Chương 69: 1.69 Soul Ferrying Scripture

"Junior Brother, aren't you spoiling Aunt a bit too much?" Ling Yinran asked with a sigh. Ning paused mid-step, holding a tray filled with neatly arranged dishes.

"…Spoiling?" he repeated. Ling Yinran pointed toward the table. There were carefully prepared spiritual dishes, each portion well-balanced. They were overly rich, but nourishing. Beside them sat a small plate of sweets, clearly given extra attention. Moreover, after learning some of the fundamentals of spiritual cooking, Ning had experimented quite a bit, elevating the taste to another level.

"You wake her up in the morning, help her freshen up, prepare her meals, remind her to rest, and even clean up after her experiments," Ling Yinran listed, counting on her fingers.

"At this point, are you her disciple or her caretaker?" Ning glanced at the table, then at Ling Xin, who was sitting nearby, happily eating sweets without the slightest sense of guilt.

"…It's just basic maintenance," Ning said calmly.

"Maintenance?" Ling Yinran's lips twitched.

"She's a Foundation Establishment cultivator, not some delicate spirit beast. You're just making her even lazier." Ning sighed.

"It's my duty to help Master." He gestured toward the surroundings.

"If I don't remind her, she skips meals."

"If I don't clean up, the entire place becomes a hazard zone."

"And if I don't organize things…" He paused, glancing at a corner where the remnants of a previous "experiment" still left faint scorch marks.

"…well, you've seen it." Ling Yinran opened her mouth, then closed it again. She couldn't refute that. After a moment, she muttered, "…Still feels like you're spoiling her." Ning shook his head.

"I'm just making sure she's satisfied so I can cultivate in peace." Ling Yinran: "…" That was… unexpectedly reasonable. Meanwhile, Ling Xin, who had been quietly listening while eating, suddenly spoke up.

"Ning is a very good disciple," she said with a satisfied nod, popping another sweet into her mouth. Ling Yinran stared at her.

"…You're enjoying this way too much." Ling Xin blinked innocently.

"Hm?" Ning ignored the daily banter between aunt and niece and instead asked, "Master, is there any way to obtain an Earth-grade technique? I heard that practicing one helps with breaking through the late stage."

"An Earth-grade technique?" Ling Xin paused, considering.

"There are several ways to obtain one. First, you can buy it outside the sect or at an auction, but they're extremely expensive. Any Earth-grade technique that appears in the wild is fiercely contested by clans and high-level cultivators." She continued, "As for the Scripture Pavilion, there are quite a few Earth-grade techniques there, but you would need to contribute massively to the sect just to gain access."

"I see." Although Earth-grade techniques didn't seem rare, given how often they appeared in outer sect competitions, they were, in fact, extremely difficult for ordinary cultivators to obtain.

"It's a pity," Ling Xin added.

"I had to sign a contract when I learned my Earth-grade techniques. Ling Yinran did as well. Otherwise, we could have taught you directly. Such a troublesome contract." Ling Xin wasn't from any clan, she had started as an ordinary disciple like Ning. It was only because of her exceptional talent that she had been taken in early by a Purple Mansion cultivator, so she never lacked access to such techniques.

"I still have some merit points," Ling Xin said.

"I can buy one for you from the sect if you want." She was quite satisfied with her new disciple. After all, her daily life had improved significantly, mainly because even Ling Yinran could be shut down by Ning's calm logic.

"There's no need, Master," Ning said, shaking his head. Relying too much on others for something like this wasn't wise, especially when it involved favors that could accumulate over time. Moreover, it wasn't as if he had no alternatives. Ning's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Junior Brother," Ling Yinran said, "if you want to reach the seventh stage, you need to open your Ren and Du meridians and awaken your spiritual sense, essentially releasing the 'god' within your mind." The god she spoke of was not a deity of the heavens, but the embryonic consciousness of the soul itself. Most people remain unaware of it, their minds scattered and unfocused. She glanced at Ling Xin.

