My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar-Chapter 47: Secret Technique

(This Chapter contains some world-building. You don’t have to memorize it all, as it will be explained in more detail later. Just getting the general idea is fine.)

Wang Ping couldn’t bring himself to break up a loving couple, but he still needed to understand the specific situation. So, the next day, he went to the Inner Courtyard to find Zhao Qing and had him send people to investigate the Liu Family in Yongshan County.

「Early in the morning on the third day」

Wang Ping followed his master’s instructions and walked to the small courtyard on the back mountain.

Yu Cheng Taoist had been waiting for a long time. In his hands was a copy of *Annotations on Heaven and Man*, the book Wang Ping had been studying. Steam rose from the tea on the stone table, but there was no attendant waiting nearby.

"Come and sit."

Yu Cheng Taoist spoke before Wang Ping had even stepped into the small courtyard.

Wang Ping quickened his pace. Upon entering the courtyard, he first paid his respects before sitting down opposite Yu Cheng Taoist.

"How do you feel after reaching Foundation Establishment?" Yu Cheng Taoist asked.

"I feel like the Spiritual Qi around me isn’t quite enough. Before, it only took an hour to completely refill my Qi Sea, but now it takes five or six hours."

"You just need to set up another Spirit Gathering Array. If you’re traveling, you can also refine a simple one to keep as a spare. With your current abilities, you can do it yourself." Yu Cheng Taoist took out two teacups. Yu Lian immediately woke up from Wang Ping’s wrist and slithered over to another chair.

"Yes!"

Wang Ping had indeed been thinking about refining a Spirit Gathering Array.

The most practical method would be to use the *Five Elements Condensation Technique*, skipping the fusion step and using the mutually generating and suppressing nature of the Five Elements Spiritual Qi to condense an array core to absorb the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

"If you find it too troublesome, you can buy a simple Spirit Gathering Array from the Daoist Scripture Hall. You’ll just need to refine it a little before you can use it."

Yu Cheng Taoist added this after pouring the tea. Then, his tone shifted as he said, "There’s one more thing you must remember. Do not fly freely in any territory outside of Shang’an Prefecture, unless you have special permission from the Daoist Scripture Hall or have obtained consent from the local Cultivators."

He picked up his teacup and explained with a very serious expression, "For example, if you go to Sanhe Prefecture, you just need to reveal your identity. Given our relationship with Sanhe Temple, they won’t give you any trouble. But if you go to other regions, you must remember not to fly!"

"Master, if I may ask, is there a deeper reason for this?"

Yu Cheng Taoist paused for half a beat, as if organizing his thoughts, before speaking:

"In this world, from the ancient civilizations to the flourishing of the Human Dao, cultivation has existed for tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of years. The various powers on the Five Provinces Continent have long been clearly demarcated, maintaining a hard-won balance. And one of the most fundamental rules for maintaining this balance is that Cultivators may not fly freely in regions under another’s jurisdiction, unless..."

"Unless you cultivate to the Fourth Realm or higher..."

Wang Ping’s brow furrowed slightly. He had thought he would finally be able to roam the skies, to be a carefree ’Immortal,’ but he never expected such a restriction. ’It makes this world feel like an invisible cage!’

Yu Cheng Taoist’s words stopped there. He drank the bitter tea in his cup, savoring the aftertaste for a long moment before continuing.

"Now, let’s talk about Secret Techniques. There are countless Secret Techniques in the world, but they all stem from the same origins. Eighty percent of all Cultivation Techniques are derived from the Mystic Sect’s Five Elements Orthodox Technique and the Heavenly Gate’s Nine Heavens Magic. Take Sanhe Temple, for instance, which you are familiar with. They cultivate Water spiritual energy. Unlike Lishui Prefecture, they communicate with a source of Underground Milk, which limits their cultivation to the Second Realm at best."

"We at Qianmu Temple, on the other hand, cultivate the *Taiyan Talisman*, which belongs to the Mystic Sect Orthodox Technique. It is one of the seven Secret Techniques that allows one to glimpse the supreme Great Dao." Yu Cheng Taoist put down his tea, his expression serious.

"Its entry requirements are exceedingly difficult. Among the hundreds of thousands of Qi Cultivators in the Xia Country, perhaps only one person succeeds every few decades. And even if they do, their subsequent cultivation is exceptionally slow. Have you truly considered whether you want to cultivate it?"

