Chapter 15: Choosing a Cultivation Method

Once the initial excitement passed, Qingyun’s attention was quickly drawn to the prices marked beneath the specific items in the shop.

The feeling was like having a basin of ice water poured over her head, instantly cooling her down.

To say nothing else, even that pill labeled “Yellow Dragon Pill (Lower Grade),”

which was described as the most basic medicinal pill capable of slightly increasing cultivation speed during the qi-guiding stage, required a full 20 points of Spirit Source! And that was only the cheapest and most ordinary assisting pill.

As for the things in the higher categories above, their prices were even more outrageous.

Under the 【Talismans】 category, even the most basic entries like “Evil-Repelling Talisman” and “Protective Talisman” were priced at over 50 Spirit Source. Anything with even a slight offensive effect or some special property jumped straight past one hundred.

Under the 【Magic Treasures】 category, those faintly gleaming icons made her lose heart at a glance.

At the very bottom, the so-called “Mortal Weapons” seemed to correspond to the finely forged weapons used by martial artists, and their prices generally ranged from 800 to 1,500 Spirit Source. One level above that, the “Magic Artifacts,” which were true items for immortal cultivators, started in the four digits, followed by dizzying trailing amounts.

As for the materials and items categorized under 【Heavenly and Earthly Rarities】, their icons were splendid, their names mysterious, and the long strings of digits behind their prices were so absurd that Qingyun could not even be bothered to count them. In any case, she absolutely could not afford them right now.

By contrast, the things in the 【Cultivation Methods】 and 【Spells】 categories, while hardly cheap, at least looked a little more approachable.

Cultivation methods in particular were often divided into several levels for sale, and the first level usually had a relatively lower price, giving her at least a little hope that she might one day save enough to buy one.

There were simply too many things in the shop. It was a bewildering array, and Qingyun’s eyes began to ache from looking. A faint pain even started building behind them.

Rubbing at her temples, she decided to begin with the most fundamental matter of all—a cultivation method suited to her own training. Things like magic treasures and talismans, those external aids, could wait until she had at least some foundation.

“System,” she tried issuing a more precise command in her mind, “help me filter out cultivation methods suitable for my dual ice-lightning spirit root aptitude.”

The moment the command was given, the shop interface before her immediately changed. The other categories swiftly dimmed and folded away, leaving only the two subcategories 【Basic Cultivation Methods】 and 【Special Cultivation Methods】lit.

The entries inside them also became far fewer. Plainly, the system had automatically filtered out those cultivation methods that clashed with her spirit root attributes or were less compatible with them.

Qingyun’s consciousness began moving over the filtered cultivation methods one by one.

“《Blood Spirit Grand Art》: Uses the cultivator’s own essence blood as a guide to stimulate latent potential and induce drastic changes in the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Cultivation speed is relatively fast, but one must beware of depletion of qi and blood and an unstable foundation...”

Qingyun frowned slightly after only one glance. A cultivation method that consumed one’s own life essence sounded unorthodox and far too risky.

“《Overturning Water Art》: Primarily a water-attribute cultivation method. It can shape spiritual qi into water, integrating offense and defense with myriad transformations. Spirit roots of ice and water receive additional bonuses...” This one seemed steady enough, but it clearly leaned more toward water and would not help her lightning spirit root very much.

“《Heaven-Piercing Technique》, 《Vast Sea Art》, 《Fivefold Primordial Qi Art》...”

She looked through them one after another. Some emphasized defense, others the depth of spiritual power. Each had its own strengths, yet each also felt as though it were lacking something.

Then, just as her consciousness swept past a cultivation method called 《Heavenly Fiend Glazed Body》, it abruptly stopped.

The icon for this cultivation method did not resemble an ordinary scroll. Instead, it was a tiny glazed human figure glowing faintly, with what seemed like dark red currents flowing within it, giving off an extraordinary air.

She focused her consciousness upon it, and detailed explanatory text surfaced:

“《Heavenly Fiend Glazed Body》 (Body Tempering Cultivation Method), divided into twelve levels in total. Outwardly it forges a glazed treasure body, hard and indestructible; inwardly it nourishes the qi of heavenly gang and earthly sha, tempering the muscles, bones, and inner organs.

