This kind of technique must be well-hidden. If word of it spreads, the small Qingling Sect could be destroyed in an instant. As for whether to pass it on to that girl Bai Ye, Li Sheng still had some hesitation. A spiritual-level martial art, once mastered, could alter one's physique and enhance their potential, a temptation far too great for any martial artist. Though he had already acknowledged her character, the two of them didn't have much prior interaction.
It would be best to observe her for a few more days before making a decision. After all, if the sect wanted to advance quickly, they would still need to rely on her. With this thought, Li Sheng tucked the secret manual into his chest and shifted his focus to the protective mountain array.
At that moment, the fog within the array dispersed, and the three black-clad figures had disappeared, leaving only three piles of tattered clothing on the ground, which stood out sharply.
"So, this is the power of a second-level array?" A smile tugged at the corner of Li Sheng's mouth as a wave of satisfaction washed over him. Who would have thought that just half a day ago, he was a man at the mercy of others, framed and scapegoated? Now, under his hand, a seventh-grade and two eighth-grade martial artists had silently perished. It should be noted that even the three elders of the Qingling Sect were only seventh-grade.
As his mind returned, Li Sheng walked out of the hidden technique pavilion and headed toward the mountain gate.
Inside the array.
Li Sheng crouched on the ground, using a stick to rummage through the debris. A fist-sized ball of white light swirled around him, occasionally brushing against his face.
"Cold... and soft." Li Sheng could clearly sense the little thing's affection for him and let it frolic freely.
After a thorough search, Li Sheng sighed, thinking he would strike it rich this time, but these guys turned out to be penniless.
The cultivation resources from the three of them amounted to only twelve spirit stones, though they did have over four thousand silver notes, worth four or five spirit stones. As for the rest, the weapons and small flags weren't worth much, and the techniques or pills he had hoped for were nowhere to be found.
"Even a mosquito is meat, no matter how small." Li Sheng pulled out a cloth, packed up the items, and tossed a few pieces of clothing into the bushes before heading back to the sect.
On the way back, the array spirit sometimes swirled around him and sometimes hovered above his head. After asking, he learned that with the array's upgrade to the second level, its range now encompassed the entire sect. Qingling Sect wasn't very large, covering about the same area as three soccer fields from his previous life.
Upon learning this, Li Sheng was overjoyed. As long as he was within the sect, seventh-grade martial artists could be killed at will, and as long as he didn't let a sixth-grade master get close, his safety was greatly enhanced by the protection of the array.
Now, with his talent and comprehension greatly strengthened by the sect's blessings, his enthusiasm for cultivation had reached unprecedented heights.
After dropping off his bundle in his room, Li Sheng went into the courtyard and began studying the Turtle and Snake Body Refinement technique. Unlike ordinary ninth-grade martial arts, spiritual-level techniques involve the ‘spiritual form,' requiring far more intricate stances.
There are nine Turtle Stances and nine Snake Stances; mastering them marks the beginning of proficiency. After that, learning the Turtle and Snake Eighteen Forms leads to mastery. The final and most important step is the fusion of spirit and form!
By shaping the spirit of the turtle and snake, one's physique would transform, and each move would become vastly more powerful, akin to supernatural abilities.
After reading the martial art manual, Li Sheng began practicing the Turtle Stance under the night sky. His body crouched low, leaning forward slightly, with arms spread wide. Under the moonlight, his shadow looked remarkably like a turtle.
"Huff~"
After a quarter of an hour, Li Sheng exhaled, feeling his energy drain rapidly, and sweat beaded on his forehead. As he withdrew his stance, the unique warmth within him dissipated entirely.
"This isn't going to work. I couldn't even hold the first stance for long before my stamina ran out."
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"And this is with the improved constitution I gained from the sect's support. If it were before, I would have collapsed after just a few breaths. I'll need to pair this with body-refining pills." Li Sheng wiped the sweat from his forehead, pondering.
Body-refining martial artists require very little spiritual power. It's only from the eighth grade, the Inner Strength realm, that one can begin using spiritual power for cultivation. Currently, he had no access to the five Spirit Gathering Chambers.
"I need to refine pills as soon as possible, or having a spiritual-level technique but being unable to practice it is truly frustrating."
With these thoughts, Li Sheng made his way to the bathhouse. Seeing the empty tub, he remembered that all the servant disciples had run off.
Shaking his head, he picked up two wooden buckets and headed next door.
As a ninth-grade body-refining martial artist, he had strength equivalent to two thousand pounds. Although his realm wasn't perfected, he could still manage a thousand pounds of strength.
Soon, Li Sheng filled the bathtub but didn't bother heating the water. After a simple wash, he returned to his room and fell asleep.
——
"Senior Brother Sect Master, Bai Ye wishes to speak with you." A pleasant voice rang out from the courtyard.
Still half-asleep, Li Sheng opened his eyes and yawned, raising his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding sunlight.
After dressing, Li Sheng welcomed Bai Ye into the study. As they sat down, he looked at her delicate, radiant face, unadorned yet stunning, and his mood instantly lifted.
"Truly, the ancient saying 'to love beauty is human nature' was not wrong. Just looking at her puts me in a good mood. If only..."
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Li Sheng said, "I was planning to come find you after waking up, but it seems you beat me to it."
Bai Ye's lips parted slightly, and her expression was no longer as cold as before, with a hint of warmth as she said, "If Senior Brother Sect Master has something to say, please go ahead."
"You go first," Li Sheng replied, pouring them both a cup of tea before sitting down.
"Alright."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bai Ye spoke, "If a sixth-grade expert from a three-star sect doesn't fulfill the alliance duty, they must pay a fine of five hundred spirit stones to offset the garrison task."
Li Sheng nodded, signaling her to continue.
"What resources does the sect have left?" Bai Ye asked, looking at Li Sheng.
"When those people left, they took everything they could. The fish fry in the spirit pond were only recently introduced and aren't worth much yet. As for resources, I've accumulated around twenty spirit stones over the years."
"Twenty?" Bai Ye shook her head. "I have two hundred and forty-three spirit stones here, but combined, we're still short by half."
"Two hundred and forty-three spirit stones?"
Bai Ye had only been with Qingling Sect for two years, and in these years of resource scarcity, the sect had stopped distributing spirit stones four years ago. For her to have amassed such a sum, her background was no ordinary matter.
Li Sheng was deeply surprised and even more impressed by her integrity. With such a large sum, she could have gone anywhere to cultivate, yet she still intended to spend it on the Qingling Sect.
To outsiders, the Qingling Sect was a veritable money pit. To maintain the sect's foundation, they had to pay five hundred spirit stones every year, totaling fifteen hundred over three years.
If no sixth-grade expert appeared after three years, the sect would still have to dissolve and relinquish the spiritual land.
With this in mind, Li Sheng's admiration for her grew even stronger.
Furrowing her brows slightly, Bai Ye spoke softly, "There's only one way left now."
"What way?" Li Sheng was curious. Although he already had a plan to solve the resource issue, he wanted to hear what the girl had in mind.
"Hunting demon beasts!"
"Hunting demons?!" Li Sheng was stunned, thinking this girl was bold.
The Evergreen Mountains stretched for thousands of miles, vast and wide, with countless sects and demon beasts within. But surviving in such a mountain range wasn't easy. Even low-level beasts often had powerful clans backing them. Killing one could provoke an entire group. Moreover, even an eighth-grade demon beast was worth only a dozen spirit stones. How many would they need to kill?