Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 33 | Harnessing the Sun | Novela.app

Li Lin spent three days mastering the basic low-level mantras of the Crimson Sun Divine Art. The technique was divided into three distinct stages: the low stage involved absorbing the fire-attribute essence from the world’s spiritual qi; the middle stage involved absorbing the essence of the sun and other yang-attribute celestial bodies; and the high stage allowed one to absorb all forms of yang-attribute spiritual energy for their own use. This final stage was a technique that could only be practiced by cultivators at the Deity Transformation stage or above. Directly absorbing all yang energy required a sufficiently high cultivation base; attempting it without the necessary strength would almost certainly result in one’s body exploding from the sheer magnitude of power. When Li Lin first read the description of the high stage, he was left stunned and speechless. To directly absorb all yang-attribute energy—what a formidable technique that was! It was no wonder the Crimson Sun Divine Art was classified as a top-tier cultivation method. Broadly speaking, the Crimson Sun Divine Art was governed by four mantras: first was the *Absorb* mantra, for taking in fire-attribute qi; second was the *Transform* mantra, for converting it into spiritual power; third was the *Condense* mantra, for refining that power within the body; and fourth was the *Technique* mantra, for manifesting that power into various spells, such as the Fireball Technique. During the Qi Condensation stage, one primarily practiced the low stage of the art. The reason it was considered superior was that it allowed a cultivator to absorb dozens of times more fire-attribute qi than ordinary fire-based arts—provided, of course, that the practitioner had a dominant fire spiritual root. Thus, a superior technique could allow a cultivator to achieve twice the results with half the effort. In the cultivation world, the value of a top-tier technique far exceeded that of magical treasures or spirit pills, making them frequent targets of contention and bloodshed. After learning about the unique nature of the Crimson Sun Divine Art, a significant question arose in Li Xue’s mind. In her previous life, she had known about tempering the body by absorbing energy from sunlight. This was something she had tried after reading too many cultivation novels and happening upon an article describing such a practice. She had actually succeeded back then, and her physical constitution had improved significantly, though it was hard to say exactly how effective it had been. According to the Crimson Sun Divine Art, absorbing yang-attribute qi was a middle-stage practice, but she wondered: could it be done during the Qi Condensation stage? Once the thought appeared, she couldn't shake it. She decided to test it herself. Reasoning that she had succeeded in her previous life without any foundation in cultivation, she figured it should be no problem now. The next morning, Li Xue faced the rising sun, drawing its energy into her body and slowly refining it. She found she could refine the yang energy quite quickly. After several repetitions, the process became smoother and faster, and her speed in converting it into metal-attribute spiritual power increased as well. Li Xue was ecstatic. she never imagined that yang energy would be so effective. This meant that in the future, even without spirit stones or medicinal pills, she could replenish her spiritual power as long as the sun was shining. She hurriedly called her son, Li Lin, and explained in detail how to guide the sun’s energy to refine spiritual power. However, after several attempts, Li Lin still couldn't grasp the knack of it. In the end, Li Xue had no choice but to have Li Lin send his own spiritual power into her body to feel exactly how she absorbed the solar energy and transformed it. After repeating this process a dozen times, Li Lin finally succeeded. Using the *Condense* mantra, he refined the solar energy directly into fire-attribute spiritual power. Furthermore, his fire-attribute power now carried a hint of yang-attribute characteristics. *Could this yang-attribute fire be the 'Solar Crow Fire' mentioned in alchemy texts?* Li Xue and Li Lin were both excited and a bit uncertain. Li Lin’s face was flushed with excitement. "Mother, this method is wonderful! I can practice the middle stage of the Crimson Sun Divine Art without even reaching the Foundation Establishment stage!" Li Xue pondered for a moment before saying, "I’m not sure if practicing the middle stage during Qi Condensation will have any long-term effects. We should ask your Grandmaster before deciding whether to continue." Li Lin nodded, though his excitement remained. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he asked, "Mother, you can absorb yang energy too. Does that mean you can practice the Crimson Sun Divine Art as well?" "Not exactly," Li Xue said, stroking his head. "My foundation is the metal spiritual root. Even if I take in yang energy, I must transform it into metal-attribute spiritual power." Li Lin blinked his dark eyes and added, "But the yang energy is very useful to you, isn't it, Mother?" "Of course. I’m not even sure why I’m able to absorb solar energy directly," Li Xue replied. Li Lin felt a surge of happiness. *As long as it’s useful,* he thought. Everyone said his mother’s spiritual root talent was poor while his was exceptional; if he could help her, that would be for the best. Li Xue didn't know what was going on in her son’s little head. She spoke to him with a serious expression. "You must not tell anyone about this except for your Grandmaster. Do you understand?" Li Lin blinked, looking puzzled. "Think about it," Li Xue explained patiently. "You have a Heavenly Spiritual Root, so you already draw enough attention. If you show such heaven-defying talent on top of that, people will think you’re a monster. Being too high-profile will only invite resentment from others." "Mhm, I understand. I need to keep a low profile and 'play the pig to eat the tiger'!" Li Lin said mischievously. "By the way, Mother, in that world you mentioned... can a pig really eat a tiger?" Li Xue looked at her inquisitive son and sighed silently toward the heavens. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 赤阳神诀 | Crimson Sun Divine Art | A top-tier fire-attribute cultivation technique. 吸、转、凝、术 | Absorb, Transform, Condense, Technique | The four fundamental mantras of the Crimson Sun Divine Art. 太阳乌火 | Solar Crow Fire | A legendary, high-grade fire often associated with the sun and alchemy. 妖孽 | Monster / Freak of nature | Used here to describe someone with unnaturally high or terrifying talent. 扮猪吃老虎 | Playing the pig to eat the tiger | A Chinese idiom meaning to feign weakness to overwhelm an opponent.