"If your goal is just to reach the seventh stage, there are other methods. Especially since Aunt has a method for it. Hasn't she told you?" Ling Xin frowned slightly at being called out, then said, "Yes, I've already prepared a way for you to help you break through the seventh stage, it's that super secret technique I mentioned." She smirked.

"But you haven't reached the required level of flame control for alchemy yet, so I'll keep it a secret for now."

"Okay," Ning replied calmly. Ling Xin blinked.

"Eh? Aren't you curious? If you take one of my pills, I'll tell you right now."

"I'll learn about it later anyway," Ning said.

"There's no need for your pills, Master." He absolutely refused to become a test subject for his Master's whims, especially since she only ever described the benefits, never the side effects.

"You haven't even tried any of my special pills yet," Ling Xin said, gritting her teeth.

"How can you call yourself my disciple at this rate?"

"By staying alive," Ning replied calmly. Moreover, Ning had already done some research. While he wasn't entirely certain, it was said that the technique practiced by the alchemy lineage involved using pill refinement to break through bottlenecks. Even without knowing the full details, that alone was enough for him since his master was likely talking about that very technique. So no matter how mysterious Ling Xin tried to sound, he wasn't particularly tempted.

"Haha, it seems Junior Brother isn't just spoiling you," Ling Yinran said with a laugh, amused by the sulking expression on her aunt's face. The atmosphere on the spiritual peak was, as always, lively.... As usual, Elder Shen was lounging around, completely at ease, a book held loosely in his hand. Some disciples might think he was reading something profound, befitting an elder, but Ning, by now, knew better.

"Greetings, Elder Shen," Ning said, bowing politely as he approached. Elder Shen calmly closed the book and turned to him.

"Ah, I was waiting for you." Ning paused.

"Hmm?"

"You haven't submitted the next volume of your book for a while now. I wanted to talk to you about it." Elder Shen spoke sternly. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Ning: "…" Here it comes.

"I've been waiti-, no, I mean, do you know how many people are waiting?" Elder Shen continued, his expression turning grave, as if discussing an urgent sect matter. Ning forced a polite smile.

"I've been busy adapting to the inner sect. So, I have been quite busy, especially with cultivation."

"I understand, I really do," Elder Shen said, nodding seriously. Then he leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"But do you know how popular your book is right now?"

"There are already seven different versions circulating in the outer sect alone." Ning blinked.

"…Seven?" Elder Shen snorted.

"Copycats! Shameless copycats!" He began counting on his fingers.

"One changed the setting to a demon sect. Another made the protagonist a female cultivator. And there's even one where they added dual cultivation every other chapter, completely ruining the pacing!" Ning: "…" That last one sounded… unfortunately predictable.

"And don't even get me started on the writing quality!" Elder Shen continued indignantly.

"No buildup, no tension, just straight to the 'interesting' parts. Where's the artistry?!" He slapped Ning on the shoulder.

"Your work is different. It has depth." Ning wasn't sure whether to feel proud or concerned hearing such words from a respected elder.

"I'm glad Elder enjoys it," he said carefully.

"It's not me, it's the people!" Elder Shen insisted, though it was clear as day, that it was he who was deeply invested. Ning ignored the mess-up in the elder's words.

"Also, do you know how much I've promoted your book?" Elder Shen continued. He leaned back, crossing his arms.

"I even recommended it to a few old friends." Ning suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Elder…" he said slowly, "may I ask which friends?"

"Oh, just a few fellows from other peaks," Elder Shen said casually.

"Some elders from the Artifact Hall, a couple from Beast Taming Peak, " Ning: "…" So it had spread that far already. He was cooked. Don't get him wrong, seeing his book become popular was a very good thing. In fact, it was almost reaching the income he earned from his higher-tier farming. But what worried him most was his identity being revealed. Ning wasn't worried about the embarrassment of being found out for writing such books; he was worried about being forced to write them endlessly.

