After returning to his quiet residence in Cyan Cliff Hall, Chen Yu didn’t immediately rush to practice the three True Transmission techniques.
First, he found a flat bluestone under the old locust tree in the center of the courtyard—its leaves already mostly withered and yellow—and sat down cross-legged.
Autumn sunlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow. A cool mountain breeze swept by, lifting a few withered leaves that spun upon the ground.
He closed his eyes and focused, allowing his mind to gradually settle. Only when the distant roar of the waterfall and the chirping of forest birds faded away did he begin to recall and scrutinize, word by word, the contents of the three True Transmission Cultivation Techniques in his mind.
Just as Hong Changtian had said, even though they were only the Foundation Establishment portions and didn’t yet touch upon the true essence of the Great Dao, the contents of these three Cultivation Techniques were as incomprehensible as a celestial text.
He recognized every character written, but when combined in their specific sequences, their meaning became obscure and incomprehensible, filled with esoteric metaphors and abstract concepts.
It gave him the kind of headache he’d get from staring at a pile of impossibly complex alchemical formulas.
Even for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, whose Divine Sense was strong and whose deductive abilities far surpassed an ordinary person’s, studying for too long would lead to spells of dizziness and mental exhaustion.
He would then have to stop and temporarily clear his mind, looking up to appreciate the courtyard’s autumn scenery: watching the withered leaves drift down, listening to the babbling stream, and smelling the faint, lingering fragrance of osmanthus in the air.
It seemed like a refined pastime, but in truth, it was a sign that he was running out of ideas.
What brought Chen Yu some comfort, however, was that his proficiency with the Cultivation Techniques was increasing steadily, which gave him the motivation to continue his studies.
A few days later, during his leisure time, Chen Yu invited Elder Hong and a few other familiar elders to a cliffside autumn pavilion in Cyan Cliff Hall to admire chrysanthemums and chat.
The pavilion was surrounded by several pots of rare and beautiful chrysanthemums. Some were golden as the morning sun, others as white as pure alabaster, and still others as crimson as the evening clouds. They bloomed proudly in the autumn wind, their refreshing fragrance filling the air.
On the stone table, mountain spring water was boiled to brew freshly picked Cloud and Mist Spirit Tea. The mingled aromas of tea and chrysanthemums were delightfully invigorating.
When the conversation turned to the Taichu Sword Attraction Skill, an elder named Gong remarked with feeling, "This skill requires a Cultivator to specialize in the Sword Dao. It pursues the simplest, purest principles of ’speed,’ ’sharpness,’ and ’directness.’ Often, the moment the sword is drawn, it is like a thunderclap from the heavens. Before the sound even arrives, the frigid sword light, seemingly capable of cleaving through any obstacle, has already struck the enemy."
"When cultivated to its peak, one achieves unity with the sword, transforming into a pure, indestructible beam of sword light as fast as lightning."
"This is also the Sword Attraction Skill’s only move. It is simple and unadorned, yet utterly decisive. The moment the sword is drawn, the battle is decided—it’s kill or be killed. That’s why the Taichu Sword Masters throughout history rarely make a move. When they do, there are always casualties. Even the other Sword Immortals of Shengkang renowned for their Sword Dao must treat them with utmost caution."
"Fellow Daoist Hong is an expert in this path. You should feel free to ask him if you have any questions."
Another elder laughed. "How interesting. Compared to that, the Kunyuan Foundation Establishment Manual is more like an earth-element escape art. A cultivator of this method can merge into soil and stone as easily as a fish swims through water, traveling unimpeded along the flowing Spiritual Qi of the earth’s veins. It pursues ’stability,’ ’stealth,’ and ’resilience.’ Without a specific technique or Magical Treasure to counter it, a user is practically invincible."
"Furthermore, thanks to this True Transmission’s natural affinity for and profound understanding of Earth and Wood Attribute Spiritual Qi, cultivating Daoist Skills of those attributes becomes twice as effective with half the effort. The results of their casting are greatly amplified."
Such Cultivators can often raise a skyscraper from level ground with a wave of their hand. They like to travel in groups, for no other reason than they purely enjoy showing off.
They’re the ultimate version of an earth and wood Cultivator—a one-man construction crew, a walking creator of marvels.
This True Transmission was one Chen Yu quite liked.
The "Hunyuan Qi Absorption True Explanation," however, was vastly different from the other two True Transmissions, emphasizing change, balance, and harmony.
This technique followed a balanced and impartial path. It gradually increased the total amount and circulation efficiency of Spiritual Qi within a Cultivator’s internal landscape. It also dramatically improved a Cultivator’s control over various Daoist Skills, making it easier to achieve a state of effortless mastery where their will is law, while also significantly extending the duration and expanding the area of effect of their abilities.
In Chen Yu’s own understanding, the "Hunyuan Qi Absorption True Explanation" was like a jack-of-all-trades passive ability. ’Not only does it increase a Cultivator’s max mana and mana regen, but it also reduces casting time and cooldowns, while increasing ability duration and area of effect.’
Anyone who cultivated it to its peak would surely earn the respectful title, Lord of Ten Thousand Laws.
Even without having come into contact with the Great Dao, based on these three True Transmissions alone, Chen Yu had to agree with Yunya Daoist Master’s past evaluation: the Taichu Primordial Sword Dao was indeed too extreme.
To condense all of one’s power and will into a single strike, pursuing the ultimate in offense and speed—while undeniably powerful, it lacked adaptability. As the saying goes, what is too rigid is easily broken.
He could even picture it: after mastering the Taichu Sword Attraction Skill, he would transform into a beam of sword light, flash through a legion of Demons, and skewer them all in a single pass.
By contrast, the solid resilience of the Kunyuan Foundation Establishment Manual and the balanced, ever-changing nature of the Hunyuan Qi Absorption True Explanation seemed more in line with the inclusiveness and endurance of the Dao. They also served as a complement to Tianyuan.
In the ensuing conversation with the elders, Chen Yu subtly steered the topic from Cultivation Techniques to the broader realms of the "Great Dao" and the "Golden Core."
He maintained a humble demeanor, his words filled with yearning and curiosity for the experts who had come before him. He soon learned a great deal from these worldly elders, hearing many curious tales, cultivation secrets, and even some obscure legends about Golden Core Cultivators.