Chapter 91: Dharma Body

After putting away the "Red Sky Art," Zheng Fa asked Han Qi, "Senior Brother, I wonder how much it costs to select another cultivation technique?"

The Jiushan Ancestor had told him that he still needed to master a Pure Yang body-refining technique before he could cultivate the Green Yang Dao Body.

"That's hard to say." Han Qi frowned and said, "What kind of cultivation technique do you need, Junior Brother?"

"A Pure Yang body-refining technique that can be practiced before Foundation Establishment."

"There are actually many choices; most body-refining arts are Pure Yang." Han Qi nodded and said, "Probably a few dozen spirit stones."

"... That expensive?"

This price exceeded Zheng Fa's estimate; he had thought the price of technique manuals would be very low.

"This is actually low! Hundreds of years ago, without a hundred spirit stones, you simply couldn't buy these techniques!"

"Then that copy of Zhang Shijie's..."

"'True Person Zhang on Talismans'? That was Zhang Shijie's idea."

"Ah?"

"The classics of the Hundred Crafts of the Cultivation World are naturally much cheaper than technique manuals; one requires consuming spirit stones to learn, while the other allows you to earn spirit stones; the difference is huge." Han Qi explained, "Besides, Zhang Shijie stipulated that 'True Person Zhang on Talismans' can only be sold for eight taels of gold."

"Then you guys?"

Zheng Fa recalled the ten taels of gold price these people had set back then.

"So I am here."

"..."

Zheng Fa could roughly understand why the price of technique manuals had dropped so drastically; what was lacking now was not techniques, but spiritual materials.

It was clear that the Immortal Sects controlled spiritual energy, spiritual materials, and spirit stones very strictly, while being relatively lenient on techniques—this small building clearly wasn't valued.

But he didn't have a few dozen spirit stones either!

If he didn't sell the talisman paper and spiritual ink in his hand, his current assets were eleven spirit stones plus thirty taels of gold.

"Is there anything cheaper?"

"Yes, there are even cheaper than one spirit stone." Han Qi answered very bluntly.

"Then I..."

"I haven't finished. These body-refining techniques are either incomplete or impossible to cultivate."

Han Qi pulled Zheng Fa to a bookshelf in a secluded corner.

The classics on it were askew, and no one came to organize them.

"This one, 'Earth Fire Refines the Golden Body,' is most suitable for someone like you who cultivates a Fire-element technique; after mastering it, it can even help you break through bottlenecks—but it requires an Earth Fire Vein. Our Jiushan Sect used to have this thing, but now it has collapsed."

"This one, 'Bodhi Dao Body,' can improve comprehension—but it requires a Bodhi Fruit; I've heard they are extinct throughout the entire Cultivation World."

"..."

Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment; they all say you get what you pay for.

But these aren't near-expiry goods; these are expired products.

Seeing his somewhat depressed expression, Han Qi wore a joking look on his face and picked up a book: "Actually, I recommend this one the most, 'Five Thunder Dharma Body.' This is the body-refining technique most suitable for disciples of our Jiushan Sect."

"Why?"

"Our Jiushan Sect is best at talisman arts, and among talisman arts, the Lei Fu has the greatest power. 'Five Thunder Dharma Body' was created by the great ancestors of our Jiushan Sect. I've heard that mastering this technique not only makes the Dharma Body hard to injure, but more importantly, it greatly increases the power when you use Thunder Talismans."

When Han Qi said this, he seemed to truly admire this technique; he even added two more sentences: "Our Jiushan Sect disciples once relied on this technique to hand-draw Five Thunder Talismans; among the disciples of the Baixian Alliance, they were said to be unmatched in magical combat, even earning the title of the number one in the Profound Micro Lei Fu—that was when our Jiushan Sect was at its strongest."

As he said this, a trace of longing appeared in his expression.

"... Can't be practiced?"

"Easy to turn into charcoal! The final step of this technique requires Heavenly Thunder to refine the body." Han Qi threw the book in his hand back onto the shelf and said, "Only by using Profound Thunder Stones, washing the flesh with the thunder power within them to let the body gradually adapt to the thunder, and preparing for the final Heavenly Thunder body refinement..."

Wait!

"Profound Thunder Stone?"

"A type of spiritual ore containing the power of thunder. Although the thunder power in Profound Thunder Stones is not even one ten-thousandth of true Heavenly Thunder, it is just right for Qi Condensation cultivation, allowing the body to strengthen step by step until it can withstand the power of Heavenly Thunder."

"Has this mine vein also been exhausted?"

"That's not the case, but it is very rare." Han Qi sighed and said, "The use of Profound Thunder Stones isn't limited to cultivating the 'Five Thunder Dharma Body' alone; in the market, the price of this thing is extremely high; for Qi Condensation disciples, it's equivalent to non-existent."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Suddenly he asked, "How much is this technique?"

"Before, this thing was considered a sect secret; five hundred spirit stones and you wouldn't even be qualified to look at it. Now though—one spirit stone."

"I'll take it!"

"No, Junior Brother, wait... I said before, before this thing was powerful, now it can't be cultivated!" Han Qi grabbed Zheng Fa's hand reaching for the bookshelf.

Zheng Fa was stunned and looked at Han Qi.

He could feel that this person didn't really like him before.

Did ten taels of gold change that?

Is kindness so cheap?

However, Han Qi meant well, so he still explained, "I want to try."

"Does your family happen to have a Profound Thunder Stone mine?"

"No!"

"Listen to your Senior Brother, don't try. If you really find spirit stones annoying, just give them to me!"

Zheng Fa firmly took the book "Five Thunder Dharma Body" anyway.

There was no mine at home, but Han Shixiong hadn't studied history and didn't know a term called the Electric Power Revolution.

Han Qi frowned and returned home.

He lived in a single-story house that looked somewhat aged.

"Senior Brother!"

Two lackeys were waiting for him inside; seeing him in this state, they both grew irritable.

"Did that brat make things difficult for you?"

Han Qi said nothing, waved his hands at the two, sat down, and seemed to be pondering something.

"How about we just leave in a couple of days! We've saved enough money over the years! We can buy three large mansions, each take a few wives, and live happily!"

One of the tall, thin men said.

"That's right! We shouldn't have to endure this humiliation! We cheat people out of money, but the bulk of it all goes to Senior Brother Yuan! Yet we offended a new disciple, and he threw us away like trash!" said the other, shorter lackey.

Han Qi still said nothing, and the two grew anxious.

"Senior Brother?"

"He didn't make things difficult for me," Han Qi said slowly. "He even gave me ten taels of gold."

"What are ten taels of gold?"

The tall, thin man snorted.

"The geniuses we met before were quick to pay up when we asked for money; when have they ever given anything back?" Han Qi sneered coldly. "We need to cultivate, and those geniuses need to cultivate even more... They won't even let us have a drop of the soup!"

"Then what are you worrying about, Senior Brother? Didn't we agree that we'd leave Jiushan Sect together in a few days?"

"This Zheng Fa has chosen the Five Thunder Divine Body," Han Qi suddenly said.

"No one has practiced that thing in a thousand years, has he? Is he stupid?" The tall, thin man was stunned, then shrugged indifferently. "Whatever, whether he's stupid or not, what does it matter to us?"

Han Qi looked at the gold in his hand, suddenly stood up, and walked toward the door.

"Where are you going, Senior Brother?"

"I'm going to pay my respects to Zhang Shijie."

Behind him, the two junior brothers exchanged glances, and the tall, thin one couldn't help but mutter, "Ten taels of gold, is that really worth it?"