Chapter 42: Dragon-Elephant, Supreme Mystery

Selecting enhancements is no simple task, especially given the vast, ocean-like array of exchanges available at the God-like entity’s interface. If one wishes to avoid weakness or regrets in the future due to poorly matched selections, one must be extremely cautious and deliberate.

Chen Mo needed to meticulously plan his cultivation resources, cultivation techniques, and personal enhancements.

Selecting cultivation resources was easy, but time-consuming, as not all the seeds of heavenly treasures available from the God-like entity could simply be grown by accumulating time.

For instance, a treasure known as "Primordial Dragon-Tooth Rice" requires planting in five-colored soil, daily watering with jade spring water, fertilization with the vitality of lightning, and the absorption of solar and lunar essence to reach maturity. Relying solely on the ripening ability of the Heaven-Turning Bottle might not suffice.

Consequently, Chen Mo spent his time cross-referencing the exchange descriptions of these seeds from the God-like entity while simultaneously using a computer to verify information.

If the God-like entity’s entry for a treasure specified a source work, he would search for that work on his computer to look up specific cultivation methods. If suitable, he would add it to his cart. However, if the information was merely tagged as "Generic Fantasy," "Generic Xianxia," or "Generic Wuxia," or if the original work lacked specific cultivation details, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.

The research process was dry and tedious, yet Chen Mo still managed to select a variety of heavenly treasures: resources to rapidly accumulate energy cycles and increase total capacity; treasures to enhance the quality of energy cycles and improve physical constitution; and others capable of improving innate talent and mending a weak foundation.

Chen Mo calculated the cost of these seeds: a total of 2,024 reward points, with no side-story mission requirements.

He decided these would suffice for now. Later, if possible, he would create a homunculus to record the God-like entity's exchange list for more leisurely selection.

Rubbing his temples, Chen Mo picked up the paper filled with seed information and began exchanging them one by one under the God-like entity.

Once the seeds were in his possession, he stored them all in his item space, planning to pass them to Han Li whenever he became available, so he could assist in planting them. If these treasures could be successfully cultivated, they would be of great benefit to him, the North Ice Continent Team, and his friends in the chat group.

For example, for Lu Mingfei, Chen Mo had specifically chosen herbal seeds capable of strengthening one's resolve and refining the spirit—effects similar to the "Mind Concentration" enhancement of the first-generation Zhang Heng—which might prove helpful to that "loser" youth.

There were also seeds for divine herbs that could improve talent and increase energy absorption rates. Han Li would likely find these interesting; if he could further elevate his aptitude, paired with the resources accelerated by the Heaven-Turning Bottle, he would no longer need to endure such long waits to advance as he did in the original story.

He even bought seeds for treasures that could increase intelligence, intending them for Aqua—though they would likely have little effect on her. He bought them just to test the waters; even if they failed, they would still have good effects on others.

With that, the issue of cultivation resources was resolved. The remaining tasks—cultivation techniques and personal enhancements—required much deeper consideration.

"Regarding cultivation techniques, among the works I am familiar with, there are quite a few that are 'easy to enter,' but if I also require a 'high ceiling,' the options are few..."

As he pondered, Chen Mo moved his mind, and the descriptions of two techniques appeared before him.

[Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art]
[From "Generic Wuxia," recorded in the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Sutra, the supreme guardian technique of the Tantric sect, consisting of thirteen levels.]
[This technique emphasizes gradual progress and has no entry threshold; even those of low intelligence can master it. However, it is extremely time-consuming to practice, theoretically requiring a thousand years to reach the highest realm.]
[Each level mastered grants the strength of one dragon and one elephant; upon reaching the thirteenth level, one attains the divine power of "thirteen dragons and thirteen elephants."]
[Exchange requires one Grade A side-story mission and 6,000 reward points.]

[White-Headed Tai-Xuan Sutra]
[From "Generic Wuxia," an earth-shattering martial arts secret, a profound discipline evolved from Li Bai’s poem "Ode to Gallantry."]
[The Tai-Xuan Sutra contains sword techniques, palm techniques, movement arts, unarmed combat, and internal energy methods. Each is a top-tier, world-class martial art. Once mastered, one can integrate sword, palm, internal energy, and movement into a seamless whole, achieving a state where it is impossible to distinguish whether a move is a palm strike or a sword thrust.]
[Exchange requires one Grade A side-story mission and 6,000 reward points.]

Both the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art and the White-Headed Tai-Xuan Sutra had versions at various price points in the God-like entity’s store, ranging from the lowest Grade C to the Grade A version here. Without at least a Grade B side-story, the techniques would have no names.

Both were "easy to enter." The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art was accessible even to those with average talent and dull minds. Its flaw was that while starting was easy, reaching the pinnacle required peerless talent or an incredibly long time.

The White-Headed Tai-Xuan Sutra could be learned by an illiterate person as long as they grasped its mystery. In the Hong Kong comic version, even a mediocre, second-rate villain like Shi Zhongyu could learn it and gain immense power in a short time. The only uncertainty for Chen Mo was whether the God-like entity's version possessed the magical properties of the carvings on the stone walls in the original world, or if the ease of learning was simply an effect of the tadpole-like script carved into the stone rather than the manual itself.

Regardless, despite their pros and cons, both met Chen Mo's criteria.

"Exchange for the manuals of the 'Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art' and the 'White-Headed Tai-Xuan Sutra'."

He spent two Grade D side-story missions and 1,200 reward points without blinking. With his current resources, such a cost was a mere trifle.

After a cursory glance at the two manuals, Chen Mo stuffed them back into his item space.

"Can't understand them."

This was normal. Without mastering even the most basic knowledge, it would be a miracle if he could comprehend these techniques.

For example, starting the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art was like a linear equation; even someone less bright could master it with time. But if you asked someone who hadn't finished elementary school to learn linear equations, it would be quite difficult.

Therefore, to learn these, he first needed to master foundational knowledge—manuals regarding meridians, qigong, and martial theory, such as the "Daoist Canon," the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic," and the "Yellow Emperor's Outer Classic." Only by thoroughly digesting these could he proceed to the next stage.

These manuals were inexpensive, totaling only about a hundred reward points. Although there were many, he could use the "Touch of the Scholar" or intelligence-enhancing drugs to assist his learning; it wouldn't be too difficult.

These two techniques could serve as his primary practices for now. As for other types of techniques, although he had others in mind, he decided to finalize his personal enhancements before slowly selecting additional manuals.