Chapter 61: Spiritual Power
Mister Zhuang handed Mo Hua the jade slip of Celestial Evolution Art:
"Jade slips of ancient cultivation methods are a bit special. Only when your cultivation reaches a certain level can you use Divine-Sense to view the training techniques that follow. Qi-Refining stage techniques have no such restrictions, but for Foundation Establishment stage techniques, only cultivators who have studied Celestial Evolution Art and reached the Foundation Establishment stage themselves can see them."
"Most ancient methods are one technique per slip. If the jade slip is lost, the method is basically lost as well. Even if some methods have multiple copies, you may not find them. The cultivation world is vast; finding a rare jade slip of an ancient method is like searching for a needle in the ocean. Moreover, I've only seen this single slip of Celestial Evolution Art in my life."
"So you must keep this jade slip safe and never, ever lose it!"
Mo Hua took the jade slip solemnly, feeling its weight, yet his heart couldn't help but swell with joy.
This was a true cultivation method. Learning it meant he was truly stepping into the ranks of cultivators. On the boundless path of cultivation, this was his very first step.
Mo Hua told his parents about Mister Zhuang passing the method to him.
Mo Shan was very happy. Although the spiritual power produced by this method was not much, the phrase 'not suitable for non-formation masters' clearly indicated it was extraordinary. Very few true formation masters had ever come from scattered cultivators in Tōngxiān City.
Moreover, this method was given by the unfathomably profound Mister Zhuang, and it was said to be an ancient method—naturally priceless. It was far better than the techniques passed around among ordinary cultivators.
Mo Shan knew Mister Zhuang didn't care much for mundane things like spirit stones, and he remembered that every time Mo Hua delivered wine and meat, Mister Zhuang finished it all. So it seemed to suit his taste.
Before dawn the next day, Mo Shan went up the mountain in the dark, hunting a few demon beasts. Three days later, he returned with a big sack filled with fresh meat from cows, sheep, and demon beasts—the tenderest parts, left out of storage to preserve freshness.
Liu Ruhua cleaned the meat, smoking some, frying some, making various spicy and fragrant dishes, garnishing with green herbs, and neatly packing them in a food box.
She also brought several jars of fragrant fruit wine brewed at home, plus a few boxes of freshly roasted pine nuts, letting Mo Hua take them up the mountain, with instructions to politely express gratitude without disturbing Mister Zhuang's cultivation.
Mister Zhuang received the food box silently but looked very pleased. Sitting in the bamboo pavilion, enjoying the 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 a few boxes were handed over, they disappeared before Mo Hua's eyes—none left for Mister Zhuang.
Mo Hua also brought some to the Bai siblings to express thanks.
Bai Zixi ate two slices of meat and drank more sweet osmanthus wine. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes sparkled like stars.
Bai Zisheng was less restrained. He loved spicy food, eating heartily, sweat dripping, yet thoroughly enjoying it.
Seeing him eat, Mo Hua couldn't help asking, "You don't normally lack meat, do you?"
"You wouldn't understand," Bai Zisheng said. "Usually it's spirit beast meat—tender but lacking chewiness. And with too much spiritual energy, the flavor gets muted."
Mo Hua thought his words were a bit cheeky. He himself had barely eaten spirit beast meat, except for what his mother made. His most vivid memory was the chicken Da-Hu and others stole from a Tōngxiān Sect elder, burnt to a crisp.
After eating, Bai Zisheng asked about Mo Hua's cultivation method.
Mo Hua explained Mister Zhuang passing the technique to him.
(TN: Translated by Aberto D. Tempest. Search it up to read the latest chapters.)
Bai Zisheng looked a bit envious. "Mister Zhuang treats you well. But the spiritual power this method produces is so minimal."
"Nothing can be done. Life rarely goes as expected. There's always compromise."
Bai Zisheng smirked, "Not even that old, and you talk like a little old man."
"Does having low spiritual power really matter?" Mo Hua asked, suddenly concerned.
"Of course," Bai Zisheng said. "Cultivators cultivate spiritual power. If yours is low, you'll never surpass others."
He gave an example: "If you fight someone with 100 cycles of spiritual power, and you only have 50, when theirs is down to 50, yours is gone. You'll naturally be at their mercy."
"Spiritual power is needed for everything—combat, forging artifacts, refining pills. Even carrying storage boxes at the Spirit Luck Wharf consumes it."
"If you refine one spirit artifact, others can make two. One furnace of pills, others two. You carry ten boxes half a day; others twenty. They earn twice as many spirit stones. How can you compete?"
"So if I become a formation master, low spiritual power won't matter, right?" Mo Hua asked uncertainly.
"Hmm… that's true," Bai Zisheng nodded. "Formation masters mainly consume Divine-Sense, not spiritual power. When drawing formations, your spiritual power rarely runs out before your Divine-Sense is exhausted. Low spiritual power won't stop you from being a formation master."
Mo Hua relaxed.
Bai Zisheng patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. Even if your spiritual power is low, mine is high. Call me big brother, and I'll cover you. Anyone bullying you, I'll deal with."
Mo Hua: "Forget it."
Bai Zisheng compromised. "Then just bring me beef every day, and I'll cover you too."
"You can buy it yourself."
"Aunt Xue doesn't let me eat casually, and no non-spiritual-energy foods either. She also wants me to eat less."
"Oh."
"Oh what? I'm giving you face here…" Bai Zisheng said.
Mo Hua ignored him. Bai Zisheng bickered, while Bai Zixi quietly sipped her sweet wine.
In the following days, Mo Hua gave up the breathing exercise method and formally began cultivating according to the meridian diagrams and breathing techniques in Celestial Evolution Art.
After several sessions, Mo Hua felt a difference.
The refinement was faster, the refined spiritual energy purer, and his meridians felt more unblocked.
The only issue was that the cultivated spiritual power showed no special change.
He asked Da-Hu, who cultivated the fire-based Blazing Tiger Art. After training, his spiritual power had a slight burning sensation, enhancing the strength of future fire-based spells or martial techniques.
Shuang Hu cultivated Foundation Consolidation Art, harmonizing spiritual and blood energy, strengthening the body. Mo Hua forgot what Xiao Hu cultivated, but his spiritual power also changed slightly.
Only Mo Hua's spiritual power seemed fundamentally unchanged.
The Celestial Evolution Art produced a standard number of cycles of spiritual energy.
Compared to Bai siblings from a family sect, it was weak, but above average for ordinary Qi-Refining scattered cultivators—not exceptional, but acceptable.
The only unique aspect was the increased Divine-Sense consumption—several times more than basic breathing exercises.
But basic breathing exercises or cultivation methods barely consumed Divine-Sense anyway. Even multiplied, it wasn't much—less than what's needed to draw a formation.
Mo Hua hadn't expected anything special from this method anyway.
For him, a method that saved spirit stones was the best method.
(End of Chapter)