The Hardship of Cultivation

Another month passed quickly

In front of the Knowledge Source Hall.

"Hand over your identity token and one mortal-grade primeval essence stone to enter the Knowledge Source Hall."

Today, Yu Xuan after going to the Central Hall to acquire his new identity and receive his salary, arrived at the Knowledge Source Hall. At the entrance, a female disciple who was responsible for guarding was sitting at the counter and asking for his identity token.

This Knowledge Source Hall was a place of importance to the outer course, inside it contains a vast number of Cultivation Techniques and Combat Techniques. There was only a female disciple who was responsible for guarding, showing how strict the rule of a sect was, creating trouble that would bring them to destruction.

For any disciples, to enter this Knowledge Source Hall, no matter the reason, one must pay one mortal-grade primeval essence stone. If one wanted to stay longer, one needed to pay the extra price.

Yu Xuan knew the rules, he handed his identity token and one mortal-grade primeval essence stone.

A female disciple received and brought it to the Data Formation.

Data Formation was a formation for recording and granting the qualification to enter the Knowledge Source Hall.

If one didn't grant the qualification, one would immediately expel from the Knowledge Source Hall.

A moment later.

A female disciple returned with a smile as she said, "So you are here to get a new technique?"

"Indeed." Yu Xuan simply replied.

[This woman suddenly being friendly with me without any reason, what does she want? Let me see.]

"Did Big Sister have any instructions?" Yu Xuan politely said.

"Hahaha! Little Brother is talented and smart. You see, you just broke through to a 2nd-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, during this time, you must focus on cultivating and forgetting about combating. Here, This Sister will recommend you a good technique." A female disciple said with a knowledgeable face.

[Hmph! Recommend? Is there such a good thing?] Yu Xuan said inwardly, but he still smiled at the outside.

"Big Sister is not only beautiful but is also a good person. This Little Brother will reply to this kindness in the future." Yu Xuan said flatteringly.

"Little Brother doesn't need to wait for the future. Ten mortal-grade primeval essence stones are enough for this little information." A female disciple raised her hands and showed her beautiful fingers, saying with a smile.

[So you want to rob me.]

Yu Xuan was speechless.

As a 2nd-stage Foundation Establishment, his salary increased by 20 mortal-grade primeval essence stones, from 100 to 120. But to pay ten mortal-grade primeval essences for that, he was still unwilling.

Ten mortal-grade primeval essence stones were enough for him to cultivate one day.

Although Yu Xuan was unwilling, he didn't want to offend this female.

This female was the same person as the last two months he saw guarding here, she was able to guard this place meant that she was not a simple person. If she was displeased with Yu Xuan, he would have a difficult time by the next time he was here.

"Big Sister is considerable." Yu Xuan took out ten mortal-grade primeval essence stones from his pouch and handed them to her.

A beautiful woman quickly waved her left hand as ten mortal-grade primeval essence stones disappeared quickly.

"Here, raise your ear."

Yu Xuan did as she said.

When her lips were close to his left ear, Yu Xuan felt a great sensation, combined with the smoothness of her sound, making Yu Xuan pleasant to the point of feeling that her long words were too short.

After that, Yu Xuan nodded before entering the Knowledge Source Hall.

Watching him entering, a female disciple thought, [Another guy who knows how to behave.]

...

There were five floors in the Knowledge Source Hall.

The first floor was where all the mortal-grade Cultivation Techniques and mortal-grade Combat Techniques were located, and earth grades were on the second floor and the third floor. The fourth and fifth floors were unknown to him.

Yu Xuan was just a 2nd-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, a mortal-grade Combat Technique was the best for him.

Upon entering, Yu Xuan was advancing straight to the specific spot.

"Crab Shell Technique: Overwhelming defensive with a domineering endurance. One can endure the fatal blow from the opponent at the same realm."

"Finger Fish Technique: Shooting a beam in the shape of the fish, unmatched opponent."

"Soaring Fish Technique: Moving slippery like a fish swim in the water, unmatched speed."

"String Water Technique..."

"Fish Eye Technique..."

"Serpent Flow Technique..."

