“`
Geng District, Inn beside the number nine Tongtian Tower.
Chen Mu slowly opened his eyes.
The Five Grains Talisman within the Jade Seed was becoming increasingly complex.
His understanding of the Essence of the Five Grains also strengthened as his proficiency increased.
The Essence of the Five Grains is a special substance, widely present within various plants.
It contains stable Earth Spirit Vital Energy that has undergone qualitative change.
Cultivators who have thrice undergone Shape Cultivation and perfected their Shell Soul possess monstrously strong bodies after transformation.
With strong bodies come great appetites; eating an entire cow in one meal is no exaggeration.
Yet a hundred pounds of Yellow Bud Rice could keep such a glutton satiated for a month, precisely because it is rich in the Essence of the Five Grains.
“Similar to the starch in food from my previous life, but this has clearly transcended the mundane due to the presence of Earth Spirit Vital Energy,” Chen Mu realized.
He pulled up a grey wall.
Five Grains Talisman: 1233/10000;
“Shall we try?” Chen Mu eyed the proficiency number, eager to test it.
The Five Ghosts Black Smoke spread out, and he immediately took out a bag of Yellow Bud Rice, full of excitement.
Within the Jade Seed.
The Five Elements Vital Energy Talisman was the size of a soybean, disc-shaped, hovering up and down in the smoky mana fog.
Silver threads connected like stars to form a vortex, spiraling around; at first glance, Chen Mu thought he saw a miniature version of the Milky Way.
The Five Grains Talisman was generally spindle-shaped, with interior threads also filled with silver star points.
It was very small, not even as large as a sesame seed.
With a thought from Chen Mu, the spindle-shaped Five Grains Talisman drilled into the center of the starry river, then was pulled into the Black Orb Talisman.
An absorption force emerged out of nowhere in front of him.
Chen Mu felt as if he had suddenly obtained a vacuum cleaner in his hand.
He immediately directed this Exotic Force towards the grey bag in front of him.
Hum!
The Yellow Bud Rice inside the bag immediately began to vibrate and undulate.
A stream of whitish-yellow powder spun into Chen Mu’s palm, quickly amassing into two fist-sized clumps.
“Is this the Essence of the Five Grains?” Chen Mu frowned slightly.
According to the Jade Slip’s records, it should be pure white, not this mix of yellow and white…
“It’s a failure,” Chen Mu shook his head.
The Five Grains Talisman is a description of the Essence of the Five Grains; the more detailed it is, the more precise the absorption.
The purer the extracted Essence of the Five Grains will be, with fewer impurities.
His proficiency with the Five Grains Talisman wasn’t enough, resulting in impure Essence of the Five Grains.
He reached into the grey bag; the once clearly defined, crystal-clear Yellow Bud Rice had turned into a pile of dark yellow powder.
It was edible, but tasteless and not filling.
Dispelling the Qi Absorbing Technique’s Exotic Force, Chen Mu packed the yellow-white powder into a brown wooden box and scratched his head. “This stuff could still be made into a version 3.0 Bigu Pill,” he thought.
After this attempt, he discarded any wishful thinking.
“I should just continue to work hard.”
…
Heavenly River Water Mansion, Ding District.
Jinxiu Pavilion.
“That puts me in a difficult position, dear guest,” said an old man over fifty with graying hair, shaking his head with a wry smile.
“The Condense Aperture Secret Method is different after all. It’s treasured and hidden by each family.”
“Even on the rare occasions that one is found, it’s immediately taken away by the Mansion Lord to enrich the Heavenly River Mansion’s treasury.”
“To tell you the truth, I’ve been at Jinxiu Pavilion for thirty years, and I’ve only heard of the Condense Aperture Secret Method twice, and never seen it.”
Chen Mu couldn’t help but shake his head in disappointment.
He had already overestimated the Condense Aperture Secret Method.
But it still wasn’t enough.
Just as he was about to leave, a thought struck him: “The Heavenly River Mansion Lord has the Condense Aperture Secret Method?”
“Of course!” the elder said with pride, “The Mansion Lord’s treasury holds countless treasures, not just the Condense Aperture Secret Method, but even Dao Foundation Secret Methods.”
“Dao Foundation Secret Method?”
“Yes!”
“The Mansion Lord’s ‘Loach Dragon Transformation Scripture’ is a Dao Foundation Secret Method,” he explained.
“Also, there’s the ‘Heavenly River Water Method,’ which most of the Mansion Lord’s guests use for Condensing Aperture.”
“If you possess a unique skill and pass the Mansion Lord’s test, becoming a Water Mansion guest, you too can learn this secret technique,” the old man said, attempting to entice Chen Mu.
A guest?
Chen Mu politely smiled, then turned and left the Jinxiu Pavilion.
