Chapter 24 - Guidance

Chen Xi didn’t loiter around after exiting the Exquisite Pavilion and hurried on to the Clear Stream Restaurant.

Old man Ma couldn’t help but feel slightly gratified when he saw Chen Xi who returned just a day later. “The little fellow isn’t bad, he knows how to make the best use of his time and advance his culinary arts…

“I want to do closed door cultivation within the Quiet Room.” Chen Xi put forward his request.

Although Manager Wu’s assassination operation that targeted him was gotten rid of by Luo Chong unintentionally, but Chen Xi didn’t feel at ease in the slightest as the feeling of danger in his heart had increased rather than decreased.

For the sake of protecting himself, he had no choice but to leave his talisman crafting work, and he planned to stay in the Clear Stream Restaurant from now on to practice his culinary arts while cultivating martial skills.

Old man Ma felt even happier when he heard this, then he waved his hand. “Alright! I’ll prepare all the ingredients for you. I’m really anticipating the day you advance to become a 2 leaf spirit chef.”

Chen Xi secretly heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. “I’ll work hard.”

In next to no time, Chen Xi had once again arrived within the Quiet Room, and he pondered as he gazed at the surrounding ingredients that were piled into hills. With all these ingredients, not only can I cultivate my culinary arts, I can also replenish my True Essence and nourish my physique. Coupled with here being quiet and safe, I don’t have to worry about being disturbed by the outside world; if I take some time out at night, cultivating martial skills here is extremely good as well…

Chen Xi didn’t delay before starting to distinguish and sort ingredients according to their differing attributes and taste.

With the experience from last time, Chen Xi seemed to be already able to accomplish this with ease, and it wasn’t long before he’d already finished dividing the room full of ingredients.

Afterwards, he came before the stove and started cooking.

Chen Xi had currently already attained the grade of 1 leaf spirit chef in his culinary arts. Regardless of knife skill, control of the flames, or the combination of ingredient flavor, he had a deep understanding of them all.

However, if he wanted to advance to become a 2 leaf spirit chef, then he must be able to cook dishes that were able to greatly benefit Congenital Realm cultivators, and this posed quite a degree of difficulty to Chen Xi.

He was lucky that he had the support of old man Ma, so Chen Xi didn’t have to worry about facing a shortage of ingredients in the slightest. He wasn’t afraid even if he failed, as he was completely capable of trying time after time to find a path of the culinary Dao that belonged to him.

The kitchen knife fluttered like snow to finish preparing the ingredients, then Chen Xi controlled the spirit flames as he poured the ingredients into the iron wok and started cooking carefully.

His wrist was steady and numb,his expression focused. He successively vibrated the iron wok and iron ladle according to a strange rhythm, and the various ingredients ceaselessly rolled about within the burning hot wok like spindrifts that fluttered out layer upon layer and was extremely pleasing to the eye.

Chen Xi clearly noticed that cooking this time seemed much smoother and easier than before, and all the subtle changes that occurred on the various ingredients within the iron work were understood and grasped in his heart.

“It ought to be because of me visualizing the Fuxi Divine Statue all the time, this feeling is simply exactly similar to when I crafted those new version talismans!” Chen Xi exclaimed ceaselessly, as he now fully understood the point that made visualization techniques valuable.

Sizzle!

Right in his moment of absent-mindedness, the ingredients within the iron wok was completely burnt.

Chen Xi hurriedly concentrated his mind and didn’t dare let his imagination run wild anymore.

Even then, Chen Xi spent an entire afternoon in failure. It couldn’t be helped, under the circumstances that he didn’t have anyone to guide him, and he could only rely on himself to learn by trial and error. It was obviously an extremely difficult thing.

The failed dishes were all stuffed into his stomach one by one. It was firstly for the sake of analysing the reason for failure, and secondly was that even though he failed to cook these ingredients properly, they still contained a large amount of residual spirit energy that was  able to replenish the used True Essence within his Dantian.

Chen Xi only stopped cooking when night arrived, then sat cross-legged in meditation.

Practicing his culinary arts for the entire afternoon was extremely tiring for his mind. At the moment, he’d just started meditating when his mind was quickly immersed in a gentle and peaceful state.

