Chapter 158: Chapter 20 Dragon Spring Hundred Forms, Body Refining Secret Technique
Linghu Chu and Luo Yan passed through the narrow passageway and came to the second cave chamber.

The rocks walls here were also smooth, and Shi Liuli had already fetched a palace lantern magical treasure, which was floating in the air and illuminated the words on the rock wall:

“The outside is full of writing by the big cat, and there’s no space left, so the old man writes here.”

“What ‘Swallow Smoke and Glisten Gold Charm’? Utter rubbish, don’t even bother learning it!”

“The demon race’s innate qi contains impurities, and following that method to circumnavigate the meridians will result in an accumulation of these impurities with each cycle and you’ll suffer when it comes time to form your Nascent Infant!”

“You might as well learn our Witch Clan’s ‘Dragon Spring Hundred Forms Song,’ the strongest body refining secret technique of the human race. Demons need not bother!”

Below were pictures of a naked man performing various odd movements, and they were likewise labeled with various acupoints, qi circulation pathways, and notes.

Linghu Chu: ………

Luo Yan: ………

Shi Liuli: ………

Are you two leaving messages and competing with each other here?

“Eh?” Linghu Chu suddenly exclaimed with surprise, “This cultivation technique seems to have miraculous effects on Marrow Cleansing?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan was shocked and hastily followed the direction pointed out by the eldest senior brother.

Indeed, the qi circulation pathway of the cultivation technique did pass through the most difficult-to-reach dead corners within the Marrow Cleansing Rank, with annotations from that elder of the Witch Clan beside them:

“Behind the brain there is a protuberance on the occipital bone. Here, one should guide the qi in the small Heavenly Circuit three times, and then inject it from the side of the brain…”

“There are intervertebral foramen along the spine that become wider from top to bottom, thus qi should be directed from bottom to top…”

After carefully reviewing it, Luo Yan realized that this wall-contained body refining secret technique offered much more detailed pathways for guiding qi than the breathing techniques did.

That’s not right either, one can’t really say that.

After all, the aim of the Daoist Qi Refining Technique is to facilitate breathing, to strengthen the Qi Sea, and hence the qi merely circulates through the main meridians.

However, the aim of the body refining secret technique is to eliminate impurities and nourish the body, and for this reason the qi must pass through various muscles and bones, as well as many minor and intricate places.

When it comes to advancing one’s Cultivation Realm, one must certainly use the Qi Refining Technique; but for the Marrow Cleansing stage alone, the efficiency of the body refining secret technique is indeed superior…

To be precise, the efficiency crushes the Qi Refining Technique.

On the other side, Linghu Chu was marveling and deeply admiring, saying:

“I’d long heard of the Witch Clan’s body refining secret techniques from ancient times, holding their own against the Daoist Qi Refining Techniques in prestige. Now it seems they truly are profound and ingenious.”

“It’s a pity, though, that as the practice of refining techniques progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to advance in realms. If this were not the case, they would not have ended up with their teachings obliterated… However, I didn’t bring a jade slip for record on this trip. Little junior brother, your memory is good, can you remember all these techniques?”

“I’ve remembered them,” said Luo Yan, who had already scrutinized all the diagrams without missing a single word, and nodded.

In his mind, the Green Duckweed Sword commented:

“‘Dragon Spring Hundred Forms Song,’ a secret body refining technique of the Witch Clan, I did not expect to find it here.”

“Your elder senior brother was indeed correct. The problem with all of the Witch Clan’s body refining techniques lies in their difficulty to make further progress as one reaches the later stages. The ‘Dragon Spring Hundred Forms Song’ is a supreme technique among their secret methods, and its practice is even more profound. From the Golden Core Realm onward, the benefits in the same amount of cultivation time become far less than that of the Daoist Qi Refining Techniques.”

“But for your current Cultivation Level, practicing it can still rapidly enhance your strength.”

Luo Yan asked uncertainly:

“Can this Body Refining Secret Technique be cultivated alongside Daoist Qi Refining Technique?”

“Why not?” the Green Duckweed Sword chuckled, “The origins of the Daoist Qi Refining Technique and the Witch Clan’s Body Refining Technique run much deeper than you realize.”

