Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Technique Advancement, New Mission

Bixia Sect, 210 Cave Mansion of the Xin Character.

A faint glow from the isolation Array flowed across the stone walls, blocking out all noise and prying eyes from the outside world.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on the cold stone couch, a Jade Scroll resting in his palm.

This was the very same Jade Scroll he had obtained from Qian Yuan, the one that recorded the Blood Shadow Corpse Refining Skill.

His Divine Sense sank into it, but he didn’t touch upon the sinister and bizarre Corpse Refining Techniques. Instead, he went straight to the section on Secret Techniques.

Soon, his attention was firmly fixed on the Chapter for the Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill.

’As expected of something so profound...’ Lu Zhao murmured inwardly as he began to study it in detail.

This skill was completely different from the Qi Cultivation Stage Magic he had learned in the past. Ordinary Magic was usually divided into stages like Entry Level, Minor Achievement, and Great Success, with its power increasing along with proficiency and the amount of Magical Power infused.

The Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill, however, was divided into five layers, with each one representing a qualitative change.

First Layer: Once mastered, one could change their appearance and conceal their aura at will, enough to deceive the vast majority of Qi Cultivators.

Only those whose Divine Sense far surpassed others of the same tier, or those who cultivated a special Spiritual Eye or Illusion-Breaking Magic, would have a chance of seeing through it.

However, this layer had a significant drawback—after being cast, it could maintain any form for one month, but after that month, the Magic would enter a half-month "cooldown period," during which it could not be cast again.

Unless... one could break through to the 2nd Layer.

2nd Layer: Once cultivated, the power of Concealing Breath and shapeshifting would increase dramatically. Not only would it be nearly impossible for Qi Cultivators to see through, but it could even deceive some Early-stage and Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators whose Divine Sense wasn’t particularly sharp or who weren’t actively probing!

The annoying half-month cooldown period would also disappear.

3rd Layer: Upon reaching this realm, the art of concealment and shapeshifting would approach Great Success. Not only would Foundation Establishment Cultivators find it hard to see through, but even Late-stage Foundation Establishment and Fake Core Cultivators would struggle to tell truth from falsehood without a full-powered probe or a special Magical Treasure.

As for the fourth and 5th Layers, the description in the Jade Scroll was baffling to Lu Zhao. It involved the mysteries of the Golden Core Level, which was far beyond his current comprehension, so he decided not to delve any deeper.

’The first layer alone is so miraculous. Despite the cooldown flaw, it’s more than enough to handle most situations right now.’ A sharp glint flashed in Lu Zhao’s eyes.

The value of this Secret Technique far exceeded his prior estimations; it was practically the ultimate tool for concealing his tracks and changing his identity.

For the next half-month, Lu Zhao cast aside all distractions, pouring his entire Heart Spirit into cultivating the first layer of the Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill.

He used his powerful Divine Sense, which was comparable to that of an Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, as a guide to repeatedly study the Spiritual Power circulation routes and the Spiritual Soul fluctuation simulation methods recorded in the Jade Scroll.

The Technique seals at his fingertips shifted as the pure Water Spirit Power, converted by the Little Spirit Rain Technique within him, circulated, converged, and simulated along specific pathways in his meridians.

Inside the cave mansion, light and shadow shifted, and Lu Zhao’s figure blurred and distorted along with them.

At a certain moment, he set his hand seal, and the surrounding light and shadow dissipated. The handsome, steady young man was gone, replaced by a middle-aged man with dark skin, a simple and honest face, and a weathered look about him.

He looked down at his own coarse hands and touched his cheek. The sensation was incredibly real. Even his eyes naturally revealed the weariness and caution of a low-level Wanderer.

’Success!’ Lu Zhao felt a small flicker of joy but remained unsatisfied. He formed another seal.

As light and shadow flowed, the middle-aged man’s figure hunched over. His skin slackened and filled with wrinkles, and his hair turned sparse and gray. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a decrepit old man on the verge of death, his aura as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

Next, he became a young Cultivator with a grim face and sharp eyes, his aura fierce and imposing. Then, he changed again into the form of a plump merchant with a mercenary smile...

After changing through several forms of different identities, ages, and temperaments, Lu Zhao finally stopped. He withdrew the Technique, and his handsome features returned.

Immediately after, he didn’t stop but began to try concealing his aura.

His Spiritual Power fluctuations, originally at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer, rapidly receded like a low tide—7th Layer, 6th Layer, 5th Layer... all the way down to the barely perceptible Qi Cultivation First Layer!

At this moment, he stood there with an aura so faint he seemed like a mortal who had never cultivated.

With another thought, his faint aura surged back up like bamboo shoots in spring. In the blink of an eye, it returned to the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer and even continued to climb, simulating the Spiritual Pressure of a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivator! A moment later, his aura settled steadily back at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer.

’I can simulate the appearance and aura of anyone with a similar body type. My aura fluctuations can be adjusted at will from the Qi Cultivation First Layer to the 9th Layer.’ Lu Zhao carefully contemplated the changes he had just experienced, understanding dawning in his heart. ’I’ve reached the Entry Level for the first layer! Although it has a half-month cooldown, it’s more than enough for my current needs.’

He was well aware of the saying that biting off more than you can chew gets you nothing.

The first layer of the Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill already met his current needs for concealment and disguise. The higher layers couldn’t be achieved in the short term, and since they involved the mysteries of the Foundation Establishment level, forcing it would be fruitless.

The pressing priority was to improve his immediate combat strength and cultivation speed.

Thus, Lu Zhao’s attention turned to another newly acquired Magic—the Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill.

This skill was designed for the Enhancement of Water Attribute Magical Power and to boost the might of Magic. The cultivation process was unexpectedly smooth. Perhaps thanks to his Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill being close to Great Success, Lu Zhao managed to reach Entry Level in just three days.

