Yellow Court Daoist
Chapter 383 - 359: Life and Death Skill

"Rest assured, Third Brother, with me around in the future, I'll make sure Ao Le isn't bullied in the slightest."

Lu Qingfeng's voice was crisp and resonant as it hit the ground.

He finally understood why the Little Dragon Girl of Min River Dragon Palace would be such a timid creature. Thinking of Ao Le alone, without kin or kith in Wujiang Dragon Palace, enduring the jeers, mockery, and insults of her peers, he fell into silence for a moment.

He couldn't help but think of Qingyu.

If Qingyu had grown up in such an environment, he had no idea what he might do.

With this thought, Lu Qingfeng immediately understood Ao Lie's previous 'change of face.'

"With me here, you've also got to have the guts!"

Ao Lie grinned, stretching out his hand to thump Lu Qingfeng's shoulder heavily. His loud voice made Lu Qingfeng's eardrum ache, and it felt as if his shoulder was about to fall apart.

His face twitched slightly.

Ao Lie pinched Lu Qingfeng's body and clicked his tongue, "That won't do at all. Your little body is too weak; if you were to accidentally get smashed to pieces, I don't know how upset my little sister would be."

With that said,

Ao Lie took out a page of golden books from his bosom and handed it to Lu Qingfeng.

"This is the 'Life and Death Skill', which outlines the two paths of 'Cultivating Character' and 'Life Cultivation'. You should read it carefully first, and if there's anything you don't understand, I'll explain it to you."

After that, Ao Lie took a seat in the corridor.

"Life and Death Skill."

Lu Qingfeng took the golden book, his eyes brightening, "Finally, it has come."

He quickly sat down beside Ao Lie and checked the golden book.

"All things with a life spirit have nature and life. The transformation of nature depends on the heart, and the transformation of life depends on the body."

Cultivating Character.

Life Cultivation.

These two unique systems of the Immortal Qin Realm began to unveil their mysteries in Lu Qingfeng's eyes.

The "Life and Death Skill" did not contain any specific methods of cultivation; it only systematically explained these two major systems and introduced the first two levels of Cultivating Character and Life Cultivation.

"Cultivating Character refines the soul and heart; it is firstly divided into Opening the Acupoint and Soul Condensation."

"The Opening Acupoint Realm is the entry point. Through seated meditation and contemplation, cultivating the character, and opening the mind's eye. Then, through circulating thoughts, one contacts the essence of the mind and spirit until the three souls manifest, which marks the advancement into the Soul Condensation Realm."

"The Soul Condensation Realm is then the refinement of the three souls."

"However, in the 'Life and Death Skill', whether it's the method of Opening the Acupoint, the circulation of thoughts, or the condensation of the three souls, all is only generally described with no detailed methods."

Lu Qingfeng then looked at 'Life Cultivation.'

"Life Cultivation refines the soul and body, initially divided into Body Refinement and Soul Refining."

"Physical strength, the first step of Life Cultivation, is to temper the physical body. When the body is strong, the seven souls are vigorous. This realm can be further divided into four levels: Power Training, Ming Jin, Hua Jin, and Hua Jin."

"After reaching Hua Jin, with a strong physique, one enters the Soul Refining Realm, which allows the refinement of the seven souls in sequence."

Like 'Cultivating Character,' the "Life and Death Skill" does not contain any specific methods for tempering the body or condensing the seven souls. With such a terse description, Lu Qingfeng only had a vague idea.

As for the realms beyond the First and Second Realm, there was no further description.

Overall,

Cultivating Character could be pursued through the Dao, through Confucianism, through the law; it allows study across a hundred schools of thought. Once successful, one would be considered a virtuous sage in the wilderness or a great Confucian, high official in the court. Whether one chooses to live a solitary good life or to benefit the world from a high position, they could make people look up to them, and their supernatural abilities would naturally form.

As for Life Cultivation,

one could be a battlefield general or a wandering swordsman at the lower levels, or a protector of the Immortal Sect or a general of the Heavenly Court at the higher levels. The Demon Clan has a robust physique, and there are many who succeed in 'Life Cultivation'; most follow the path of Life Cultivation.

To strengthen the body, make the qi and blood powerful, and become invincible in battle.

