Chapter 38 - 36: No One Operates Like This

Chapter 38: Chapter 36: No One Operates Like This

"You think I don’t want to equip a good Secret Manual? My circumstances just won’t allow it!"

The system was truly rigid—it offered the tools but none of the support. If it wasn’t going to recommend equipping low-quality Secret Manuals, it should have given him a premium one instead. Day after day... all it did was make empty suggestions from the sidelines.

Su Tan shook his head.

He had asked Village Chief Chen to hunt for treasures for so long, but let alone a complete Cultivation Technique, he hadn’t even seen half a scroll. Ninety-nine percent of the items dug up from the flea market were pure garbage. Aside from that one time he obtained a bronze fragment capable of restoring vitality—which turned out to be a Divine Artifact—he hadn’t found anything useful.

It was easy to imagine that even though this was a Fantasy World, Cultivation Techniques were simply not widespread enough for every commoner to carry a copy. Naturally, he chose to ignore the system’s suggestion.

However, Su Tan found himself in a dilemma.

Four Secret Manuals. He wanted to equip them all, but the slots in his Inventory were limited. There simply wasn’t enough space to slot in every single manual.

"Which book should I equip first?" Su Tan wondered, feeling torn as he held the four Secret Manuals in his hands.

Body Refinement, Qi Condensation, the Martial Technique "Mountain Lean Strike," and basic knowledge on Alchemy... They were all useful to him.

"According to the books, the Cultivators of this world are also divided into distinct realms," he murmured to himself. "Body Refinement, Qi Condensation, Junior Grandmaster, Grandmaster, and King’s Dao experts..."

Every realm had its own intricacies.

"Body Refinement is about tempering the physical flesh!" Even the tallest skyscraper must rise from a solid foundation. Only with a powerful body could one secure a better future.

"Qi Condensation focuses on sensing and guiding Qi, Gathering the Sea of Qi in the Dantian, and Nourishing the Body with Qi to become a true Cultivator. Upon reaching this realm, one can use various skills. For instance, when Village Chief Chen condensed ice with his bare hands, that was proof he had reached the Qi Condensation realm."

The Village Chief’s realm wasn’t high. He was merely at the second or third tier of Qi Condensation.

The defining trait of the Junior Grandmaster realm was actually quite simple: expanding the scale of the Qi Sea within the body. It was like turning small raindrops into a vast ocean. Once the Qi Sea reached a certain capacity, one could advance to the next realm. Reaching the Junior Grandmaster level meant one was qualified to open a dojo and take in disciples.

Then came the Grandmaster Realm, characterized by the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top. It was said to involve condensing three streams of Spiritual Qi to provide an endless supply of nourishment to a person’s Qi, physical body, and spirit. As for what that actually looked like, Su Tan couldn’t currently picture it.

After the Grandmaster Realm came the King’s Dao experts. And beyond the King’s Dao, there were even more powerful realms, though Su Tan was in no rush to think about them just yet.

Simply becoming a King’s Dao expert was already incredibly difficult. The territory of the Celestial Fragrance Empire was vast, boasting a population of at least tens of millions... yet the number of existing King’s Dao experts could absolutely be counted on one hand.

Did this mean not everyone cultivated? That cultivation wasn’t widespread?

No, no, no. The empire dispatched envoys to various townships within its borders every year to scout for individuals suited for cultivation. If someone possessed extraordinary talent, they never had to worry about lacking the opportunity to practice. As long as the aptitude was there, opportunities abounded.

As for those with poor aptitude... no one was willing to expend immense energy to nurture a hopeless piece of trash. It drained time and effort with zero results. That was just reality.

"Among the myriad paths of cultivation, Body Refinement comes first!" Su Tan declared.

Whether it was the Qi Condensation Technique, the Mountain Lean Strike, or the Alchemy knowledge... they all had to take a backseat to the Body Refinement Technique. This was especially true for the Qi Condensation Technique and Mountain Lean Strike. One had to reach a certain level of cultivation before they could even practice them.

He didn’t know much about cultivation. Fortunately, he had the Little White Wolf.

There were slight differences between a Demon Beast’s method of cultivation and a human’s, but as the saying went, all Great Daos lead to the same destination. It wasn’t as if the Little White Wolf would be ignorant of the fundamental Laws of cultivation.

