Chapter 11: The Spirit-Receiving Art

The underground palace of the Star Sect ruins was once a special place used by the sect to temper its disciples. Although it contained numerous treasures, it was exceedingly perilous.

The deepest fourth and fifth layers were hazardous even for Grandmasters to enter!

Chen Fan closed his eyes, and the map immediately appeared in his mind. If he wished, he could examine every single detail of the map at any time!

Simultaneously, methods and precautions for entering various hidden locations also emerged in his consciousness.

He was filled with wonder. "Such miraculous power! Could this be the function of divine sense?"

As he roughly scanned the map, his gaze suddenly paused.

"Eh, is there a special layer beneath the fifth underground level?" Chen Fan widened his eyes again and looked toward the Star Spirit.

Strictly speaking, this could not even be considered a regular layer. Its area was much smaller, forming a unique palace known as the Star Palace!

Back at the Martial Academy, Chen Fan had specifically searched for descriptions of the Star Sect ruins, yet he had never heard of an extra layer existing beneath the fifth level.

The corners of the Star Spirit's lips curled upward.

"Heh, I admit that Great Gan possesses formidable strength, but in terms of heritage, it might not compare to the Star Sect. Some things cannot be discovered simply by having sufficient power..."

"The Star Palace is the core of the underground palace and involves a secret. Its trials are exceptionally unique, testing not only strength but also comprehension. However... even among the ninth-level disciples of our Star Sect, none ever completely passed all the trials."

With a flash in its eyes, the Star Spirit continued:

"Ah, if I remember correctly, to encourage disciples, the Star Palace does house a few common-attribute Spirits of Heaven and Earth. With your talent, you might just have a chance to obtain one. Unfortunately, that place is on the fifth level of the underground palace; without the strength of the seventh level or above, going there is simply courting death!"

Yet Chen Fan's eyes brightened instead!

With this map, coupled with his current strength, it was naturally impossible for him not to go.

"I must obtain the Tanyuan Pill, and these Spirits of Heaven and Earth are even more precious than the Tanyuan Pill. I absolutely cannot miss out!" Chen Fan's eyes gleamed as a resolute decision formed in his heart!

...

Since he had decided against exchanging for pills, Chen Fan began browsing through secret techniques.

Regrettably, he did not find the fourth stage of the Nine-Star Primordial Gallbladder!

Either this secret technique stopped at the third stage as its absolute limit, or the fourth stage required more than ten feathers to exchange.

The Star Spirit smiled as it watched Chen Fan:

"No matter how many ordinary martial arts techniques you learn, it is meaningless... Martial arts below the seventh level are ultimately just aids for comprehending artistic conceptions. While techniques vary in strength, the key is whether you can comprehend an artistic conception. If you have a suitable technique, focus on cultivating it. Only when you truly fail to break through to the realm of unity should you consider other martial arts."

Chen Fan nodded, understanding the logic.

Even with his hook-assisted talent, he had only mastered two techniques that had broken through to the realm of unity thus far.

He had as many as five techniques that had reached the Minor Perfection of Micro-manipulation!

Even both ice and fire attributes held the hope of breaking through to unity...

What he lacked was not martial arts skills, but the opportunity to comprehend artistic conceptions!

Unless it was an exceptionally formidable secret manual or a technique imbued with an artistic conception that he had already mastered, Chen Fan saw no need to make an exchange.

Of course, with his strength resting merely at the sixth level, he could not exchange for any core techniques or secret manuals within the Yuanshang Secret Realm.

As for amplification techniques, the Nine-Star Primordial Gallbladder was already the finest of its kind below the seventh level within the Yuanshang Secret Realm. There was no need for Chen Fan to exchange for others, which might otherwise cause a conflict.

Moreover, he had already decided on the secret technique he wanted!

His gaze turned to the Star Spirit: "I wish to choose a special secret technique capable of absorbing the Spirits of Heaven and Earth! The Yuanshang Secret Realm should have one, right?"

He had never even heard of such things as Spirits of Heaven and Earth back at the Martial Academy, nor had he ever seen corresponding secret techniques!

Of course, that was likely because his strength was insufficient to come into contact with such knowledge.

Upon hearing this, the Star Spirit looked Chen Fan up and down:

"The Yuanshang Secret Realm indeed possesses secret techniques for absorbing spiritual essences, but..."

"Spirits of Heaven and Earth are divided into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. Even a Mortal-grade spirit contains terrifyingly formidable power and is extremely dangerous. Not only does it require a special secret technique, but it also places extremely high demands on the physical body... Even with your current physical constitution, you can at most absorb only the lowest-grade Mortal-grade spirit..."

