(A/N: Discord link: discord.gg/SC9HNKVj5e )
Li Huang might not be a genius, but he is not an idiot. The idea to sell drugs was something that he knew would work for sure. In a word of cultivation and body refinement, many of the addictive and harmful drugs from his past life would be considered elixirs of mental clarity and miracle pills that make advancement in cultivation much easier.
It also wouldn't be like a cultivator would face much of the negative effects of those drugs, and even if they were affected by it, it wouldn't be much worse than the pills that the cultivation world uses right now. You can also simply blame those effects on mortals, on the simple fact that their bodies are weak and fragile. Well, not that they could afford the medicine meant for cultivators in the first place.
After briefly thinking about the drugs that could be helpful to the cultivators, Li Huang cleared his mind and started meditating for the rest of the night. He would have to be ready for a battle in about a day, so he had no time to waste.
In the previous days, Li Huang had two main focuses; one was to find and acquire treasures with the help of the Peeping eye of Heaven, and the other one was to buy enough herbs so that he could start training in [Soul splitting scripture].
The [Soul splitting scripture] was not something that Li Huang could compare to any other technique he had heard of. The only silver lining was that he was used to chugging medicinal concoctions and swallowing herbs as he dabbled in body cultivation, so he could somewhat understand the training method.
The training method was something novel to Li Huang, it involved a series of movements while he was under the effect of a handful of herbs and medicinal concoctions. These movements would have to be immediately followed with a detailed meditation session where the practitioner would create and strengthen a unique Qi pathway in their body. According to the manual, this training should be repeated so much that the movement, be it while meditation or before that, becomes second nature to the practitioner.
This in itself was not something unheard of in the world of cultivation as almost all of the skills and techniques relied on repetition in their acquisition step in one way or another. What was unique about this method was the combination of physical and mental training to achieve the desired results. It is explained in the manual that the physical training is done to first and foremost increase the absorption rate of the herbs and medicinal concoctions and secondly, move the body in a way that would be easier for the practitioner to form the Qi pathways in the next step. After that, while meditating you have to first condense your Qi in your abdomen and send them in 361 directions one by one. This meant that one meditation session would at least consist of 361 condensations and discharges of Qi in the exact order that was dictated in the training manual.
This rigorous meditation practice required the utmost focus and discipline. The practitioner had to be completely in tune with their body, mind, and spirit, as any lapse in concentration could disrupt the flow of Qi and the training had to start all over again. Each condensation and discharge of Qi had to be executed with precision and intention, ensuring that the energy followed the designated pathways without any deviation. This meticulous process allowed the Qi to penetrate every inch of the body and form and strengthen the pathways used in the [Soul splitting scripture].
Not only the order is important in this process, but the intensity of the pulse is something that the practitioner should monitor and maintain closely. The intensity of each Qi pulse varies from the peak power of the first realm of the Qi Gathering to the twelfth stage of the Meridian Formation.
Li Huang was not anywhere close to the twelfth stage of the Meridian Formation right now. Still, he knew that mastering the [Soul splitting scripture] would not be something that he could achieve in a matter of a few months, so it was logical for him to start mastering it as fast as possible.
…
Time passed as Li Huang was immersed in meditation and soon it was time for the last day of the auction. He slowly opened his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows to give his eyes time to adjust to the light.
"Alright, let's get to work." Li Huang said to himself and got ready to walk to the auction house.
In addition to Li Huang, those who belonged to the Li Family and the Heavenly Sword sect were also getting ready to leave. Soon everyone was out and walking toward the main auction building. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation and excitement as they made their way through the bustling streets.
"Young master Li, Young miss Li! The fact that I've met you here gives me hope for a prosperous future." Just as they were turning a corner, someone called out to Li Huang and Li Wanrou.
Li Huang had a good memory when it came to voices so he recognized the person who initiated the conversation with them immediately, "Young master Xu must be joking, we are the ones in luck." Li Huang cupped his fists and said with a smile that could hardly pass as half genuine.
This might have been an issue if Li Huang wanted it to appear genuine, but that wasn't the case for him. The Li family and the Xu family always had a rocky relationship, so it wouldn't be surprising to anyone even if Li Huang was outright hostile to Xu Xian.
It wasn't that Li Huang was incapable of concealing his feelings; rather, he did it on purpose in order to give the impression to Xu Xian that he was a gullible person. He wants him to relax a little bit in front of him and let his guard down, or at the very least, he wants him to have lower expectations of him.
"Haha, let's say we are both lucky to be here." Xu Xian said with a small smile, and you didn't have to be a genius to see the double meaning in his words if you thought about what they had planned for Li Huang and others.
Li Huang also smiled and nodded. He had no intention of spending any more time around Xu Xian than was absolutely necessary, but it seemed that Xu Xian had different plans as he started talking again just before Li Huang could come up with an excuse and leave.
"I have to also congratulate you and your family for winning a lot of items in this year's auction, especially the Golden Dragon Pearl." Xu Xian said in the most cordial manner that he was capable of.
Li Huang couldn't help but smile a genuine smile this time. He recalled how he was baffled as to why the Xu family had made the decision to sell the Golden Dragon Pearl when it appeared that His Grandpa and Li Wanrou were already aware of the situation.
"Thank you. It is such a magnificent item that I can't help but marvel at it every now and then." Li Huang said with a sheepish smile. He could now understand that the Xu family was planning to take the Golden Dragon Pearl when they planned to abduct him and others.
"It is truly a magnificent item." Xu Xian nodded. Fortunately for Li Huang, Xu Xian was able to discern that Li Huang was in possession of the item, precisely as Li Huang had desired. Li Huang wanted to minimize the risk to the other family members so this way, he could be somewhat certain that they would focus on him.
"Well, I won't take any more of your time." Xu Xian said and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, they parted ways. Well, they had the same destination so they didn't really have to part ways but chose to do so regardless. The path might have gotten a bit longer but was certainly more pleasant for both parties.
They soon reached the Feng Family's auction house. This would be the last day of the auction and usually the best items would be presented here. Given the amount of competition for high-quality and well-known items, Li Huang didn't have high hopes for the day as he entered the Heavenly Sword sect's balcony.
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