Chapter 11

Since the四方碑 (Four Directions Stele) appeared in Shang Xia's soul space, he has never stopped pondering it.

However, apart from the cultivation path for the "Mixed Yuan Thunder Hand" that the Four Directions Stele provided, Shang Xia's subsequent pondering of the stele has yielded almost nothing.

As one of the four major families in Tongyou City, the Shang family's library naturally contains no shortage of records of cultivation methods for the Wu Yuan Realm.

Shang Xia almost gathered all the records of Wu Yuan Realm cultivation methods from his family, reviewed them one by one, and tried to derive a further improved version from the Four Directions Stele, but the stele showed no reaction.

"What's going on? Could it be that this golden finger I brought from my previous life can only be used once? Or perhaps I haven't found the right method?"

Shang Xia naturally leans more towards the latter, as something that can exist in his soul cannot possibly be a one-time use item.

"Just what method should I use to trigger the Four Directions Stele again? Or does the stele need some external force to drive it?"

Shang Xia had the intention to try injecting his own primordial energy into the Four Directions Stele, but involving the soul is a realm that only extraordinary martial artists who have reached the third level of the Wu Dao Realm can initially touch.

"Surely I can't cultivate another martial art to try it out?"

This thought had just formed when Shang Xia was about to shake his head and laugh it off, but the idea turned into a flash of inspiration in his mind.

"Right! The Wu Yuan Realm cultivation methods and records of magical techniques that I have seen in my family's collection, none of them have I personally cultivated. In fact, the only martial art I have cultivated is the 'Mixed Yuan Thunder Hand'!"

Shang Xia seemed to have grasped the essence of the problem: "To trigger the Four Directions Stele again, I probably need to personally cultivate a martial art!"

However, Shang Xia then showed a look of disappointment: "Unfortunately, my cultivation has already reached the perfect stage of the Wu Yuan Realm. To cultivate another magical technique, I would have to wait until I advance to the Wu Ji Realm!"

After deducing that the key to triggering the Four Directions Stele could only be a martial art he personally cultivated, Shang Xia seemed to have to postpone his exploration of the stele's function.

But just as he was about to give up, a turning point appeared the moment he opened the silk ribbon that flew out of the brocade box.

In the soul space, the red Four Directions Stele began to display rows of vertical text again.

The sudden change left Shang Xia stunned, standing there holding the silk ribbon, which made Shang Xi mistakenly think he was dissatisfied.

"Finally, there's some movement!"

While Shang Xia was excited, more doubts followed: "It seems a bit off. This isn't a cultivation method for a magical technique, but a formula for an advancement elixir for the Wu Ji Realm!"

To prevent Shang Xi from noticing anything, Shang Xia temporarily suppressed his doubts. After sending his aunt away, he refocused his attention on the Four Directions Stele in his soul space and organized the text on the four sides of the stele.

He also further summarized his previous hypothesis about triggering the Four Directions Stele.

The key to triggering the Four Directions Stele must first belong to Shang Xia himself!

Just like the further improved formula for the Wu Ji Realm advancement elixir before his eyes.

Previously, although Shang Xia's main focus in the family's library and treasure vault was on martial arts, he had also come into contact with formulas and extraordinary materials for the Wu Ji Realm, including formulas similar to the one on the silk ribbon in his hand. However, none of them triggered any response from the Four Directions Stele.

Now it seems that the things he previously came into contact with did not belong to Shang Xia himself but were shared by the Shang family, and thus could not trigger the Four Directions Stele.

Wu Ji Realm Advancement Elixir: Qingzhuo Powder

Prerequisite: Wu Yuan Realm Perfection

Main Ingredient: One Clear Spirit Jade, one Heavy Yin Stone

Secondary Ingredient: Nine drops of Rootless Yang Morning Dew, nine drops of Yin Milk

Auxiliary Ingredient: Two grams of White Jade Powder, three grams of seven-year-old ginseng root, three grams of century-old locust bark, two grams of Water Sleep Grass, one gram of Blue Shell Powder

Messenger Ingredient: One Sweet Spirit Grass

Note: Dry in the shade for three days, expose to the sun for three days to form a powder. Consume at a place where clear and turbid energies converge to gain a bit of the essence of heaven and earth.

Compatibility: 90%

Success Rate: 85%

This is the content that Shang Xia organized from the text on the four sides of the stele.

Unlike the "Mixed Yuan Thunder Hand" magical technique previously displayed, the advancement formula shown on the Four Directions Stele not only has a higher success rate but also includes a compatibility rate.

Shang Xia examined the content on the stele, and with a thought, he erased several parts and modified some terms, changing the content to this:

Wu Ji Realm Advancement Elixir: Qingzhuo Powder

Prerequisite: Wu Yuan Realm Perfection

Main Ingredient: One Clear Spirit Jade, one Heavy Yin Stone

Secondary Ingredient: Nine drops of Rootless Yang Morning Dew, nine drops of Yin Milk

Note: Dry in the shade for three days, expose to the sun for three days to form a powder.

