Chapter 129: Extracting Essence, Condensing Splendor, Strengthening Roots, The Four Techniques of Self

At the Taicang Academy, there are three main treasure sites.

The first is the Hall of All Things, which is similar to the Earth Vein Hall at Dili Academy. It takes the form of a mural gallery for observation, carved with the All Things Growth Diagram.

This treasure site is divided into two parts: inner and outer galleries. The outer gallery is free for anyone to observe, while access to the inner gallery requires purchasing with points, or being a top-level talent, which grants one to three free observation opportunities.

The second is the Original Dao Field, where numerous primal plants are stored, demonstrating the entire life cycle of plants—from seed, to growth, maturity, and decay—at an accelerated pace. There are also areas that remain constant, where plants are locked in a specific phase, such as the Birth Zone, Growth Zone, Maturity Zone, and Withering Zone.

The field is also tiered, with low-level zones freely accessible, while middle and higher-level zones require points to enter. Top-level talents receive free observation opportunities.

The third is the Derivation Dao Field, which serves a similar function to the Original Dao Field, but all species here are artificially cultivated new varieties.

"I have top-level privileges. Although I'm not part of the Taicang Academy, I can still access the paid sections of these treasure sites twice for free."

The top-level talents of this academy receive three free visits, while those from other academies are granted only two.

Zhao Xing arrived at the Taicang Academy and decided to visit the Hall of All Things first.

"My foundation is rather weak—not just mine but the majority of Shennong students too."

Most Shennong cultivators have only a vague understanding of the Self School techniques before reaching the fifth grade.

Before that, no one can claim to have made significant progress in Self School techniques.

"For the Self School, everything before the fifth grade is just laying the groundwork."

"Even though fifty people were assigned to the Taicang Academy, very few are genuinely committed to following the Self School path."

"Most are here for the benefits, but their hearts are secretly focused on other paths."

In Taicang Academy, students are often physically present but mentally elsewhere, taking advantage of the academy's resources while cultivating techniques from other sects. This reflects the current state of the Self School.

But there's no helping it. If Taicang Academy mandated that all who enter must focus on Self School techniques, then even top-level talents would rather go to the Tianshi Academy or Dili Academy and settle for middle-level status rather than joining Taicang.

Mastering the Self School and advancing beyond the fifth grade is incredibly difficult! People may die without ever reaching the threshold of this path.

Thus, Taicang Academy does not enforce learning these techniques, relying on the imperial court's support to attract those with true interest and perseverance.

"I shouldn't waste my precious observation opportunities yet. Let's check out the free areas first." Zhao Xing headed toward the Hall of All Things.

At the moment, Taicang Academy was fairly empty.

There were far fewer people coming to the Hall of All Things compared to other treasure sites.

The long corridors were almost deserted, with only a scattered few dozen people standing before the murals, most leaving after just a short look.

"Like the Four Techniques of Heaven and the Four Techniques of Earthi, the Self School also has four core techniques."

"Essence Extraction, Condensing Splendor, Knotting Growth, and Strengthening Roots—these are known as the Four Minor Techniques of Self."

Why are they called "minor"?

It's not because of any "technique discrimination" or "sect discrimination."

It's because they are difficult to master.

Most people can't learn them, and only a few can truly walk this path. That means it's not a mainstream path.

Plus, with the dominance of the Five Elements and Four Seasons theory, the philosophy of the Heaven School took the lead, known as the "Great Five Elements," while the Self School was called the "Inner Five Elements" or "Minor Five Elements." This naming tradition extended to the techniques, and the Self School reluctantly accepted it.

However, during the resurgence era, the Self School, which had endured hardships for thousands of years, finally stood tall.

When they did, the Self School essentially declared: "Everyone here is trash. We'll crush you all!"

"Essence Extraction, Condensing Splendor, Knotting Growth, and Strengthening Roots—of the Four Techniques of Self, I've already learned one." Zhao Xing strolled through the corridor.

The Wild Growth technique he had mastered, which had reached the middle level, belonged to the Strengthening Roots category, also known by other names like "Strengthening Stem Technique" or "Foundation Reinforcement Technique."

