Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 229 - 161: Three-Stage Emission Technique, Special Cultivator!

Buzz!

A multitude of insights regarding Artifact Refining flashed through Su Mu’s mind.

Artifact Refining (Small Success 1%)

Comprehension: 97 (Dragon-and-Phoenix Level)

At this moment, Su Mu’s Artifact Refining Art made a further breakthrough, stepping into the Minor Achievement Realm. His comprehension increased by four points, pressing towards the threshold of one hundred.

The scorching warm current at his Dantian surged through his limbs and every vein. Su Mu felt somewhat enlightened—when he forged the Cold Heron Saber before, he had treated it merely as practice, not going all out. This time, with full effort, his forging art had naturally broken through to Minor Achievement.

This also made Su Mu look forward to refining the Great Spear even more.

At dusk, after finishing a day’s inscription work, Su Mu headed toward the clinic.

After the Pharmacist left, the Little Doctor invited Su Mu to move into the clinic. Remembering the Pharmacist’s entrustment before leaving to wander, Su Mu agreed. Upon reflection, the Pharmacist’s previous entrustment seemed somewhat suspicious.

The Pharmacist had asked him to take the Little Doctor away from Qingyun County, yet also said that everything would be explained after returning from his travels.

Su Mu planned to wait for the Pharmacist’s return before making future plans. In any case, he wasn’t planning to leave Qingyun for a while—he, Su Mu, still had unresolved grudges in Qingyun, whether against that man in the Purple Shirt or the Black Mountain Celestial King.

"Big brother, can you teach me some other martial arts again?" This day, the Little Doctor approached, eyes bright and expectant, though her face was a bit pale.

Before he left to wander, the Pharmacist had extracted some of the Little Doctor’s essence blood with the Silver Needle Technique.

"As the saying goes: when the foundation is unsteady, the ground sways and mountains shake. This matter can’t be rushed."

"Alright, then I’ll listen to you, big brother."

These days, Su Mu had secretly observed the Little Doctor several times. He soon noticed something unusual: not only had the Little Doctor cultivated Power with a Five Animals Qigong that wasn’t even Entry Level,

what truly astonished Su Mu was that at this moment, the Little Doctor seemed to have already touched upon Spiritual Power.

Su Mu himself only touched Spiritual Power when he achieved the Nine Body Tempering Realms. Originally, he thought this might be an innate ’gift’ of the Little Doctor.

But Su Mu soon overturned this notion, because he realized the Pharmacist also showed similar anomalies. If only one person had these traits, it might be coincidence, but for both the Pharmacist and the Little Doctor, it was likely not by chance.

Moreover, the situation with the Pharmacist was even stranger; not only had he grasped Spiritual Power, but had also touched Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

The anomalies in both the Pharmacist and the Little Doctor inevitably led Su Mu to a conjecture in his mind.

"Grasping Spiritual Power and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi at the Ninth Grade Realm... perhaps there exist multiple Cultivation Methods in this world, and the Martial Dao is just one path among them."

"The Pharmacist is most likely not a Martial Artist, but rather cultivates a special Dharma Gate. That cold and eerie force, different from Power, is probably the result of cultivating a special Dharma Gate."

But why had he never heard of Cultivation Methods outside of the Martial Dao before?

After some thought, Su Mu found two relatively reasonable explanations: as the saying goes, rarity breeds value. First, those other Cultivation Methods might have even harsher cultivation requirements, unsuitable for everyone, or perhaps only those with some innate talent could unlock such Special Cultivation Methods.

Second, perhaps those Special Cultivation Methods are far more powerful than the Martial Dao.

No matter the world, only the few control what is truly powerful. Thus, these Special Cultivation Methods are only grasped by a select few in the Great Yan Dynasty, while the masses rarely hear of them or even have a chance to come into contact.

Based on the information so far, this was Su Mu’s inference, and he tended to believe the latter—the Little Doctor was the best example.

The strength of Spiritual Power far surpasses mere mortal eyes—Spiritual Power can see in the dark as if in daylight, as powerful as radar from a past life, able to discern every move of an opponent.

If one could master Spiritual Power at the start of cultivation, in life-and-death struggles, such Special Cultivators would hold tremendous advantages, truly being able to anticipate the enemy.

Besides investigation, Spiritual Power’s effects are likely not limited to just probing, but may also possess offensive potential.

Su Mu recalled the scene of the Pharmacist waving his hand and using Spiritual Power to close the study door. Since Spiritual Power could close a door, could it also manipulate sabers and swords through thin air? Perhaps even execute attacks that he could hardly imagine.

Thinking of this, a glint appeared in Su Mu’s eyes and his heart felt troubled. If someone could really use Spiritual Power to wield sword and saber for the kill, such a cultivator would be almost invincible among peers at the same realm.

To control range is almost to control the situation itself—advance for attack, withdraw for defense.

"If I were to fight against this kind of Special Cultivator, distance might be key. Either I would have to use Body Technique to close in and fight at close quarters, or rely on Cross-Training Martial Arts or armor to endure attacks and get close."

"Otherwise, I could make use of Long Weapons, or cultivate Martial Arts with long-range lethality—such as the Thunder Shock Fist."

Su Mu wanted to continue pondering, but his current information was too limited. For now, all of this remained mere conjecture—even he could only half believe it.

Perhaps there were no so-called Special Cultivators in this world, and this was all just Su Mu’s imagination.

After all, even among officials in the Three Counties, he hadn’t seen any such ’Special Cultivator’ as in his speculation.

"Born in trouble, dying in ease; better to believe it than not."

Finally, Su Mu stopped his deep musings, but he began to treat those hypothetical Special Cultivators as imaginary enemies. Su Mu’s habit was always to consider the worst-case scenario first.

By day he inscribed Inscriptions, and by night, Su Mu threw most of his energy into developing Thunder Shock Fist and cultivating the Seven Dominating Spear Forms.

Buzz!

Another seven days passed. After the completion of the one hundred and fiftieth Inscription on the second gun shaft section, Su Mu’s Artifact Refining Art had progressed to Small Success. His speed in inscribing Inscriptions had increased greatly.