Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Secret Method of Condensing Dan, The Mysterious Sect Elder
The shelves were also labeled with all sorts of tags, not only those mentioned by the Shadow Protector earlier, but even skill scrolls, recovery potions, rare materials, and other varieties.
Most of the items here were usable by professionals, far more numerous in variety than those Su Xing had seen in the Jin Merchant Guild.
Su Xing didn't linger in these areas for long but made his way directly to the ancient texts section.
Within the ancient texts section, contrary to Su Xing's expectations of peerless cultivation techniques, the majority were cultivators' insights into cultivation, strategies for certain copies, and even secrets of the Human Race from the past thousand years.
For example, there was a book called "Elder Fengyue and His Hundred and Eight Boyfriends' Unspeakable Stories," which seemed to record the lascivious life of an elder named Fengyue. However, it was actually a travelogue that contained many secrets of the major forces in Blue Star.
Or there was "Hermit Changyang's Hundred-Day Record of Infiltrating the Abyss with His Succubus Girlfriend," which also described information about some demons within an instance called the Abyss.
Su Xing quickly scanned the area, searching for his objective—the cultivation techniques.
After flipping through the travelogues and secret histories piled on top and wiping off the thick dust, Su Xing spent more than twenty minutes before he finally found two cultivator techniques.
One was called the Nurturing Body Decision, and the other was the Congealing Elixir Technique.
Su Xing only glanced briefly at the Nurturing Body Decision without giving it much thought because it was just a basic-level cultivation technique.
It was hardly enough to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, but it was decent for ordinary people to cultivate their minds and bodies and prolong their lives.
However, for Su Xing, who already possessed the Changchun Technique, it was of no use.
What truly caught Su Xing off guard was the Congealing Elixir Technique, because, according to the description in this ancient text, it was a secret method that could help cultivators better condense their Golden Cores!
This technique detailed the qualities of Golden Cores—low-grade, middle-grade, high-grade, and even the higher Nine Revolution Golden Core, which was exactly the same as the levels told to Su Xing by the simulator.
The method described in this technique to enhance the quality of a Golden Core was to compress Spiritual Power and infuse it into the Golden Core!
Su Xing could not judge the authenticity of this technique, but for now, he had no better way to condense his Golden Core.
If he relied solely on the accumulation of time to condense his Golden Core, Su Xing feared it would take him decades of simulation time to cultivate a Nine Revolution Golden Core, which would be too wasteful of simulation runs.
But for Su Xing, who had such a great cheat as the simulator, not pursuing the Nine Revolution Golden Core would truly be a waste.
Therefore, this Congealing Elixir Technique was essential for Su Xing, the only pity being that he didn't find the latter half of the Changchun Technique.
At that moment, the Shadow Protector appeared behind Su Xing and looking at the technique in his hand, asked with some confusion:
"Does Elder Yao wish to cultivate? Ah right, I forgot, your profession is that of a cultivator! But in our world, there is no Spiritual Energy, how can you perform cultivation?"
Hearing this, Su Xing explained:
"Shadow Protector, cultivation and alchemy are branches of the same origin, alchemy is the external elixir method, while cultivation is the internal elixir method... Although I am not destined for the path of immortality, I still aspire to concoct more and better elixirs for the sect, so naturally I must learn this Congealing Elixir Method!"
The Shadow Protector was somewhat stupefied by Su Xing's righteous words, and after a while, nodded, somewhat moved, and said:
"Alas, Elder Yao truly is a rising star within the sect! Such enlightenment, even I am ashamed to compare myself with! If Elder Yao had joined our sect ten years earlier, who knows, by now he might already be at the level of a protector!"
Su Xing felt a little embarrassed by the flattery from the Shadow Protector, as he was not doing it for the Descending Sect but clearly for himself!
Indubitably, discovering the method for condensing a Golden Core was an unexpected reward, yet Su Xing's primary objective remained the second half of the Changchun Technique, which he had not yet found.
Thus, Su Xing asked with some curiosity,
"Shadow Protector, to be honest, I am quite fascinated by the matter of cultivation and wish to catch a glimpse of the ancient texts on cultivation. Unfortunately, I've not had the opportunity. I wonder if our sect possesses such ancient texts; I would love to feast my eyes!"
After hearing this, the Shadow Protector spoke with a hint of pride in his voice,
"Elder Yao has indeed asked the right person! When it comes to the mastery of cultivation texts, our Descending Sect is without a doubt the foremost power on Blue Star! Not even the officialities of Great Xia Country can come close to our level!"
"However, the more profound cultivation techniques of the cultivation faction are all controlled by those zealots. To exchange for those techniques, I'm afraid you'll need to spend quite a few contribution points..."
Hearing this, Su Xing's heart stirred, and he inquired,
"Oh? Shadow Protector... how many contribution points would it require? I have completed numerous alchemy tasks over the past year and have saved up ten thousand contribution points. Would that be sufficient?"
The Shadow Protector shook his head and said,
"Ten thousand contribution points would be more than enough to exchange for the first half of a technique such as the Changchun Technique... However, the second half of this technique requires a hundred thousand contribution points. You're still far from enough..."
Su Xing was stunned upon hearing this. The first half of the technique is worth a few thousand contribution points, and the second half is worth a hundred thousand? Are you kidding me?
Su Xing, a bit helpless, then asked,
"Shadow Protector, why is the exchange for this technique so expensive?"
The Shadow Protector explained,
"It's because Protector Zong of the zealot faction, just like you, is incredibly obsessed with matters of cultivation. Moreover, he joined the sect quite early and has been around for several hundred years, making him one of the most powerful protectors. He has long since used his contribution points to purchase most of the cultivation-related items within the sect.
To buy from him, naturally, the price is exorbitant..."
Powerful professionals who reach the Heavenly King level undergo a life transformation, after which people's lifespan increases significantly, turning them into beings of longevity.
Heavenly King level professionals, if they do not die in battle, living three to five hundred years is normal. As for protector-level professionals, who are at least at the Martial Emperor level, living five or six hundred years is not difficult.
Hearing the words of Sect Elder, Su Xing's gaze flickered, obsessed with cultivation objects, one of the most powerful protectors...
Suddenly, Su Xing remembered an old man he had encountered in one of the simulations before. That old man was interested in his Spirit Rice and had planned to torture him to death to extract information about the Spirit Rice.
Now, with the description from the Shadow Protector, Su Xing suspected that old man was likely Protector Zong.
"But why... why is Protector Zong so obsessed with the matter of cultivation? Could it be that his profession is also that of a cultivator?"
Su Xing pondered for a while, then shook his head.
"Impossible, the profession panel states that the profession of cultivator is unique to me alone... So Protector Zong definitely can't be a cultivator, but why he is so obsessed with the matter of cultivation, there must be some great secret behind it!"