Mythical Cultivation

After Wu Ming returned to Lin Feng's former residence, several servants brought him a pile of supplements, saying they were sent by the master to nourish and heal the Third Young Master. They then instructed him to recuperate properly and not leave the Lin residence. This was exactly what Wu Ming wanted. He had just arrived, and while he had Lin Feng's memories, they were only memories, not his own experiences, so there were still many things he didn't understand. This was a good time to adjust and learn more.

Lin Feng began to heal his wounds by activating the Rock Technique within his memory. This was the Lin family's specialized technique for physical cultivation, a top-level human-level technique, practiced only by direct descendants of the Lin family. Branch members, however, were not so fortunate, as they all practiced techniques at intermediate and advanced human-levels. Techniques were categorized as human-level, earth-level, and heaven-level, each further divided into low, intermediate, advanced, and ultimate levels, each with its own distinct differences.

Just like how low-level human-level techniques can be purchased on the market for dozens of silver coins, while intermediate techniques cost several gold coins, and advanced techniques cost at least dozens or even hundreds of gold coins. Because advanced techniques are only accessible to those within the family, they are rarely seen on the market, and whenever they do appear, they are quickly snatched up. Top-level techniques, on the other hand, are extremely rare. As far as Lin Feng can remember, they only appeared once in Bluestone City, where they were auctioned for nearly a thousand gold coins, causing quite a stir afterward. So, Lin Feng cultivates the family's most advanced technique, so can you say he's unpopular? It's just the inferiority complex of youth.

The Lin clan numbered in the hundreds, but their direct lineage numbered fewer than a hundred. Of Lin Feng's grandfather's generation, only his second grandfather was still alive, serving as the chief elder. Lin Feng's great-grandfather passed away early, and his grandfather was the third oldest. Lin Feng's father had six brothers and sisters, all still alive and prominent figures in the family. Lin Feng's direct lineage was much larger, numbering nearly twenty. Lin Feng's father had three children: his eldest brother, Lin Hao, his second sister, Lin Yun, and himself. However, his second sister, Lin Yun, had long ago joined the Feixian Sect, a prominent sect in Huanglong Mansion, and rarely returned home, which is why she wasn't seen this time. Lin Yun was the one who loved him most. Because this generation of Lins had produced several talented individuals, the Lin clan's power was booming, leading to the alliance between the Bai and Xiao families against the Lins. This incident was a conspiracy between the two families, exposed only by Lin Feng's eventual return to the Lin Mansion. Otherwise, who would have known about it?

Wu Ming pondered these matters as he practiced the Rock Kung. Furthermore, he discovered that the techniques of this world were superior to those of his original world. This was because practicing Rock Kung gong trained the entire body, from tendons, bones, and skin, a trinity that made no distinction between self and others. The tendons, bones, and skin all advanced together, ultimately reaching a point where blood and qi were saturated, generating true qi. This was much quicker than the original world's practice of cultivating the body after completing it and then practicing the Qi-gathering technique.

After taking the elixir Lin Jinxian had given him, and after a full day of practicing Qigong, Wu Ming felt that his injuries had greatly improved. It was another new day, and Wu Ming, wanting to learn more about this world, went to the Lin Mansion's library. The library was divided into three floors. With his status, he could enter and exit the remaining two floors freely, except for the third floor, which was convenient for him. He found a basic introduction to this area and some information about warriors on the first floor, then returned to study it carefully.

"Third brother, how's your injury?" Just as Wu Ming was lying in a chair, basking in the sun and reading, a voice called out. It was Lin Feng's eldest brother. "Thank you for your concern, brother. My injury is much better now. I can walk normally, but I still can't practice dynamic exercises," Wu Ming said, standing up.

"Although you can move around now, you still need to be more careful and don't rush into practicing. Also, don't go out during this period. Qingshi City will be restless during this period." Lin Hao said.

It seemed that Lin Feng's elder brother and father were still worried that he would run away secretly, so they came to warn him. However, he didn't want to go out these days, so he readily agreed.

"If you need anything, just send a message to me and I'll get it to you. I have something else to do first, so you should have a good rest." Lin Hao reminded before leaving.

