Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World

Chapter 394 - 389 Disbanding the Cultivation?! Mid Nascent Soul Stage!_1

Modifying Cultivation Techniques is time-consuming and laborious; most cultivators would not rashly change them unless they encountered a particularly good one. Jia Ren had always relied on his Insect External Incarnation to switch Cultivation Techniques for him, saving a great deal of time. This time was different. The Insect External Incarnation’s Spiritual Power differed from that of his main body, so it couldn’t assist in transitioning to a new Cultivation Technique.

After setting up a protective Formation, Jia Ren finally entered the Cultivation Room within the Mountain and Sea Pearl.

The Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, as the founding Cultivation Technique of the Lingbao Sect, was acclaimed as one of its most supreme Cultivation Techniques. The technique was divided into eight levels, corresponding to the Qi Refinement Realm up to the Mahayana Realm. Cultivating the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique meant one wouldn’t need to worry about finding another Cultivation Technique before achieving immortality.

The Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique differed from normal Cultivation Techniques. It couldn’t be cultivated from the Qi Refinement Realm; only after reaching the Golden Core Stage and obtaining a Life-bound Magic Treasure could one begin. Anyone wishing to cultivate this technique had to first reach the Golden Core Stage through other methods before transitioning.

The first two levels of the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique had mediocre effects, only capable of condensing a Life-bound Imprint. Cultivators had to cultivate simultaneously with their Life-bound Magic Treasures to absorb additional nature’s Spiritual Energy and increase their cultivation speed.

Upon reaching the third level of the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, the Life-bound Magic Treasure would be drawn into the Dantian, becoming a second ’Golden Core’. It would autonomously absorb Spiritual Energy into the host’s body, accelerating cultivation by about one-third the speed of cultivators at the same Realm. From the third level onwards, even if a cultivator wasn’t meditating, a continuous flow of nature’s Spiritual Energy would enter their Dantian.

After reaching the fifth level, the Life-bound Magic Treasure was no longer restricted by the cultivator’s body. As long as the Life-bound Magic Treasure was placed in a Spirit Land, it would autonomously absorb nature’s Spiritual Energy, converting it into Heavenly Treasure Spiritual Qi for storage. The efficiency was roughly half that of cultivators at the same Realm. Beyond the fifth level, one could increase their Cultivation Level simply by extracting the Heavenly Treasure Spiritual Qi stored in their Life-bound Magic Treasure. After reaching the fifth level of the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, cultivators could improve their Cultivation Level even while lying down; they were constantly growing stronger. The greater the disparity between the Life-bound Magic Treasure and the cultivator, the more pronounced the improvement.

This was precisely the effect Jia Ren had been dreaming of.

To grow stronger while lying down!

Although the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique was excellent, it also had weaknesses. The Life-bound Magic Treasure constantly absorbed nature’s Spiritual Power, converting it into Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power. Just as livestock need fodder, machines require maintenance. Prolonged operation could affect the grade of the Life-bound Magic Treasure, requiring cultivators to spend time refining it to prevent its grade from dropping. If one only thought of passively cultivating, within a hundred years, the Life-bound Magic Treasure’s grade could regress instead of advancing. Cultivators needed to spend considerable time refining their Life-bound Magic Treasures to compensate for this shortcoming. If a cultivator invested substantial energy into enhancing their Life-bound Magic Treasure, the improvement in cultivation efficiency from the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique wasn’t significant, potentially making the effort unrewarding. The Lingbao Sect possessed many high-level Cultivation Techniques superior to the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique in various aspects. Therefore, its decline was natural.

Jia Ren’s Personal Treasured Demon-Sealing Pagoda had reached the Late-stage of Soul Transformation. This provided about one-third the cultivation efficiency of a cultivator at the same Late-stage of Soul Transformation. For a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Early Stage, this was astonishing.

I wonder what the cultivation speed will be?

Using his Divine Skills, Jia Ren exhausted his Celestial Feather Divine Power before finally establishing a spiritual connection with his Life-bound Magic Treasure, building a bridge of Spiritual Power. An imprint of the Demon-Sealing Tower materialized from the void and flew into his Dantian. The moment the Demon-Sealing Pagoda Imprint formed, Jia Ren felt the Pagoda vibrate, resonating in sync with his true self as it devoured nature’s Spiritual Energy. It was as if, in addition to his own absorption of nature’s Spiritual Energy, the Demon-Sealing Tower provided an extra cultivation aid, dramatically increasing his speed.

