Cultivation Starting from Full Talent

Ning Daoran dispersed the Small Cloud Mist Array, allowing the Great Elder to step into the courtyard.

Late at night, the living room on the first floor of the bamboo building was dimly lit by warm candlelight.

"Nephew Ning, this Isolation Array…"

The Great Elder glanced at the Small Cloud Mist Array, his words laced with implication.

Ning Daoran immediately activated two spells, and in an instant, clouds and mist soared upward, once again enveloping the entire small courtyard.

The Great Elder inwardly praised its clarity—this kid really was quite the clever one.

"I wonder why Master Uncle has chosen to visit Qiongbi Peak so late at night?"

Ning Daoran was equally perplexed, as his relationship with the Great Elder had always been shallow.

Although the Great Elder was Lin Sheng's master, his interactions with Ning Daoran were limited to a polite nod and smile at the Foundation Establishment banquet.

"Nephew Ning, well…"

The Great Elder seemed hesitant, his pale yet rosy face turning a deep crimson. After a long pause, he finally stammered out:

"I heard that Nephew Ning has achieved remarkable prowess in the True Yang Furnace Technique, cultivating it to Perfect Realm in just ten years. I wonder if this rumor is true?"

"Huh?"

*Ning Daoran's heart tightened, and his mind raced as he swiftly pieced together his thoughts.*

"What makes Master Uncle say that?" he decided to probe cautiously.

"Nephew Ning, I'll be blunt!"

Gongyang Yan, being straightforward by nature, said, "The Sect Master herself sent me. I do not know where she heard it, but she claims that Nephew Ning possesses extraordinary talent in cultivating the True Yang Furnace Technique and has already reached the Perfect Realm within a mere decade!"

'So it's Senior Sister…'

*Ning Daoran furrowed his brows, knowing full well that despite keeping numerous secrets, there were certain details that could never evade the keen eyes of this Golden Core Senior Sister.*

*Moreover, Jiang Yu, with her sharp intelligence, likely inferred much from various subtleties—she might indeed see through the depths of my cultivation!*

"Senior Sister overestimates me…"

Ning Daoran feigned a slightly pale expression and said, "If I may be frank, Master Uncle, I have indeed been deeply engrossed in cultivating the True Yang Furnace Technique over the years. My understanding of it may indeed surpass that of the disciples at True Yang Peak, but as for reaching Perfect Realm—that's an exaggeration."

He added gravely, "Actually, my True Yang Furnace Technique has only reached the Great Success level."

"Only Great Success?"

Gongyang Yan made no attempt to hide the disappointment on his face.

He looked somewhat deflated, saying, "Initially, I had hoped to gain some insights from Nephew Ning that could aid me in advancing my own cultivation. But I didn't expect that Nephew Ning had also only cultivated it to Great Success."

"Master Uncle needn't despair."

*Ning Daoran understood that Gongyang Yan wouldn't leave empty-handed.*

*Besides, since Senior Sister had already sent Gongyang Yan to visit me, refusing to share at least a little would be tantamount to disrespecting Senior Sister's wishes.*

*Jiang Yu had always been kind to me; without her, she wouldn't have gifted me the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven.*

"Although I have yet to cultivate the True Yang Furnace Technique to the Perfect level, I have gained occasional insights beyond the Great Success realm."

Ning Daoran mused aloud, "My Spirit Root is inadequate, and my foundation is lacking. I can only gaze from afar at the more profound aspects of the True Yang Furnace Technique; those realms remain difficult to grasp. However, these distant observations and speculations may perhaps be of some help to Master Uncle's cultivation progress."

"Really?"

Gongyang Yan's eyes sparked with anticipation. "Nephew Ning, would you truly be willing to share your insights with this old man?"

"Of course."

Ning Daoran replied, "The True Yang Furnace Technique was taught to me by the Chaotic Sect; it's only proper to show gratitude. Master Uncle, please wait for a moment. I'll write down my understanding and insights into the Perfect Realm of the technique and pass them along to you."

"Great! Thank you, Nephew Ning!"

…

Late into the night, Ning Daoran took out his writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began writing swiftly.

Gongyang Yan waited nearby, his face brimming with eagerness.

In fact, as Ning Daoran started to write, Gongyang Yan began observing closely, sitting by the side, activating his mental method, and attempting to validate the content on the spot.