Swoosh!

Surging True Essence was like a rolling great river that ceaselessly flowed within the meridians in his entire body.

These True Essence were condensed from the spirit energy that was contained within the ingredients Chen Xi had eaten during the entire afternoon and accumulated within his body. They were like numerous spirit pills that swiftly transformed into pure True Essence that surged into his Dantian the moment Chen Xi circulated his cultivation technique.

After two hours, Chen Xi awoke from his meditation, and he couldn’t help but be delighted in his heart when he noticed that his cultivation had obviously advanced slightly. If he were to continue cultivating at this impetus, he would probably be completely capable of advancing to the 9th level of the Congenital Realm within a month!

After arriving at the 9th level of the Congenital Realm, Chen Xi only needed to accumulate sufficient True Essence before being able to develop a Violet Palace within his Dantian, and then establish his Dao foundation to become a true cultivator who has stepped onto the road of immortal cultivation. At that time, not only would Chen Xi be able to fly in the sky, but he would able to utilize Magic Treasures and his strength would obtain an enormous qualitative change!

However, if I want to pass the first level of the Heavenpeak of Trials, I must similarly attain the Violet Palace Realm in my body refinement technique. Right now, I’ve only attained the third level of the Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique, and I’m still another two levels away from cultivating to perfection of the Postnatal Realm. I wonder when I’ll be able to advance to the Congenital Realm, let alone the Violet Palace Realm…” Chen Xi silently pondered for a moment and then withdrew a Hundred Treasure Bag from his pocket.

The Hundred Treasure Bag was entrusted by Qin Hongmian to Luo Chong to gift to him, and within it were 13 basic body refinement cultivation techniques. The Tiger Subduing Claw, Dragonform Footwork Technique, Great Demon Subduing Palm, and Golden Roc Movement Technique that Chen Xi saw in the Exquisite Pavilion were shockingly all within it. Combined with the Grand Collapsing Fist he’d spent over 100 spirit stones to purchase earlier, there was a total of 14 body refinement martial skills.

Chen Xi couldn’t help from being extremely elated at obtaining 14 body refinement martial skills within a day, and he impatiently started to carefully read through them.

The Tiger Subduing Claw was a martial skill that specialized in tempering the fingers, its moves were swift and vigorous. Its penetrating power was extremely strong, and shattering stones and wood was as easy as breaking dry branches.

The Dragonform Footwork Technique was divided into the Sleepy Dragon’s Stroll, Swimming Dragon’s Stride, Violent Dragon’s Stride, Flying Dragon’s Vigorous Stride, White Dragon’s Bizarre Steps, Leaping Dragon’s Prance, Golden Dragon’s Eight Graceful Steps. These divisions respectively aimed at forward steps, forward movements, jumping movements, backwards steps, backwards movements, sideways movements, turning movements, and winding movements. These eight most basic movements were also called the Heavenly Dragon’s Eight Steps, and possessed both offensive and defensive footwork with incomparably marvellous variations.

The Great Demon Subduing Palm used the hands to form seals. It possessed vigorous and condensed force, and is even able to condense the force of the vital energy and blood. It caused the hands to be bright red like blood, and was able to increase the might of the palms to explode forth with shocking strength.

The Golden Roc Movement Technique was famous for its speed being swift like a bolt of lightning. It was a widely spread lightness technique. When cultivated to a high level, one was able to instantly dodge ten thousand arrows that are shot at one without suffering any injuries.

…

After reading though a few martial skills in succession, Chen Xi didn’t know how to choose the more he saw, as it seemed that every martial skill was something he needed, and there were none that he disliked.

This type of feeling was extremely painful, as if faced with a table full of sumptuous dishes but not knowing where to start.

“What’re you hesitating about? Let me ask you, what do you want to learn the most?” A voice that contained experience on the vicissitudes of life resounded out within the room, and accompanied by the voice, Ji Yu whose hooves were pitch-black like ink and had a single horn on his head suddenly appeared within the room.

“You’re able to come out?” Chen Xi was extremely shocked.

“Who told you that I’m unable to come out? Anyway, this isn’t important. What’s important is what exactly do you want to learn?” Ji Yu lazily shook his head, then a black light flashed and he’d already transformed into a lean faced old man of graceful bearing and a refined demeanour.

