The End of the Immortal Path

Chapter 20: All My Achievements Rely Entirely on My Own Effort

"This thing wasn't present at birth, so it probably won't appear in this life either."

After Jiang Man returned, he brought up the question about the Visualization Method.

That was Old Yellow Ox's answer.

"It's only a low-rank ordinary quality, it shouldn't be that rare, right?" Jiang Man asked.

"You just said it yourself. In all of Lucky Cloud City, basically only Cloud Front Division has one ordinary-quality Visualization Method. With so many people, how would it ever be your turn? You claim you have good talent, but why should others hand it to you? Are you selling talent or selling your life?" Old Yellow Ox asked.

You can't sell either, Jiang Man thought for a moment and said, "That Immortal Maiden didn't say other places don't have it."

Old Yellow Ox looked at Jiang Man calmly and did not speak.

Finally Jiang Man sighed and asked, "Senior, you don't have the Visualization Method?"

Already switched from calling it Brother Ox to Senior?

Old Yellow Ox wasn't sensitive about forms of address.It pondered briefly and said, "We do. Although our system is different, the Visualization Method is quite similar in principle. Theoretically you could cultivate it, and you could even reach the thirteenth level.

But this is Cloud Front Division, directly subordinate to Mist Cloud Sect, and under the oversight of the Immortal Gate.

If a Visualization Method appears that does not belong to the unified, officially revised and published set, it will be discovered sooner rather than later.

Unless you don't stay here, you leave Lucky Cloud City and never enter Mist Cloud Sect.

Otherwise, you can't avoid being found out."

Jiang Man was silent for a moment; that would be asking for death.

Because the next fate requirement would surely be even harsher.

Without a sect to back him up,

he might not be able to complete it.

He would definitely have to go to Mist Cloud Sect.

So Old Yellow Ox's Visualization Method could not be learned.

Or rather, it could not be learned until the final moment.

"Brother Ox, is there any way?" Jiang Man asked curiously, "How can I get Cloud Front Division's Visualization Method?"

Back to Brother Ox again.

Old Yellow Ox only told Jiang Man to find people who might have the ability.

Jiang Man thought it over, deciding he needed to ask Teacher Zhao tomorrow.

Among the people he currently knew, only he might be aware.

With that decided, Jiang Man stopped worrying and began cultivating the Blood Qi Method.

He had been taught the Blood Qi Method a lot over the past month.

So Jiang Man could start practicing directly.

Then, following the technique, he began circulating the Blood Qi Method.

What he actually activated this time was still spiritual energy, and Technique Purple Qi responded as well.

He still used movement-based practice as an aid, letting spiritual energy resonate with flesh and blood.

After a long time,

Jiang Man finished a full set.

Instantly, he could feel the Blood Qi Method drawing spiritual energy to nourish his flesh and blood.

The Blood Qi Method was entering the door.

Jiang Man continued cultivating, allowing more spiritual energy to resonate with his flesh and blood; the Blood Qi Method establishes a nourishment channel.

This was the internal cultivation of the Blood Qi Method; the external cultivation is to nourish the body and strengthen the flesh.

The nourishment level was like collecting gourds.

The more you collected, the stronger the body.

The stronger the body, the more spiritual energy it can bear, and the higher the cultivation.

After two more repetitions,

Blood Qi Method Level Two.

After four more repetitions,

Blood Qi Method Level Three.

After eight more repetitions,

Blood Qi Method Level Four.

After sixteen repetitions,

Blood Qi Method Level Five.

For a while he felt his blood and qi vibrating, driving motion through his bones.

Old Yellow Ox looked on baffled.

He watched Jiang Man break through the Blood Qi Method as if it were child's play.

In less than half a day, Blood Qi Method Level Five.

"Is he really a Peerless Prodigy?" Old Yellow Ox couldn't quite figure it out.

But...

Do Peerless Prodigies progress like this?

Could it really be because he married?

If marriage could cause this much improvement, it might be worth considering.

"What are you thinking, Brother Ox?" Jiang Man walked over and asked.

But he didn't stop practicing, he went in to make something to eat.

Hungry.

So hungry.

He noticed that cultivating the Blood Qi Method made his body even hungrier than before.