But the very moment he activated the Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill, a strange transformation occurred!

Inside his Dantian, the stream of light blue Spiritual Power representing the Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill actually began to resonate strangely with the condensed stream of Water Spirit Power he had formed when cultivating the Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill!

The two streams of light blue Spiritual Qi, as if drawn by invisible threads, slowly approached each other in his Dantian Qi Sea. They didn’t undergo Fusion, but instead coiled around each other like twin Flood Dragons—separate, yet moving in concert and mutually reinforcing.

A flash of inspiration struck Lu Zhao, and he tried to operate both skills simultaneously.

He formed a seal with his fingers, and a foot-long, deep blue Water Blade instantly condensed. Its form was similar to the Water Blade from the Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill he had used before, but the light flowing along its edge was more restrained and profound, with a faint, rippling halo of spirituality.

SWISH!

The Water Blade shot through the air, striking the Refined Iron target used for testing inside the cave mansion. It produced a more muffled, piercing sound than before, and the dent it left was several degrees deeper.

’The power increased by nearly ten percent!’ A look of pleasant surprise flashed in Lu Zhao’s eyes. This was just the Enhancement from having reached Entry Level in the Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill!

He could clearly feel that when both Magic techniques operated simultaneously, the Spiritual Power in his body flowed more smoothly, and the condensation speed of the Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill seemed a fraction faster.

’If I can cultivate the Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill to Minor Achievement...’ A strong premonition arose in Lu Zhao’s heart. ’Perhaps that will be the opportunity for the Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill to break through to Nine Waves and reach the Great Success Realm!’

After nearly twenty days, Lu Zhao had finally gained a preliminary grasp of the two new Magic techniques he had planned to learn.

Reaching the Entry Level for the first layer of the Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill cloaked him in an invisible disguise. Meanwhile, reaching Entry Level in the Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill and its wonderful resonance with the Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill opened a new door for him to increase his combat power.

With his new Techniques initially mastered, Lu Zhao didn’t rest. He knew that in a place with a strict hierarchy like the Bixia Sect, the foundation for survival ultimately depended on his own strength and his increasingly proficient Puppetry.

Especially now that his Divine Sense had surged to a level comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was eager to know how much it would help in refining High Tier Puppets.

He took out his treasured Tier One Middle-Grade Wolf Corpse, Ice Wind Stone, and other materials, and began to refine the Ice Wind Wolf Puppet.

The Power of his Divine Sense spread out like an invisible tide, precisely and steadily guiding the entire refining process. He infused Spiritual Power into the Carving Knife, perfectly coordinating it with his Divine Sense. Every turn, every change in depth, was executed just right.

The complex Core Spirit Pattern, which previously required repeated, careful attempts to complete, now flowed like water under the precise control of his Divine Sense.

The failure rate dropped significantly, and the speed at which he successfully condensed stable embryonic Puppet Cores increased dramatically.

In just a few days, Lu Zhao had successfully refined three Ice Wind Wolf Puppet Cores, achieving a success rate of nearly fifty percent! This was far faster than he had previously estimated!

One had to know, before his Divine Sense surged, he had estimated it would take at least two more years of hard work to raise his success rate with the Ice Wind Wolf Puppet to fifty percent!

’A Divine Sense comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm is such a huge help to Puppetry!’ Lu Zhao caressed the Puppet Core in his hand, which was as warm and smooth as jade with an inner Spirit Light, his heart soaring with excitement. ’At this rate, in two months at most, I’ll be able to stabilize my success rate for refining the Ice Wind Wolf Puppet at over fifty percent! When that time comes, I can try refining the Vine Snake Puppet and touch the threshold of a Tier One High-Grade puppet master.’

Just as Lu Zhao was immersed in the joy of his rapid progress in Puppetry, planning to press on and reach the fifty percent mark as soon as possible, the Token hanging from his waist, which signified his status as an Outer Sect Steward, suddenly vibrated without warning.

A faint wave of Spiritual Power emanated from within the Token, instantly shattering the tranquility of the cave mansion.

Lu Zhao froze, his brow knitting imperceptibly. He put down the Puppet Parts in his hand, picked up the Token, and sank his Divine Sense into it.

A clear line of information appeared in his Sea of Consciousness:

"Outer Sect Steward Lu Zhao: You are ordered to report to the Recruitment Bureau of the General Affairs Hall within three days to await assignment."

’It’s happening again...’ Lu Zhao looked at the message on the Token, a helpless, bitter smile touching his lips. He roughly estimated the time; it had indeed been over two months since he had returned from completing Qian Yuan’s mission.

The Bixia Sect’s arrangements for mandatory missions were, as expected, "punctual."

The fiery passion he had just ignited for focusing on improving his Puppetry felt as though it had been doused with a basin of cold water.

He looked at the Ice Condensing Stone and the three newly refined embryonic Puppet Cores on the stone platform, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes that was quickly replaced by composure.

A mandatory Sect mission was unavoidable. The improvement of his Puppetry would have to be put on hold for now.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the stray thoughts in his mind, and began to methodically tidy up the materials and half-finished products on the stone platform. He carefully put away the newly refined embryonic Puppet Cores and wiped the Carving Knife clean before placing it back in its Sword Pouch.

’I wonder what kind of mission it will be this time?’ Lu Zhao stood up and looked toward the entrance of his cave mansion, a subtle sharpness hidden within his calm gaze. The Bixia Sect’s Merit was not easily earned.

But the path had to be walked one step at a time.

He straightened the black Steward Magic Robe he was wearing and strode toward the cave entrance, preparing to head to the Recruitment Bureau of the General Affairs Hall.

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