Soon after, a long-standing bottleneck in Gongyang Yan's cultivation—a block that had persisted for years—naturally began to unravel.

"Huh?"

Gongyang Yan's eyes shone brightly.

As for Ning Daoran, though he acquired the True Yang Furnace Technique through Refining Time, the insights and understanding he gained during cultivation were genuine and tangible.

Thus, his reflections and comprehension of the True Yang Furnace Technique were undeniably profound, incorporating thousands or even tens of thousands of years of accumulated experience—something Gongyang Yan could scarcely hope to match.

Of course, Ning Daoran didn't write down the full Perfect Technique.

While writing, he conversed with Gongyang Yan, offering targeted advice that addressed Gongyang Yan's specific cultivation problems. Often, he would bury his solution in a long-winded explanation, only to conclude with a sharp, piercing line of guidance.

In this manner, the ultimate breakthrough to Perfect Realm would still rest entirely on Gongyang Yan's own efforts, with Ning Daoran merely acting as a guide.

Even so, Gongyang Yan's enthusiasm remained undeterred.

That night, Gongyang Yan had his "knife meets rock moment," discovering for the first time that the True Yang Furnace Technique had such an effective cultivation methodology.

Morning came.

The crowing of Spirit Chickens echoed from the rear courtyard.

Ning Daoran put down his brush and said, "This is all I have; my shallow knowledge allows me to produce only this much. I hope that Master Uncle will not find it insufficient."

"Nonsense!"

Gongyang Yan spoke solemnly, "Nephew Ning's insights into the True Yang Furnace Technique have opened my eyes; this handbook alone will be invaluable. Rest assured, I won't treat you unfairly!"

With that, the Great Elder tucked the handbook into his robes, patted his Storage Bag, and several treasures emerged.

A treasure armor, a pair of gold-threaded magical shoes, and a Storage Bag filled with Spirit Stones.

"Nephew Ning, this inner armor is the Profound Flame Armor, a Second-tier Top-grade Spiritual Artifact crafted by a renowned Third-tier Artifact Master at my request.

This pair of shoes, named the Flying Cloud Shoes, is a Second Order High Grade Spiritual Artifact capable of significantly enhancing tunneling speed—a rare and beneficial treasure.

As for this Storage Bag, it contains eight thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones. Please don't underestimate these gifts; they are merely tokens of your Master Uncle's appreciation—please accept them!"

"Huh?"

Ning Daoran showed a combination of nervousness and awkwardness, grabbing a corner of the Profound Flame Armor and saying, "Master Uncle, this is absolutely too much; your disciple has done nothing to warrant such lofty generosity. I cannot accept such grand gifts; please take them back—you mustn't let this burden fall upon your disciple!"

"Nephew Ning, what are you saying? These are what you've rightfully earned!"

"Master Uncle, please don't insist; this places your disciple in an awkward position!" Ning Daoran acted with seemingly resolute conviction.

"Nephew Ning… could it be that you truly…"

The Great Elder hesitated, beginning to doubt whether this young man truly intended to refuse.

He reached out to retrieve the Profound Flame Armor, but found that not a single thread of the treasure moved! The corners of the Great Elder's mouth twitched silently.

"Nephew Ning, these gifts are thoughtful tokens from your Master Uncle—they are yours whether you wish to accept them or not!"

"In that case, your disciple can only comply!"

Ning Daoran hesitantly accepted the Profound Flame Armor, Flying Cloud Shoes, and the Storage Bag filled with Spirit Stones, and discreetly retrieved five hundred kilos of Purple Jade Spirit Rice from his own Storage Bag to offer to the Great Elder.

"Master Uncle, these were grown by your disciple—please don't hesitate to accept them."

"Ah, Nephew Ning, why are you so considerate?"

The Great Elder chuckled heartily as he accepted the gift, then hurriedly departed to retreat and cultivate within his Cave Mansion at True Yang Peak.

…

In the underground chamber.

Ning Daoran fully refined both the Profound Flame Armor and the Flying Cloud Shoes, integrating them into his arsenal of spiritual tools. In doing so, he acquired both the Profound Flame Armor and the All Heaven Treasure Armor as his inner armor.

Though it seemed excessive, it wasn't nearly enough.

With defensive treasures, the motto was clear: more is always better, subscribing wholeheartedly to the "extra protection never hurts" philosophy!