"A Demon Beast’s methods are different from a human’s. Even our basic meridians are completely different," the Little White Wolf had said. "However, the realms are largely similar. Among the myriad paths of cultivation, Body Refinement comes first. You should focus on Body Refinement to begin with."

Among the myriad paths of cultivation, Body Refinement came first. Su Tan knew this as well.

Without hesitation, he put the other three books away for now. He decided to equip the Body Refinement manual first. His future goal was now crystal clear: he would have the Xu Family source more Body Refinement manuals for him.

After all, the way to increase his equipment slots was to upgrade everything in his Inventory to Top Grade items. Books of the same type could also be fused together.

Su Tan could easily hoard a massive collection of Body Refinement Techniques and fuse them all into a single Top Grade Body Refinement Technique. A Top Grade Body Refinement Technique! Such a thing didn’t even exist in the entire Celestial Fragrance Empire. The sheer thought that he could synthesize one filled his heart with eager anticipation.

He had heard that there were auctions in White Cloud City where Secret Manuals were frequently put on the block. He could have the Xu Family keep a close eye on the proceedings.

The imperial capital was even more extraordinary. There was no shortage of Secret Manuals in the transcendental shops there—provided you had the money and the resources. However, those shops... let alone commoners, even entities like the Xu Family would struggle to afford anything there. It was a true gathering place for the ultra-wealthy heavy spenders.

Sometimes, no matter how much gold you flaunted, they wouldn’t even bat an eye. Certain items could only be acquired through bartering. Money could always be earned, but a coveted Secret Manual or Pill Formula might never be encountered again for the rest of one’s life.

"Then it’s decided. I’ll equip the Body Refinement manual!" Su Tan declared.

DING—Do you wish to equip the Body Refinement Technique?

A few eye-catching characters from the system flashed brilliantly in his vision.

Just as Su Tan opened his mouth and was about to click [Yes], a preposterous idea suddenly struck him. A mad idea.

"Could I take all these miscellaneous books and synthesize them into a single, omnipotent volume? One that encompasses Cultivation Techniques, Martial Techniques, and Pill Formulas?" he wondered.

In the minds of the world’s populace, and even within Su Tan’s own subconscious, a Body Refinement Technique was a Body Refinement Technique. A Qi Condensation Technique was a Qi Condensation Technique. A Pill Formula was a Pill Formula. They fundamentally couldn’t be fused together. It was like trying to splice a mango and a chili pepper—how could they possibly merge into a brand-new plant?

DING—The database has not detected any record of such an operation. Unprecedented!

The system provided its answer.

Su Tan had long guessed that throughout history, he was likely not this system’s only host.

Unprecedented!

That meant... nobody had ever tried this before. Su Tan was probably the only person who had ever thought of it.

If the system were sentient, it would surely be cursing him: "Damn it... I’ve never met a host this stupid. Fusing them all together? What goes on in that head of yours all day?! This isn’t how a normal person thinks! I can’t even be bothered with you!"

But by its very design, the system lacked consciousness, so it was impossible for it to actually mock Mr. Su.

"No one has ever performed this operation? Does that mean it can be done?" Su Tan revealed a cunning smile.

He really wanted to give it a try. Whether it succeeded or not... he would worry about that later! Since his predecessors had never attempted such an operation, he, Su Tan, would be the first. He was going to play with this system and unlock brand-new mechanics.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. The system’s functions were incredibly powerful anyway.

Su Tan grinned.

"I want to fuse the Body Refinement Technique, the Qi Condensation Technique, the Mountain Lean Strike, and the basic knowledge on Alchemy..."

Just think of it! If the fusion succeeded, a single Secret Manual would encompass Body Refinement, Qi Condensation, Martial Techniques, and Alchemy... It would achieve multiple uses from a single book. A method of cultivation akin to a Ten Thousand Dao Furnace—how wonderful would that be!

Su Tan waited in eager anticipation.

DING—Consuming 1,000 energy points. Fusing!

DING—Fusion in progress.

The four books vanished from Su Tan’s hands. In the fusion interface within his mind, they merged together into a single point, spinning continuously. It looked exactly like synthesizing equipment in an online game.

DING. The spinning stopped.

"Success..." Su Tan muttered, his heart in his throat. "Or... failure?"

He was filled with anxiety, nervously awaiting the system’s final verdict.