Chapter 10

Shang Xia said that cultivating the "Primordial Thunder Hand" would have a success rate of up to 40% if done according to the method he provided.

For Extraordinary martial artists at the Wu Yuan realm, this is already considered an extremely terrifying success rate.

Shang Xia even suspects that if the Tranquil Academy leaks this information, it might create a trend of cultivating the "Primordial Thunder Hand" within the academy.

Of course, students whose cultivation has already surpassed the Wu Yuan realm have already missed their chance.

Even for students at the Wu Yuan realm, changing their cultivation techniques and martial arts is not an easy task.

Moreover, whether it is the foundational technique "Primordial Force" or the foundational martial arts "Primordial Palm" and "Thunder Palm," they are known for their high difficulty among techniques and martial arts of the same level at the Wu Yuan realm.

In fact, both the academy and Shang Xia understand that if the students really cultivate according to the method he provided, the success rate of the "Primordial Thunder Hand" would absolutely not reach 40%, and out of ten, perhaps only two or three would succeed.

This is not just an issue of the "ideal state" that Shang Xia previously mentioned to Shang Xi, but also the problem of the cultivation threshold being too high for students at the Wu Yuan realm.

Just a set of foundational techniques and two sets of foundational martial arts are enough to make most students at the Wu Yuan realm hesitate.

Cultivation techniques and martial arts are not something you can just cultivate and succeed by putting in effort.

Not to mention extraordinary materials like the core of a lightning-struck tree, which are hard to find and extremely valuable, and are often in a state of being available but not for sale even in some trading gatherings.

As for the "Thunder Essence Blood Refinement Technique," Shang Xia knows without a doubt that the academy will set a higher threshold than for techniques like "Primordial Force," and ordinary students will need to spend a lot of time accumulating merit to even glimpse the secret technique.

The Tranquil Academy is not a charity, and even for its own students, further improvement after receiving basic instruction requires corresponding contributions.

Of course, there is one last point: this technique, while extremely powerful, also has a very high risk of cultivation, and the consequences of failure are often either death or injury.

Even after Shang Xia's improvements, the risk is still relatively high.

Therefore, to some extent, Shang Xia's clear and orderly arrangement of the cultivation method for the "Primordial Thunder Hand" will serve as a deterrent, making many rational students think twice.

And those who can truly cross these thresholds will have a success rate of perhaps barely 40% in the end.

This does not even take into account various unexpected events during the cultivation process, as well as the cultivator's will and mental state.

Shang Xia has not forgotten the feeling of electricity coursing through his body, which was truly memorable.

He also has not forgotten the embarrassing moment he caused for Mu Qingyu when he could not fully control his newly cultivated martial arts technique, just from a single touch.

"… So, the academy is actually using this rhetoric to bargain with Aunt?"

Shang Xia, while seriously controlling a thread of lightning on his fingertip and engraving something on a palm-sized talisman board, asked without looking up.

Yan Qi, seeing that his young master had managed to control his martial arts technique to such a fine degree in such a short time, engraving intricate patterns on the talisman board, could not help but show admiration and said, "From the information we have so far, it is indeed the case! However, the young lady also said that this proves the academy's emphasis on the young master's technique."

Shang Xia nodded and said, "Since Aunt has taken charge personally, we don't need to pay too much attention to this matter."

After saying this, as Shang Xia completed the last pattern, a bolt of lightning immediately burst forth from the palm-sized talisman board, but it quickly retracted, hidden and restrained.

"Phew—, finally another one succeeded!"

Don't be fooled by Shang Xia's seemingly relaxed demeanor; in reality, he was focusing 80% of his mental energy on the palm-sized talisman board.

"Two boxes of century-old lightning-struck tree talisman boards, a total of twelve, but only four succeeded in the end!"

Shang Xia shook his head, somewhat dissatisfied, and said, "If I had another twelve talisman boards, this time I could at least make six or seven!"

At this point, Shang Xia looked at Yan Qi with some displeasure and asked, "Uncle Qi, the family hasn't sent any more talisman boards since the last two boxes. What does Aunt mean? Is the reward for providing a complete martial arts cultivation path just twelve century-old lightning-struck tree talisman boards?"

Yan Qi chuckled a couple of times but did not respond to this.

A single lightning-struck tree can make about three to four lightning-patterned talisman boards, so twelve talisman boards would be equivalent to three or four century-old lightning-struck trees.

The Thousand Leaf Mountains, though high and dense, do not have century-old lightning-struck trees as readily available as cabbages in a garden.

"How can it be? I'm just trying to get more benefits for you by negotiating with the Tranquil Academy. You ungrateful little thing, not only do you not appreciate Aunt's hard work, but you even complain about your own selfish calculations. Who am I doing this for?"

Shang Xi's voice, filled with resentment, reached them before she even entered the room.

