Key To Power

After finishing the diary, Lin Shu suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha! You're really unlucky that I'm the one who found your last hope for revenge! Hahahaha!" His voice echoed in the small cave, filled with nothing but mockery. "Maybe if someone else had picked this up, they would've felt sympathy or even a sense of duty to avenge you. But me? I'd kill just to get what I want. You think I'd feel indebted for something I got for free? What an unlucky bastard."

His gaze flickered toward the skeleton, eyes cold and disdainful. "You lost everything because you chose the path of medicine. If you had been strong enough, you wouldn't have ended up as a pile of bones. And even if you insisted on staying a doctor, you could've used that knowledge as a weapon, yet you didn't. I don't even know how someone like you managed to exist in a clan like that."

Lin Shu scoffed, then paused, a thought crossing his mind. "Or maybe this is all just a lie—a pathetic attempt to gain some fool's sympathy and trick them into avenging you." He grinned, unconcerned. "But it doesn't matter. In the end, I'm the one who benefited."

His eyes finally landed on the small book he had overlooked earlier. He reached for it, fingers brushing against the worn cover, and his breath hitched.

"So this… is the key to power."

Lin Shu picked up the cultivation technique, his fingers tracing the worn edges of the book. He figured it was best to read this first and save the martial art, Ivory Dominion, for later. If this truly held the key to power, then understanding it took priority over everything else.

The book Lin Shu found was old, its cover worn and edges frayed. Flipping it open, he saw ink-stained pages filled with precise, deliberate calligraphy. The text was simple but direct, outlining the most basic method of cultivation.

Basic Qi Cultivation Method

"To cultivate is to harness the qi of heaven and earth, refining it into one's own strength. Qi is ever-present, yet without training, it remains out of reach. This method serves as the first step for those who wish to begin their path."

First Stage: Sensing Qi

"Qi exists everywhere, yet the untrained cannot perceive it. To begin, sit in stillness, slow the breath, and clear the mind. Do not search for qi, for it cannot be forced. Instead, focus inward—on breath, heartbeat, and body. In time, a faint warmth, a subtle current, will make itself known. This is qi."

"Some may sense it quickly, others may take days weeks months or never. The body varies, but perseverance determines success."

Second Stage: Refining Qi

"Sensing qi is not enough; it must be refined. Draw it inward to the dantian, the energy center below the navel. Like gathering water into a reservoir, one must guide it steadily and without rush. Breathe deeply, pulling qi inward, allowing it to settle and strengthen. Over time, it will grow steady and pure."

"But be warned: uncontrolled qi scatters easily. If the mind wavers, the gathered energy will disperse. Only through constant practice can one build a stable foundation."

Third Stage: Circulating Qi

"Qi, once refined, must be guided through the body. Begin with the Small Circulation—leading qi from the dantian, up the spine, over the head, and down the front, returning to its source. This cycle strengthens the body and stabilizes the flow."

"With progress, one may attempt the Large Circulation, spreading qi through the limbs and meridians, reinforcing flesh and bone. Some seek quicker power through Reverse Circulation, an unnatural method that forces qi against its proper path, but it carries great risk."

Fourth Stage: Using Qi

"When qi is stable, it may be directed beyond the body. With practice, one may strengthen their strikes, resist harm, or project energy outward. At this stage, one has the foundation to pursue greater techniques."

"This method is but the first step. It grants no great strength, no profound insights—only a path forward. Beyond this, further progress depends on one's determination.

Lin Shu closed the book. The method was basic, crude even, but it was a beginning. A true path to power, no matter how lowly, was still a path.

After finishing the cultivation technique, Lin Shu turned his attention to Ivory Dominion, eager to understand what it was about.

**"Ivory Dominion—this is a technique I, Jiang Jian, created. Its purpose was to control the bones within one's body—to replace, heal, and strengthen them. While not originally designed as a body refinement technique, I would say it offers benefits comparable to a low-tier Rank 1 body refinement method, though that is merely a side effect.

Through this technique, one can manipulate their own bones. For example, I was able to grow a bone spike from my forearm at will and just as easily dissolve it back into my body. Over time, I realized that this technique could serve not only as a low-tier Rank 1 body refinement method but also as a low-tier Rank 1 battle skill. However, those were merely bonuses, not my true goal.

I made significant progress in refining it. As of now, Ivory Dominion can cure certain poisons—specifically, those that attack the bones of the victim. However, its effectiveness is currently limited, capable of countering only poisons created through peak-tier Rank 1 battle skills. Further refinement would be possible with enough time"**

Lin Shu read through the description carefully. The diary had provided insight into Jiang Jian's tragic past, but Ivory Dominion itself contained only the method of practice, nothing more. As Jiang Jian had written, it was left incomplete—unfinished, just like his vengeance.

Lin Shu gained valuable insight from the text—there were ranks for battle skills, body refinement techniques, and cultivation techniques. Naturally, cultivators themselves must have ranks as well.

"So this technique serves as both a low-tier Rank 1 battle skill and a body refinement technique. It also grants immunity to poisons created using peak-tier Rank 1 battle skills—though only if they specifically target the bones. Its ability to heal poisons is severely limited, but someone like me has no right to complain. Hah."

He pondered his next move.

"Should I start practicing it now, or find a village first? I don't even have a map, and I've never been to any town or village outside of my own. No… I can't afford to wander around with gold and a cultivation technique without actually being a cultivator. I need to become one first—then I'll leave. Maybe I'll become a bandit, kill anyone I come across… Or, if I'm too weak for that, I'll just hunt blood beasts."

He first began channeling his qi according to the method described in the book, focusing on his bones and attempting to exert control over them. As a simple test, he tried to form a small bone spike—and to his surprise, he succeeded almost instantly.

"That was... easy?"

Ivory Dominion wasn't as complex as he had expected. The technique was straightforward, almost instinctual, as if his body had always known how to do it but had simply needed a push.

Another thing puzzled him—he felt no pain.

"Strange… Does using this martial art numb pain?" He wondered. "The book never mentioned anything like that."

To test further, he dissolved the spike back into his body. This time, he noticed something—his qi was depleting, just as it had when forming the bone.

"So both creating and dissolving the bones consume qi…" He mused, his mind already racing with possibilities.

Lin Shu first wondered, "Why didn't Jiang Jian mention the pain-numbing effect? Did he achieve it before he could even test it or document it? Or… did that sly fox deliberately leave out details about the battle skill's full potential?"

There was no way to know for sure. With no answers, he continued his experiments.

He quickly discovered that the larger the bone structure he created, the more Qi it consumed. The same was true for complexity—a simple spike was effortless, but when he tried forming a bone gauntlet, it drained his Qi significantly and took several minutes to shape.

"Too slow. Something like this would be useless in battle."

Through trial and error, he realized the technique was easy to use as long as the designs remained simple. The moment he attempted something intricate, the difficulty increased exponentially.

He proceeded to form a sharp bone blade from the back of his hand, then experimented with crude leg armor and a chest plate. But by the time he finished, exhaustion hit him like a crashing wave. His Qi was nearly depleted, and both his body and mind were drained.

Falling to his knees, Lin Shu decided to rest and meditate to recover.

Once his strength returned, he immediately resumed cultivating. He was eager to reach the Middle Stage of Rank 1 as soon as possible—but his progress was painstakingly slow.

"So my talent is probably low…" he admitted to himself. "But at least I have a talent for cultivation."

For now, that was enough.