Can you imagine your grand adventure in another world ending because you wrote a new genre of book that just happened to become popular, and the next thing you know, you're in someone's basement, forced to write forever? Hmm, that could be one of the arcs. Ning suddenly had a thought that left him speechless. Elder Shen suddenly leaned forward again, eyes gleaming.

"Anyway," he said eagerly, "when's the next volume?" Ning sighed internally.

"I will write it later.."

"No, no," Elder Shen said immediately, shaking his head.

"You need to prioritize properly." He raised a finger, as if imparting profound wisdom.

"Cultivation is important, yes, but writing is also part of cultivation." He looked at Ning seriously.

"By expressing your thoughts and emotions, you temper your mind and stabilize your Dao heart." He nodded, as if completely convinced of his own reasoning.

"A cultivator who neglects his sentiments will eventually face inner demons. Your writing, this is your path to balance." Ning nodded slowly.

"…I see." He did not see at all. Elder Shen was clearly bullshitting. As a fellow cultivator of the same path, Ning could spot it at once. Elder Shen wasn't finished.

"I've even prepared notes," he said proudly, pulling out a jade slip.

"Some suggestions for future plot developments." Ning instinctively took a step back.

"I, Elder, I believe creativity should be… spontaneous."

"Nonsense!" Elder Shen scoffed.

"Look, I've outlined three possible routes-" Routes? Ning suddenly had a very bad premonition.

"-one focusing on emotional development, one on conflict, and one…" He lowered his voice slightly.

"…on intimate interactions." Ning immediately raised his hand.

"Elder, I just remembered, I came here to select a technique. I'll speak with you later." As usual, Ning left behind a bottle of frozen grain wine before quickly heading deeper into the pavilion. Elder Shen blinked, then smiled.

"He'll be back soon enough." With that, he uncorked the wine and took a satisfied drink. Upon entering, Ning, as usual, ignored the grandiose-sounding techniques. In fact, he had once wondered if there was a hidden gem among them that did exactly what it promised. But seeing things like an immortal sword cleave, which was said to cleave a golden core cultivation with one slash while being at a lower cultivation level. Ning had given up hope. So, he instead walked straight toward the section of incomplete manuals.

These techniques were far cheaper; some were even spirit-ranked. Ning had been here many times before, so he knew exactly what he was looking for. Soon, he picked one out. [Soul Ferrying Scripture] In fact, Ning's original choice had been the Earth-ranked Heaven Shattering Fist, the same technique Xiao Fan had used. Unfortunately, the sect had acted quickly. It was said that the moment Xiao Fan displayed its first level, the technique was removed from this section. A pity.

After all, anything Xiao Fan used was bound to be special.

"Xiao Fan must have been pestered by the elders after showing that technique," Ning thought as he walked out with his chosen technique.... [Soul Ferrying Scripture] Among the many incomplete techniques, this one had all the necessary philosophical components. The only missing portions were related to the circulation of qi through the meridians, along with timing and similar details. Ning selected this technique for a single purpose.

Among all the incomplete martial arts, this was one of the two soul-related techniques, the other being the extremely fragmented Howling Soul Shaking Technique. As for what Ning wanted to do, it was an experiment. Ning took the manual and began to read. With his superior mental strength, it didn't take him long to finish it completely. The mental clarity incense also helped him maintain focus.

"As expected, it's quite incomplete," Ning muttered, looking at the manual. These incomplete martial arts all included brief descriptions of the missing parts, allowing disciples to recognize them if they ever came across fragments of those techniques and exchange them within the sect. Ning walked toward the open field. While this technique didn't require much movement, it was always wise to prepare just in case. He exhaled slightly, breathing in the fresh air as his expression turned serious.

Currently, Ning's deepest secret was that he was not a native of this world; he was a transmigrator. His second deepest secret was his panel. His supernatural ability, Know Thyself. In fact, aside from being an otherworlder, Ning could leverage all these secrets if there were enough benefits. But today, he wanted to see if he could further develop his supernatural ability. Primarily, the panel had two functions. The secondary function was maintaining his spirit, though it wasn't particularly prominent.

