The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

It turned out that Huang Chenghe wrote very quickly, and had already copied half of the book in less than two hours. The page he was currently flipping through was the middle page of the entire book. Su Zinong shone the light closer to take a look and saw that it contained many curved lines, which looked like mountains and rivers. He then took a piece of white paper and carefully copied it.

He spent a full quarter of an hour drawing and checked it to make sure it was correct before stopping. Then he shone a light on each page of paper, but found nothing else.

“This looks like a map,” Huang Chenghe said with a sudden realization. “It looks familiar, but I can’t remember where it is.”

“Yes, it feels very familiar to me too. Could it be a place we’ve been to together?” Su Zinong asked in return.

"I don't recognize it at all. Many places look like this. Aren't you overthinking it?" Bai Shaoyi said dismissively.

"Don't say anything yet, let's finish copying the rest first, lest something unexpected happens and the manor lord suddenly changes his mind and wants to take it back. What will we do then? Copy it quickly!" Su Zinong urged.

"Don't rush me, don't rush me. I'm already very fast. Look at the two of you, can you write as fast as me? My handwriting is both fast and good. If you rush me and I make a few mistakes, what if I go into qi deviation during my practice?" Huang Chenghe said righteously.

“I know you write well and fast, isn’t that something you developed from being punished by your father to write self-criticisms since you were little?” Bai Shaoyi would occasionally bring up Huang Chenghe’s dark history.

Huang Chenghe didn't sleep all night and finished copying the ancient book. The next night, he checked it again and found two wrong words, which he corrected.

After copying the manual, Huang Chenghe and Su Zinong didn't leave immediately. They read the manual two or three times until they had memorized it. They also asked Shi Youwei about anything they didn't understand. He was very generous in his guidance, pointing out each question in detail.

"You two are indeed clever," Shi Youwei couldn't help but praise them.

Bai Shaoyi hadn't originally intended to learn, but seeing Su Zinong and Huang Chenghe practicing so enthusiastically, he joined in out of boredom. He thought to himself that his sweetheart's family also practiced earth-based martial arts, so he should learn it too and help their family improve their skills.

“I’ve seen Xiaoqian practice her skills and she’s familiar with earth-based techniques. In my opinion, this incomplete manual is quite remarkable, but less than 40% of it remains. What’s left is the most basic introductory method, which is similar to the earth-based techniques of Wancheng Castle. If you want to cultivate it to a higher level, you still need to find the lost second half of the manual,” Bai Shaoyi said.

“Brother Bai is right,” Su Zinong nodded and said.

The three stayed at Shima Village for another ten days, and Shi Youwei had recovered to about 60%. Huang Chenghe and the others bid farewell to Shima Village. Before leaving, Huang Chenghe took out eight yellow spirit stones and handed them to Shi Youwei, saying, "Thank you, Master, for generously gifting me this precious cultivation technique."

Shi Youwei was so excited that tears almost streamed down his face. He practiced earth-based cultivation in Shima Village and had never encountered such precious yellow spirit stones before. He had only managed to obtain two pieces through connections. This time, his savior had given him eight pieces at once.

After the three left Shima Village, Huang Chenghe said, "Let's hurry back to Huanghe Mountain Villa so that our eldest brother can practice."

"You should practice it yourself first, because this is just a hypothetical scenario. If it works for you, then you can let your older brother practice it," Su Zinong said.

“Ah, that works too. If it’s just the two of us cultivating, let’s go to Chaoxia Mountain to practice,” Huang Chenghe suggested smugly.

Hearing that Huang Chenghe was going to find Danfeng, Bai Shaoyi didn't go with him. He went to Wancheng Castle on his own, wanting to pass on the earth-based martial arts he had just learned to Wan Xiaoqian for research and mutual verification.

***

Chaoxia Mountain.

Huang Chenghe and Su Zinong began practicing their skills. Danfeng and Zhaoxia, finding it amusing, also joined them in practicing earth-based techniques.

Su Zinong's progress in cultivation was quite slow. Initially, his Qi cultivation belonged to the Wood element, and Wood controls Earth. Although he later cleansed his Qi at Tianjing Mountain, making its attribute more balanced, after a while, the Qi would return to the relevant meridians according to Su Zinong's original cultivation path. Over time, it would regain its original attribute.

Huang Chenghe's cultivation speed was moderate, while Chaoxia and Danfeng progressed exceptionally quickly. Their true energy was fire-based, and fire generates earth, making their cultivation very convenient and fast.