In an instant, an unending torrent of nature’s Spiritual Power surged into his meridians. The Spiritual Power was so abundant that his meridians could barely withstand it. If his meridians hadn’t been far stronger than ordinary, they absolutely could not have endured such an astonishing amount of Spiritual Power. Jia Ren took out a prepared Vein-protecting Pill to prevent any issues with his meridians.

I was almost blasted apart by nature’s Spiritual Energy...

And this is only the first level of the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique.

He opened his eyes, feeling a lingering sense of fear. If his meridians hadn’t been sufficiently robust and wide, that first overwhelming surge of nature’s Spiritual Energy would have been enough to rupture them. The sheer volume of this astounding Spiritual Power surpassed even that gained from consuming a Golden Jade Elixir of the Technique-Nearing-Dao Level.

My Life-bound Magic Treasure is too powerful!

Jia Ren felt immensely fortunate that he hadn’t continued to upgrade his Life-bound Magic Treasure. The Spiritual Power generated by a Void Refining Level Life-bound Magic Treasure would have been utterly unbearable for his meridians and Dantian. He might have become the first cultivator to die practicing the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique. The founding Grandmaster of the Lingbao Sect could never have imagined that a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator would possess a Life-bound Magic Treasure at the Late-stage of Soul Transformation...

How can this be resolved?

The first solution Jia Ren considered was to restrict the Spiritual Power. In areas where nature’s Spiritual Energy was scarce, the absorbed Spiritual Power would also be diminished. By setting up a Spirit-Controlling Formation, he could ensure that the flow of nature’s Spiritual Energy didn’t exceed the capacity of his meridians. The Formation would limit the Spiritual Power absorbed during each full circulation, thereby controlling it. Once the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique completed a full circulation and the Spiritual Energy was transformed into Heavenly Treasure Spiritual Qi, a fixed amount would then be sent to the Cultivation Room. This would ensure maximum efficiency in each cultivation session without harming his meridians.

「Two hours later.」

Jia Ren opened his eyes. Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power flowed slowly in his Dantian, constantly affecting his Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul, constructed from Celestial Feather Divine Power, clashed with this new type of Spiritual Power, making coexistence impossible. This was the drawback of transitioning Cultivation Techniques. The higher the Realm, the more difficult the switch. When transitioning Cultivation Techniques, one couldn’t use Spiritual Power excessively, as it could easily damage one’s foundation. This was a cultivator’s most vulnerable period. The transition could take at least a dozen years to complete.

I wonder if the Lingbao Sect has any Elixirs to solve this problem?

Jia Ren was just about to inquire when his voice transmission Magic Artifact lit up. The voice belonged to Ma Zhongyuan.

"Brother Jia, are you looking to change your Cultivation Technique? I have an Elixir that can save you some time."

An Elixir for changing Cultivation Techniques?

The sudden message was a pleasant surprise. He quickly replied, "I’m at Xiao Mang Mountain."

After Jia Ren left the Mountain and Sea Pearl, Ma Zhongyuan arrived in less than half an incense stick’s time.

"Why have you run off to this place again?" Ma Zhongyuan stared at Jia Ren with a peculiar expression, as if fearing he had developed amnesia and his memory was stuck in the past. "You’re an Inner Sect Disciple of the Lingbao Sect, not a Handyman!"

"I’ve accepted the mission to guard this place. From now on, I’m responsible for guarding Xiao Mang Mountain."

A Sect mission? Though Ma Zhongyuan’s expression remained odd, he didn’t press further. "You went to the Spirit Law Pavilion earlier, so you must have obtained a decent Cultivation Technique. Here, brother, I’ve prepared a Disperse Infant Pill and a Shape Infant Pill for you."

"The Disperse Infant Pill can dissolve the Golden Core and Nascent Soul while preserving the True Spirit, preventing any fall in Realm. Combined with the Shape Infant Pill, you can reshape the Nascent Soul within a year."

Two white porcelain medicine bottles were handed over. Each Jade Vase contained a single Elixir, labeled with its respective name.

"Thank you for your trouble, Brother Ma." Jia Ren accepted the Elixirs and cupped his hands in thanks. If the Disperse Infant Pill and Shape Infant Pill were effective, they would indeed be a great help.

"Why be so courteous between brothers! In the future, we’ll both be in the Lingbao Sect, and I’ll be relying on your care." Ma Zhongyuan sensed Jia Ren’s aura and understood he had begun to switch his Cultivation Technique. He didn’t stay much longer and left in a hurry.

