Chapter 28

The merchant's shop was not far from the auction house, and before long, Lin Yiming and the old farmers entered the auction house under the guidance of two attendants.

As soon as the old farmers arrived at the auction house, they were immediately led to a grand hall.

The moment they entered the hall, the old farmers became extremely nervous. The place was so luxurious that they had never seen such a grand room in their entire lives, let alone entered one. The floor, polished to a shine, was spotless, as clean as their beds at home. The wooden tables and chairs were intricately carved with beautiful patterns. They couldn't describe what made the patterns so good, but they were undeniably beautiful, and it was clear that they were extremely expensive.

They had never even dreamed of being in such a place, yet today, they were here.

After a short while, under the guidance of an attendant, several physicians arrived and began treating the old farmers' injuries.

Seeing that the old farmers were being treated, Lin Yiming felt relieved and followed another attendant back to the chairman's room. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the room seemed brighter than the last time he was here.

On the opposite side of the room, the chairman sat casually on a wooden chair. Seeing Lin Yiming enter, he gestured for him to sit down and then said with a peculiar expression, "Judging by your breathing and appearance, you must have had a fight with someone earlier. That's strange; with your current status, you shouldn't need to get your hands dirty. The position of a great appraiser is quite prestigious."

Lin Yiming sat down without hesitation and immediately recounted everything that had happened today, not hiding anything from the chairman.

"Oh, I see. Here is your appraisal fee, a total of 300 silver taels." The chairman nodded and handed Lin Yiming the money for the appraisal, but then fell silent.

Lin Yiming was taken aback. The situation was not what he had expected. Logically, after hearing his story, the chairman should have offered to help. Why did he just fall silent?

After a moment of surprise, Lin Yiming gave a self-deprecating smile. He had overthought it. The chairman had only met him twice and wasn't particularly familiar with him. Why would he help?

Lin Yiming took the money and was about to leave when the chairman's voice rang out again.

"Are you planning to cultivate the Martial Dao Spirit Heart soon?"

Lin Yiming nodded in response. The chairman was a Qianjing powerhouse and could easily discern his cultivation level.

"Then, do you have a cultivation technique for the Martial Dao Spirit Heart?"

As the chairman asked, Lin Yiming felt increasingly puzzled. Why was the chairman suddenly concerned about his cultivation? Despite his confusion, he replied, "I was once a disciple of the Shuiyao Sect. Although I couldn't cultivate back then, I did learn some cultivation techniques."

"Oh? What techniques?"

Lin Yiming gave a bitter laugh. "When I first joined the sect, I could only learn the most basic techniques. Later, since I couldn't draw qi into the Spirit Qi stage, I was never given any advanced techniques."

"Basic techniques? If you only have basic techniques, you won't be able to form the Martial Dao Spirit Heart." The chairman suddenly said something that shocked Lin Yiming. After speaking, he looked at Lin Yiming without saying another word.

Lin Yiming had never imagined that the techniques he had been practicing all along couldn't form the Martial Dao Spirit Heart. The books he had read in the sect didn't provide much information on this.

Just as he was about to ask more, the chairman stopped speaking.

Seeing that the chairman wasn't going to say anything more, Lin Yiming didn't rush to ask. He just stared at the chairman with wide eyes.

For a moment, the room fell into silence.

Lin Yiming and the chairman stared at each other, neither of them speaking.

After about ten breaths, the chairman suddenly smiled, his lips curling into a stunningly alluring smile. "You're quite composed, which is truly rare. Even those in their twenties would have asked more questions upon hearing such news, but you remained so calm. That's truly remarkable!"

"Actually, it's nothing. I believe that if you went through all the trouble to have me brought here, it wasn't just to give me the appraisal fee and have a brief conversation. I'm sure you have more to say, so I don't need to ask."

Lin Yiming smiled faintly. Although he said this, he thought to himself: I have lived two lifetimes, and I'm already in my forties if you add up both lives. Moreover, in this life, I've endured countless cold glances and ridicule over the past six years. If I couldn't remain calm, I might as well not live at all.

"Smart, I'm increasingly impressed by your intelligence." The chairman didn't rush to continue discussing the Martial Dao Spirit Heart but instead praised him. "From what you've said, you've cultivated to your current level in less than a year after leaving the mountain. Your talent is quite remarkable. Plus, you're a great appraiser. If it weren't for the rule that I can only take three disciples, and all three spots are already filled, I would have considered taking you as a disciple."

