Chapter 229: Heavenly Tier Martial Art

Chapter 229: Heavenly Tier Martial Art

"The Golden Core cultivators of this sect sure love their surprise attacks."

Chu Ning was slightly startled by Yu Changge's sudden action and muttered to himself.

Meeting Yu Changge's gaze, he eventually returned the gesture with a bow.

"Thank you, fellow sect members!"

At this moment, the disciples of the Jiuhua Zong looked up at Chu Ning on the high platform.

Their eyes were filled with fervor.

Undoubtedly, today's display had completely won over everyone.

Not only had Chu Ning demonstrated his prowess at a critical moment, but he had also revealed his exceptional strength.

Feeling the intense gaze of the tens of thousands of people, Chu Ning sighed inwardly.

As expected, standing out came with a price.

From now on, it would be difficult for him to maintain the low profile he had always kept within the sect.

As if sensing Chu Ning's thoughts at that moment, Yu Changge stood up and moved in front of Chu Ning, blocking him from view.

Then, the voice of the sect master of Jiuhua Zong rang out for everyone to hear.

"Fellow disciples of the sect, Jiuhua Zong once enjoyed a renowned reputation in the Western Alliance Continent. This competition is just the beginning.

The path to the prosperity of our sect is arduous and challenging! I hope that all of you will take our three fellow senior brothers and uncles as role models and dedicate yourselves to the Dao.

Only then can our Jiuhua Zong regain its glory!"

"Yes, Sect Master!"

Including the Golden Core cultivators on the stage, everyone responded in unison.

Yu Changge nodded and waved his hand, "Alright, everyone else may disperse."

Immediately, the tens of thousands of people began to leave.

Yu Changge's gaze swept over Chu Ning and the other two.

"You three, along with the elders, stay."

Speaking thus, Yu Changge led the group into a room behind the high platform.

As soon as they entered the room, Yu Changge addressed Chu Ning and the other two, "This expedition into the ancient ruins is of utmost importance to our Jiuhua Zong.

Today, your contributions will be remembered by me, Yu Changge, and I believe by all the disciples of our sect as well!"

Yu Changge's words were sincere, and Chu Ning and the other two bowed in gratitude, "Your kindness, Sect Master, is greatly appreciated!"

Yu Changge smiled at this moment, "My words come from the heart, but to avoid appearing too hypocritical, I shall say no more.

If you don't believe me, just look at the expressions of joy on the faces of the elders."

Following Yu Changge's gaze, Chu Ning and the others looked up and indeed saw happiness on the faces of the eight Golden Core cultivators.

Ge Liuyang spoke up at this moment, "To be honest, if it weren't for my identity as a Golden Core elder, which didn't seem appropriate,

I would have liked to pay my respects to you three as well, haha!"

Ge Liuyang's words caused laughter to fill the room.

Yuan Rongzhang smiled bitterly, "We are truly grateful to Brother Chu. If it weren't for him turning the tide at the last moment, we would have become sinners of the sect.

Who would have thought that Leng Daichun of Daluo Zong, who was previously unknown, would have such profound skills in pill refining."

"Yes, I also didn't expect to lose the battle to Gu Guanlin," Lu Jiakang added with a bitter smile.

Chu Ning quickly waved his hand, "There's no need for Brothers Yuan and Lu to say such things. Even if I had exerted all my strength, victory would not have been possible without your all-out efforts.

Moreover, it was your dedication that inspired me to surpass my limits."

Yu Changge nodded in agreement, "Brother Chu's words are reasonable. The two of you must not belittle yourselves.

Your losses were by a narrow margin, and you should use this as motivation to strive further."

"Yes, Sect Master!"

Hearing Yu Changge's words, Yuan Rongzhang and Lu Jiakang replied in unison, their eyes determined.

It was clear that the stimulation had ignited a stronger desire within them to improve their strength.

Yu Changge nodded in satisfaction and turned to Chu Ning, "Brother Chu, I didn't seek your consent before appointing you as the sect's senior brother in front of everyone.

