Chapter 3: Body Tempering Technique, Great Success!
Early morning, Spirit Field No. 77 of the Chaotic Sect.
"Old Lu, time to farm!"
One man and one deer rolled up their sleeves and dove into busy work, planting with a fervor that made even the mundane task exhilarating!
Soon, three plots of land were filled with Spirit Rice seeds, and the sprouts began to grow at a visible speed. Within just three days, a lush green expanse of Spirit Rice swayed gently in the courtyard breeze.
Wearing his bamboo hat and squatting to inspect the condition of the Spirit Rice, Ning Daoran looked every bit the seasoned farmer.
Days passed as the Spirit Rice matured, each moment ratcheting his excitement higher and higher!
"Old Lu, time to harvest!"
Harvest season arrived, and the man and the deer grew even more fired up!
After the new batch of Spirit Rice was fully processed into grains, Ning Daoran noticed some intriguing details.
It appeared that due to an imperfect planting technique, most of the grains were rather shrunken. However, a few rice grains bore golden and silver patterns, brimming with Spiritual Energy—particularly the Golden Pattern Spirit Rice, whose Spiritual Energy was so rich it nearly oozed out.
Just then, the system's voice chimed unexpectedly.
Ding-dong!
[This harvest yielded 124 grains of Spirit Rice (Treasure-grade) and 8 grains of Spirit Rice (Rare-grade), resulting in a total gain of 204 years of Refining Time.]
...
"Refining Time?"
Ning Daoran's mind buzzed as he heard the concept for the first time. Could this be the new benefit brought by his Five Grass-and-Tree Holy Spirit Talent Points?
As his gaze lingered on Refining Time, the system informed him that it could be used to cultivate techniques with benefits equivalent to actual practice.
"Huh? It works like that?"
Clutching a bundle of rice stalks in one hand, he gently raised his other hand and began attempting to cultivate his Body Tempering Technique, channeling Refining Time into it.
The next moment, an unimaginable scene unfolded.
[Year One: You tried to grasp the True Intent of the Body Tempering Technique. Unfortunately, your cultivation talent was abysmally poor, making it impossible to comprehend the deeper meaning of the technique. By the end of the year, you began losing hope.]
[Year Three: You stood by the lakeside, shouting, "I must cultivate to become an immortal! No one can stop me!" The frogs in the lake croaked mockingly, seemingly ridiculing your incompetence.]
[Year Five: After five years of sitting and looking haggard, a faint spark ignited in your heart. At that moment, you finally grasped something—the true essence of the Body Tempering Technique revealed itself!]
[Your Blood Qi began to transform, and your strength surged continuously. Your Blood Qi underwent three transitions.]
[Body Tempering Technique, Lower Grade Yellow (Entry-level).]
[Remaining Refining Time: 199 years.]
In an instant, a powerful surge of Blood Qi and Spiritual Energy flooded into his body, causing Ning Daoran's skin to flush bright red. That explosive strength continued to increase!
"Finally reached entry-level…"
Tears of excitement streamed down his face, tinged with slight shame over his mediocre aptitude.
"Let's keep going!"
[Year Twenty: You struggled to grasp the higher levels of the Body Tempering Technique, but the restrictions of your poor talent felt like a curse that kept you stagnant.]
[You laughed and cried, looking like a madman in the eyes of others.]
[Year Thirty-Six: After walking the Body Tempering Pile a million times, your heart filled with frustration. Some could achieve great mastery of the supreme path by doing so, but you could not compare in the slightest.]
[Year Fifty: You were ready to give up and planned to take a concubine and have children. However, when you saw your 300-pound concubine, a flash of insight struck you—you chose to return to cultivation!]
[Your Blood Qi ignited fiercely, causing a monumental transformation in your entire being: Blood Qi underwent six transitions.]
[Body Tempering Technique, Lower Grade Yellow (Small Accomplishment).]
[Qi Refinement Realm (Second Layer).]
[Remaining Refining Time: 154 years.]
Ning Daoran let out a deep sigh, looking down at his arms. With six transformations of Blood Qi, the firmness of his flesh had greatly improved. Blood Qi flowed freely through his veins—it felt incredibly invigorating!
Moreover, his Realm had advanced by one layer, resulting in substantial gains!
