Shen Xuan mobilized his Divine Sense and followed the steps on the Cultivation Technique Jade Scroll to gradually condense Spiritual Power.
Before long.
A crescent-shaped Cold Ice Blade formed in Shen Xuan's hand, exuding a chilling aura, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet.
"Fly!"
With a shout from Shen Xuan, the Cold Ice Blade flew from his hand, transforming into a beam of light as swift as lightning, and in an instant, it struck the Mystic Iron Dummy two zhang away, making a metallic clang.
Shen Xuan got up and focused on the Mystic Iron Dummy.
There was a half-foot deep, narrow slit on it, the cut was smooth, and a layer of frost was spreading from the gap to the surroundings.
Hiss—
Seeing this scene, Shen Xuan couldn't help but take a deep breath.
This was a dummy made of Mystic Iron!
Facing a Cold Ice Blade from the Condensed Water Blade Technique, it was as fragile as tofu!
If it struck a cultivator, wouldn't it pierce right through, creating a bloody hole!
If the Water Control Talent were to be added to the Condensed Water Blade Technique, what would it be like?
Think it, do it!
A dozen breaths later, a more terrifying Cold Ice Blade appeared in Shen Xuan's hand.
Its length exceeded a zhang!
Guided by Divine Thought, the Water Control Technique was instantly added to the Cold Ice Blade formed by the Condensed Water Blade Technique.
Buzz! Buzz!
The Cold Ice Blade emitted a series of tremors.
As if the sound of a sword!
At this moment, Shen Xuan felt that the Cold Ice Blade in his hand had transformed into a living Divine Dragon, containing a power as immense as overturning seas and mountains, as if ready to break free at any moment!
Shen Xuan glanced at the Mystic Iron Dummy and slowly released his hand.
In an instant.
A stream of light, exuding a terrifying aura of destruction, directly flew out.
Its speed reached the extreme.
During its flight, this Cold Ice Blade continuously devoured and absorbed the surrounding Spiritual Qi.
In Shen Xuan's wide-eyed astonishment.
The Cold Ice Blade, empowered by the Water Control Technique, transformed into a writhing Cold Ice Divine Dragon, continually devouring and absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Qi, its cold light piercing.
In just a moment.
The Condensed Water Blade Technique easily sliced the Mystic Iron Dummy in half, its momentum undiminished, continuing to shoot forward.
"Boom!"
The stone wall of the practice room had a Defense Array reinforced on it.
Despite that, a mark over three inches deep still appeared.
With the Water Control Technique reinforcing it, the Condensed Water Blade Technique had such formidable power!
The Mysterious Jade Talisman, its ancient golden characters flickering.
[Talent: Water Control Mastery (83/200)]
[Condensed Water Blade Technique: Mastery (2/200)]
Shen Xuan pondered to himself.
After practicing once with the Condensed Water Blade Technique enhanced by the Water Control Technique.
The Water Control Technique's skill level increased by one point.
The Condensed Water Blade Technique directly jumped from entry level to mastery level.
From the performance just now, the Water Control talent augmented his technique, increasing the absorption of spiritual energy and enhancing the spell's power.
And this is merely the mastery level of the Water Control Technique.
Indeed, talent is far more important than hard work!
With talent, cultivating compatible techniques not only progresses faster but also greatly enhances power.
"You really need talent!"
Shen Xuan sat back down again.
After using the Condensed Water Blade Technique twice, the spiritual power in his Dantian had been consumed by thirty percent.
Therefore, he could only use the Condensed Water Blade Technique enhanced by the Water Control Technique six or seven times.
However, Shen Xuan discovered that while operating the Divine Hidden Sea Technique, the spiritual power in his Dantian recovered at an extremely rapid rate.
The Five Elements circulate endlessly, continuously and ceaselessly.
This made him realize that the Water Control talent also had a significant enhancing effect on his Divine Hidden Sea Technique.
The recovery speed was several times that of an ordinary cultivator's.
Moreover, as the spiritual power circulated, it continuously evolved, refining impurities, pure and exquisite.
"It's time to purchase a Spirit Gathering Array!"
Shen Xuan found that the Spiritual Qi in the practice room had been completely absorbed by him, becoming extremely thin.
