I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Chapter 41 Choosing a Cultivation Technique! Meeting the Sect Leader!

……

a long time.

Zhou Dingcai slowly calmed down his agitated emotions.

Foundation building is just the beginning.

The true path has only just begun.

He needs to plan his next steps.

First and foremost is the training method.

The "Wood Spirit Technique," practiced during the Qi Refining stage, is merely a basic cultivation method of Huangfeng Valley. At most, it can only be cultivated up to the Foundation Establishment stage, and its power is mediocre.

Now that he has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he must switch to a more advanced cultivation method to support his subsequent practice.

With a thought, the pale blue jade slip he had obtained from his master, Li Huayuan, appeared in his hand.

This was the gift bestowed upon me by my master on the day I became his disciple.

Zhou Ding probed in with his divine sense.

The Azure Origin Sword Manual

Four ancient and simple characters came into view.

The jade slip contains a detailed record of the cultivation method for this technique, which is divided into nine levels.

From the early stage of Foundation Establishment to the late stage of Core Formation.

Zhou Ding read it carefully, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

He possesses the three spiritual roots of wood, metal, and fire.

His primary cultivation method during the Qi Refining stage, which focused on wood-attribute techniques, gave him an extremely high affinity for wood-attribute spiritual energy.

The Azure Origin Sword Manual is a sword cultivation technique based on the wood element!

This technique is a perfect match for me!

What moved Zhou Ding even more was...

He had read the original work.

He knew the origins of this technique better than anyone else.

The Azure Origin Sword Technique originated from Azure Origin, one of the strongest beings in the human realm back then.

That being roamed the human realm for over a thousand years and was hailed as the number one swordsman of his time.

The technique he left behind is considered one of the top sword cultivation inheritances in the human realm, far surpassing ordinary techniques!

It was Zhou Ding's great fortune to obtain this skill.

The choice of cultivation method is crucial to the foundation of one's spiritual path and cannot be taken lightly.

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged and placed the pale blue jade slip containing the "Qingyuan Sword Manual" between his eyebrows. He immersed his consciousness in it, repeatedly studying, pondering, and weighing each word and sentence.

For three whole days.

He barely slept, studying every level, every key point, and every secret technique of this cultivation method. Combining his own aptitude with his future plans, he made his final decision.

There are two advantages to choosing to cultivate the "Azure Origin Sword Manual".

Firstly, the quality of this technique is far superior to that of ordinary techniques.

Qing Yuanzi was one of the strongest beings in the human realm. The sword technique he left behind points directly to the path of Nascent Soul, making it the most outstanding sword cultivation inheritance in the human realm.

Zhou Ding possesses a wood-elemental spiritual root, and the Azure Origin Sword Art is precisely a cultivation technique based on the wood attribute, making it extremely compatible with him. More importantly, it is currently the only top-tier wood-elemental cultivation technique he has access to.

Secondly, the complete version of this technique contains a secret art called "Three Revolutions Renewal Technique".

This secret technique requires cultivation during the Foundation Establishment stage. After each breakthrough to a minor realm, one can repeatedly compress, purify, and rebuild their mana, for a total of three cycles. After the third cycle, the purity of one's mana far surpasses that of others of the same level, and the solidity of one's foundation is beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

The most crucial thing—

This secret technique can greatly increase the chances of achieving the Golden Core stage!

Zhou Ding possesses the aptitude of three spiritual roots.

In the Qi Refining stage, there is not much difference between having three spiritual roots and having two spiritual roots, but when it comes to the insurmountable barrier of Core Formation, the importance of aptitude becomes undeniable.

Even for cultivators with dual spiritual roots, forming a core is difficult; for those with three spiritual roots, the hope is even slimmer.

Without special opportunities or heaven-defying techniques, Zhou Ding would probably be stuck in the Foundation Establishment stage for the rest of his life, watching helplessly as his lifespan runs out and he turns into a handful of dust.

The "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique" is the opportunity to defy fate!

Thinking of this, Zhou Ding's gaze became even more determined.

Of course, every advantage has its disadvantages.

Cultivating the Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique inevitably requires a great deal of time and energy.

After each breakthrough in a minor realm, it takes several times the time of an ordinary person to repeatedly compress and rebuild one's magical power.

This means that his cultivation speed will be much slower than that of others at the same level, requiring more patience and perseverance.