Yan Qi, with his eyes fixed on his nose, looked like a statue that heard nothing.

Shang Xia patted his forehead and said with a bitter smile, "Aunt, eavesdropping on others' conversations is not something an elder should do."

"Did I eavesdrop?"

The door opened, and Shang Xi walked in as if no one else was there, her face filled with resentment, but she said, "You were speaking so loudly, the sound naturally came to Aunt's ears. Who's to blame?"

At this point, Shang Xi, with a suspicious look, deflected the blame and said, "You little brat, did you know Aunt was coming and deliberately say these things to me at this critical moment?"

At this point, Shang Xi's gaze shifted to Yan Qi, and she said with a smile, "Brother Qi, what do you think?"

"Ah?"

Yan Qi, as if just waking up, looked bewildered and said, "What is the young lady saying? Oh, right, the young master asked me to check if there are any more lightning-struck tree talisman boards in the family's secret vault. I'll take my leave first!"

Before he finished speaking, Yan Qi had already slipped out of Shang Xia's room.

"Tch, coward!"

Shang Xi rolled her eyes at Yan Qi's departure, then flipped her wrist, and a three-inch square dark red box appeared in her palm.

"Jinyun Box?"

Shang Xia's eyes lit up, and he reached for the box, saying happily, "Given by the academy? So generous?"

Shang Xi's face darkened, and she deftly avoided Shang Xia's hand, saying irritably, "This is my box!"

Shang Xia's grab came up empty, and he immediately understood that a single "Thunder Essence Blood Refinement Technique" was not worth the Tranquil Academy giving him a Jinyun Box. He quickly found a way to back down, saying, "I thought this was a combination of the academy's and the family's rewards!"

Shang Xi, who understood his thoughts, said coldly, "You little brat, if I gave you a Jinyun Box, would you dare to use it?"

As she spoke, she tapped the box with her slender fingers, and several items flew out.

The Jinyun Box is a rare spatial item, and even a family like the Shangs only have three in total.

The Jinyun Box in Shang Xi's hand was given to her by her father after she took charge of the Shang family, with the family's approval.

This three-inch square box has a three-foot square internal space, but even so, Shang Xi regards it as a treasure and always carries it with her.

Shang Xia looked at the items in front of him, reached for the first scroll of silk that flew out, and said, "These are the academy's rewards?"

Shang Xi detected a hint of disdain in her nephew's tone and said angrily, "Be grateful. Your 'Thunder Essence Blood Refinement Technique' is indeed impressive, but it only gives the Tranquil Academy's students at the Wu Yuan realm one more option."

"The Tranquil Academy has collected as many as twelve relatively complete Wu Yuan realm techniques, and it is said that there are over forty to fifty Wu Yuan realm techniques in the world. The 'Primordial Thunder Hand' is one of the highest threshold techniques among them."

"Most students in the academy may not even have the qualifications to cultivate techniques, and even those on the threshold, how many do you think would choose to cultivate the 'Primordial Thunder Hand'?"

Although Shang Xia understood his aunt's reasoning, he could not help but counter, "But the power of the 'Primordial Thunder Hand'…"

"However powerful it is, it is still a Wu Yuan realm technique, and the Wu Yuan realm is just the most basic stage of Extraordinary martial arts!"

Shang Xi mercilessly interrupted her nephew's fantasy, saying, "The greatest role of martial arts techniques is not just in combat, but in symbolizing the perfection of the student's cultivation stage and the qualitative improvement of cultivation. Compared to the qualitative improvement of cultivation, the power of martial arts techniques becomes secondary."

As long as one cultivates a martial arts technique, it means the perfection of that stage of cultivation, and after the cultivation improves, one's strength will also undergo a qualitative change, and the role of the previous stage's technique will naturally weaken.

Shang Xia shook his head; his aunt was talking about Extraordinary martial artists who focus more on cultivation improvement, while he preferred to balance cultivation and strength.

However, there was no need to continue arguing over these differences in opinion. Shang Xia silently opened the silk scroll in his hand, and his expression changed slightly at this moment.

Shang Xi thought he was still dissatisfied and continued, "These are all the extraordinary materials needed for the spirit formula to advance to the Wu Ji realm. The Tranquil Academy has also promised that after you advance to the Wu Ji realm, you can go to the scripture hall to select a complete cultivation technique and technique inheritance."

Shang Xia seemed not to hear his aunt's words and just looked down at the open silk scroll.

Shang Xi, seeing this, thought her nephew was still throwing a tantrum and said irritably, "Alright, alright, Aunt will take charge. After you advance to the Wu Ji realm, you can choose some spirit medicines from the family's treasure vault, and the alchemist will make a custom powder to improve your cultivation. How about that?"

At this point, Shang Xia finally moved his gaze from the silk scroll, his expression quickly changing from a hint of confusion to a broad smile, and he said, "That's settled then!"