"This is an incomplete version of the manual. The techniques are fragmented. Since you're practicing so quickly, be careful not to feel any discomfort or anything unusual. If you do, stop immediately," Su Zinong reminded them.

"I understand," Danfeng said. "But I don't feel uncomfortable at all. I feel pretty good, and my appetite has increased a lot since I started practicing."

"You've gained a huge appetite! You're already hot enough, don't make sure you can't fit into your wedding dress." Chaoxia said with a smile.

"It seems that Zhaoxia has been following Young Master Su around a lot, and she's even learned to joke around." Huang Chenghe grinned.

After practicing for two months, Huang Chenghe woke up one day feeling something was wrong. He circulated his internal energy and suddenly discovered that he had actually dropped from the peak of the five-star level to the peak of the four-star level!

"What kind of lousy technique is this! Could it be that Shima Village is using it to frame us?" Huang Chenghe said angrily.

“I didn’t feel anything unusual, but I was practicing too slowly,” Su Zinong said.

Danfeng and Zhaoxia said, "We practiced much faster than the two of you, but we didn't experience any discomfort, and our cultivation and strength have greatly improved."

"Oh God, why me!" Huang Chenghe looked at the sky and silently shed tears.

Su Zinong thought for a whole morning and said, "I understand. The single cultivation method you practiced before was all water-related. Now you are practicing earth-related. Earth can overcome water. There may be such a phenomenon at the beginning. I estimate that they can only support each other when you practice to a deeper level. Or you can think of some ways to practice another attribute, such as adding metal between earth and water as a bridge."

So Huang Chenghe would go to the mountaintop with Chaoxia and Danfeng to sing for an hour every day, go swimming with Xinyangzi in the afternoon, and spend the rest of his time either practicing martial arts in the hot springs or practicing the Taiyin Lung Meridian with Su Zinong.

It took a month of practice to recover to the initial stage of the five-star level.

"That was close! I didn't know you could practice martial arts like that, jumping and leaping around like that," Huang Chenghe said, patting his chest.

Huang Chenghe resumed practicing earth-based techniques. After practicing for another two months, not only did Danfeng and Chaoxia each advance a minor realm to the early stage of the fifth star, but Huang Chenghe himself also advanced to the middle stage of the fifth star.

Poor Su Zinong practiced the hardest and put in the most thought, yet he seemed completely unmoved. This was unprecedented; he was always faster than others, so why was he lagging behind this time? Su Zinong was secretly amazed.

“I think it will take me at least two or three times longer than you to see any results,” Su Zinong said. “Besides, this is an incomplete version. You have already practiced what you were supposed to practice. There are still some incomplete parts that we dare not practice casually. Let’s practice this part first. You can continue to practice the previous methods in the future.”

"So, are we going back to teach my brother now?" Huang Chenghe asked.

"Let's not do it for now, because if you practice it, you'll drop a level, and if your brother practices it and drops a level, it'll probably scare him. Let's refine it a bit more, or let him practice the Hand Taiyin first. Remember to send a letter to your father to let him know you're safe, otherwise he'll be looking for you everywhere. You and I will go down the mountain and look for other opportunities."

The next day, Su Zinong said to Danfeng, "Do you want to make a good impression on Yellow River Manor?"

"Is that even a question?" Danfeng said, looking up at Su Zinong, waiting for his further guidance.

"Quickly copy down the section on the Hand Taiyin of the White Cloud Divine Smell Technique and take it to Yellow River Manor to instruct Huang Chenghai, your future uncle, and the manor lord Huang Donglang in its cultivation," Su Zinong said.

"Should we have them sing and swim?" Danfeng asked, looking up.

"It's up to you. Teach me however you think is best. Then, please deliver a letter to Master Huang."

After Su Zinong finished speaking, he wrote a letter instructing Huang Donglang to first practice the Taiyin technique, then take the yellow spirit stone to Baihe Manor to exchange for at least eight white spirit stones, and then go to Chaoxia Mountain to find Xinyangzi to learn the Eight Stars Method. However, he could only learn it himself and could not pass it on to others, because the method was not suitable for everyone.

"My father can really reach the eighth star?" Huang Chenghe was overjoyed.

“If the sect leader of Xinyangzi can do it, why can’t your father? He’s already at the peak of the Seven Stars,” Su Zinong said.

"Where are we going now?" Huang Chenghe asked.

Su Zinong walked to the edge of the mountain, looked eastward, then turned to Huang Chenghe and said, "Island of Immortals..."