Record of Mortals Slaying Heaven

Chapter 23: Rewards and Enlightenment

The Grand Elder stood before the table, his gaze slowly shifting from the scrap paper filled with numbers to Shen Moqi. A rare hint of approval appeared on his thin, aloof face.

"Not bad." He spoke, his voice still deep, but warmer than usual. "This riddle has troubled my junior brother and me for many days. We thought it would take even more effort, but you solved it in less than half a month."

Shen Moqi quickly stood up and bowed respectfully: "Elder, you flatter me. This disciple was just lucky."

"Luck is also a part of strength." The Grand Elder waved his hand and turned to Senior Lin. "Junior Brother, this boy has done a good job in solving the riddle and deserves a reward. He is on duty in your Scripture Pavilion, so this matter will be entrusted to you."

Senior Lin cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I know what I'm doing."

The Grand Elder nodded slightly, glanced at Shen Moqi again, said nothing more, and turned back to the front hall.

Senior Lin watched him leave before patting Shen Moqi on the shoulder, his tone returning to its usual casualness: "Let's go, we'll talk about it when we get back."

---

The two exited the main hall one after the other. Senior Lin still held Shen Moqi's arm as they flew through the air. This time, Shen Moqi was much more used to it. Although she still subconsciously gripped Senior Lin's sleeve tightly, she was at least able to spare a glance at the scenery below.

Back in the library, Senior Lin sat down behind his desk, poured himself a cup of tea, took a slow sip, and then looked up at Shen Moqi, who was standing respectfully to the side.

"Sit down," he said, pointing to the stool next to him.

Shen Moqi sat down as instructed, her back ramrod straight.

"What happened today must not be revealed to outsiders." Senior Lin put down his teacup, his tone unusually serious. "It will not do you any good to talk about what happened in the Grand Elder's Hall."

Shen Moqi nodded solemnly: "This junior understands."

Senior Lin gave a satisfied "hmm," leaned back in his chair, and his expression softened: "Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Shen Moqi was taken aback and didn't know how to speak for a moment.

Seeing his hesitation, Senior Lin smiled and said, "No need to be so formal. You have rendered meritorious service and deserve a reward. Cultivation techniques, spells, spirit stones, pills—as long as I can provide them, just ask."

Shen Moqi's heart warmed; he knew this was a rare opportunity and dared not let it slip away. He lowered his head in thought, his mind racing through everything he had learned and seen during this period—

Although he has only learned Fireball and Wood Vine spells so far, he has also memorized Earth Shield, Water Ball, and Golden Edge Spell. His spells should be barely enough for now, but relying solely on spells is too simplistic. The disciples he saw in the competition were either agile, had sharp swordsmanship, or had exquisitely combined spells... Compared to them, his own skills were far too limited.

He had just broken through to the second level of Qi Refining, and his cultivation progress was indeed slow. Xiao Jiu had suggested that he find a cultivation technique to improve his progress. Movement techniques were also crucial for survival—if he couldn't win a fight, he could still run away. And weapons… He couldn't help but feel envious when he thought of those disciples wielding magical weapons and dominating the stage. He didn't even have a single suitable weapon yet.

After much consideration, he raised his head and said cautiously, "This junior dares to ask for a better cultivation technique, a set of movement techniques, a sword... and a set of sword techniques."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Senior Lin somewhat nervously, afraid that he had brought up too much.

Senior Lin raised an eyebrow but did not answer immediately.

Shen Moqi's heart tightened, and she quickly added, "This junior knows these requests are a bit excessive, but if..."

"Who said anything was excessive?" Senior Lin interrupted him, a half-smile on his face. "I asked you to speak, and you're being so polite with me."

Shen Moqi was taken aback.

Senior Lin picked up his teacup and said slowly, "Cultivation techniques, movement techniques, swordsmanship, sword skills... What else do you want? Tell me all at once, so you won't bother me again later."

Shen Moqi opened his mouth, indeed wanting more spirit stones, pills, and talismans... but then he thought that he had already asked for four things, and asking again would seem greedy. He quickly shook his head: "That's enough, thank you, senior."