"Sharp Water Technique..."

A beautiful female disciple didn't lie to him. This spot had many good techniques.

Yu Xuan was considering which one was suitable for him in his current state.

He had his clones to help in fighting. One clone could attack and another clone could defend, which meant he didn't need defensive or offensive techniques as of now. The most suitable one was speed, a movement technique.

In a fight, a faster one would be able to control the situation.

Ultimately, Yu Xuan picked the Soaring Fish Technique.

Moving slippery as a fish gave the feeling of it being the most suitable out of all the others.

...

"A Soaring Fish Technique?" A female disciple showed a surprised look, normally, the disciples would pick an offensive technique or a defensive technique at the beginning.

"This Little Brother loves the long-range attack, the speed will be a great help when the opponent is closer." Yu Xuan politely said.

"So Little Brother wants to focus on the speed first." A female disciple gave a nod.

...

The next morning after a meal, Yu Xuan didn't go to the lake to practice his Water Image, but he went back to his room to comprehend his new technique.

Yu Xuan had a deep understanding of water from Earth. As a result, his progress in comprehending a technique was faster than any disciples.

In norm, to comprehend a mortal-grade technique to reach completion, it would take at least a month for a special genius, two months for a genius, and five months at least for a normal disciple. However, Yu Xuan only used a week to accomplish that.

There were two months left before a small competition. Yu Xuan was not special in front of everyone, they didn't recognize him. However, he still needed to be cautious. Not showing off too much.

He had a mortal-grade talent and a mortal-grade physique, if his performance was too outstanding, many would be raised suspicion of him.

However, as it was his first competition, he had the advantage of being a low-profile disciple. If he showed a bit of good performance, no one would raise suspicion about him yet. After all, there were countless geniuses in a sect, and a sudden good performance disciple appeared was normal.

As a result, Yu Xuan could put down his worries about comprehending to completion in a week.

In the coming competition, a movement technique, Soaring Fish, was the important key, Yu Xuan must use it.

...

A week later.

At the lake.

Upon seeing that there was no one around, Yu Xuan began revolving his Soaring Fish Technique.

The water path primeval essence slowly floated around his body, Yu Xuan slowly controlled them to fuse with his skin.

As the first drop of the water path primeval essence fused with his left arm, Yu Xuan felt nothing. As time passed, all a hundred drops of water path primeval essence fused his skin, but Yu Xuan still felt nothing. Only a feeling of wasting his primeval essence and tired of using his thoughts.

This meant, he fail in activating the Soaring Fish Technique.

Although Yu Xuan didn't get backlash or suffer from this technique, he still felt that this was a failure result.

And this failure was harder than Water Image Technique. He couldn't find the cause of why he failed. It was an awkward situation, where he must think of the cause without any clue.

Although he felt that the activation of this technique was easier than Water Image Technique, he had to create the clones. However, the clueless failure made him face a hard situation.

"Let me try it again!" Yu Xuan was able to grasp the Water Image Technique, not only due to his understanding but also his effort in countless failures.

After a while, the results were still the same.

"Again!"

"Again!"

"Again!"

"Again!"

"Hmph! Failure is simply a few errors in judgment, I'll repeat this process." Yu Xuan was motivated.

"Again!"

"Again!"

And at the tenth attempt, Yu Xuan finally found the cause, and he was happy to attempt that again.

As he did, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, "So, to activate this technique, my thoughts and feeling must catch up with its speed."

To use a movement technique, one must have a speed of thought and emotion on par with a technique, otherwise, one wouldn't be able to become one with a technique.

Upon thinking about this point, it was like the door of success was opening for Yu Xuan as he tried to activate a technique once again.

As he was a 2nd-stage Foundation Establishment, his primeval essence had increased, he could activate a technique twenty times.

On the twentieth attempt, Yu Xuan finally succeeded as he tried to move.

After a while, Yu Xuan couldn't help but praise.

"Soaring Fish Technique, slippery and unstoppable. On my first use, I can move 3 steps in a blink of an eye. Once I am completely proficient in it, I can at best move 5 steps in a blink of an eye."

