Chapter 27: Cultivating in the Quiet Chamber

The Soul-Shaking Art could only be performed with divine sense, capable of shaking an enemy's soul. If the enemy's soul was extremely fragile, it could even directly cause their soul to shatter.

"That's it," Ji Ning nodded. "When accepting disciples earlier, Uncle-Master Wu Xiu must have used the Soul-Shaking Art, causing hundreds of Zifu cultivators to fall from the sky."

"It requires divine sense to perform? I've already reached the level of spiritual awareness."

Ji Ning carefully flipped through the pages.

He was truly tempted.

With his soul, once he performed the Soul-Shaking Art, he could deal with the vast majority of Wanxiang Adepts! After all, reaching the 'spiritual awareness' level was almost exclusive to Primal Daoists! With such a powerful soul and this Soul-Shaking Art, he could naturally sweep through most Wanxiang Adepts.

"Two thousand black-and-white pellets?" Ji Ning saw the price required to exchange for it and immediately shook his head.

On this long table were three golden books.

One was the Soul-Shaking Art, one was the Soul-Charming Art, and one was the Soul-Destroying Art!

Both the Soul-Shaking Art and the Soul-Charming Art only required the level of divine sense to comprehend, learn, and perform, and they cost two thousand and three thousand black-and-white pellets respectively to exchange.

As for the Soul-Destroying Art, it was a true technique for directly annihilating the opponent's soul, a direct combat art between souls, and it required reaching the level of spiritual awareness to perform... In terms of rarity, it was even rarer than divine abilities! To exchange for it, one needed a full ten thousand black-and-white pellets.

"I can only drool and watch," Ji Ning said with a smile, shaking his head. He immediately turned to look at other secret arts.

...

The Dao Treasury Hall was divided into three categories: Methods, Arts, and Miscellaneous. It contained almost all kinds of powerful secret arts, insidious secret arts, and various dazzling sword techniques—everything one could imagine.

Ji Ning only had six thousand black-and-white pellets in total.

Which ones to exchange for and which not to—he had to think it through clearly.

...

After nearly three full hours, Ji Ning finally walked down from the third floor of the Dao Treasury Hall and came out.

"Made your choice?" The tall, stalwart guardian glanced at Ji Ning.

"Yes," Ji Ning nodded, unable to help looking back. Truly, truly... he wished he had a few hundred thousand black-and-white pellets to exchange freely. All kinds of immortal and demonic secret arts were simply too mysterious and unfathomable. Some powerful escape techniques left Ji Ning utterly astonished. Only then did he realize how profound the heritage of the Black-White College was.

Unfortunately, he only had six thousand black-and-white pellets in total. Moreover, the immortal-grade qi cultivation method and the first volume of the Three-Foot Sword were mandatory choices.

"Let me see," the guardian said.

Ji Ning handed over the few abbreviated copies in his hand.

After taking them, the guardian glanced at the first volume of the Three-Foot Sword and immediately frowned: "The Three-Foot Sword is the signature sword art of our Black-White College, with extremely formidable power. But comprehending it... is also extremely difficult. Learning the Three-Foot Sword now is a bit too early for you, and it costs a full two thousand black-and-white pellets to exchange."

Ji Ning felt helpless.

Actually, I didn't want to choose it so early either, but it was designated by my master, the Immortal Diancai. After all, I inherited the sword technique of Senior Beixing.

"The Lesser Five Elements Sword Record?" The guardian saw the second abbreviated copy and immediately nodded. "The Lesser Five Elements Sword Record is also one of the top five sword arts of the Black-White College, profound and vast, progressing from shallow to deep. It is suitable for those who devote themselves to the study of the sword. It also costs a full eight hundred black-and-white pellets to exchange. Actually, I suggest you exchange for the Lesser Five Elements Sword Record and temporarily skip the Three-Foot Sword."

"The Water Source Annotation, an immortal-grade qi cultivation method, not bad," the guardian nodded.

