Chapter 41

As the colorful lizards crawled past his fingers, they wagged their long tails in a friendly manner, took a jade bead, and disappeared into the crevices of the cave wall. Zhang Yan smiled slightly, thinking that with these spirit beasts kept in the cave, they could catch flies and insects, sweep away dust and dirt, and keep venomous snakes and fierce beasts at bay. Moreover, they only needed to be fed one pearl a year, which was a very good deal. The only thing that disappointed him was that these living creatures could not be reflected in the residual jade.

Compared to these spirit beasts, Tang Yan and her group on the northern island were of no use to him, not even as a chicken rib.

He had once proactively mentioned to Ning Chongxuan the idea of returning this woman, but the other party avoided the topic, seemingly with ulterior motives. After careful consideration, he decided it would be best to leave these people where they were for now. Without the offerings of golden pearls and jade pools, he would see how long they could hold out. If they left on their own, it would not be his fault.

Zhang Yan thought to himself, "Senior Brother Ning said that in three years, there will be a grand competition in the sect. At that time, the nine peaks will all participate, and disciples from all the academies will gather. Among them, there will be many outstanding young experts. I hear the rewards are quite generous. I must strive to cultivate and hope to achieve something in the grand competition!"

Although true disciples do not need to go out and kill, the competition among them is intense. Moreover, other disciples in the sect are hostile towards true disciples, constantly provoking them. The upper academy not only does not intervene but also sets rewards to encourage such conflicts, and there is a grand competition every three years to prevent the disciples' cultivation from stagnating.

As for the rewards from the sect, they vary according to the cultivation realm of each disciple. A true disciple at the Xuan Guang stage receives dozens of times more than a disciple at the Ming Qi stage, and they are also granted magical treasures and flying swords. The two are incomparable, so in any aspect, enhancing one's cultivation is the most important.

If he were a highly cultivated cultivator, would he even bother with trivial matters like Tang Yan's?

As the sky grew darker, Zhang Yan stepped out of his cave and made his way to the volcanic crater on Lingye Island. At the hour of Shen (3-5 PM), it was the third surge of the secondary fire, when the mountain peak was shrouded in a thick mist, and the spiritual energy was intense. This was the best time for him to refine his primordial essence.

Over the past two months, he had repeatedly practiced the Taiyi Golden Book in the residual jade, spending the equivalent of a year in the outside world. He had not only memorized the spells and techniques but also tested his body's maximum tolerance at each stage.

For example, at this stage, he could inhale up to three and a half breaths of the malevolent energy to refine his primordial essence. Any more would cause damage, and any less would be insufficient. Initially, he could only inhale half a breath, but as his cultivation and adaptability improved, the amount he could absorb increased.

This way, he could maintain the highest efficiency in his cultivation, keeping his progress at a steady pace. Even if the cultivators who had previously practiced the Taiyi Golden Book had elders to protect them, none of them were as bold as he was.

However, every step he took was rehearsed in the residual jade, and he only dared to practice on his true body after ensuring there were no risks. Thanks to the "Xuan Yuan Inner Canon," he now had a very mature control over the energy flow, and he felt no stiffness when he started practicing the Taiyi Golden Book.

Zhang Yan sat down by the volcanic crater. After a month of practice, he was about to refine his first breath of pure spirit energy. With a loud explosion, the malevolent energy surged out, and his mind became incredibly focused. He slowly inhaled the golden fire malevolent energy through his nose and mouth, swallowing it and letting it circulate through his meridians. The primordial essence was gradually forced out of his inner orifices and slowly transformed into spirit energy under the malevolent energy's erosion.

He repeated this process, and the spirit energy accumulated. After an unknown amount of time, he felt a churning in his internal organs and exhaled a breath of turbid air, which seemed to have a faint black and red color, indicating the impurities of the primordial essence that had been transformed.

Zhang Yan examined his inner self and saw a clear and bright breath of spirit energy circulating in his dantian. Surprised, he said, "It's done!" The first breath of pure spirit energy was the most difficult, but once it was refined, it could attract more spirit energy, eliminating the need for further arduous refinement.

His eyes sparkled. Since he had refined the first breath of pure spirit energy, he could now practice the first method recorded in the "Lanyun Secret Manual."

When he first received the secret manual, he was unsure which book to practice first. However, after carefully reading and comparing them, he discovered many subtleties and realized his concerns were unnecessary.

The Ming Qi stage is essentially about refining the primordial essence and producing spirit energy, and both books covered this, but with different emphases.

The "Taiyi Golden Book" focuses on the word "refinement," emphasizing the cultivation and refinement of the energy flow, with only a few brief mentions of techniques.

