Chapter 9

Thank you all, this is very warm.

*****

Cultivation is not necessarily the most important, but it is the foundation of everything.

With cultivation but no skills, one is a pure cultivator.

With cultivation and skills, that is the path of martial arts.

Many self-proclaimed prestigious sects always emphasize to their disciples: "Cultivation is not necessarily the most important; skills, reputation, and character are also important."

Cultivating the body, mind, and virtue are equally important in all large and small sects, even if they are privately corrupt, they will always stress this on the surface.

Only Tan Weiran knows today how important cultivation and skills will be in the future.

The Heavenly Phoenix, Peacock King, and many other heavenly geniuses who will dominate the world in the future, each possess exceptionally terrifying cultivation and skills.

"However, I am luckier than many. I know what will happen in the future, and I have time to focus on cultivation and prepare for the future."

Tan Weiran cannot afford to waste precious time.

The "Supreme Extinction Scripture" is not a cultivation technique but an auxiliary technique. After each cultivation session, he must practice the Extinction Song to cleanse his body and mind. This means he must endure the pain and torment two or three times, or even more, every day.

Apart from the excruciating pain, Tan Weiran's cultivation progressed smoothly, and with the help of a batch of spirit stones given by his master, senior sisters, and brothers, he easily reached the fourth level of the Human Gate.

Reaching the first level, he condensed a drop of essence blood. After that, no more essence blood condensed, and that single drop remained in the Crimson Palace Golden Mansion.

Tan Weiran had not yet decided how to use this drop of crimson essence blood. However, when he reached the fourth level again, the question of whether to open the Crimson Palace Golden Mansion once again faced him.

The Crimson Palace Golden Mansion is the central hub of the body wheel and should not be tampered with lightly. This is a critical point for Tan Weiran: "Opening the Golden Mansion is necessary to regulate the body's five organs and heart wheel."

If the body wheel is stagnant, it is like a stagnant pool of water. How can one seek immortality by relying on life's instincts alone?

If the body wheel is active, regulating the five organs and heart wheel, one can achieve physical immortality. This is the true path to immortality.

However, no one has ever condensed the first drop of essence blood within the nine levels of the Human Gate, nor has anyone ever opened the middle dantian at the Human Gate.

Tan Weiran pondered, "The path of martial arts seeks physical immortality and the eternal existence of the soul. The Crimson Palace Golden Mansion will eventually have to be opened."

"More importantly, opening the Crimson Palace Golden Mansion allows one to condense and accommodate the second drop, and even more drops of essence blood."

So be it.

Tan Weiran focused his mind and prepared to open the middle dantian according to the method from his previous life.

The middle dantian is a wondrous existence, connecting the upper dantian for the mind and the lower dantian for the body. It is also located next to the heart, connecting the heart wheel and the five organs, making it the most critical hub in the body.

The Crimson Palace Golden Mansion is the key to life and death. The middle dantian is also known as the Heart Mansion, and this name is not just for fun.

The Golden Mansion is extremely important. In fact, as long as one is cautious, it is not difficult to open.

Tan Weiran gathered his mind, calmed his thoughts, and relaxed his five organs and heart wheel. As the body wheel operated, he could even faintly hear the flow of blood in his body.

True qi circulated, in sync with the body wheel's frequency. Soon, it was about to reach the Zhongshan point between the breasts.

At this moment, Tan Weiran's blood and qi suddenly swelled, as if ignited, almost boiling, and his body felt a slight expansion.

Tan Weiran secretly guided the uncontainable blood and qi, which soon sank into the five organs and body wheel. As the body wheel operated, it quickly moved toward the heart wheel's central hub. If he missed this opportunity, there was a risk of the blood and qi bursting through his heart.

Therefore, ordinary martial artists often need a senior or friend who has already opened the Golden Mansion to guide them, to avoid missing the opportunity and harming themselves.

Tan Weiran had already opened the Golden Mansion in his previous life. This time, although he was a bit nervous, he was more calm and experienced.

Just as the blood and qi were boiling in his heart and the true qi was about to reach the Zhongshan point.

Tan Weiran's spiritual intent moved, and he focused his mind. At this moment, the blood, qi, and soul converged between the breasts.

Tan Weiran smiled slightly. This was mostly done, and the rest was just a matter of time.

After a long while, the task was completed.

Looking inward at the Crimson Palace Golden Mansion, a drop of essence blood was contained within. Tan Weiran was satisfied, but then he noticed a hint of crimson color seeping through the walls of the Golden Mansion, which filled him with surprise.

Thus, the second drop of essence blood was condensed.

"So quickly, another drop of essence blood. Is my constitution really that good?" Tan Weiran was full of doubts.

In his previous life, when he opened the Golden Mansion, his body wheel was damaged. Although he managed to repair it and return to the path of martial arts, his constitution was ultimately ruined. Therefore, he could not condense much essence blood in his previous life, making it difficult to use as a reference.

Tan Weiran was delighted and thought, "Could it be because of the 'Supreme Extinction Scripture'?"

......

"Senior Brother, I want to go to the sect market."