It wouldn’t be bad to become a guest of the Heavenly River Mansion Lord.
But unfortunately,
With the vast power of the Heavenly River Water Mansion at his disposal, it was impossible to catch the Mansion Lord’s eye without being a true genius or possessing a unique skill.
“It’s the same old trick as Jilong Road,”
Using the Condensing Aperture Technique to bind many talents to work for oneself.
“Serving isn’t a problem, but the trial period would likely be long,”
Just like Song Wujie asked him to spend ten years on Alchemy.
“`
I already had a connection with Jilong Road, so there was no need to go out of my way to join the Heavenly River Water Mansion.
“It’s going to be tough to buy the Condense Aperture Secret Method outside,”
With Jilong Road before me and Heavenly River Water Mansion behind me.
I guess the seven paths of Yunzhou follow the same practice.
“Unless I happen to run into a down-and-out family selling their ancestral possessions, or the excavation of a predecessor cultivator’s cave dwelling.”
But Chen Mu just thought about such a gamble and then quickly put it out of his mind.
He certainly didn’t have that kind of luck.
…
“Seven Embroidery Square’s new release, the Red Cloud Fairy Dress, warm in winter and cool in summer, dust-proof and clean, with a fragrance of its own…”
“Fresh out of the oven, roasted fish roe, tiny in size, one bite per piece, deliciously tasty…”
“Just in, a litter of Tushan white foxes, appraised by a Condensing Aperture High Cultivator, containing the bloodline of a heavenly fox, likely to be nurtured into a grand demon with opened apertures…”
Chen Mu’s ears picked up on the odd and peculiar lively hawking.
He ambled leisurely up the main street of Geng District.
Geng District was in the middle of the Heavenly River Water Mansion, the market district of the Water Mansion, bustling with excitement.
Subtly adjusting his direction, he casually sidestepped a figure that looked like a little giant, three meters tall with bulging muscles and a pronounced chest.
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Chen Mu kept his eyes straight ahead, not daring to glance too much.
The contrast between the other’s delicate face and burly body was just too great.
Staring too long might invite a beating.
“Probably cultivated some kind of Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Technique,” Chen Mu marveled to himself.
Yet the people around him didn’t seem to think anything of it, at most giving a couple of looks at the person’s chest muscles, obviously accustomed to such strange sights.
As he strolled, a vast structure that was as wide as a football field came into view.
Before getting close, threads of melodious music reached his ears.
Through the gaps in the doors and windows, figures danced enchantingly.
“Red Sleeve Square headquarters?”
“How did I end up here without realizing it?”
“Could it be fate calling?”
“Ah well, if fate decrees it, what can I do? Might as well take a look…”
…
In the evening, Chen Mu left Red Sleeve Square in a daze.
As he walked, he smacked his lips.
“The headquarters’ meals are definitely tastier than those at the Ling Boat branch.”
“It’s just that there are more sisters wanting to freeload, so annoying!” Chen Mu left with an impatient expression.
…
The glowing ceiling at the top of the Heavenly River Water Mansion seemed to be connected to the outdoors; although there was no sun, moon, or stars, it simulated day and night.
At the moment, with the light at the top dim and hazy, the market district streets lit up with specks of light.
Neat three-story wooden buildings lined the spacious streets.
Various signboards hung at the doors, too many for him to keep up with, barely remembering what they sold after walking past.
But as he walked, a familiar signboard caught Chen Mu’s attention.
“Imperial Goods Pavilion?”
He curiously stepped up to the entrance.
He immediately saw the elegantly dressed middle-aged man in his forties sitting behind the counter.
“Customer, long time no see.” Le Yang’an’s face wore the same gentle smile as always.
Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile as well.
Indeed, it had been a long time.
This man was actually the owner of the Ling Boat branch of the Imperial Goods Pavilion, Le Yang’an.
“What does the customer need?” Le Yang’an inquired gently, just like the first time he met Chen Mu.
“Ah, I do have some items that need handling,” Chen Mu’s mouth curled up.
…
One month later.
Geng District inn.
Chen Mu sat cross-legged in the Linglong training ground.
His right hand faced a black pottery bowl in front of him.
Absorb!
Hum!
A heap of Yellow Bud Rice grains suddenly trembled and rolled.
A stream of white powder swirled out of the bowl and quickly gathered into a bead in the palm of Chen Mu’s hand.
At the same time, the grains in the bowl, as if the powder had been compacted, lost their binder and abruptly turned back into a pile of powder.
Chen Mu turned his wrist and lifted it to eye level.
Looking at the peanut-sized, pure white and flawless bead in his palm, a smile appeared on his face.
Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique: 1593/10000/Second Rank;
Five Grains Talisman: limit;
“Done!”