Chapter 254 - 142: Esoteric Art: Spirit Treasure Immortal

Chapter 254: Chapter 142: Esoteric Art: Spirit Treasure Immortal

The orthodox path of the Daoist Sects leads to Pure Yang, while the heterodox and side paths lead to becoming a Loose Immortal.

Those who achieve Pure Yang in the Daoist Sects endure countless calamities to refine unimaginable, boundless Magical Power and master Supreme Divine Techniques, considering themselves Immortals.

These secrets of the mighty filled Xuzhuang with boundless yearning, while also making him better understand how difficult it was to achieve Immortal Merits.

Every individual who could refine Pure Yang and live for eons was a living legend. It was even possible that some, like the ancient immortals, had lived through primeval myths and personally witnessed the entire history of the Daoist Sects.

But even such figures might not be able to attain the station of a Celestial Immortal. Achieving immortality and attaining the Dao was truly difficult beyond measure.

Xuzhuang still wanted to know more, but the Book Immortal Taoist was clearly in no mood to elaborate. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, don’t get ahead of yourself. Focus on your own cultivation for now."

Xuzhuang could only thank the Book Immortal Taoist for his guidance. The Book Immortal Taoist then asked, "Are you ready to select your secret teachings now?"

Xuzhuang affirmed and took two Secret Dharma Seals from his sleeve. He offered them with both hands, saying, "Senior, please bring out the secret teachings."

The Book Immortal Taoist did not take the Secret Dharma Seals. He simply nodded, and with a wave of his sleeve, a rustic Daoist Scripture flew into Xuzhuang’s hands.

Xuzhuang opened it to the title page, but the Daoist Scripture seemed to have a restriction on it. It flipped open halfway through the volume, revealing a page with the words: ’Wind Stabilizing Pill’.

Xuzhuang’s heart stirred. He read on carefully and found that this was actually a Tribulation Crossing Skill for refining a secret treasure that could reduce the power of a Primordial Spirit True Man’s wind calamity!

Xuzhuang finally understood why they were called secret teachings. Even a True Disciple needed a Dharma Seal bestowed by the sect to receive just one or two. The preciousness of these skills was indeed incomparable to any ordinary Daoist Scripture or technique.

Even an Innate Spirit Root like the Cyan and Purple Pearl Fruit, which could only postpone calamities, couldn’t directly increase a Primordial Spirit True Man’s chances of surviving the three calamities. Xuzhuang didn’t even have to think to know the value of this kind of Tribulation Crossing Skill; it was bound to be exceptionally precious.

Unfortunately, a Tribulation Crossing Technique was not something Xuzhuang should be considering at his current stage. Although this technique was among the secret teachings, it wasn’t meant for a Nascent Soul Disciple to choose. Xuzhuang put the Wind Stabilizing Pill to the back of his mind and turned the page.

This page recorded the method for refining another secret treasure. It described using various rare and precious materials to create a Life Creation Pool of Fate. Then, one had to separate a sliver of their divine soul, essence blood, and Magical Power and place them into the pool to complete the technique.

Once the Life Creation Pool of Fate was successfully refined, as long as it was supplied with enough spiritual energy to prevent it from drying up, the cultivator could be resurrected from it even if they perished in the outside world.

Such a technique could only be described as miraculous. Refining this item was equivalent to having an extra life. However, the introduction to the technique noted that the rare materials required to build the Life Creation Pool of Fate were all exceptionally scarce, and there were even some items that were beyond Xuzhuang’s knowledge.

After a moment of hesitation, Xuzhuang had to set this technique aside for the time being. He continued flipping through the pages. Each one recorded a rare Secret Technique, but none of them quite suited his preferences, so he flipped through four or five pages in one go. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

On this page were written eight large words: ’Tai Su’s Ten Thousand Transformations Escape Technique Compendium’. According to the description, it was an analysis, with annotations and key cultivation points, written personally by a Primordial Spirit True Man about the Tai Su’s Ten Thousand Transformations Escape Technique.

The Tai Su’s Ten Thousand Transformations Escape Technique was one of the superior Escape Techniques in the Tai Su Sect, and it was also the one most compatible with the Tai Su Taoist Technique. With Xuzhuang’s status, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to learn this escape art. However, he already had the Five Elements Escape Technique, which he had cultivated to a profound level. In Daoist arts, mastery is valued over quantity, so Xuzhuang had no intention of casually switching to cultivate the Tai Su’s Ten Thousand Transformations Escape Technique.

But to find a compendium for a Divine Technique, personally annotated by a Primordial Spirit True Man, among the secret teachings immediately gave Xuzhuang an idea. With a thought, the Daoist Scripture naturally turned its pages. After just a few, the words ’Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture Compendium’ leaped into his view. Below it was noted that this compendium was personally written by the eighth-generation Master of the sect.