Tan Weiran said with a smile, and Liu Chengfeng and Zhou Dapeng accompanied him down the Jianxing Peak, chatting and laughing all the way.

The eldest senior brother, Sun Chengxian, had a wife and children at home. He came this time specifically for the youngest junior brother. After the ceremony, the eldest senior brother left after a few days.

Now, the eldest senior brother rarely returns to the sect, staying mostly at home. With family ties, he couldn't stay in the sect for long. When he left, Tan Weiran secretly smiled. The eldest senior brother looked tall and strong, but he was actually a very family-oriented man.

Perhaps because the eldest senior brother was older, or perhaps because he was less often in the sect, Tan Weiran's relationship with him in his previous life was not very deep. It wasn't until he was crippled that the eldest senior brother left his family to return to the sect and stayed with him for half a year.

Later, when the Xingtian Sect was destroyed, it was the eldest senior brother who traveled a thousand miles to rescue him, sacrificing an arm to save him. He could never forget this brotherly bond.

Xu Daoning must have used some skill, as the incident where Tan Weiran publicly assassinated Bi Yunfeng was only investigated by the Law Department, and no one pursued it further.

However, on the surface, Bi Yunfeng might still act in secret. Therefore, Liu Chengfeng, the most diligent and cold-faced senior brother, came along.

Liu Chengfeng was unconvinced, "What's so good about the sect market?"

"Senior Brother, if you think that way, you're wrong. Sometimes, there are good things right in front of you, and you might not recognize them." Tan Weiran smiled wryly. In his previous life, with little hope for martial arts achievement, he had indeed put a lot of effort into studying other fields, and his knowledge was as broad and deep as anyone's.

If I remember correctly, in his previous life, a disciple from the Jianli Peak found a good thing in the market. This made a person with average cultivation and skills become one of the top experts in the sect's competition.

Tan Weiran squinted, a cold light flashing in his eyes, and he resisted the urge to turn around, saying quietly, "Someone is following us." Seeing Zhou Dapeng about to turn around, he quickly said, "Don't turn around."

"It must be Bi Yunfeng," Liu Chengfeng said, anger showing on his face.

Tan Weiran shook his head, thinking, "Not necessarily. Jianyong Peak and Jianli Peak are both hostile to Jianxing Peak, not friendly. It's just that Jianyong Peak is showing it now, while Jianli Peak is hiding its intentions well."

The Xingtian Sect has not yet shown internal strife, and Song Shenxing is trying to revive it. However, his gentle nature and tendency to yield have instead provoked certain people's thoughts.

If it weren't for the Huangquan War, as a traditionally powerful sect, the Xingtian Sect could have struggled on for hundreds or even thousands of years. Unfortunately, when the internal conflicts become apparent, no one will benefit, and the Huangquan War will lead to the collapse of the Xingtian Sect overnight.

The Xingtian Sect is a microcosm of many large sects, appearing strong but with deep-rooted internal problems. When the external factor of the Huangquan War erupts, countless large sects across the universe will fall, too many to count.

No one can save the Xingtian Sect. Not only does Tan Weiran have little affection for it, but even if he did, even if he were reborn eight thousand times, he couldn't save it.

Wandering around the market for half a day, Tan Weiran didn't find what he was looking for, but he wasn't disappointed. He exchanged gold and silver for a batch of spirit stones. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a vendor, carefully examining a strange meteorite that looked like a black lump.

The vendor, delighted, hurriedly said, "Brother, don't leave. Let me tell you, I got this meteorite by chance..."

Tan Weiran was speechless, "How much? Gold and silver, or spirit stones?"

"Only spirit stones, ten pieces." The vendor was uneasy. This thing had been on the stall for months, and no one recognized it, giving it some value, but no one was willing to buy it.

Tan Weiran counted out ten spirit stones and handed them to the vendor, taking the black lump and examining it for a while, a smile blooming on his face. He thought, "I didn't find the Vacuum Grass, but unexpectedly got this. It's not a wasted trip."

The vendor, seeing this, hurriedly asked, "Brother, do you know what this thing is called?"

Tan Weiran stood up and put the black lump away, "This thing is called Chaotic Flow Soft Gold." He turned and walked away, but the vendor was stunned, looking at the black lump with a hint of eagerness.

Vacuum Grass is a plant that grows in a unique environment. The Vacuum Grass itself has little value, but its companion organisms can catalyze cultivation and accelerate skill training.

It was meant to be a fruitful trip for Tan Weiran. After wandering around for a while, he found Vacuum Grass growing on a tightly sealed stone at a stall. This plant is rare in this realm, and few experts, let alone disciples, recognize it.

Fortunately, this vendor accepted gold and silver, and Tan Weiran spent some gold to buy the Vacuum Grass.

Just as he was thinking about going to see Old Lin and Lüer, he heard the fourth senior brother arguing with someone. Tan Weiran looked around, sensing something, and a cold smile spread across his face, "So eager."

Zhou Dapeng, the honest man, was arguing red-faced with someone, and several people with ill intentions were clearly his companions.

One of them was Pan Wenjun.

{Piaotian Literature}