9 The Flaws of the New Cultivation Technique

The location Ling Xiaoyue chose for her sect was also in Jingnan State. However, it was situated in the northern Jingchu Area of Jingnan, requiring over a month's journey.

Regarding the sect's name, Ling Xiaoyue, as the founding ancestor, had the responsibility of naming it. But her knack for naming was somewhat lacking. She proposed names like "Invincible", "I'm the Best", or "Everyone Else is Trash". Such names were not only audacious but might also invited unnecessary conflicts.

Fang Zhou rejected every name she put forth. He didn't want to bear names like "Invincible Sect" or "I'm the Best Sect", fearing they might paint them as laughingstocks.

Ling Xiaoyue tried to leverage her position as the sect's founder to force through her preferred name. But, Fang Zhou threatening to disband, the matter was shelved, leaving the naming to be revisited later.

Though Ling Xiaoyue seemed somewhat unreliable, she was a responsible teacher. She soon introduced Fang Zhou to a Qi Refining method named "New Moon Qi".

The essence of Qi Refining was simple. The world brimmed with spiritual energy, with concentrations varying across regions.

When one breathed, they'd take in the ambient spiritual energy, but it was immediately expelled. To harness and store this energy required a technique beyond mere inhalation.

Qi Refining technique serve to extract spiritual energy and hold it within, nurturing the body constantly. This stored energy could be tapped into during combat.

Fang Zhou had previously learned from Li Ruyu that the caliber of techniques varied immensely. Commonly known Qi Refining techniques were riddled with imperfections.

Some sophisticated techniques revered by the masses were viewed as subpar by established cultivators, who wouldn't give them a second thought.

Ordinary disciples in cultivation sects were given low-grade techniques to practice, which if disseminated outside, could be treasured as family heirlooms by certain clans.

Most of the sect's core strength would practice high-grade techniques. If they were accepted as disciples by the sect leader or elders, they could receive the true legacy techniques.

Of course, the resources of different sects varied, so a technique considered low-grade in larger sects could be esteemed as high-grade within smaller ones.

The quality of one's technique could vastly impact their cultivation progression, with elite technique offering profound advantages.

Ling Xiaoyue passed the New Moon Qi technique onto Fang Zhou, though he couldn't determine its quality. However, the value of such techniques usually depended on the depth of one's foundation or the fortune of serendipitous encounters, two aspects where Fang Zhou didn't hold much hope for Ling Xiaoyue.

"Hey, this New Moon Qi of yours, you didn't just buy it off the shelf and then rebranded it as your own, did you?"

Seeing Fang Zhou question her in such a way, Ling Xiaoyue, uncharacteristically disgruntled, raised her wine jug and struck his head.

"My naïve apprentice, what do you know? This New Moon Qi of mine is a divine art, a unique existence in the entire cultivation world. If its existence were to be known, it could potentially stir up a bloody storm within the cultivation world," she asserted.

"Sure, keep blowing your own trumpet."

"So, are you going to practice it or not? If not, hand it back to me."

"Practice!"

After all, it would be a waste not to practice. Fang Zhou didn't really have a choice.

..

In the depth of the night, the silvery moon was suspended high in the sky, and all the stars lay hidden.

Fang Zhou sat cross-legged on a large boulder at the peak of the mountain, his whole being bathing in the serene moonlight. His eyes were tightly shut, and his ears were only filled with the whispering breeze and the chorus of insects in the grass.

Ling Xiaoyue was lounging on another rock not far off, savoring the picturesque scenery under the moonlight, taking occasional sips of wine.

Tonight marked the commencement of Fang Zhou's cultivation of the New Moon Qi. Cultivating New Moon Qi under the moon proved more efficient and bore a higher success rate. Hence, Fang Zhou had chosen to begin his practice at night.

"This is a gratuitous gift, make sure you remember that," Ling Xiaoyue mentioned.

She had only shared a few pointers about cultivation before leaving him on his own.

Feeling a touch nervous, Fang Zhou had no choice but to attempt the practice independently.

The first hurdle in the path of cultivation was to extract the first strand of spiritual energy from the air one inhaled.

This stage had proven to be a stumbling block for many men who seemed to have been born with an innate inability to perceive the existence of spiritual energy, thus failing to refine it.

Having never practiced cultivation before, Fang Zhou was uncertain of his potential to succeed.

Guided by the breathing techniques as prescribed in the records of the New Moon Qi, Fang Zhou rapidly adjusted his breath, heartbeat, and thought processes, entering a remarkably subtle state of mind.

All sounds around him faded away, leaving a vast emptiness in his heart.

He drew in a slow, deep breath. The air trailed into his lungs through his nostrils, causing his lungs to quiver in a way he had never experienced before. Much like a famished man, he inhaled the incoming air ravenously, rapidly expelling the waste gas.

Fang Zhou's breathing became progressively faster. Around his body, the moonlight transformed into hazy luminous points, which swirled around him and were subsequently absorbed into his body.