Senior Lin glanced at him, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, but didn't expose him. After pondering for a moment, he snorted, "Wait."

After saying that, he disappeared from Shen Moqi's sight, and after a short while, he reappeared in front of him with several items.

He first handed over a jade slip: "This is the Luo Xiao Qi Guiding Technique, a cultivation method practiced by inner disciples of the sect. It is an advanced version of the Luo Xiao Basic Breathing Method, inherited from the same lineage. You don't need to start from scratch to learn it, so it's perfect for you."

Shen Moqi accepted it with both hands, her heart filled with joy.

Senior Lin handed over another jade slip: "'Cloud Steps,' a movement technique that can be learned during the Qi Refining stage. If you master it, it won't be easy for anyone of the same level to catch up with you."

Shen Moqi nodded repeatedly, holding the jade slip tightly in her hand.

"And sword techniques." Senior Lin handed over a thin book, "The Luo Xiao Qian Yuan Sword Manual, which is from the same lineage as the Luo Xiao Yin Qi Gong. It's not difficult to get started, but mastering it is not easy. Go back and study it carefully."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "The cultivation techniques, spells, and swordsmanship are all secrets of the sect, not to be passed down to outsiders. You must remember them well and never divulge them. If I discover that you have privately taught them to others, you know the consequences."

Shen Moqi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly bowed, saying, "This junior will remember this and will never dare to spread it."

Senior Lin nodded, his expression softening. He reached for a short sword at his waist with his right hand. The sword was no more than two feet long, entirely dark blue-black, with a faint shimmering light on its blade. He placed the sword on the table and gently pushed it. The sword hummed, emanating a chilling aura.

"This is a low-grade magic weapon called Azure Frost. I used it when I was in the Qi Refining Realm, and I'm giving it to you," Senior Lin said. "Although this sword is low-grade, it's still a fine example of the low-grade. With your current cultivation level, you can't use magic weapons that are too good."

Shen Moqi's eyes lit up as he carefully held the Azure Frost Sword in his hands. The blade was icy cold, yet surprisingly light. He tried swinging it, and a whooshing sound filled the air.

Shen Moqi carefully put away the four items, stood up, and bowed deeply to Senior Lin: "Thank you, Senior!"

Senior Lin waved his hand: "Alright, alright, go back and cultivate properly."

Shen Moqi responded and was about to take her leave when she suddenly remembered something and stopped.

"Is there anything else?" Senior Lin picked up his teacup.

Shen Moqi looked puzzled: "I've seen you make items appear by simply flicking your hand at your waist several times, but I can't see anywhere on you that you could hide such a sword. What kind of magic is this?"

Senior Lin chuckled: "This is called a storage bag. These things are quite rare. They can hold a lot of things. When you need to take them out, you just need to inject spiritual power and guide them with your mind."

After a moment's thought, Shen Moqi understood what it was. Seeing that Senior Lin was in a good mood, she wanted to ask two long-standing questions: "Senior, I have two questions about cultivation that I've been wanting to ask you about."

Senior Lin raised his chin: "Go ahead and ask."

"Firstly," Shen Moqi carefully chose her words, "at the same cultivation level, do those with multiple attribute spiritual roots possess more spiritual energy than those with a single attribute spiritual root?"

Senior Lin glanced at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "You're quite thoughtful. Indeed, multi-attribute spiritual roots produce a greater total amount of spiritual power at the same cultivation level. Single-attribute spiritual roots only need to refine one type of spiritual power to break through, while multi-attribute spiritual roots require multiple types of spiritual power to reach a critical point simultaneously, thus accumulating more deeply. Where did you hear this idea?"

Shen Moqi said vaguely, "I found some miscellaneous books in the library, which mentioned a few things in detail, but they were not very clear. So I wanted to ask the senior for confirmation."

Senior Lin nodded and did not ask further: "Although multi-attribute spiritual roots have a larger total amount of spiritual power, they are slower at refining spiritual energy. Before they can cultivate to a higher realm, their lifespan may be exhausted. From the perspective of seeking longevity, single-attribute spiritual roots have a greater advantage."