"Cultivating Character and Life Cultivation may seem to depart from the orthodox path of Immortal Dao, being considered yin and yang of each other. In reality, in the Immortal Qin Realm, after many years of evolution, it has already diverged from the standard cultivation system of the Primordial myriad realms."

Lu Qingfeng thought of the rough cultivation system he had encountered on Two Pole Star in the Black Star Realm.

Had it not returned to orthodoxy and continued to develop, perhaps it could evolve into an alternative cultivation system similar to the 'Life Cultivation' of the Immortal Qin Realm.

"The Immortal Qin Empire, a mortal empire, rules One Realm."

"Civil servants govern the nation, while military generals expand the territory."

Hence, 'Cultivating Character' and 'Life Cultivation' systems came into existence. Compared to the comprehensiveness of the Immortal Dao, focusing on both nature and life, 'Cultivating Character' and 'Life Cultivation' is somewhat more one-sided with obvious emphasis, which is why they can lead to cultivation success in a shorter time. Emperor Qin Zhen, the founder of the Immortal Qin Empire, established these two systems outside the ways of immortals and gods for rapid development. To oppose the Immortal Gods, expand the territory, and consolidate the rule, the systems were still primitive at the beginning."

"After the fall of the Immortal Qin Empire, countless years of changes have passed, and the two systems have continued to develop. Generations of practitioners of Cultivating Character and Life Cultivation have continuously perfected these systems, which have long since formed two cultivation systems that are not inferior to the ways of immortals and gods."

"At least within the Immortal Qin Realm, at the mortal level, this is true."

"As for after becoming an immortal—"

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

Having been exiled, the Immortal Qin Realm lost contact with the Immortal Realm, and though many powerful beings have shattered the void to leave, none have returned.

For countless years, no cultivator has successfully ascended to the Immortal Realm.

Under these circumstances,

restricted by heaven and earth, neither Cultivating Character nor Life Cultivation would have opened up a path for cultivation after becoming immortal.

"To cultivate life without cultivating nature, this is the first sickness of cultivation. To cultivate nature without cultivating life, there's nowhere to use a trace of the spirit light."

"Both paths are ultimately too narrow with clear shortcomings."

"However, compared to the long and arduous path of the Immortal Dao, these two paths allow for rapid progress, and it's not surprising to achieve success within just a decade or so. Several decades of cultivation could be equivalent to hundreds of years in the Immortal Dao."

Lu Qingfeng held a page of the golden book, while carefully understanding the mysteries of the two paths of Cultivating Character and Life Cultivation, and by comparing them with the Immortal Dao.

He quickly formed a concept.

However, he still needed to actually practice cultivation, or to witness cultivators who have achieved success in both the paths of nature and life, to truly know.

"Have you finished reading?"

Lu Qingfeng put down the golden page and looked up, hearing Ao Lie's voice in his ear.

"Um."

Lu Qingfeng nodded and handed a page of the golden books back to Ao Lie.

Ao Lie waved his hand, "Keep it for yourself. I have plenty of those."

Saying this, Ao Lie looked towards Lu Qingfeng and asked, "So, have you decided which path to take?"

"Are you cultivating Sexual Cultivation or Life Cultivation, third brother?"

Instead of answering, Lu Qingfeng looked at Ao Lie with a question. He was still a mortal, blind as though his eyes were open, unable to discern Ao Lie's cultivation level or the path he pursued.

"Me?"

Ao Lie grinned and said with a smile, "Our Dragon Clan has a long lifespan; we don't cultivate either Sexual Cultivation or Life Cultivation."

"Then it is—"

With such a statement, Lu Qingfeng had a guess in his heart.

If it's neither Sexual Cultivation nor Life Cultivation, then it naturally must be the orthodox path of simultaneously cultivating both Life and Sexual Cultivation.

That makes sense.

With the Dragon Clan's unique advantages, cultivating civil servants, bureaucrats, Military Generals, and War Soldiers, they naturally use the faster but more biased methods of Sexual Cultivation and Life Cultivation. For their own Cultivation, they naturally choose a broad and unimpeded path, which has no major shortcomings and offers prospects for the future after becoming immortal.

"You should not ask about this."

Ao Lie clearly did not wish to speak further and hurried Lu Qingfeng along, "Life Cultivation is martial; one must plunge into battle and fight to grow quickly. Sexual Cultivation is tricky, with Heart Demons emerging frequently during the cultivation process. A single misstep could lead to never coming out of seclusion or one could die from external demons leading one astray. Both these paths have their own dangers; you should think carefully."

