Chapter 47 – The Celestial Mystery Can Awaken the Spirit

Li Fan was somewhat surprised. He had only just entered Ten Thousand Immortals Island—how could someone already be sending him an image transmission?

After opening it, a somewhat familiar figure immediately appeared.

It turned out to be Xiao Heng.

He looked like a completely different person compared to four or five years ago.

Clad in white robes with long hair flowing freely, he carried a faint air of transcendence.

“Brother Li, you’ve finally arrived,” Xiao Heng said with a smile.

“Back when we were on Glazed Glass Island, I was greatly indebted to your care. I’ve never been able to repay you, and when I broke through to the Qi Refining stage and left without saying goodbye, I felt even more guilty.”

“After arriving at Ten Thousand Immortals Island, I came to understand that in today’s cultivation world, cultivation techniques are hard to come by. Newcomers who have just joined the Myriad Immortals Alliance often need a year or two of accumulating contribution points before they can afford to exchange for a Qi Refining stage technique.”

“That was exactly my experience back then. Fortunately, as one’s strength increases, so do the ways to earn contribution points, and things gradually improve.”

“Since I began cultivating, I’ve had many fortunate encounters. Just a year ago, I broke through to late Qi Refining stage, and now I’ve hit another bottleneck. I intend to venture to the center of the Layered Cloud Sea, to the ruins of the Cloud Water Celestial Palace, to search for a heavenly treasure to establish my Dao Foundation. Such treasures are hard to find—once I leave, it may be several years before I return.”

“Before departing, I’ve left you a water-attribute cultivation technique. Ten Thousand Immortals Island is situated in the Layered Cloud Sea, where water qi is most abundant. A water-attribute technique is easiest to cultivate here, and its power is quite formidable as well. Brother Li, please remember to cultivate diligently, and it’s best not to venture off the island until you’ve broken through to mid Qi Refining stage.”

“When I return, I’ll definitely share a good drink with you, Brother Li!”

…

Xiao Heng’s figure gradually faded, leaving behind a jade slip.

“《Minor Ripple Water Art》, Qi Refining stage technique, current number of practitioners: 0.”

Li Fan examined it and found that the Minor Ripple Water Art Xiao Heng had given him only contained the portion up to mid Qi Refining stage—it was incomplete.

Even so, it would cost a full 800 contribution points to exchange for at the Celestial Mystery Mirror.

“That kid…” Li Fan felt a warmth in his heart.

Come to think of it, Li Fan hadn’t really done anything extraordinary for Xiao Heng.

He had merely buried Su Changyu and helped Xiao Heng secure a slightly better place to live on Glazed Glass Island.

Moreover, Xiao Heng had also provided Li Fan with accurate information about the Star Sea Flowing Sand.

Yet Xiao Heng had always kept this small kindness in his heart. Even now that his cultivation realm had far surpassed Li Fan’s, he hadn’t forgotten it.

Seen in this light, Xiao Heng’s character was truly admirable.

Of course, part of the reason might be that Xiao Heng believed they were both people from a separated realm.

Regardless, Li Fan took note of this.

He was not the kind of person who repaid kindness with ingratitude.

Alongside the 《Minor Ripple Water Art》, there was another small jade slip.

It was none other than the 《Supreme Primordial Scripture》 that Li Fan had heard Kou Hong mention long ago.

Cultivating this technique allowed one to freely disperse their cultivation without significant loss of power. In today’s cultivation world, it was something every cultivator had to learn.

With the Minor Ripple Water Art and 《 The Jade Realm Thousand-Arts Golden Canon 》 in hand, supplemented by the Supreme Primordial Scripture—

Li Fan quickly made his decision.

On the surface, he would cultivate the Minor Ripple Water Art as a cover. In secret, he would cultivate 《 The Jade Realm Thousand-Arts Golden Canon 》.

Of course, it would be best to find some pretext to leave Ten Thousand Immortals Island before cultivating 《 The Jade Realm Thousand-Arts Golden Canon 》. Although the Celestial Mystery Realm might not pay attention to a minor Qi Refining stage cultivator like Li Fan, one could never be too careful.

