Chapter 71

"Please give me some encouragement..."

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"None of those are from me, they are all the ones I refined myself." Bu Zheng shook his head, negating Xiu Ying's conclusion, but of course, he couldn't convince her.

"Then did you use anything from the Alchemy Peak?" Xiu Ying asked.

"Of course I did..." Bu Zheng replied, still with the same matter-of-fact tone. Indeed, what he meant by "using" was just using some tools and places from the Alchemy Peak, which wasn't really a big deal.

However, Xiu Ying's understanding of this answer was different. She felt that Bu Zheng might be taking advantage of the Alchemy Peak, even though she thought it was acceptable to do so, it led to a misunderstanding, and this wasn't Bu Zheng's fault.

"Oh..." Xiu Ying let out a long "oh" and then waited for Bu Zheng to finish eating. She didn't mind waiting a little longer, especially since Bu Zheng's meals were excellent. Not only were they delicious, but they were also spirit-infused foods, such as spirit grains and demon beast meat, which were very beneficial to her.

This made Xiu Ying realize that this place was indeed a good one. Whether it was the spirit array, the food, or the elixirs, everything felt like a special treat. And this special treat was quite good; she could make several days of cultivation here equivalent to over half a month of cultivation in the past.

Indeed, as long as the cultivation conditions were good, even ordinary talent could rapidly increase in strength.

Talent was something that could only be demonstrated under equal conditions. Even if the conditions weren't exactly the same, they shouldn't differ too much. If the difference was too great, it wasn't something that talent could make up for, unless it was an extraordinary, monstrous talent.

"Bu Zheng, why do you eat like a bottomless pit, so much more than before? You didn't used to be like this." Xiu Ying looked at Bu Zheng. It was only today that they had a meal together; previously, Bu Zheng had always left food for her, and she had been focusing on cultivation, so they hadn't eaten together.

"Recently, I always feel hungry, maybe I'm growing." Bu Zheng replied. This wasn't just an excuse; he genuinely believed it, otherwise, he wouldn't know how to explain the situation.

"Growing can't increase your appetite that much. It might be due to cultivation. My appetite has also increased a lot, but not as much as yours." Xiu Ying thought for a moment and came to a conclusion, but she didn't delve into it further, as even if she did, she wouldn't find a clear answer.

"Still, you really can eat..." Xiu Ying added, watching Bu Zheng finish the food that would normally feed ten people. Her calculation was based on a martial artist like herself, not an ordinary person.

After Bu Zheng finished eating, Xiu Ying pulled him over and asked him to demonstrate the Qingyun Sword Technique.

Bu Zheng didn't refuse. He thought for a moment and demonstrated the Qingyun Sword Technique as he had seen it. This wasn't the version he knew; the Qingyun Sword Technique he knew had already been transformed and integrated into his own style.

Bu Zheng described his style as "convenient." He felt that whatever was convenient for him was the way to go. He thought this might not be as powerful as the original, but it didn't matter; convenience was the most important thing. After all, martial arts weren't his main pursuit.

However, he didn't realize that this "convenience" was something others dreamed of achieving—integrating techniques into their own martial arts.

Bu Zheng was completely unaware of this, so he thought his method of cultivation might be wrong. He naturally couldn't teach Xiu Ying something wrong. He could still fully demonstrate the original Qingyun Sword Technique, which he almost never forgot.

Unconsciously, Bu Zheng had also made some minor adjustments to the Qingyun Sword Technique, improving it subconsciously. This made the technique more perfect, though not by much, and Xiu Ying might not learn it exactly the same way.

A perfect technique from a master doesn't mean the disciple can learn it perfectly. Generally, a disciple can only learn a portion of it and then gradually improve through practice.

After a few days, Xiu Ying had learned about half of the technique, which was already quite good. She had basically mastered the techniques, and what was lacking was just the level of proficiency. With continued practice, she would master the Qingyun Sword Technique.

Bu Zheng's contribution was significant. He knew how to use the techniques he had practiced, and this was the benefit of one-on-one teaching. In a few days, Xiu Ying could learn the entire Qingyun Sword Technique, whereas otherwise, she would have to learn each move slowly.

In fact, practicing a set of techniques together is much more effective than practicing individual moves. From other techniques, one can gain insights into other moves, at least for a technique like the Qingyun Sword Technique.

The reason they weren't taught together was that the Qingyun Sword Technique was inherently difficult to learn. Without a master's guidance, it was impossible to learn it all at once. For ordinary outer disciples, this was a gradual process.

For those who were the focus of cultivation, they could learn the entire set of techniques much faster. The sect would teach them as fast as they could learn.

However, learning doesn't mean one can use it, and being able to use it doesn't mean one can unleash its full power. There was still a long way to go.

A month passed, and Xiu Ying spent most of her time on the Alchemy Peak. As long as her cultivation kept up, she could stay here for a year. She also figured out the names of the moves in the Qingyun Sword Technique, knowing what she was practicing, unlike before.

She had originally planned to teach Bu Zheng, but he refused, saying it didn't matter whether he knew the names of the moves. He just needed to know how to use them and didn't want to bother remembering the names, as it was unnecessary. He had many other things to do.

Indeed, Bu Zheng was very busy. He had to gather herbs, refine elixirs, tend to the vegetable garden and herb garden, study formations, and cook meals, all while finding time to cultivate.

This made Xiu Ying admire Bu Zheng. One person could do so many things. But thinking about it, Bu Zheng had always been like this. He had always taken care of himself and managed to support himself.

During Xiu Ying's stay, Zhao Zhiyin and Qi Tian, the two food lovers, never came. They were probably cultivating, and because of this, Xiu Ying didn't have the chance to meet them.

This was actually a good thing for Xiu Ying. Without any distractions, her cultivation progressed rapidly, both in her internal cultivation and her mastery of the Qingyun Sword Technique.

During this month, Bu Zheng often went out to gather herbs, leaving Xiu Ying alone on the Alchemy Peak, enjoying the unique cultivation environment of the Qingyun Sect in peace.

She didn't think much of Bu Zheng going out to gather herbs. In the past, Bu Zheng would also go into the mountains to gather herbs, sometimes for over ten days.

One day, while Xiu Ying was practicing the Qingyun Sword Technique, a person came, but it wasn't Bu Zheng or Qi Tian. It was a stunningly beautiful girl, with a face that made Xiu Ying envious at first glance.