Chapter 12 : Concepts and techniques

“ Mother you are a foundation establishment cultivator and I have heard that almost all the cultivators at that level are people, who wish to master at least one low level concept to advance to core formation level , I heard you have healing Dao.” I asked curiously

She smiled “ I am one of those rare few, who have reached Foundation establishment and mastered a concept, it is the healing concept not Dao of healing”.

I am honestly a little shocked , the greatest benefit those with Physique get is free concepts, in a way those born with physiques basically get those abilities they are born with, as well as free concepts.

Once any cultivator masters a concept it helps a lot, as not only they gained a lot of experience but mastering a concept pushes cultivators closer to Qi making it easier for them to master concepts in future.

The thing is those born with physique also have abilities which use less amount of qi compared to techniques and its power is increased when used in conjunction with the mastered concept, so, clans invest a lot of money in people like these.

Usually people with physiques definitely reach Qi manifestation if not with ability then with age even if they don't actively cultivate , around 20 % percent body tempering cultivators advance to Qi manifestation stage.

That’s why Qi manifestation is considered the back bone of any sect or clan as they are numerous enough to help the sects influence to spread and powerful enough to deter those who want to oppose the sect or clan.

As we walked back towards the clan, a sudden thought struck me like a bolt of lightning.

"Before we go back, I want to give you something," I announced, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small jade box.

Ning Rong's eyes lit up with excitement as she eagerly took the box from my hands. "What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

I could not help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. "You sure love runic artefacts," I teased, a playful grin tugging at the corners of my lips. "Go ahead and try it."

With a gleeful smile, Ning Rong eagerly began to open the jade box, her hands trembling with anticipation. As she lifted the lid, a soft glow emanated from within, casting a warm light on her face. Her eyes widened in wonder as she gazed at the contents inside.

"What can it do?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement.

I couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness. "Well, that's for you to find out," I replied, a mischievous twinkle in my eye. "But I can guarantee it'll be something fun."

Ning Rong's curiosity only seemed to grow as she reached into the box, her fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the artefact. With a sense of anticipation, she activated its power, and in an instant, a dazzling display of light and colour filled the air.

As Ning Rong examined the artefact in awe, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at her reaction.

"That's a lightning-imbued peak level 1 rune seal," I explained, watching as her eyes widened with excitement. "It has the ability to shoot very concentrated lightning qi at a single target."

Ning Rong's gaze flickered with curiosity as she processed the information. "But what makes it so special?" she asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.

"Well, you see," I began, a mischievous grin spreading across my face, "It's very demanding, especially for someone like you."

I watched as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, waiting for the realization to sink in. "It can only be used once, maybe twice if you push yourself," I continued, the excitement evident in my voice. "And it's powerful enough to even seriously hurt a body tempering cultivator who has reached peak of Body tempering."

As she marvelled at the spectacle before her, I could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Seeing her so delighted brought me joy, and I could not help but revel in the moment.

“Its main use will be to hide your lightning element if someone ever sees you using it, you can blame on the seal , it will give you another layer of protection.”

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"So, what do you think?" I asked, unable to contain my excitement.

Ning Rong turned to me with a radiant smile. "It's amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Thank you”.

“ Rong Rong although you cant cultivate before eight you can now start sensing the concepts either those inside your physique or those you have a interest in .” Ning Lian suggested .

“ Rong Rong you might not realize it but mastering a single mid tier concept would elevate anyone to higher level of status in society they would directly be labelled as rare geniuses that have to be nurtured by the clan or sect as once someone masters a mid tier concept it becomes much easier to master lower level concepts related to that particular Mid tier concept.

And making it easier for cultivator cultivate quickly as it also helps in comprehending higher realms to some extent as these concepts will be related to one’s body and in turn shape the body’s affinity for that element.” She explained

“For example mother has attained healing concept which is a mid level concept at her yellow seal that's why she is the clan’s foremost genius and probably future clan leader.

Someone like her who doesn't have a special physique and yet managed to comprehend a mid level concept at her yellow seal is rare even among the geniuses of the top sects .” I said

I continued. “ Comprehension of concepts can divided into four phases initial , intermediate ,advanced and consummate and after that your concept evolves into a Dao .

It have same stages like the concept have and finally after that there is one more stage but I don’t know it's name every enhancement in understanding is a great leap in power and the better the comprehension of concepts , the more powerful your techniques corresponding to the concept will be, synergy between concepts and techniques is extremely important as that would allow the cultivator to showcase his true potential .

People develop their own techniques at one point, when they have unique enough concepts and require specialised techniques in order to unleash their strength ,a lot of people just modify the existing techniques but the best techniques are the ones they have developed themselves as a person who developed it understands completely how the technique is supposed to work and what are its shortcomings and how to bridge those .

You can't expect a technique developed for someone's own body to work universally well on everyone else's it's not logical as even a minor deviation in Qi flow can weaken the technique .

No matter how similar humans bodies are there is always a difference in the way energy flows throughout the body and not all techniques utilise concepts while those that do are extremely powerful but the best will always be developed by the cultivator himself .”

She had a pensive look on her face and then she turned to Ning Lian and asked “Mother how did you comprehend the mid level healing concept so early? Can you become a core formation cultivator”.

“Rong Rong, I was only able to master the healing concept but that was mainly due to me finding a Dao fruit, its one of the rarest treasures in the world, I found it in the sub realm dungeon during my first visit there it was floating on a river where we have to put up a camp .

And no, it's very unlikely that I would ever advance to core formation level , I would still need to comprehend core formation which is not exactly easy.” She smiled, looking unbothered but she didn't tell them both was that after giving birth to Ning Rong it has become impossible for her to cultivate any further.

As that would destroy her dantian. It was probably the side effect of what happened to Ning Rong and she doesn’t have very long left to live .

As Ning Rong and I made our way back to the clan estate, the sun hung high in the sky, casting its golden rays over the bustling streets. It was peak noon, and the estate was alive with activity as clansmen went about their daily routines.

As we approached the main gates, I could see familiar faces milling about, their expressions brightening as they caught sight of us. "Welcome back, Ning Rong!" one of them called out, offering a friendly wave.

"Hello there!" She replied with a grin, returning the greeting as we passed by. The atmosphere was jovial, filled with the sounds of laughter and conversation.

Ning Rong walked beside me, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she took in the familiar sights and sounds of home. "It's good to be back," she murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

As we entered the clan estate, we were greeted by more clansmen, their faces alight with curiosity and excitement. " Ning Rong, Elder Lian it's good to see you!" they exclaimed, offering words of welcome and encouragement.

As we entered the clan estate, the warm welcome extended primarily to Ning Rong and Elder Lian, with the clansmen's faces lighting up at the sight of them. "Ning Rong, Elder Lian, it's good to see you!" they exclaimed enthusiastically, their voices filled with genuine warmth.

While Ning Rong and Elder Lian acknowledged the greetings with smiles and nods, I couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in demeanour when it came to me. As the son of Ning Lian's servant, I was often overlooked by the clansmen, relegated to the role of a mere servant-in-training.

there was an underlying assumption among many of the clansmen that I was destined to serve Ning Rong in the future. It was a reality that I had grown accustomed to, normally it will still sting to be treated as less than equal in the eyes of my peers but I honestly did not care I don’t want to create enemies for something like face , these cultivators cared about useless stuff I did not

As the clansmen continued to engage with Ning Rong and Elder Lian, I stood on the sidelines, a silent observer to the exchange. It was a reminder of my place in the hierarchy of the clan, a position that I had never really cared about.

Nevertheless, I maintained a polite demeanour, offering polite nods and smiles in response to the occasional glance directed my way.