"Furthermore, I must remind you that the Spirits of Heaven and Earth do indeed contain distinct true meanings, and even profound mysteries that surpass artistic conceptions. However, attempting to gain insights from them places harsh demands on one's comprehension..."

"Some people obtain a Spirit of Heaven and Earth and fail to comprehend an artistic conception for their entire lives. They might even rashly alter their primary cultivation technique for the sake of the spirit, which could scatter their focus. It is far better to specialize in your own martial arts that are close to achieving unity..."

Martial arts techniques served as the entry point for comprehending artistic conceptions, yet how coincidental could it be that the Spirit of Heaven and Earth you obtained happened to match the exact technique you were trying to bring to unity?

If you acquired a spiritual entity with an unsuitable attribute, it would instead scatter your focus and result in a loss that outweighed the gains!

Chen Fan shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I know what I'm doing."

He possessed a whole array of techniques at the Minor Perfection of Micro-manipulation that had yet to reach unity!

Furthermore, his talent was extraordinary.

He believed that as long as he could find any Spirit of Heaven and Earth, even if he lacked a technique of the corresponding attribute at the Minor Perfection of Micro-manipulation, learning it on the spot would still be in time.

Given his current conditions, he could freely enter the Hall of Illusions. As long as there was an available slot in his cultivation system, spending a few months at most was sufficient to bring a technique to the Minor Perfection of Micro-manipulation!

And if he were slightly fortunate enough to acquire a high-level lightning-attribute Spirit of Heaven and Earth, he might even find a breakthrough direction surpassing artistic conception!

Naturally, had the Star Spirit not mentioned that Spirits of Heaven and Earth existed within the underground palace, Chen Fan would not have directly chosen to exchange for such a secret technique!

"A secret technique capable of absorbing Spirits of Heaven and Earth is of immense value. Your ten feathers are enough to exchange for three such techniques, among which a secret technique called the *Spirit-Absorbing Art* is the most suitable for you..."

A secret technique like the *Nine-Star Primordial Gallbladder*, which provided a doubled amplification of true essence, had not even cost ten feathers for its first three stages. Yet a single secret technique for absorbing Spirits of Heaven and Earth required ten feathers, proving its price was indeed exceptionally high.

Chen Fan nodded: "Then I will exchange for the *Spirit-Absorbing Art*!"

Following the exchange for the *Spirit-Absorbing Art*, the vast hall was suffused with a seven-colored auspicious glow. A jade slip materialized out of thin air within the radiance and slowly floated toward Chen Fan.

"Creation out of nothing, or spatial transformation? Truly miraculous power..."

The power within the Yuanshang Secret Realm was wondrous; even the most ordinary exchange of items gave one a feeling of unfathomable depth.

He reached out, took the *Spirit-Absorbing Art*, and touched it to his forehead. The jade slip naturally transformed into points of light that merged into Chen Fan's mind!

Simultaneously, a complex influx of information appeared in his consciousness.

In the cultivation system interface, the *Spirit-Absorbing Art* had also been unlocked!

After completing the exchange for the *Spirit-Absorbing Art*, Chen Fan exchanged a few casual remarks with the Star Spirit before leaving the Yuanshang Secret Realm.

He was well aware that the next time he returned, a very long time would likely pass!

...

Chen Fan journeyed toward the prefecture city without encountering any mishaps along the way.

With the scourge of fierce beasts just eliminated, even the number of bandits throughout Qinghe County had drastically decreased.

During this trip to the Yuanshang Secret Realm, Chen Fan's lightning artistic conception had reached perfection, freeing up a slot in his cultivation system.

After a brief hesitation, he chose not to directly cultivate the *Spirit-Absorbing Art* through the system. Although this secret technique was powerful, it offered zero enhancement to Chen Fan's immediate strength.

Moreover, Chen Fan had not yet obtained a Spirit of Heaven and Earth; it would not be too late to practice it once he secured one!

Instead, he chose to cultivate the *Lightning-Slaying Sword*, a technique that could barely be considered a form of sword art imbued with artistic conception...

It also represented the upper limit of Chen Fan's attack power.

The factors most crucial to his strength were, first, the enhancement of the slaughter artistic conception itself, and second, the progress of the *Lightning-Slaying Sword*, which fused two artistic conceptions together.

He estimated that even if he were to cultivate the fourth or fifth stage of the *Nine-Heavy Thunder Blade*, the power of those moves would still struggle to rival the *Lightning-Slaying Sword*.

There was simply no help for it; although Chen Fan's application of artistic conceptions fell short of some peak experts, the power generated by the combination of two artistic conceptions was simply too superior!