Li Fan was new to the cultivation world and knew nothing about many things.

He needed to catch up on a great deal of knowledge.

Fortunately, the common knowledge stored in the Celestial Mystery Mirror was freely accessible.

And so, for several days straight, Li Fan stayed within the Celestial Mystery Mirror, voraciously reading through the available information.

《Atlas of the Layered Cloud Sea》 provided detailed descriptions of the geography, specialties, and history of the various islands in the Layered Cloud Sea.

《Preliminary Treatise on Cultivation》 explained various matters one should be aware of after entering the Qi Refining stage but before formally practicing a cultivation technique—such as the basic application of spiritual sense and the manipulation of spiritual energy.

《Technique, Wealth, Companions, and Land》 introduced the four essential elements of cultivation: techniques, wealth, Dao companions, and cave abodes. It placed particular emphasis on the scarcity and importance of cultivation techniques in today’s cultivation world, and specifically warned young cultivators never to casually reveal their cultivation techniques to others, lest unimaginable calamity follow.

《Secret History of Ancient Cultivation》 was written from a first-person perspective, telling the story of an outer disciple of the ancient Great Dao Sect who, through various trials, gradually rose from outer disciple to inner disciple, then to true transmission disciple, then to Dao Child, and finally became the sect master of the Great Dao Sect.

《Celestial Mystery Mirror Shopping Guide》 listed the items most worth prioritizing for exchange in the Celestial Mystery Mirror—such as storage rings, protective dharma robes, and the like.

…

Li Fan spent seven or eight days reading through all the free books.

The materials that caught Li Fan’s eye next—such as 《Introduction to Formation Arrays》, 《Elementary Alchemy》, 《Fundamentals of Artifact Refining》, and 《Illustrated Compendium of Cultivation World Treasures》—all required large amounts of contribution points to exchange for.

Having just arrived with empty pockets, Li Fan could only put them off for later.

Taking advantage of the remaining free residence time in the Celestial Mystery Mirror, Li Fan began cultivating the Minor Ripple Water Art.

He had already learned about the benefits of cultivating within the Celestial Mystery Mirror.

By spending contribution points, one could activate the Celestial Mystery Mirror’s assisted cultivation mode.

In this mode, the spiritual energy density within the Celestial Mystery Mirror would increase to several times that of the outside world, nearly rivaling a top-tier blessed grotto. Furthermore, it could convert the ambient spiritual energy into whatever elemental attribute the cultivator required—an inexhaustible supply that let cultivators train to their heart’s content without worrying about running out of spiritual energy.

Additionally, the Celestial Mystery Mirror would bestow upon cultivators training within it a state called “Spirit Awakening.” In this state, one’s comprehension would increase dramatically, making the cultivation of techniques much easier.

Spending 10 contribution points, Li Fan exchanged for one day of assisted cultivation.

As vast quantities of spiritual energy surged in, Li Fan began cultivating according to the 《Minor Ripple Water Art》.

Very quickly, he felt the Celestial Mystery Mirror’s enhancement to his cultivation speed.

Spiritual energy seemed to compress and accelerate, spontaneously converging into Li Fan’s body.

The obscure and profound passages of the Ripple Water Art became instantly comprehensible at a single reading.

The spiritual energy circulating along the technique’s pathways for the very first time flowed as smoothly as if it had already traveled them a thousand times before.

This “super cultivation state” nearly gave Li Fan the illusion that he was a heaven-blessed prodigy.

Cultivation had become a form of pure enjoyment.

Li Fan immersed himself in it completely, unable to pull himself away.

The single day passed in a flash.

When time was up, Li Fan was abruptly pulled out of that incredibly smooth cultivation state.

When he tried circulating his energy again, he keenly felt the difference.

The cultivation speed under assisted mode was over thirty times faster than training on his own!

This profound sense of disparity nearly made Li Fan unable to resist exchanging for another day.

But looking at his remaining 10 contribution points, Li Fan forced himself to hold back.

“Such a treasure—it should rightfully belong to me.”

A surge of covetous desire welled up in Li Fan’s heart.