Chapter 16: The Method of Spirit Aperture Cultivation

After the incense burned halfway through, Lu Changfeng stepped lightly to the summit of Moon Cold Peak.

Before him stood a humble thatched cottage.

The protective formation surrounding the courtyard had already sealed shut the moment Lu Changfeng appeared.

“Come in!” a cold, clear voice called from within.

Without hesitation, Lu Changfeng walked in slowly.

His surrogate master must have sensed his arrival, for today was the day they had agreed upon.

He moved forward.

Beneath an ancient tree, Moon Qingshuang sat quietly, her pure white right hand holding a book, eyes focused intently.

An aura of serene tranquility radiated from her.

Without turning her head, she said calmly, “Not bad. You’ve already broken through to the second level of the meridian.”

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly. “Just today…”

Moon Qingshuang set down her book and turned to face the young man before her.

In her eyes, he appeared calm and composed, without a trace of nervousness.

Even having just broken through a realm, he showed no signs of instability.

“Patient and steady—your cultivation is solid,” she observed after a long moment, nodding slightly. “Good.”

She then pointed to the meditation cushion beside her. “Sit cross-legged and meditate. Today, I will impart to you a method of cultivation.”

Lu Changfeng inclined his head slightly and seated himself cross-legged.

In the next instant, he entered a meditative state.

Moon Qingshuang nodded faintly, her expression unreadable, and reached out to lightly tap his forehead.

A mysterious, profound energy burst forth from her fingertip.

In an instant, a thunderclap echoed within Lu Changfeng’s spiritual consciousness.

He instinctively furrowed his brow.

Within his spirit, golden patterns appeared abruptly, twisting and flowing like serpents.

Before he could react, the golden serpents shattered, transforming into tiny characters that converged at the center of his spiritual awareness.

After three breaths, a divine technique took form.

“What is this…” Lu Changfeng studied intently, a flicker of surprise glinting in his closed eyes.

“Indeed… this is something special.”

After a brief examination, he mused inwardly:

This technique is not an offensive spiritual skill but a method of cultivation—not a full cultivation art.

Before forming the Nascent Soul, practicing this method can create spiritual apertures along the meridians.

Using the meridians as foundation and the apertures as support, upon achieving the Nascent Soul, one gains unexpected advantages.

Before Nascent Soul formation, these apertures can act as pseudo-Nascent Souls, enhancing the cultivator’s spiritual power.

Lu Changfeng sighed softly within.

The creator of such a technique must be a formidable master!

Using this approach to enhance early-stage cultivation is an ingenious detour—with clear and tangible effects.

One must understand that the stronger the foundation in cultivation, the higher the heights one can later reach.

This divine technique strengthens a cultivator’s base from the very beginning—truly extraordinary.

“This surrogate master must come from an extraordinary background,” Lu Changfeng reflected inwardly.

As his recognition of the technique deepened, he began to search within his body for these spiritual apertures.

Moon Qingshuang observed this quietly.

Her previously calm eyes flickered with surprise.

For when she had studied this divine technique, even reading it through once had given her splitting headaches.

Seeing Lu Changfeng’s progress, she was astonished. “Could it be that this boy has tempered his soul?”

As time passed, even with his powerful spirit, Lu Changfeng’s brow furrowed increasingly.

Beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, dripping onto his robes.

This scene intrigued Moon Qingshuang further.

In her understanding, even if Lu Changfeng had the endurance to read through once, the vast amount of information should have caused him to faint.

But in truth, he merely endured great pain without losing consciousness.

Her curiosity about her new disciple deepened.

After imprinting the entire divine technique into Lu Changfeng’s spiritual awareness, she withdrew her finger and waited silently for his reaction.

As time went on, Lu Changfeng’s brow tightened further, his body trembling violently from the strain on his spirit.

Even then, he did not cease drawing upon his internal spiritual energy to seek the apertures.

Moon Qingshuang nodded slightly.

“His talent and temperament are both first-rate.”

“Excellent, excellent.”

Had the sect master of the Dao Yan Sect heard these words, he might have raised his evaluation of Lu Changfeng by another degree.

After all, this young man hailed from a great faction but, due to certain circumstances, only served as a reclusive peak lord within the Dao Yan Sect.

Half an incense stick later, Lu Changfeng’s body was soaked with sweat.

His eyelashes twitched as he neared awakening.

Meanwhile, his internal spiritual energy seemed to be undergoing some beneficial transformation.

The spiritual energy within the thatched cottage surged rapidly toward his body.

The ancient tree above him trembled, leaves rustling in the breeze.

After another half incense stick passed—

Buzz!

Lu Changfeng’s eyes snapped open, and a swirl of spiritual energy rapidly expanded around him.

A gust of wind howled, scattering leaves in a flurry outside the courtyard.

“How is it?” Moon Qingshuang closed her ancient tome and looked toward him, inquiring.

“Not bad!” Lu Changfeng pondered briefly, sensing the changes within.

“This divine technique is truly extraordinary.”

“I believe I have grasped about eighty to ninety percent of it.”

“Moreover, just now, I vaguely sensed the presence of spiritual apertures.”

Moon Qingshuang raised a delicate brow at his words.

Then she smiled and said, “Good! You’ve done very well.”

“When you return, you must study this divine technique thoroughly.”

“It will greatly aid your cultivation path.”

Though serene, she was inwardly filled with astonishment.

She was already considered a prodigy in her clan.

Yet it had taken her an entire day to comprehend this technique.

Lu Changfeng, however, had done so in just a little over one incense stick.

Such talent deeply moved her.

Lu Changfeng nodded lightly and spoke softly.

“The secret technique is indeed intricately designed. The method of circulating spiritual energy is something only a great master can comprehend.”

He then lifted his gaze to meet Moon Qingshuang’s, his eyes calm and steady.

Looking into the young man’s gaze, Moon Qingshuang felt a subtle tremor within.

For some reason, she sensed in him a weariness beyond his years.

It was as if before her stood not a youth, but an ancient being who had endured millennia.

She averted her eyes and quietly said, “This divine technique is only suitable for the exceptionally gifted.”

“The difficulty of cultivation far exceeds what you perceive.”