Chapter 54

On the way back, Wei Tianchong remained silent the entire time.

It wasn't until they entered Jingxin Garden, and seeing Tang Jie and Shimeng cleaning the house, organizing the rooms, sorting the newly bought spirit seeds, and cultivating the wasteland, that Wei Tianchong suddenly said, "Tang Jie, am I really useless?"

"Why do you ask, young master?"

"You don't have to say it; I know it myself." Wei Tianchong sat down dejectedly on a stone bench. "In your eyes, I'm probably just born into a good family. Without the Wei family, I'm just a useless person, and without you, I can't even survive..."

Shimeng hurriedly said, "Young master, don't say that. You are the young master, and it's our duty to serve you."

"Don't try to comfort me, Shimeng. I didn't ask you; I asked Tang Jie. Tang Jie, you won't lie to me, right?"

Tang Jie smiled, put the sorted spirit seeds aside, walked over to Wei Tianchong, and sat down next to him. He grabbed his left hand and bent one of his fingers backward sharply, making it bend at a ninety-degree angle. Wei Tianchong stared in shock. Tang Jie asked, "Can you do that?"

Wei Tianchong shook his head.

Tang Jie said, "It's a bit of a small talent. My bones can twist more than the average person, but it's not very useful."

Wei Tianchong was still confused. Tang Jie continued, "Actually, everyone has their own talent, but they vary. Some talents are very useful, while others are almost useless. To me, the Wei family is like a talent you were born with, and it's a rather useful one. So, is having a talent a mistake?"

"Of course not. So, you mean it's not a mistake that I can't do these things?" Wei Tianchong asked excitedly.

"Of course not. We cultivators transcend the mundane to seek freedom from it. Isn't the goal to escape the troubles of the world? Since you were born into a noble family and can live a life of ease, why should you have to learn these things after becoming a cultivator? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?" Tang Jie countered.

Hearing this, Wei Tianchong became visibly excited, while Shimeng felt incredulous. He had expected Tang Jie to take the opportunity to advise Wei Tianchong, but he didn't expect Tang Jie to say such things.

This flattery... I didn't see that coming!

"But..." Tang Jie drew out the word.

Wei Tianchong's heart tightened. "But what?"

"But having a talent isn't a mistake, but not knowing how to use and develop it is a big mistake. Being born into a noble family with wealth and power isn't a mistake, but if you don't use these resources to diligently cultivate and end up being worse than an ordinary person, that's terrible. So, you don't need to know how to do these chores, but you must practice your immortal techniques well. If you can't even do that... then you really are useless!" Tang Jie said seriously.

He didn't intend to suggest that Wei Tianchong change his lazy habits.

A young master is a young master. Years of habits are hard to break. He might be dejected today, but he could revert to his old ways tomorrow.

Don't believe in temporary enlightenment. Few people can suddenly have a profound realization and change overnight. If it were that easy to change, it wouldn't be one's nature.

However, today's setback could reduce Wei Tianchong's arrogance, making him realize that while family background is an advantage, relying solely on it is not wise. Only by using family resources to improve oneself is the right path.

Even if he can't do it right away, at least he now knows what is correct, which he didn't before.

Moreover, what Tang Jie said was true. In Xiyue Academy, tasks like farming are just means, not life goals. There's no need to use them to prove the young master's growth.

The next moment, Wei Tianchong asked, "So, how do you think I should use my advantages?"

"Simple. You have a talent for carving, right? Normally, to excel in this field takes a lot of time and investment, and it doesn't pay off quickly. But since you have a good family background, you can start this path from the beginning. Compared to those who are still working for a living and practicing minor immortal techniques, you can already access advanced cultivation methods, which is better."

Wei Tianchong's eyes lit up. "You're right. From today on, I'll cultivate diligently and achieve something."

Tang Jie grabbed Wei Tianchong's hand, excited. "This old servant has been waiting for this moment for so long. Young master, you have finally grown up!"

Wei Tianchong: "..."

Shimeng: "..."

---

After finishing all the tasks, Tang Jie returned to his residence. He first cleaned the house, sowed the spirit grain seeds, and bought some flowers to place in the yard.

Wei Tianchong even joked that he was so used to being a gardener that he was planting even at school.

After doing these things, Tang Jie began preparing to cultivate the Shaohai Dongjin Scripture.

The Shaohai Dongjin Scripture is considered the best and strongest of all the basic cultivation methods in the Xiyue Sect, but it is also the hardest to practice.

The most significant feature of this cultivation method is that it condenses qi into a needle, emphasizing concentration. The qi generated is powerful, making it suitable for techniques that penetrate armor and launch strong attacks, capable of piercing gold and splitting jade, leaving nothing unbreakable. This means that even without any spells, a single finger of condensed qi can be as solid as a needle.

Using this as a foundation to cultivate armor-piercing techniques is even more effective, but it also requires higher standards, making the method more complex than others.

At this moment, Tang Jie entered a meditative state and began to absorb and circulate qi according to the method.

The qi entered through the Jade Gate, first traveling along the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian. The qi was rotated and transformed at each point, and after completing the full circuit, it returned to the starting point, completing one cycle. Then, the qi moved to another meridian, and the process was repeated.

