Chapter 34: Even with Cheats, One Must Still Cultivate Diligently

"???"

Feng Xue stared at the entry floating above his head, his thoughts in total disarray. It was one thing for a cultivation process like "Refining Essence into Qi" to be turned into an entry, but could even spells be codified? Was this some sort of disguised "eternal verification" of his abilities?

As soon as the thought emerged, Feng Xue shook his head. He realized that until he possessed sufficient ability to mitigate risks, his top priority for "Fixing Destiny" would always be his lifespan. After all, only by staying alive could he have anything at all.

Of course, that did not mean locking an entry was useless. Compared to combat skills like "Summoning Lightning" or "Slaying Demons," most of the spells he possessed were for daily use.

With this in mind, Feng Xue immediately tried to lock the "Spirit Attachment" entry. As his focus sharpened, his mana began to flow smoothly. He didn't even need the calibration of a candle to steadily wrap the seal; he didn't even require clear water as a guide to trace a perfect circle of light onto the seal.

Fluid, convenient, and utterly flawless. Feng Xue savored this unprecedented casting experience. It felt as natural as reaching out to grab something; his arm simply moved on its own. It was as if the action had become an instinct.

Feng Xue picked up a stopwatch and pressed the seal onto a piece of paper. One second, two seconds, three seconds... It was not until the twenty-fifth second that the light finally dissipated.

"Good heavens. If the duration doubles for every second of effort, twenty-five seconds... wouldn't that be nearly two hundred days? Aunt Jiu’s 'Heavenly Pot Spell' only lasts for three months!"

Feng Xue stared in shock. Although he suspected the duration of Aunt Jiu’s spell might be influenced by her desire to charge for renewals, this result far exceeded his expectations. This method of training the Spirit Attachment seal was a minor technique recorded in the "Secret Manual of the Righteous Villa." Beyond being convenient for practice, its most important function was to allow one to intuitively and quickly judge the limits of their own mana fixation.

Don’t be fooled by how quickly the light circle vanished; that was only because the seal itself carried no additional effects, and he hadn't used the corresponding stabilization spells during the stamping process. If he were to incorporate the entire procedure, even just for a simple seal, it could last for the same amount of time.

Feng Xue felt a surge of joy, but he did not let it go to his head. He immediately attempted to craft a Spirit Attachment seal for the "Ghost Taming Spell." However, the moment he moved, things went wrong. Feng Xue discovered that the locked "Spirit Attachment Spell" only worked for the diagnostic seal he had just practiced; it offered no bonus whatsoever to any other form of spirit attachment.

"Is it because the process of the Spirit Attachment spell itself was locked? But why did the 'Mouth-Sealing' change things? Could it be that no matter what the Mouth-Sealing becomes, its underlying principles remain the same? That to a little white snake, there is no difference between becoming a person or a bicycle? Or is it because spells must be actively cast, while the Mouth-Sealing is a passive effect?"

Various thoughts raced through Feng Xue’s mind, but he soon abandoned these futile conjectures. Whether he was right or wrong, he had no way to verify it. Dwelling on it would only increase his frustration; it was better to simply make good use of this mechanism.

Yes, make use of it. Even though it had almost no practical application, Feng Xue had sensed the difference after just one experiment. In the locked state, the flow of mana felt as if someone were guiding his hand, walking him through the correct operational process. Once or twice might not be enough, but as long as he experienced it enough times, his body would inevitably memorize that feeling of steady mana output.

Destined to be a "mana monster" with vast reserves, the one thing he lacked was this level of meticulous control. Now that he had the opportunity to fill that gap, how could it be anything but a good thing?

He immediately shelved his plan to grind out the four basic spells. Feng Xue sat before the candlelight, repeatedly casting the Spirit Attachment spell while keeping the entry locked.

The sensation of his mana reaching out from the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows was incredibly clear. Every tiny fluctuation, every micro-adjustment, and the feeling of being guided back onto the right track the moment it wavered—all of it was captured by the intensely focused Feng Xue.

Night deepened, and the candle before him had long since burned out, yet he continued to pour mana into the seal, heedless even when the mana within was already overflowing.

Seeing that Feng Xue was not practicing his internal cultivation today, Liu Yunxi, in her bicycle form, immediately began to collect moonlight. She had become quite clever over the past few days. Even before the primordial energy spread to her, she no longer used the old method of "refining as she collected" common in the mountains. Instead, she gathered the moonlight in a rush and refined it slowly only when she confirmed Feng Xue was not cultivating.

Although this meant a large amount of moonlight would dissipate before it could be refined due to her body's limited capacity, for the exceptionally gifted Liu Yunxi, this was of no concern. Compared to the risk of absorbing too much energy and having to restart her cultivation, wasting a bit was nothing.

After all, with her current aptitude, even the most wasteful method of cultivation was forty to fifty times more efficient than her previous efforts. There was no need to be stingy in this regard.

At this moment, the activity on Feng Xue’s side had attracted the attention of the villagers. Though everyone tacitly agreed not to disturb him, their curiosity about the "Immortal Master" led many to observe through their windows, guided by the dim moonlight.

They were greeted by a wondrous sight: in front of the tent made of unknown fabric, the Immortal Master sat casually behind a table that had appeared from nowhere, and above his head, a hazy white light seemed to be falling slowly.

Although a bright moon was common enough in this small, lightless village on the outskirts, at this moment, compared to the notably darker night sky surrounding them, it felt as though the moon itself favored this man.

The villagers, who had previously suspected Feng Xue was a swindler who knew a few parlor tricks, immediately shed their doubts. They watched silently as the moonlight bestowed its favor, feeling as if simply witnessing it might bring them a bit of good fortune.

Feng Xue, however, was clearly oblivious to all of this. He remained focused on sensing the subtle fluctuations of his mana, feeling his spirit—seemingly random, yet perfectly balanced—maintain a steady pulse, and he firmly imprinted every sensation into his heart.

Unfortunately, although Feng Xue’s mana reserves were far higher than those of others at his level, he was ultimately still a novice in the profound arts. After dozens of repetitions, his mana, already depleted from the day’s activities, was inevitably exhausted. Accompanied by a slight stinging sensation between his eyebrows, Feng Xue awoke from that profound state. With a peripheral glance, he locked his lifespan once more.

Liu Yunxi, who was busy collecting moonlight and lamenting that she should have been able to save up more, suddenly felt a "hum" beside her and instinctively stopped her intake.

As expected, the moment she stopped absorbing, a massive surge of primordial energy erupted, enveloping an area of several dozen meters.

"Sigh, looks like that’s it for today. I’ll just have to endure it; we’re heading into the city tomorrow anyway!" Liu Yunxi sighed helplessly, simply closing her eyes and entering a sleep that a bicycle should never have needed.