It was almost noon when Yuan Chiyi began to grow impatient. Zhuo Ming and the other five finally made their reluctant choices and descended from the bookshelves.
They could only look, not take the books themselves. They needed Brother Hu to do it for them.
“Huh, you also want to practice the Dual Phase Technique?”
Among them, Liu Wenbo’s choice was surprisingly the same as Chen Mobai’s, which greatly surprised Brother Hu.
“Oh, I didn’t expect Brother Chen’s choice to be the same as mine.”
As a member of a cultivation family, Liu Wenbo’s choice of the Dual Phase Technique was definitely a decision made after careful consideration by his family.
“Fill this out first.”
Brother Hu dutifully advised once more, causing Liu Wenbo to hesitate.
However, knowing that Chen Mobai had already made his choice seemed to help him make up his mind. He gritted his teeth, wrote his voluntary statement, and took a copy of the Dual Phase Technique.
“Brother Chen, what is the Dual Phase Technique?”
On the way back, Zhuo Ming, who had chosen the Qi Refining Chapter of the Eternal Life Sutra, asked curiously. Although she was well-informed, she had never heard of the Dual Phase Technique, which was not something a typical loose cultivator could learn about.
Chen Mobai did not hide anything, after all, they were all now members of the Shenmu Sect.
“There’s such a miraculous technique, did I miss out?”
After hearing Chen Mobai’s explanation, Zhuo Ming’s cherry lips parted in surprise, her face full of regret.
“Who knows, it might be a blessing in disguise.”
Liu Wenbo, on the other hand, came over and said this.
At Zhuo Ming’s puzzled look, he explained the difficulties of practicing the Dual Phase Technique. After hearing this, she immediately understood.
As a loose cultivator, she wouldn’t have to worry about the Dual Phase Technique until she became a true disciple.
“By the way, Sister Zhuo, are you planning to switch to the ‘Eternal Life Sutra’?”
Chen Mobai pointed to the book Zhuo Ming was holding. The Dual Phase Technique required the cultivation of two techniques that mutually engendered each other according to the Five Elements.
In the Shenmu Sect, there were generally two paths: Water-Wood or Wood-Fire!
Among them, Yuan Chiyi chose the path of Water engendering Wood. If he successfully formed his Golden Core, the spiritual power of the Eternal Life Sutra would absorb all the essence of the Water technique.
The other path was Wood engendering Fire.
This was the path chosen by Chen Mobai.
His Fire technique was definitely the Pure Yang Scroll, and to hide in the Shenmu Sect, he could only choose the Eternal Life Sutra for his Wood technique.
In the Shenmu Sect, regardless of which path one chose for the Dual Phase Technique, the Wood technique was basically the Eternal Life Sutra.
Apart from being a standard technique in the Shenmu Sect, it was also chosen because of the increased lifespan it provided, giving cultivators more time to reach the threshold of forming a Golden Core.
After obtaining the Dual Phase Technique, Chen Mobai naturally wanted to find a way to get the Eternal Life Sutra.
He had previously asked Brother Hu in the library, and since it was the most common Qi Refining technique in the Shenmu Sect, every disciple could exchange for it.
The price was not too expensive for Chen Mobai, only 50 spirit stones.
If he wasn’t short of money, having only 30 spirit stones left after practicing the One Yang Body, Chen Mobai would really want to buy a copy.
“Brother Chen, this is a benefit given to new disciples by the sect for free. We made a Dao Heart Oath when we received it, we can’t sell it.”
Upon understanding Chen Mobai’s intentions, Zhuo Ming shook her head like a rattle drum.
Although she was just a loose cultivator, she knew the importance of the Dao Heart Oath. Breaking it would plant the seed of a heart demon.
“What a pity.”
Chen Mobai was just asking, but then he seemed to remember something and turned to look at Liu Wenbo.
The latter was a bit puzzled, not knowing why Chen Mobai was looking at him.
