Chapter 20

Lin Xun originally intended to contemplate the [Little Nether Divine Art], but before he could act, his stomach growled.

Almost simultaneously, an indescribable sense of hunger surged through his body like a tide. Lin Xun, unable to think of anything else, hurriedly ran into the kitchen to start cooking.

Only then did he realize that it was already completely dark outside. Not having eaten anything all day indeed made one unable to bear it.

The kitchen had been repaired, and the enthusiastic villagers had not only sent pots, bowls, and spoons but also blocks of cured meat.

Lin Xun cooked a pot of spirit grain rice and sliced a plate of meat, then squatted in the kitchen and began to eat voraciously.

Spirit grain contained warm and gentle spiritual energy, an essential food for cultivation. However, for most of the villagers in Fuyun Village who could not cultivate, spirit grain was as valuable as money, used to exchange for supplies, and they would never eat it.

As for the meat, it was just some wild game from the mountains, only good for filling one's stomach, and far inferior to spirit grain.

What Lin Xun had not expected was that after eating three plates of meat and ten bowls of spirit grain rice, the hunger in his stomach still had not subsided.

This sudden increase in appetite surprised Lin Xun, but it also filled him with joy. It all indicated that his body had become different from before, requiring more nutrients to replenish.

The more one ate, the stronger one's physique, blood, and spirit would naturally become. In the legends of the Purple Dawn Empire, cultivators ate not only abundant spirit grain but also spirit vegetables, spirit fruits, and even some carefully refined pills in every meal.

As a cultivator, Lin Xun naturally understood this.

However, when he was full and looked at the remaining less than half a bag of spirit grain and six pieces of meat, he immediately realized a problem.

If he continued to eat like this, consuming nearly five pounds of spirit grain and ten pieces of three-pound meat per day, it would be unsustainable.

The key was that Lin Xun's current living expenses still relied on the villagers of Fuyun Village. It was fine for a few days, but if this continued for a long time, it would be problematic.

"No food, and it really won't do!"

Lin Xun sighed inwardly. As the saying goes, "poor scholars, rich warriors." Children from poor families simply did not have the resources to cultivate. The materials needed for cultivation were not something a poor family could afford.

This also verified the ancient saying that the four essentials of cultivation are "wealth, companions, methods, and land," with "wealth" being the first, indicating its importance to cultivation.

Not only that, but the pills, techniques, and battle treasures and equipment needed by cultivators in the future all required substantial "wealth" to support.

Lin Xun was now penniless, with no money at all. Apart from the spirit materials he had collected, he had no other wealth.

Therefore, whether to solve the immediate problem or to consider future cultivation, his first priority was to earn money!

Of course, in Fuyun Village, spirit grain and meat were equivalent to money.

Growing spirit grain took too much time, and Lin Xun could not wait, so he could only focus on "meat."

Lin Xun was well aware that during the farming off-season, some of the strong villagers in Fuyun Village would gather together and go hunting in the deep mountains outside the village. The pelts, bones, and meat of the hunted animals, besides meeting their living needs, could also be used as goods to exchange for supplies in the Qingyang Tribe.

"Hunting? I can give it a try."

Lin Xun had already made up his mind. Although he might not be able to hunt powerful fierce beasts, dealing with ordinary animals would be more than enough.

In fact, Lin Xun was thinking even further ahead. He was destined to go to the cities of the Purple Dawn Empire in the future, and he could not afford to be without money.

...

The night was deep.

Lin Xun sat in the house, calmly contemplating. The mysterious and profound inheritance texts flashed and flowed like light.

[Little Nether Divine Art], a method for refining the spirit, is divided into three major realms: "Star Circulation," "Moon Transformation," and "Sun Radiance."

The "Nether" in the name of the technique refers to meditation, using one's own consciousness to observe the secrets of spirit refinement, thereby tempering the soul and strengthening the spirit.

This was truly a rare and unparalleled technique!

Because, as everyone knew, in this vast world, the number and variety of cultivation techniques were as numerous as the stars in the sky and as vast as the sea.

However, among these, nine out of ten techniques were either for cultivating spiritual energy or for combat.

Techniques for cultivating the "soul" were extremely rare and almost all distributed among ancient clans and families, making them extremely difficult to find on the market.

Such techniques were generally called "soul secret techniques," and every cultivator longed to obtain them.

The reason was that when a cultivator reached the "True Martial Realm," "Spirit Aura Realm," "Spirit Sea Realm," and finally the "Cave Heaven Realm," they needed to begin cultivating their soul to condense their "Life Will"!

Only those who could condense their "Life Will" and master soul power could be considered true "Cave Heaven Realm" experts.

At that time, the power of the "Life Will" alone could suppress cultivators below the Cave Heaven Realm, making them tremble with fear and kneel on the ground.

However, the "Cave Heaven Realm" was too distant, and in this world, only one in ten thousand might reach such a realm.

In the Purple Dawn Empire, possessing "Cave Heaven Realm" power was enough to stand among the top martial experts!

From this, one could imagine how important it was to master a "soul secret technique," which was crucial for smoothly advancing to the "Cave Heaven Realm."

