Chapter 58: Chapter Fifty-Eight: Gift

Mo Hua returned home and told his parents that he was about to break through to Qi Condensation Fourth Layer and needed to cultivate a cultivation technique.

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were quite pleased; at Mo Hua's age, becoming a Qi Condensation Fourth Layer cultivator made him one of the top among his peers in Xiancheng.

As for the technique, Mo Shan told Mo Hua not to worry:

"Your mother and I have already discussed this. Since you can't learn the techniques from the Tongxian Sect, you'll have to find an experienced free cultivator to teach you. There's an elder in Xiancheng named Han who specializes in the Minor Five Elements, and his elemental affinity is mid-grade. In a few days, I'll invite Elder Han for a drink and ask him to help. Elder Han is a warm-hearted man—he'll likely agree, and we'll just give him some spirit stones as payment. But…"

Mo Shan paused, then added: "But Elder Han is also a free cultivator, and he often says his technique, though passed down in his family and quite complete, isn't a great lineage—once you reach later stages, there's little prospect ahead…"

Mo Shan wanted the best for Mo Hua, but this was all he could offer, and a hint of disappointment showed on his face.

Mo Hua, however, comforted him: "Father, I plan to become an Array Master in the future. Array Masters only need abundant spiritual sense—cultivation techniques aren't that critical, as long as they allow steady progress. Since this technique has been passed down through generations by Elder Han, it must be stable and safe, without major risks—that's better than anything else."

Mo Shan's expression eased slightly, and Liu Ruhua gently stroked Mo Hua's head and said softly:

"Eat your meal, then rest early. Tomorrow you must study array techniques with Mr. Zhuang."

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded obediently.

Bai Zisheng said he would help Mo Hua find a few cultivation techniques, but Mo Hua didn't tell his parents—because the larger the clan, the stricter their lineage transmission, and they never casually passed things outside.

Moreover, one shouldn't accept gifts without earning them; he didn't want to owe Bai Zisheng, and crucially, he couldn't repay such a debt yet.

Yet the next day, Bai Zisheng actually brought several jade slips and slipped them to Mo Hua like a thief.

"I took these while Sister Xue wasn't looking—take a look yourself and see if any suit you. Pick one you like and keep it; I'll return the rest."

Mo Hua's mouth hung open, speechless.

Bai Zisheng beamed with pride. "How's that? Aren't you moved?"

Bai Zisheng seemed arrogant, but his heart was genuinely warm.

Mo Hua asked: "Won't you get punished for stealing these techniques?"

Bai Zisheng snorted. "I'm a direct heir of the Bai family. Even if I took ancestral divine artifacts, they wouldn't dare punish me—let alone a few mid-low grade techniques."

Mo Hua's eyes screamed disbelief.

Bai Zisheng protested: "Do you think I'd lie to you?"

"At worst, I'd be confined for a couple years. Not a big deal."

Bai Zi Xi spoke calmly, but a faint smile lingered in his eyes.

Bai Zisheng's face flushed.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I can't take these techniques—I won't drag you into trouble."

Bai Zisheng frowned. "I'm not afraid. Why are you?"

Bai Zi Xi added softly: "These techniques are valuable, but to the Bai family, they're not rare. You should cultivate them—nothing will happen. Otherwise, Sister Xue wouldn't have let your brother take them out."

"Exactly!" Bai Zisheng nodded eagerly, then suddenly gasped: "Wait—how did Sister Xue know I took the techniques?"

Bai Zi Xi gave him a sidelong glance. "Everything you do, Sister Xue sees. You're the only one who thinks no one notices."

Bai Zisheng slumped, his confidence dampened.

Mo Hua couldn't say he wasn't tempted—he wanted to know what kind of techniques the great clans cultivated, what mysteries they held.

