Chapter 4: Blood Burning Technique

"Blood Burning Technique!"

This was the first-tier Qi Refinement technique distributed by the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Even though Wang Yu had mentally prepared himself to pay any price, he was still shocked by it.

It was an extremely pure, shortcut-type demonic technique.

It burned the cultivator's vital essence and blood qi, transforming them into the most primitive form of spiritual power: Blood Burning. Vital essence represented the human body's life force and origin, while blood qi was closely related to physical strength and health.

A deficiency in blood qi would cause premature graying, an aged appearance, and frequent illness.

A deficiency in vital essence would lead to organ failure, sagging skin, age spots, a shortened lifespan, and damaged essence.

In other words, the technique required trading lifespan for cultivation.

Three years of lifespan—regardless of talent—would allow a cultivator to break through to the first layer of Qi Refinement in just one month. From that point on, they would be qualified as spirit slaves.

It seemed like paying three years of lifespan could achieve the goal in a one-time trade—grit your teeth and get through it. The problem, however, was that condensing spirit sand damaged one's cultivation level.

When cultivation dropped, the cultivator would have to cultivate again, resulting in continuous, long-term burning of lifespan.

The real problem lay in the requirement of one tael of spirit sand per month.

Could it even be condensed?

After reading through the entire "Blood Burning Technique," Wang Yu thought for a moment before selecting it and placing it into his only cheat—the Storage Slot.

[Storage Slot 1: Blood Burning Technique]

"Blood Burning Technique (0/100): Forty-eight cycles daily, achievable in one year."

Wang Yu: "???"

This was the first time the Storage Slot had shown such a change—it had never appeared like this before. It was likely related to the fact that this was a cultivation technique.

But this was a lifespan-burning demonic technique—forty-eight cycles daily?

Averaging one cycle every half hour, wouldn't that drain him dry?!

Just as Wang Yu was about to remove it, his resolve wavered. This was his only possible chance to turn things around.

"Try one cycle. Wait half an hour to see what changes occur, then decide."

Soon, half an hour passed.

Wang Yu didn't feel any abnormalities in his body. Instead, his mind gained considerable experience and insights from cultivating the "Blood Burning Technique." A warm current suddenly appeared in his body, lasting about three breaths before disappearing.

Neither lifespan was lost, nor were there any effects of the quick-success demonic technique.

This situation made him even more confused.

Based on the patterns and usage he'd figured out over the past sixteen years, Wang Yu flipped through the booklet recording cultivation world knowledge again, and a flash of inspiration struck his mind.

Burning lifespan for quick success was a special feature of the Blood Burning Technique, but that didn't mean every cultivator was forced to use this feature—it could also normally refine and absorb spiritual energy.

The warm current that appeared in his body was likely the manifestation of the Storage Slot running one cycle of the Blood Burning Technique.

The Storage Slot never tired and never stopped—forty-eight cycles daily now seemed normal.

A cultivator's talent greatly affected early cultivation. Spiritual roots not only represented spiritual energy affinity but were also closely related to the rate of spiritual energy conversion.

Normally, Heavenly Spiritual Root talent naturally attracted the same-attribute spiritual energy. When cultivating techniques, same-attribute spiritual energy would spontaneously flow into the body, being gently refined into the cultivator's spiritual power.

Whatever they absorbed, they could refine—this was why their cultivation progressed so rapidly.

Wang Yu's worthless spiritual root talent had all five elements but poor affinity. He had to expend mental energy to capture spiritual energy himself and felt that the spiritual energy was violent and difficult to refine.

The conversion rate was terrifyingly low—successfully refining one strand out of ten absorbed would be considered a success. More often, not even one strand could be refined. This was why worthless spiritual roots had difficulty breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.

The Reverse Spirit Blood Sect was built on multiple fourth-grade spirit veins. Even though most spiritual energy was concentrated on the nine peaks, the stone house area still had spiritual energy comparable to a first-grade superior spirit vein.

The cultivation environment was quite good.

Spiritual root talent and spirit vein environment were two of the three factors determining early cultivation speed. The third factor was related to the cultivator's meridians and mental state.

Cultivation techniques completing full circulation within the body were extremely mentally exhausting.

Full concentration was required. This situation would only improve after breaking through to mid-stage Qi Refinement, when spiritual consciousness broke through the body and technique circulation became instinctual.

Mortal meridians were weak—even Heavenly Spiritual Roots couldn't withstand twelve hours of continuous daily cultivation. Initially, being able to complete four major circulations daily was already considered impressive.

On this point, except for naturally born spirit bodies who were Nascent Soul seeds, everyone started at the same point.

As cultivation increased, meridians grew stronger and could bear more and more spiritual energy. This process was how those with excellent talent pulled ahead.

Heavenly Spiritual Roots cultivated faster and faster, while worthless spiritual roots cultivated slower and slower—within a year, the difference would be like heaven and earth!

Only after breaking through to Foundation Establishment would all these cultivation limitations and difficulties disappear.

The Storage Slot's forty-eight cycles daily could give Wang Yu significant advantages during Qi Refinement, but his talent was too poor.

The Storage Slot couldn't change his talent. Regardless of the conditions, running the technique forty-eight times daily would remain the same, which was why the warm current he'd felt earlier only lasted three breaths.

Even so, Wang Yu felt incredibly delighted.

Having something was better than nothing. As long as he could step onto the cultivation path and solve his current predicament, changing his talent in the future wasn't hopeless. With an increased base, the Storage Slot's amplification multiplier would rise dramatically.

In fact, even without rare treasures that improved talent, cultivators' talents would improve when they broke through major realms.

It was just that the fourth and fifth spiritual roots often died of old age before reaching that level. Only medium-grade spiritual roots, like third-grade, had a hope of enjoying this benefit.

"And the Storage Slot doesn't interfere with the main body—it's like an accessory. The main body can also cultivate."

Next, Wang Yu continued to comprehend the technique. Every half hour, his mind would gain insights and cultivation experience with the "Blood Burning Technique."

This greatly helped him break through his situation. The spiritual energy that occasionally appeared in his body brought many benefits, even if it couldn't be refined.

Being nourished by spiritual energy made his body different, regardless.

While experiencing all aspects of the Storage Slot's effects, Wang Yu made another amazing discovery: the Storage Slot not only didn't interfere with his main body, but it also had no interaction with the outside world, including spiritual energy.

This meant the spiritual energy the Storage Slot's technique circulation brought Wang Yu appeared out of thin air—who knew where it was absorbed from?

This meant that even in places without spirit veins, he could enjoy twelve hours of non-stop spiritual energy supply. Aside from the small quantity, there were no drawbacks.

The conveniences brought by the Storage Slot, though all minor assistance effects, combined, could give him tremendous help!

A day passed like this.

Wang Yu was passively cultivating even while sleeping at night, receiving feedback and benefits from the Storage Slot. Intermittently, his understanding of the "Blood Burning Technique" completely transcended to another level.

Without needing to painstakingly study and experience it, a breakthrough might come today.