My main consideration was to take this opportunity to further enhance the unity and aspiration for the Dao among our sect's disciples.

I hope you understand."

Chu Ning smiled helplessly, "Since you've already announced it in front of tens of thousands of people, I can't very well refuse.

However, Sect Master, you should know that I don't like being too high-profile or drawing too much attention. I prefer to focus on my cultivation."

"I understand," Yu Changge replied.

"So going forward, you can continue as you wish. This identity will not impose any additional restrictions on you.

I merely want to provide a focal point for the spirit and morale of our sect."

Chu Ning nodded but didn't say anything further.

He didn't really mind the title; it wasn't something he particularly cared about.

Previously, Ling Cang had also suddenly appointed him as the chief executive of the Pill Refining Pavilion, but it hadn't added much burden to him.

On the contrary, this identity had ensured he had the resources he needed.

At this moment, Yu Changge asked again, "Brother Chu, we are aware of your exceptional pill refining skills.

How were you able to achieve such a high level of purity with the Nine-Rope Refining Technique? And what happened during the final battle that caused such a turnaround?"

Hearing Yu Changge's question, Ge Liuyang immediately spoke up, "Sect Master, I'm glad you finally asked. Otherwise, I would have had to ask myself."

Chu Ning thought for a moment before replying, "I was surprised myself that I was able to master the Nine-Rope Refining Technique so quickly. I had no prior experience in artifact refining.

Today, when I heard about the competition, I paid close attention to Brother Lu and the others' refining processes.

When it was my turn, I followed the method described in the technique and incorporated my observations and insights.

I didn't expect the purity of the refined product to be so high.

"A genius!" exclaimed Ge Liuyang.

"Brother Chu, your talent for artifact refining is exceptional. It's such a waste that you hadn't learned it before. You must come to our Artifact Refining Pavilion," he said enthusiastically.

"Hold on!" Ling Cang interrupted, his gaze fixed on Ge Liuyang. His tone was unwelcoming.

"Ge Liuyang, Chu Ning is clearly a member of the Pill Refining Pavilion. Why should he go to your Artifact Refining Pavilion?"

Ge Liuyang's enthusiastic expression froze for a moment at Ling Cang's words, but he quickly smiled and replied, "It doesn't matter. Chu Ning is now the chief disciple of our sect and not solely a member of the Pill Refining Pavilion. Naturally, he can come to the Artifact Refining Pavilion to learn artifact refining."

Chu Ning quickly responded, "I am indeed interested in artifact refining, and I will go to the pavilion to seek guidance from Elder Ge. To be honest, although I just learned the Nine-Rope Refining Technique, I know nothing about artifact refining."

Chu Ning was telling the truth. Now that he had obtained the Artifact Spirit Body, he naturally wanted to learn artifact refining to prepare for creating artifacts and treasures for himself in the future.

"No problem. I'll teach you hands-on," Ge Liuyang said with a chuckle.

Ling Cang, who was standing beside him, opened his mouth as if he wanted to remind Chu Ning not to neglect his pill refining studies, but he stopped himself. With Chu Ning's current pill refining prowess, the next step would be to wait until he formed his Golden Core so he could use his Inner Flame to refine higher-grade pills. After all, Chu Ning had already achieved a 100% success rate in refining intermediate high-grade pills.

"Chu Ning should still visit the Pill Refining Pavilion often and guide the other pill refiners," Ling Cang thought to himself.

At that moment, Yu Changge spoke up, having listened to the two elders vying for Chu Ning's attention. "In the heyday of our Jiuhua Zong, there were several elders who cultivated both pill and artifact refining. Elders Ge and Ling, there's no need to argue. Brother Chu will likely follow in their footsteps. But about the battle..."

Yu Changge turned to Chu Ning, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Brother Chu, after Ao Xuem blocked your treasure attack, he must have used a consciousness attack, right? How did you turn it around and injure him instead?"

Although the senior Golden Core cultivator on the high platform could roughly see what was happening, the restrictions and Chu Ning's use of secret techniques made it difficult to discern everything, even for a late-stage Golden Core cultivator like Yu Changge.