After a moment of reflection, the chairman's expression gradually returned to normal. "I'm sure you know that cultivation techniques vary in quality, but you may not know how they are ranked."

The chairman slowly continued, "The quality of cultivation techniques is determined by their impact on future cultivation. Good techniques allow you to progress further, while poor techniques limit your potential. It's like building a skyscraper; a solid foundation is essential for a tall building. Conversely, a weak foundation will result in a shorter building that might collapse after a few floors. The same principle applies here.

"Some techniques allow you to cultivate all the way to the Qianjing stage, while others only allow you to reach the Xiantian stage. As for the techniques you've been practicing, I've never heard of anyone forming a Martial Dao Spirit Heart with them. To form the Martial Dao Spirit Heart, you need a higher-level technique."

"Oh? Where can I find a higher-level technique to learn?" Lin Yiming finally asked.

"The best place to learn a high-level technique in our Da Peng Dynasty is the Qi Wang Academy." The chairman paused, then continued, "However, you need to be recognized by the academy. Not only is it difficult to get in, but even if you do, why would they give you their best techniques? You're more likely to be given average techniques."

"Is the Qi Wang Academy the only option? What about the Shuiyao Sect where I used to be?" Lin Yiming suddenly thought of his former sect.

"Shuiyao Sect?" The chairman frowned slightly, then nodded slowly. "The techniques of the Shuiyao Sect can indeed help you form a decent Martial Dao Spirit Heart, but I'm curious why you want to rejoin the sect that expelled you."

"Because of my master." Lin Yiming looked ahead, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "Back then, I failed to draw qi and was treated with cold eyes and ridicule by everyone. Only my master treated me as he always had and taught me many things.

"Now, my master is old.

"So, I want to return to take care of him. In the Shuiyao Sect, he only has me as a disciple. As the saying goes, 'One day a teacher, a lifetime a father.' This is why I want to return to the Shuiyao Sect."

"Truly touching." The chairman's alluring face showed a complex expression, and for a moment, he seemed lost in thought. After a pause, he smiled again and sighed, "One day a teacher, a lifetime a father... Well said! One should never forget one's roots. I haven't misjudged you. However, while the Shuiyao Sect's techniques are good, even if you return, how likely are you to learn their best techniques? To be honest, apart from that one technique, the others in the Shuiyao Sect are not that great and won't lead to significant achievements."

The chairman's tone changed, becoming more magnetic. "Although I can't take you as a disciple due to the rules, I do have a technique that I can teach you. This technique is special. It may not allow you to reach the highest levels, but it will definitely help you form the Martial Dao Spirit Heart."

Lin Yiming was confused by the chairman's words. "What do you mean? You say it can be practiced, but then you say it can't. I don't understand."

The chairman gently waved his hand and said softly, "Don't worry, listen to me. This technique is called the Ancient Spirit Canon. It is said to have existed since the primitive era. Practicing this technique can form a very powerful Martial Dao Spirit Heart. It can also subdue and even nurture demonic spirits. As a martial artist, you should know the power of demonic spirits.

"Unfortunately, this technique has a drawback: it is very slow to cultivate.

"In the past, some people have practiced the Ancient Spirit Canon. All of them were exceptional geniuses. When I say exceptional geniuses, I mean they were geniuses even in the entire Da Peng Dynasty.

"They knew the Ancient Spirit Canon was difficult to cultivate, but because of its power, they chose to practice it. However, even the fastest among them only reached the Tyrant Body stage before they could no longer progress. They died of old age before they could reach the Yin-Yang stage."

"So slow?" Lin Yiming was stunned. Humans have a limited lifespan, but the higher the cultivation level, the longer one can live. The Ancient Spirit Canon, which could only reach the Yin-Yang stage before one died of old age, even for the fastest practitioner, must be extremely difficult to cultivate.

After the Martial Dao Spirit Heart comes the Blood Soul Transformation, followed by the Iron Bone Transformation, and then the Tyrant Body stage, before one can attempt to reach the Yin-Yang stage.

The Tyrant Body stage is already a formidable power, a terrifying existence.

But the question is, who were these people who practiced the Ancient Spirit Canon? They were geniuses praised by a Qianjing powerhouse. If they could only reach the Tyrant Body stage, it shows how difficult the Ancient Spirit Canon is to cultivate.