Compatibility: 70%

Success Rate: 70%

This shows the content after Shang Xia simplified and summarized the formula recorded on the silk ribbon, presented in the form of the Four Directions Stele.

This time, the Four Directions Stele also provided an estimated success rate, but only at 70%.

The compatibility and success rate were also 70%.

However, Shang Xia's expression changed this time.

With a slight thought, the text on the Four Directions Stele changed again.

Wu Ji Realm Advancement Elixir: Qingzhuo Powder

Prerequisite: Wu Yuan Realm Perfection

Main Ingredient: One Clear Spirit Jade, one Heavy Yin Stone

Secondary Ingredient: Nine drops of Rootless Yang Morning Dew, nine drops of Yin Milk, two grams of White Jade Powder, three grams of century-old locust bark, two grams of Water Sleep Grass

Note: Dry in the shade for three days, expose to the sun for three days to form a powder.

Compatibility: 77%

Success Rate: 77%

This time, the Four Directions Stele presented a formula tailored for Shang Xia by the family's alchemist.

The martial arts have been rising for nearly a thousand years, and their cultivation system has been continuously revised and improved.

During this period, although the advancement formulas corresponding to different cultivation paths have become relatively fixed, the subtle differences between individuals have almost led to a rapid rise in the status of alchemists.

This is not only because alchemists can turn formulas into different types and grades of extraordinary elixirs.

But also because they can tailor different advancement formulas for different extraordinary martial artists.

This way, the possibility of extraordinary martial artists advancing is increased, and the pain associated with the advancement process is greatly reduced.

However, because of this, alchemists, while enjoying a revered status, also face potential dangers due to their knowledge of too many personal cultivation secrets of extraordinary martial artists.

An opponent of an extraordinary martial artist can, by forcing the alchemist who made the advancement elixir to reveal the characteristics of the martial artist's extraordinary power, make targeted preparations and gain an advantage in combat.

In the history of the rise of martial arts, there are not a few examples of eccentric extraordinary martial artists who, after obtaining personalized advancement formulas from alchemists, killed the alchemists to protect their cultivation secrets.

The mutual dependence and lack of trust between extraordinary martial artists and alchemists have directly led to alchemists increasingly preferring to collaborate with major forces, enjoying the protection and support of these forces while avoiding the potential threats of knowing too many personal cultivation secrets of martial artists.

As one of the top five major forces in Tongyou City, the Shang family naturally has its own alchemist.

As the third-generation direct descendant of the Shang family, Shang Xia's advancement formula to the Wu Ji Realm has already been deduced by the family's alchemist.

Tongyou Academy was clearly aware of this, and in the rewards given to Shang Xia, only the most valuable and essential "routine" materials were included, without touching his personal cultivation secrets.

The advancement formula perfected by the family's alchemist has been verified by Shang Xia through the Four Directions Stele, and the success rate of advancement has indeed improved.

However, with the Four Directions Stele, Shang Xia now has a more complete, precise, and secret advancement formula than the family's alchemist.

Of course, the difficulty has also increased!

The Four Directions Stele presents a basic principle of formula composition used in Shang Xia's homeland world: the main ingredient, secondary ingredient, auxiliary ingredient, and messenger ingredient.

According to the formula given by the Four Directions Stele, the additional auxiliary ingredients are not a problem; Shang Xia can easily have someone prepare them for him.

The "messenger ingredient" Sweet Spirit Grass is a valuable extraordinary material, though not as valuable as the Clear Spirit Jade and Heavy Yin Stone in the main ingredient, it is at least on par with the Rootless Yang Morning Dew or Yin Milk.

But the family's treasure vault likely has a stock, and even if it doesn't, Shang Xia can easily find it.

However, Shang Xia, out of curiosity, decided to see how important the Sweet Spirit Grass is.

With the "messenger ingredient" erased from the Four Directions Stele, the compatibility and success rate of the advancement formula both dropped by 10%!

There is no doubt that the Sweet Spirit Grass is very important for Shang Xia's advancement to the Wu Ji Realm!

However, there are still two points that Shang Xia is unsure about.

The first is the note in the advancement formula mentioning "a place where clear and turbid energies converge" and the "essence of heaven and earth."

The second is the issue of compatibility in the formula, which now seems to overlap with the success rate.

Of course, there are differences.

After the Four Directions Stele improved the advancement formula, the compatibility is higher, but the success rate is slightly lower.

Thinking about this, Shang Xia suddenly realized something.

With his focus, the improved advancement formula was modified again, and the note "consume at a place where clear and turbid energies converge to gain a bit of the essence of heaven and earth" was erased.

At the same time, the compatibility on the Four Directions Stele dropped by 10%, but the success rate jumped from 85% to 95%!

"Huh!"

Shang Xia's voice sounded somewhat ambiguous.