Chapter 138: Soul Cultivation Secret Method - Soul Refining Technique!
What Hulei referred to as "inherent knowledge" is the general perception among the public, such as the belief that alchemists must have fire and wood attributes, while weapon refiners must have fire and metal attributes.
In reality, this is a filtering mechanism. It's like a pilot exam: if your eyesight doesn't meet the standards, you're eliminated, regardless of how excellent your other results are. No one cares. The continent is vast, and there are enough people who meet the standards. Rather than making exceptions for an ordinary person, it's better to recruit someone who fits the criteria elsewhere.
After all, injecting vision restoration fluid requires a lot of time and money.
"This... Master, I've noticed that there seem to be quite a few 'illogical' things in our Weapon Refiners' Guild," Jiang Lin said, looking at Hulei with a slightly odd expression.
After all, if anyone were to be considered strange, it would be Hulei himself. This guy had the fire-thunder attribute, was a sixth-rank weapon refiner, and was also a fourth-grade alchemist certified by the Pill Tower. Of course, Hulei had something unique about him. In his earlier years, he didn't have the fire-thunder attribute. Only after achieving great success in weapon refinement did he suddenly experience enlightenment and regain his original fire-thunder Dou Qi attribute, creating a new style of thunder-fire weapon refining.
Although Hulei's Dou Qi cultivation wasn't extraordinary, with his Seven-Star Dou Huang rank, in Central Continent, it was hardly anything special. However, in terms of weapon refining talent, Hulei could be considered a genius who founded his own school. Unfortunately, his "school" could only be passed down among a few sixth-rank weapon refiners, given the innate limitations of weapon refiners. After all, most refiners were of the fire-metal attribute, or at least fire attribute. A fire-thunder one was considered somewhat against the heavens.
"Well, you'll see more of this in the future," Hulei understood Jiang Lin's meaning and sighed lightly, explaining, "Almost everyone on the continent who realizes they have strong innate soul power tends to become alchemists first, as it's easier for them. The Weapon Refiners' Guild is left with the scraps that alchemists don't want. That's why, compared to alchemists, there are far more people in the Weapon Refiners' Guild with mismatched attributes."
"In fact, on the Dou Qi continent, there are many talented individuals who aren't fire attribute but still possess strong innate soul power. The Weapon Refiners' Guild has always wanted to recruit these people into our ranks, which is why we developed weaponry to help convert their attributes. However, this attribute conversion plan was exposed by spies from the Pill Tower, and as a result, their attribute pills were released before ours. Our Golden Qi Cauldron came out a year later."
The Pill Tower and Tiangong Pavilion have been infiltrated by spies, but the Tiangong Pavilion's infiltration was easier to expose because their pill recipes were too pungent.
"As you can see, the research into attribute conversion was undoubtedly a failure. The final results were just the attribute pills and the Golden Qi Cauldron. However, even though it failed, during the process, it generated a lot of dual-attribute Dou Qi combination data. If you're interested, you can go to Tiangong Pavilion to check it out. Your master still keeps many of the original manuscripts there."
"Now, back to soul realms. Soul realms are divided into the Mortal Realm, Spirit Realm, Celestial Realm, and the legendary Emperor Realm."
"Generally speaking, people who become alchemists or weapon refiners are born with strong soul power. However, there are exceptions. Some powerful individuals force their way into the ranks of alchemists and weapon refiners, but these are exceptions and can be ignored."
"The talent traditionally tested by alchemists and weapon refiners is soul talent. The Dou Qi attributes and cultivation talent are secondary. As long as your soul talent is excellent, even if you don't have any fire attribute Dou Qi, your powerful soul power can allow you to refine pills using specific alchemy cauldrons. Of course, this is a laborious and unthankful task. The reason I'm telling you this is to break your conventional thinking and plant a seed in your mind to always question the rules of the world."
"Many so-called 'innate conditions' are actually used to filter out ordinary people. For true geniuses, rules are meant to be broken."
