Chapter 506 - 247: Mastering the Blood Burning Secret Technique, Learning the Soul Capturing Technique, First Trial of the Beast Soul Seal

Jiang Che took a deep breath, completely suppressing the trace of complacency in his heart.

The road ahead was long, the journey far.

’I still have to work hard to catch up!’

He closed his eyes again, picked up a bottle of Gathering Essence Pills and downed the contents, once more immersing himself in the monotonous yet fulfilling process of Cultivation.

...

「On this day, at Tingtai Garden.」

The morning sunlight fell upon the Spiritual Spring, making its surface glitter.

Jiang Che had just finished a round of the Spirit Void Technique’s Circulation of the Celestial Cycle when a familiar, hearty laugh came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Junior Brother Jiang, how have you been settling in these past few days?"

Jiang Che rose and went to greet him. Song Yuan was standing outside the gate, hands clasped behind his back, a signature warm, gentle smile on his face.

"Thanks to you, Senior Brother. The Spiritual Qi here is abundant, and the place is quiet and elegant—a perfect spot for Cultivation." Jiang Che smiled and cupped his fists, then led Song Yuan to a seat in the pavilion.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Song Yuan’s expression grew serious as he got to the main topic:

"Junior Brother, you are now officially a disciple of our Spirit Void Peak, and you have reached the Entry Level with the Basic Techniques. Now, you must make a choice about the future path of your Cultivation."

"A choice?" Jiang Che asked, confused.

"That’s right."

Song Yuan held up two fingers and explained.

"Our Spirit Void Peak has a profound heritage and countless legacies. Broadly speaking, they can be divided into two paths."

"The first is to specialize in our Spirit Void Peak’s characteristic auxiliary arts, such as Alchemy, Arrays, Artifact Refining, Talisman Making, and the like."

Song Yuan paused, a smile in his eyes.

"The benefit of choosing this path is obvious. You get—rich!"

"Once you achieve proficiency in any of these arts, whether it’s refining Elixir Pills or inscribing Array Plates, your work will be considered premium goods within the Sect. Even a small number of them can be traded for a massive amount of sect points. Our fellow disciples from Spirit Void Peak who take this path are all incredibly wealthy; they never have to worry about resources."

Jiang Che felt a stir of interest at his words.

’I went to such great lengths to pose as a black-robed merchant and sell medicine, all for just a few thousand sect points. If I learned Alchemy and Artifact Refining, wouldn’t the points just come rolling in?’

As if sensing Jiang Che’s burgeoning interest, Song Yuan promptly threw cold water on the idea.

"However, this path has very clear drawbacks."

"A person’s time and energy are ultimately limited. If you spend most of your time honing these crafts, your own Cultivation Realm will inevitably fall behind. Plus, spending years cooped up in an Alchemy Room or Artifact Room means your real-world combat skills will likely be mediocre at best."

"In a true life-and-death battle, I’m afraid..."

Song Yuan shook his head, not finishing his sentence. The implication was clear.

Jiang Che nodded and asked, "And the other path?"

"The other is the path of pure combat!"

Song Yuan’s voice suddenly sharpened, and his warm, gentle aura instantly became piercingly intense.

"It’s widely rumored that we of Spirit Void Peak excel at auxiliary arts and Techniques but are poor at direct combat. Hmph! They couldn’t be more wrong!"

"If we weren’t skilled in combat, how could Spirit Void Peak hold its position as one of the four main peaks? How could we have produced those two True Inheritor Senior Brothers whose power is renowned throughout the Sect?!"

"In fact, when it comes to killing power, our disciples on the combat path are by no means weaker than those of the other three peaks!"

Jiang Che pondered for a moment.

Although he was quite interested in Alchemy and Artifact Refining.

But in his view, personal strength and one’s Realm were the foundation of everything.

Without the strength to defend it, any amount of wealth was simply a prize for someone else to claim!

"Senior Brother, I choose combat."

Jiang Che looked up and said in a firm voice, "As for auxiliary arts like Alchemy and Artifact Refining, it won’t be too late to explore them once my Cultivation is more advanced."

"Good!"

Song Yuan’s eyes filled with approval.

"As expected of a Seed favored by the Ancestor! Your Dao Heart is truly unshakable! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!"

He pointed to himself and grinned. "In fact, your senior brother here chose the combat path too!"

Then, Song Yuan’s expression turned solemn, and he began to introduce Spirit Void Peak’s unique Combat Techniques.

"Junior Brother Jiang, do you know why our Spirit Void Peak’s combat methods can stand on equal footing with those of Heaven-Slaying Peak, a peak renowned for its lethality?"

Jiang Che shook his head.

Song Yuan lowered his voice, his tone a mixture of mystery and pride.

"Because our combat style is fundamentally different from the other three peaks!"

"We don’t cultivate Sword Qi or train in Barbaric Power. Our core... is Spirit Attachment!"

"Spirit Attachment?" Jiang Che repeated, startled.

Song Yuan nodded and explained.

"Correct. This method involves using a special Technique, passed down within the Peak, to travel to Demon Suppression Peak or an external Secret Realm. There, we hunt powerful Exotic Beasts, forcibly extract their souls, and then use a Secret Technique to seal and attach them within our own bodies!"

"In this way, we can plunder and control a portion of the Exotic Beast’s Innate Divine Abilities and physical power from when it was alive!"

"With a Beast Soul bonded to us, it’s like giving a tiger wings! Our overall combat strength is greatly enhanced, and our methods become so strange and unpredictable that they’re impossible to defend against!"

’Soul Capturing and bodily possession? Plundering its Talent?’

Jiang Che was inwardly alarmed.

’This technique... it sounds a bit like the Demon Dao—domineering and sinister!’

’But there was no denying it was a shortcut to rapidly increasing one’s combat power!’

"Exactly."

Song Yuan took out a simple, ancient Jade Talisman that pulsed with a faint, dark light.

"This Jade Talisman contains the fundamental Dharma Gate of Spirit Void Peak’s combat branch: the ’Soul Capturing and Soul Binding Technique’!"

He handed the Jade Talisman to Jiang Che with a solemn air, his expression turning serious as he warned him.

"Junior Brother, this Technique delves into the mysteries of the Divine Soul, and it is exceptionally dangerous."

"Your Comprehension is astonishing—it only took you one night to reach the Entry Level of the Spirit Void Technique. But this Soul Capturing and Soul Binding Technique... its complexity and obscurity far surpass the Spirit Void Technique!"

"When you practice it, the slightest mistake can trigger a backlash against your Divine Soul. A minor incident will leave your Divine Soul damaged; a major one will cause you to suffer Qi deviation and fall into madness!"