Chapter 280: Chapter 278: Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger
’After entering Mid-Stage Core Formation, the effects of the Guangling Pill have indeed been halved...’
Bai Zichen refined two Guangling Pills in a row, but each only provided the equivalent of five years of diligent cultivation absorbing nature’s spiritual energy. He sighed with regret.
’Among cultivation-enhancing elixirs, the Guangling Pill is already the best that the Danxia Sect can produce. Others might need to go to the Pill King Conference for elixirs to break through their bottlenecks, but it wouldn’t be very meaningful for me to go a second time.’
Several months ago, Han Qing of the Pill Hall officially broke through and became a Tier Three Alchemist.
Bai Zichen had summoned him to inspect the elixirs he had obtained from Huang Ping Wanderer and, at the same time, asked him many common questions about cultivation-enhancing elixirs.
Depending on the interval between doses, Elixir Resistance to the Guangling Pill would appear after consuming between twenty and twenty-five pills.
At the rate Bai Zichen was popping them like candy, he would clearly develop a resistance after taking more than twenty, and the elixir’s effects would drop sharply.
Han Qing possessed an Alchemy Spirit Body. With his Tier Three Low Grade Alchemist realm, he already had a low chance of successfully refining Tier Three Mid Grade elixirs.
The greatest benefit of this Spirit Body wasn’t refining elixirs above his tier, but allowing an Alchemist to grasp the feeling of the next realm ahead of time.
It was just like when Bai Zichen studied the Artifact Refining Art and forced himself to refine Spiritual Artifacts beyond his capabilities.
If not for the limitations of his own cultivation, Han Qing’s future in the Alchemy Dao was limitless.
Therefore, if he truly obtained a Spirit Grass over a thousand years old, Bai Zichen would now be more willing to entrust it to Han Qing, even though his alchemy results would certainly be inferior to Master Zhu’s at present.
But in doing so, he would be cultivating an Alchemy Grandmaster who belonged to the Qingfeng Sect itself.
...
A few days ago, on her way to the main mountain, Zhou Suqing came to Celestial Thunder Cliff to visit Bai Zichen.
After becoming a Core Formation Ancestor, she was permitted by tradition to go to the Secret Hall and choose three treasures left behind by predecessors.
Among the four Core Formation True Men, Zhou Suqing’s personal wealth was undoubtedly the lowest. She had even gone into debt with the Sect for tens of thousands of Contribution Points to exchange for the Clear Spirit Jade Marrow.
Even some wealthy Foundation Establishment Elders might have accumulated more Contribution Spirit Stones than her.
She came to visit both to thank Bai Zichen for his enlightenment that day and to seek his guidance.
After returning from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Master Ge Cang had sealed off the Cloud Platform to focus all his efforts on breaking through to Core Formation Perfection, refusing all visitors.
Even his disciple, Qi Yue, was sent down the mountain and couldn’t see him.
Wei Dao, on the other hand, was personally leading a team to Zengguang Immortal City to bid for the Thousand-Year-Old Golden Crown Lingzhi, while also keeping an eye out for any exceptionally powerful Secret Treasures to purchase.
Thus, the only person Zhou Suqing could consult was him.
Furthermore, regarding their suspicions about Blood God True Man, the other three had decided not to tell her for the time being because of her disposition.
In any case, with her level of strength, knowing or not knowing wouldn’t change the situation.
It wasn’t that Zhou Suqing lacked a Magical Treasure. Before Ancestor Yangg sacrificed himself for the Sect, he had passed his Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Primordial Magnetic Demon-Breaking Banner, down to her.
After more than two hundred years of refinement by Ancestor Yangg, the Primordial Magnetic Demon-Breaking Banner had become a Top-Grade Magical Treasure. It also contained a strand of Primordial Magnetic Divine Light within the banner, making it immensely powerful.
However, because it had been refined by its previous owner for so long, even with Ancestor Yangg passing on all the refinement techniques, it would take a new owner several decades before they could truly wield this Magical Treasure.
When Zhou Suqing said she was here for advice, she truly adopted the humble posture of a junior seeking knowledge. She not only discussed her Magical Treasure but even shared her own Pill Discussion.
Bai Zichen was deeply impressed. He could only do his utmost to devise a strategy for her based on her characteristics.
