In ancient times, the concept of 'Techniques' had yet to penetrate the realm of human comprehension. They only knew that their dantian could absorb the essence of heaven and earth, which they could harness to activate their martial spirits.
However, as the river of time flowed onward, the cultivators of the past dedicated themselves to a profound exploration of the body and the world. Their tireless efforts ultimately led to the emergence of countless martial techniques that flourish in the present day.
In the current era, these techniques serve as pathways for cultivators to channel their spiritual essence through specific Spirit Channels within their bodies, allowing them to attain the desired effects of a martial technique.
"Mystic Seal technique…" Wei Wushang's divine sense seeped into the jade slip, absorbing the knowledge within.
This Space-path Mystic Seal Storage technique was precisely what Xu Hanmo had used to store items within his body. This technique enabled the user to create a movable diamond shaped mystic seal that could be transferred to any part of the body for item storage.
However, the technique had its limitations. 'Living beings can't be stored,' Wei Wushang reflected, scanning the details. 'A Rank 1 Mystic Seal can only accommodate materials of equal or lower rank. The storage capacity isn't extensive either, barely 10 cubic meters.'
'Three stars for storage, four stars for complexity, and five stars for essence consumption. It may not have the largest capacity, but it's far from disappointing. Plus, with both Rank 1 and Rank 2 stages of this technique, I can put this to good use.' He was satisfied, for now.
Wasting no time, he began memorizing the 57 Spirit channels necessary to establish and activate the technique.
There was around thirty percent of spiritual essence remaining in his dantian. Wei Wushang manipulated half of it to rush into his martial spirit, and immediately, thoughts surged in his mind like a torrent. The sensation was intoxicating, nearly making him groan with pleasure.
However, he quickly steeled himself and focused on the task at hand. He needed to master this technique and imprint Dao marks on the necessary Spirit channels before the brother and sister duo buried Xu Hanmo's corpse.
Time crawled, and half a minute later, he had committed every detail within the jade slip to memory.
His speed was terrifying, but what was more startling was that even after absorbing all that information, more than half of the thoughts still lingered in his mind.
Memorizing the spirit channels was just the initial step.
Next, he had to use his divine sense to locate these Spirit channels within his body. Fortunately, the jade slip indicated the locations of each Spirit channel within his body. Without this information, searching for them with his weak divine sense could have taken months.
Wei Wushang's divine sense ventured within and was instantly awed by the uncountable spirit channels that crisscrossed everywhere. These channels plunged into his heart, liver, lungs, eyes, mouth, brain, and more, granting access to every nook and cranny of his being.
Some appeared in shades of blue, others glowed in pink. Some short, others fat. Some resembled powerful silver dragons, while others looked like overcooked noodles. Each spirit channel displayed its own unique trait.
For nearly twenty minutes, he focused intently, locating the specific spirit channels and etching their positions into memory.
Wei Wushang opened his eyes and saw that Zhang Hao and Zhang Mei had already finished cleaning the body. Zhang Hao was now digging a grave, using flat stones to scrape away at the earth. It was a slow, tedious process. While Zhang Mei sat off to the side, recovering her spiritual essence.
"Brother Hao," Wei Wushang called out casually, "I'm still feeling a bit dizzy from the blood loss. Why don't you and your sister continue with the hard work? Once you've finished digging, I'll take care of burying the body, even if I'm not at my best. How does that sound?"
Sweat dripped down Zhang Hao's forehead as he kept working, not even pausing to argue. "Yeah, whatever."
Wei Wushang smiled, pleased with the response, before quickly turning back to his task. He pulled a blood-red pill from his sleeve, observing its size as it fluctuated, sometimes compressing and other times expanding. The pill radiated Space path Dao marks, refined specifically for this technique.
Acting without hesitation, Wei Wushang swallowed the pill and closed his eyes.
As it traveled through his body, the sphere burst open, releasing an enchanting crimson mist. Responding to his divine sense, the mist drifted slowly toward the 57 spirit channels he had memorized.
Like a long-lost friend reuniting, the crimson mist wrapped itself gently around the spirit channels, its touch as tender as a lover's caress. After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the 57 spirit channels were adorned in vibrant red markings, resembling a blushing bride.
"Finally," Wei Wushang's eyes gleamed as he spotted the tiny red diamond mark on his left palm. With a thought, it vanished and reappeared on the back of his right hand. He then willed it to move up his arm, to his chest, and even under his foot, watching it disappear and resurface. Satisfied with the results, he clenched his fist.
'Perfect,' he thought. 'Now I just need to test its storage capabilities and essence consumption.'
Wei Wushang glanced toward the Zhang siblings, both still busy digging. It looked like they were nearly done. Rising to his feet, he strolled over. Noticing his approach, they both glanced at him briefly before returning to their task. Without a word, Wei Wushang picked up a half-cut coconut shell from the ground and began digging alongside them.
Ten minutes later, the grave was finally dug. The three of them carefully lifted Xu Hanmo's corpse and laid it into the pit. They all looked exhausted, but Zhang Hao was particularly worn out, his body trembling, panting heavily.
Wei Wushang looked at him. "You should rest and recover your spiritual essence."
Zhang Hao acknowledged with a nod but took one last glance at the corpse, bowing slightly before retreating to cultivate.
Now, only Zhang Mei and Wei Wushang were left. The two worked in silence, filling the grave with soil. They had barely covered a quarter of it when Wei Wushang suddenly turned toward her and asked, "Sister Mei, have you recovered your spiritual essence?"
Zhang Mei paused, then answered, "More than half."
Wei Wushang's tone remained calm but firm. "Good. But it's always best to be at a hundred percent. My martial spirit is telling me you should recover completely."
Zhang Mei became alert, her eyes widening. "Are we in danger again?"
Wei Wushang waved her off, his smile calm. "No, nothing like that. My martial spirit just guides me toward the best course of action. Right now, it's telling me the best thing is for you and your brother to be at full strength. It doesn't mean we'll be attacked, just that we'll be better if fully prepared."
Zhang Mei still seemed unsure, her expression hesitant. "Okay... since that's the case, I'll go cultivate. But... will you manage this alone?" Her tone turning doubtful at the end.
Wei Wushang chuckled softly. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? I've gained a lot from this person. If I don't repay my benefactor in some small way, I won't be able to sleep peacefully."
Zhang Mei gave a slight nod, though she didn't seem entirely convinced. But eventually, she turned and walked off to cultivate.
Wei Wushang watched her leave, his face expressionless as he continued to shove mud into the grave. His each step felt natural, picking up the mud, walking to the edge, and dropping it into the pit. This monotonous rhythm continued—until, on one trip to the edge, his foot caught on the ground, and he stumbled forward, falling directly into the grave.
"Pfft," Zhang Hao barely suppressed a laugh. Though he was supposed to be cultivating, from time to time, he kept his eyes on Wei Wushang. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, not around him.
It took Wei Wushang some time to climb out, and when he did, his body was covered from head to toe in dirt, but his expression remained unchanged. Steadying himself, he resumed scooping up mud and walking to the pit's edge to dump it. He didn't trip again.