My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Chapter 358: Chapter 87: Fire Cultivation Technique

The Cultivation Technique was written on crude bamboo slips, a format that hardly befitted its nature. Moreover, it had no name.

The technique lacked an entry-level section. This was because Cang’an, like most Fire Cultivators, had achieved his breakthrough using the most conventional method: fusing with a Fire Vein. This method had a fairly high success rate, and the instructions could be obtained from the Daoist Scripture Hall with redemption points and Silver Coins.

By the time Wang Ping finished reading the contents of the bamboo slips, the sky had already begun to darken. He stored the puppet that had been drawing the Array Runes into his storage bag and returned to the Mountain Peak Dojo.

Yu Lian happened to be returning just then. She shrank down and landed on Wang Ping’s shoulder, saying, "Xiaozhu is also about to complete her preparations for breakthrough. She might enter seclusion for the next few years."

"How is she doing?" Wang Ping asked.

"Very well, but her progress is too stable. After she breaks through, we’ll need to send her out to gain some experience," Yu Lian brought up the matter again.

"I’ll arrange it."

"Also, what are your plans for Yang Rong? Will she cultivate the *Taiyan Talisman*?" Yu Lian asked.

"What does she want to do?" Wang Ping countered, taking out Cang’an’s Cultivation Technique to continue reading.

"She wants to practice the *Wood Gathering Skill*."

"Why?"

"She probably feels she should carry on Shuang’Er’s legacy. From what I’ve gathered, it seems she plans to develop the third volume of the *Wood Gathering Skill*."

"Ambitious!"

Wang Ping’s gaze shifted from the bamboo slips to Yu Lian. Meeting her vertical pupils, he asked, "Is that what she really thinks?"

Yu Lian was silent for two breaths before saying, "She probably has secrets she hasn’t told us. I suspect she made a promise to a friend she adventured with."

Wang Ping gave a noncommittal smile. "It doesn’t matter. As long as she doesn’t do anything treacherous, I won’t concern myself with such trivial details."

"Mm."

The conversation ended. Yu Lian’s gaze fell upon the bamboo slips Wang Ping was reading.

Thirty minutes later, Wang Ping finished reading the contents of the bamboo slips. He quickly reviewed it in his mind, and then a glowing screen popped up:

[Unknown Fire Spirit Technique: The genius idea of a diligent Fire Spirit Cultivator who, during his long years of Qi Cultivation, communicated with his body’s Spirit Vein Consciousness. This Secret Technique, born from a desire to defy heaven and change his fate, was only perfected after countless experiments on his own body. Therefore, this Cultivation Technique is destined to be madness.]

[1. After fusing with a Fire Vein, use the True Yang Sect’s ’Sun Gazing’ technique daily to absorb Sun Essence and merge it with the Fire Vein in your body. Use the flames produced by these two energies to temper the strength of your physical body. The best time for this is 1:00 PM daily, and each session must not exceed Half an Hour. Continue until the Fire Vein has completely fused with your Qi Sea (Progress: 0/100, Today’s Progress: 0/Half an Hour).]

[2. Use your own consciousness to awaken the consciousness of the Fire Vein. You may attempt this twice a day until you succeed in awakening the Fire Vein Consciousness.]

[3. Use the flames born from the Fire Vein Consciousness, in conjunction with the flames produced daily by ’Sun Gazing’, to scorch your physical body and the Spirit Veins within it, so as to adapt to the Fire Vein’s intensity. You may attempt this twice a day until your body can withstand the temperature of lava.]

[4. Submerge your physical body in volcanic lava and attempt to communicate with the Fire Spirits within the lava. Upon success, communicate with them twice daily until your consciousness is in unison with a Fire Spirit’s consciousness. Then, fuse its consciousness with your own divine soul. A successful fusion will allow you to defy heaven and change your fate.]

[Note 1: When using the ’Sun Gazing’ method to fuse with the internal Fire Vein, you must constantly monitor your Spirit Vein Consciousness. During this step, the Spirit Vein Consciousness must not show any sign of awakening, or you will be directly assimilated into a Fire Spirit.]

[Note 2: When the Fire Vein’s consciousness awakens, do not attempt to communicate with it at first, or your memories will most likely be altered. You will need an area with a Water Spirit Qi concentration exceeding (65/100) to suppress the Fire Vein’s consciousness.]