The guardian looked up at Ji Ning: "Have you decided? Just these few? No changes?"

"No changes," Ji Ning said.

Many secret arts were very tempting, but Ji Ning gave them up, even the second volume of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens. After all, cultivating the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens required absorbing the power of the Lunar Star and the Solar Star... He was only at the seventh level now, and reaching the ninth level would take a considerable amount of time.

In that time, he would probably be able to obtain more black-and-white pellets.

"Even if I don't get the second volume of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens at the Black-White College, I can go to the Yinglong Guard or buy it elsewhere," Ji Ning thought to himself. The second volume of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens was relatively easy to obtain.

As for various sword techniques...

Ji Ning had spent the most time studying them in the Dao Treasury Hall. With the divine ability 'Star Picking Hand' in his possession, as long as his sword technique was strong enough, his strength would naturally soar.

For escape, he had the Wind Wing Escape Technique.

For combat, he had the divine ability Star Picking Hand, so he wasn't in a hurry to get other divine abilities.

The focus was still on qi cultivation methods and sword techniques!

And the Lesser Five Elements Sword Record was the most suitable for him, because he already had deep insights into water, wind, and fire.

"One costs two thousand black-and-white pellets, one costs one thousand five hundred, and one costs eight hundred. The total is four thousand three hundred black-and-white pellets," the guardian looked at Ji Ning. "Give me the black-and-white pellets, and I'll get you the originals."

Ji Ning shook his head: "The Water Source Annotation is not only for my own cultivation but also for my spirit beast to cultivate."

"Spirit beast?"

The guardian was shocked: "You're giving such a good qi cultivation method to a spirit beast? It costs one thousand five hundred black-and-white pellets, and this is a critical period for your cultivation. With one thousand five hundred black-and-white pellets, you could exchange for several powerful secret arts for self-protection. There's no need to be so generous to a spirit beast. Let that spirit beast wait a few decades or a hundred years, and then you can exchange for it later. Or exchange for a lower-grade qi cultivation method."

In the guardian's view... Ji Ning was a formal disciple, a monstrous genius. Giving such benefits to a spirit beast was simply a hot-headed move.

An immortal-grade qi cultivation method! This was only available at the Black-White College. If he were out adventuring in the outside world, a Zifu demon beast would almost never find an immortal-grade qi cultivation method even after hundreds of years of risk.

"I've decided," Ji Ning said.

"Alas," the guardian shook his head. "Why are you so foolish?"

Ji Ning didn't speak, but his eyes told the guardian that his resolve was unshakable.

"Fine," the guardian stood up. "I'll get you the originals. Prepare five thousand eight hundred black-and-white pellets for me."

"Yes," Ji Ning nodded, watching the guardian enter the Dao Treasury Hall.

Uncle Bai...

Uncle Bai was not only his spirit beast but, more importantly, his family. Ji Ning couldn't accept getting a bunch of divine abilities and secret arts for himself while giving nothing to Uncle Bai. Moreover, even if he exchanged for those secret arts, he would still need to devote time and energy to cultivate them.

"I will focus on comprehending the Lesser Five Elements Sword Record," Ji Ning thought to himself.

The Water Source Annotation only required cultivation.

The Three-Foot Sword? His sword technique was still lacking; he couldn't even perform the first stance.

Only the Lesser Five Elements Sword Record was something he could slowly and carefully comprehend.

...

Black-White College, Northstar Peak.

Ji Ning rode a leaf boat diving down from the sky, directly entering Northstar Peak.

"Uncle Bai," Ji Ning called out, leaping into the courtyard.

Whoosh.

A large white dog darted out from the side, it was the Whitewater Hound: "Ning'er, you've taken a master? Who is your master?"

"It's the Immortal Diancai," Ji Ning said, his face full of joy.

"An immortal?" The Whitewater Hound also showed surprise. Earlier, he and Ji Ning had speculated that it might be some Primal Daoist.