Upon minor success, ordinary magic treasures and spells will find it hard to harm the body. Upon major success, one may draw the fiendish qi of heaven and earth into the body and refine the self with it. At that stage, one will possess the strength to move mountains, a body like vajra, immunity to external evils, and the ability to drive back all demons.”

A body tempering cultivation method?

Qingyun’s eyes lit up.

In a world where martial artists ran rampant, a powerful body was itself a form of protection. And that description... overturning mountains and seas, impervious to all things—it sounded overwhelmingly formidable.

She continued reading downward and found another line of small print at the bottom:

Note: The cultivation process of this method is exceedingly arduous. It requires the body to be tempered through the fiendish qi of heaven and earth, or through similar extreme energies such as heavenly lightning or earthly fire. The pain is extraordinary, and none but those of great willpower may cultivate it.

Those possessing yang and forceful spirit roots such as lightning or fire have an innate advantage in its cultivation and may use the characteristics of their spirit roots to transform and ease part of the tempering energy.

Lightning spirit roots hold an advantage!

It requires tempering the body with lightning!

Those two points struck Qingyun at once.

She happened to possess a mutated lightning spirit root. Although “tempering the body with lightning” sounded terrifying, did that not also prove this cultivation method’s tremendous potential?

And the system had clearly stated that her lightning spirit root gave her an advantage with it.

Almost without hesitation, Qingyun had already made up her mind.

This was the one.

《Heavenly Fiend Glazed Body》!

She immediately looked toward the exchange price for the first level.

“Five hundred Spirit Source...”

That number made the corner of her mouth twitch slightly.

It was not cheap. It was more than six times the sum of her current total wealth of 76 points.

But on second thought, it did not seem entirely out of reach.

Judging by this afternoon’s efficiency, if she could go to the dispensary to “help” two or three more times, and if each trip yielded another hundred or so Spirit Source, then gathering five hundred might actually... be possible?

That goal reignited her drive.

At the same time, however, the opening of the shop also made her clearly realize another problem:

The speed at which she was currently obtaining Spirit Source was far too slow!

If she relied only on secretly absorbing the faint essence from those ordinary medicinal herbs in the dispensary, then trying to exchange for any of the truly good things in the shop would be like trying to douse a blazing cart of firewood with a cup of water.

“I have to find other ways to obtain this ‘energy,’” she resolved inwardly.

Since this world contained medicinal herbs that the system could identify as Spirit Source, then there must certainly be other things that held even richer energy.

For example, rarer medicinal herbs of greater age, special ores, or perhaps even... demon beast inner cores?

But such things were clearly not something a tiny maid trapped in the inner residence could easily come into contact with.

The moment she thought of her current position and strength, Qingyun let out a breath and wilted again.

To say nothing of going out in search of heavenly materials and earthly treasures—even leaving this remote little courtyard at will was beyond her ability now.

If anything were truly to happen, even a random guard who had practiced martial arts for a few days could likely crush her with ease. She was no different from a stray nobody by the roadside.

“Ahem. Food must be eaten one bite at a time, and the road must be walked one step at a time.” She shook her head and threw off those unrealistic thoughts.

“For now, I should honestly keep cultivating 《Longevity Art》 while finding ways to get back into the dispensary to ‘help’ more often. I will first exchange for the first level of 《Heavenly Fiend Glazed Body》 before worrying about anything else.”

Having settled on that course, Qingyun stopped lingering over all the treasures in the shop that she could not yet afford.

She closed the shop interface and once more focused her attention upon the 《Longevity Art》 imprinted in her mind.

As the night deepened, Qingyun sat cross-legged again in the little side room, regulated her breathing, and began trying to capture those pitifully thin strands of pale green and blue spiritual qi in the air, thus beginning yet another long and tedious night of cultivation.

Only this time, there was a clear goal in her heart—to save up five hundred Spirit Source and exchange for 《Heavenly Fiend Glazed Body》.

And because of that, her drive to cultivate seemed even stronger than before.