The Guiding Law is a Magic Door to strengthening one’s physical body.

It uses special, extreme movements to make the physical body accelerate its absorption of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

The absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi does not enter the meridians to flow into the Qi Sea and be refined into Magical Power. Instead, it is directly absorbed by the body’s Skin and Flesh, Root Bone, and internal organs to strengthen them.

There are eighteen of these extreme movements in total, with each one being more difficult than the last. At the same time, the speed at which the physical body refines Spiritual Qi also increases with the difficulty.

The Spiritual Liquid Zong Ziqi gave Jiang Xu was meant to be used with this Guiding Law.

By applying the Spiritual Liquid directly to his body, he could increase the speed at which his physical body absorbed and refined Spiritual Qi while practicing the Guiding Law.

After Jiang Xu officially began his Cultivation, the Martial Dao section on his panel displayed:

[Ancient Strengthening Method: Visualization Method (Beginner): 0/100; Breathing Technique (Beginner): 0/100; Guiding Technique (Beginner): 0/100]

’These three parts are all separate? That makes sense. They all have different effects, so there’s no way to level them up all at once.’

When Jiang Xu cultivated, he didn’t use the Spiritual Liquid, simply practicing by performing the movements.

He used all his might just to hold the third guiding posture, and the efficiency of absorbing and refining Spiritual Qi was as slow as a snail’s crawl.

Slower than a tortoise’s crawl.

It was the same when cultivating the Breathing Technique.

The rhythm of this Breathing Technique was extremely unnatural.

After cultivating, forget about stimulating his potential; Jiang Xu was lucky he didn’t choke to death.

After an hour of practice, he hadn’t adapted at all. In fact, he’d almost forgotten how to breathe normally.

It took him several minutes to recover.

’It seems practicing this Body Refining Technique isn’t something that can be mastered overnight. Even if I focus on it for the next five days, I won’t be able to improve much. I might as well buy some supplies within the Sect before I leave. That way, I won’t find myself needing something with nowhere to buy it after I’m gone.’

...

After purchasing some necessities like Elixirs and Spirit Rice, Jiang Xu returned to his room.

He pulled up his panel and looked at the Concealing Breath Spell.

[Concealing Breath Spell (Mastery)+: 400/400]

’I hadn’t planned on prioritizing the Concealing Breath Spell, but things are changing too fast. I’m about to head to the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace, and who knows what will happen there. I won’t feel safe if I don’t upgrade it.’

Jiang Xu tapped the "+" symbol.

Instantly, the Cultivation Seed in Jiang Xu’s Qi Sea began to spin at High Speed. A suction force, similar to the last time he’d added a point, drew the surrounding Spiritual Qi into his Dantian.

Having learned his lesson, Jiang Xu took out a Qi Condensing Pill and popped it into his mouth.

Surging Magical Power continuously replenished him. Inside his Dantian, next to the Cultivation Seed, another Magic Seed condensed.

It wasn’t verdant like the seed formed by the Cangmu Skill. It was a dusty gray color, extremely inconspicuous.

Entangled with the surrounding Mana Fog, it would be easy to overlook if one didn’t look closely.

This Magic Seed, formed by the Concealing Breath Spell, orbited the Cultivation Seed formed by the Cangmu Skill, echoing one another.

’Is this the change after the Concealing Breath Spell’s Skill Level reached perfection? Huh, why don’t I feel anything? Is the difference really this big compared to when I upgraded the Cangmu Skill?’

Jiang Xu extended his Spiritual Sense to touch the Seed of Concealed Breath. The seed trembled slightly, and in an instant, a layer of obscure fluctuation covered Jiang Xu.

’So fast!’

Jiang Xu was startled.

Previously, activating the Concealing Breath Spell required a Dharma Seal and a Mantra, taking at least a second to cast.

Now, it was practically instantaneous.

Jiang Xu sensed his own body and discovered that after the obscure fluctuation covered him, he could freely control the range it enveloped.

If he wanted, he could even envelop the house around him.

However, he found that extending the range of the Concealing Breath Spell’s effect also caused his Magical Power consumption to increase dramatically.

Jiang Xu carefully perceived this fluctuation and suddenly increased the flow of Magical Power from his Qi Sea to the Seed of Concealed Breath.

The fluctuation released by the Seed of Concealed Breath suddenly intensified. Jiang Xu felt as if he was being further shrouded by something invisible and intangible, his very form fading into Stealth.

Jiang Xu looked down at himself, but he could only perceive his own existence when his Spiritual Sense was touching the Seed of Concealed Breath.

With his naked eye alone, he couldn’t see a thing.

Even when Jiang Xu used the Spiritual Eye Technique, he was still invisible.

’Am I... invisible?’

Jiang Xu was astonished. Upon closer inspection, he realized that light seemed to be bending directly around him. Since his body wasn’t reflecting any light, others wouldn’t be able to see him.

’Concealment of this level can’t even be called the Concealing Breath Spell anymore. It should be called the Invisibility Spell.’

Jiang Xu tried extending the fluctuation to the table he was touching.

He found that the table "disappeared" as well.

However, doing so caused his Magical Power consumption to become even more pronounced.

’If I just keep myself invisible, with my current Magical Power, I can probably maintain it for about two hours. But if I try to make other objects invisible as well, the consumption will be immense.’

Studying the uses of the Concealing Breath Spell became Jiang Xu’s focus for the next five days.

Jiang Xu firmly believed.

As long as you could hide well and run fast.

You could maximize your chances of survival no matter what danger you encountered.

...

Morning.

The sky gradually brightened. After a recent snowfall, the snow-capped mountains radiated a captivating light under the morning sun.

「Before the General Affairs Hall.」

The Secret Realm exploration team was ready to depart.

Jiang Xu’s group wasn’t with them; they were two separate contingents, one after the other.

This was because the first group was going to the Endless Forest, while Jiang Xu’s group was headed to the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace.

Although both parties were departing at the same time, there were too many people, so the two groups rode on two different Flying Spiritual Artifacts.

The exploration team in front rode the Starlight Treasure Carpet, a Tier Two Middle Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact.

Jiang Xu’s group, behind them, rode the Feathered Clouds, a Tier Two Lower Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact.

Each was controlled by an Elder.

Zong Ziqi was not in the Secret Realm exploration team up ahead.

Like Jiang Xu, he had also been assigned to the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace.

The difference between him and Jiang Xu was that Zong Ziqi had his master proactively arrange for him to be sent to the Marketplace.

At first, Zong Ziqi’s master didn’t allow it, but he later found a reason to convince his master to agree.

The reason was that if Zong Ziqi was at the Marketplace, his master could give him the Treasure Medicine as soon as it was obtained.

"There are quite a lot of people. The group in front has about four hundred, and we’ve got two or three hundred over here, right?"

"About that."

Soon, the Flying Spiritual Artifacts took off, flying at High Speed towards the Endless Forest.

Leaving the Sect again after several months, Jiang Xu never expected it would be under these circumstances.

’Don’t let me find out which Elder meddled in my affairs and signed me up for this. Otherwise, once my Realm is higher, I’ll make sure they learn the consequences of being a busybody!’

Back at the General Affairs Hall, Leng Qingqiu watched the Feathered Clouds fly away, her expression indifferent:

’Such audacity. To dare provoke someone I, Leng Qingqiu, have taken an interest in. From now on, you can spend the rest of your life in the Marketplace!’