Chapter 75: Chapter 75
"If this stone book is not placed at sufficiently high level, or unless it contains some special technique, it’s difficult to detect anything unusual," Mr. Stone said in his usual gruff tone. His eyes twinkled as he added, "Without careful observation, you won’t find anything fishy about it."
Ethan smiled modestly.
"I suppose you mean the little trick I used on you earlier?"
"Calling that a ’little trick’?" Mr. Stone laughed heartily, shaking his head.
"At your age, I couldn’t even dream of putting my martial arts on the same stage."
"Mr. Stone," Ethan asked, holding out the stone slab, "do you want this?"
The elder chuckled, folding his hands behind his back.
"Why would I want it? Who do you think I am?"
"I have principles. I would never steal from a junior," Mr. Stone said with a playful grin.
"Besides, you’re still Burn’s apprentice. If you told him I bullied you, he might be arguing with me for months."
Mr. Stone shook his head and returned the stone slab quietly.
"Thank you, senior."
"Thank you? Whatever you find is naturally yours." Mr. Stone pointed a finger at the stone slab.
"But it’s not impossible for me to accept a thank you without giving you anything."
Suddenly, a flood of mental power surged from Mr. Stone’s palm, countless times stronger than Ethan’s own, engulfing the stone slab in a protective embrace.
Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise. This was the strength of a Spiritual cultivator in the Mahayana realm! His pride in his mental power shrank in comparison.
No matter how strong one thought they were, there was always a higher peak to climb.
With this fierce energy surrounding the stone, the red runes began to crack, their cohesion failing until they shattered into specks of light and dissipated into nothingness.
"Take it," Mr. Stone said with a smile.
"In this case, I accept your thanks."
"Thank you, Mr. Stone, for your help," Ethan replied sincerely.
"I’ve already said it; what are you thanking me for? You’re Old Ghost Burn’s disciple, and I’m your uncle. As an elder, giving you a greeting gift is my duty. Consider this the gift I give you."
Then, as suddenly as before, Mr. Stone vanished from Ethan’s sight, his form fading into the counter on the first floor where he lay back in his chair, studying intricate miniature paintings.
Ethan’s curiosity drew him closer.
"What sort of book is that?" He squinted at the lively pictures.
Mr. Stone raised an eyebrow. "Want to see it?"
"That’s a collector’s edition, painted in brilliant colors. No typical black and white. I even sent someone to the nearest Empire to find a famous artist for the job," he bragged.
Ethan only shook his head, silently amused. Some things never change—men remain youthful in spirit until they die.
The elder laughed quietly, then tucked away the miniature painting and closed his eyes, preparing to rest.
Though thick-skinned, he felt a flicker of embarrassment at being caught indulging in villainy portraits.
As Ethan reopened the stone book, anticipation flickered within him. The contents had shifted after breaking the seal—words once concealed now glowed with promise.
"There are three thousand avenues, with no distinction between high or low, strong or weak; physical cultivation is but one of them.
The ancient, prosperous eras have long crumbled. After Ragnarok, the six continents fractured, and the rules grew incomplete.
As a result, the inheritance of body cultivation vanished.
But future generations must never give up on cultivating the body.
I have searched thousands of years for the complete method of body cultivation and finally obtained it.
Record on this ethereal stone book, so that the destined who find it may revive the glory of physical cultivation!"
Ethan’s blood burned with excitement, eyes alive with hope.
He knew he stood on the threshold of true knowledge, the complete path to physical refinement.
He flipped with eager fingers and traced the inscription:
"The key to physical cultivation is the method of condensing blood pills."
"The blood pills method?" Ethan frowned slightly.
He continued studying.
The stone book laid out a system parallel to spiritual cultivation.
The first stage of physical cultivation contained five realms: skin refining, blood refining, bone refining, organ refining, and steel and iron bones.
Each realm corresponded to a spiritual cultivator’s: Qi gathering, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Soul Formation.
At the steel and iron bones stage, physical strength reached its peak.
To advance further required breaking the bottleneck—condensing blood pills.
Physical cultivators could regard essence and blood as a form of spiritual power.
Spiritual cultivators condensed elixirs of spiritual power; similarly, physical cultivators could condense blood pills storing essence and blood.
The blood pill was described as creating a pill-sized space within the Dantian to store the origin of essence and blood, liberating the body to break through realms.
This method, however, had long since been lost—rediscovered only after nearly a thousand years.
Yet, due to incomplete rules, condensing blood pills was both difficult and reliant upon great luck and talent.
...
Ethan suddenly understood a mystery that had long troubled him: the mortal body’s limits.
Even mastering saint-level body refining, like the Celestial Jade Physique Scripture, he could not transcend his realm’s peak.
No wonder after seclusion in the Demon Sealing Cave, his body had felt shackled by invisible chains.
The book revealed the truth: steel and iron bones marked the limit of confined physical reserves.
Though powerful now, essence and blood could fill only so much.
Like a full bucket that cannot hold more water, he needed a new container—a blood pill.
It was now his path to condense and store essence anew, replenishing the power within.
Like spiritual cultivators drawing from stored elixirs, physical cultivators could release blood pills on demand.
"Thinking of essence and blood as spiritual power... that makes sense."
Everything aligned. Spiritual cultivators absorbed Qi and honed spiritual power.
Physical cultivators did the same with their bodies, their essence, and blood.
The foundation of body cultivation was the essence and blood’s training method, while martial arts equated to harnessing that power.
Some secret arts drew on spiritual energy; others, like the physical arts, tapped essence and blood—or even mental power.
"Everything is similar. The difference lies only in the source."
Ethan nodded slowly, his understanding deepening as the ancient wisdom unfolded before him.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters