The Five-Element Life-Promoting Art was a cultivation technique for the Foundation Establishment Realm.
It was a major-realm-specific cultivation technique, beginning from the early stage and completing its cultivation in the late stage.
The core of the technique was focused on cultivating spiritual herbs, and it followed a path slightly different from ordinary cultivation techniques by pursuing realm advancement through the spiritual qi returned during that process.
If one omitted the process of directly absorbing spiritual qi from spiritual herbs, there was little fundamental difference from the Ghost-Exorcising Spirit-Expelling Foundation Establishment Art.
There were five Arts included with it.
Heating Art, which created a long-lasting fireball to maintain the temperature of the space at a constant level.
Watering Art, which evenly sprayed water over the spiritual soil and kept the land moist for some time.
Soil-Fertilizing Art, which allowed ordinary soil to absorb fertile spiritual essence like spiritual soil.
Pruning Art, which cut away deadly diseases such as blight, contamination, and rot without damaging the spiritual herb.
And finally, the core of this cultivation manual: Life-Promoting Art, which rapidly accelerated the growth of spiritual herbs.
Most of them had little practical use in combat, but they were absolutely necessary for cultivating spiritual herbs.
Ise cultivated the technique to the 3rd Star, the minimum realm required to use the Arts, and likewise raised the Arts to the 3rd Star.
The profound principles of the cultivation technique were so complicated that they consumed quite a lot of time.
If the Soul-Return Body-Entering Art had felt like he wasn’t even allowed to understand its fundamental concepts, this cultivation technique felt like he understood both the concepts and methods but still couldn’t easily put them into practice.
That was despite the annotations and cultivation methods being explained extraordinarily clearly, unlike the Soul-Return Body-Entering Art.
‘For now, this is enough.’
He had intended to raise his cultivation as far as possible, but the manual explained that from the 4th Star onward, cultivation efficiency became significantly higher after reaching the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, so he decided to postpone it for now.
‘Should I try it out?’
Ise cast the core Art, Life-Promoting Art, toward the Ten-Year Grass he had planted.
‘Only once a day, and each casting must be completed within half a shichen (1 hour).’
Using Life-Promoting Art excessively would instead cause the spiritual herb to rot and die.
Spiritual qi transformed into sparkling powder and scattered toward the Ten-Year Grass.
At first, he couldn’t feel any change.
Ise took out a large sand timer from his Storage Pouch.
Since he tended to lose all sense of time whenever he cultivated, he had purchased a magical artifact that would notify him with a sound when a day had passed.
When he turned the sand timer over, the sand inside began falling little by little.
While Life-Promoting Art accelerated the growth of the spiritual herb, Ise continued circulating his cultivation energy whenever he had the chance.
Before long, only about one-third of the supreme-grade Condensing Qi Pill given to him by Haeil remained, and he felt as though the quantity of his spiritual qi was soon approaching the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm.
When the rustling sound of the falling sand stopped and the notification rang, Ise sequentially cast the Arts on the Ten-Year Grass and turned the sand timer over again.
Three times.
Then four.
And after the sand timer had been turned over another thirty-six times—
Another leaf sprouted from the stem of the Ten-Year Grass.
This meant that the spiritual herb had accumulated another year of age.
‘About tenfold.’
It had completed one year’s worth of growth in forty days.
In that case, it would take roughly ten years to produce a Hundred-Year Grass.
The efficiency was mediocre for now, but considering that the cultivation technique was only at the 3rd Star, it would undoubtedly become much faster later.
After calculating the difference in power between the 3rd and 10th Stars of other cultivation techniques, he concluded that it could reach a time acceleration of up to one hundred times.
Upon reaching Great Completion, that meant he could mass-produce a Hundred-Year Grass at a rate of one per year.
‘That’s absurd.’
He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even laugh.
The years he had spent struggling desperately to earn spirit stones flashed before his eyes like a passing lantern.
Ise revised every conclusion he had previously reached about the cultivation technique and the Talisman Treasure.
His doubts about whether the cultivation technique was worth staking his entire cultivation life on.
His mistaken belief that the Talisman Treasure, rather than the cultivation technique, was the true value of the secret map.
Everything had been wrong.
This was an absurd and shocking great fortuitous opportunity that would overturn the entire continent the moment its existence became known.
Although it had the disadvantage of requiring continuous care for the spiritual herb garden, he would already be cultivating here anyway, so it wasn’t a major problem.
Moreover, as his cultivation realm increased, the interval at which the garden needed to be maintained would gradually become longer as well.
