Tongtian Square, a courtyard surrounded by bamboo.
Zhuang Fu sat emotionless under the pavilion, calmly explaining the practice of each aspect during the Perceptive Stage.
In a corner, Chen Mu was utterly baffled.
By this point, he no longer had any real sense of what Zhuang Fu was expounding.
He hadn’t even successfully cultivated the Jade Seed, so he lacked any experience with the Perceptive Stage’s cultivation practices.
Looking around, he observed that everyone seemed just as perplexed, yet they all furrowed their brows in deep thought, evidently trying to memorize the information by rote.
Chen Mu couldn’t help but shake his head.
“Without practical experience, memorizing it is pointless,” he thought to himself.
After attempting to listen for a while longer, he found he truly couldn’t grasp the intricacies involved.
Chen Mu stopped listening altogether: “Anyway, there’s always next year’s Scripture Transmission lectures.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, beginning to recall and sort through the content of the past fifteen days’ lectures.
“The Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique… just as expected, it’s a complete mess,” Chen Mu sighed.
As Zhuang Fu had introduced,
Soul Strength merged into the Divine Intent Diagram to form the Jade Seed. Then one would use the Jade Seed to stimulate the Earth Spirit Vital Energy and, in turn, cultivate the Spiritual Light.
In the first step, the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique had taken an entirely opposite direction!
“But then again… no big deal,” Chen Mu shrugged his shoulders.
If the grey wall acknowledged the Spirit Armor Technique, it meant someone must have successfully cultivated it before, so there was nothing to fear.
“It’s just some extra food,” Chen Mu curled his lips dismissively.
He had figured out that the main culprit behind his increased appetite was the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique.
“Fortunately, it’s not without its benefits.” The Spirit Armor Technique was demanding on resources, but it also awarded him a robust physique beyond ordinary understanding.
“Otherwise, I might not have managed to defeat Dong Cheng.” Chen Mu felt relieved.
With the physique transformed by the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique, he was able to frequently trigger the Five Ghosts Moving Mountain, grind down the Spiritual Light Talisman, and rapidly eliminate Dong Cheng.
“Spiritual Light Talisman… is it similar to the aristocratic families’ Body Protection Aura?”
“Using Talisman Paper to imitate the Spiritual Light of the Perceptive Realm, obtaining powerful defenses in advance?”
Chen Mu pondered silently, unable to help but sigh, “I still know too little about this world.”
He even began to miss Jie Jia,
If the old man were here, he might have been able to resolve his doubts.
Ding!
A clear sound interrupted Chen Mu’s thoughts.
Zhuang Fu, who had been talking incessantly just moments ago, suddenly stopped speaking, calmly stood up, and strode away from the bamboo courtyard.
The fifteen days of lectures at the Scripture Transmission Institute officially came to an end.
…
On the North Hillside of Tongtian Square, on the east side of the lower courtyard’s cluster of buildings, there sat a double-entry mansion.
Lin Su, a Taoist with bushy eyebrows, sat emotionless in the main hall, resting with his eyes closed.
In his right hand, he toyed with a White Jade Coin, continuously flipping it through his fingers.
As the White Jade flipped, occasional glimmers of light appeared.
Just then, a strapping fellow dressed in black garb walked briskly into the hall.
He clasped his fists and bowed in salute, “Prefect!”
“Speak,” said Lin Su indifferently, eyes still closed.
“The Scripture Transmission Institute reported that the markers of Dong Cheng and his associates have disappeared.”
“They were either removed by someone, or they are already dead.”
“After handling the scene at Dong Cheng’s residence, the clues have been severed.”
“Several lower courtyard disciples who had been hanging around Dong Cheng also vanished on the same day.”
“We’ve been tracking down their personal contacts among the lower courtyard disciples, but we’ve found nothing.”
“In the past three months, Dong Cheng has been continuously cultivating at his residence in Tongtian Square.”
“The only unusual activity was that he had someone buy a batch of White Line Earth Spirit Mice half a month ago.”
“Despite our extensive inquiries, we have no information on that batch of Earth Spirit Mice, and the trail has gone cold again.”
Lin Su’s fingers, which were manipulating the White Jade Coin, suddenly paused, and he slowly opened his eyes.
“Dong Cheng frequently schemes against new lower courtyard disciples, profiting off buying low and selling high.”
