivation process into stages such as Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Dao Integration, and Ascension. In ancient times, however, the process was simply referred to as refining essence, refining Qi into Spirit, and refining Spirit to the Void. Since you've already established your foundation, it means you have the basis for refining essence into Qi, and the spiritual foundation has already formed in your dantian. Now, you just need to locate your spiritual base and learn how to draw upon its spiritual power."
"Ordinary cultivators don't need to worry, but your spiritual base was formed by external forces, so it's only a form without true substance. If you want to continue to cultivate until Core Formation, you will never succeed if you don't learn to circulate the Great Cycle of Heaven and Earth."
Yu Shu spoke slowly, but Du Chen, listening below, had already grown impatient. He scratched his head and urged, "Master, just get to the point! What exactly should I do?"
"What did you call me?" Yu Shu suddenly turned his head, giving Du Chen a cold glance.
"...Sorry, Master." Du Chen quickly lowered his head and adopted a submissive posture.
"Well, that's better," Yu Shu said, sipping his tea slowly before continuing, "Actually, it's not that difficult. You just need to learn how to meditate."
"Meditate? Like how monks sit cross-legged?" Du Chen recalled the scenes he had seen on television and awkwardly tried to twist his legs into position. He heard a faint cracking sound and couldn't help but groan in pain—he had pulled a muscle in his leg.
Yu Shu raised his teacup, hiding the slight upward curve of his lips, and watched with narrowed eyes as Du Chen rolled around in pain, clutching his leg. Only after a while did he speak with satisfaction, "Crossing your legs isn't absolutely necessary. It's just a formality. As long as you find a posture that is both comfortable and prevents you from falling asleep, that will do."
Du Chen grumbled inwardly: You made me twist my leg before you said this? Were you doing this on purpose, or was it just a coincidence? But since he had to rely on Yu Shu, he suppressed his annoyance and continued to endure.
Yu Shu instructed Du Chen on the proper meditation and breathing methods. Du Chen followed the instructions but couldn't seem to calm his mind enough to enter a state of focus. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was immediately flooded with a whirlwind of thoughts, as though a carnival was happening inside his head.
After trying multiple times without success, Yu Shu wasn't surprised. "Cultivation is usually learned from a young age. Children have pure hearts and minds, unlike adults who are filled with distractions. It's easier for them to meditate and calm their thoughts. Your mind is too scattered, and you can't focus, so it's natural that you can't enter a state of meditation. But I have a method that might help. Are you willing to try?"
Du Chen eagerly nodded.
"Remember, no complaints," Yu Shu cautioned with a slightly mischievous smile. Seeing Du Chen's indifferent expression, Yu Shu pursed his lips and instructed him to close his eyes and sit still. Then, he raised his hand and pointed. A small spark of spiritual light flew into Du Chen's forehead.
Immediately, Du Chen felt a sharp, burning pain in his head, as though his brain were being washed with sulfuric acid. The sudden intensity of the pain made him scream out, and he tried to struggle and escape, only to realize he couldn't move at all—not even his eyelids. He could do nothing but endure the excruciating pain, his heart filled with dread. The darkness before his eyes grew more terrifying by the second.
As time passed, Du Chen felt the pain in his head gradually converge into a single point, and his consciousness began to drift. Just as he thought he might lose himself entirely, something unexpected happened.
Du Chen suddenly noticed a faint light appearing in the absolute darkness before him. He looked down toward the light and saw a small spring, no bigger than a walnut, continuously gushing out crystal-clear water. Countless droplets of water leapt into the air before falling into a small pool beneath.
Strangely, when the water droplets fell into the pool, there was no splash. The surface of the water only shimmered with a soft, ethereal glow, undisturbed by ripples. As he stared more closely, Du Chen thought he could just make out something hidden in the water's glow, though the bright light made it hard to see clearly.
Suddenly, Du Chen had a realization. This must be his spiritual base. With that thought, he instantly woke up. Before him stood a beautifully serene face. Yu Shu was tilting his head, one hand propping up his chin, with a faint smile on his lips as he watched Du Chen.
The next morning, after enduring a night of intense, otherworldly torment, Du Chen expected to feel dizzy or foggy, but to his surprise, he felt incredibly refreshed, his senses sharp and clear. Could this be the benefit of meditation? He quickly gathered the others and recounted the process of what he had learned in his dream the previous night.
After hearing Du Chen's recount, the four of them politely declined the idea of entering the dream and receiving Yu Shu's guidance. Du Chen grumbled unhappily, "I specifically asked Yu Beauty if she could take all of you in, but none of you even gave me face?"