The "Lanyun Secret Manual" also has methods for producing spirit energy, but in Zhang Yan's view, they are not particularly advanced compared to the "Taiyi Golden Book." However, this does not mean the book has no value. The "Lanyun Secret Manual" focuses on the word "technique," emphasizing how to manipulate and transform the spirit energy after it is produced.

Zhang Yan understood this. Cultivators who practice the "Taiyi Golden Book" have at least a middle or upper-grade pulse, and their energy flow is powerful and fierce. They can overcome any changes with a single method, so they do not need to practice additional techniques.

The "Lanyun Secret Manual" is different. Most of its practitioners have a lower-grade pulse, which is far inferior to an upper-grade pulse. Therefore, they must rely on the manipulation of the spirit energy to compensate. In fact, cultivators with a lower-grade pulse are all skilled in various techniques for using spirit energy.

In essence, the "Lanyun Secret Manual" is weaker in terms of innate qualities, so it focuses on the manipulation of spirit energy. Zhang Yan could not guess the cultivation level of Sun Zhenren, but he imagined that this person must have been an expert in the manipulation of spirit energy.

The two books, one focusing on "refinement" and the other on "technique," complement each other and do not conflict. Therefore, he decided to practice the techniques in the "Lanyun Secret Manual" after refining the first breath of pure spirit energy.

He did not return to his cave but stood there and began to practice the techniques. According to the book, once the spirit energy circulates throughout the body, the body becomes as light as a feather, able to float and walk on water.

However, Zhang Yan's spirit energy was not ordinary. It was a pure breath of pure spirit energy refined from golden fire and fierce wind. When he began to practice the technique, he suddenly felt his body become light. A strong wind blew, and his feet left the ground, floating like a feather.

This was something he had not anticipated. He calmed himself, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, landing on the rising mist. He was lifted up, spreading his arms like wings, and soared into the clouds!

When he landed again, he found himself standing on the mist, able to look up at the stars and down at the vast marsh. He thought, "So this is what it means to ride the clouds and mist! Once I reach the second stage of the Ming Qi stage, I will be able to gather the spirit energy into clouds and use them to travel, which is the true way of the immortals!"

On the other side of Lingye Island, Ling'er was complaining to Tang Yan, "Yan, when will this end?"

They were living on the edge of the island to avoid the malevolent energy. The warriors were fine, as they relied on secret medicines and golden sand to enhance their cultivation and did not need to practice breathing techniques. Their bodies were strong and solid, so they could move around normally.

However, the women were different. Their cultivation methods were mostly yin-based, and the golden fire and fierce wind made them dizzy and burned their internal organs. They could not even leave their huts, let alone practice. They could only practice for a short time each night, and even then, they had to be extremely careful to avoid inhaling the malevolent energy.

If the malevolent energy entered their bodies, it would mix with the primordial essence, making the energy flow impure. Over time, it would damage their meridians and destroy their foundation. Therefore, the intense spiritual energy on the island was like poison to them.

Seeing that Tang Yan was lost in thought and not responding, Ling'er said, "I heard Zhang Yan got Sun Zhenren's secret manual. He must be worried about it now."

Tang Yan smiled, "There are many people with a lower-grade pulse, but few can achieve success. Sun Zhenren is a one-in-a-million genius. How can Zhang Yan compare?"

"Right, right," Ling'er clapped her hands. "Exactly."

Tang Yan smiled, "Ling'er, it's time to practice. Go ahead."

Ling'er looked outside the hut and exclaimed, "The malevolent energy has passed. I'll go meditate."

"Go ahead."

Ling'er bowed and left. However, soon after, she shouted, "Yan, come quick! Is that Zhang Yan?"

Tang Yan was startled and stepped out of the hut. She saw Ling'er staring at the sky in shock and followed her gaze. Under the bright moon, a figure stood in the air, his sleeves fluttering, and his robe dancing. The stars in the sky made him look like a celestial being.

She looked closely and saw that it was indeed Zhang Yan.

Ling'er was amazed, "How long has Zhang Yan been practicing to be able to ride the air? Wang Lang's people said he had average talent and was not worth cultivating."

Tang Yan felt a sudden irritation, "Could Zhang Yan really be the genius Ning Chongxuan said he was? No, he has no background or foundation. Even if he has some achievements now, it will be like a fleeting flower!"

Although she thought this, she could not shake the irritation in her heart. She had been exhausted by the golden fire and fierce wind on the island for several days. She wanted to ask Wang Jialang for help, but she was too proud to lower herself. However, seeing this scene, she felt a sudden urge to act.

She clenched her handkerchief and bit her lip, then said sternly, "Ling'er, write to Wang Jialang. Tell him that we are suffering from the malevolent energy every day and can no longer bear it. We are helpless and alone, and we hope he will pity our suffering and come to rescue us from this misery!"

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