“His disappearance at this time must be connected to the new lower courtyard disciples this year.”
“Go check, check every single one.”
“Not a single new lower courtyard disciple must be missed.”
The stout man felt his scalp tingle at the magnitude of the task ahead.
Stealing a glance at Lin Su, who had once again closed his eyes,
The strong man could only helplessly clasp his fists in resignation.
“Yes.”
…
Below Low Hill, Yellow Bud Rice Fields.
Billowing black smoke rolled within the fields.
Chen Mu walked slowly between the fields.
His Second Rank Planting Technique was fully deployed as he carefully watered each Yellow Bud Rice plant and fertilized them individually.
He planned to harvest more Yellow Bud Rice for his cellar. After a batch was ravaged by the White Line Earth Spirit Mice, Chen Mu had to tend to them with even greater care.
Even with the help of the Five Ghosts Bag, such meticulous work still took him over an hour.
Returning to the Low Hill Courtyard, Chen Mu sat under a wooden shelter to rest.
He casually picked up a book from the low table and read in silence.
These were classroom notes he had made from memory after attending lectures.
“Bathing and calming the mind, burning incense to stabilize the spirit are all for enhancing the attraction of Divine Will.”
“If there is a high concentration of Earth Spirit Vital Energy nearby, it seemingly can also increase external pressure, forcing the Soul Strength to converge inward, hastening unification.” Chen Mu realized.
“No wonder my proficiency increases faster near the well.”
“How great it would be to practice in the Upper Court.” Chen Mu sighed.
The Vital Energy there was dense; practicing there would definitely yield twice the result with half the effort.
“Unfortunately…”
“Thankfully, I have a proficiency cheat.”
“Once I grind enough cultivation experience, maybe I could really mingle in the Upper Court for a couple of days!” Chen Mu thought cheerfully.
“I need to get a Jade Seed Secret Technique to practice.”
To enhance the attraction of the Divine Intent Diagram, he had the Calming Pill.
To enhance external pressure, he had the well containing Earth Spirit Vital Energy.
What he lacked was a Jade Seed Secret Technique to quicken the fusion of the Spirit Soul.
…
After lunch, Chen Mu took out all his White Jade Coins and started counting them one by one.
“To have as many as fifty-four?!” Chen Mu was pleasantly surprised.
Shang Huan had been wheeling and dealing for so long, and his entire fortune amounted to less than thirty coins.
Yet, in half a year since Chen Mu arrived at Jilong Road’s Lower Courtyard, his savings had already surpassed that of Shang Huan.
“If I increase the output of Calming Pills, I could earn another five to ten coins every month.” Chen Mu thought with a hint of excitement.
“Forget it, what if it attracts unwanted attention!” Chen Mu quickly sobered.
Safety first!
Certainly, Shang Huan and the bald strong man had also contributed a fair amount of White Jade Coins.
“I haven’t even counted Dong Cheng’s Mustard Seed Talisman.” Chen Mu grinned as he fished out a brown wrist guard.
Not to mention the treasures hidden within the Mustard Seed Talisman.
Just this one talisman was worth fifty-three White Jade Coins.
Thump!
A wooden cabinet, half the height of a man, suddenly appeared.
Just like the rack he had made for the Five Ghosts Bag.
Did all the users of the Mustard Seed Talisman like to build such a categorized drawer cabinet?
Shang Huan did the same previously, and now Dong Cheng was no different.
It was probably a compulsion caused by the characteristics of the Mustard Seed Talisman.
“Higher-grade Mustard Seed Talismans can probably solve the problem of categorized storage.” Chen Mu guessed.
He casually pulled open the first drawer.
Clatter…
A small pile of round White Jade appeared before his eyes.
Chen Mu’s lips couldn’t help but curl up as he began to count them one by one.
“Sixty-two coins? Good!”
“I must visit Scripture Transmission Institute tomorrow no matter what.” Chen Mu was brimming with confidence, feeling tall and strong.
“With these hundred-plus White Jade Coins, I’m not afraid of how expensive the Jade Seed Secret Methods are.”
“The True Sun Scripture was only sixty White Jade Coins. How much more could the Jade Seed Secret Techniques cost?”
“Let’s go!”
“I must visit the Scripture Transmission Institute tomorrow!”