“Junior Brother Liu, since you’ve chosen the Dual Phase Technique, the two Qi Refining techniques you need to practice must have been prepared by your family.”
“That’s right, Brother Chen, you mean…”
Both of them were smart, and without saying much, Liu Wenbo understood Chen Mobai’s intentions.
Regardless of which path his Dual Phase Technique took, the Eternal Life Sutra was a must.
And since Liu Wenbo’s Eternal Life Sutra was prepared by his family, there was naturally no restriction of the Dao Heart Oath.
“If Brother Chen needs it, I can copy one for you when I get back.”
Liu Wenbo was a smooth operator. A mere Qi Refining technique was nothing to him. To win over Chen Mobai, a future true disciple, was a good thing.
“Then I won’t be polite. If Junior Brother Liu needs anything in the future, just let me know.”
Chen Mobai originally wanted to get the Qi Refining Chapter of the Eternal Life Sutra on credit, but he didn’t expect Liu Wenbo to be so generous.
For a moment, he felt a bit guilty about his suspicion towards the cultivators of the Tianhe Realm. Perhaps it was only some loose cultivators who were malicious, and most of them, like those in the Immortal Gate, were good people.
After returning to the Bud Hall, Chen Mobai and the others immediately applied to Yuan Chiyi for closed-door cultivation.
He didn’t refuse, only reminding them that they couldn’t be short of firewood every month. Apart from that, he wouldn’t restrict their cultivation, and it didn’t matter whether they attended his lectures on the sect’s rules or not.
The most abundant tree in the Giant Wood Ridge was a type called the Red Sun Tree. The fire from burning its wood was gentle and controllable, making it a favorite material for first-order alchemists and artifact refiners.
However, the contribution points for chopping wood were too low, and few Shenmu Sect disciples took on this task, so it fell to the new disciples.
Each person had to chop one hundred standard rectangular logs to earn 1 contribution point.
New disciples were required to chop three hundred logs per day.Chen Mobai, who was in the late stage of Qi Refining, mustered all his strength to use the iron axe provided by the sect. From dawn to dusk, he never slacked off, managing to chop about five hundred logs.
Those in the middle stage of Qi Refining could only complete the task by giving it their all.
Fortunately, most of them were independent cultivators who had just started, and a few were from small family sects. The lowest cultivation level among them was the fourth layer of Qi Refining.
They could basically complete the wood chopping task in full.
Chen Mobai was confident that he could make up for the Red Sun Wood later, but Zhuo Ming and the others couldn’t. They had to go out and chop wood with their axes after just one day of seclusion.
“Doesn’t this kid fear that he won’t be able to complete the task by the end of the month and will be punished by me?” Yuan Chiyi muttered to himself as he looked at the record of Chen Mobai’s seven-day seclusion.
What he didn’t know was that there was no one in the wooden house anymore.
Chen Mobai had already packed his belongings, holding the “Eternal Life Scripture”, and was sitting by the window on the train, heading towards the Red City Cave.
“Excuse me, this is my seat.”
Just as Chen Mobai was engrossed in his book, a pleasant voice sounded in his ear.
He turned his head and saw a beautiful young girl in the bloom of youth.
She had light makeup on, her eyebrows were like crescent moons, her face was fair, and she looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. Her lips were slightly upturned in a smile, her cherry lips lightly pursed, as if she had applied lipstick, giving off a charming color, alluring and tempting.
“I’m sorry.”
Chen Mobai had placed his backpack next to him, taking up half of her seat. Upon realizing this, he immediately apologized and moved it to the floor.
“It’s okay.”
The girl gave a light smile and walked in.
She was wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt that outlined her full and exquisite curves, a slender waist, and a black pleated skirt on the bottom. Her thin and long legs were covered in white knee-high stockings, and she wore a pair of black round-toed shoes, exuding innocence and allure.
She squeezed her half-height pink suitcase under the seat, and after sitting next to Chen Mobai, she took off the large backpack she was carrying and placed it on the exposed beautiful skin between her skirt and stockings.