The [Little Nether Divine Art] that Lin Xun had obtained was a soul secret technique, and it was indeed a rare and unparalleled technique.

It was not an exaggeration to say that among all True Martial Realm cultivators, those who could comprehend and cultivate a "soul secret technique" were one in ten thousand!

Lin Xun, who had grown up by Mr. Lu's side, was well aware of the value of soul secret techniques, and he understood this even better than others.

Because, don't forget, Lin Xun had another identity—that of a spirit pattern apprentice!

Engraving spirit patterns also required strong soul power to support, otherwise, it would be impossible to precisely control the spiritual energy, spirit ink, spirit brush, and medium.

According to Lin Xun's knowledge, the more powerful a spirit pattern master, the stronger their soul power, without a doubt.

Without too much excitement or emotion, Lin Xun began to calmly contemplate the first realm of the [Little Nether Divine Art], the "Star Circulation" secret technique.

"Star Circulation," as the name suggests, means the circulation of stars.

The cultivator uses their own consciousness to visualize the wondrous scene of "the vast universe, the circulation of stars," using the star paths to guide the starlight to temper the soul.

When cultivated to the perfect realm, a single thought can transform the sea of consciousness into a vast starry sky, illuminating the starlight, allowing the soul to roam within, free from evil thoughts and distractions, ultimately forming the root of the soul!

However, for Lin Xun, who had just begun to contemplate, reaching such a realm was naturally impossible.

The [Little Nether Divine Art] may only have three major realms: "Star Circulation," "Moon Transformation," and "Sun Radiance," but when it came to soul cultivation, each realm was profound and mysterious, with boundless secrets, not something that could be comprehended and perfected in a short time.

As Lin Xun began to contemplate the "Star Circulation" technique, a vast night sky soon appeared in his sea of consciousness. However, the night sky was deep and distant, unreachable, and the stars hanging in the sky were dim and blurry.

This was the "image" of "Star Circulation," and what Lin Xun needed to do was to use his own consciousness to observe this "image" and then think and explore.

This was what was known as "visualization."

Visualization was like a mirror, reflecting the self. It was the only path for cultivating soul secret techniques in the world, though the specific techniques of visualization varied.

What Lin Xun was visualizing in his sea of consciousness was the "image" of "Star Circulation." When he could use his own soul power to light up all the stars in the night sky in his sea of consciousness, guiding the starlight to illuminate, he would have achieved the perfection of "Star Circulation."

The night was quiet, the moon high in the sky, and the distant mountains bathed in the moonlight. Nearby, insects chirped, creating a serene atmosphere.

In the house, Lin Xun sat cross-legged, his mind focused, calmly visualizing. His slightly pale, handsome face was calm and transcendent.

...

Time passed unnoticed, and soon the night was over. The dawn broke, dispelling the dark night and casting bright light upon the world.

Outside the window, birds chirped, and a new day began. Lin Xun woke up from his meditation, leaped out of bed, and felt refreshed, his blood and energy flowing smoothly, feeling incredibly invigorated.

After a night of cultivation, although he had not been able to light up a single star in his sea of consciousness, Lin Xun felt much better mentally than before. His senses had become sharper, and he could even clearly hear the sound of dewdrops sliding off the leaves and hitting the ground outside the house.

This was a sign of enhanced consciousness, something Lin Xun had not expected. Just one night of cultivation had produced noticeable results, showing how extraordinary the [Little Nether Divine Art] was.

Pushing open the door and walking into the courtyard, Lin Xun stretched his body and began practicing the marching fist, until his blood and energy boiled, and he was drenched in sweat. He then stopped, washed his face with cold well water, and felt a surge of vitality and energy, as if he had boundless strength.

But soon, a wave of hunger surged through his body, and he could not help but smile bitterly. It was indeed a cause for joy that his body and soul had become stronger, but it also meant that his appetite had doubled. There was indeed no perfect thing in this world.

This made Lin Xun even more determined to find time to go hunting in the deep mountains. Otherwise, relying solely on the villagers' supplies would not be enough to fill his stomach.

After eating, Lin Xun went out and headed to Zhou Zhong's house, planning to help him drive away the pests in his spirit fields.

When Lin Xun arrived at Zhou Zhong's house, he saw Zhou Zhong carrying a long bow and a large knife, about to leave.

"Brother Zhou Zhong, where are you going?"

Lin Xun asked.

"Going up the mountain to gather some blood-boosting herbs and hunt," Zhou Zhong replied casually.

Then he noticed that the person asking was Lin Xun, and he slapped his forehead, exclaiming, "How could I forget? Today, I was supposed to go to the fields with you, Brother Lin Xun, to drive away the pests."

Hunting?

What a coincidence!

A smile appeared on Lin Xun's lips.

---

PS: Today is Xiao Xiao's birthday. Xiao Xiao is a very senior and beautiful lady in the V group. Here, I wish Xiao Xiao a happy birthday, eternal youth, happiness, and health, and hope she finds her ideal partner soon and escapes the single life...

Also, the third update might be a bit late.