Chu Ning had anticipated that Yu Changge and the others might ask about this, so he answered directly, "I used a little trick. My consciousness is not weak, and Ao Xuem's consciousness attack couldn't harm my consciousness. But to confuse him, I pretended that my sea of consciousness was injured, intending to lure him into a careless move so I could find an opportunity to strike back."

Chu Ning paused for a moment before continuing, "But I don't know if it was because he used too much consciousness or something else, but it seemed like he suffered a backlash without actually harming my consciousness. I seized that opportunity and used a secret technique I had learned before to strike him hard."

Chu Ning actually had a fair amount of trust in the people of Jiuhua Zong. However, he couldn't bring himself to tell them about the Secret Art of Consciousness Binding, a secret technique rewarded by the system.

As for his strong consciousness, if they pressed him for an answer, he could always tell them about the Consciousness Refining Technique he had obtained. He could even mention the Condensation Slash if they probed further. Although it was a system reward, it was a secret technique inherent to the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique, and there might be places that possessed the complete Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique, including this secret method.

After Chu Ning finished speaking, Yu Changge nodded and said, "I see. No wonder that cultivator from Daluo Zong said Ao Xuem's sea of consciousness was damaged."

Yu Changge didn't pursue the matter further, nor did he inquire about the origins of Chu Ning's treasures and techniques. He didn't even ask why Chu Ning, who had just reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, possessed such abundant spiritual power.

Instead, Yu Changge changed the subject and spoke about the ancient ruins. "The small space where our ancestor fell is not very stable. It may take one or two more months to stabilize it enough for cultivators to enter safely. Elder Gong and a Golden Core elder from Daluo Zong are guarding the site. If the conditions for entry are met, they will send a message immediately."

Yu Changge then addressed a golden-cored elder with three long beards and a tall golden-cored elder, "Elder Luo, Elder He, I'm worried that Daluo Zong might have other intentions. Please go to Wolong Mountain and join Elder Gong. It would be good to have more eyes on the situation."

"Yes, Master Brother. We'll go right away," the bearded elder named Luo replied promptly and stood up to leave with the tall elder.

Yu Changge turned his attention to Chu Ning and the other two. "We can't be sure when the ruins will be ready for entry. Lu and Yuan, you both have injuries, so focus on your recovery first. As for you, Brother Chu, it's up to you whether you want to enter the ruins or not."

As Yu Changge finished speaking, everyone looked at Chu Ning with curious gazes. Out of the six who participated in the competition, five of them had sustained injuries, ranging from minor to major. Only Chu Ning remained unscathed, and he didn't even show signs of significant spiritual power depletion, which surprised everyone.

However, no one found it strange that Yu Changge left the decision to enter the ruins to Chu Ning's discretion. After Chu Ning's impressive performance, it was clear that he had risen above the status of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Ling Cang spoke up, "After this incident, Chu Ning has likely become a thorn in Daluo Zong's side. Although we will have numerical superiority when we go to the ruins,

For Chu Ning, he wasn't afraid of any potential targeting by Daluo Zong.

After all, changing his appearance was something he was very adept at.

He could easily enter the ruins under the identity of another disciple, and he was sure that if he requested it, Yu Changge and the others would agree.

However, for the time being, Chu Ning wasn't particularly interested in venturing into the ruins.

He had already helped Jiuhua Zong obtain more entry qualifications, and as for finding the legacies of the predecessors within, he believed that Yu Changge and the others would make the necessary arrangements.

Yu Changge nodded, "Alright, there's no rush. We'll need to discuss which members of the sect will enter, and we should do so carefully.

All of you have worked hard today, so go and rest now.

As for you, Brother Chu, you've just broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, so if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

Chu Ning didn't stand on ceremony and directly stated his request, "Sect Master, I've just emerged from seclusion, and I'm not injured, so I don't need to rest.

However, after this period of cultivation, I do have some doubts about my training.

I want to look for some cultivation techniques or ancient books in the sect's collection."

