Chapter 17: Cultivation Technique

Instructor Yan said, "The sect previously taught the Tu Na method, and the cultivation methods are similar, both can cultivate spiritual energy, but relatively crude, only suitable for cultivators below the third layer of Qi Refining. After the third layer of Qi Refining, you need to select a true cultivation method to learn. Of course, continuing to use the Tu Na method is also possible, but cultivation will be much slower......"

"This is the sect's catalog of cultivation methods for outer disciples. The catalog lists the names of the cultivation methods, suitable spiritual roots, required spirit stones, spiritual materials for breaking through bottlenecks, and the effects of the cultivation methods, etc. You all take a look at it first."

Instructor Yan distributed the catalog, and each disciple received one, including Mo Hua.

The catalog was very thin, only a little over ten pages, but it was densely packed with dozens of cultivation methods and related matters.

"If you have any questions, you can ask me," Instructor Yan said.

The disciples were quiet for a moment, then a disciple raised their hand and asked:

"Teacher, are cultivation methods also like spiritual roots, divided into attributes and grades?"

Instructor Yan glanced at that disciple lightly and said:

"You are already at the third layer of Qi Refining and still ask such a simple question. It seems you didn't listen carefully in Instructor Zhou's class. Go back and copy the Introduction to Cultivation once, and give it to me in three days."

That disciple looked as if struck by lightning, stunned for a moment, and could only lower his head and say, "Yes." In his heart, he regretted it endlessly.

Careless, I forgot that the person lecturing now is not Instructor Zhou. I casually asked what came to mind......

Instructor Yan looked around, and with deep meaning said:

"Instructor Zhou is old and good-tempered, he doesn't discipline you much, and you may not listen seriously in class. But choosing a cultivation method is a major matter. I will explain it to you again, so listen carefully and don't find it boring."

The disciples all straightened up and sat properly.

"A cultivator's spiritual root is divided into both attributes and grades, and cultivation methods are similar."

"The attributes of spiritual roots are primarily based on the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Some are single elements, some are mixed elements, and some have all five elements, either minor or major. In addition to the five elements, there are also some special mutated spiritual roots derived from the five elements, such as ice spiritual roots, lightning spiritual roots, wind spiritual roots, and yin-yang spiritual roots, etc. These spiritual roots are quite rare and generally difficult to encounter."

"Furthermore, spiritual roots are also divided into nine grades according to their aptitude, from lower lower, lower middle, lower upper, middle lower...... up to upper upper grade. There is a large disparity between each grade. The higher the spiritual root grade, the better the cultivation talent, and the higher the upper limit of spiritual energy that can be contained within the spiritual sea."

"The classification of cultivation methods is also divided into attributes and nine grades, basically the same as spiritual roots. When choosing a cultivation method, you need to choose according to your spiritual root. What attribute your spiritual root is, you select what attribute cultivation method; what grade your spiritual root is, it is best to select the same grade cultivation method."

"The spiritual root attribute determines the characteristics of the cultivator's spiritual energy. The rarer the attribute, the more special the cultivator's spiritual energy; the spiritual root grade determines the cultivator's talent. The higher the grade, the higher the cultivator's cultivation talent."

......

"Then the rarer the spiritual root, the better?" A disciple asked timidly.

"Not necessarily. For disciples from large clans and with sect inheritance, this is a good thing. But for ordinary cultivators, the rarer the spiritual root, the fewer cultivation methods they can choose from, and some may even be unable to find a cultivation method to learn, which is not good." Instructor Yan explained.

"What if the cultivation method attribute and the spiritual root attribute are not the same?" A disciple asked.

"It won't be anything," Instructor Yan said, "because you won't be able to cultivate. As a cultivator with a metal-water spiritual root, you fundamentally cannot learn earth-wood series cultivation methods."

"No exceptions?"

Instructor Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "At least not in the records of the Daoting for over two tens of thousands of years. If you encounter one, you can tell me, and I will also broaden my knowledge."

That disciple shrank his head and did not speak.

"Instructor, does the grade of the cultivation method also have to be the same as the grade of the spiritual root?" Another disciple asked.

Instructor Yan said, "High-grade spiritual roots can cultivate low-grade cultivation methods, but low-grade spiritual roots cannot cultivate high-grade cultivation methods."

A disciple said doubtfully, "If a spiritual root has a high grade, why would they choose a low-grade cultivation method? Wouldn't the cultivated spiritual energy be less this way?"

