Chương 21: the White Tiger Method

Upon arriving at the Spirit Officer Hall, the Divine Minister gestured for Yang Fan to take a seat and poured him a cup of freshly brewed tea. He asked warmly, "Brother Set Sail, have you come to learn the White Tiger Cultivation Method?" The Divine Minister was being far too polite today. Yang Fan felt both flattered and puzzled. How did the Divine Minister know he was here to learn cultivation techniques? Seeing that Yang Fan did not respond, the Divine Minister explained, "Elder Ying told me.

He has already taken you as his disciple, but he had to leave for a while. Before he left, he came to the White Tiger Temple and asked me to guide you properly."

"Ying Yao! Where did he go?" Yang Fan pressed. The Divine Minister explained, "Elder Ying left in a hurry. It seemed urgent, but he did not say where he was going."

"Hmph. He punched me and then disappeared. I have not settled that score with him yet." Yang Fan puffed out his chest, speaking with exaggerated bravado. He had noticed that the Divine Minister's courtesy toward him stemmed from Ying Yao, so he decided to put on a show. Maybe he could squeeze out some benefits or trigger a hidden quest. His act worked. The Divine Minister looked stunned. This man truly was Ying Yao's disciple, daring to speak of Ying Yao so casually.

Ying Yao's notoriously bad temper was well known throughout the White Tiger Temple. Many Divine Masters and Divine Ministers had been injured by him. Everyone avoided mentioning Ying Yao's name. Seeing the Divine Minister's shock, Yang Fan knew his bluff had landed. He smiled and continued, "There is no need to be surprised, Divine Minister. Though Ying Yao is my master, he does not dare to offend me. After all, I am now the head of the Ying family. During our sparring session earlier, he accidentally injured me.

He is probably hiding out of fear that I might hold him accountable." The Divine Minister was shocked again.

"You are the head of the Ying family?"

"Of course. The Tianyin Sword is in my hands." Yang Fan pulled the sword from his backpack and waved it in front of the Divine Minister, looking quite pleased with himself. He knew the sword had an enigmatic special effect, "Somewhat Sharp," and he had not figured out its secret. He hoped the knowledgeable Divine Minister might be able to shed some light on it. The Divine Minister asked cautiously, "Is this truly the Tianyin Sword? Brother Set Sail, may I examine it briefly?"

Yang Fan tossed the sword over casually. The Divine Minister caught it with both hands, steadying it before drawing the blade and running his fingers over it repeatedly, treating it as if it were a treasure of immense value. Yang Fan sensed something significant and pressed further.

"Divine Minister, is this not just a cursed Gray weapon? Its stats are mediocre. The only odd thing is the 'Somewhat Sharp' special effect. Why do you hold it in such high regard?" The Divine Minister replied, "The Tianyin Sword is currently sealed by the Divine Curse, its divine power locked away, which is why it appears as a mere Gray weapon. But it is, in fact, an ancient divine artifact, incomparable to ordinary weapons. That 'Somewhat Sharp' is not the sharpness of a mundane blade.

It is a remnant of the artifact's original divine essence. In simpler terms, this sword can ignore the defense of other equipment." Yang Fan mentally tuned out the comment about ignoring defense. He had heard too much empty boasting from the village chief about cutting iron like mud and the Grass Running technique, so he assumed this was just more exaggeration. He fixated instead on the phrase "ancient divine artifact." He asked, "Is that literal, or is it actually a Divine-tier item?

I mean equipment quality, like the tier above Diamond and Legendary?" The Divine Minister nodded.

"Yes, the Tianyin Sword is Divine-tier. However, until the curse is broken, its true power remains sealed. But its divine foundation will not vanish. It will grow and settle alongside its wielder. As your level increases, the Tianyin Sword will also grow stronger." Yang Fan was overjoyed.

"What? You mean as I level up, it will gradually unseal and become a true divine artifact?" The Divine Minister shook his head and explained, "Not quite. Unless the curse is broken, it will never regain its full divine power. But as an ancient heirloom, the stronger your cultivation becomes, the stronger that remnant divine essence will grow as well." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"A Gray weapon that grows with its wielder? This is the first time I have ever heard of such a thing. But if the curse remains, no matter how much it grows, the shackles will not break. What is the point?" Yang Fan was deeply disappointed.

