Chapter 174: What a coincidence !
Translator: 549690339
Is it really that difficult?
Chen Mobai felt doubtful. Could it be that the four major Daoist Academies are hiding some cultivation tricks and are keeping them secret?
However, he couldn’t ask this directly. After all, he had already enrolled and he has a decade to research.
Qu Hongyu proceeded to talk about the limitations of the “critical technique.”
The longer one gets stuck, the more challenging the following transformative steps become.
According to the sample of cultivators over the past five hundred years, it’s best not to be stuck for more than ten years. Ideally, completing all steps within ten years is the best.
The Imperial Medical Academy offered a specific subject to study Foundation Establishment.
According to their latest research, the spontaneous interaction of the three steps during Foundation Establishment is because of a particular frequency that can affect the ultimate transformation and ascension.
If one gets stuck for too long, this frequency will be disrupted, resulting in a failed attempt at the final ascension, no matter how successful the three main steps were.
Chen Mobai accepted all this humbly.
Under Qu Hongyu’s guidance, he made a visit to the library of the Dance Tool Dao Academy.
After swiping his student ID, he found a bookshelf pertaining to Foundation Establishment, which contained various books about the “critical technique”.
“Detailed Explanation of the Critical Technique”, “Understanding Criticality”, “Exploring the Original of the Critical Technique – Jade Lock Golden Barrier Secret”, “How to Get Stuck”, “Critical Technique”…
Chen Mobai felt his horizons broadened. However, judging by the amount of books, he estimated it would take at least a month to finish reading and understanding them.
There’s just too much knowledge to digest in the world of cultivation.
He didn’t even know where to start.
He decided to borrow the most basic book, “The Origin of the Critical Technique”.
After borrowing the book, Chen Mobai visited the cave dwelling of his tutor, the real person of Shaoyang, left a message on the message board at the entrance to show that he had been there, and then returned to his rented wooden house.
Since school was still three days away, Chen Mobai teleported back to the Divine Wood Sect to complete the log chopping task.
As soon as he reached the Tianhe Realm, he took out his phone, switched accounts, and keyed in “critical technique” into the auxiliary cultivation software.
As expected, the software didn’t disappoint him; instantly, dozens of related posts popped up.
Chen Mobai glanced through and noticed many anonymous posts. One bitterly expressed that they had cultivated for ten years without getting a breakthrough, advising newcomers not to waste their time.
Another mentioned minor progress, but suggested that it wasn’t worth practising as it required too much time.
After reading all of these, only two cultivators from the four major Daoist Academies had objectively shared their experiences about cultivating the critical technique.
However, it did nothing to help Chen Mobai, who was still as confused as ever.
This technique required understanding, and had nothing to do with Spirit Root Talent.
One would be considered successful if they could perceive how to lock the essence blood, close the energy channel, open and close the Purple Palace.
Another cultivator from the Imperial Medical Academy provided a learning approach: read the original book, read the detailed explanation, study others’ experiences, learn how to get stuck, and finally, if you still can’t practice successfully, you can explore the Ancient Method Jade Lock Golden Secrets.
“Huh, there’s content locked to high-level members only.”
At the end of the post, Chen Mobai noticed a page that required the highest level of membership to view.
This corresponds to the theoretical Rank-5.
Coincidentally, that’s his rank.
With a spark of curiosity, Chen Mobai clicked on it and uncovered content the post owner had intentionally hidden as if not wanting anyone to see it.
“I mastered the critical technique under a very fortuitous circumstance, when I was researching how to maintain my vital essence after sexual activity, aiming to enjoy the pleasure while retaining my virginity.”
“For this study, I delved deep into research and fieldwork. Innumerable self-funded sessions in seeking special services later, I had a sudden realization during one of these experiences.”
“I mastered the Ancient Method Jade Lock Golden Secrets.”
“Then, by reverse-engineering the critical technique, I had no difficulty in mastering it.”
“Unfortunately, it was too late when I managed to successfully cultivate it. I’d lost my vital essence but the successful cultivation of the critical technique and subsequent success in Foundation Establishment brought me immense joy.”
“This post commemorates a research project that was somewhat absurd.”
The last line signed off with [Imperial Medical Academy – Tian Wenguang]!
After reading the entire post, Chen Mobai couldn’t help but admire him deeply.
He doesn’t admire many people in his life. Qing Ping, the cultivator of Five Elements Cultivation, is one, and now Tian Wenguang is the second.
Someone who could attain enlightenment during such an activity… His realm was high and unheard of.
However, despite his admiration, as a clean and principled person, Chen Mobai had no intention of following in Tian Wenguang’s footsteps.
Even if he failed in Foundation Establishment, dropped in realm, was ridiculed, or even if the Dance Tool Dao Academy advised him to withdraw, he would absolutely not stoop to seeking special services!
But he could learn from Wenguang’s study strategy.
However, his current priority was the Immortality Sutra and Duality Cultivation.
After showing his face to Yuan Chiye and the fellow disciples, Chen Mobai picked up the axe and went into the Red Sun Forest to chop wood.
The Red Sun Tree was hard and resistant. Even though he had strengthened the axe with a sharp talisman, it took him ten to twenty swings to chop a tree.
After felling a tree, he had to saw it into one-meter sections and then split it into small logs about three fingers wide.
Chen Mobai spent nearly four hours processing one tree into 120 pieces of Red Sun Wood in accordance with the Divine Wood Sect’s standards.
This won’t do!
Chen Mobai set aside the axe, used a spell to neatly stack the chopped wood, and was slightly panting after delivering them to the Bud Hall. He thought he didn’t have much time to spare on chopping wood.
Regardless of exposure, when he returned to the wooden house on Crimson Mountain, he went online immediately to order a portable chainsaw and table saw.
The chainsaw for cutting trees, the table saw for chopping logs.
Despite these two tools being the lowest specification, they still cost him nearly 800 Good Deed Points.
Unfortunately, due to these being categorized as offensive mechanical magic artifacts, he needed to register with a legitimate purpose and identification before they could be shipped.
Conveniently, Chen Mobai lived in the mountains and had a genuine excuse; he wished to renovate his wooden house.
The vendor didn’t inquire much and promptly agreed to dispatch the order the next morning. They informed that upon delivery, some assembly would be required.
As the vendor was located in Crimson City, the product arrived in the afternoon. Chen Mobai even had to use a Path Seeking Talisman since his residence was a bit tricky to find.
Upon delivery, Chen Mobai followed the vendor’s video tutorial to assemble the chainsaw and table saw.
He went back to the Divine Wood Sect in the evening. When everyone else was practicing their Qi cultivation, he snuck off with the two pieces of machinery to the usual place where he chopped wood.
He put a Quiet Talisman on the machines to mute their noise and used a Spirit Seeking Talisman to ensure nobody was around. And then, he switched on the machines and started sawing.
The next morning…
Yuan Chiye was flabbergasted as he looked at the 2100 perfectly standard pieces of Red Sun Wood, each appearing as if precisely measured with a ruler before being chopped, that Chen Mobai handed over.
“Brother Yuan, this is my quota for seven days. I’m going to take another seven days off for closed-door cultivation..”