"The strange technique I'm after is called the Xuanhuang Essence Extraction Technique. It should have existed during the reign of Emperor Jing, but it wasn't well-known. I'm not sure if it has been included here."

Zhao Xing looked at the mural depicting the All Things Growth Diagram, knowing that every technique or method displayed had been selected by the imperial court.

"Does the imperial collection include the Xuanhuang Essence Extraction Technique?"

Zhao Xing wasn't sure, as he didn't remember exactly when this technique emerged, only recalling that it was created by someone named Mi Fu.

"Mi Fu served as the Sixth-Rank Chief Minister of Shennong during the early reign of Emperor Wu, though he didn't hold the position for long before passing away."

"The reign of Emperor Jing included six era names: Cheng'an, Yong'an, Dingxin, Jingxin, Dazhi, and Yongzhi."

"The two An periods were the longest, while the Zhi periods were the shortest. Among the two Xin periods, Jingxin lasted only thirty-seven years."

"Mi Fu died of old age, so during this time, he should have been in his prime. The question is what rank he held at that time. If he was a fifth rank or higher, it would be easier to track him down. Below the fifth rank, it becomes harder—many people share the same name in the empire."

Mi Fu developed the Xuanhuang Essence Extraction Technique when he was just a sixth rank official, unaware of its full potential.

The technique was moderately effective when used on plants, but when applied to humans, it could help extract Pure Essence Soil, making it a divine-level technique!

It wasn't until the resurgence era, with the aid of external conditions, that this technique became a core part of Shennong cultivation.

Since it became a required study, the technique wasn't extremely difficult to master.

If Zhao Xing could obtain it early, he knew how to leverage external conditions to cultivate it effectively.

Even in the era of flourishing dynasties, Zhao Xing didn't think it would be too difficult to meet the conditions necessary to cultivate the Xuanhuang Essence Extraction Technique.

"I'll ask Old Chen about it later. For now, I'll continue my observation."

It would be ideal to find this technique directly within the All Things Growth Diagram, but even if not, Zhao Xing wasn't in a rush. As long as Mi Fu rose to the fifth rank, he would eventually encounter it.

"Drip, drip…"

Zhao Xing walked through a section of the corridor when he suddenly felt a resonance, as though a light rain had begun to fall in front of him.

He stopped walking, sat cross-legged where he was, and quietly observed the mural.

The mural depicted a vast gray-yellow wasteland from an aerial perspective. But as Zhao Xing gazed at it, his vision zoomed in rapidly.

It was as if he had fallen from the sky, landing on the ground below.

The scene focused on a single seedling in the wasteland.

"Fengye Grass."

Zhao Xing instantly recognized it as a second-tier Fengye Grass.

"Fengye Grass can be used medicinally, often as an ingredient in Windstride Pills, which increase agility for a short time."

The seedling was tender, having produced only five leaves and standing less than half a meter tall.

Just as Zhao Xing noticed the five leaves, the seedling began to grow wildly.

A radiant light seemed to flow backward from the ground, converging from the roots upward.

The Fengye Grass quickly grew to a meter tall.

At the same time, the five leaves withered instantly, while new buds emerged from the top.

New branches shot out, and five new green leaves unfolded.

As the Fengye Grass grew, the lower branches withered and died, with their energy flowing into the main stem, allowing new branches and leaves to sprout and absorb more energy from the earth.

The cycle repeated, with the Fengye Grass growing taller, eventually surpassing ten meters.

In accelerated time, the plant coiled and twisted like a serpent, spreading outward.

"Buzz…"

When the plant reached ten meters, a large burst of energy reversed into the main stem. The ten-meter-long branch, along with its leaves, completely withered and died.

Two new buds, with ten leaves, emerged.

"Each time the plant extends a branch, it grows to a certain height before withering, channeling all its energy back to the main root to produce more branches and leaves to absorb even more energy."

"This endless cycle allows the Fengye Grass to grow indefinitely."

What had started as a barren wasteland soon became a sea of green as the Fengye Grass expanded, turning the wasteland into its own territory.

