Chapter 29

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

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 cautious. 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 as clean as their beds at home, with not a speck of dust. The wooden tables and chairs were intricately carved with beautiful patterns. They couldn't describe what made the patterns so good, but they were certainly very 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 a steward, several doctors arrived and began to treat the old farmers' injuries.

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

On the opposite side of the room, the chairman was sitting casually on a wooden chair. Seeing Lin Yiming enter, he gestured for him to sit down and then said with a peculiar expression, "From your breathing and appearance, it seems you had a fight with someone earlier. That's strange, given 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. This situation was not what he had expected. Logically, after hearing his story, the chairman should have offered to help, but instead, he just fell silent.

After a moment of surprise, Lin Yiming gave a self-deprecating smile. He had overthought it. The chairman and he had only met twice and were not particularly close. Why would the chairman help him?

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 will you cultivate the Martial Dao Spirit Heart technique?"

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

"Oh? What techniques?"

Lin Yiming smiled bitterly. "When I first joined the sect, I could only learn the most basic techniques. Later, since I couldn't draw in qi to reach the Spirit Qi stage, I was never given any advanced techniques."

"Basic techniques. If you only have basic techniques, it's impossible for you to condense the Martial Dao Spirit Heart." The chairman suddenly said something that shocked Lin Yiming. After saying this, he looked at Lin Yiming without speaking.

Lin Yiming never expected that the techniques he had been cultivating all along could not condense 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 was not 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 speaking.

After about ten breaths, the chairman suddenly smiled, his lips curling into a stunningly alluring smile. "You, young man, are quite composed. It's truly rare. Even those in their twenties would be eager to ask more upon hearing such news, but you remain so calm. It's truly remarkable!"

"Actually, it's nothing. I believe that you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to call me here just to give me the appraisal fee and a few words. You must have something else 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 am already in my forties if you add up both lifetimes. Moreover, in this life, I have endured much ridicule and contempt 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, it seems you cultivated to your current level in less than a year after leaving the mountain. Your talent is quite remarkable. Plus, you are a great appraiser. If it weren't for the rule that my lineage can only have 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 assume 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 for a longer and more successful cultivation path, while poor techniques limit your progress. It's like building a house; the foundation must be solid to build a tall structure. Conversely, a weak foundation will result in a low and unstable building, which might collapse after just a few floors. The principle is the same.

Some techniques allow one to condense the Martial Dao Spirit Heart and cultivate all the way to the Qianjing stage, while others only allow one to reach the Xiantian stage. As for the techniques you have been cultivating, I have never heard of anyone condensing the Martial Dao Spirit Heart with them. To condense the Martial Dao Spirit Heart, you need to cultivate a higher-level technique."

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

"The best place to learn high-level techniques in our Da Peng Dynasty is the Qi Wang Academy." The chairman paused, then continued, "However, you must be recognized by the academy. Not only is it difficult to get in, but even if you do, why would they give you the best techniques? You might only 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 condense a decent Martial Dao Spirit Heart. However, I'm curious why you want to rejoin the Shuiyao Sect, given that they expelled you."

"Because of my master." Lin Yiming looked ahead, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "Back then, I failed to draw in qi and was treated with contempt 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 go back and 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 brief pause, a smile returned to his face, and he sighed, "One day a teacher, a lifetime a father... well said! One must not forget one's roots. I haven't misjudged you. However, although 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 particularly impressive and won't lead to great achievements."

The chairman's tone then changed, becoming more magnetic. "Although I am bound by the rules of my lineage and cannot take you as a disciple to teach you my techniques, I do have another technique that you can cultivate. This technique is somewhat special. It may not allow you to reach the highest levels of cultivation, but it will definitely help you condense the Martial Dao Spirit Heart."

Lin Yiming was confused by the chairman's words. "What do you mean? You say it can be cultivated, 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 prehistoric era. After cultivating it, you can condense a very powerful Martial Dao Spirit Heart. This technique can also subdue and even nurture spirit beasts. As a martial artist, you should know the power of spirit beasts.

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

In the past, some people have cultivated the Ancient Spirit Canon. Without exception, those who dared to cultivate it were world-class geniuses. When I say world-class 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 cultivate it. However, even the fastest cultivator only reached the Overlord Body stage and could not progress further. They died of old age before they could reach the Yin-Yang stage."

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

After the Martial Dao Spirit Heart, there is the Blood Soul Transformation, followed by the Iron Bone Transformation, and then the Overlord Body stage, after which one can attempt to reach the Yin-Yang stage.

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

But the question is, who were these people who cultivated the Ancient Spirit Canon? They were world-class geniuses, praised by a Qianjing powerhouse like the chairman. If they could only reach the Overlord Body stage, it shows how difficult the Ancient Spirit Canon is to cultivate.