Lu Xuan knew Zhang Xiaofan's problem. The Tianyin Temple's techniques were Buddhist, while Lu Xuan's foundation lay in Taoism. The two methods were fundamentally incompatible. Every day, after practicing Lu Xuan's techniques, Zhang Xiaofan would return to practice the Tianyin Temple's techniques at night. This back-and-forth would cause the two methods to cancel each other out, naturally hindering his progress.
Lu Xuan understood, but didn't directly enlighten him. This was an obstacle on Zhang Xiaofan's path of cultivation, but also an opportunity.
Time flies, and four years have passed in the blink of an eye.
In three years, some people have changed a lot, such as Lin Jingyu. According to the standards of the Hidden Immortal Sect, Lin Jingyu has already reached the eleventh level of Qi Refining. Moreover, he could enter the twelfth level at any time, at which point he would need to prepare for Foundation Establishment.
In contrast, Zhang Xiaofan is only at the third level of Qi Refining. Compared to Lin Jingyu, the difference is like heaven and earth.
However, their relationship remained unchanged; they were still very close. This made Lu Xuan feel very gratified. For his disciples, virtue was naturally the most important thing.
Lu Xuan also frequently paid attention to Zhang Xiaofan's cultivation. After spending a year and barely managing to enter the basics, Zhang Xiaofan still made some progress thanks to the baptism of moonlight. Although most of the results of his daytime cultivation were dissolved at night, the effects of the moonlight baptism were so good that a portion remained, thus his cultivation level still improved considerably.
Having reached the third level of Qi Refining, Zhang Xiaofan could barely learn some of Lu Xuan's spells. Thunder magic was out of the question. Lu Xuan's thunder magic was derived from the profound changes of the Five Elements, requiring at least the Foundation Establishment stage to access. Zhang Xiaofan could only barely learn some basic Five Elements spells, or auxiliary spells like the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique.
Perhaps because of the conflict between the two cultivation methods, Zhang Xiaofan had to exert himself to control two different spiritual energies every day. His control over spiritual energy was quite exquisite. Therefore, Xin Shisi Niang often pulled him into her labor, making him go to the herb garden to help perform the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique.
On this day, two guests arrived at the Hidden Immortal Sect. They were disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect whom they hadn't seen for a long time. One was Song Daren from Great Bamboo Peak, and the other was a completely unfamiliar face.
"Xiao Yicai, a disciple of Tongtian Peak of Qingyun Sect, greets Sect Leader Lu."
"No need for formalities. May I ask what brings you two here today?"
"It is like this: three months from now, my Qingyun Sect will be holding a Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament. At that time, the elite disciples of each peak will compete on stage. My sect leader specifically asked me to invite Sect Leader Lu to attend the event."
The Qingyun Grand Competition scene is arguably the first climax in the original book. Lu Xuan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
"Since you have invited me, I dare not refuse. Rest assured, both of you, I will definitely attend the meeting on time three months from now."
Lu Xuan readily agreed, giving Xiao Yicai and Song Daren a sense of relief. The errand was surprisingly easy, without any difficulties, putting their minds at ease. They knew that when a major sect invited a smaller sect to a ceremony, it was essentially seen as a display of military power. They had both prepared for potential difficulties. But nothing happened.
Hongyu, on the other hand, looked rather unwell.
"Lin Jingyu!"
"Disciple is here." Lin Jingyu sensed the dissatisfaction in Hongyu's tone and hurriedly replied.
"Come with me. You must advance to the twelfth level of Qi Refining within three months."
"Yes, Master."
Lin Jingyu went into seclusion to cultivate diligently with Hongyu.
Only Zhang Xiaofan remained, cautiously following behind Lu Xuan. He knew his cultivation was slow, so he always felt inferior when he was with Lu Xuan, and didn't even dare to speak loudly.
"Xiao Fan, come with me. I have some good things for you."
If your cultivation level isn't high enough, make up for it with better equipment.