The primary function was to show his progress and guide him along the right path, and Ning loved it for that. He was almost fanatical about seeing his numbers increase. Or as he liked to say, he loved watching his numbers go brr. Now, Ning wanted to dig deeper and discover other uses for this supernatural power. He sat in the lotus position and focused.

"It all comes down to this." Ning circulated his qi according to the manual for a while, gathering energy. But suddenly, he stopped. After the fifth circulation, the pathway for the sixth was fragmented. He didn't care about that. Instead, Ning brute-forced it, circulating his qi based on his own logical deductions. The qi moved, the air stirred, but nothing happened.

"Not this pathway." Ning crossed it off in his notebook. The first attempt was a failure. But Ning remained determined. Second, third, fourth, fifth… he continued trying different pathways, adjusting timing each time. As the sun set and night fell, Ning was still practicing under the sky.

"320th try." He circulated his qi once more, and the air began to tremble. He ignored everything outside; his full attention was on the panel before him. Then, suddenly, A change occurred. [Soul Ferrying Scripture: (Starting: 1. 3333 → 1. 3334)]"IT WORKED. YES!!!" Ning didn't care about appearances as he cheered wildly before collapsing onto the ground. As the panel demonstrated even greater precision in showing his progress as his cultivation improved, a new thought emerged.

Could he use it to repair incomplete manuals? Until now, one of his biggest limitations had been his lack of family lineage, preventing him from learning exclusive and powerful techniques. After all, considering how Heaven Shattering Fist had been taken away right away, it was clear that if he wanted to learn stronger martial arts within the sect, he would need to contribute more. But now, he had found another way. Why was completing fragmented techniques so difficult?

Because there was no way to confirm whether a corrected step was accurate. If someone else tried the same qi circulation Ning had, they might not feel any change at all, nor would they know if they were on the right path. But Ning's panel was different. It confirmed when he had taken a correct step. With this single advantage, he could slowly reconstruct complete martial arts through trial and error.

"Well… it will take an extremely long time and effort, though," Ning admitted. There were clear drawbacks. First, the process was time-consuming; he had to piece everything together manually. Second, the method wasn't universally applicable. Missing philosophical aspects or inner workings couldn't be reconstructed through the panel. Only techniques with gaps in qi circulation could be solved this way. Still, Ning was satisfied. Especially since this technique was soul-related.

To break through the late stage, one method of unlocking spiritual sense was through soul techniques that directly deal with spiritual sense. In fact, this was one of the most orthodox methods, but such techniques were extremely rare. So Ning was content. Although his master had told him not to worry and had already made preparations, he still wanted a backup plan, just in case.

"Speaking of which… Xiao Fan is luckier than I imagined," Ning muttered, gazing at the starry sky. Even with the panel, Ning would need months of trial and error to complete a technique. Yet Xiao Fan had already learned the first level of an earth-ranked technique and put it into practice. Ning knew why. It was because Xiao Fan was simply lucky. There were many types of protagonists in the novels Ning had read back on Earth: reincarnators, regressors, and so on.

From what Ning had observed, Xiao Fan belonged to the "Waste Wood Flow." These protagonists had no talent, no resources, and no background, but were still the most stereotypical leads. Because they all shared one overwhelming trait: Luck. They were so lucky that it wouldn't be surprising if they were Heaven's illegitimate children. Opportunities would fall into their laps despite being labeled as "waste."

As far as Ning was concerned, Xiao Fan could have simply succeeded in learning this technique by 'coincidentally' trying to brute force the martial art, 'coincidentally' finding the correct pathway of circulation, 'coincidentally' figuring out the timing, and 'coincidentally' finishing learning the art in a single attempt. Yup, there were too many coincidences right there. Even if that was not the case, his so-called cheat that was used in the process can also be regarded as a part of his luck.

Ning's eyes narrowed at that thought, but he didn't dwell on it too much. He decided to let nature take its course for now because he was too damn tired at the moment.... A/N: Thanks for reading~