The human body has twelve meridians, corresponding to twelve cycles. When the twelve cycles are completed, the qi forms a vortex, entering the body to create a spiritual space, which is where cultivators store their qi. The entry point is called the Spirit Eye.

This completes one basic cycle, also known as a Grand Circulation.

After repeating this process, the Spirit Eye opens, and the spiritual space gradually forms, marking the initial completion.

This sounds simple, but when Tang Jie started practicing, he found that controlling the qi was extremely difficult.

Previously, he absorbed and used qi without much control, just guiding it along a path. Now, he had to learn to control various transformations, and the qi had to travel throughout his body.

This is the greatest feature of the orthodox cultivation methods of the mystic sects, emphasizing gradual progress. Even the worst methods don't neglect the cultivation of other meridians, just to different degrees. The greatest benefit of this approach is that one can cultivate anything in the future without any foundational issues.

Some quick and easy methods focus only on the main meridians and a few auxiliary ones, with one cycle being a Grand Circulation. The result is that one meridian becomes dominant, while the others, lacking nourishment, wither and eventually cannot be cultivated further.

If practiced improperly, one could even become deformed.

The Shaohai Dongjin Scripture is one of the most complex basic methods in the Xiyue Sect. Although it focuses on the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, it also requires strict attention to other meridians, forming a structure of one king, two ministers, and nine generals. The Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian is the king, the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian and the Hand Taiyang Meridian are the minister meridians, and the rest are the general meridians.

Therefore, each of the twelve cycles is complex and has high requirements.

Tang Jie's practice is like doing calisthenics while climbing a mountain, not only doing it well but also changing the route, requiring him to walk all the paths to complete the climb.

If he made a mistake, he would waste some qi, and often before halfway through, his qi would be exhausted. It was impossible to form the qi vortex, let alone complete a basic small cycle.

This is just the first level of the method.

However, Tang Jie wasn't anxious.

He knew that the Grand Circulation is like typing on a keyboard. From being unable to type a single word in half a day to typing hundreds of words in a minute, it takes practice.

The Grand Circulation is more complex and difficult, so the learning curve is longer.

The importance of the Jade Gate is evident here.

The Jade Gate is where qi is absorbed. The more open the Jade Gate, the more qi can be absorbed at once, making it easier to control. The more qi can withstand the loss along the way, the greater the chance of forming a qi vortex, and the better the effect.

The Jade Gate is like a water gate. The wider it opens, the more water flows through, and the greater the power.

Therefore, a new cultivator with a three-rotated Jade Gate might take seven to eight days to complete one twelve-cycle, while a nine-rotated Jade Gate might take only one day, showing a significant difference.

Tang Jie felt that the qi in his body was like roller skates for a beginner, often losing control and causing him to fall backward.

In cultivation, this means that the qi occasionally goes out of control, colliding with the meridians and causing the cultivator to suffer.

Although the Xiyue Sect's methods are generally safe, injuries from improper cultivation are still possible. In just a short time, Tang Jie had already collided with his meridians five times, feeling a heavy discomfort in his chest. The Shaohai Dongjin Scripture emphasizes condensing qi into a needle, and a single needle of qi running wild in the meridians is painful.

The pain in his chest indicated that the impact was concentrated there.

The Shaohai Dongjin Scripture enters through the Jade Gate and exerts force from the chest, meaning he was tripping as soon as he stepped out the door.

He could only shake his head in helplessness, but he knew that this was due to lack of practice. With more practice, he would gradually become more proficient, and the pain would spread throughout his body—quite an ambitious thought.

Because of the risk of self-injury, Tang Jie didn't push himself relentlessly but took a break to rub his chest.

He now understood that diligence doesn't always compensate for lack of talent.

Cultivators don't advocate excessive practice, fearing that it could harm the meridians and hinder future progress. Even a nine-rotated Jade Gate doesn't offer an advantage in this regard.

A nine-rotated Jade Gate, like Wei Tianchong's family background, is just a higher starting point. The rest depends on personal effort.

Of course, lack of talent can be compensated with resources.

If one can consume spirit medicines during cultivation, it can increase the amount of qi, temporarily improving one's talent. However, once the effect wears off, it's useless, and it can't compare to having natural talent.

The medicines given to him by Xu Muyang were sold long ago to save his life, and the few remaining were given to the two elders of the Wu family to improve their health. The only medicine Tang Jie had left was the spirit medicine given to him by Lu Chenyang for healing, but there was only half a bottle, and it wasn't the right type for his current needs, so using it would be more wasteful than beneficial.

"Should I continue to force the practice and use the medicine to heal myself if I get injured? But the medicine might not be the right type," Tang Jie thought.

"Wait..." Tang Jie suddenly realized something. "Didn't I practice the Zangxiang Scripture? The qi enters the body, the blood, and the bones, and I've been cleansing my meridians for three years. My body's constitution is already different from others. I haven't been sick in three years, and even if I'm beaten, I recover quickly. So, shouldn't my ability to withstand impact be much stronger?"

Thinking of this, Tang Jie's eyes suddenly brightened.