Yu Changge immediately replied, "Of course, that's not a problem. You can go directly to the Canon Repository. Although our sect has lost many legacies in the past, we still have some Earth-tier and even Heavenly-tier techniques.

Now that I've announced you as the senior brother, you have the same access as the Golden Core elders."

Yu Changge paused for a moment, then pointed to the few Golden Core elders and continued to Chu Ning, "Among us, there are also some cultivation techniques obtained from outside the sect, which may not have been placed in the Canon Repository.

You can also tell us your general requirements, and we'll see if we have anything suitable.

However, Brother Chu, as I can see, your spiritual power is quite strong now. If you want to switch techniques, you must find one that matches your current level."

Chu Ning nodded; this was something he would have been mindful of even without Yu Changge's reminder.

In fact, because he could refresh his talents, he was even more cautious about choosing a cultivation technique.

After bidding farewell to the Golden Core elders, the three of them left Jiuhua Peak. Yuan Rongzhang and Lu Jiakang returned to their respective caves to rest.

Meanwhile, Chu Ning made his way directly to the Canon Repository.

"I've already cultivated the Blazing Divine Wood Art to the fourth layer. If I'm not mistaken, the next refresh will be for a cultivation talent."

As he flew forward, Chu Ning's thoughts turned to his cultivation.

Moreover, he had a certain guess about the talent he might refresh.

"When I completed the cultivation of the Green Wood Eternal Spring Art, the system prompted me that 'wood begets fire', and I gained the Fire Spirit Root, so the rewarded talent was the Noon Fire Spirit Body."

Chu Ning speculated to himself that if this pattern continued.

From wood to fire, and then fire to earth, there was a high probability that cultivating the Blazing Divine Wood Art to perfection would refresh a talent related to the earth attribute.

With that in mind, the most suitable cultivation technique for him would naturally be one that satisfied all three attributes.

However, Chu Ning also knew that finding a technique that satisfied three spiritual attributes was no easy task.

In the cultivation world, having three or more spiritual attributes was considered average talent.

The probability of producing high-level cultivators was even smaller, and consequently, there were fewer high-level techniques to match.

This was why Chu Ning had already started thinking about finding a new cultivation technique, even though he had just begun cultivating the fourth layer of the Blazing Divine Wood Art.

He was concerned that a technique satisfying three attributes might not be available even in Jiuhua Zong, which had some historical depth.

As he pondered, Chu Ning flew directly to the Canon Repository.

As soon as he entered, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator wearing the sect's robe greeted him.

"Senior Brother!"

It was unclear if this person had watched the previous competition or received some information, but upon seeing Chu Ning, he immediately bowed.

Chu Ning returned the greeting with a cupped fist salute and was about to speak when the other party beat him to it.

"My name is Xie Sanshui, and I usually take care of some odd jobs here in the Canon Repository.

Elder Liu is still discussing matters with the Sect Master, but he has instructed that you, Senior Brother, can browse any books you wish."

As he spoke, Xie Sanshui handed Chu Ning a restriction token.

"This token can unlock all the restrictions in this repository. The first floor contains various strange tales, geographical knowledge, and other such books.

The second floor has tomes on pill refining, talismans, artifacts, arrays, and other aspects of the Hundred Arts of cultivation. The third floor houses cultivation techniques and spell manuals."

Chu Ning took the token and thanked Xie Sanshui, "Thank you for your help, Junior Brother."

Holding the token, Chu Ning made his way directly to the third floor.

Ever since entering the cultivation world, he had spent little time learning about its general knowledge, but he knew he would need to visit this place often in the future.

However, for now, Chu Ning was here specifically to look for cultivation techniques, so he had a clear goal in mind.

Upon reaching the third floor, Chu Ning's gaze swept the room, taking in the shelves marked with the four categories of cultivation techniques: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow.

He then walked straight towards the shelf containing the Heavenly-tier techniques.

The Blazing Divine Wood Art he cultivated was an upper-grade Mysterious-tier technique.

He had only heard of Heavenly-tier techniques but had never seen one before.

"There are actually two Heavenly-tier techniques!"

Chu Ning was surprised as he approached the shelf.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end