Before cultivating the Soaring Fish Technique, Yu Xuan tested his speed and realized he could only move 2 steps in a blink of an eye at best. Even though 2 and 3 steps were only 1 step away, this difference could impact the result of a fight with the same realm opponent.

Exhausting from the dried-up primeval essence, Yu Xuan shut his eyes and lay down there.

An hour later.

Yu Xuan stood up and left the lake.

Two weeks passed.

Swoop! Swoop! Swoop!

A white shadow was moving slippery in on the lake, it was faster and faster. Gradually, as though enveloped in the wind, wherever the wind was, a white shadow would follow. When a white shadow settled down, a faint blue primeval essence was emptied, a fifteen years old youth was gasping for air and was covered in sweat.

"As expected of Soaring Fish Technique, its speed seduces me to consume my primeval essence such quickly."

Yu Xuan was a 2nd-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he had two Water Path Pillar in his Sixth Sense Realm, which meant he had 2,000 units of primeval essence.

He could use the Soaring Fish Technique twenty times. Each time, he could move five steps, which meant he could move 100 steps before the primeval essence was used up.

"Next is to try this technique with my two clones."

...

Another two weeks passed.

"Not bad!"

With the breeze, Yu Xuan saw two of his clones moving like a shadow. The speed of the two clones was instantaneous, it was almost as if they fused with the wind. Under the bright sun, there seemed to be a mirage in front of them.

"Three steps in a blink of an eye." Yu Xuan nodded his head.

His two clones were expressionless.

But Yu Xuan had an exhausted face, his thoughts were consumed too much due to the sharing of two clones.

Just bearing two clones were enough for him to be this exhausted.

Thinking of this point, Yu Xuan was envious of those who had good special physiques, a better physique, the easier using thoughts to activate a technique. However, he was happy at the same time upon thinking to this point, his Calm As Water technique could help upgrade his physique as his cultivation progressed.

As for talent, that was impossible. But Yu Xuan was already satisfied with the result of helping upgrade his physique.

Leaving early in the morning and coming back late in the evenings, time passed by quickly.

A month passed.

Bang!

With two strikes of two palms on the tree, leaves rained in profusion.

Although these two clones combined their forces, their limit was still 50%. It couldn't be 100% of Yu Xuan.

Bang!

A sturdy tree was cracked when Yu Xuan struck his palm. He couldn't stumble it but being able to make it crack satisfied him.

"Tomorrow is a competition day."

In the eyes of Yu Xuan was a flash of truth.

He was a 3rd-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator now, his body was tougher and his speed also faster.

The Soaring Fish Technique capitalizes on quickness to win, as his agility reaches an extreme, he can spot previously impossible things. An example is seeing what is the fastest way to strike using different angles, stances, and trajectories.

Speed is the truth, with speed, when others stand in front of you, weaknesses can be found everywhere. Speed is a principle and with speed, your strikes are without equal.

Upon being a 3rd-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, Yu Xuan didn't hurry to pick another new technique yet.

He would wait until the end of the competition. During these two months, he investigated the information regarding a female disciple who was guarding the Knowledge Source Hall and learned about her a bit.

She was an outstanding disciple who was older than Yu Xuan by a year. Her cultivation was a 10th-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, and she was going to be a Core Formation Realm sooner. When that time came, she would be an inner disciple. More importantly, she was the daughter of the elder who was guarding the Knowledge Source Hall. However, this elder was always on the fifth floor.

Yu Xuan learned more important information that this female disciple would stop guarding and entering the secluded soon, as a result, he planned to go to the Knowledge Source Hall later and try to avoid this girl.

Even if he was nothing in her eyes, she might not recognize him, Yu Xuan didn't want the unexpected situation to occur.

...

Returning to his room from the small forest, Yu Xuan passed by the road nearby Training Field. He noticed that many of the disciples were sparring against each other, but from his perspective, he saw many loopholes in their movements. If given the chance, he could use his speed to take control of the situation in the fight.

But there were also outstanding ones, which made Yu Xuan feel pressure just by a glance.

Especially, two youths that were arguing as if they were about to fight.