After posing the question, Yu Cheng Taoist’s gaze instantly fixed on Wang Ping.

Wang Ping felt a wave of pressure wash over him. His master’s gaze seemed to pierce through his body straight to his Spirit Sea. Beside him, the quiet Yu Lian shot back to Wang Ping at top speed, coiling around his left arm and flicking her tongue at Yu Cheng Taoist.

After thinking under the pressure for more than ten breaths, Wang Ping met Yu Cheng Taoist’s gaze with determination in his own. "Of course! I have devoted myself to ascetic cultivation precisely to glimpse the Great Dao, not just to eke out a meager existence!"

’I have the guide from the light screen panel, what’s there to worry about?’

"Very good..."

A smile appeared on Yu Cheng Taoist’s face as he refilled his own teacup. Yu Lian uncoiled from Wang Ping’s left arm. The two of them had a brief exchange in his Spirit Sea, after which she returned to the chair she was on before.

"As for the Secret Techniques of this world, besides those from the five major sects of the Mystic Sect and the two major sects of the Heavenly Gate, all others are collectively known as ’side doors’!" Yu Cheng Taoist continued their previous conversation.

"Aside from those derived from the seven major sects, the cultivation techniques of the ’side doors’ are those deduced with the help of Star Gods, Demon Soldiers, or demonic beasts, as well as the special Moon God, Sun God, and Divine Techniques."

"Star Gods are numerous and varied. Most are chaotic and extremely difficult to subdue. A small number are neutral, and some will even connect with Cultivators on their own. A very rare few possess goodwill and independent personalities. There are two of them you need to know about."

"The first one you might be familiar with is True Monarch Yuan Wu, who is worshipped during planting. This Star God can dispel diseases in plants."

"The second is known as the Star Demoness. She often appears in the form of a Nine-tailed Fox. She seems to have the ability to alter memories, and while she enjoys playing tricks on people, she doesn’t harm them."

"As for the Moon God and the Sun God, you may have already read some stories about them..."

Yu Cheng Taoist looked at Wang Ping, expecting him to continue.

Wang Ping quickly responded, "I only know that the Eastern Alliance on the East Continent worships the Moon God. The Moon God Sect is their state religion. The Moon God only protects those who believe in Him and never interferes in the affairs of other regions, though one or two of His emissaries occasionally travel the lands. As for the Sun God..."

"Rumor has it that they are a sect that split off from the True Yang Sect. They are the main faith in Beizhou and have also splintered into the extremist ’First Day’ and the ’First Sect,’ which is composed of ascetics who ignore all worldly affairs!"

"An excellent summary!" Yu Cheng Taoist nodded in satisfaction and continued.

"Finally, there are the Demon Soldiers. This is an even more complex topic than the Star Gods. Some Qi Cultivators, when they find themselves at a dead end, will choose to merge with a Demon Soldier to become a Secret Technique Cultivator, allowing them to survive for a short time. Most of these Cultivators lock themselves away in some unknown place to avoid any external disturbance that might drive them insane."

"There are others who actively merge with Demon Soldiers, and many of them succeed. A few geniuses can even develop their Demon Soldiers to the Third Realm, or even the Fourth Realm, but there are still limits." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Yu Cheng Taoist paused here, picking up his teacup to quietly savor its bitterness.

Wang Ping slowly digested this information. Yu Lian watched the serious Wang Ping, then picked up a teacup and mimicked Yu Cheng Taoist’s posture, pretending to taste the tea.

After two cups of tea, Yu Cheng Taoist continued, "Finally, the most unique group are the Artifact Cultivators. They use the flesh and blood of demonic beasts to ritually refine Magical Artifacts, then use their True Essence to meld the artifacts into a part of themselves. Currently, the highest level of cultivation they’ve reached is the Third Realm. Remember, if you ever encounter these people and they become your enemy, it’s best to find an opportunity to eliminate them immediately!"

"Speaking of demonic beasts, some Qi Cultivators also try to learn their cultivation methods, but they eventually undergo demonization. Also, there are rumors that the Heavenly Gate actually has four major sects, one of which is the Demon Race, and another is the Underworld Ghosts and Spirits from mythology. However, none of this can be verified, and in truth, there are no Underworld Ghosts and Spirits in this world!"