LABMY CH111.2

Originally, it only delivered important messages within Wangyun Sect. But ever since the rumor spread that Elder Yan’s letters never missed their target as long as you paid enough spirit stones, almost everyone started coming to him for express delivery.

A high-level demonic bird… reduced to a mere carrier pigeon.

With this thought, the red-feathered bird flapped its wings and vanished a thousand miles away in an instant.

Mu Chuan was walking down the road when an envelope hit him on the head. He picked it up from the ground and saw that his name was written on it. The handwriting was unmistakably from his son, Mu Jingzhuo.

It was the first time Mu Chuan had ever seen a letter arrive in such a way. He looked up but saw nothing, only a large goose-like bird flying away in the distance.

Holding the letter, Mu Chuan couldn’t be bothered with what he was doing at the moment. He hurried back to his room, sat down, and carefully opened the envelope to read the letter.

Seeing that Mu Jingzhuo was safe and had reached the advanced stage of Foundation Establishment in the Qingyun Fudi, Mu Chuan let out a sigh of relief.

However, the question his son asked at the end of the letter left him confused.

After more than a year, why would he suddenly ask about the whereabouts of the mercenary who escorted him to Wuwang Peak?

Speaking of which, the Mercenary Association had relayed to him that the Infant Fragment Pill hadn’t been taken, as Mu Jingzhuo had returned it upon reaching Wuwang Peak.

Thinking of this, Mu Chuan picked up a pen and began writing a reply.

On the other side, Mu Jingzhuo was resting, sending letters, and searching for the person who accompanied him to Qingyun Fudi.

Meanwhile, Jian Yuanbai had buried himself in the Library Pavilion of Wangyun Sect, reading through countless ancient texts and cultivation manuals.

In addition to searching through the books, he also sent one of his incarnations to hire the Baixiaosheng Intelligence Agency to investigate any unusual activity in Taishi Mountain City on the day Shen Zhilan broke off the engagement, as well as the days following the annulment.

Yet, after going through countless ancient texts, Jian Yuanbai still couldn’t find any other method that would allow Mu Jingzhuo to cultivate apart from the Body Refinement Technique.

It was as if the only way for Mu Jingzhuo to cultivate was through this unique path of body cultivation.

Unwilling to give up, Jian Yuanbai turned to the Martial Technique Pavilion, where Wangyun Sect stored various powerful techniques and battle skills. Although there were no Heaven-grade techniques, there were still three high-grade techniques and several top-tier elemental battle skills.

Jian Yuanbai sat cross-legged within the heavily restricted Martial Technique Pavilion. With a wave of his hand, a technique flew into his palm. Around him, countless other manuals were casually tossed aside after he had read through them.

Suddenly, the words on one of the manuals sparked inspiration in him.

Mu Jingzhuo’s situation was that his body craved spiritual energy more than his dantian. The Body Refinement Technique directly tempered the body to its strongest state, following the path of body cultivation.

If there was a technique that could guide the spiritual energy within the body into the dantian or make the dantian’s desire for spiritual energy surpass that of the body, then Mu Jingzhuo’s problem could be solved.

Jian Yuanbai spent half a month immersed in the Library and Martial Technique Pavilions of Wangyun Sect.

Just as Mu Jingzhuo was getting anxious and wondering where his master had disappeared to, a sudden thunderclap struck from the heavens.

Then came the second, third, and fourth bolts!

The deafening sound of thunder startled everyone in Wangyun Sect, as they all looked toward the direction of the Library Pavilion.

Dark clouds rolled in, covering the sky. Massive lightning bolts, carrying a destructive aura, struck down as if someone was undergoing a tribulation.

The elders of Wangyun Sect immediately grew tense. Only the sect master could freely enter the Martial Technique Pavilion when it was closed.

Their hearts tightened — could it be that their sect master was ascending?

“What’s happening?!” Mu Jingzhuo was startled by the sudden heavenly tribulation. It was his first time witnessing such terrifying lightning strikes.

