Chapter 435: Little Mysterious Sacred Body

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Seven jade slips floated before him, gleaming with a luster that reflected in Zhou Yuan’s eyes, causing his breathing to quicken, his eyes to redden, and his heart to pound like a drum.

He knew precisely what these seven jade slips represented.

Although these weren't the genuine Cangxuan Seven Arts but simplified versions, they were clearly superior to ordinary Genesis Arts. If he successfully cultivated them, he would be able to master any of the true Cangxuan Seven Arts at the fastest possible speed in the future.

So, facing the shimmering jade slips, even Zhou Yuan, with his relatively strong willpower, felt his mind go blank for a moment, even experiencing an impulse to grab them and run.

Fortunately, the impulse quickly faded, and Zhou Yuan gradually regained his composure.

Although Elder Xuan appeared to have no Genesis Qi, his intimidating seniority was undeniable. If Zhou Yuan dared to snatch and flee, he would likely be expelled from the sect on the spot.

Zhou Yuan licked his lips. When he looked at Elder Xuan again, his previously wary expression had already transformed into a fawning smile.

“What? Are you satisfied?” Elder Xuan asked with a chuckle.

“Satisfied! Very satisfied!” Zhou Yuan nodded rapidly like a pecking chick, a look of longing on his face. “Senior, are all seven of these jade slips for me?”

If he could truly obtain them all, wouldn't that mean he would be the only person in the Cangxuan Sect to possess all of the Cangxuan Seven Arts—albeit simplified versions?

However, as soon as Zhou Yuan spoke, Elder Xuan shot him a disdainful glance, not bothering to answer, merely smiling: “Heh heh.”

This kid has such a big appetite. Doesn't he fear choking?

From Elder Xuan's insincere smile, Zhou Yuan realized how naive his question had been and offered an awkward grin. After all, facing the Cangxuan Seven Arts laid out before him, probably no disciple in the Cangxuan Sect could remain calm.

“Choose one from them,” Elder Xuan said idly, ignoring Zhou Yuan's wild thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan immediately frowned, his gaze darting across the seven jade slips. He was stumped, as making such a choice was incredibly difficult!

All seven jade slips contained simplified versions of the Cangxuan Seven Arts, each profoundly mysterious and hard to dismiss.

“Maybe I should choose the Minor Saint Spirit Art?” Zhou Yuan hesitated, thinking this would prepare him for eventually acquiring the Grand Mysterious Saint Spirit Art.

After some thought, he gritted his teeth and reached for the Minor Saint Spirit Art.

Elder Xuan, observing his action, spoke, “If I were you, I wouldn't choose that one.”

“Why?” Zhou Yuan was taken aback.

Elder Xuan rolled his eyes at Zhou Yuan and said, “Because if you stand out in this Chief Selection, won’t you obtain the true Grand Mysterious Saint Spirit Art? Then wouldn’t your two Genesis Arts overlap?”

Zhou Yuan blinked. That seemed to make some sense.

“If you trust me,” Elder Xuan slowly continued, “I’ll offer you a tip.”

“Of course, I trust you!” Zhou Yuan said without hesitation. After witnessing Elder Xuan’s collection, he no longer dared to underestimate the latter in the slightest.

Elder Xuan flicked his finger, and a jade slip floated towards Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan quickly caught it, his gaze sweeping over it: “Minor Mysterious Saint Body?”

Zhou Yuan was stunned. This seemed to be a simplified version of the Mysterious Saint Body from Hongya Peak, likely an external cultivation technique specifically for training the physical body.

“Senior, this art is an external cultivation technique. I’ve never cultivated my physical body before,” Zhou Yuan said hesitantly. He had never practiced Genesis Arts for body tempering. In fact, he had focused on internal cultivation, concentrating solely on the Genesis Qi within his abdomen.

Elder Xuan said calmly, “Little one, internal and external cultivation each have their profoundness, but true powerhouses pursue the path of perfection. Cultivating both internally and externally is the supreme way.”

“Most importantly, you have cultivated the ‘Grand Yi Green Wood Mark,’ which will imbue your physical body with immense vitality and unparalleled recovery. So, with the ‘Grand Yi Green Wood Mark’ as your foundation, if you cultivate external techniques, your efficiency will far surpass that of ordinary people.”

“What do you think the profoundness of the ‘Grand Yi Green Wood Mark’ lies in? It doesn’t directly grant you formidable power, but for those who cultivate external techniques, the profundity of the Grand Yi Green Wood Mark is immeasurable.”