Shen Moqi silently noted it down—it was similar to what Xiao Jiu said, but the explanation was more thorough.

"And the second one?"

Shen Moqi composed herself and continued, "Can cultivating techniques accelerate the speed of cultivation?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of approval flashed in Senior Lin's eyes.

"That's a good question." He put down his teacup and said slowly, "Practicing magic can indeed accelerate cultivation. Do you know why?"

Shen Moqi shook her head.

"Spiritual energy circulates within your body like flowing water." Senior Lin drew a line on the table with his finger. "When you cast a spell, spiritual energy flows out from your dantian, through your meridians, and then is released from your fingertips—in this process, spiritual energy is consumed. Once your dantian is empty, external spiritual energy will naturally flow into your body, just like water flows downhill. You don't need to consciously absorb it; it will come in on its own."

Shen Moqi listened intently.

"So, when you deplete your spiritual energy and then replenish it, that's one cycle. The more cycles you complete, the smoother your meridians become, and the more spiritual energy your dantian can hold." Senior Lin paused, then changed the subject, "However, this effect is affected by the grade of your spiritual root, that is, the affinity between your spiritual root and spiritual energy. People with Heavenly Grade spiritual roots recover their spiritual energy extremely quickly after it's depleted, so the effect is naturally obvious. But your spiritual root..." He glanced at Shen Moqi, not finishing his sentence.

Shen Moqi understood what he meant—a mid-grade Yellow level cultivator's absorption was inherently slow, and recovery was also slow once depleted. The benefits of magical cultivation for him were far less than those of those with exceptional talent.

"Therefore," Senior Lin concluded, "spell cultivation can accelerate progress, but the effect is not significant for those with low-grade spiritual roots. Don't be discouraged; it's okay to be slow, just make progress every day."

Shen Moqi nodded and was about to thank him when a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in her mind.

Water flows downhill... It naturally flows in after the spiritual energy is depleted...

He understood the principle. But it seemed... there was something deeper, something he could vaguely sense, but he could never quite grasp or hold onto.

He frowned, desperately trying to grasp that spark of inspiration, but it was like the wind through his fingers—he couldn't hold onto it no matter what.

"What's wrong?" Senior Lin asked when he saw him lost in thought.

Shen Moqi snapped out of her reverie and shook her head: "It's nothing, I was just thinking about what you said, senior."

Senior Lin didn't press further, waving his hand: "If you can't figure it out, leave it for now. Cultivation can't be rushed. It's getting late, go back."

Shen Moqi responded and, filled with thoughts, took her leave.

---

It was already evening when I returned to the courtyard.

As the sun set, a vast expanse of evening glow blazed across the sky, painting the bamboo forest in a golden-red hue. Shen Moqi sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, the jade slip, the booklet, and the Azure Frost Sword tucked into her bosom. She should have been overjoyed, but at this moment, she couldn't care less.

His mind was filled with Lin's words: "Water flows downhill."

When your spiritual energy is depleted, external spiritual energy will naturally flow in; there's no need to consciously absorb it.

The principle is very simple, so simple that anyone can understand it. But he always felt that there was something more important hidden behind this simple principle.

He closed his eyes and recalled his feelings during his cultivation.

After exhausting his spiritual energy each time he meditated, he did feel that spiritual energy flowed in faster than usual. But as Senior Lin said, the effect was not obvious, so much so that he never really paid attention to it.

What if... what if this "lower point" could be larger?

What if the spiritual energy in the dantian wasn't depleted little by little, but was instantly drained? Would the influx of external spiritual energy also be faster?

The thought flashed through his mind so quickly that he didn't even catch it. He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the sunset on the horizon, feeling as if something was swirling in his mind, but he couldn't quite see or grasp it.

I've thought about it for a long time, but I still have no clue.

He sighed, gave up, and went back inside.

As night deepened, he sat cross-legged on the bed, placed the Azure Frost Sword on his lap, closed his eyes, and slowly began to circulate the "Luo Xiao Gui Qi Gong".

The moonlight outside the window was like water, spilling into the bamboo forest, into the courtyard, and onto the young man who was meditating with his eyes closed.