"Buzz…"

As the green sea filled Zhao Xing's vision, he came out of his observation.

He closed his eyes, letting the scene replay in his mind—the Fengye Grass growing step by step, engulfing the entire wasteland and making it its own domain…

When he opened his eyes again, some time had passed.

[You have observed the 'All Things Growth Diagram' and glimpsed the mysteries of life's growth, comprehending the 'Wasteland Essence Convergence.']

[Wasteland Essence Convergence: Mid-level]

[Progress: 235/9999]

[Effect: Condenses the essence of the heavens and earth, allowing plant life to grow along the optimal path.]

Since Zhao Xing had already learned cultivation techniques like Wild Growth, he quickly understood the basics of this Condensing Splendor technique.

"Wasteland Essence Convergence," Zhao Xing nodded in satisfaction. This was a particularly profound method from the Condensing Splendor category.

It differed significantly from the Strengthening Roots techniques.

Take Wild Growth as a comparison: it aggressively pulls energy from the earth's veins.

It primarily focuses on strengthening the roots to draw in nutrients.

In contrast, the Condensing Splendor method pulls energy from both the heavens and the earth, but instead of recklessly absorbing it, it adapts to the environment, guiding the plant to grow along the best possible path.

"Wild Growth is all about forcefully seizing the nutrients of the earth, without concern for waste."

"On the other hand, the Wasteland Essence Convergence absorbs heavenly energy and distributes it perfectly—every step is flawless, and there's no waste."

The Condensing Splendor technique is typically used in harsh environments, where every bit of energy is crucial. It adjusts the plant's physiology to optimize growth.

In contrast, Wild Growth is so forceful that more delicate plants can't handle it. When Zhao Xing used the technique previously, he had to choose hardy species like Vajra Bamboo.

Additionally, he had to start with Vigorous Growth to help the plants through their fragile seedling phase.

With the Wasteland Essence Convergence, these factors didn't matter. The plant could be nurtured right from the start.

"Using Wasteland Condensing Splendor together with Strengthening Roots, I should be able to reach mid-level ninth transformation. With these techniques, passing Lu Bang's training course with top marks won't be a problem."

Zhao Xing decided not to continue observing other murals, choosing instead to sit in place.

The mural that had already triggered his enlightenment was clearly the one most suited to him.

Continuing to observe other murals would likely waste time without yielding better results.

Moreover, Self School techniques are notoriously difficult to master.

He had learned Wild Growth early on, and despite investing significant time and effort into it, he hadn't even reached the ninth transformation before entering the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven Realm. Even now, it still wasn't fully mastered.

If he spread his attention too thinly, it could be ages before he brought the Wasteland Essence Convergence to the ninth transformation.

Instead of being mediocre in everything, it was better to focus on mastering this one Condensing Splendor technique to pass Lu Bang's training course first.

The interval between Martial Arts Training sessions was two days.

For those two days, Zhao Xing remained at the Hall of All Things, unmoving before the mural of the wasteland.

On the evening of the 20th of May, he finally left the hall.

"Two days, and I've advanced two transformations in the technique. That's a rapid pace."

The Condensing Splendor and Strengthening Roots techniques had some overlap, and thanks to Zhao Xing's natural talent, his progress in this mid-level Self School technique was swift.

"If I can maintain this pace, I shouldn't need to use up my free observation sessions until I've reached the sixth transformation."

As Zhao Xing left the corridor, he noticed several other Shennong students scratching their heads in frustration.

Some had pulled out handfuls of their own hair.

If formation studies were the most hair-pulling aspect for mechanism masters, then Self School techniques were the equivalent for Shennong students.

Studying the principles of life was no easy task.

There are only a few celestial phenomena—just spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Earth veins? Just the five elements and wind and thunder.

But life? The diversity of life is limitless, and you never know what strange life forms might pop up during your research.

"This is too hard! I just can't figure it out!"

Someone in the Hall of All Things let out a wail of despair.

On the 21st of May, at the Southwest Training Field, it was another day of getting beaten up.

Since Zhao Xing had led a group of Shennong students in giving the warriors a hard time previously, the warriors had grown cautious.