"Weapon refiners, throughout the history of the Dou Qi continent, have more often played the role of rule-breakers and rule-establishers."
Jiang Lin listened carefully, and Hulei's words made him rethink his approach.
"The soul realm is divided into the Mortal Realm, Spirit Realm, Celestial Realm, and the legendary Emperor Realm."
"For alchemists and weapon refiners, the soul power at the Mortal Realm's early stage can support one to three-rank weapon refiners. The Mortal Realm's middle stage reaches the threshold of a Xuan-level refiner. Your soul realm should be at the middle stage of the Mortal Realm, meaning you've reached the threshold of a Xuan-level refiner."
"Further on, at the late Mortal Realm, alchemists reach full perfection, but for weapon refiners, we're a bit special. We call the soul strength of those who enter the sixth rank for the first time the late Mortal Realm. The full perfection of the Mortal Realm corresponds to the 'Super Sixth-Rank Xuan-level Refiner.'"
"In the alchemist system, the full perfection of the Mortal Realm corresponds to seventh-grade pills, the Spirit Realm to eighth-grade pills, the Celestial Realm to ninth-grade pills, and the Emperor Realm to Emperor-grade pills."
"For weapon refiners, their soul forging methods are ineffective, so the full perfection of the Mortal Realm corresponds to the Super Sixth-Rank Xuan-level Refiner. From there, no further distinctions are made. Once you reach that level, everyone is on the same level, and only technique matters, not power."
"At the same time, if a Dou Huang wants to break through to Dou Zong, the soul strength of the full Mortal Realm is essential."
"Then, Master, what realm are you currently at?" Jiang Lin asked curiously.
Hulei smiled slightly. "I'm currently at the late Seven-Star Dou Huang stage. My soul realm will reach full Mortal Realm in a few years and I'll become a Super Sixth-Rank Xuan-level Refiner, just like your Master Ancestor. Of course, it will only be nominal, and the gap in Xuan-level refining techniques is still very large."
Hulei's talent was remarkable. At least for him, breaking through to Dou Zong would be easier than it would be for people like Jia Xingtian. He didn't need external help to break through.
"The Xuan-level Soul Refining method requires using one's own soul power as a material to imbue it with spiritual essence."
"As a disciple of my school, I'll not only teach you the Soul Refining method, but I'll also teach you a secret method that allows you to cultivate soul power." As he spoke, Hulei produced a jade slip from his hand and gently tapped it on Jiang Lin's forehead. A spiritual light flashed, and Jiang Lin's gaze instantly became vacant.
In the refiner's hall, Hulei stood before the seated Jiang Lin. Holding the jade slip against Jiang Lin's forehead, he smiled slightly. Three minutes later, he slowly withdrew the jade slip, and Jiang Lin began to regain his focus.
He felt that a new technique had appeared in his mind, called the Soul Refining Technique.
At the right moment, Hulei's strong voice sounded in Jiang Lin's ear: "This technique has two cultivation methods, but I hope you remember—unless absolutely necessary, do not use the darker method. I only taught half of this technique to Yuan Bao because his potential is limited to the sixth rank. Giving him more would be a disaster. But you, with your better talent and more mature disposition, I hope you can practice this technique well and not stray down the wrong path."
Hulei looked down at Jiang Lin, whose eyes had just cleared, his expression becoming serious, and his voice grew stricter. This technique, in theory, should only be taught in half, but like how he had casually handed Jiang Lin the Burning Flame Stone, Jiang Lin's talent and intelligence were enough for Hulei to trust him with more.
Yuan Bao's sixth rank was as high as he could go, while Jiang Lin's sixth rank had no real limit.
"...Thank you, Master, for teaching me the technique." Jiang Lin, with a solemn expression, adjusted the Soul Refining Technique in his mind, then respectfully saluted Hulei.
The Soul Refining Technique can be cultivated both internally and externally.
It is the true soul method of the Spirit Clan.
(END CHAPTER)
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