Zhou Yuan was slightly moved upon hearing this. So, it turned out that the greatest mystery of the Grand Yi Green Wood Mark lay here.

When cultivating external techniques, the physical body is most easily damaged, requiring vast amounts of natural treasures to repair, replenish, remove bruises, and enhance blood energy. However, for Zhou Yuan, these issues were the simplest matters.

The existence of the Grand Yi Green Wood Mark allowed Zhou Yuan to temper his body without any reservations.

Given this, the "Minor Mysterious Saint Body" truly seemed most suitable for him at this moment.

He pondered for a moment, then tightly gripped the jade slip and said, “Alright, then I’ll choose the ‘Minor Mysterious Saint Body’!”

Elder Xuan nodded. With a flick of his sleeve, he put away the other six jade slips. Then, he looked up and saw Zhou Yuan staring intently at his sleeve, as if unable to tear his gaze away.

He couldn’t help but scold with a laugh, “Insatiably greedy.”

Zhou Yuan chuckled sheepishly, reluctantly withdrawing his gaze.

“Little one, you haven’t fully cultivated your Grand Yi Green Wood Mark yet, have you?” Elder Xuan glanced at Zhou Yuan and asked.

Zhou Yuan smiled wryly and nodded, saying, “The Grand Yi Rune is only half complete… Green Wood Qi is hard to come by.”

Elder Xuan frowned slightly and said, “You’ve never cultivated external techniques before. Now, you’re suddenly going to cultivate a technique of this level, the ‘Minor Mysterious Saint Body.’ Your body might not be able to handle it, so you must complete the Grand Yi Rune before you can begin cultivation.”

Zhou Yuan scratched his head, clearly distressed, because to complete the Grand Yi Rune, he needed rare ancient woods rich in Green Wood Qi, which were difficult to find.

Seeing this, Elder Xuan shook his head helplessly and said, “What a hassle.”

“As for rare ancient woods, I do know where to find them, but whether you can obtain them depends on your own ability.” He held his broom and shakily stood up.

Zhou Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly cupped his fists, saying, “Thank you, Senior!”

Elder Xuan waved his hand and walked forward.

Zhou Yuan watched his hunched back, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly asked, “Senior, why are you helping me so much?”

He couldn’t help but feel that whether it was allowing him to exchange for these simplified versions of the Cangxuan Seven Arts, which ordinary disciples couldn't even see, or guiding him to rare ancient woods, this elder was clearly giving him an opportunity.

However, the two were not close, having only met three times, including this one. So, Zhou Yuan didn’t understand why the elder favored him.

Elder Xuan’s steps paused. He said blandly, “Little one, if you had not come as promised after earning the Heaven Credit, or if you had been reluctant to part with a single Heaven Credit, I would not have been so cruel as to abolish the Grand Yi Rune you cultivated.”

“I believe you might have vaguely guessed this much…”

“But in the end, you chose to keep your promise. That surprised me a little… And precisely because of that, you were able to see the simplified versions of the Cangxuan Seven Arts.”

“You were able to control your desires, be trustworthy, and disdain deceiving an old man like me…”

“Truly, this opportunity should be considered something you earned through your own choices.”

Zhou Yuan was stunned, then his heart trembled slightly. So, the Heaven Credit agreement Elder Xuan made with him was like a test. If he had been unwilling to part with that Heaven Credit in the end, perhaps he might have kept the Grand Yi Green Wood Mark, but his relationship with Elder Xuan would have ended there.

The simplified versions of the Cangxuan Seven Arts would naturally have remained unseen.

At this thought, he couldn't help but feel a bit fortunate. In fact, at the very beginning, he had considered reneging on the Heaven Credit agreement, as an elder of Xuan’s seniority probably wouldn’t be so cruel to a junior disciple.

But in the end, he dismissed that idea, simply because he also possessed a sense of pride that made him disdain such actions.

What he desired, he would strive for with all his might, not by such means.

However, it now seemed that his pride had, in fact, prevented him from losing a great opportunity.

Compared to a single Heaven Credit, an unfathomable Elder Xuan was undoubtedly more valuable.

“Follow me.”

Elder Xuan waved his hand, holding his bamboo broom, and walked towards the colossal mountain shrouded in mist behind them.

His cloudy eyes stared ahead, not looking back at Zhou Yuan. In truth, there was one crucial thing he hadn’t said earlier.

The initial reason he had set up a test for Zhou Yuan… was simply because he had faintly sensed a familiar fluctuation emanating from Zhou Yuan.