‘Then the real problem is demonic qi.’
Unlike spiritual qi, demonic qi could not be absorbed through cultivation circulation.
Whether by killing and devouring demon beasts, extracting souls, or absorbing essence, he had to obtain it through direct action.
Until now, his cultivation had progressed slowly because demonic qi had always been abundant while spiritual qi was lacking.
Now the situation had been completely reversed.
‘I’ll have no choice but to become more serious about hunting demonic cultivators.’
There were plenty of demon beasts.
By their nature, being born from evil karma and resentment, they sprang up like weeds no matter how many were killed.
Demonic cultivators, in particular, were scattered everywhere no matter which continent one visited.
Ise thought that there would no longer be any bottlenecks obstructing his cultivation in the future.
‘Should I head out soon?’
Quite a bit of time seemed to have passed.
Ise considered going outside to take care of what needed to be done, but soon postponed it.
He was still thirsty for cultivation.
***
How much time had passed?
Ise sensed Ryu Seonghan entering the residence through his Spiritual Sense.
Ise had deliberately waited for him to come.
He wanted to confirm whether other people could enter the Life-Spirit Cave Abode as well.
“Senior?”
Ise slowly opened his eyes.
Ryu Seonghan was wearing the Daoist robes of the Heavenly Ice Palace.
Seeing how much more at ease his state of mind had become, it seemed that life in the sect suited him reasonably well.
“I vaguely sensed spiritual qi, so I wondered if you were here.
But what is this place…?”
“I got it from the Abyssal Labyrinth.”
“Don’t tell me you actually succeeded in hunting that Foundation Establishment wanted criminal?”
Ise answered with silence.
“No way, wow… This seems like some kind of portable grotto.
Damn.
No wonder that wanted criminal went crazy over it.”
Ryu Seonghan looked around the Life-Spirit Cave Abode with his eyes darting about.
Ise didn’t bother explaining the cultivation technique.
It wasn’t because he didn’t trust Ryu Seonghan in particular.
Their soul-binding contract was still in effect, and Ryu Seonghan needed him.
He simply didn’t think there was any reason to unnecessarily stir up feelings like jealousy or greed.
“Can you store things in here too?”
“Yeah.
It also doubles as a large Storage Space.”
“I’m seriously jealous….”
Ise smiled and made one of his characteristic jokes.
“You don’t even have a personal portable grotto?
Can you really call yourself a cultivator?”
“What cultivator has their own personal portable grotto?!”
Ryu Seonghan repeatedly muttered about how jealous he was before eventually clutching his head.
Ise narrowed his eyes.
“…Ahahaha.
I briefly had the irreverent thought that perhaps I could inherit Senior’s estate if you were to die….”
“I really don’t think I can take you around without a soul-binding contract.”
“I can’t trust myself either, so I can’t exactly ask you to release me….”
Ryu Seonghan took three large sacks out of his Storage Pouch and set them down.
“It’s feed for spirit beasts.
I thought it might be difficult for you to prepare Bisan’s food every time while cultivating.”
At the word “feed,” Bisan, who had been curled up nearby, abruptly raised its head.
“I don’t really eat that much, so it’s fine.
Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.
Ah, and I’ve entered the Heavenly Ice Palace.”
“Yeah, good job.”
Ise briefly praised his accomplishment.
Now Ryu Seonghan could take another step closer to his goal.
“I think I can get you an identity.
As a wandering cultivator affiliated with Tiandao city.”
“Oh?”
“You just need to carry this.
It’s not an identity token, but a guarantee token.
It means that, as someone affiliated with the Heavenly Ice Palace, I guarantee your identity.
We can also exchange communication talismans.”
“That’s good.”
Ise accepted the silver token Ryu Seonghan handed him.
The emblem of the Heavenly Ice Palace, along with Ryu Seonghan’s name and affiliation, was inscribed on it.
“You’ve just been cultivating this whole time, right?
Let’s head outside for once.
You need to get some fresh air too.
If you sit around cultivating all day, you’ll get bedsores.”
“Don’t worry.
I exercise from time to time too.”
“With a body that has reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, wouldn’t physical training be meaningless?”
“It’s just a habit.”
“You really are something….”
Ise chuckled and stood up.
He had already been putting off several things that needed to be taken care of anyway.
After retrieving the Life-Spirit Cave Abode and placing it into his Universe Pouch, the two headed toward the city.
Walking side by side, Ise asked,
“How much time has passed?”
Has that much time already passed?
“Don’t you get bored cultivating like that every day?”
“Not at all.