"Let's keep going! With over a hundred years of Refining Time left, I must push the Body Tempering Technique to Great Success!"
[Year One Hundred: The Body Tempering Technique showed no further progress, forcing you to question your existence, wondering whether cultivating immortality was a mistake to begin with.]
*Your doubt and hopelessness weighed heavily, plunging you into existential conflict.*
[Year One Hundred Thirty-Six: Your Blood Qi became depleted, and your body aged drastically.]
*The fatigue resonated deep in your soul, filling you with dread.*
[Year One Hundred Seventy: Despite relentless persistence, even the mockery of others failed to shake your resolve.]
[Year Two Hundred: Once again, your Blood Qi ignited fiercely. The Body Tempering Technique began washing the marrow and changing the meridians—you could feel an earth-shattering transformation in your body. At this point, your Blood Qi had undergone nine transitions.]
[Body Tempering Technique, Lower Grade Yellow (Great Success).]
[Qi Refinement Realm (Fourth Layer).]
[Remaining Refining Time: Four years.]
...
The Fourth Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm was already considered the legendary Middle Stage!
Ning Daoran exhaled slowly, sensing the massive surge of Spiritual Power and Blood Qi roiling within him. His eyes sparkled with joy!
"Old Lu, turns out cultivating immortality is this simple!"
He was overjoyed, flushed with excitement.
Planting Spirit Rice—it absolutely had to be a sustainable venture!
One man and one deer, hearts ablaze, continued this thrilling endeavor.
Having consulted several senior brothers, Ning Daoran had learned that in this Cultivation World, techniques were categorized based on mastery levels: Entry-level, Small Accomplishment, Great Success, and Perfect.
Perfect was supposedly the pinnacle of mastery, but there were always prodigies who could chart their own paths. Rumor had it there were two higher levels beyond Perfect; however, even those senior brothers, who were also Qi Refinement disciples, knew little about them.
*His ambition and curiosity surged.*
*The possibilities ahead seemed limitless, a motivation that burned brightly.*
At the Great Success stage of the Body Tempering Technique, he already felt terrifyingly strong. Beyond lay the level of Perfect mastery—and perhaps even the realms beyond that!
*His desire to break those thresholds flourished, visions of greatness consuming his mind.*
Moreover, reaching these higher levels might even present a chance to achieve Foundation Establishment!
After all, who would dare spend hundreds of years honing basic skills like the Body Tempering Technique?
*The sheer absurdity of his path both bewildered and empowered him in equal measure.*
The lifespan of a Qi Refinement Stage Practitioner was only a hundred years, with Foundation Establishment extending that to two hundred at most. Cultivators raced against the clock from the day they began their journey, making Ning Daoran's dedication an anomaly.
Thus, as long as Spirit Rice continued being planted, strength could continue to grow!
...
On this day, the final talent point for the Qi Refinement Realm was successfully exchanged.
Without hesitation, he allocated it to Commanding All Beasts, triggering two system notifications.
Ding-dong!
[Commanding All Beasts: First Stage completed. You may choose a Spiritual Beast to sign a Soul Contract, which will enhance its body and erase its Divine Soul, binding it as your loyal servant. Proceed with the White Deer's Soul Contract?]
*This left Ning Daoran conflicted.*
*Should he erase Old Lu's Divine Soul?* Such an act would bind it to him forever as a Spiritual Beast but would fundamentally change what it was.
Ning Daoran had always sensed Old Lu's dependence on him. Every morning, half-awake, he would feel Old Lu awake as well. It would glance back at him, find him lying on his grass mat, and then rest reassured.
*There was a connection between them—a bond immediately apparent but deeply rooted.*
At this moment, the man and the deer stood side by side on a hill, watching the sunset.
"Old Lu."
Ning Daoran gently stroked Old Lu's bald forehead and asked, "Do you ever miss your parents?"
"Aaah?"
Old Lu first let out a questioning cry, then seemed to reflect on the memory of its parents. Afterward, it nudged Ning Daoran's shoulder softly, clearly expressing that it did.
"Good."
Ning Daoran smiled. "Then keep cherishing those thoughts."
System: Cancel.
...
As time hurried by, Spirit Rice continued being planted within the Small Cloud Mist Array.
