216. The Innate Dao Scripture
Half an hour later, at Heaven Mending Peak.
In a secluded house at the foot of the mountain, Beno Alder officially settled in, while the original furniture and items inside the house had been swept out as garbage.
Looking at this scene, countless thoughts swirled in Beno's mind.
"It seems being a formal member isn't easy either."
Heaven Mending Peak wasn't large. The Red Party accepted so many registered members every year that even with a promotion rate of only one in ten thousand, it would be enough to fill Heaven Mending Peak.
But what was the reality?
As Beno followed Comrade Liu around looking for houses, he discovered that Heaven Mending Peak was far from crowded—it was actually quite empty, with numerous vacant houses available for him to choose from.
Where had all those formal Party members gone? Surely they couldn't all be unable to afford the housing.
Beno shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it further. Instead, he took out a rush mat, sat down with his limbs positioned toward the heavens, and began his first meditation session in his new home.
Once he started training, Beno immediately felt nearly twice as much celestial essence rushing in compared to the outer circle, all of it pouring into his chambers. It then circulated through his nadis (essence channels) throughout his body, gradually permeating from outside to inside, step by step integrating into his internal organs, flesh, tendons, and bones.
The efficiency was so astounding that Beno could hardly believe his sense of time. Using the same method, essence that would have taken him a full day to refine in the outer circle took merely an hour in this inner circle housing.
"No wonder the houses here cost money to rent."
It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to return to simplicity after experiencing comfort. Once you've experienced higher training speeds in the inner circle, it becomes hard to tolerate the slower pace anywhere else.
The next day, Beno didn't go out. Instead, he stayed in, collecting essence while reading the Innate Dao Scripture.
Chinese cultivation techniques have their roots in Daoism. While talent matters, training methods are critical.
Essentially, anyone with sufficient determination can break through into the First Realm.
Despite this, cultivation is not much easier. The quality grade of celestial essence that practitioners refine still determines their maximum potential achievement in the future.
This was the function of "methods."
The more advanced the method, the higher the quality of refined essence. And the higher the quality of refined essence, the more likely one could reach higher realms in the future. Conversely, the lower the quality, the more likely one would encounter bottlenecks.
Daoism teachings divided essence into nine grades and thirty-six levels, with lower grade numbers indicating superior quality and higher level numbers representing greater power.
Generally speaking, essence below the seventh grade had no chance of dew condensation, below the third grade made Crystallization difficult, and for those without first-grade essence, attempting to condense an Infant was practically suicide—with zero chance of survival.
"Independent Realm Breakers truly have no path forward." Beno couldn't help but sigh.
Those with connections and high social status had the privilege to practice top-grade methods, while independent Realm Breakers had to make do with whatever they could get their hands on.
Under such circumstances, even individuals with exceptional talent and comprehension face significant disadvantages from the beginning, ultimately doomed to lifelong regret.
As he contemplated this reality, Beno's brow gradually furrowed.
The 'Innate Dao Essence' refined from the Innate Dao Scripture ranks as the first level of the sixth grade. Practitioners using this method have the prospect of reaching Wave Realm, which, strictly speaking, isn't weak.
However, it still fell short of his expectations.
If he were just an ordinary martial artist, it would be fine. But now that he possessed the extraordinary gift Hundred Rebirths, with such promising future prospects, a method that stopped at Wave Realm could no longer satisfy his ambitions.
"If only I could obtain one of those supreme first-grade teachings..."
Beno fantasized for a moment, then sighed: "Forget it, the path must be taken one step at a time. If your stride is too large, snap, you might pull something."
"I'll master the Innate Dao Scripture first and become a Wave Realm Breaker before contemplating my next steps."
After gaining strength, he could seek higher-level teachings, and once obtained, immediately start anew.
Through such cycles, there would eventually come a day when his dreams would come true.
As long as he had patience and didn't rush, time would always be his ally. This was the confidence that the Hundred Rebirths bestowed upon Beno.
… …
Ten days later, at Beno's house.
A stream of white essence could be seen, steaming and swirling, sometimes transforming into rolling black smoke, sometimes into an invisible energy sword, and finally into a figure as ethereal as a transcendent spirit.
Beno, sitting cross-legged, opened his mouth. The ethereal figure transformed back into a stream of white essence and flowed into his mouth.
"I've succeeded!"
Although The Innate Dao Scripture was profound, it wasn't difficult to master. In just ten days, Beno had successfully combined the celestial essence from his nine chambers into a single stream that he could control with his willpower.
This meant essence was no longer confined to traveling within his nadis (essence channels). He could now concentrate all his essence at any point—whether inside or outside his body.
Using the essence stream to cleanse his entire body, he had even cured his AIDS.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Beno's self-satisfaction vanished as he frowned and froze. He extracted the stream of essence once more and sank into deep contemplation.
"...Something's not right."
It seemed like he had overlooked an important factor.
Beno unconsciously began to recall—in this life, he hadn't encountered any difficulties. He had smoothly become a formal Party member and effortlessly received The Innate Dao Scripture...
He summoned his panel and carefully read through every line of text. In a sudden moment of clarity, Beno finally realized what he had overlooked.
[After absorbing your essence, Reka Vagar broke through to the late stage of First Realm. However, afflicted with HIV, she became bedridden for months before finally dying of severe illness.]
In his previous life, why had Reka Vagar died?
Since she was promoted to a formal Party member, she must have also received The Innate Dao Scripture. If she had successfully practiced it and transformed the essence in her chambers into an essence stream, how could HIV possibly have killed her?
Could she have failed to master the technique?
"Impossible!" Beno shook his head.
He was self-aware enough to recognize that he wasn't some rare genius. The Innate Dao Scripture wasn't particularly difficult to practice. If he could master it in ten days, she couldn't possibly have failed to master it over several months.
Unless she wasn't practicing The Innate Dao Scripture at all!
In that instant, Beno felt as if he'd plunged into an ice-cold lake.
The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears with startling clarity. His breathing quickened, and the excitement that had lit up his face rapidly dissolved into dread:
"The Innate Dao Scripture... was specifically prepared for me by Xin Liu?"
Comrade Liu had been waiting outside when he walked out of that room. Yes, he was responsible for receiving newly promoted formal members—but was he truly this attentive to everyone?
Or perhaps he had heard about a new recruit who knew nothing about Heaven Mending Peak—one who might succeed in breaking through by absorbing Reka Vagar's essence. This must have seemed like a perfect opportunity for him.
Beno vividly recalled the scene he had witnessed earlier in the Hall of Weaponry.
That middle-aged man had thought he was successful in his training, but instead had walked to his own doom—not only failing to break through, but even transforming himself into a magical artifact.
Was that moment then just like this moment now?
I was so careless. He had absorbed Reka's memory, yet spent no time using it to verify what Xin Liu had told him. She had been a long-term, experienced registered member who apparently held a high position in the outer circle, and must have known much about the inner circle.
Just then, a familiar and intimate voice called from outside the house:
"Comrade Alder, are you there?"