The former cultivates the physique.

The latter cultivates the mind and spirit.

Each has its own perils.

Lu Qingfeng, after listening, did not hesitate and immediately said, "Then Sexual Cultivation it is. I don't care for fighting and killing."

He was looking for shortcuts.

Life Cultivation required battling and tempering through killing, while Sexual Cultivation leaned more towards secluded cultivation in the cave residence and meditative comprehension. To the early-stage cultivator who could advance quickly with ample resources like Lu Qingfeng, the latter was naturally more suitable.

"Given your resolution, choosing Sexual Cultivation is indeed correct."

Hearing his answer, Ao Lie immediately laughed out loud.

Obviously.

He saw Lu Qingfeng's calm and clear nature and also favored Sexual Cultivation.

Lu Qingfeng smiled without responding.

Sexual Cultivation and Life Cultivation both had their flaws; sticking to one path exclusively carried its drawbacks. In this lifetime, what Lu Qingfeng wanted to pursue was naturally still the orthodox Immortal Dao. However, the Yellow Court Scripture could command all arts, and Sexual and Life Cultivation, being offshoots of the Immortal Dao, would surely be encompassed within it.

Alongside cultivating the Immortal Dao, it would also be possible to simultaneously cultivate both paths.

"Let's go."

"I'll take you to the Luli Pavilion to choose a Sexual Cultivation Method. You should start cultivating without delay."

Ao Lie took Lu Qingfeng and headed deep into the Dragon Palace.

...

Night fell.

Two elite Shrimp Soldiers, clad in armor and each holding a tome as tall as a person, followed behind Lu Qingfeng into the sleeping chamber.

Ao Le had been waiting early.

Seeing Lu Qingfeng enter, she quickly got up, looked at Lu Qingfeng with her face blushing red, and softly called him 'husband'.

"Please place these in the library," Lu Qingfeng instructed the two Shrimp Soldiers while turning to Ao Le and walking towards her, taking her hand and sitting her down at the table, "Third brother showed me around the Dragon Palace, and I spent the afternoon in the Luli Pavilion choosing Cultivation Methods and books."

Ao Le had obviously been waiting for quite a while.

Knowing her background, Lu Qingfeng felt pity for her and thus explained.

There were two considerations for marrying Ao Le.

Firstly, it was the Dragon Lord's 'Son-in-law Seizing', if Lu Qingfeng wished to resist, he would have to start over in this seventeenth life, effectively wasting sixteen years.

Secondly, starting from scratch could not compare to the stability of becoming the Dragon Palace Prince Consort. He would avoid countless risks, saving much more than just sixteen years.

As for marrying Ao Le, a stranger he had never met before, and immediately having her as a lifelong partner upon their first meeting, Lu Qingfeng had no objections.

Considering the current situation, Ao Le came from an extraordinary background, was beautiful, and had a quiet and endearing disposition. Even if Lu Qingfeng were to be picky, he might not be able to find such a wife.

There was nothing unsuitable.

Although the motives for the union were not pure, he wouldn't treat Ao Le coldly and let her suffer in the future for no reason. He treated her with sincerity, and if there was resonance, they would be in harmony. If Ao Le was not interested and the two of them did not get along, they would simply practice their Cultivation separately.

For a Cultivator and for Lu Qingfeng, this was not a major issue.

"Your Highnesses, Prince Consort, we shall take our leave."

Seeing Lu Qingfeng explain to her, a glimmer of joy appeared in Ao Le's water-like eyes. Before she could speak, the two Shrimp Soldiers had placed the books in the library and left the sleeping chamber.

Ao Le glanced at the library, her small hand still held by Lu Qingfeng, and she forced back her shyness to ask, "Husband, did you choose Sexual or Life Cultivation?"

"Sexual Cultivation."

Lu Qingfeng answered with a smile.

He could see that Ao Le was timid by nature. Even after sharing such intimacy the night before, there was still some awkwardness now. It was only her gentle disposition making an effort to adjust and not to make Lu Qingfeng feel alienated.

But as for affection, there might not be much.

Love comes with time.

Lu Qingfeng was not in a rush.

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