Chapter Sixteen: A Hundred Arts of Cultivation

In Piner’s heart, upon obtaining spirit stones, her first thought was always to convert them into her own cultivation as soon as possible.

At the early stage of Qi Refinement, the speed of cultivation improvement was paramount.

But she didn’t know.

He Song was entirely different from her, and from other cultivators as well.

Cultivators competed with the heavens for their fates; if they wished for longevity, they had to convert everything possible into their own cultivation. If they failed to break through and extend their lifespan before reaching their natural limit, they would perish, both body and soul.

Under the threat of death, nearly all cultivators invested every resource they acquired into improving their cultivation. Only by constantly advancing could they gain greater power and longer life.

That’s why cultivators loved to shout phrases like, “My fate is mine to decide,” “Defy the heavens,” or “A cultivator who does not struggle, dies.”

Their lifespans were laid bare before them. If they did not fight, they would die.

However,

He Song was not like them.

He had already achieved immortality; endless lifespan was his. Death was no longer his shackle.

Knowing he possessed infinite years, He Song still hoped his cultivation would grow quickly, but, in truth, he felt far less urgency.

Of course, he knew that using spirit stones could speed up his cultivation.

But knowing was one thing; actually doing it was another.

Bamboo Mountain’s Immortal Market was very safe. This area, under the control of the Firm Earth Sect, had seen no large-scale conflicts between cultivators. Though there had once been a brawl among Foundation Establishment families over a newly discovered vein, that dispute quickly died down after the Firm Earth Sect intervened.

This proved that, overall, the four Immortal Cities governed by the Firm Earth Sect, along with their subordinate markets, were relatively secure.

In such safety, He Song’s plan to accumulate spirit stones and prioritize buying introductory books on the myriad cultivation arts to earn more spirit stones was perfectly reasonable.

He Song and Piner each viewed matters from their own perspective.

Neither was wrong.

But it was difficult for Piner to understand He Song’s current mindset.

Therefore,

After leading He Song into the distinguished guest hall and serving him a pot of fine tea, Piner left with curiosity swirling in her mind to prepare the things He Song required.

The guest hall was small, yet the furnishings within were exceptionally exquisite. He Song could even sense faint threads of spiritual energy emanating from them.

This meant all the materials used were spiritual in nature—though perhaps not very old, they were still infinitely more precious than mundane timber.

He gently stroked the table before him, a hint of envy in his eyes.

When would he be able to use furniture made from spiritual materials like this?

The Pavilion of Spiritual Arts was truly wealthy.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Exquisite!

His eyes brightened.

With just one swallow, the tea transformed into wisps of spiritual energy, merging into his body and slightly enhancing his cultivation.

If he could drink such tea year-round, his cultivation speed would surely outpace the past.

He wondered what this tea was called.

If he had spirit stones, he ought to buy some in the future.

Having made up his mind, He Song sipped his tea and waited for Piner’s return.

He did not have to wait long.

Soon,

Piner returned with a tray filled with various books and set it beside him.

Placing the tray on the table, she picked up the nearest book and began to explain.

“This is the Introduction to Alchemy, containing recipes for Fasting Pills, Qi-Nourishing Pills, and Minor Spirit-Ascending Pills, as well as basic knowledge about alchemy.”

“This is the Introduction to Artifact Forging, which details the crafting methods for one offensive and one defensive magic artifact, along with general knowledge about artifact forging.”

“This is the Introduction to Talisman Craft, which includes the methods for creating Firm Earth Talismans, Golden Sword Talismans, and Swift Step Talismans, as well as the fundamental principles of talisman making.”

“This is the Introduction to Array Formations, containing diagrams for the Spirit-Gathering Array, the Five Elements Array, and the Maze Array, plus general knowledge about array formations.”

“This is the Introduction to Beast Taming, which includes methods for attracting, luring, and controlling spirit beasts, as well as information about the necessary materials.”

“This is…”

He Song listened to her melodious voice as his gaze swept over book after book.

The Introduction to Alchemy contained three recipes: Fasting Pills, which were of no particular grade; Qi-Nourishing Pills, used in the early Qi Refinement stage to boost cultivation; and Minor Spirit-Ascending Pills, intended to help cultivators break through the Qi Refinement bottleneck.

But alchemy required far too much—furnaces, all manner of rare medicinal herbs. He Song simply could not afford it, so he dismissed it from his mind.

He likewise disregarded the Introduction to Artifact Forging.

Forging artifacts required a furnace and various rare ores, all beyond his means.

The Introduction to Talisman Craft, however, seemed promising.

Firm Earth Talismans for protection, Golden Sword Talismans for attack, Swift Step Talismans for escape—truly perfect!

But… talisman brushes, inks, and papers were also needed. The cost alone made him shrink back.

He simply could not afford them.

He considered the Introduction to Array Formations.

Not for any other reason but that learning arrays required little extra expenditure of spirit stones.

To set up an array, one had to inscribe patterns on spirit stones or other carriers and position them with specialized techniques. Once arranged, the array only needed periodic replacement of spirit stones to keep running.

Moreover, learning arrays did not require buying expensive materials.

For this reason, He Song became quite interested in the Introduction to Array Formations.

As for the Introduction to Beast Taming, upon hearing that luring and controlling beasts required special materials, he had an answer in his heart.

Attracting spirit beasts also called for unique ingredients, and since beast taming was common in the cultivation world, those materials were especially costly.

To truly tame a beast, the spirit stones spent could probably buy a beast token from the Spirit Beast Pavilion.

The Spirit Beast Pavilion was a place specializing in capturing spirit beasts and selling their tokens. With a token in hand, a cultivator controlled the beast’s very life, without fear of rebellion.

He Song did not interrupt Piner.

He continued listening.

Very soon, he had a general understanding of the introductory volumes on the myriad cultivation arts.

After a long while,

When the gentle voice beside him suddenly stopped, He Song looked up to see Piner gazing at him with a hint of grievance. After a moment’s thought, he poured her a cup of tea.

“Ahem, thank you for your detailed explanations, Piner. Please, have some tea to soothe your throat.”