Additionally, Ning Daoran looked forward to the Flying Cloud Shoes with great anticipation.

Upon completing the refinement, he quickly donned the Flying Cloud Shoes, instantly feeling as if his feet were weightless.

He dashed back and forth within the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven, testing the shoes, and found them impressive indeed. The shoes enhanced the speed of his Wind Riding Leisurely Technique and tunneling light by approximately twenty percent.

Though seemingly modest, that percentage could be life-saving in critical moments. Visit My Virtual Library Empire (MV-LEMP-YR) for more.

Furthermore, footwear-type treasures were inherently scarce—not only were their materials rare, but their crafting requirements were extraordinarily rigorous, making them highly uncommon in the marketplace.

To Ning Daoran, these treasures were priceless; from that day forth, the Profound Flame Armor and Flying Cloud Shoes would never leave his side.

…

Days later, at the Inner Sect Hall.

Golden Core Zhao Lichen presided over the hall, no longer needing to personally distribute tasks to disciples.

However, restless as he was, he often wandered out of his room to passionately teach a group of young disciples.

"Senior Brother Zhao."

Ning Daoran approached, accompanied by Big Stupid Deer.

"Ah, it's Junior Brother Ning and Junior Brother Lu! Come, come, Senior Brother has just acquired a fine batch of tea yesterday. You two must come and taste it."

"In that case, we'll trouble Senior Brother for the hospitality."

Inside the quiet chamber.

Ning Daoran took a sip of Spiritual Tea. Apart from its sweetness, he couldn't discern anything remarkable about it.

Not one to revel in pretentious tea-tasting rituals, he promptly cut to the chase.

"Senior Brother,"

Ning Daoran said, "Do you know how inner armors are crafted?"

"Inner armors?"

Zhao Lichen, having frequented the Inner Sect, naturally possessed far more knowledge about cultivation nuances than Ning Daoran. His response was upbeat and immediate:

"Generally speaking, inner armors require a large quantity of rare metal materials. Additionally, they undergo processes of forging, quenching, and tempering, similar to heavy weaponry.

Ordinary Artifact Masters cannot create heavy armor or weapons. Crafting these requires skilled blacksmiths. To produce spiritual weapon- or magical treasure-level heavy armor and weapons, the requirements are even stricter.

The craftsman must be an exceptionally skilled smith, and more importantly, a Master at Artifact Refining with profound expertise in the Path of Artifact Refining."

"I see."

Ning Daoran expressed some surprise, saying, "So to craft inner armor, one must be a blacksmith…"

"Exactly."

Zhao Lichen nodded with a smile. "Junior Brother, since you're here today, shall we spar and exchange insights on Foundation Establishment cultivation?"

Late at night.

Ning Daoran left the Inner Sect Hall alongside Big Stupid Deer, looking rather dejected.

If not for a secret missive delivered via a Sound Transmission Talisman from a paperfolk, it's likely that Senior Brother Zhao would have continued discussing cultivation insights with him for three days and nights nonstop.

"Old Lu,"

Under the moonlit sky, Ning Daoran gazed toward the future and said with a laugh, "Among the top four arts in Cultivation Hundred Arts—Alchemy Dao, Array Path, Talismanic way, and Artifact Path—I've already studied the Alchemy Dao and Array Path. The Talismanic way is too profound for me, and I cannot cross its threshold."

Looking at Big Stupid Deer, he chuckled, "As for you, you seem rather dim-witted, so we can forget about the Talismanic way altogether. From now on, you'll begin studying the Artifact Path. When I ascend to the Golden Core Stage someday, I'll take you to Fanshu City.

I've heard that behind the Immortal City lies Red Leaf Valley, where a Divine Craftsman skilled in forging resides. When the time comes, I'll take you there to apprentice under him. From then onward, the battle armor and weapons for the Ning Family Army will rest in your hands!"

"Ow-ow~~~"

Big Stupid Deer nudged its elder brother's arm with its head, signaling its agreement.

Ning Daoran narrowed his eyes, filled with hope for the future.

Under the moonlight, the whole body of Big Stupid Deer glowed with white radiance, exuding an air of sanctity.

…

A month later.

News arrived: The Great Elder emerged from seclusion, his True Yang Furnace Technique had achieved Perfect Realm, and he began preparations for Core Formation.