"Uncle Bai, this is the qi cultivation method I exchanged for you, the Water Source Annotation," Ji Ning said. "Remember, you must not leak this method. If it leaks, the Heavenly Dao blood oath will punish you, and your soul will scatter."

"I know," the Whitewater Hound replied.

Whether living in the Black-White College as a formal disciple's servant or as a spirit beast, one had to swear a Heavenly Dao blood oath! After all, servants and spirit beasts had opportunities to learn some top-tier methods.

"Here," Ji Ning handed over the thick book of the first volume of the Water Source Annotation. "This is the first volume, which can be cultivated all the way to Primal Daoist perfection. When we reach the Primal Daoist level, we can exchange for the second volume."

"You've worked hard, Ning'er," the Whitewater Hound said. Although he had never heard of this method, he guessed that what Ji Ning exchanged for him must be good.

Ji Ning smiled: "Uncle Bai, I'm going to cultivate."

Swoosh!

Ji Ning's heart was surging with excitement and anticipation, so he naturally headed straight for his underground quiet chamber.

Northstar Peak had many buildings, naturally including some secret chambers. These were places where cultivators trained, so the chambers were surrounded by formations and integrated with the overall formation of the Black-White College. Once in seclusion, even an immortal could not directly break in.

...

"Clatter!" The stone door closed.

In the spacious stone chamber, thirty zhang in both length and width, many pearls were embedded in the ceiling. These pearls were naturally not as expensive and luxurious as those in the Carefree Grotto, but they were still not ordinary items, keeping the chamber illuminated by the light of the pearls year-round.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged on a jade bed, which was carved with runes that had a calming effect.

"Water Source Annotation!" Ji Ning flipped through the book in his hand, spending a full half hour reading it and memorizing it completely. A cultivator's memory was formidable; Ji Ning, having reached the level of spiritual awareness, could even review every day of his life from childhood stored in his soul.

"Whoosh."

Flames appeared out of thin air in his hand, burning the Water Source Annotation to ashes.

Such immortal-grade qi cultivation methods absolutely could not be passed on, so once read and memorized, they had to be destroyed. Thus, killing a Black-White College disciple to obtain top-tier methods... was fundamentally impossible.

"Let's begin." Ji Ning waved his hand, and a jade-green bottle landed on the ground in front of him.

The stopper was removed, and dense primal energy spread out. The jade-green bottle contained a full hundred jin of liquid elemental energy. Previously, Ji Ning had only used ten jin of liquid elemental energy to break through from the perfection of the Xiantian stage to the early Zifu stage and consolidate it.

"Suck."

Ji Ning opened his mouth, and the liquid elemental energy rushed out of the jade-green bottle into his mouth. Once inside, it quickly transformed into a vast amount of natural energy, entering his Zifu.

In the endless void of the Zifu space.

A lake existed there.

"Rumble~~~" Suddenly, the entire Zifu space trembled. Countless surging natural energies rushed in, quickly transforming into elemental power. The lake of elemental power began to expand gradually. As Ji Ning performed the Water Source Annotation method, the entire lake also began to rotate.

Swish, swish, swish~~~

It kept spinning, faster and faster. Soon, the entire Zifu lake turned into a massive vortex, making the lake deeper and deeper.

The originally flat lake, after forming a vortex, was like a drill, immediately increasing its depth by a hundred or a thousand times.

"Boom!"

A loud bang.

At the deepest point where the Zifu lake vortex drilled, a hole suddenly appeared. From within that hole, new elemental power continuously surged out. This hole was the source of the Water Source Annotation!

"Middle Zifu stage." Ji Ning continued to absorb the dense liquid elemental energy from the jade-green bottle, further improving his strength.

Rumble~~~

The deepest part of the Zifu lake was now a thousand times deeper than before. The absorption and refinement were clearly much faster, and the elemental power emerging from the 'water source' after transformation was also purer.

"Late Zifu stage!"

...