Chapter 138: Advancing by Leaps and Bounds

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Advancing by Leaps and Bounds

The On-Duty Disciple lowered his head, once again flipping through the thick record book. His finger stopped on a certain page. He glanced at it, then looked up.

"The Heart-Burning Record costs thirty Contribution Points!"

Thirty points! Ten more than the Hidden Blade Technique!

Chen Yue’s eyes flickered. This price meant that if he chose to redeem the Heart-Burning Record, he couldn’t get the Hidden Blade Technique at the same time.

He didn’t have enough Contribution Points to redeem both at once.

’Should I choose the promising Hidden Blade Technique, or the incredibly risky Heart-Burning Record that could lead to a breakthrough in my Cultivation?’

The decision didn’t weigh on Chen Yue’s mind for long.

’The Hidden Blade Technique was good, but getting it a few days later wouldn’t be a major issue.’

’The Heart-Burning Record, on the other hand... represented a possibility, a shortcut he could cautiously test, one that played to his own unique strengths.’

Chen Yue needed to verify as soon as possible whether this idea was feasible and test his recovery rate after burning his Power of Heart and Spirit.

"I’ll take the Heart-Burning Record, please," Chen Yue said.

When the On-Duty Disciple heard this, a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes. He nodded. "Please wait."

He turned and walked to a massive cabinet at the back.

The cabinet was divided into countless small compartments, each with a label.

He found a compartment in the section labeled for Forbidden and Unorthodox Techniques and retrieved a Secret Manual similar in style to the general manuals on the bookshelves.

On the cover of the Secret Manual, the three words "Heart-Burning Record" were a dark, crimson red.

The On-Duty Disciple walked back to the counter with the Heart-Burning Record and held it out to Chen Yue. Just before Chen Yue reached for it, he couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, "Junior Brother Chen, are you sure you want to redeem this Cultivation Technique?"

A smile graced Chen Yue’s face as he reached out and accepted the Heart-Burning Record.

It felt slightly heavy in his hand. He nodded and simultaneously passed over his Identity Waist Token. "I’m certain. Thank you for your trouble."

Seeing this, the On-Duty Disciple didn’t press the matter further. He took Chen Yue’s Waist Token and placed it on the Jade on the counter. The Jade flashed faintly, and thirty Contribution Points were deducted from the token.

He returned the Waist Token to Chen Yue, adding a solemn reminder, "The rules are the same as always: this Secret Manual is for your own cultivation. You must not privately teach it to others, nor are you to copy or leak its contents. The Sect will hold any violators accountable!"

"Understood."

Chen Yue took back his Waist Token, gave the On-Duty Disciple a slight bow with his hands clasped, and then turned and left the Hidden Skills Pavilion without lingering.

He could feel several gazes following him, all filled with confusion.

It wasn’t until Chen Yue’s figure disappeared outside the gates of the Hidden Skills Pavilion that a few other on-duty disciples gathered around.

"He redeemed the Heart-Burning Record?"

"*Gasp*... Does he think his Cultivation is too low and the pressure’s too high, so he’s resorting to desperate measures to quickly improve his Cultivation and protect himself?" an older disciple speculated.

"It’s very possible. After all, that Lin Junshi fellow is not easy to deal with."

"But the Heart-Burning Record is just drinking poison to quench your thirst!"

The On-Duty Disciple who had first attended to Chen Yue shook his head. "Think about it, you guys. We’ve been on duty at the Hidden Skills Pavilion for a while. We’ve seen a few disciples redeem the Heart-Burning Record, but in the end, how many of them ever managed to reach the Refining Organ Realm?"

"As I recall, the last person to redeem the Heart-Burning Record was a disciple about three years ago. And what happened? I heard his Heart Spirit was damaged. He became crazed, his Cultivation regressed instead of progressing, and soon after, he applied to leave the Sect and disappeared without a trace."

"Alas, the young are always so impatient and ambitious. A waste of such a fine Alchemy Skill..." someone sighed.

"Everyone has their own path to walk. Perhaps he has other plans. In any case, it was his own choice."

Of course, Chen Yue heard none of this discussion. And even if he had, he wouldn’t have cared.

Chen Yue went straight back to his secluded courtyard, closed the door, and let his mind relax.

Chen Yue sat down cross-legged and then opened the Heart-Burning Record Secret Manual.

The beginning of the Heart-Burning Record was not a set of specific instructions, but rather a long discourse on the essence of the Heart Spirit and the method for refining Heart Fire.

It explained that a Martial Artist’s Heart Spirit is born from the fusion of essence, qi, and spirit. It is profound and unfathomable, serving as both a bridge to perceive the world within and without, and as a manifestation of the will.

The core of the Heart-Burning Record was to use a special Visualization and breathing Technique, supplemented by specific Hand Seals, to highly condense a portion of one’s Power of Heart and Spirit. Then, using one’s will as a primer, one would ignite it, transforming it into Heart Fire—an intangible, formless flame that nevertheless had a tangible effect inside the body.

This Heart Fire was not a real flame; it wouldn’t burn the physical body. Instead, it could directly calcine the barriers of one’s Cultivation and temper their Qi Blood, burning away any superficial or unstable parts. At the same time, it would forcibly accelerate the circulation of Qi Blood, simulating certain characteristics of a higher realm.

This would result in a sudden, explosive increase in Cultivation over a short period, and could even be used to forcibly shatter a bottleneck.

The price was the consumed Power of Heart and Spirit, which, like firewood turned to ash, was irrecoverable.

However, a Martial Artist could slowly regenerate their Power of Heart and Spirit through subsequent cultivation, eventually replenishing what was lost.

One must never forcibly use the Heart-Burning Record before their Heart Spirit had recovered, otherwise it could eventually burn their very mind, or even lead to cultivation deviation.

The Secret Manual also went into detail about the effects and risks corresponding to different degrees of burning, as well as some auxiliary Techniques for mitigating the backlash.

Chen Yue read with extreme care, mulling over every word and sentence in his mind.

After a full half-hour, he finally read through the entire Heart-Burning Record. He then closed his eyes and mentally simulated its key steps, risk points, and possible physical reactions several times within his Sea of Consciousness.

’It’s just as dangerous as they say... The crucial point is the speed of consumption versus the speed of my recovery. Which is faster?’

Chen Yue mused to himself, ’What if I only burn a tiny amount each time, then immediately use the Vast Heart Rock Skill and the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill to nurture it back to health...’