Huff!
Meng Lin exhaled while feeling the first ray of sunlight barely peeking over the courtyard walls, casting a serene glow over her tranquil surroundings.
The courtyard, chosen for her by the Li Family, was a small, secluded space, surrounded by high walls covered in flowering vines and moss. A single plum tree stood at its center, its blossoms drifting slowly to the ground, painting the stone path with shades of soft pink and white.
Meng Lin, seated on a simple mat beneath the tree, had been meditating since yesterday night, she had just finished consuming the third realm Condensing Pills and she felt her realm was even more stable than ever.
She was disappointed with the matter yesterday so she decided to focus on her cultivation. Yesterday after she was granted access to the secret library of the Li Family she went to see what she would learn about the world.
However she forgot about the difference in language between her and this world, although there were some books within the library that she could read, they didn't provide any substantial information that she needed.
With the realization of the language barrier impeding her progress in understanding the deeper mysteries of this world, Meng Lin couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration.
"System"
[Meng Lin]
[Gold Core Stage (late)]
[Experience points: 57%]
System coin: 36,832
Immortal Jade: 16
Taoist Gacha wheel: unavailable
Spiritual Roots: [Water>Fire>Gold>Wood>Earth]
Variant Elemental Qi: [Mud] [Erosion] [Water] [Darkness]
[ Heavenly Dao ]
[Death]
Comprehension 0.02%
Main Cultivation Method: [Black Tortoise Essence Art, 5th Layer]
Side Cultivation Methods: [Basic Qi Gathering] [Formless Cultivation Method] [Brute Vortex Cultivation Method]
Techniques: [Celestial Moonlit Sword Art] [Hundred Unity Techniques] [Wrath of Thunder] [Physique Cleansing Sutra] [Vital Essence Exchange]
Skills: [Immortal Flesh]
Ancient Spirit Seals: ~Black Tortoises~, Gong Fu - Golden Lizard.
[Market] [Blacksmith] [Alchemy]
Meng Lin turned her attention inward, examining her system interface for any potential solutions or aids that could help bridge the gap between her and the wealth of information within the library.
she checked the system market however she didn't find anything helpful to her in that regard, on the other hand, the Immortal Jade market seemed to have something that could solve it however its price was three immortal jade.
Although she had the means to buy it Meng Lin wasn't going to buy it, after all it is difficult to get even a single immortal jade, and she didn't want to waste it on something like this world's knowledge, she would be leaving very soon anyway.
Given her current resources, Meng Lin considered several actions, actions that would benefit her more, she has over 36 thousand system coins and 16 immortal jades.
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The system Market and the immortal Jade market were the areas she intended to focus on and so Meng Lin explored the System Market and found 14 items of various prices that interested her.
1. Ancient Spirit Seal Union: 5,000 system coins
2. Heavenly Qi Pill: 2,500 system coins
3. Low-Grade Bloodline Exchange Token: 1,000 system coins
4. Spirit Enhancement Stone: 800 system coins
5. Middle-Grade Realm Advancement Elixir: 7,000 system coins & 4 Immortal Jades.
6. Mystic Frost Heart: 3,500 system coins
7. Thunder God Vine: 4,000 system coins
8. Nine Heavens Soul Dew: 6,000 system coins
9. Sacred Grade Low-Tier Elemental Qi Convergence Method: 10,000 system coins & 5 Immortal Jades.
10. Aptitude Advancement Stone: 9,000 system coins & 6 Immortal Jades.
11. Primeval Sea Barrier Crystal: 18,500 system coins & 8 Immortal Jades.
12. Ethereal Lotus Seed: 12,000 system coins
13. Primordial Meteorite: 7,000 system coins
14. Immortal lotus Robe: 4,500 system coins
Meng Lin pondered her options, weighing the benefits of each item against its cost. Her primary focus is further stabilizing her realm and preparing for the breakthrough to the next stage.
It was that focus that made her choose items that offer the greatest return on investment in terms of cultivation advancement and overall strength enhancement.
First was the Middle-Grade Realm Advancement Elixir, it is perhaps the most crucial item for Meng Lin. From its description, she understood that as long as she was at the peak of her realm then this item would help her through into the next realm at once, she realized that now was the best chance to take it since its limit was below the Soul Wondering Realm, so it wouldn't work if she tries it within the Soul Wondering Realm.
Second was the Sacred Grade Low-Tier Elemental Qi Convergence Method, This cultivation method could significantly enhance Meng Lin's abilities since she has plenty of elemental qi however because her main cultivation Method was the Black Tortoise Essence Art, she focused on the water elemental qi even though she has 2 others, now that she has 4 elemental qi, if she were to condense them into one attack, the results would be devastating.
Furthermore, the Cultivation Method is vastly more powerful than the Low-Grade High Tier Black Tortoise Essence Art that she was currently using, she doubts that there are any others like it.
The next one was the Ancient Spirit Seal Union, just like the Elemental Qi, the two Ancient Spirit Seals etched on her skin were not used by Meng Lin more than she would have liked to, the problem was the Black Tortoise Spirit Seal which still hadn't recovered.