Jia Ren looked at the two Elixirs, not daring to consume them recklessly. One should not harbor intentions to harm others, but one must always be on guard. Elixirs with unknown effects had to be treated with caution. Moreover, he wouldn’t consume low-quality Elixirs, and he also needed to refine identical Elixirs for his Insect External Incarnation.

First, Jia Ren went to the Elixir Pavilion to inquire, confirming the efficacy of the two Elixirs. They were indeed expensive, and Ma Zhongyuan had clearly gone to some trouble.

After returning to his Cave, Jia Ren began to replicate the Elixirs.

「Three months later.」

The Pill Furnace opened. Amidst the ashes lay a Shape Infant Pill marked with golden Elixir Patterns. Jia Ren was reasonably satisfied with its quality. He first took out the replicated Disperse Infant Pill and swallowed it. The medicinal power of the Disperse Infant Pill integrated into his body, not affecting his meridians but heading straight for his Nascent Soul. Nourished by the Elixir’s Spiritual Power, the plump, white Nascent Soul gradually withered. It reverted to pure Spiritual Power, which then spread throughout the Cultivation Room within the Mountain and Sea Pearl. Only a sliver of the Nascent Soul’s essence merged with his Divine Soul to preserve the True Spirit. Seventy percent of his Celestial Feather Divine Power transformed into attribute-less Spiritual Power, slowly circulating through his Dantian and meridians.

Without a newly reconstructed Nascent Soul, his Spiritual Power was like rootless water, fated to slowly disperse over time. Jia Ren circulated his Spiritual Power according to the pathways of the Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique, taking care not to trigger the Demon-Sealing Pagoda Imprint. Without the Nascent Soul to command it, the Spiritual Power in his Dantian was like a troop of undisciplined soldiers, completely unrestrained. At this moment, drawing in a massive amount of nature’s Spiritual Energy would cause the untransformed energy to collide, potentially damaging his foundation.

He swallowed a Shape Infant Pill. It drew in the True Spirit, sketching out the illusory form of a Nascent Soul. What followed was the process of filling this shape with Spiritual Power. Unlike the initial formation of a Nascent Soul, his Realm did not fall; it was simply a restoration process.

「A hundred days later.」

Jia Ren slowly opened his eyes. His Nascent Soul was restored, albeit slightly smaller than before. White Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power now flowed slowly through his Dantian and meridians. He had completed the transition to the new Cultivation Technique in such a short time, and the loss of Spiritual Power was acceptable. The Heavenly Treasure Primordial Spirit Technique increased cultivation speed rapidly, so replenishing what was lost wouldn’t be difficult.

In the following time, Jia Ren dedicated himself to seclusion, recovering his Spiritual Power. He declined all invitations to Sect lectures on Cultivation Techniques and Spells. Several visits from fellow Senior Brothers and numerous pleas from Wei Chi Gong were also turned away. After that, no one came calling again.

Time flew by during cultivation. Jia Ren was completely immersed, oblivious to the world around him.

「Eight years and six months passed in what felt like an instant.」

The Mountain and Sea Pearl began to tremble unceasingly. The Cultivation Room doors opened, and Jia Ren stepped out slowly, emanating terrifying Spiritual Power Fluctuations.

Mid Nascent Soul Stage!

Reaching the Mid Nascent Soul Stage in just over eight years was far beyond his expectations. According to initial estimates, combining the Technique-Nearing-Dao Level Golden Jade Elixir with the treasured environment of the Mountain and Sea Pearl, reaching this level should have taken at least thirty years. The fact that he had reached the Mid Nascent Soul Stage in just over eight years meant he had cut the expected time by three-quarters. The speed of cultivation was freakishly fast!

The Profound Vein Spirit Pill he had refined himself played a significant role in this achievement. Otherwise, even with the assistance of the Personal Treasured Demon-Sealing Pagoda, it would have taken at least twenty-four or twenty-five years.

According to this cultivation pace, he could reach the Late Nascent Soul Stage in, at most, another fifteen years. The higher his Realm, the more nature’s Spiritual Energy he would absorb.

The bottleneck restricting my cultivation speed isn’t the quality of my treasures, but my own weakness...

"Junior Brother Jia, the ten-year assessment is nearing. If you don’t come out soon, you’ll be demoted to an Outer Sect Disciple!"