Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 307: Chapter 304: System

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When the ladies dispersed, Chu Zhiyuan’s courtyard became empty.

Shen Hanyue also sensibly left.

Only Chu Zhiyuan and Xiao Ruoling were left in the courtyard.

Xiao Ruoling stepped forward to massage his temples, her cool fingers pressed against them, indeed very comfortable.

”Are you sure it’s okay?” Xiao Ruoling said softly, ”What if others find out...”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”Would you all spread it around?”

”Certainly not,” Xiao Ruoling shook her head, ”but this can’t be hidden.”

Suddenly gaining fourteen grandmasters, with all those at Innate Perfection becoming grandmasters, how could this be kept a secret?

Yao Yue Palace disciples not going to Yujing doesn’t mean they’re inactive, it’s like they’re secluded at Yao Yue Peak.

In fact, Yao Yue Palace disciples rarely stay at Yao Yue Peak all day, most of them roam the world, just avoiding Yujing.

The three great sects are all watching Yao Yue Palace, how could so many grandmasters appearing go unnoticed by them?

They will surely spread it noisily, and everyone in the world will know.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”Ruoling, you haven’t yet acquired the domineering aura of Yao Yue Palace’s Holy Daughter.”

Although Duke An Mansion is one of the Eight Dukes’ Mansions, in the eyes of outsiders, it already represents peak wealth and privilege, hereditary and unreplaceable, the wealth others desperately pursue yet cannot obtain.

But within the Eight Dukes’ Mansions, Duke An Mansion doesn’t hold power, so as a young lady of the Duke Mansion, actions need to be weighed multiple times, as thoroughly as possible.

This cultivated a delicate and complex mind.

But it lost its domineering edge.

Xiao Ruoling pursed her lips and smiled, ”I am indeed too gentle, the Palace Master and elders always say so, but it’s hard to change.”

At this age, one’s character is set, as the saying goes, it’s easier to change rivers and mountains than alter a person’s nature, it’s almost impossible to change.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Then there’s no need to force yourself, every generation of the Holy Daughter has her own unique way of doing things, no need to conform to each and every thing, ... besides, Yao Yue Palace has always been too fierce, some gentleness might not be a bad thing.”

Strength breaks easily, while a balance of strength and softness is the true way.

Of course, being all soft doesn’t work either.

What Yao Yue Palace lacks now isn’t strength, but gentleness, Xiao Ruoling becoming the Holy Daughter is the best harmonization.

One must say Yao Yue Palace’s luck is good to have encountered a Holy Daughter like Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling whispered, ”Are you sure it won’t cause trouble?”

Chu Zhiyuan laughed as he hugged her slender waist.

Her concern has made her overthink and seem a bit nagging.

”I am a princely heir, not an ordinary official, not whatever they want to decide,” Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”My skills are mine, to help whom I choose is my freedom, they can’t interfere.”

”But they will harbor resentment.”

”Let them then,” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”They can only blame not being Yao Yue Palace disciples.”

”Your uncle and other relatives...”

”Don’t be fooled by everyone’s words as if I truly don’t recognize family ties, ... if it was for themselves or their family, there’s absolutely no problem, for those outside, it’s different,” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”They naturally understand this logic.”

If an uncle persuaded him for cousins, he would agree without hesitation; the same with uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, no problem.

But for those outside of family, no help.

There must be a distinction between closeness and distance, insider and outsider.

So even if they’re dissatisfied, they won’t be truly dissatisfied, only venting a bit.

Xiao Ruoling seemed contemplative, nodded gently, and finally smiled, ”I see.”

Indeed, the princely heir is far from the unempathetic tyrant, but rather displays superior human relations, beyond ordinary people.

How could he truly disregard family ties?

There are hidden complexities within.

——

After some ear-to-ear whispering, Xiao Ruoling left with a flushed face.

Chu Zhiyuan then fiddled with the iron ring on his left thumb, continuing the method of sacrificial refining.

The power of the strange patterns inside the ring was nearly dissipated, making refining easy.

The ring’s owner should have been dead for a long time, the power attached diminishing over time, not eternal.

Based on this power’s strength, within another hundred years, the power contained in the ring’s patterns would naturally dissipate, becoming an item without an owner.

However, for now, it doesn’t hinder his refining speed, the Heavenly Yuan Technique operates continuously, occasionally needing spiritual communication to replenish, within two days, the ring was successfully refined.

From then on, it truly became his space ring, a storage ring.

This storage ring’s space is larger than the White Tripod’s, nearly nine cubic capacity.

Within it is a curio shelf, upon it lined up small white jade bottles, crystalline and warm, of exceptional material, unexpectedly all small cold jade bottles.

He had high expectations for the spirit pills within the bottles, opening them, only to find each an empty bottle, all spirit pills consumed.

Besides these small jade bottles, there were also several secret martial arts manuals, stored in black jade boxes.

Chu Zhiyuan took them out and opened them one by one.

Mingyu Refining Organ Technique, Mingyu Golden Bone Technique, Mingyu Soul Cleansing Technique, Mingyu Soul Strengthening Technique, Mingyu God Transformation Technique.

Chu Zhiyuan read through these five secret manuals, his expression becoming increasingly serious and solemn.

Mingyu Divine Palm is indeed the foundational cultivation technique, the most basic, used as a foundation, after entering the grandmaster realm, starting to refine organs, strengthen bones, souls, and spirits, ultimately transforming to divinity.

Unlike today’s cultivation system, this Mingyu Holy Sect’s system practices both internally and externally, then becomes a god.

The so-called becoming a god is when essence qi and soul are strong enough to condense into a Yang God.

A Yang God can exist independently of the body, remaining intact for a thousand years.

Once the Yang God forms, the body also has a thousand-year lifespan.

This can be called an earthly immortal.

Chu Zhiyuan read through these manuals solemnly.

Is divinity transformation a step beyond great grandmaster?

Isn’t it before qi control?

It’s only after divinity transformation that one can control qi? Or is qi control a realm before divinity transformation?

To which world does this cultivation system belong?

He pondered carefully, correlating it with what he knew, vaguely finding similarities.

The path he’s taken seems to be this one, the path of internal and external cultivation, the Dragon Transformation Technique’s body refinement effect is indeed strong.

Yet such cultivation faces a major difficulty: slowness.

Now let alone dual cultivation, even focusing on one path makes it extremely challenging for most in the Martial Arts world.

Many regretfully watch themselves reach sixty, eighty, with no hope of ascending further.

Having them cultivate another path, balancing internal and external, seems nearly impossible.

Thus, the current cultivation system is simply the product of survival of the fittest, survival of the adaptable.

For true geniuses, like himself, one shouldn’t be constrained, instead pursuing the ancient path.

Do contemporary geniuses know this principle?

He thought of Xiao Ruoling, of Chu Yi, then of Li Hongzhao’s Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique.

Presumably, Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique is such a miracle technique, so Li Hongzhao is certain of entering the great grandmaster realm.

The mystery of the great grandmaster lies within it.

The reason current people struggle to break through to great grandmaster might be because they walk with one leg.

If today’s geniuses know this, practicing both internal and external cultivation, the chance of becoming great grandmasters might be greater.

He looked up at the sky, then in the direction of Da Jing.

If Da Jing gains a few more great grandmasters, what would happen?

Looks like it’s time for Chu Yi to start cultivating Mingyu Divine Palm, and then continue cultivating all the way up.

As for the subsequent cultivation techniques, he decides to keep them to himself, not giving them to Yao Yue Palace.

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