I could hole myself up and cultivate for about a hundred years.”
“I heard there’s such a thing as cultivation-induced inner demons… At that point, aren’t you showing signs of addiction?”
“Maybe.”
“Still, come outside from time to time.
Bisan needs to go for walks too.”
Ise stroked the feathers of Bisan, who had folded its wings and perched on his shoulder.
The little fellow seemed happy to be going outside for the first time in a while, making a purring sound.
Fortunately, there were Flesh Storage Vaults in the Northern Continent as well.
Ise chose the largest capacity available and replenished the various consumables he had used up.
Next, he stopped by a spiritual herb shop, checked which varieties were commonly traded, and purchased seeds and seedlings.
He focused mainly on those whose value increased the longer they accumulated years.
He also replenished the ingredients needed to make immortal cuisine from demonic beast meat.
Since Ryu Seonghan had entered the Heavenly Ice Palace, it was about time for Ise to start preparing Foundation Establishment immortal cuisine for him.
Finally, he stopped by a nearby bookstore and inquired about the whereabouts of the Two Principles Return-to-Origin Art, then checked whether there were any usable demonic cultivation manuals.
He had thought he might learn a demonic cultivation technique that was less objectionable, but every demonic cultivation manual was completely unsuitable for learning.
He felt like cultivating something like that would cause him to fall into an inner-demon tribulation.
As expected, demonic cultivators were people best left alone.
Thinking that, Ise returned to the residence.
He took out the corpse of the beast from the Demon Beast Sealing Album and began preparing immortal cuisine.
Today’s dish was Tabaro-style royal braised chicken.
Ise planned to taste only a little himself and put the rest in the Flesh Storage Vault for Ryu Seonghan.
Excited to eat immortal cuisine again after so long, Ise happily moved his chopsticks.
“Wow, this is seriously… that’s just ridiculous….”
Ryu Seonghan repeatedly exclaimed in amazement at the Qi-Convergence effect of Foundation Establishment immortal cuisine, while Bisan was chewing on scraps of meat clinging to the bones of a demon beast that might have been its mother.
For an instant, Ise felt a pang of conscience, but he turned his gaze away as though deliberately ignoring it.
“When do you think you’ll be able to access the Scripture Repository?”
“For now, I can check about a third of it.
To check the rest, I think I’ll need to reach Foundation Establishment and build up some contribution points.
The cultivation manual you’re looking for wasn’t among the ones I checked.”
“Maybe the physical copy isn’t there.
Is there also some kind of list of cultivation manuals across the continent?”
“Yes.
There was an index in the Scripture Repository’s access management office.
It even listed which sects were currently storing items the palace didn’t possess.”
Ise marveled at the Heavenly Ice Palace’s thoroughness and praised it as a proper sect.
“I heard there are separate secret manuals that can only be accessed by elders and those above their rank.
But you said the one you’re looking for had been partially sealed… so it probably isn’t there.”
“Reaching Foundation Establishment comes first.
Let’s work hard.”
“Yes.
I’ll cultivate diligently.”
Ise suppressed his desire to eat more.
He was short on demonic qi right now, so he didn’t need the Qi-Convergence effect, and the more he ate, the less there would be for Ryu Seonghan.
“You eat the rest.
Save it and eat it when the Qi-Convergence effect wears off.”
“Wow, really?”
Ryu Seonghan cheered and hurriedly stored the immortal cuisine in the Flesh Storage Vault, as though worried Ise might change his mind and take it back.
“You’re really unusual, Senior.
When I look at you, you’re clearly a miser, but sometimes you’re incredibly generous.”
“It’s not generosity.
It’s an investment.
There’s no such thing as something being free in this world.
Everything has a price.”
“You mean I should work hard?
Understood.”
“And take this and exchange it for contribution points.”
Ise took out the corpse of the wanted demonic cultivator he had hunted from the Demon Beast Sealing Album.
Ryu Seonghan flinched at the sight of the demonic cultivator’s corpse suddenly appearing from thin air and said to Ise,
“This thing… The way you talk, you really sound like a demonic cultivator.”
Ryu Seonghan said it as though getting revenge for Ise’s earlier teasing that he looked like a demonic cultivator.
But there was one difference between him and Ise.
Their cultivation realms.
The Black-Scale Axe came crashing down on Ryu Seonghan’s head.
Ise personally taught the etiquette of respecting one’s Senior to Ryu Seonghan as he clutched his head and rolled around on the floor.
“How dare you speak such slander to a Senior as lofty as the heavens?
Show some restraint.”