But Zhou Ding had thought it through very clearly.

The path to immortality is never about who walks the fastest, but about who walks the furthest.

Walking fast doesn't guarantee you'll reach the finish line.

Only by walking steadily and having a solid foundation can one climb higher peaks.

Moreover, he also has Little Gold, his clone, to help him. His magical power and true essence are inherently more abundant and purer than those of other cultivators of the same level.

The human and the beast complement each other, and their cultivation efficiency far exceeds that of ordinary people.

He can afford to waste this amount of time.

The only thing that worried him was the completeness of the "Qingyuan Sword Manual".

The jade slip in his hand only recorded the nine layers of the core cultivation method.

However, according to the original work, obtaining the complete Qingyuan Sword Technique requires two key items—a golden page and a silver page.

These two things are indispensable.

Zhou Ding remembered that the clue to the golden pages was in his master Li Huayuan's cave.

And the silver pages...

Zhou Ding frowned slightly.

In the original story, the silver page was obtained by chance by a disciple of Tianque Fortress, who brought it into the Crimson Forbidden Land and eventually ended up in Han Li's hands.

But this time, with his participation in the Crimson Forbidden Land, many things have changed.

Are the disciples of Tianque Fort still alive?

Did the silver pages still end up in Han Li's hands?

Zhou Ding silently made his plans.

Next time I see Han Li, I'll have to find a way to test him.

If the silver pages were in his hands, he might be able to exchange them for something else.

The two had done business together and their relationship was acceptable, so there was room for negotiation on this matter.

After all, Han Li was unaware of the value of the silver pages.

If it's not in Han Li's hands...

Then we need to find a way to get that silver page from the disciples of Tianque Fortress.

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes, which he quickly concealed.

……

Once the decision was made, there was no more hesitation.

Zhou Ding immediately began practicing the "Azure Origin Sword Technique".

The quiet room was filled with spiritual energy.

He sat cross-legged and, following the first layer of mental cultivation method recorded on the jade slip, guided the newly formed foundation-building true essence within his body to slowly circulate along the newly established meridian routes.

The true essence cultivated through the Azure Origin Sword Technique is called "Azure Origin Sword Essence," which combines the enduring vitality of wood with the sharpness of metal.

As the cyan true essence flowed through his meridians, it carried a faint trace of sword intent, causing Zhou Ding to feel waves of stinging pain. Yet, amidst this stinging pain, his meridians were slowly and steadily strengthened and widened.

This is a painful and lengthy process.

But Zhou Ding accepted it willingly.

……

Time flows by silently like water.

In the blink of an eye, another six months have passed.

In the quiet room, Zhou Ding slowly opened his eyes.

Two streaks of azure sword light flashed past his eyes, sharp as a physical object, leaving a fleeting, faint ripple in the air.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and his bones emitted a series of soft popping sounds.

The fourth level of the Azure Origin Sword Manual is complete!

In just one year, he progressed from the first level to the fourth level. This speed is quite impressive among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This is thanks to his solid foundation and pure magical power, which laid a good base.

Zhou Ding looked inward at his dantian and saw that the blue liquid true essence sea had expanded considerably compared to a year ago. As the true essence flowed, it faintly carried a sharp sword intent, which was the unique aura of the Azure Origin Sword Technique.

"It's time to leave the customs area."

He muttered to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Having successfully established his foundation and completed his initial cultivation technique, it is now time for him to make his official debut as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

According to the rules of Huangfeng Valley, once one has successfully established their foundation, they can be registered in the sect and included in the list of foundation-establishing cultivators.

From then on, their status and position were completely different from those of Qi Refining disciples. They could independently find beautiful places in the Taiyue Mountains to open their own cave dwellings, without having to live among Qi Refining disciples anymore.

Zhou Ding quickly tidied up his personal belongings in the quiet room.

There's not much to tidy up; it's mostly just miscellaneous items.

He carefully sorted and stored away the low-level magical artifacts, talismans, and pills that were no longer needed, and removed the simple arrays that had been set up in the courtyard for many years.

Standing in the courtyard, Zhou Ding took one last look at the small courtyard where he had lived for several years, but he didn't feel much attachment.

This place is just a stop on his path to immortality.

A wider world awaits him in the future.

He turned around, his cloud-stepping boots flashing with a faint blue light, and his figure transformed into a streak of blue light, flying towards the council hall of Yellow Maple Valley.