After Lin Hao left, Wu Ming was also recalling some information about Qingshi City in his mind. In addition to the City Lord's Mansion in Qingshi City, which was high and mighty, it was headed by people sent by the court. Their strength started from the Qi Refining Realm, and it was not clear how strong they were. In addition, they had a guard army of 500 people under their command. It was the largest force in Qingshi City and generally only cared about the security issues of Qingshi City. They always turned a blind eye to the fights between the three major families. As long as they did not go too far and seriously affected the security of Qingshi City, they would not interfere.

Wu Ming also sorted through the information. The three major families, the Lin, Bai, and Xiao, were all established families with centuries of history in Bluestone City. The Lin family's Prisoning Heaven Finger was renowned in the area; the Bai family's Night Rain Swordsmanship was universally known; and the Xiao family's Wind Chasing Kick was also renowned far and wide, known to everyone in Bluestone City. Through memory, Wu Ming had a certain understanding of the martial arts of the three families.

The techniques of this world differ somewhat from those of the original world. While the original world's techniques primarily focused on long-range strikes using true energy, the warriors of this world primarily rely on their bodies. Their techniques are the result of pushing various skills to their peak, developing sword, knife, and fist abilities. Furthermore, the power of sword, knife, and fist auras can easily split mountains and break rivers. This is similar to the physical cultivation of the original world. When practiced to a high level, they can even compete with magical weapons. Therefore, Wu Ming's goal was not only to increase his own strength but also to learn a profound technique, which would be of great benefit upon his return to the original world.

The skills and techniques in this world are divided into three levels: Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Lin family's seemingly strongest skills are the Rock Skill and the Prisoner's Heaven Finger. In Wu Ming's opinion, although they can be used, they are not that strong. If he had a flying sword in his hand, he could naturally break them with one sword. However, now that the flying sword is not in his hand, he can only use them reluctantly and see if he can get a better one later.

After five days of recuperation, Wu Ming finally felt almost fully recovered. He also began practicing the dynamic exercises of the Rock Kung Fu to restore his rusty frame. After a set of Rock Fists, his body felt more alive, and he could clearly sense a degree of improvement. After practicing several more times, Wu Ming felt a sense of restraint being lifted, and he entered the sixth level of Body Refining. This was because Wu Ming, as a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, had naturally experienced the Body Refining stage. While there were certain differences between the two worlds, the fundamental differences were similar, like a high school student solving an elementary school problem—it was faster and more concise.

Wu Ming felt that with this body's aptitude, there was still room for improvement, and he could go further. However, cultivation required energy. After this breakthrough, Wu Ming clearly felt his stomach was empty and needed to eat. So he called his servants and asked them to prepare a feast to comfort his stomach.

Another two days passed, and Wu Ming could feel that everyone in the mansion was filled with a tense atmosphere. He pulled a servant over and asked several questions before he found out that the Lin family had started a war with the Bai family and the Xiao family. First, they competed maliciously with each other in the business of the city, and later they fought over the transportation of goods outside the city, and even caused casualties. However, because it happened outside the city, the City Lord's Mansion did not care. This was the tacit understanding of all forces in Qingshi City for decades.

This doesn't mean a fight necessarily means ruining your family. First, you need to devastate your finances, leaving you unable to meet all your expenses. A large family needs food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and cultivation. If your financial resources are cut off, how long can you survive? Ultimately, you'll either surrender, leave, or fight to the bitter end. Surrendering and leaving with your entire family are easy, and a peaceful resolution saves the City Lord's Mansion's reputation. There's no problem. If you choose a fight to the bitter end, then the source of the conflict is you, and if the City Lord's Mansion settles the score afterwards, it's your fault. The winner will at most give up some of their profits, and the matter will be over. The winner benefits, and the City Lord's Mansion benefits too, so naturally, the matter will be swept under the rug.

Don't think the world of cultivation is all about fighting and killing. It's also about social etiquette. Why resort to conflict when you can solve a problem with your brain? A conflict isn't just about two people; it involves more people, which only complicates things. After all, there are still certain constraints. Unless you're a demonic being who doesn't care about them, that's another story. Or perhaps your strength allows you to break all sorts of rules and constraints. It's not that there aren't people like that, but how many have there been throughout history?