Wu Tian remained in the cave dwelling, cultivating day after day without impatience or haste.Aside from circulating the four incantations to open his apertures, he never neglected the refinement of the ruyi cord.
Refining a ruyi cord was not something that could be completed overnight. It required long-term perseverance.Every day, Wu Tian set aside an hour to draw threads from the bitter bamboo outside the cave, then used his own blood to engrave incantation patterns.
The cultivation of the Abdominal Pouch Art was even simpler.Swallowing and nurturing artifacts within his body counted as training in itself.
Beyond that, his Spirit Communication talent steadily improved.He discovered that he could now communicate, albeit crudely, with the beast soul bound inside the Soul-Shaking Bell.
The soul sealed within the bell was that of a wolf demon—fierce and violent, dormant most of the time.
With his Spirit Communication talent, Wu Tian could perceive ghostly entities and soul remnants. Even without the Soul-Shaking Incantation, he was able to awaken the wolf soul inside the bell.
As a result, strange scenes occasionally occurred inside the cave—a white dog barking insistently at a bell.
Five days passed in this manner.
At last, Wu Tian opened his final aperture.
There were no earth-shattering phenomena, no bottlenecks, no twists or setbacks.Everything unfolded naturally.
The four incantations of water, fire, wind, and lightning circulated in turn, dispersing impurities.With that, the final aperture opened smoothly.
After more than two months of refinement, his Nether Qi had grown far purer and denser than when he had first broken through.
Night had fallen.The bright moon hung high in the sky.
The Moon-Devouring Qi Circulation Diagram could only be cultivated at night. Daytime practice was useless.
Wu Tian left the cave and leapt onto a stone platform near the entrance.The area was wide and unobstructed, allowing moonlight to pour down freely.
He lay flat on the platform and slowly closed his eyes.
Having already memorized the circulation diagram, he did not hesitate.He guided his Nether Qi along the prescribed route.
There could be no errors.The qi had to pass through all seventy-two apertures in a single uninterrupted cycle. Any mistake meant starting over.
This placed a heavy burden on the mind.As the qi surged, the apertures trembled, and his body resonated with the vibrations, consuming enormous stamina.
Fortunately, with the system panel recording the technique, failure was impossible.No deviation would ever occur.
Wu Tian circulated his qi slowly—steady, precise, unwavering.The Nether Qi flowed through one aperture after another until the final one was completed, and the qi naturally reached beneath his tongue.
At that instant, Wu Tian instinctively opened his mouth.
A cool, refreshing essence flowed into his body—like a mountain stream, like jade nectar.
The Nether Qi beneath his tongue surged forward like a living serpent and swallowed it eagerly, almost impatiently.
Inside the cave, Man Xiong abruptly opened his eyes.
Spiritual power gathered in his gaze as he looked outside.
On the stone platform, White Dragon lifted his head and opened his mouth.A strand of moonlight descended from the heavens and slipped directly into his jaws.
The scene resembled a legend come to life—the Heavenly Hound Devouring the Moon.
"In just over two months, full aperture opening… and he even mastered the Moon-Devouring Diagram in one go."
Man Xiong sighed softly.
"White Dragon is becoming more and more extraordinary…"
Since ascending the mountain, the dog's cultivation speed had exceeded his expectations time and time again.If Man Xiong did not know White Dragon's origins, he might have believed him to be the offspring of a Great Demon.
"No wonder that senior took him as a disciple…"
With a slight shake of his head, Man Xiong withdrew his gaze and returned to his own cultivation.
He had only just stepped into the Artifact Refinement Realm and was cultivating his first spell, the Nether Wind Art.The spell seed was unstable and required constant nurturing, washing with spiritual power, and repeated use—a stage that consumed immense resources and effort.
This was why cultivators of this realm usually traveled the world.
After swallowing the first strand of moonlight, Wu Tian felt his mind clear and tranquil.Even his Nether Qi showed visible improvement.
"One strand of moonlight is almost equivalent to a full month of qi refinement."
He was shocked and delighted.
In truth, even disciples of the sect master's lineage or the Wild Dog Cave, with top-tier talent, required several months just to take their first successful swallow of moonlight.
Wu Tian's system ensured flawless execution, saving him countless attempts.
Otherwise, one would need to repeatedly circulate qi until control was perfect—route, rhythm, and timing without the slightest error—before a single complete cycle could be achieved.
"Again!"
Excited, Wu Tian circulated his qi once more.
An hour later, he completed another full cycle and swallowed a second strand of moonlight.
Unfortunately, his mental focus and stamina were exhausted.He could not manage a third cycle and had no choice but to stop.
"This technique consumes far too much mental strength and physical energy."
Though utterly fatigued, Wu Tian felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
Just two strands of moonlight equaled two full months of previous cultivation.The efficiency was astonishing.
"Once we head down the mountain, I won't be able to cultivate so recklessly."
"I'll need to conserve stamina to deal with unexpected dangers."
"And daytime cultivation is impossible. I really need to make full use of the nights."
With these thoughts, Wu Tian closed his eyes and fell into deep sleep—the best way to restore both mind and body.
Time passed.
Wu Tian cultivated tirelessly within the cave.At night, he circulated qi and devoured moonlight.By day, he practiced incantations and refined artifacts.
During this period, Man Xiong obtained the Soul-Shaking Incantation from the Transmission Pavilion, adding another task to Wu Tian's daily routine.
After ten days of hard cultivation, the Abdominal Pouch Art was the first to reach completion.
A new talent awakened.
System Notification:Your skill Abdominal Pouch Art has reached completion and may awaken as a talent.Please choose one of the following:
Option One: Mountain DevourerYou can swallow objects far larger than your own body. However, swallowing living beings carries the risk of your abdominal space being shattered.
Option Two: Iron StomachYour digestion improves drastically. You can consume metal to strengthen your body and recover stamina and injuries more quickly. Long-term consumption of metal can further temper your physique.
Option Three: Hidden ArmoryYou can swallow a weapon and nurture it with essence, energy, and spirit, steadily improving its quality.
All three options were mid-grade talents.
Talents born from secret incantations were indeed far superior to those derived from basic skills.
Every option was exceptional.
"Mountain Devourer… if perfected, perhaps one day I could truly swallow an entire mountain."
"Iron Stomach is even more terrifying—this is practically the talent of a metal-devouring beast. Stronger body, faster recovery—an incredibly practical combat talent."
"And Hidden Armory… simple, direct, and immensely useful."
Which one should he choose?
Wu Tian felt a headache coming on.
He wanted all of them.