Cang Hai coughed into his fist and quickly changed the subject, "Well, let's not trouble Yu Immortal for now. We can try it on our own first. If it doesn't work, we can always ask for help later…"
To prevent Du Chen from bringing up the matter again, Cang Hai shifted the topic to their visit to the library yesterday afternoon. Reading in the library was free, but copying jade slips required spirit stones and contribution points.
"Speaking of which, that Xi Shen Jue really is a bit strange. The system can't recognize it, and we have to read it on our own. Yesterday afternoon, I randomly picked a jade slip, placed it on my forehead, and the system asked if I wanted to learn it. So, I ended up learning all the water and ice spells available for Foundation Establishment. Looks like I'll be able to pass as a mage now." Cang Hai's face lit up with a smile. The system truly was a golden leg to hug; it was absolutely reliable.
The other three shared similar experiences. On their first day, they had already gained quite a few advantages from the sect, and their initial discontent with the small sect seemed to have faded significantly.
Suddenly, Sang Tian spoke up, "By the way, I made another big discovery. Check your profession skills in the game interface."
"How did this happen!" Du Chen exclaimed in delight. "How did you do that?"
In games like World of Warcraft, players could usually learn two crafting professions. The classic pairing with a warrior was mining and blacksmithing, where players gathered various ores and crafted armor and weapons for warriors. Du Chen, of course, had learned this combination, but now, when he checked his system interface, his two crafting skills had changed to "Exploring Spirit Veins" and "Refining Artifacts."
He knew what artifact refining was. If he could become a master at it, crafting top-tier magic items and treasures would be a piece of cake.
"I just picked up a jade slip about the general theory of alchemy and read it, and the system upgraded like this," Sang Tian explained.
The surprises didn't end there.
Xiao Yue, who had learned mining and engineering, now had "Engineering" changed to "Mechanical Arts." Cang Hai's enchantment skill was now "Runes," and Tong Xin Fen, who had initially learned only enchantment, was offered several new skill choices by the system. She had chosen something no one else had selected—Formation Arts.
"I think," Du Chen laughed heartily, "once we all master our skills, we'll be able to become completely self-sufficient!"
However, reality often proved that optimistic people tended to imagine the future in overly rosy terms.
After breakfast, the five of them went to Ping Yun Hall. Upon entering the grand hall, they saw a white-haired Foundation Establishment cultivator seated at a long table facing the door. When the cultivator saw them enter, his eyes lazily flicked up. When he noticed they were also Foundation Establishment cultivators, he was surprised and immediately stood up, greeting them with a cupped fist.
The cultivator introduced himself as Huang. After a few pleasantries, he asked, "You fellows seem unfamiliar. Did you just arrive yesterday?"
Cang Hai nodded, "Yes, we're new arrivals. We'd appreciate it if you could enlighten us about how to take on tasks here."
Huang took out a round jade disk from his storage pouch and said, "All tasks are listed here. You can browse through them yourselves, and if you find something that interests you, come to me to accept it."
Cang Hai took the jade disk, and the other four gathered around him, peering at it curiously.
"Hey, this is kind of like a tablet!" Du Chen said excitedly as he looked at the lines of text lighting up on the jade disk.
"Indeed, I didn't expect it to be this advanced," Cang Hai said, his finger tapping on the jade disk as he spoke. "The tasks are divided into two categories: sect-issued and personal tasks. Sect tasks mostly involve submitting various materials, pills, spiritual rice, and the like, in exchange for contribution points and a small amount of spirit stones. There are also some monster hunting tasks, which I think would suit us well, and we can level up in the process. Personal tasks are more varied. For example, collecting materials, crafting pills, magic weapons, or talismans. They offer more spirit stones, but except for those issued by the elders, there are rarely any contribution points involved."
"Hold on a second," Sang Tian suddenly raised her hand to stop Cang Hai from turning the page further. "What's this 'Qingyun Pill'? What's this about?"
Du Chen was puzzled and asked, "Aren't you into alchemy? Didn't you learn this?"
Sang Tian glanced at her system interface and shook her head. "It's not listed in the system. I've already read all the jade slips related to alchemy and herbs in the library yesterday. Most of them were about the properties and uses of herbs, how to brew herb concoctions, and the techniques and precautions for alchemy. I remember only one jade slip had a recipe for a small recovery pill, so right now, the only thing I can make is the Small Recovery Pill."
The others also noticed that without learning the recipes, they wouldn't be able to craft the actual items. However, this was reasonable, and none of them felt discouraged. They asked Elder Huang about the location of the nearby marketplace and planned to visit it to see if they could find what they were looking for.