Instructor Yan said, "The higher the grade of the cultivation method, the more spirit stones are required for cultivation, and the more precious the heavenly materials and earthly treasures for breaking through bottlenecks. Some heavenly materials and earthly treasures are fundamentally beyond the financial means of ordinary cultivators. If you don't choose a high-grade cultivation method and cultivate halfway, only to find that you fundamentally cannot cultivate further, it will be too late to regret."

"Then what if a spiritual root has a low grade but learns a high-grade cultivation method?" That disciple asked again.

Instructor Yan said, "According to the records in cultivation method classics, if the grade of the cultivation method exceeds one's spiritual root, after cultivating, the majority of cultivators will suffer damage to their spiritual sea due to absorbing too much spiritual energy. In severe cases, the spiritual sea will collapse, leading to the waste of their cultivation. Some may even experience Qi deviation and die."

"Some experience Qi deviation, which means there are also those who don't experience Qi deviation?" One disciple's eyes lit up as he asked.

Instructor Yan looked at him meaningfully:

"Don't always feel that you are the most special one, that others will have problems learning, but you may not. Some people may have good fortune in cultivation, but don't entrust life and death to this illusory good fortune. Don't walk the path of death yourself."

Many disciples in the audience had such thoughts, and at this time, hearing these words, their hearts were slightly startled, and they dared not have any other thoughts.

Instructor Yan said again, "These are not isolated cases, but countless bloody lessons learned over two tens of thousands of years of cultivation development. If you don't learn from the experiences of your predecessors, it's easy to take a wrong step. Once a cultivator goes down the wrong path, they often lose control of themselves. Some people can turn back, while others can never turn back."

Instructor Yan sighed, his expression a little lost. Mo Hua felt that Instructor Yan seemed to have something on his mind.

But Instructor Yan also did not say anything more, instead pointing to the Tongxianmen Qi Refining Outer Gate Cultivation Method Catalog and said:

"You all find and select a suitable one from inside according to what I said earlier. Remember, don't aim too high in cultivation; suitable is best."

The disciples all lowered their heads and began flipping through the cultivation method catalog.

Mo Hua had a rough understanding, so he started looking for cultivation methods.

He had a middle-lower grade spiritual root, so he could only cultivate middle-lower grade cultivation methods, but he was a little curious about what upper-grade cultivation methods were like.

Mo Hua first flipped the catalog to the end and looked at several upper-grade cultivation methods:

Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Art: Upper-lower grade, suitable for earth-element spiritual roots to cultivate, can cultivate one hundred twenty Zhou Tian spiritual energy. At least five thousand spirit stones are needed to complete the Qi Refining stage. Requires heavenly materials and earthly treasures: Profound Yellow Grass, Bitter Water Root, Heavenly Profound Stone......

Soft Water Art: Upper-lower grade, suitable for water-element spiritual roots to cultivate, can cultivate one hundred thirty Zhou Tian spiritual energy. At least five thousand two hundred spirit stones are needed to complete the Qi Refining stage. Requires heavenly materials and earthly treasures: Hundred-year-old Waterless Root, Yin Snake Blood......

Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique: Upper-lower grade, suitable for gold, wood, water, fire, and earth five-element spiritual roots to cultivate, can cultivate one hundred fifty Zhou Tian spiritual energy. At least six thousand spirit stones are needed to complete the Qi Refining stage. Requires heavenly materials and earthly treasures: Gold Essence Stone, Molten Fire Stone, Hundred-Year-Old Earth......

......

Mo Hua looked and clicked his tongue.

"Completing the Qi Refining stage alone requires at least five or six thousand spirit stones. This is purely refining spirit stones, not including auxiliary cultivation and the heavenly materials and earthly treasures for breaking through bottlenecks. Some rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures may cost more than five or six thousand spirit stones......"

Mo Hua worked hard for a month and only earned fifty spirit stones. This casual consumption of five thousand spirit stones made Mo Hua's scalp tingle.

Mo Hua also heard others say that ordinary rogue cultivators, even if they have upper-grade spiritual roots, fundamentally cannot cultivate upper-grade cultivation methods.

If they must cultivate, there are generally only two methods.

One is to find a large sect, pledge allegiance to a sect elder as a teacher, enter the inner sect, become tied to the sect, and cannot leave the sect for life.

The second is to find a family to join, letting the family support your cultivation. However, the family will require you to change your allegiance, abandon your surname, parents, origin, and past everything. Although you may have prospects, you are no longer you......

No matter how you choose, it basically counts as being dependent on others. Although there is hope for cultivation, you are not in control of yourself.

No wonder cultivators often say, one's life, two's luck, three's Feng Shui.

A cultivator's life is decided once by their spiritual root, and again by their origin.

How easy is it to defy the heavens and change fate......

Mo Hua sighed deeply.