’Junior Sister Zhou may not be skilled in combat, but she isn’t bothered by it and doesn’t force the issue... Her peaceful mentality perfectly matches her philosophy on alchemy, which is to take things as they come. If the Sect faced no external threats and she could cultivate peacefully, she might really surpass Senior Brother Wei. For Core Formation True Men, anyone who reaches Core Formation within a few decades of each other can be considered part of the same generation of cultivators.’
The other Core Formation True Men of the Sect were all working hard, so of course, Bai Zichen couldn’t remain idle.
His recent travels through the Bamboo Sea and his subsequent use of a Secret Technique to imbue the Bai Clan Members with a Holy Beast Aura reminded him of the Jade Scroll left by the Bai Clan’s founding ancestor, which recorded the complete heritage of the Red Bright Lineage.
Although the Red Bright Lineage was just a branch of the Fish Dragon Sect, the prerequisite for establishing a separate lineage was having produced a Nascent Soul True Monarch and having forged a new path based on the Dragon Transformation Scripture.
Therefore, its heritage wasn’t necessarily much weaker than that of the main lineage.
’This Red Bright Nirvana Technique... why does it feel so similar to the Dragon Transformation Scripture, just an easier version to cultivate...’
Bai Zichen was quite disappointed as soon as he looked at the Red Bright Lineage’s basic cultivation technique.
The Red Bright Nirvana Technique could be cultivated all the way to the Early-Stage Nascent Soul Realm. From its description, it was a completely watered-down version of the Dragon Transformation Scripture.
However, it had one advantage: cultivators practicing this technique found it easier to break through bottlenecks, and it didn’t have high requirements for a cultivator’s Spiritual Root aptitude.
That was why, even though the Red Bright Lineage had fallen on hard times and didn’t even have its own island Spirit Land, it could still guarantee that every generation would have a Core Formation True Man.
The other branch lineage was on the verge of dying out; before the Fish Dragon Sect was destroyed, its strongest member was only at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.
’Damn, it looks like the branch lineages really are inferior to the main one... At least this cultivation technique is completely useless to me.’
Compared to the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture he cultivated, this Red Bright Nirvana Technique truly had no merits whatsoever.
However, it was quite suitable to pass on to the Bai Clan Members, and it would be more legitimate to do so.
’The founding ancestor was the orthodox successor of the Red Bright Lineage, and reviving it was his dying wish. I can copy the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Stage sections of the Red Bright Nirvana Technique and establish it as the Bai Clan’s core cultivation technique... If a descendant with outstanding talent who has the potential for Core Formation appears in the future, I will then entrust the complete heritage of the Red Bright Lineage to them.’
The Dragon Transformation Technique was too conspicuous and had higher requirements for the cultivator.
In comparison, the Red Bright Nirvana Technique perfectly suited the Bai Clan’s current needs.
Besides the cultivation technique, the remaining magics were all suited for use in water or at sea, so he only familiarized himself with them.
The main focus was on the three Divine Techniques and one Secret Technique.
’The Divine Techniques are whatever; they’re time-consuming and wouldn’t be very effective for me... But this Secret Technique is extraordinary. It’s truly worthy of being a mandatory technique for every Vein Master of the Red Bright Lineage.’
The biggest difference between a Secret Technique and a Divine Technique is that once the former is mastered, it immediately grants immense power.
However, its power cannot be increased further through continued cultivation; it basically remains stagnant.
There was a good reason why this Secret Technique, named the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger, had immediately captured his attention, completely overshadowing the other Divine Techniques and magics.
’One finger strike can bring down a Magical Treasure, severing the mental connection with its Spirit Binder... According to this description, it’s practically a Magical Treasure killer. As long as my own cultivation is high enough, I won’t have to fear even the most powerful Magical Treasures.’
The Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger was a rule-based Secret Technique. It didn’t rely on the strength of one’s True Essence, but on the exquisite Finger Technique. As long as the conditions of the technique’s rules were met, it would take effect.
Its ability to bring down a Magical Treasure was based on the user’s Cultivation Realm.
At Early-Stage Core Formation, it could bring down a Low-Grade Magical Treasure.
