Chapter 31: True Teachings in One Sentence, False Teachings in Thousands of Books

What an insightful read.

Back home, Chen Mobai unboxed the Spirit Testing Device, infused it with a burst of spiritual power to activate it, and after confirming its full functionality, tucked it into his small backpack. However, he didn't head to the Water Mansion immediately today. Instead, he first took out his phone to order clothes. Since Chen Mobai intended to interact with cultivators from the Tianhe Realm, his first priority was naturally to blend in, meaning his attire shouldn't stand out too much. While his school uniform was quite plain, its style was completely different from that of the old man and the young boy who died in the Water Mansion last time. Recalling their clothing, Chen Mobai chose a set of gray-white ancient-style clothes online.

After ordering the ancient-style clothing, he didn't forget the shoes either. Finally, he looked in the mirror and noticed another incongruity. His neat crew cut didn't match the ancient attire at all, so he had no choice but to order two long wigs and some hair ornaments for securing a topknot. With these, his ensemble was finally complete. However, delivery would take at least two more days. Thus, Chen Mobai could only meditate and cultivate within the Water Mansion today; he couldn't venture out.

Amidst a flash of silver light, he returned to the Tianhe Realm. Feeling the spiritual energy of the water veins, several times denser than at home, he involuntarily took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Taking out his phone, he began to browse the Pure Yang Qi Cultivation manual. The document began with a page of viewing instructions. All cultivation techniques in the National Library, though redeemable by cultivators using points, are solely for personal practice and may not be taught to others. If you agree to this, you may check the box and proceed.

Chen Mobai naturally agreed; this was a small vow of the Dao Heart. Should a cultivator violate this rule by giving their downloaded techniques to others for practice, they would go against their own true nature. The more widely it was spread, the more obstacles would accumulate on their Dao Heart in the future. While this might not be significant at lower cultivation levels, at critical junctures like the Core Formation or Nascent Soul stages, it could easily trigger inner demons, leading to complete failure. It was precisely for this reason that, although cultivation techniques and knowledge were easily accessible in the Immortal Sect, cultivators generally had to acquire them themselves using points or merit.

Chen Mobai first read the Pure Yang Qi Cultivation manual from beginning to end. Comparing it with his own Five Elements Technique, he found it indeed more profound, and he couldn't fully grasp it all at once. Of course, this could also be due to Chen Mobai having watched Venerable Qingping's lecture videos multiple times recently, leading to his exceptionally thorough understanding of the Five Elements Technique. "It seems attentive study is still necessary," he thought. He opened the "Assisted Cultivation" software, selected the column of True Master Shaoyang, and began systematically studying the Pure Yang Qi Cultivation manual, referring to the True Master's annotations on the Pure Yang Scroll.

Similar to the Black Water Technique, the Pure Yang Qi Cultivation manual came with three accompanying spells and the Three Yang Physique method for spiritual root transformation. The spells were Ignite, Flame Manipulation, and Fireball. Naturally, the first topic discussed was the Three Yang Physique, which was the most fundamental and crucial aspect. After listening to it once, Chen Mobai instantly had a revelation. It was indeed true that 'a true teaching is but a single word, while a false one fills ten thousand scrolls.' The parts he hadn't understood from reading were suddenly clear with True Master Shaoyang's detailed explanations.

This Three Yang Physique spiritual root transformation first required converting a water spiritual root into a wood spiritual root, and then the wood spiritual root into a fire spiritual root. The subtle differences between these two steps, if not for True Master Shaoyang's explanation, would have meant that even if Chen Mobai managed to figure it out on his own, the final conversion efficiency would certainly not have been high. When Old Man Ding underwent the One Yang Physique spiritual root transformation, it was precisely for this reason that his fire spiritual root attribute only increased by 6 points. Although this was just a 3-point difference from the maximum of 9, it might have been this very deviation that led to his failure in Foundation Establishment. Therefore, after listening, to ensure he hadn't missed anything, Chen Mobai also found explanation videos from two Golden Core True Masters who practiced the Pure Yang Scroll. Comparing them, he gained even more insights.

"If I can break through to the late Qi Cultivation stage, cultivating this Pure Yang Scroll wouldn't be impossible," he mused. Chen Mobai mumbled to himself. Among the Immortal Sect's eighty-four thousand Daoist scriptures, while the Pure Yang Scroll wasn't top-tier for combat and its cultivation speed was only average, it represented a broad and stable path. Furthermore, with extensive experience from previous cultivators, many common obstacles and bottlenecks had established solutions, making it ideal for someone with high access privileges like himself. At this thought, his resolve to leave the Water Mansion deepened. He must earn enough spirit stones in this Tianhe Realm. "However, the most crucial task ahead is still to advance to the seventh level of Qi Cultivation."

Perhaps because he had used spirit stones to break through, Chen Mobai didn't feel his spiritual power floating or unstable after advancing to the sixth level of Qi Cultivation, unlike when he previously took the Purple Fire Pill. However, being inherently cautious, he still spent two days cultivating with the Spirit Nurturing Art. Only when he felt his spiritual energy perfectly at his command today did he resolve to consume the "Qi Replenishing Spirit Water." Opening a hidden compartment in his backpack, he took out two glass tubes, each about the length and thickness of an index finger. The tubes were sealed with wooden stoppers, containing a mouthful of colorless liquid—the Qi Replenishing Spirit Water.

Chen Mobai uncorked one and drank it in a single gulp. It tasted like plain water, but with a faint, bitter medicinal aftertaste that he found somewhat unpalatable. After drinking, he closed his eyes and began to meditate cross-legged. As the Five Elements Technique circulated, his meridians and acupoints instantly relayed a sense of hunger for spiritual energy. The dense spiritual energy within the Water Mansion, like wisps of light smoke, streamed into every part of Chen Mobai's body. Chen Mobai felt his efficiency in cultivating spiritual power increase by nearly tenfold. The spiritual energy of the water veins continuously gathered around him, vaguely forming a mist that enveloped his entire being, making him appear indistinct. Yet, a multicolored, gentle radiance permeated from his skin, a clear sign of the Five Elements Technique being cultivated to a profound level. Even ordinary late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators didn't exhibit such an aura when circulating the Five Elements Technique. It was fortunate that this place was a Class 2 mid-grade spiritual vein treasure land, abundant in spiritual energy. If he were at home, at least half of the Qi Replenishing Spirit Water's medicinal power would be wasted.

After six grand circulations, the spiritual mist around Chen Mobai gradually dissipated, and his efficiency in refining spiritual energy returned to normal levels. This indicated that the Qi Replenishing Spirit Water's medicinal power was completely exhausted. He circulated for two more cycles, but finding the cultivation efficiency unbearably slow compared to before, he stopped and opened his eyes.

"It's a pity this stuff requires a rush purchase," he thought. "Even though I converted my spirit stones into merit, I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to get more." Chen Mobai still had one bottle of Qi Replenishing Spirit Water left, but he could only take one per day, so he prepared to put it back in his backpack. Just as his hand touched the glass tube containing the spirit water, his eyes suddenly widened. Wasn't this glass tube the exact same kind that the girl in the white nurse's uniform at the pharmacy had filled from a large iron pot? No wonder that scene felt so familiar; it was because he recognized this glass tube. She wasn't bottling "Essence Recovery Spirit Water," but "Qi Replenishing Spirit Water"? Weren't these things sold directly by the Jumang Daoist Academy? Could her small pharmacy actually refine them?