Soon Jiang Man realized this month's food supplies were used up.

If he wanted more food, he'd have to buy it with Spirit Source.

Originally he had one thousand three hundred Spirit Source, now only one thousand two hundred ninety remained.

With his current appetite, he'd probably need around three hundred Spirit Source.

Besides that, he also needed to buy Qi Condensing Pills to raise his cultivation.

Spirit Source would run out soon; it seemed he would have to keep doing part-time work at the Spirit Gathering Hall.

"Are you really improving so fast because you married?" Old Yellow Ox suddenly asked.

Jiang Man was stunned and said, "Brother Ox, are you getting married too?"

Old Yellow Ox shook its head. "Helping you get married already drained all my power."

"Then you can save up again. The next Peerless Prodigy could be you," Jiang Man said with a smile.

He actually wasn't sure what was going on.

There was no clue where that Heavenly Mirror Hundred Books came from.

But that thing was of little use within Lucky Cloud City.

It needed to be taken somewhere with deep foundations to have full effect.

Peerless Prodigy Fate ranked ninth, so what were the first eight like?

What benefits would they bring?

Too bad there was no answer.

No need to overthink it.

First improve the Blood Qi Method, then strengthen the body, then raise cultivation.

The next morning.

Jiang Man left the stables and headed to the Sixth Courtyard.

This morning they were teaching Six Harmonies Palm, and sparring would begin.

It was exactly something he could learn.

Six Harmonies Palm is different from Divine Movement Steps; it can be cultivated up to nine levels at most.

It is a fairly powerful technique.

As soon as he arrived at the Sixth Courtyard, Jiang Man felt some people looking at him oddly.

It seemed...

mocking but with a bit of envy.

Jiang Man couldn't make sense of it.

Shouldn't it be simple envy or jealousy?

He had advanced a whole month to Third Level of Qi Refinement.

He was about to enter the top ten.

Envy, jealousy, and hate were all normal.

What did the mockery mean?

At that moment Little Fatty came over and said, "Brother Jiang, I heard you're going to be Miss Luo's personal guard?"

"Personal guard?" Jiang Man was a little taken aback.

The term "personal guard" was just a pleasant phrase.

Put less nicely, it meant household slave.

You'd have to risk your life for that person and swear absolute loyalty.

What had Luo Xuan done to deserve that?

"Yeah, otherwise why are you improving so fast?" Little Fatty explained, "Everyone says Miss Luo cultivated you.

She's training you to be a personal guard."

"My achievements all rely entirely on my own talent and effort. What does Miss Luo have to do with it?" Jiang Man retorted righteously.

"No one believes you. They all think you're being groomed as a guard. Some are unhappy and think they're better." Little Fatty looked at Jiang Man seriously, "Aren't they teaching Six Harmonies Palm today? Sparring starts too. Some people will definitely make you suffer during sparring to show off their skill.

They hope Miss Luo will change her mind and choose them as guards."

Jiang Man sighed inwardly. People were clamoring to become household slaves.

But it made sense. Miss Luo came from a prominent family; becoming her guard could shave decades off one’s path.

Far better than returning home to farm.

Although going back to Cloud Front Division improves status a bit,

their cultivation might not be stronger than village folks.

Who doesn't cultivate nowadays?

While Jiang Man was still thinking, his shoulder was bumped.

The person turned and looked at Jiang Man and said calmly, "You must be Jiang Man?"

Jiang Man rubbed his shoulder and looked at the other. He seemed seventeen or eighteen, his clothes decent.

His skin was a bit darkened but still better than Jiang Man's.

"That's me," Jiang Man nodded.

"I'm Song Qing, ranked seventeenth. The sparring for Six Harmonies Palm should be me. If I'm clumsy and hurt you, hope you'll bear with me," Song Qing said with a smile.

He looked like he assumed victory.

Jiang Man lowered his head.

He hadn't even started cultivating Six Harmonies Palm himself.

Although Spell Innate Qi provided some bonus, time was tight—he wasn't sure if he could catch up.

He didn't know how advanced the other was.

Could he withstand it?

Insufficient growth could bring residual problems.

First, was someone provoking him?

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