However Meng Lin still holds the Black Tortoise Shell within her inventory, the shell she received from Yao Jian, the scarred-faced man she saved from the lighting tribulation.
Since she received it she has not truly understood the energy signature within it, however, she felt that once her aptitude advances, then her comprehension would also advance, allowing her to understand the energy within the shell and use it to fuel the Ancient Spirit Seal.
That's where the Aptitude Advancement Stone comes in, the description of the stone states that it has the capability of increasing one's aptitude, and what comes with aptitude is comprehension speed, cultivation speed, technique proficiency, and energy control.
After all that she would be left with 5,832 system coins and 1 immortal jade, Meng Lin decided that she would then use the remaining system coins on the Low-Grade Bloodline Exchange Token and the Immortal Lotus Robe.
Although the limit for the Bloodline Exchange Token was the Soul-Wondering Realm, Meng Lin still decided to buy it and see if she could exchange the bloodline of the Crystal Serpent with Purple's Rattle Serpent Bloodline.
As for the Immortal Lotus Robe, it was made from the fibers of one of the primal lotuses, as its name suggests the Immortal Lotus Robe has a unique ability to regenerate both itself and the user, of course, there is a limit but Meng Lin was more interested in its ability to absorb a portion of natural spiritual energy, providing a constant source of power when one is running dry.
She wanted to buy the Primeval Sea Barrier Crystal but she knew that she first had to go through to the next stage and solidify her realm before once again breaking through to the Soul Wondering Realm, she hoped that the rewards from the breakthrough would be enough for the purchase of the Primeval Sea Barrier Crystal, thus ensuring her protection.
Done with her thoughts, Meng Lin wasted no time and immediately began buying item after item, quickly bringing her system coin down to 332.
Within a flash of light, the items emerged and Meng Lin began to scrutinize them with both her spiritual consciousness and her gaze.
There was a small red token(Bloodline Exchange Token, a purple stone(Aptitude Advancement Stone), a small white tube(Realm Advancement Elixir), a cultivation manual(Elemental Qi Convergence Method), a slate with a beast mark(Ancient Spirit Seal Union), and a small white Robe( Immortal Lotus Robe).
The first item Meng Lin decided to use was the Aptitude Advancement Stone. Holding the purple stone in her hand, she could feel a faint, pulsating energy emanating from it, it reminded her of the Talent Nurturing Fruit that she had eaten before.
Closing her eyes, she channeled her Qi towards the stone, activating its power. A warm sensation spread through her body, starting from her palms and infiltrating every part of her being. The stone's energy worked to refine her spiritual roots, enhancing her natural aptitude for cultivation. When the process was complete Meng Lin opened her eyes and felt a noticeable improvement in her perception.
And when she tried to use her Qi she felt the efficiency with which she could absorb and manipulate Qi, even the weird energy within the air was being absorbed by her and slowly turned to qi.
"Wow," Meng Lin cupped her fist, feeling a refreshing calm aura traveling through her body.
She turned her attention to the Elemental Qi Convergence Method manual with a smile, she intended to see how much her comprehension had improved.
Flipping through its pages, Meng Lin was immediately struck by the depth of knowledge and the complexity of techniques described within. This method would allow her to harmonize her diverse elemental Qi types, merging them into a more potent and versatile force, she felt that it would take approximately 5 days to completely study the manual.
It surprised her as based on her experience, it would take more than 40 days if she tried to learn it before she took the Aptitude Advancement Stone.
[Discovered A Sacred Grade Low-Tier Manuel, Elemental Qi Convergence Method]
[Do you wish to Learn]
"Yes"
As Meng Lin made her decision to learn the Elemental Qi Convergence Method, a surge of information flowed into her mind. The cultivation method's intricacies, techniques, and the essence of harmonizing elemental Qi unfolded before her inner eye. It was as if the knowledge had been a part of her all along, now merely unlocked and ready to be utilized.
The process was intense but enlightening. With her enhanced aptitude, Meng Lin grasped the concepts and techniques at an unprecedented pace. She could feel the elemental Qi within her responding to her newfound understanding, becoming more vibrant and eager to merge under her command.
As she circulated the cultivation method, the different elemental Qi within her, be it water from the Black Tortoise Essence Art, or the variant elemental Qi, all began to intertwine and resonate, forming a powerful ball of pure white energy that traveled throughout her dantian.
With each circulation, Meng Lin's control over her elemental Qi grew stronger and she felt that she could now effortlessly converge the four types of elemental Qi she possessed, creating attacks of devastating power.
The impact of the Aptitude Advancement Stone was undeniable. Not only had it accelerated her comprehension of the Elemental Qi Convergence Method, but it had also refined her control over her Qi, making every action more efficient and potent. The weird energy of this world that she once barely noticed was now a part of her arsenal, subtly enhancing her abilities.
With the Elemental Qi Convergence Method now a part of her, Meng Lin turned her attention to the remaining items—the Bloodline Exchange Token, the Ancient Spirit Seal Union slate, and the Immortal Lotus Robe. Each held the potential to further elevate her capabilities, and she was eager to see what they could achieve.