The pressure and overwhelming power of this tribulation far exceeded the one his father faced when breaking through to Nascent Soul.

Suddenly, Elder Yan appeared beside him, grabbed his collar, and dragged him toward the source of the lightning. “Your master might be ascending! Watch closely and comprehend well. After he ascends, this will be the last thing he leaves for you.”

“Master? Ascending?”

Mu Jingzhuo stared nervously at the sky as lightning bolts split through the darkness, leaving behind silver cracks in the sky.

The weaker disciples dared not approach, while even the powerful elders kept their distance. However, as cultivators, they could still clearly see what was happening from afar.

Someone was indeed undergoing a tribulation — and that person was likely their sect master.

After the initial shock, they finally saw clearly.

Their all-powerful sect master was… running faster than a rabbit under the lightning strikes.

When the 49th bolt struck, the dark clouds dispersed.

The elders were left stunned.

Heavenly tribulations for ascension required 81 lightning strikes. How did it end after only 49?

The elders rushed over, while Elder Yan dragged Mu Jingzhuo along.

“Master!”

“Master!”

“Master, are you ascending?”

The elders didn’t dare to ask too directly.

Mu Jingzhuo, however, rushed up nervously and asked, “Master, how do you feel? Are you hurt? Did you fail the tribulation?”

“I’m fine,” Jian Yuanbai said to him, then let out a long sigh and looked at the group of elders. “Fortunately, I ran fast, otherwise our sect’s Cultivation Technique Pavilion would have been struck by lightning.”

His words left the elders with complicated expressions. It was the first time they’d seen someone undergoing tribulation run faster than a rabbit, all because he didn’t want the lightning to hit the Cultivation Technique Pavilion. However, tribulation lightning wouldn’t target anything other than the cultivator unless a top-grade pill was refined or a top-tier magical artifact was forged. Only then would the lightning strike the pill or artifact.

Jian Yuanbai said, “Disperse, I simply lost control of my cultivation for a moment and triggered the lightning tribulation.”

Since his aura was stable and showed no signs of injury, the elders didn’t ask further. After all, for a cultivator at the Great Ascension Stage, delaying ascension could occasionally trigger tribulation lightning. As long as the sect master wasn’t injured, there was no issue.

Once the crowd dispersed, Jian Yuanbai took Mu Jingzhuo back to the main peak of Wuwang Mountain.

Mu Jingzhuo, who had never seen such terrifying tribulation lightning before, was still a bit worried. “Master, should you rest for a while?”

“Or perhaps have the sect’s alchemist check on you?”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head. He was truly fine. The lightning tribulation was merely triggered by the top-grade cultivation technique he had modified. If he were to create an entirely new technique from scratch, even Jian Yuanbai couldn’t achieve that. However, slightly adjusting a high-grade technique to push it to the top-tier was something he could manage.

Yet, Jian Yuanbai didn’t tell anyone nor planned to share it with the talented disciples of the sect. This technique was only suitable for Mu Jingzhuo.

Seeing that Mu Jingzhuo still had a furrowed brow, Jian Yuanbai reached out and gently rubbed his little disciple’s forehead, trying to ease his worry. He then shifted the topic to the main point:

“Previously, I told you that the Body Refining Technique is too brutal. It requires destroying your previous foundation every time and starting over from scratch. One slight mistake, and you’d lose everything. The lightest consequence would be becoming crippled, while the worst would be death.”

“After much consideration, I still can’t teach you that technique.”

Mu Jingzhuo became anxious. “Why?”

“Seeking the Dao through cultivation is to defy the heavens, fighting against others and fate itself. Danger is everywhere. I’m not afraid.”

Jian Yuanbai looked at him seriously. “You’re not afraid, but I am.”

“So I searched the entire Cultivation Technique Pavilion and found a technique that suits you.”

“A cultivator can only practice one main technique. Your previous technique can only support you up to the Foundation Establishment Stage. To learn this technique, you must first abolish your current cultivation.”

