Daoist Yuhong asked kindly, "You have only practiced the Nanhua Scripture, correct?"
Seeing them both nod in affirmation, he continued, "Xiao Lin, you possess a Fire Spirit Root, which is perfectly suited for the Yunjin Sect’s Red Sun Divine Art. This is a top-tier cultivation technique, and with your aptitude as a Heavenly Spirit Root, you are qualified to practice it."
Li Xue and Li Lin were overjoyed upon hearing this. They had heard from Tang Yiran that top-tier techniques were the highest grade available; a great sect truly lived up to its reputation.
Daoist Yuhong smiled and turned to Li Xue. "Li Xue, you have a Five-Element Spirit Root, so the Red Sun Divine Art is not quite suitable for you. Among your five elements, the Metal root is the most prominent. I have a high-tier technique here called the Golden Breath Art, which I obtained by chance during my travels. If you cultivate diligently and supplement your progress with medicinal pills, your advancement should not be too slow."
"Yes, thank you, Master!" Li Xue said gratefully. She was well aware of her own aptitude. Furthermore, top-tier techniques were not available to just anyone; the sect surely had restrictions in place. She was more than satisfied to receive a high-tier technique.
Daoist Yuhong was very pleased with Li Xue’s reaction. He added, "If you encounter anything you do not understand, you may come to ask me. If I am in secluded meditation or otherwise occupied, you may seek out Jing Yuan and the others. I hope you both cultivate hard and achieve Foundation Establishment soon!"
Li Xue and Li Lin both respectfully complied. After Daoist Yuhong explained several matters requiring caution during cultivation, he dismissed them to begin their practice.
Upon returning to Chonghua Hall, Li Xue sent a sound transmission to the Dongyang Peak cafeteria, requesting that food be delivered and instructing the disciple there to bring meals once every five days. Although they could usually survive on Fasting Pills, Li Xue felt that such a lifestyle lacked a certain human touch. She believed that sharing meals with her son and discussing the philosophies of life—beyond the scope of cultivation—was beneficial for his growth. One should not cultivate so blindly as to neglect the understanding of human nature and worldly affairs.
The Golden Breath Art provided by Daoist Yuhong truly deserved its status as a high-tier technique. It was divided into two parts: one focused on basic spiritual energy cultivation, and the other on the cultivation of spiritual sense. Ultimately, it taught how to use spiritual sense to deploy spiritual energy for attacks, achieving the element of surprise. It was a complete manual covering everything from the Qi Condensation stage to the Nascent Soul stage. There was a specific reason why Daoist Yuhong had chosen this particular technique for Li Xue.
In the cultivation world, a Five-Element Spirit Root was considered the poorest aptitude. Progress was slow, and many practitioners reached the end of their natural lifespan before ever hitting the Foundation Establishment stage. Thus, it was said that Foundation Establishment was difficult for those with five elements. However, once one reached the Nascent Soul stage, cultivation shifted toward the tempering of the heart and mind. Only by gaining an enlightenment of the Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth could one hope to break through to the Soul Transformation stage.
Therefore, if a Five-Element cultivator could actually reach the Nascent Soul stage, their breakthrough to Soul Transformation was almost a certainty. The problem was that their early cultivation was simply too slow; almost no one with such an aptitude ever formed a Nascent Soul unless they encountered a monumental stroke of luck. The Heavenly Dao was ever-fickle; cultivation was an act of defying the heavens, so how could the Heavenly Dao make things easy for a cultivator?
A portion of the Golden Breath Art focused on tempering the spiritual sense. If a cultivator’s spiritual sense became powerful enough, they could potentially retain a degree of clarity even after their lifespan ended, allowing them to be reborn and resume their cultivation in the next life. Of course, not every cultivator who practiced spiritual sense techniques could achieve this; it required the right spirit root paired with the right technique. Such opportunities were not granted to everyone.
Li Xue had a Five-Element Spirit Root with Metal as the dominant element, Daoist Yuhong happened to possess the Golden Breath Art, and the Golden Breath Art happened to cultivate both spiritual energy and spiritual sense simultaneously. These three factors were all indispensable.
This proved that Li Xue possessed deep fortune, and it also showed Daoist Yuhong’s painstaking care. His thought was that even if Li Xue’s lifespan reached its end, if she achieved success in the Golden Breath Art, she might have a chance at rebirth to continue her immortal path. In this way, he could be considered to have fulfilled his duty to Li Ran.
Naturally, Li Xue did not understand these underlying principles yet; she was simply content with having a high-tier technique. After contemplating the first three layers of the Golden Breath Art, she entered a meditative state to begin her practice. The Nanhua Scripture was indeed a foundational manual, and its energy was quickly integrated into the Golden Breath Art. By utilizing the seals of the new technique, she easily converted her spiritual energy, gradually transforming it into energy with a primary Metal attribute.
Li Xue tested her Metal Blade Technique. The casting time was now roughly one second, half the time it took her to cast other spells previously. This excited her greatly. It seemed a high-tier technique did not just increase cultivation speed; it offered many other benefits. For instance, the spiritual sense cultivation of the Golden Breath Art—though it could only be started after reaching the eighth level of Qi Condensation—was a feature many other techniques lacked entirely.
Li Lin’s Red Sun Divine Art did not include spiritual sense cultivation. If he wished to train his spiritual sense, he would eventually have to select a separate auxiliary technique. However, the Red Sun Divine Art had its own advantages. As a top-tier technique, its benefits were certainly no fewer than those of the Golden Breath Art.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 赤阳神诀 | Red Sun Divine Art | A top-tier Fire-attribute cultivation technique. |
| 金息诀 | Golden Breath Art | A high-tier Metal-attribute technique involving spiritual sense. |
| 南华经 | Nanhua Scripture | A basic foundational cultivation manual. |
| 天灵根 | Heavenly Spirit Root | A top-tier, single-element spirit root. |
| 五行灵根 | Five-Element Spirit Root | A spirit root containing all five elements, usually considered poor aptitude. |
| 化神期 | Soul Transformation stage | A high level of cultivation beyond Nascent Soul. |
| 辟谷丹 | Fasting Pill | Also known as Inedia Pills; allows a cultivator to go without food. |
| 金刃术 | Metal Blade Technique | A basic Metal-attribute offensive spell. |
| 神识 | Spiritual Sense | Also known as Divine Sense; the mental perception/power of a cultivator. |
