The array stone exerted a weight of roughly two thousand jin.
Ling Xiao’s total strength, when combined, was only about five thousand jin. Though he could certainly carry it, the heavy sensation was unmistakable.
Strangely, placing it in his pocket didn’t damage his clothes, likely due to the array fused into the stone.
“Master, with this thing, I can barely walk, let alone fight!” Ling Xiao said with a wry smile.
Yuan Zun replied earnestly, “My dear disciple, I know you have some special power within you, and your true essence is exceptionally robust. As a result, you often rely on that power in combat. That’s not bad, but it’s not ideal for honing your martial skills.”
“You mean this thing prevents me from using all my true essence?” Ling Xiao asked.
“Exactly. The array stone is infused with a special sealing formation that greatly suppresses true essence, soul force, and other special energies. You’ll only retain the true essence appropriate for your cultivation level,” Yuan Zun nodded. “Train like this for a while, and when you remove the array stone, you’ll be astonished. It’s also highly beneficial for your cultivation of the Nine Veins Qi Sword and other techniques.”
“I understand,” Ling Xiao said. He wasn’t foolish and grasped Yuan Zun’s reasoning.
Relying solely on overpowering true essence to win battles would limit his martial skill progress and dull his drive to improve true essence, which would hinder his cultivation. It seemed a small issue, but its impact was profound.
This was the advantage of experience, something Ling Xiao’s Mountain and River Martial Soul couldn’t compensate for, requiring him to learn from others.
…
This was a barren desert, with many areas already turned to sand, poised to become a full desert.
The scorching sun relentlessly baked the earth, the sand nearly scalding.
Corn tossed onto it would likely pop into popcorn instantly.
In the shade, people lounged lazily, gulping water.
In such dreadful weather, no one wanted to travel; evenings were far more comfortable.
“Look over there, someone’s coming!”
“No way, who’d be mad enough to travel in this heat?”
The speaker’s eyes widened soon after.
In the distance, a young man appeared on the sandy path.
A dog perched on his shoulder, seemingly unaffected by the heat, not even panting.
The youth, clad only in a thin robe with no baggage, walked as if bearing a mountain. Each step sank the soft sand, creating deep pits.
Even carrying a hundred jin shouldn’t cause that.
“Rest up ahead,” Yuan Zun’s voice was like music to Ling Xiao’s ears.
It was brutal. Carrying two thousand jin while restricted from using much true essence made travelling torturous.
Thankfully, his foundation from the Martial Vein Realm made his body as sturdy as a beast’s. An ordinary person would’ve collapsed long ago.
“Three jugs of water!” Ling Xiao shouted to the water seller as he reached the shade.
This was still the edge of the Fulong Mountains, so people lived here.
“Water’s here!” When the three jugs arrived, Ling Xiao guzzled one entirely, then poured another over himself from head to toe, relishing the sensation.
It was extravagant, though.
At least, that’s how it looked to others.
Water was scarce here; one jug cost a tael of silver. Ordinary folks winced at buying a small flask, yet Ling Xiao was squandering it.
The third jug was for Yuan Zun, who drank a bit before jumping into it.
Ling Xiao paid extra to keep the jug, as it was unusable for others now.
“How’s it feel, disciple?” Yuan Zun asked via transmission, cautious in the crowded area. A talking dog might be normal for sect martial artists but would draw stares from ordinary folk.
“I can only say this array stone’s effect is terrifying. With it on, I feel cut off from most of my true essence, soul force, and other energies. Even the normal flow of early Third Mortal Realm true essence is sluggish,” Ling Xiao said with a wry smile. “Plus, carrying two thousand jin is exhausting. A one-hour journey now takes two. How long will it take to reach the depths of the Fulong Mountains?”
“You’re a clever lad, yet you haven’t figured it out? This is cultivation. Just wait, persist for a month, and I guarantee your cultivation will surge,” Yuan Zun chuckled. “To boost your cultivation quickly, you must endure hardship. This is just the start.”
“I’m not afraid of hardship, Master. Throw whatever methods you have at me!” Ling Xiao grinned, showing his white teeth.
Since childhood, he’d endured plenty, especially as a beggar—those were truly wretched days. This hardship was nothing, practically paradise by comparison.
“When you get used to the two thousand jin, let me know. The weight can be adjusted,” Yuan Zun added suddenly.
“Understood,” Ling Xiao replied.
In just two hours of travel, he’d gained something new: his golden dragon cells had awakened to forty, up by ten.
For ordinary martial artists at the Third Mortal Realm, strength ranged from one to three thousand jin, varying by cultivation focus. But Ling Xiao’s strength had reached six thousand jin, double that of the strongest among them.
He hadn’t told Yuan Zun, but the benefits of this training method were already evident.
During the break, Ling Xiao popped low-grade true essence pills like beans. Once treasures in the secular world, they were now trivial to him.
He recalled the joy of receiving a single low-grade true essence pill from Master Baiyun, unable to sleep for excitement. Now, he used them without hesitation.
Such was the vast gap between the sect and secular worlds.
