Chapter 21
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Chapter 21: Choosing a Technique
Knock, knock!
The door of the cave was rapped upon.
Wang Chen, sitting cross-legged on the mat, snapped out of his meditation and quickly rose to open the door.
"The time for the fifth hour has arrived."
Standing at the entrance was the cave steward, who looked down his nose at Wang Chen and declared, "You can leave now."
Wang Chen furrowed his brow. "Senior, I entered the cave at the hour of the unknown."
He distinctly recalled moving into this cave just before the unknown hour two days prior.
Yet now, it was only just noon.
That was a full two hours short!
"Leave when I tell you! Why the backtalk?"
The cave steward glared, his demeanor dripping with arrogance. "Do you think we don’t need time to clean and tidy up?"
Wang Chen surveyed the modest cave, a mere few square meters, containing nothing but a single mat.
He then glanced at the steward, whose face bore an expression of natural entitlement.
Without another word, he departed.
Wang Chen refrained from anger or argument.
All human suffering is, at its core, anger at one’s own helplessness.
At this stage, Wang Chen lacked the strength to challenge a steward.
Why court humiliation?
Yet, he made sure to remember the steward’s face.
"Hmph!"
The steward sneered contemptuously.
Bullying a lowly young cultivator like Wang Chen was second nature to him, requiring no effort at all.
By shaving off just one hour, he pocketed an extra spirit fragment.
A single spirit fragment might seem insignificant.
But over time, they added up to a tidy sum!
The steward harbored no fear of Wang Chen lodging a complaint; he had connections higher up. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have landed such a cushy position.
As Wang Chen exited the cave, he made his way toward the outer sect headquarters.
Reflecting on his time in the cave, it had been remarkably comfortable.
In just half a day, he had broken through the bottleneck to reach the fourth realm of Qi Training, and spent another day and a half consolidating his realm.
His cultivation efficiency was several times greater than what he could achieve at home.
Wang Chen pondered the disciples born into families of Purple Palace masters and even Golden Core true masters. From childhood, they cultivated in such privileged environments, their starting point vastly superior to that of ordinary individuals.
Even a pig could cultivate into a pig demon under such circumstances!
Yet, Wang Chen harbored no resentment towards fate or others.
With the experience of two lifetimes and the aid of the Cultivation Panel, his future accomplishments would undoubtedly rival those of any prodigy.
Only time would tell!
The outer sect headquarters of the Yunyang Sect was situated at the heart of Yunshan City.
It was a city within a city.
The headquarters encompassed various halls, including the Battle Hall, Punishment Hall, Dharma Hall, Contribution Hall, Elixir Hall, Artifact Hall, and Spirit Plant Hall…
A multitude of hall masters, elders, managers, stewards, and disciples collaborated to oversee the affairs of the outer sect.
For many low-level cultivators, the ultimate aspiration was to gain entry into one of these halls.
This would grant them access to superior sect benefits and certain privileges.
Wang Chen made his way to the Dharma Hall.
He patiently queued for half an hour before gaining entry to the library.
"Thank you, Elder," Wang Chen said respectfully, presenting his identity token to the elder overseeing the library.
This token, emblematic of his status as an Outer Sect Disciple, contained the one hundred contribution points painstakingly amassed by the original owner over five years.
Contribution points were rewards bestowed by the sect, earned through the completion of tasks issued by the Contribution Hall or as rewards from the sect itself.
The original owner had left these contribution points untouched.
He had intended to exchange them for a new technique suited to him after advancing to the mid-level of Qi Training.
Wang Chen was also fulfilling a wish of the original owner.
"Um," the elderly elder with white hair acknowledged, taking the identity token and casually brushing his finger across its surface.
He inquired, "What technique do you wish to exchange for?"
Wang Chen bowed and replied, "I ask the elder to assist in testing my root bone."
He then presented the ten spirit stones he had prepared.
"Mm," the elder murmured, waving his sleeve. The spirit stones in Wang Chen’s hand vanished instantly without a trace.
In the next moment, a thin, bony finger pressed against his forehead.
Wang Chen felt a surge of potent energy penetrate his mind, circulating instantly throughout his body.
The elder withdrew his finger and stated impassively, "Root bone below average, main fire, secondary metal, wood, water, and earth."
The complete root bone of all five elements serves as the foundation for entry into the path, and root bones are categorized by their grades.
Wang Chen’s root bone attribute was merely 3 points, so receiving a low evaluation was entirely expected.
The key lay in the varying strengths of the five elements.
If the elder teaching tested Wang Chen’s root bone and found it leaning towards a particular element, he would then know which technique to choose.
Wang Chen promptly said, "Elder, I kindly request your recommendation for a Fire Attribute main cultivation technique."
"A Fire Attribute technique, you say…"
The elder teaching wore a faint, enigmatic smile. "With only one hundred contribution points, your only option is the Fiery Blaze Technique. For a better technique, you would need at least two hundred contribution points."
Fiery Blaze Technique?
Wang Chen was indeed familiar with this technique.
He felt deeply disappointed—the Fiery Blaze Technique was scarcely stronger than the Five Element Technique!
Wang Chen was selecting a main cultivation technique that he would train in all the way to high-level Qi Training.
If the main technique was too mediocre, he would not only lag behind his peers in cultivation level but also face a significantly lower success rate for breaking through to open a house in the future.
Wang Chen wasn’t overly concerned about the breakthrough issue; a subpar technique was truly disheartening.
His root bone and comprehension were both quite low.
Perhaps he should wait and earn more contribution points before making an exchange?
"Actually, you have another option."
Just as Wang Chen hesitated, the elder teaching spoke again. "Your five elements affinity is quite balanced, with only a modest strength in the Fire Attribute. If you are content with a stable life as a spiritual plant farmer, continuing to cultivate the Five Element Technique is also a viable choice."
"With one hundred contribution points, you can exchange for all the techniques from the sixth to the ninth levels of the Five Element Technique."
Wang Chen was left speechless.
The elder teaching’s words were tactful, but the implication was clear.
Wang Chen’s root bone was inferior, and his five elements affinity was quite mediocre, leaving little room for future prospects.
Thus, the Five Element Technique, which no one else wanted to cultivate, was ironically well-suited for him.
Since the Five Element Technique was compatible with nearly all low-level spells, it aligned perfectly with the role of a spiritual plant farmer.
Seeing Wang Chen remain silent, the elder teaching grew slightly impatient. "Young man, do not aim too high. The origins of the Five Element Technique are also quite remarkable, and it is much stronger than the Fiery Blaze Technique. Will you make the exchange?"
"I’ll exchange!"
Wang Chen clenched his teeth and agreed.
The Five Element Technique it was!
With the aid of the Cultivation Panel, his training speed would be exceptionally fast, and he could rely on Heavenly Merit and Virtue for breakthroughs and fate alteration.
Breaking through to open a house was not an impossible dream.
Once he had accumulated enough contribution points, it would not be too late to exchange for a higher-level main cultivation technique.
Though the Five Element Technique was mediocre, its compatibility was unparalleled.
"Make haste."
The elder teaching reached out, grabbed a Jade Slip, and tossed it to Wang Chen.
According to the rules of the Dharma Hall, sect disciples could not take the Jade Slips away; they could only Practice them on the spot.
Wang Chen took the Jade Slip and pressed it firmly against his forehead.
Then he infused it with spiritual energy.
The Jade Slip immediately radiated countless rays of light, and a torrent of information surged into Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness.
In an instant, the secrets of the Five Element Technique from the sixth to the ninth levels silently imprinted themselves in his soul!