Various nocturnal creatures and insects on this mountain peak seemed to have been drawn by the moonlight, starting to stir.

Ling Xiaoyue, who had been resting on her rock, suddenly sat up, staring in shock at the unfolding scene.

"Did he actually harness the moonlight on his first attempt at cultivation?" she exclaimed.

Rising from the rock, her hair and long attire fluttered in the wind. An overwhelming aura surged from her, washing over the area like a tsunami.

All the restless creatures in the forest and grassy areas abruptly fell silent, bringing an eerie tranquility to the entire mountain peak.

Engrossed in his practice, Fang Zhou remained oblivious to the external changes.

As the moon set and stars vanished, the east began to glow with the first light of dawn.

Slowly opening his eyes, Fang Zhou exhaled a long, turbid breath.

After a quick self-check, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

His cultivation had astonishingly succeeded. He had managed to refine the spiritual energy within his body. It was not merely a strand but a clump, pooling in his dantian.

Guided by the teachings of the New Moon Qi, Fang Zhou manipulated this bundle of spiritual energy to wander around his body, circulating it to dispel the fatigue brought about by an entire night of cultivation.

By keeping this cycle going, he could nourish his body, ultimately achieving transformation and transcendence.

However, after a single cycle, the bundle of spiritual energy visibly shrank, necessitating further cultivation for replenishment.

The sound of someone landing on the ground came from the side. Fang Zhou turned his head and saw that Ling Xiaoyue was already standing beside him.

"I've successfully mastered the basics."

Fang Zhou smiled, his mind flashing back to Xiao Yan, the one deemed to be the prodigy who required a full two days to refine the first strand of spiritual energy despite being hailed as the Wu city's once-in-a-century genius.

Could I possibly be a genius as well? If not, why would the Xuan Ji Sect and Ling Xiaoyue compete so fiercely to take me as their apprentice?

Seeing Fang Zhou's ecstatic expression, Ling Xiaoyue's lips curled into a subtle smirk. "It's thanks to my exemplary instruction. I can turn any dolt into a genius, much like turning stone into gold."

Casting a sidelong glance at her, Fang Zhou thought, Your shamelessness is even more impressive.

Picking up her wine jug, Ling Xiaoyue gently tapped it against Fang Zhou's head. "Do you really think you're so formidable for managing to master the basics in just one night?"

"What else?" Fang Zhou was not convinced.

Crossing her arms, Ling Xiaoyue inquired, "Can you guess how long it took me to grasp the basics when I first started

She raised a finger: "I'll give you a hint."

"A day?" Fang Zhou furrowed his brow.

Ling Xiaoyue raise her head back and laughed heartily, hands on her hips. "You underestimate me far too much. It was one hour. I entered the sect after one hour, whereas you took an entire night. So, who gave you the audacity to be so self-satisfied in my presence?"

Fang Zhou's self-satisfaction evaporated instantly. Alright, you have big breasts, you win.

He opened the system interface to inspect his current attributes.

Name: Fang Zhou

Realms of cultivators : Qi Refining Realm (Entry)

Cultivation Technique: New Moon Qi

Skills: Illusion, Random Left Hand

Strength: 2

Speed: 5

Stamina: 3

Spirit: 2

Masculinity: 0

Upon commencing his cultivation, Fang Zhou anticipated enhancements in his bodily capabilities. Yet, after only a night of practice, there seemed to be no discernible differences.

Suddenly, Ling Xiaoyue gently tapped Fang Zhou's shoulder, her tone earnest. "My apprentice, there's a crucial matter I need to share. While our sect's technique is indeed divinely bestowed, it's not without its flaw. It's better you hear it from me now, so you aren't blindsided later."

"Flaw?" Fang Zhou scrunched his eyebrows. "What flaw?"

Her demeanor and voice betrayed a hint of discomfort, perhaps even a touch of emberassment.

Fang Zhou was taken aback. For someone as audacious as Ling Xiaoyue to show signs of embarrassment, this flaw must be gravely significant.

As Fang Zhou's heart pounded with fear, Ling Xiaoyue leaned in, whispering, "The flaw is... you will shed hair after cultivating."

"Holy shit, why didn't you say so earlier... Wait, what did you say?"

Fang Zhou stared at her in disbelief. Was he going to shed hair? Was he destined to be bald in the future?

He couldn't accept it. The world only needed one bald hero, and he certainly didn't want the role. Hold on!

His gaze shifted to Ling Xiaoyue's luxuriant ponytail. If she experienced hair loss, how did she have such lush locks? Could it be a wig?

In a spontaneous move, Fang Zhou reached for her ponytail, curious.

Swiftly, Ling Xiaoyue deflected his attempt. "Enough of that. my hair is genuine. And no, you won't end up bald."

"But you said there would be hair loss?" Fang Zhou expressed his confusion.

She simply replied, "Yes, I did."

A heavy silence settled between them.

The two of them looked at each other in silence.

Ling Xiaoyue:(•‾̑⌣‾̑•)✧

Fang Zhou:(눈_눈)