Spiritual Power

Mr. Zhuang handed the jade slip of "Celestial Expansion Scripture" to Mo Hua:

"Ancient cultivation techniques often have special conditions for passing on. Only when your cultivation reaches a certain level can you use your spiritual consciousness to explore the subsequent cultivation techniques. Techniques for the Foundation Building stage are currently restricted; only cultivators at that level who have practiced the 'Celestial Expansion Scripture' can see them."

"Most ancient techniques consist of one technique per jade slip. If a jade slip is lost, the technique is essentially lost as well. In the vast world of cultivation, finding a rare ancient technique jade slip is like finding a needle in the ocean. Moreover, I have only seen this one jade slip of the 'Celestial Expansion Scripture' in my lifetime."

"Therefore, you must keep this jade slip safe, and under no circumstances should you lose it!"

Mo Hua solemnly received the jade slip, feeling its weight in his hand, yet he couldn't help but feel joyful in his heart.

This was a true cultivation technique. By learning it, he would truly enter the ranks of cultivators. The vast path of cultivation lay ahead of him, and he had finally taken the first step.

Mo Hua told his parents about Mr. Zhuang teaching him the technique.

Mo Shan was very happy. Although this technique didn't produce much spiritual power when cultivated, the phrase "not suitable for anyone other than Array Masters to practice" indicated its extraordinary nature. Very few independent cultivators in Tongxian City had ever become true Array Masters.

Moreover, this technique was bestowed by the profound and inscrutable Mr. Zhuang, said to be an ancient technique, naturally making it exceptionally precious. It was certainly better than the techniques passed down among independent cultivators.

Mo Shan knew that Mr. Zhuang didn't care much for mundane items like spirit stones, and considering how Mr. Zhuang always finished the food Mo Hua brought, it seemed to suit his taste.

Before dawn the next day, Mo Shan went up the mountain in the dark and hunted several demonic beasts. Three days later, he descended the mountain with a large bundle on his back, containing the tenderloins of several bovine and ovine demonic beasts. For freshness, he hadn't even stored them in his storage pouch.

Liu Ruhua cleaned and prepared the meat, smoking, frying, or marinating it into various delicious and spicy flavors, garnished with some emerald green spices, neatly arranged in food boxes.

She also took several pots of home-brewed fragrant fruit wine and a few boxes of freshly roasted pine nuts emitting a fragrant aroma, asking Mo Hua to deliver them up the mountain together. She instructed Mo Hua to convey some words of gratitude like "not disturbing Mr. Zhuang's cultivation, just expressing gratitude."

Mr. Zhuang accepted the food box without saying much, but his expression was very pleased. Sitting in the bamboo pavilion, enjoying the clear breeze and mountain scenery, he took a bite of meat and a sip of wine.

Old Kui was also very satisfied with the pine nuts. The moment Mo Hua handed over the boxes, they disappeared from under Mo Hua's nose, leaving him wondering where Old Kui had taken them; not a single box was left for Mr. Zhuang.

Mo Hua also brought some for the Bai siblings, as a token of appreciation.

Bai Zixi ate two pieces of meat, drank a bit more sweet osmanthus wine, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright like stars in the sky, twinkling.

Bai Zisheng didn't hold back; he loved spicy food. He ate heartily, sweating profusely from the spice, clearly enjoying every bite.

Seeing his eating habits, Mo Hua couldn't help asking, "You usually have no shortage of meat to eat."

"You don't understand," Bai Zisheng replied, "the meat I usually eat is from spirit beasts—fine in texture but lacking chewiness. Also, there's too much spiritual energy, so you can't taste much."

Mo Hua felt this was somewhat deserving of a punch. Up to now, he hadn't eaten much meat from spirit beasts, except what his mother cooked. The most memorable was the golden pheasant stolen by Da Huo and others from an elder of Tongxian Gate, which was even burnt.

