Chapter 136: Spirit Cultivation of the Sword

The Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Array, which combined stealth and defense, perfectly met Qin Sang’s requirements. After thanking Sect Master Yu, Qin Sang put away the formation flags for the array.

Sect Master Yu rose and returned to the inner hall. He took out the disciple jade register and recorded Qin Sang’s name in the section for Foundation Establishment disciples. The moment his name was written, the jade register glowed faintly, and a jade waist token materialized.

With this new Foundation Establishment disciple's waist token, he could now enjoy the benefits reserved for his new rank. What Qin Sang looked forward to most was the privilege granted to newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciples: for one month, they could freely browse the cultivation techniques stored at Pagoda Peak using their waist token and choose one technique to cultivate for free.

Sect Master Yu began to explain the new privileges and responsibilities: “These five mid-grade spirit stones are a one-time reward from the sect for Foundation Establishment disciples. However, you will receive an annual allowance from now on, with a satisfactory selection of spirit stones, elixirs, and other items. Originally, the sect would also grant a cultivation cave, but since you’ve chosen to establish your own outside, you can simply go to the Spirit Beast Hall for related matters. According to sect rules, Foundation Establishment disciples are not required to perform any menial tasks. However, the sect always has various important matters that Qi Condensation disciples cannot handle. These tasks offer significant rewards, with the Ancient Immortal Battlefield being the most lucrative. If you are interested, you can take on some of these missions. However, if the sect issues a decree and assigns a task, you must complete it diligently. No defiance is permitted under any pretext; otherwise, it will be treated as betrayal of the sect. Qin Sang, you must be very careful about this in the future…”

Sect Master Yu spoke at length, detailing the rights and obligations of Foundation Establishment disciples. Compared to Qi Condensation disciples, Shaohua Mountain was remarkably lenient towards Foundation Establishment disciples. Aside from rare sect decrees, Foundation Establishment disciples enjoyed considerable freedom. If they were short on resources, they could seek tasks at Sect Master Peak. If they wished to enter secluded cultivation, they could simply seal their cave dwelling, and generally, no one would disturb them. When attempting to break through to Core Formation, the sect would even provide free spiritual items to aid in the breakthrough. While not the best, these were still valuable resources that rogue cultivators yearned for but rarely obtained.

The vast difference in status between cultivation stages made Qin Sang inwardly sigh with emotion.

The two conversed for a while longer. Qin Sang felt he had learned enough. Since Sect Master Yu knew his background thoroughly, Qin Sang dropped his pretense. He cupped his hands and said, “I didn’t intend to trouble you further, Senior Brother Sect Master. However, my knowledge is limited, and I know little about cultivation after the Foundation Establishment stage. I haven’t been able to decide which cultivation technique to choose. Please, Senior Brother Sect Master, enlighten me!”

Sect Master Yu countered, “Do you have any thoughts yourself, Junior Brother Qin?”

Qin Sang had, of course, considered this long ago. The jade Buddha protected his nascent soul, but after being ‘harvested,’ the only impact on him was his foundation. Repairing his foundation was imperative; otherwise, he could forget about achieving Core Formation in the future.

“Are there any cultivation techniques that can replenish vital energy and restore one’s foundation?”

Sect Master Yu gazed deeply at Qin Sang, as if he had already anticipated his choice. He said, “Pagoda Peak indeed has several cultivation techniques that can repair one’s foundation…” Before Qin Sang could show a hint of joy, Sect Master Yu suddenly changed his tone. “However, Junior Brother Qin, your situation is different from others. What you lost was your most fundamental primordial energy. Only heaven and earth treasures can truly mend your foundation. The effects of these cultivation techniques are not even as good as the Nine Yang Pill. You’d best not waste your time on them, Junior Brother Qin.”

Hearing this, Qin Sang’s expression faltered slightly. He shook his head with a bitter smile. He had anticipated this outcome but couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

“Senior Brother Sect Master, you are well aware of my talent,” Qin Sang said. “But I am not resigned to my fate. Are there any cultivation techniques that could allow me to reach the threshold of the Core Formation stage within my lifetime?”