These practice rooms all connected to the market's Spirit Vein, the richness of the Spiritual Qi depending on the level of the residence.
Shen Xuan lived on the outskirts of the market, in a Ding rank residence, the Spiritual Qi in the practice room only suited for early stage Qi Cultivation cultivators.
Generally speaking, middle stage Qi Cultivation cultivators would rent a Bing rank residence, with an annual rent of thirty-six Spirit Stones, three times that of a Ding rank residence.
Above that, there were Yi rank residences for late stage Qi Cultivation and Jia rank residences for Foundation Establishment cultivators, with prices higher each tier.
"Wealth, a partner, techniques, and a place," are the four essential elements for a cultivator's practice.
Among them, "a place" refers to a cultivation venue.
Without a cultivation venue, practicing is like water without a source, wood without roots.
The current practice room couldn't meet Shen Xuan's cultivation needs.
He could either move to a Bing rank residence or purchase a Spirit Gathering Array.
Shen Xuan decisively chose the latter.
Surrounded by low-tier Loose Cultivators, it was actually safer.
However, he was currently broke.
The primary task was to earn Spirit Stones.
In the following days, Shen Xuan successfully refined the Water Cloud Shield, while practicing the Condensed Water Blade Technique and creating Water Control Talismans.
With the skill level at mastery for Water Control Talismans, the success rate steadily reached forty percent.
One hundred and twenty sets of talisman-making materials, fifty Water Control Talismans, among which about ten were of excellent quality.
Thirty Spirit Stones as cost, earning sixty Spirit Stones in revenue.
As the Talisman Making Skill improved, the speed of making talismans became faster and faster.
Now, Shen Xuan could consume eight sheets of talisman paper a day.
In a month, he could earn sixty Spirit Stones!
To avoid arousing the Ding Family's suspicion, Shen Xuan even deliberately held back.
He kept the high-quality Water Control Talismans and earned only twenty Spirit Stones a month.
Even this made Shopkeeper Ding envious.
"Master Shen, maintaining a success rate of over thirty percent for several months, you're a genuine Middle Grade Talisman Master!"
"How can I compare to you, Shopkeeper Ding, sitting here without moving and earning over a thousand Spirit Stones a month!"
"It's not that much! The shop belongs to the family, I'm just an employee, I only receive eighteen Spirit Stones as a monthly stipend!"
Shen Xuan chuckled, not arguing with him.
The snake has its path, and the mouse has its way.
He didn't believe that Shopkeeper Ding would honestly only earn that meager stipend.
"Show me the Spirit Gathering Array."
After half a year, combined with previous savings, there were now one hundred and thirty Spirit Stones in the storage pouch.
Shopkeeper Ding brought out several ornate boxes, each containing Spirit Gathering Array Banners of different qualities.
Array Banners had the advantage of being easy to carry and set up.
Although it was impossible to set up a powerful Array of Forbidden Techniques, forming a Tier One array was still feasible.
Produced by the sect, quality guaranteed.
Shen Xuan looked over the Array Banners and the instruction manual.
He had to admit, they were truly expensive!
A slightly better set of Spirit Gathering Array Banners started at a hundred Spirit Stones.
During use, Spirit Stones had to be inserted, with one Stone only maintaining it for two hours.
However, compared to directly using Spirit Stones for cultivation, the Spirit Gathering Array could transform the Stone into Spiritual Qi, locking it within a ten-foot radius around the array master, making the efficiency higher.
After some bargaining, Shen Xuan purchased a small Spirit Gathering Array banner for ninety-five Spirit Stones.
Returning home, Shen Xuan immediately set up the Spirit Gathering Array in the practice room.
The next morning.
Shen Xuan slowly opened his eyes.
No doubt about it, the Spirit Gathering Array, with a Spirit Stone placed in it, allowed for much faster cultivation.
The effect was far better than holding a Spirit Stone in his palm.
One Spirit Stone, two hours, equaled the previous results of four hours of cultivation!
Doubled!
Having money really makes a difference!
With the Spirit Gathering Array, the ten-foot surrounding area was filled with a mist of Spiritual Qi, even the breath lightly pulsating with spiritual light.
This is what cultivation should be!
At this rate, within a year's time, he would be able to break through his cultivation realm to the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.