Xuzhuang gave it a quick glance and decided to choose this page. The Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture was his most proficient and most relied-upon Divine Technique, and it had always been the top priority of his cultivation. There was no need to hesitate over obtaining a compendium personally written by a Primordial Spirit True Man.

Without further hesitation, Xuzhuang silently recited an incantation. The Secret Dharma Seal flew up on its own, landed on that page of the Daoist Scripture, and gently imprinted itself.

A golden light flashed, and dense runes flowed from the page into the Dharma Seal. In a moment, a talisman shimmering with golden light formed within the seal. It immediately shot a beam of light toward the spot between Xuzhuang’s brows.

Before Xuzhuang could react, the talisman for the ’Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture Compendium’ had already entered his consciousness. With a single thought, a vast amount of text flowed through his mind. Xuzhuang only had to sample a small part of it to feel a sense of overwhelming joy.

The annotations on the Divine Technique from the Ancestor Grandmaster of Primordial Spirit were indeed concise in words yet profound in reasoning. Even though Xuzhuang’s own cultivation of the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture could already be called profound, he still gained great insight just from reading a few lines.

Moreover, the compendium proposed several new Cultivation Methods for the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture, giving Xuzhuang a moment of sudden enlightenment.

For example, it proposed a method to use the restraining power of the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture as a Heaven and Earth Lock to restrict an opponent’s Escape Technique—an idea Xuzhuang himself had considered before.

Xuzhuang had once borrowed many books from Langhuan Tower for reference, but unfortunately, he never had the time to delve into them deeply, so the idea remained stalled at the conceptual stage. Now, seeing what was recorded in this compendium, he realized that the wise predecessors of the sect had indeed had similar ideas and had already perfected the method. This saved him countless hours of hard work.

The other methods recorded within were even more wildly imaginative; some were things Xuzhuang had never even conceived of. With these methods, he could create countless new variations in combat. It was as if he had been blessed with a moment of profound clarity. His thoughts gushed forth like a spring, leading to many new understandings of the Tai Su Taoist Technique.

For this alone, the Divine Technique Compendium was worthy of being one of the secret teachings of Tai Su, and it was more than worth one of Xuzhuang’s Secret Dharma Seals.

Having obtained the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture Compendium, Xuzhuang was in high spirits. He continued flipping through the Daoist Scripture and found many other secret teachings that suited his tastes. However, none made him feel as certain as the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture Compendium had. As he hesitated, he flipped through several dozen more pages, then suddenly froze.

On this page were emblazoned three large words: ’Spirit Treasure Technique’.

Xuzhuang gave it a quick look and was startled. He couldn’t help but ask, "Senior, could this be..."

The Book Immortal Taoist glanced over, let out a non-committal chuckle, and said, "It is just as you think. This is a Scattered Immortal Technique. Hmm... but it’s much more difficult than the Grotto Heaven technique."

Xuzhuang frowned and carefully read the brief summary. Just as the Book Immortal Taoist had said, this technique was much more difficult than that of the Grotto Heaven. Firstly, practitioners of the Spirit Treasure Technique needed a profound foundation. Even a Top-Grade Golden Core Cultivator might not meet the requirements if their past cultivation had flaws, if they had rushed their progress, or if their accumulated power was insufficient.

Secondly, a practitioner needed a magic treasure whose seals were complete, one on the verge of advancing to a True Form Treasure. They would then use the Spirit Treasure Technique to attempt to merge their Nascent Soul with the treasure’s spirit.

According to the Spirit Treasure Technique, this critical step alone required around eight hundred years of effort. This was nearly half the lifespan of a Nascent Soul Cultivator. If a Top-Grade Golden Core Practitioner still had almost half their life remaining, would they really abandon the Primordial Spirit Dao for a Scattered Immortal Technique?

Moreover, even after passing this stage, there was one final life-or-death tribulation. The moment the Nascent Soul Cultivator merged with the treasure’s spirit, the heavenly tribulation for the treasure’s advancement to a True Form Treasure would immediately descend upon them. If they couldn’t survive this tribulation, then there was nothing more to say.

Of course, if they survived the tribulation, the cultivator would become one and the same as the True Form Treasure. In other words, apart from their techniques being dependent on their own body, they would be comparable to a Primordial Spirit True Man of a Daoist Sect. Furthermore, unlike a Grotto Heaven Zhenren, it wouldn’t be nearly impossible for them to pass the three calamities.