Sect Master Yu offered a few words of comfort to Qin Sang. Hearing his question, he replied, “Since you have this aspiration, Junior Brother Qin, you should choose a cultivation technique that is easier to advance through. However, most of these techniques lack self-preservation abilities. If you don’t have other means to defeat opponents, you will certainly be at a disadvantage in future battles, even needing to avoid opponents of the same cultivation level. This flaw might not be apparent normally, but if you venture out and compete for opportunities, and find yourself unable to even intervene due to insufficient strength, you will only have endless regrets. If you can accept this, Pagoda Peak has techniques like the *Origin Core Art*, the *Thoughtless Cultivation*, and others of this kind.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang’s brow furrowed slightly. He mused that with his damaged foundation and his Qi Sea already 10% smaller than that of cultivators at the same stage, choosing such a technique would leave him unable to compete with others in the future. The world of cultivation wasn’t simply about improving cultivation through secluded bitter training; conflicts with others were often unavoidable. Take Core Formation, for example. Aside from prodigies with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, which cultivator hadn’t spent years traveling, vying for even a sliver of opportunity to maximize their chances of forming a core? Was he destined to be a shrinking violet whenever challenges arose, giving up opportunities for nothing?

However, Qin Sang was not naive. He understood that techniques offering powerful divine abilities and significant advantages in combat would undoubtedly be extremely difficult to cultivate, making them unsuitable for him.

Just then, an idea struck Qin Sang. He spoke up, “Senior Brother Sect Master, ever since I first joined Shaohua Mountain, I’ve often heard legends of Senior Qingzhu. It’s said that Senior Qingzhu’s talent wasn’t top-tier, yet his cultivation speed was incredibly fast, and his strength was second to none. I wonder what cultivation technique Senior Qingzhu practiced?”

Sect Master Yu exclaimed, “You mean *that* technique!”

To Qin Sang’s surprise, Sect Master Yu, like Senior Brother Wen before him, showed a hint of fear when mentioning Senior Qingzhu’s cultivation technique.

“That technique is called the *Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter*,” Sect Master Yu explained. “Aside from Senior Qingzhu, no one else in Shaohua Mountain has successfully cultivated it. This isn’t just because the technique is an incomplete fragment, but primarily because of its horrifying requirements for the cultivator—something no normal person could achieve. Go to Pagoda Peak and see for yourself, Junior Brother Qin, and you’ll understand why.”

At these words, Qin Sang became even more curious. Especially since the name of the technique contained the words ‘Primordial Spirit,’ it greatly stirred his interest and set his mind racing with possibilities.

After chatting with Sect Master Yu for a long time at Sect Master Peak, the jade register on the table remained completely still.

Sect Master Yu gave Qin Sang a somewhat strange look and said with an awkward tone, “No Core Formation grandmaster is willing to take you as a disciple, Junior Brother Qin, and Uncle-Master Mawu has also not responded… But don’t be discouraged, Junior Brother Qin. Many fellow disciples cultivate independently. As long as you train diligently, you can still distinguish yourself and surely be noticed by the grandmasters.”

Each Core Formation grandmaster also had a copy of this jade register in their cave dwelling. When a Foundation Establishment disciple’s name was recorded in the register, other copies of the register would receive the notification. If a Core Formation grandmaster happened to see it and deemed the disciple talented, they would accept them as a disciple. While they might not receive meticulous guidance from a Core Formation grandmaster, it was still far better than exploring on their own.

Qin Sang had anticipated this, so he wasn’t particularly disappointed. Noticing Sect Master Yu’s subtly colder demeanor, he sighed inwardly, immediately bid farewell to the Sect Master, and returned to Pagoda Peak.

Upon arriving at the grand hall where cultivation techniques and spells were stored, Qin Sang encountered an acquaintance: the cultivator surnamed Gong, who had refused to become a ‘cauldron.’