Chapter 37: The Formation of Combat Power Often Requires Only a Flash of Insight

"???", Feng Xue was utterly baffled by Liu Yunxi's words—when had he ever consecrated his Core Technique? But then his eyes darted, and he suddenly understood:

"Oh, you mean yourself! Come to think of it, there is some truth to that…"

"Who said I'm your Core Technique?" Liu Yunxi immediately bristled—she could never accept such a thing, and quickly retorted:

"I mean the seal! The seal!"

"Seal? Oh, you mean this?" Feng Xue reached into his pocket and pulled out the Jade Seal he'd used yesterday to practice the Cursing Method—it had been given to him as part of a spirit-nourishing set from the owner of Moyu Pavilion, but after he'd used the Cursing Method dozens of times yesterday, it was still entangled with considerable magical energy; according to the test results, it would take nearly half a year for it to fully dissipate.

Yet while it was imbued with magical energy, it was merely imbued—like a battery charged but disconnected from any device, utterly useless without a load.

"This thing is called a Core Technique?"

"Why not? My skin is just ordinary snake sheddings! A Core Technique is simply something continually saturated with demonic energy, magical energy, or similar forces until it becomes an extension of your body, isn't it?"

Liu Yunxi replied as if stating "Food is for eating," then casually picked up another piece of squirrel mandarin fish and happily popped it into her mouth.

Feng Xue pinched the bridge of his nose—he felt this world's Core Technique artifacts were nothing like the life-and-soul-cultivating weapons he'd imagined, and reluctantly said:

"So what's this thing good for? Just to wear as clothing after transformation? No other marvels?"

"Isn't wearing it enough?" Liu Yunxi waved her "chopsticks," seemingly baffled by Feng Xue's thinking:

"A Core Technique is just the most convenient tool. The Fox Immortal Grandma said some top-tier martial artists nourish their weapons with their own blood and qi, but that only makes them smoother and sharper—still, that counts as a Core Technique. As for marvels? Add whatever marvels you want yourself!"

"…", though he clearly understood that different worldviews couldn't be mixed, Feng Xue still struggled to shift his mindset quickly—but he glanced at the Jade Seal and unconsciously infused a trace of magical energy into it.

Yet this tiny action made him sense something different.

Though outwardly it remained an ordinary jade seal, the instant his magical energy touched it, an entirely different sensation arose.

It was like suddenly shifting from a congested city street onto a highway—the instant thought, the instant transformation of magical energy—made him briefly feel a delusion of "My divine art has reached completion!"

But it was only an illusion.

The Jade Seal hadn't actually improved his magical energy efficiency; rather, it already contained his own magical energy, and when he touched it, that energy was naturally activated—because it had been 【Cursed】 and solidified within the seal, no effort was needed to maintain or stabilize it during activation, making it far easier to summon.

But Feng Xue currently knew not a single complete spell; though he had a vessel, he had no idea how to shape this pure, clumped magical energy into anything, so he merely re-stowed the seal—but now he felt a flicker of anticipation toward this so-called Core Technique.

Though his control and technical experience were currently abysmal, because of Ding Tian Ming's existence, he could effortlessly mass-produce Large Amount of Methods, and use them as a foundation to create countless Core Techniques.

If he solidified a Cursing Method into each artifact…

At this thought, Feng Xue sucked in a sharp breath—he suddenly knew how he should fight!

In an instant, his mind surged with eagerness; he grew restless, desperate to put his idea into practice immediately.

Noticing Feng Xue's emotional shift, Liu Yunxi didn't know exactly what he was thinking, but realized lunch would soon end—and her chopstick motions grew even faster.

Watching the chopsticks blur into afterimages on the table, Feng Xue seemed to grasp her intent and smiled:

"Don't rush, don't rush—I've got plenty of discipline!"

Of course, he said that—but the two of them still quickly finished lunch; Feng Xue turned Liu Yunxi back into a ring and headed straight for the century-old rice shop the waiter had mentioned.

The inquiry process was simple—since the shop specialized in this kind of brokerage and dealt mostly with ordinary folk, no secret codes were needed; once Feng Xue paid properly, the shopkeeper immediately sent an assistant to guide him through a back door, down a narrow alley, to a hidden hall.

Though Lucheng County was much larger than Ping'an County, this hall was far less grand than Jiu Gu's; but thinking about it, Ping'an County had only three xuan cultivators besides the "foreign Monk," and Jiu Gu was the only full-time one—making her hall the county's sole one.

Here in Lucheng, there were five such rice-inquiry halls, plus temples and churches—each shop naturally held a smaller share.

Sidestepping into the hall, Feng Xue raised an eyebrow—the seated practitioner was also a woman, but older, around forty-something; her remaining lifespan still showed over twenty thousand days—she had some cultivation, but surely not as strong as Jiu Gu.

"Young guest, fellow cultivator, you didn't come here to ask for rice or summon spirits, did you?"

Before Feng Xue could speak, the aunt preempted him; unfazed, Feng Xue nodded:

"Auntie Immortal, I'm new here and unaware of local taboos, so I've come uninvited, hoping for peace of mind."

As he spoke, Feng Xue pulled out money as usual; seeing he wasn't here to settle a Liang Zi, the aunt relaxed slightly, declined the money, but softened her tone:

"Don't call me Immortal—just Auntie Liu. As for matters, it depends on what you wish to ask."

Feng Xue nodded, sat down following Auntie Liu's gaze, then said:

"First, I'd like to know which xuan masters reside in Lucheng, to avoid offending anyone; second, I'd like to know where to buy cultivation supplies locally; third, I'd like to ask if you sell spells—no apprenticeship required, just fixed prices."

"So you're a wandering student," Auntie Liu immediately understood his intent at his clear questions, and nodded:

"There are about twenty xuan cultivators in total, but only five qualify as masters: the oldest Monk of Tianfu Temple and his Daoist Priest neighbor are the strongest; the foreign Monk of Chengnan also has some skill.

"There's also that little girl from the Deng family—she herself is nothing special, but the Gray Immortal her family worships has considerable cultivation; if you're doing business, you might want to consult her.

"The fifth one—I only know he exists, never seen him myself, but he's a senior elder.

"For supplies: incense, candles, ritual tools—I have them here; for jade, artifacts, visit the Bird Market in the west; if you trust your eye, go to the Ghost Market outside the city at midnight—you might find useful items."

As she spoke, Auntie Liu formed a seal with three fingers—a shadow swept in, dropping seven or eight books onto the table—

"As for spells, these are all I can sell you; others likely have the same—pick any you like, one tael per book."

(End of Chapter)