They were no longer as reckless, no longer treating the Shennong students like toys.

Xia Jing and Fu Ying leaped to the front of the warrior formation at the start of the training.

Ten people from the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise divisions stood forward to take the first wave of attacks.

Zhao Xing's Kui Niu Thunder Roar still caused considerable trouble for the warrior formation, but this time the effects were diminished.

In the end, the Shennong Division still lost, but more warriors remained standing compared to the previous session.

Zhao Xing, Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, and others had stood out too much in the last round, so they were eliminated earlier this time.

But by the 24th of May, things had shifted again.

Fewer Shennong students charged, and the warrior formation's cohesion and organization also weakened.

After repeated failures, the Shennong Division's anger, once at its peak when Zhao Xing first rallied them, had gradually subsided after two rounds of failed counterattacks.

Most students now only sought to protect themselves in the chaos.

The warriors were the same. Although they had managed a successful counteroffensive last time, many from the Four Great Martial Divisions had been eliminated in the process, resulting in rankings far below their grades.

Tempers only flare for a while. Sustaining it over time isn't practical, especially when it clashes with personal interests. Hence, the warriors' morale also waned.

Zhao Xing still gathered a group of students and led them to attack the weaker points of the warrior formation, while Fu Ying, Xia Jing, and other organizers led their group to charge at the Shennong's weak points.

In the battle on the 24th of May, the top talents on both sides fought independently.

Xia Jing, Fu Ying, and their team did not immediately target Zhao Xing, Shi Yong, or Zhuang Ziqing, as going head-to-head would risk their own rankings. Fu Ying had already been eliminated early once.

With Zhao Xing's Kui Niu Thunder Roar being as formidable as it was, and with Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, and the other Shennong talents having powerful martial skills as well, the warriors couldn't afford to take them lightly.

So, the talents on both sides focused on eliminating the weaker opponents.

In the end, the rankings returned to what they had been in the first battle.

On the 27th of May, Zhao Xing's Wasteland Essence Convergence reached the fourth transformation.

During the Martial Arts Training breaks, he practiced daily in Lu Bang's training field.

Combining Wild Growth with the Wasteland Essence Convergence, he experimented with various plant seedlings.

Now, he could make third-tier seeds bloom and bear fruit within two hours, reaching maturity.

But he was still far from Lu Bang's standard for top-level marks.

On the 30th of May, beaten.

On the 3rd of June, beaten again.

By the 6th of June, Zhao Xing's Wild Growth had reached middle-level perfection, and his Wasteland Essence Convergence had reached the fifth transformation. He also endured his final beating.

The month-long Martial Arts Training course had come to an end.

All the Shennong students collectively sighed in relief.

"Damn, it's finally over!"

"A whole month, beaten every single day! Do you know what I've been through this past month?!"

"It was rough, but I do feel stronger. In the first battle, I got knocked out almost instantly, couldn't even last a quarter of an hour. But in the last session, I lasted a full hour!"

"That's true. The beatings weren't for nothing. I have to admit, at this point, I kinda miss getting beaten up every day."

"Huh…brother, something's not right with you…"

As the training session at the Southwest Field came to an end, Zhao Xing exhaled deeply. He had dropped in the rankings twice but managed to hold on to his top-level evaluation without being downgraded.

In fact, no top-level talents had been downgraded. Those who made it through the selection process to train in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven Realm were all exceptional individuals.

"The first mandatory course for the Shennong Division is now over. In half a month, the second mandatory course will begin," announced Fan Zhaoli from the Cloud Rain Loft above.

"The second mandatory course is Supply Training. The rules are as follows:"

"First, each Shennong student will be responsible for providing food for a group of warriors, but initially, they will only receive seeds or seedlings."

"Second, the environment will change. Seasons, geography, and even the seeds or seedlings will be random. Shennong students must grow these seeds or seedlings to produce food, which must then be provided to the warriors."

"Third, if no food is provided for three consecutive days, points will be deducted. If no food is provided for half a month, the student will be eliminated…"

"Fourth, the scoring criteria are…"