Bai Zisheng, full and content, asked about Mo Hua's cultivation technique.

Mo Hua recounted Mr. Zhuang teaching him the technique.

Bai Zisheng was slightly envious. "Mr. Zhuang is really good to you. But this technique produces too little spiritual power when cultivated."

"Well, there's nothing we can do. Things in the world are always difficult to be as one wishes, and there must always be choices."

"Does having low spiritual power really have a big impact?" Mo Hua suddenly became concerned.

"Of course," Bai Zisheng replied, "for cultivators, their cultivation revolves around spiritual power. If your spiritual power is low, you'll always be at a disadvantage. For example, in a fight, if someone has 100 celestial meridians of spiritual power and you only have 50, by the time they have 50 meridians left, your power will be depleted, leaving you vulnerable."

"Cultivators use spiritual power for everything: sparring, refining tools, alchemy, even just lifting storage boxes at the spiritual cargo docks," Bai Zisheng continued.

"If you're forging a spiritual weapon, others might forge two; if you're making a furnace of pills, others might make two; if you carry ten boxes for half a day, others might carry twenty. You'll earn half the spirit stones they do. How can you compete?"

"If I become an Array Master, having lower spiritual power won't matter much, right?" Mo Hua asked, somewhat lacking confidence.

"Hmm... that's true," Bai Zisheng nodded. "The biggest challenge for Array Masters is excessive consumption of spiritual consciousness rather than spiritual power. When drawing formations, usually your spiritual power won't be fully exhausted before your spiritual consciousness runs out. So having slightly lower spiritual power won't affect you much as an Array Master."

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.

Bai Zisheng patted Mo Hua's shoulder. "But don't worry. Even though your spiritual power is low, mine is high. Just call me big brother, and I'll have your back. Anyone who bullies you in the future, I'll handle them for you."

"Forget it," Bai Zisheng changed tact. "Then how about you feed me beef every day, and I'll protect you too."

"You can buy it yourself."

"Auntie Xue doesn't let me eat casually, and she wants me to eat less food without spiritual energy."

"Oh."

"Don't 'oh' me. I'm giving you face..." Bai Zisheng muttered.

Mo Hua ignored him, while Bai Zixi looked at them and took another sip of sweet wine.

In the following days, Mo Hua abandoned the Breathing Technique and officially began practicing according to the meridian diagrams and breathing methods in the "Celestial Expansion Scripture."

After several practices, Mo Hua clearly felt a difference.

The speed of refining was faster, the refined spiritual energy purer, and his meridians throughout his body felt more unobstructed.

The only problem was that the refined spiritual power didn't seem particularly special.

Mo Hua asked Da Hu, who practiced the Fire Element "Fierce Tiger Technique"; after cultivation, his spiritual power had a faint burning sensation, and his spells or body techniques of the Fire Element were more powerful.

Shuang Hu practiced the "Solid Foundation Technique," harmonizing spiritual and blood energies; after activating spiritual power, his physical bodies was enhanced. Mo Hua forgot the technique practiced by Xiao Hu, but after cultivation, his spiritual power also underwent some special changes.

Only Mo Hua seemed to have no fundamental change in his spiritual power after cultivation with the "Celestial Expansion Scripture."

The spiritual meridians refined by the "Celestial Expansion Scripture" were also moderate in number.

Compared to disciples of noble families like the Bai siblings, he couldn't compete, but compared to ordinary Qi-refining independent cultivators, he was above average, acceptable but not exceptional.

Additionally, the only distinctive aspect of this technique might be that it consumed a bit more spiritual consciousness during cultivation compared to basic Breathing Technique. However, since basic Breathing Technique or typical techniques didn't consume much spiritual consciousness anyway, even doubling it wasn't significant enough to draw a formation.

However, Mo Hua didn't expect this technique to be particularly special.

For Mo Hua, a technique that saved spirit stones was the best technique.

(End of the chapter)