After celebrating with Wu Bin and Chen Yun for one night, Su Jie ca to the courtyard where Taoist Qiu resided the next day.
Thud, thud.
Gently knocking on the door knocker, footsteps ca from inside, and a middle-aged man dressed as a butler walked out.
"Disciple Su Jie seeks an audience with Master."
Su Jie spoke loudly, while simultaneously handing over the gift he had prepared to the butler.
With his new position, Su Jie of course ca to pay a visit to his direct leader.
"So it’s Mr. Su, I will imdiately inform the master."
The butler, obviously aware of Su Jie’s promotion, quickly went in to report.
It didn’t take long before he ca out again.
"The master asks you to co in, please follow , Mr. Su."
With the butler leading the way, Su Jie arrived at a flower court.
In the spiritually rich soil were planted full gardens of Dragon Blood Flower, blossoming like blood in their splendid beauty.
This was a special type of Spirit Plant, the magnificent blossoms required fresh blood to nourish and promote growth, preferably by watering with human blood to look their best and most vibrant.
At the mont, Taoist Qiu was standing in the middle of the flower garden, back towards Su Jie, and said lightly, "Without human slaves, my flower garden has lost much of its luster, you have co at an untily mont."
"Disciple is at fault for not bringing the human slaves back to the Sect, please punish , Master."
Su Jie stood upright, taking the bla.
"That is everyone’s fault, you do not yet have the status to bear such responsibility."
Taoist Qiu slowly turned around, his face lean, his eyes like ancient wells without ripples.
"Your senior brother is dead, now you are one of only two inner disciples on my side, do not tarnish my na."
Taoist Qiu slowly spoke, and as he did, Su Jie always felt he was being stared at by Taoist Qiu, wondering whether he suspected that Pei Haibing’s death was related to him.
A chill went through Su Jie’s heart, and he earnestly said, "Master, I will definitely glorify our branch and won’t perform worse than others."
"It would be best that way; don’t be like your senior brother, less capable than others, ultimately just a handful of yellow earth."
Seeming to be giving Su Jie a warning, Taoist Qiu might have guessed sothing but did not probe further.
Competition within the Demon Path is brutal; it’s quite normal for the successful to climb over the bodies of the defeated.
For Taoist Qiu, even if Su Jie really killed Pei Haibing, it ant no loss to him, rather he gained a more promising disciple.
Especially under the circumstances of limited resources, it was certain to select the best and cultivate the stronger one.
Just like the competition in the animal kingdom, the eaglets nurtured by an eagle are not fed on an equal footing, but the fiercest chick gets fed, and the weaker chicks, unable to get food, grow thinner and eventually are abandoned and starve to death.
"Your potential is not bad; choose one Cultivation Technique out of the three."
After the slight admonishnt, Taoist Qiu offered a sweetener and brought out three Jade Scrolls.
The Jade Scrolls were inscribed with the nas of the Cultivation Techniques: White Bone Transformation Skill, Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill, and Yaksha Body Refining Technique.
"White Bone Transformation Skill, your senior brother practiced that. Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill, cultivates the great Dao of the soul, where the soul erges purified from extinction, allowing the divine soul to traverse space in a single day. Yaksha Body Refining Technique seeks a body like a demon, thrown into the flas, and at its successful completion, one can dive into the sea to capture flood dragons and fly to seize and consu giant birds."
Listening to Taoist Qiu, Su Jie looked at the three Cultivation Techniques, having seen Pei Haibing use the White Bone Transformation Technique.
The Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill, strengthens the divine soul, primarily enhancing inherent talents.
The Yaksha Body Refining Technique was quite domineering, but Su Jie knew, with the temperant of demon cultivators, the more ruthless and powerful the technique, the more it required the blood sacrifice of human slaves.
"Master, the disciple chooses the Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill."
Su Jie made his choice, knowing his own talents were lacking and now that he had been promoted to an inner disciple, he likely wouldn’t face any danger in a short span; instead, improving talent excited him greatly.
"Have you decided? This technique is more orthodox and requires patient cultivation."
"I’m sure, I choose this one."
"Take it then, and do not teach it privately."
"Disciple understands."
Having received the Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill, Su Jie felt joy in his heart, yet he also felt sowhat sentintal.
Calling him Master wasn’t in vain, for he had given such a precious Cultivation Technique.