[Note 3: When tempering your body’s strength, you must remain in a state of utmost clarity, or the Fire Vein’s consciousness may very well devour you.]

[Note 4: When communicating with a Fire Spirit, do not attempt to read its memories. If it shows any hostile intent, you must strike first, then find another Fire Spirit. When fusing with a Fire Spirit’s consciousness, you must adjust your own emotions to be as volatile as the Fire Spirit’s, yet you must also maintain your humanity at all times. Current success rate: No reference data.]

Even while reading the Secret Technique, Wang Ping had found the Fire Cultivator’s methods to be excessively self-destructive. Combined with the guide on the glowing screen, he felt even more keenly how difficult the path of a Fire Cultivator was.

The True Yang Sect’s method for breakthrough was semi-public. It involved using the ’Sun Gazing’ technique to communicate with the Sun Essence of early morning to temper oneself. Then, at the critical moment, one would condense a ball of morning fire, communicate with the True Yang Sect’s own Fire Spirit, and swallow the morning fire in one gulp. Successfully digesting it meant breakthrough; failure meant being burned to ashes.

It sounded easy, but an ordinary person could never attract a Fire Spirit’s attention, making the path impassable right from the Qi Cultivation stage. Cang’an must have adapted the True Yang Sect’s breakthrough method *after* his own initial breakthrough. He likely used his more powerful body and the Yang Fire of 1:00 PM to temper his physique, fuse with the Spirit Vein inside him, and finally, establish communication with wild Fire Spirits.

’I have to admit, he truly was a genius, daring enough to experiment. Unfortunately, he got himself involved in matters he shouldn’t have.’

"Nearly a thousand years of cultivation... why did he have to get involved in something like this?" Wang Ping sighed softly and observed two breaths of silence for Cang’an.

"Are you talking about the Fire Cultivator from Shangjing City that you killed?" Yu Lian asked.

Wang Ping nodded. He took out an exquisite jade slip and recorded the Secret Technique from the bamboo slips onto it, adding annotations to the key parts. When it came time to name it, however, he was at a loss.

After thinking for a long while, Wang Ping gave up.

「The next day.」

Before drawing the connecting runes for the Barrier Formation, Wang Ping went to the back of the mountain to have a word with Yu Cheng Taoist. He handed Cang’an’s Secret Technique over to him, as he was currently the one in charge of passing down techniques within the sect.

"This year, more than thirteen disciples have registered for their breakthrough. When the time comes, I will look for one or two among the Entry-level Disciples to become Dharma Transmission Elders," Yu Cheng Taoist said in a consultative tone.

"Mm, I was negligent on that matter. I’ll send a letter to Fellow Daoist Zuo later and have her redeem some basic Cultivation Techniques from the Daoist Scripture Hall."

Wang Ping had barely used his redemption points at the Daoist Scripture Hall, so this was a good opportunity to spend some.

After settling that matter, Wang Ping focused on drawing the Rune Lines for the Barrier Formation. This task was already in its final stages and only took him two more days.

Next was placing the various Celestial and Earthly Treasures and Spiritual Objects for the Array into the core areas of the Two Yang Spirit Gathering Array and the Three Yin Spirit Gathering Array at their respective positions. Wang Ping was very careful during this step, especially with the cores at each of the Eight Trigrams Positions in the underground secret chamber of the Three Yin Spirit Gathering Array, as well as the centermost Taiyin Spirit Gathering Array.

「Three days later.」

The Two Yang Gathering Yang Array activated first, which in turn powered the Two Yang Sealing Array in the underground prison. Next was the Three Yin Spirit Gathering Array, the main component in the secret underground chamber.

However, the barrier could not be activated yet, as there was not enough energy.

First, Wang Ping placed the Corpse Soldiers he had acquired into the underground Sealing Array. Not only was the spiritual energy here more stable, but it also suppressed the corpse qi and Taiyin Aura within the Corpse Soldiers. Without needing Wood Spirit Qi to regulate them, there would be no risk of mutation or decay.

After finishing these tasks, Wang Ping sent a letter to Zi Luan, informing him that the Barrier Formation was complete.

Zi Luan replied the very next day, stating that he would arrange for some Cultivators from Nanlin Road who needed to enter Death Seclusion to come over as soon as possible. Just as Wang Ping received Zi Luan’s reply, the Puppet Bird he had given to Guan Xi returned with a letter.

Guan Xi intended to visit Wang Ping in person, and within the next half a month.