Chen Xi was stunned, then sunk into deep thought.

Ji Yu didn’t disturb him, as the choice of which martial skill to cultivate was related to the level of one’s combat strength. Some people were adept in using swords, some were adept in using sabers, and the crux of the matter was to see if this type of martial skill suited one’s self.

After a long time, Chen Xi suddenly said, “I want to learn the martial skill with the strongest offensive ability and the swiftest ability to flee.”

Ji Yu was startled, then smiled faintly. “You want to hear my opinion?”

Chen Xi nodded and openly admitted his thoughts. As far as he was concerned, with the mysterious Ji Yu present, he only needed to mention what he wanted and it would absolutely be not wrong to listen to Ji Yu for the specifics.

“You’re not bad.” Ji Yu gave a rare praise, then his expression went solemn as he said seriously, “There’s no differentiation between strong and weak in martial skills. To Fiendgod body refiners, offense is embodied within their Divine Ability and cultivation techniques; to qi refiners, if solely in terms of the swiftness and power of offense, then sword techniques are naturally number one.

“Divine Abilities are techniques unique to Fiendgod body refiners, like the Heavenly Transformation and Mountain Transforming Fist, they’re all formidable Divine Abilities that possess the might to burn mountains and bloody the seas. Normally, qi refiners are unable to learn this, but this isn’t an absolute, as some experts that possess both the techniques of a body refiner and qi refiner are naturally able to master Divine Abilities.

“Similarly, the techniques and profound arts qi refiners use that utilize True Essence to master  also have their own terrifying might, and matched with a Magic Treasure or similar weapons, their strengths are not to be taken lightly either.

“However, there’s one thing that’s used universally, and that’s that regardless of martial skill or method of cultivation, they’re all unable to do without movement techniques. Moreover the utilization of a movement technique’s greatest effect is the ability to easily free yourself from the battlefield and be unlikely to fall into danger.

“Now, you know what martial skill you ought to cultivate, right?”

“Divine Ability, Sword Technique, Movement Technique!” Chen Xi replied without hesitation. After hearing Ji Yu’s analysis, he was suddenly enlightened on the problem that he’d been entangled with, as if he was filled with wisdom, causing him to instantly understand what he wanted.

He was dual cultivating both body refinement and qi refinement, cultivating Divine Abilities in the aspect of body refinement and mainly cultivating Sword Techniques in the aspect of qi refinement, whereas Movement Techniques were instead for protecting his life.

Ji Yu nodded and said, “Not bad, but the most important thing for you now is to temper your body’s force exertion skill, as this is the foundation of all cultivation techniques.”

As he spoke, Ji Yu walked over to before Chen Xi, then bent down to pick out the Grand Collapsing Fist from the 14 jade slips.

“These cultivation techniques are really shit, only this cultivation technique is comparatively comprehensive, but it still has quite a few flaws. I’ll help you improve it.” Ji Yu frowned as he judged, then stretched out his finger to touch the jade slip. After a short moment, he raised his hand to toss the jade slip to Chen Xi. “Once you’ve cultivated this fist technique to the point you’re able to freely control everything, then it’s sufficient for you to control the force exertion skill for every joint in your body.”

Chen Xi received the jade slip but didn’t hurry to read it, instead he pointed towards the other jade slips on the ground and asked, “What about these cultivation techniques? I don’t have to learn them?”

“They’re only of little value, it doesn’t matter if you don’t cultivate them.” Ji Yu replied extremely decisively.

Chen Xi was slightly reluctant, as all these martial skills were gifted to him by Qin Hongmian, and were all the martial skills he possessed up till now. Throwing them away just like this was indeed a slight pity.

Most importantly, even though he’d determined the direction of his cultivation, he didn’t have the proper cultivation technique books. When he thought that he still had to spend spirit stones to purchase a Divine Ability, a Sword Technique, and a Movement Technique cultivation technique, he felt a slight headache.

My pocket isn’t bulging, worry will kill me!

Wait!

Isn’t there an old monster that’s lived for a million years by my side, does my head still have to ache over these problems?

Chen Xi’s eyes shone as he raised his head to look at Ji Yu.