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Chapter 411 Piles of Magical Treasures
In Zhang Xiaofan's mind, magical treasures must be extremely precious. Even Lin Jingyu, whose cultivation progressed rapidly and who was quite favored by his master's wife, only possessed a celestial sword as his magical treasure.
But now, his master threw out more than thirty different kinds of magical treasures in one go. Although Zhang Xiaofan's cultivation level was low, he could still sense that each of these magical treasures had a powerful aura and was obviously of high quality.
Lu Xuan casually rummaged through the magical treasures, dividing them into four groups. Three of the bracelet-type treasures were in a separate group. The remaining thirty-odd treasures were divided into three groups, each corresponding to one of the three bracelets. Then, pointing to the three groups of treasures, he said to Zhang Xiaofan...
"Look, which pile you've got your eye on?"
"Which pile???" Zhang Xiaofan was a little confused. He originally thought that he would be satisfied with his master giving him a magic weapon for protection. Now it seems that it's not just a matter of one.
“Your cultivation level is too low; one magic weapon might not be enough. I’ll just give you a set. The bracelet is engraved with the Mamu runes, which can control the other matching magic artifacts. Take a look and see which set you like, and I’ll teach you how to use it.”
The description of choosing a bunch of magical treasures left Zhang Xiaofan somewhat bewildered.
However, for Lu Xuan, this was nothing more than a minor matter. After developing that entirely new weapon-refining technique, he named it the Spirit Control Technique. Later, he added mother-child runes to this technique, allowing users to more easily manipulate multiple magical artifacts.
What's now in front of Zhang Xiaofan is the first generation of the Mother-Child Spirit Control Series. Each bracelet can control ten magical artifacts engraved with child runes.
These magical artifacts are all spirit-controlling artifacts that seal the essence of spirit beasts. Equipping ten of these artifacts is equivalent to equipping a complete magical artifact system that integrates offense, defense, and support, with automatic power supply and recovery. It's no exaggeration to say that Zhang Xiaofan's cultivation level is far inferior to Lin Jingyu's. However, any one of these magical artifacts, at full power, could obliterate Lin Jingyu. After all, the spirit beasts inside were all handpicked by Lu Xuan, and virtually none of them are weak.
Lu Xuan gave Zhang Xiaofan a brief explanation of the effects of this magic weapon.
"Because there are enough of them, all of these magical artifacts are combinations that integrate offense, defense, and support. Take a look at this set. It consists of gloves, rings, a Taoist robe, inner armor, a belt, amulet, boots, bracelets, silver nails, and a flying sword. Among them, the gloves seal the essence of a pair of mountain apes, and with the assistance of runes, they allow you to manipulate boulders of the earth to attack your opponents."
The ring seals the essence of a seven-tailed centipede, granting it one chance to unleash a venomous attack each day. Don't underestimate this opportunity. Its venom is exceptionally potent, rarely seen in the world. Even among the most skilled cultivators, few can withstand it. A single hit can instantly take half of an opponent's life.
The Taoist robe and inner armor are both defensive magical artifacts. The Taoist robe is designed to resist magical attacks, while the inner armor focuses on physical defense.
The belt is an auxiliary magical artifact that not only grants you immense strength but also allows you to quickly heal physical injuries.
Amulets can reduce the impact of sound waves, illusions, and mental spells, keeping your mind clear. They can also slowly restore your body's spiritual energy.
The boots have a built-in wind-controlling power, allowing you to fly without consuming your own magic power.
The silver nail is an offensive or sealing artifact. Once it hits an enemy, the artifact will activate a spell to attempt to seal the enemy's magic power.
The bracelet is used to bind the enemy's body, and it works even better when used in conjunction with the silver nails.
Finally, there's the flying sword, your primary offensive weapon. It seals within the spirit of a mutated ice spider, imbued not only with the power of ice but also with a unique chilling poison that will afflict your enemies without them even realizing it.
After Lu Xuan finished explaining, seeing that Zhang Xiaofan remained unresponsive, he pointed to the second set of magical artifacts. At this point, Zhang Xiaofan finally came to his senses.
“No, Master, this is far too precious. My cultivation is so lowly…”