At Mid-Stage Core Formation, it could bring down a Mid-Grade Magical Treasure.
And so on. At Core Formation Perfection, even Top-Grade Magical Treasures could be disregarded.
But the Jade Scroll mentioned that besides being difficult to cultivate, rule-based Secret Techniques had another drawback: they consumed an excessive amount of True Essence.
Furthermore, the True Essence consumed by the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger was not fixed; it increased in proportion to one’s cultivation.
Regardless of one’s realm, striking three times in a row was the absolute limit.
’It’s one thing in the Core Formation Realm, but if I could become a Nascent Soul True Monarch, wouldn’t I be able to bring down even Spiritual Treasures... With this Secret Technique, the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger, alone, the Red Bright Lineage absolutely deserves its place among the twelve lineages of the Fish Dragon Sect!’
Imagine being in the heat of combat. One side brings out their Lifebound Magical Treasure, their trump card, confident of victory.
But with a light touch of your finger, their mental connection is severed, and it falls to the ground, unresponsive no matter how they try to activate it.
What a devastating blow that would be to the opponent. It could completely change the course of the battle.
The Red Bright Lineage had only ever produced a single Early-Stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.
Therefore, the upper limit of the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger’s known power was bringing down a Low-Grade Spiritual Treasure.
As for whether it could still be effective at higher levels, that would likely have to wait for Bai Zichen to reach that stage in his cultivation and test it himself.
’Flying Swords may be special, but they are still a type of Magical Treasure... Doesn’t that mean a Perfect Core Formation Cultivator who has mastered the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger could ignore a Tier Three Flying Sword and just bring it down with a touch?’
As Bai Zichen marveled at the power of this Secret Technique, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Of course, the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger was currently in his possession, and the Red Bright Lineage had no other legacy disciples.
But there was no guarantee that other Secret Techniques with similar effects didn’t exist in the Cultivation Realm. For Sword Cultivators, that would be a true catastrophe.
The vast majority of Sword Cultivators only had one or two Flying Swords.
This was both because they lacked the wealth to acquire more Flying Swords and because the burden of simultaneously controlling multiple swords was something no one could bear.
They were perfectly countered by cultivators who practiced the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger. With just three finger strikes, they could sever the connection to three Flying Swords.
If they couldn’t even control their Flying Swords, unless they were a Great Power who had truly comprehended Sword Intent, ninety-nine percent of Sword Cultivators would see their combat power plummet by more than half.
’Fortunately, I’ve always been aiming to create Sword Arrays and am preparing to build a grand "Flying Sword museum"... Ten Flying Swords isn’t too many, and twenty would be even better. In the future, it will be impossible to restrain me with just a single Secret Technique.’
Bai Zichen had already posted a Sect mission in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to gather the few remaining minerals needed to refine the Cyan Dragon Sea Roaring Sword.
As soon as the materials were gathered, the work of refining a Tier Three Flying Sword could be put on the agenda.
Moreover, regarding the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be very effective against a Living Spirit Flying Sword like the Moon Xuan Sword.
’Even if the mental connection is severed, as long as the Spiritual Treasure is willing, it can still return to its master’s hand. It could consume its Origin Power to instantly re-establish the state of being Heart and Spirit Linked...’
Bai Zichen guessed that a Low-Grade Spiritual Treasure, with its insufficient spirituality, could still be brought down by the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger.
But when it came to a Top-Grade Spiritual Treasure, or even higher Tiers, the spirituality exhibited by the Spiritual Treasure would be quite mature.
As long as the Spiritual Treasure itself was willing, it could completely negate the effects of the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger.
But regardless, this Secret Technique had extremely high cultivation value.
Bai Zichen read it back and forth three times. After memorizing it, he attempted to cultivate it for the first time.
’How could it be this smooth? I almost succeeded on the first try...’
Several hours later, a dim point of Spirit Light appeared on his right index finger. It held a transcendent, ever-changing aura and was on the verge of becoming self-contained, ready to be unleashed as a Finger Light.
According to the Jade Scroll, reaching this step meant he had already mastered more than half of the Secret Technique and overcome the most difficult hurdles.
With a little more practice, mastering the Cosmic Light Treasure Sun Finger would be a matter of course.
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