Suddenly, Ning Daoran jolted awake on his grass mat, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead as a thought struck him sharply.
The sect had a rule: Outer Disciples needed to undertake at least one trial mission each quarter; otherwise, monthly contributions would be deducted.
Much as he hated admitting it, losing monthly supply wasn't something he could tolerate.
"Old Lu, looks like we've got to head out!"
Ning Daoran washed his hands, changed into a smart-looking Outer Disciple uniform, and set off for the Contribution Hall with Old Lu in tow.
To maintain a low profile, Old Lu remained outside the hall, while Ning Daoran entered alone.
Inside the Contribution Hall bustled crowds of people—senior brothers and sisters who appeared incredibly mighty. Some radiated overwhelming auras that discouraged any from approaching, while others had beauty that seemed straight out of an ethereal painting.
Making sure to attract no attention, Ning Daoran discreetly chose the simplest task and quietly slipped out. He seemed entirely unremarkable.
Thus, no one noticed that he had recently ascended from the first to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.
The task was simple.
An elderly farmer's grandson in Qingniu Town had fallen prey to a minor Evil Spirit and needed cleansing. Lower-level Evil Spirits were weak and easily banished by any disciple who had completed Energy Introduction.
"Old Lu, time to go downhill!"
After accepting the task, Ning Daoran and Old Lu headed down the mountain in high spirits.
...
Qingniu Town wasn't far, and the mission was completed successfully. Ning Daoran immediately identified that the young man had indeed been entangled by an Evil Spirit. Channeling a wisp of pure Spiritual Energy, he banished the spirit without issue.
On the way back, the pair passed through a particularly menacing forest cloaked in smoke and fog, choked with poisonous miasma.
"This isn't good!"
Ning Daoran's heartbeat quickened with a growing sense of unease, and he urgently shouted, "Old Lu, Earth Tunneling!"
Barely had the words left his mouth when, as Old Lu dove into the ground, a sharp arrow whistled through the air, aimed straight for Ning Daoran's throat with deadly precision!
Someone was ambushing him, aiming to kill outright!
"What the—!"
Ning Daoran reacted swiftly, snatching the half-wrapped Azure Dragon Spear from his back. His muscles surged with red Blood Qi as he pushed his Body Tempering Technique to its peak!
With the enhancement from the Body Tempering Technique, his flushed red skin looked as if it were ablaze.
As he slightly tilted his body, the arrow struck his face but ricocheted off, deflected at an angle!
"Damn! Such thick skin!"
The figure hidden in the tree cursed loudly, stunned.
"Get out here!"
Ning Daoran locked onto the source of the arrow, unleashing his Mana to leap onto a nearby tree and charging at the hidden assailant. The Azure Dragon Spear sliced downward with decisive force.
"Agh!?"
The shaved-brow man hidden in the leaves panicked, hastily raising his bow to block.
"Clang!"
The bow shattered instantly!
Despite possessing Qi Refinement Fifth Layer cultivation, the man didn't even have time to draw his blade!
The Azure Dragon Spear struck his head on its second swing.
"Crash!"
Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere—a fatal blow delivered in one swift move!
"Not good! The Third Master's dead; run for it!" someone shouted, bolting from the trees.
"Old Lu!"
Like a lightning bolt, Old Lu charged out, knocking the man over and trampling him mercilessly in circles.
At the same time, Ning Daoran raced toward another fleeing target, the Azure Dragon Spear sweeping horizontally and bisecting the figure hidden in the branches!
In mere moments, all three bandits were slaughtered!
...
Ning Daoran began looting the bodies, taking anything useful.
Once finished, he raised his right hand, curving his middle finger and pressing it against the pad of his index finger. Sparks of Spiritual Energy appeared with the friction of his nails, quickly forming a Fireball that descended onto the corpses.
With Mana Talent applied, the Fierce Flame erupted dramatically, reducing the three bodies to ash in an instant!
"Boom-boom-boom-boom~~~"
As Ning Daoran watched the flames, his heart belatedly thudded furiously. Despite outwardly maintaining a calm demeanor, deep down, the reality of the encounter shook him to his core.
*His first kill in the Cultivation World left him rattled, overwhelmed by the clash of cold brutality and unrelenting survival.*