“The Witch Clan’s Body Refining Technique aims to cultivate the entire body, whereas the Daoist Qi Refining Technique simply shifts the focus to primarily cultivating the Dantian. The essence of circulating Qi doesn’t differ much.”

“I agree with her on this point,” the Kunlun Mirror chimed in, “When the Daoist Qi Refining Technique was first developed, its main slogan was ‘First establish the Dantian’s Jade Mansion, then forge the limbs and bones.’

“It’s just that later on,” the Green Duckweed Sword said with a coy laugh, “Cultivators found that they could achieve immortality and become celestial beings without having to train their bodies.”

“The so-called ‘Severing of the Three Corpses’ involves discarding the physical body to ascend with the True Spirit… Of course, the highest one can reach in that way is the Heavenly Immortal Realm, but with a lifespan equal to the heavens, who insists on pursuing physical sanctification?”

“I understand now.” Luo Yan took note of this conversation between the mirror and the sword to heart.

After confirming there was no remnants left in the cave, Linghu Chu led his junior brothers and sisters out of the cave and back onto their ship to set sail.

In the cabin below the deck, Luo Yan watched Miss Shi, who was gleefully practicing the Body Refining Secret Technique, and felt a mix of emotions.

This Miss Shi, after conducting a mysterious and secretive ritual, had actually found an extraordinary encounter that could accelerate her Marrow Cleansing?

Could it be she wasn’t joking, and she was truly a person of heavenly fate?

“Don’t be foolish,” the Kunlun Mirror couldn’t help but say, “Probabilistically speaking, no matter how small the chance, there’s always a possibility for it to occur—that doesn’t really prove anything.”

“Ah Jing, do you mean to say that Miss Shi just got lucky?”

“Yeah, what else?” the Kunlun Mirror lamented, “To actually believe her nonsense, I’m starting to question your intelligence.”

“I haven’t completely believed it either, I’m just making a bold assumption,” Luo Yan reflected seriously, “Do you think if I let her perform another ritual, to seek an extraordinary encounter that could ‘accelerate the Refining Mansion,’ it might work?”

“You are so boring…” His idea was met with ruthless ridicule from the Kunlun Mirror.

But Luo Yan didn’t give up and instead returned to his own cabin to begin practicing the Dragon Spring Hundred Forms Song.

Although he had already entered the Refining Mansion Rank and didn’t need to accelerate Marrow Cleansing, the Body Refining Secret Technique could strengthen the body. Moreover, he needed to leave the impression on his elder brother that “I achieved Marrow Cleansing through this technique,” so he found it necessary to practice it.

After cultivating for a while, Luo Yan left his cabin and went to find Miss Shi.

“Senior Sister,”

“What is it?” Shi Liuli opened her eyes, “How is your practice going?”

“Not bad,” Luo Yan said casually, “Senior Sister, could you speak to the will of the Heavenly Dao again, requesting that we have an encounter for the Refining Mansion Rank next? Ideally, one that can directly perfect the Jade Mansion, save time in Refining Mansion, and improve the Quality Rank of the Golden Core.”

Shi Liuli said with a frown, “I’ve just asked the heavens for help once; you want me to do it again… How could that be possible?”

She glanced outside the cabin and then whispered mysteriously to Luo Yan:

“My method has two limitations: first, the more people who know about it, the less effective it becomes; second, the more often it has been used, the less effective it is. So we can’t let others know, and we can’t use it frivolously.”

“There’s such a thing?” Luo Yan didn’t know what to say and after a pause finally said, “If that’s the case, we shouldn’t have sought to accelerate Marrow Cleansing; we should have sought to speed up the Refining Mansion instead—that’s related to the Quality Rank of forming the Golden Core!”

“Are you stupid?” Miss Shi tugged at his ear, “Two birds in the bush are not as good as one in the hand. I haven’t fully completed Marrow Cleansing, what use is an encounter to accelerate the Refining Mansion?”

“We could save it for later!” Luo Yan said anxiously, “For example, if we got an Elixir, we could not consume it now, but wait until after Marrow Cleansing to do so; wouldn’t that be better?”

Shi Liuli was stunned for a while before suddenly slapping her forehead:

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

Luo Yan: ………