This also showed Taoist Qiu’s generosity and the depth of his resources, as other Elders might not have had so many superior Cultivation Techniques, and even if they did, they might not have been willing to let their disciples practice them.
"You may leave now. Go back and practice well."
Taoist Qiu averted his gaze and plucked a Dragon Blood Flower.
The large blossom blood, falling into Su Jie’s hand, where the petals’ infant mouths opened, seeking to suckle Su Jie’s blood.
"Thank you, Master, for this gift."
Su Jie bowed and then left the courtyard.
The butler waiting outside saw this and laughed, "It seems that Mr. Su is greatly favored by the master. The master usually only cares about his flowers and fish, and he does not give Dragon Blood Flowers to a disciple he doesn’t highly value."
"It’s just that Master holds in high regard; I still have much to work on."
Su Jie gave a bow and left Taoist Qiu’s residence, eager to return and practice.
........
Inside the Practice Room of the mansion.
"This Cultivation Technique is indeed quite orthodox."
Su Jie sat cross-legged on the ground, the Jade Scroll pressed to his forehead, and the vast knowledge of the Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill flooded into his mind.
After several hours, Su Jie manipulated a spell with his hands and looked into the void ahead, chanting spell nas and the Voice of God in the air.
Behind Su Jie, the air gradually rippled and a phantom-like darkness erged.
Rustle, rustle!
Then, above Su Jie’s head, a ghostly sphere slowly rose—this was Su Jie’s Divine Soul.
As the Divine Soul exited the body, Su Jie’s perspective changed too, residing within the Divine Soul, and he saw his physical body sitting in the Practice Room.
At this mont, Su Jie could control this Divine Soul, while his physical body was immobile like a vegetative state.
This novel perspective excited Su Jie imnsely, and he moved back and forth through the Practice Room.
However, when Su Jie tried to pass through the door to the outside world, a wave of discomfort overca him.
The Divine Soul, hit by the sunlight, had wisps of bluish smoke rising from its surface. Having just practiced the Enlightennt Returning Ruins Skill, Su Jie’s Divine Soul was still too weak, and instinctively felt uncomfortable under the sacred light of the sun, which was extrely Yang.
"The Divine Soul is still too weak."
Thinking this, Su Jie controlled his invisible Divine Soul to soar into the sky.
However, the farther away he got, the weaker the connection between Su Jie’s Divine Soul and his physical body beca. Ultimately, Su Jie could only move within a hundred ters around the mansion. Any further, and his physical body would truly die, and his Divine Soul, exposed to the elents and storms, wouldn’t last long either.
After thoroughly testing his capabilities, Su Jie controlled his Divine Soul to return to the Practice Room and looked towards the darkness behind his physical body, his Divine Soul flying back into it.
Within the darkness, a burst of light suddenly shone forth.
Su Jie’s Divine Soul appeared like a great sun suspended in the dark Nine Nether, its light and heat illuminating the darkness.
Suddenly, Su Jie felt a refreshing clarity, his mind working much faster.
With a single thought, the ridians within his body clearly appeared, the roaring flow of Qi and blood, and the complexity of the human body’s major acupoints were all revealed.
The path to the Seventh Level of Yunling Realm was no longer obstructed for Su Jie, there were no more secrets, leaving only the need for continuous, ticulous effort.
"So this is what it feels like to be a genius!"
A smile played on Su Jie’s lips, his Divine Soul previously confined within the Mud Pill Palace, immobile like an Earth-bound Spirit.
But now, Su Jie allowed his Divine Soul to step out of the Mud Pill Palace, and the darkness it illuminated was actually the parts of the body he had never clearly seen before—a fundantal improvent in bodily control, giving Su Jie a comprehensive and clear understanding of himself.
Simultaneously, the physical body would nourish the Divine Soul too, the abundant Spiritual Power and Qi blood constantly tempering the fragile Divine Soul, making it as firm as rock.
And as Su Jie’s Divine Soul grew stronger, this understanding would deepen even further, body and Divine Soul boosting each other, complenting each other.
Eventually, he would achieve a state as clear as a mirror, the Soul transforming into the Primordial Spirit, body and Soul at will, one thought manifesting myriad forms, one thought returning all to ruins.
Of course, such a state was far beyond what could be achieved in the Yunling Realm, or even in the Secret Realm.
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