"Divine Minister, if you like it so much, I will just give it to you." He made a casual gesture of handing it over, pretending to be generous. In truth, he had no intention of actually giving it away. He simply wanted to test the Divine Minister's reaction and uncover more secrets about the sword. The Divine Minister's expression shifted dramatically. He quickly held the sword with both hands and thrust it back toward Yang Fan, waving his hands frantically.

"I dare not! I dare not! I cannot accept this, Brother Set Sail. Please, do not put me in danger!" Yang Fan feigned confusion.

"I am just giving you a weapon. How is that putting you in danger? Does this sword carry some kind of curse?" The Divine Minister nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. Those afflicted by the Divine Curse are either those of the Ying bloodline or the Tianyin Sword itself. Anyone who forms a bond with this sword will be entangled by the curse."

"So that is it. I thought I got cursed because I joined the school, but it is because I took the Tianyin Sword. Ying Yao really is shameless. No wonder he handed it over so easily." After grumbling, Yang Fan had a flicker of hope. If the curse was tied to the sword, then getting rid of the sword might free him from it. He immediately asked the Divine Minister whether the Tianyin Sword could be given to someone else. The Divine Minister slowly shook his head and explained, "The sword has already bonded with you.

It cannot be transferred through ordinary means. Only when you reach an extremely high level of cultivation could you potentially alter its will. Moreover, the curse was already imprinted onto your very being the moment the bond was formed. Even if you discard the sword, the curse cannot be removed." Yang Fan grumbled inwardly. Then why did you react so strongly? I thought I could actually give it away. What a waste of hope. It seemed he was stuck with the Divine Curse.

He pressed further, asking if there was any way to break the curse, but the Divine Minister was clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further. Seeing that he would not get any answers on that front, Yang Fan dropped the subject and grabbed the Divine Minister's hand cheerfully.

"Divine Minister, you know my status is far from ordinary now. Does the White Tiger Temple have any cultivation methods worthy of someone like me?" The Divine Minister smiled.

"The White Tiger Temple only has one cultivation method, the White Tiger Cultivation Method. It has been passed down since ancient times. Everyone in the temple, including your master and grandmaster, practices it. There is no other." Yang Fan was surprised.

"What? What about the other temples? Do they only have one as well?" The Divine Minister replied, "Of course. Cultivation methods are simply ways to draw spiritual energy into the body. The White Tiger and Black Tortoise methods use spiritual energy to temper the body, making it stronger. The Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird methods draw energy into the dantian, enhancing communication with heaven and earth and enabling the use of various spells." Yang Fan chuckled.

"Spiritual energy from heaven and earth? You sound like you are cultivating immortality." The Divine Minister nodded.

"Exactly. We cultivate to improve ourselves, to grow closer to the immortals, and perhaps even to become immortals ourselves. However, talent varies from person to person. Those with good talent progress quickly and can easily break through to the next realm. Those lacking in talent may stagnate, trapped in the same realm for life."

"Realms? What are you talking about? Can you explain properly?" Yang Fan was thoroughly confused. The Divine Minister smiled and clarified, "For example, you are currently level 10. Once you learn the cultivation method, you can meditate and train to reach level 11. There is almost no difficulty in that step, as long as you have enough spiritual energy. Once you reach level 11, you can truly draw spiritual energy into your body, entering an entirely new realm."

"I see. So level 21, 31, 41, and so on are all different realms. But wait, you said meditating to level up, but what about killing monsters?" Yang Fan was puzzled. The Divine Minister's words seemed to touch upon hidden mechanics behind the game, mechanics he had not seen mentioned in any online guides or forum posts. The Divine Minister continued, "Meditation draws spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Killing monsters and people plunders the spiritual energy within them. The principle is the same."

Yang Fan interrupted, "Wait, are you saying killing people also grants experience?" The Divine Minister replied, "Of course. As long as one has cultivated a method and can absorb spiritual energy, anyone with spiritual energy within them can be plundered, whether human or other beings. That is precisely why cultivation methods must be controlled by the imperial family and the temples. To learn a method, one must pass an assessment and be recorded.

Those of corrupt character must never be allowed to inherit such knowledge." So that was it. Killing players above level 11 also gave experience. Yang Fan's fingers itched at the thought. This game just kept getting more interesting. He still remembered the time in the starting village when Hu Tie Shu from Iron Blood Gate had killed him. That guy should be nearing level 11 by now, too. Revenge would be sweet.