He handed over a tattered, coverless book to Mu Jingzhuo and said, “This is the technique I want to pass on to you.”

Jian Yuanbai reached out, his calloused thumb gently rubbing between Mu Jingzhuo’s brows, as if trying to wipe away all his worries. “It’s also a top-tier cultivation technique.”

“When I give you something, it will always be the best.”

Mu Jingzhuo looked up at him, his pale, slender hand resting on Jian Yuanbai’s wrist. “Master…”

Jian Yuanbai pushed the worn-out book closer to Mu Jingzhuo. “Take it and have a look.”

Because it was from his master, Mu Jingzhuo didn’t doubt it for a second. He looked at the tattered, coverless book and asked, “Master, what’s the name of this technique?”

Jian Yuanbai replied in a deep voice, “Nameless.”

“This technique has no name. The great Dao is simple, and nameless is the best name for it.”

“In this world, you are the only one who is truly suited to practice it.”

While Jian Yuanbai spoke with profound meaning, his heart was filled with relief. Thanks to the two strikes of tribulation lightning, the book looked old and battered enough to be convincing.

Mu Jingzhuo, being inexperienced in the world, was immediately awed by his master’s words. He looked at the tattered book with a newfound sense of reverence.

Mu Jingzhuo raised his head and looked at Jian Yuanbai with trust and gratitude. “I will not disappoint you, Master.”

However, he didn’t receive a response. The tall figure of his master stood in front of him, backlit by the light. Mu Jingzhuo couldn’t see his expression clearly.

Jian Yuanbai looked at Mu Jingzhuo’s clear and trusting eyes and let out a sigh. Another old, worn-out book appeared in his hand. Holding the corner of the book, he hesitated for a long time before saying, “This is the Body Refining Technique.”

“Both top-tier techniques are here. You can make your final choice.”

He couldn’t let his own selfish desires interfere with the decision that would determine Mu Jingzhuo’s entire future.

Jian Yuanbai had spent half a month in the Cultivation Technique Pavilion without rest or food to modify this top-tier technique. But when faced with his little disciple, he still took out the Body Refining Technique and handed the choice to Mu Jingzhuo.

Jian Yuanbai comforted himself. At least he had tried his best for his beloved disciple.

As for the final outcome… it was up to his little disciple to decide.

With that thought, Jian Yuanbai’s expression darkened again. He suddenly realized—his little disciple wasn’t even his yet.

While Jian Yuanbai’s mind was filled with complex emotions, Mu Jingzhuo glanced at the Body Refining Technique, then disdainfully handed it back. His gaze held a hint of concealed disgust as he said, “Master is right. If such painful cultivation can be avoided, it should be avoided.”

It wasn’t that he was afraid of pain.

But the thought of turning into a two-meter-tall, muscle-bound beast with bulging veins and no aesthetic sense… He just couldn’t accept it.

As a hidden appearance-obsessed cultivator, Mu Jingzhuo hugged the Nameless Technique and smiled sweetly at Jian Yuanbai. “I will cultivate this Nameless Technique well. Thank you, Master.”

As Jian Yuanbai sighed in relief, a voice echoed in his mind.

The system spoke with a complicated tone: “Nameless… The great Dao is simple, so it’s called Nameless. You really can make things up, huh?”

“If you have the guts, tell Mu Jingzhuo that this technique’s real name is the ‘Pleasure Dual Cultivation Technique.'”

Jian Yuanbai, who had painstakingly erased the original name from the technique, said shamelessly, “No, I don’t have the guts.”

After a pause, Jian Yuanbai added righteously, “Besides, I’ve already modified it. It no longer requires dual cultivation to practice.”

The system felt like Jian Yuanbai was laying a massive trap. “What if one day Mu Jingzhuo finds out that you gave him a technique from the infamous Hehuan Sect?”

Jian Yuanbai’s eyes were firm and his tone resolute: “That day will never come.”