Once he understood, he stopped refusing. He silently stored the Bai siblings' kindness in his heart, then took the jade slips from Bai Zisheng and began reading:

"Minor Five Elements Scripture," suitable for mid-grade Five Elements spiritual roots. A simplified version of the upper-grade "Great Five Elements Scripture." Cultivators can refine up to thirty-three Zhou Tian of spiritual energy and control five types of elemental techniques: metal, wood, water, fire, earth. Simple and versatile…

"Spirit Concealment Scripture," suitable for mid-grade water spiritual roots. Can cultivate twenty-eight Zhou Tian of spiritual energy, ideal for concealment techniques…

"Flame Scripture," suitable for mid-grade fire spiritual roots. Can refine thirty-five Zhou Tian of spiritual energy, increasing fire technique potency by one to two tenths…

"Water-Wood Spiritual Art," suitable for mid-grade water and wood spiritual roots. Can refine thirty-six Zhou Tian of spiritual energy. Cultivating this art cleanses the meridians, nurtures the body, and reduces cultivation bottlenecks. This art nourishes the body but does not strengthen it—unsuitable as a primary combat body cultivation technique. Required spirit items: Tiancan Wood, Wuyin Water, Hualing Liquid…

…

Mo Hua's eyes grew dizzy; every technique seemed excellent, but as he read, his brow slowly furrowed.

"None suit you?" Bai Zisheng asked, noticing Mo Hua's frown.

Mo Hua hesitated: "What is Tiancan Wood?"

"Tiancan Wood is the rootwood of Tiancan. It nourishes the body—not particularly expensive."

"How many spirit stones?"

"Tiancan sprouts are extremely valuable, but Tiancan Wood is much cheaper—about a few hundred spirit stones per branch," Bai Zisheng said uncertainly.

"And what's Wuyin Water?"

Bai Zisheng didn't know. He scratched his head and glanced at Bai Zi Xi.

Bai Zi Xi's beautiful eyes flickered. "Wuyin Water is seawater from the Wuyin Sea, refined by a alchemist for forty-nine days to remove impurities, leaving only Wuyin Water. It's not expensive, but time-consuming—one small vial costs about a thousand spirit stones. In remote areas, it's pricier, and since it's obscure, even with spirit stones, you might not find it."

Mo Hua sucked in a sharp breath.

What kind of techniques are these? He couldn't afford any of them!

Even a technique like "Water-Wood Spiritual Art," requiring only one branch of Tiancan Wood and one vial of Wuyin Water, demanded far more spirit stones than Mo Hua could imagine.

Moreover, the technique's description said spirit items were needed for cultivation, breakthroughs, and daily practice—cumulatively, the cost was astronomical, far beyond Mo Hua's means.

This was just the Qi Condensation stage. The Foundation Establishment stage would be worse—everyone knew the higher one's cultivation, the more resources one needed.

Even if Mo Hua truly became a Grade-One Array Master and painted arrays day and night, he still couldn't afford such cultivation expenses.

Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng, then at Bai Zi Xi, and couldn't help asking: "Do all your clan's disciples cultivate with techniques like these?"

"Of course not," Bai Zisheng shook his head. "Direct heirs cultivate far superior techniques, requiring far more precious celestial treasures. Some spirit items are priceless and kept exclusively within the family—never passed outside."

"But even these techniques can't be passed on—without the specific spirit items required, no one else could cultivate them anyway."

"The ones I gave you are the best among those allowed for limited external transmission. Even collateral or庶 out disciples rarely qualify unless their talent is exceptional."

"Do your family provide the spirit items for cultivation?" Mo Hua asked.

"I don't know about others, but Mother gives me and Zi Xi everything we need for cultivation," Bai Zisheng said.

Bai Zi Xi glanced at Bai Zisheng and said coolly:

"The clan classifies disciples by lineage and talent. The higher your lineage and talent, the higher your rank, and the more cultivation resources you receive. For direct heirs with exceptional talent, as long as it's needed for cultivation, they can take whatever they want…"

"Other disciples who wish to cultivate better techniques or obtain cultivation resources beyond the baseline quota must find their own solutions. Usually, their parents or other relatives expend merit points to exchange for spiritual items within the clan."

"Regardless of the situation, the子弟 of noble families need only focus on cultivation; the spiritual stones and spiritual items required for cultivation need not be sought out by themselves."

"That's correct," Bai Zisheng nodded and said:

"Whether it's our Bai family or other noble houses, all have endured for at least a thousand years, accumulating vast foundations and unimpeded access to rare spiritual treasures; apart from those truly extinct, any obtainable rare spiritual treasures are not scarce."

Mo Hua was stunned—the resources of noble families were as boundless as Wang Yang, their lineages as countless as the sea, while what cultivators without sects could obtain was but a single grain in that ocean.

No wonder the Qi Condensation stage was merely the beginning for cultivators, yet for lowly hermits, it was their entire life.