’But even if one becomes a Loose Immortal through the Spirit Treasure Technique, there’s probably still no chance of attaining the station of a Celestial Immortal,’ Xuzhuang thought. He didn’t say it out loud, but he couldn’t help but glance at the Book Immortal Taoist.

The Book Immortal Taoist seemed to sense his thoughts and spoke up, "When a True Form Treasure passes the three calamities, it can become a Pure Yang Treasure. Besides its techniques being dependent on its own body, its strength might not necessarily be inferior to that of a Pure Yang True Monarch."

"A Pure Yang Treasure that has gone through numerous tribulations will have its true consciousness perfected and its soul solidified. It will attain spiritual transformation, becoming completely indistinguishable from a Pure Yang True Monarch. It can increase its Magical Power, cultivate Divine Techniques, and comprehend the Great Dao. Such beings are known as Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasures, or Spirit Treasure Immortals."

"Generally speaking, the Divine Techniques of a Spirit Treasure Immortal surpass even those of some ordinary Pure Yang practitioners. But even so, they are still just Loose Immortals. If they wish to attain the station of a Celestial Immortal, they must still reincarnate and start over on the orthodox path of the Primordial Spirit."

The Book Immortal Taoist lay back on his cloud bed, a smirk on his face. "Of course, if one doesn’t seek Immortal Merits, the Spirit Treasure Immortal is already the most superior school of Loose Immortals in the world."

"I see." Xuzhuang nodded thoughtfully. However, there probably weren’t many who cultivated the Spirit Treasure Technique in the Tai Su Sect. Firstly, a magic treasure on the verge of becoming a True Form Treasure was already exceptionally rare. Even the Tai Su Orthodox Sect had no reason to use such treasures to cultivate disciples, especially since success wasn’t even guaranteed.

Secondly, as mentioned before, why would a Top-Grade Golden Core Cultivator with over a thousand years of life remaining abandon the Primordial Spirit Dao for the path of a Loose Immortal? And thirdly...

The Book Immortal Taoist was probably not the only accomplished True Form Treasure within the Tai Su Orthodox Sect. The Spirit Treasure Technique seizes the very destiny of a magic treasure, so it would surely be opposed by others like him.

For all these reasons, although the Spirit Treasure Technique was recorded among Tai Su’s secret teachings, it was in fact something of a white elephant—valuable, but ultimately impractical.

Xuzhuang shook his head, no longer dwelling on the Spirit Treasure Technique. His ambition had always been set on the Primordial Spirit. Now that he knew the Scattered Immortal Technique had no path to Celestial Immortal Merit, he was even less likely to be swayed by it.

Xuzhuang flipped back a few pages in the Daoist Scripture, selected a Secret Technique he had shortlisted earlier, then closed the book. He presented it back to the Book Immortal Taoist with both hands and said, "I have finished my selection. Thank you for waiting, Senior."

The Book Immortal Taoist took the Daoist Scripture and tossed it casually onto the cloud bed. "Since you’re done selecting, if you have no other business, don’t disturb me here."

Xuzhuang bowed and replied, "In that case, I have other Daoist Scriptures I need to consult, so I won’t disturb you any further."

The Book Immortal Taoist asked casually, "What are you looking for? On account of the Grotto Heaven technique you brought me, you might as well tell me. I can do you another favor."

"Yes," Xuzhuang said happily. "I wish to look for the Sword Formation Technique, or any related records."

Ever since refining his Nascent Soul, Xuzhuang’s Swordsmanship had finally seen a long-awaited improvement. During his battle with He Haojun, he could already split his sword light into one hundred and twenty-eight blades in a single breath, controlling them with relative ease. However, when he tried to incorporate the Separation and Reunion Swordsmanship, it became somewhat of a strain.

Of course, this was because it involved the intricate transformations of Swordsmanship, which taxed his mental fortitude. This was also why he had the idea to study Sword Arrays.

"Hmm?" The Book Immortal Taoist’s interest was piqued. "You want to learn about Sword Arrays? What level has your sword light division reached?"

Xuzhuang replied, "I can now split my sword light into one hundred and twenty-eight blades in a single breath."

The Book Immortal Taoist let out a sound of acknowledgement, as if in praise. "Our sect’s Swordsmanship doesn’t specialize in the Sword Transformation Technique. There aren’t many who can split their light into one hundred and twenty-eight blades in a single breath like you can. As for the Sword Formation Technique..."

He pointed toward a wall of books to the side, indicating a specific area. "There are some Daoist Scriptures over there that touch upon it. There are Sword Formation Techniques among them, but they aren’t considered top-tier."

"That will be more than enough," Xuzhuang replied, cupping his hands. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior."

The Book Immortal Taoist nodded slightly and said no more. Xuzhuang bowed once more before rising and flying toward the indicated wall of books.