NOVEL WEB Chapter 62: The Earth Burrowing Technique
On the tray, next to each jade slip, lay a booklet summarizing its content.
In the past, when Ping’er was less acquainted with He Song, she would only bring the booklets. Once He Song decided which one to purchase, she would retrieve the corresponding jade slip.
Now, however, she had brought both the booklets and the jade slips in one go.
This demonstrated her growing trust in He Song.
If He Song were truly an evil cultivator and decided to snatch the jade slips and flee, Ping’er would surely face the wrath of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. She would undoubtedly be punished.
He Song understood this clearly and appreciated Ping’er’s trust.
Casually picking up a booklet, he began to read.
“First Technique: Light Body Technique, a basic spell that increases travel speed. Essential for long journeys and escaping. Priced at 10 spirit stones.”
“Second Technique: Continuous Mountain Light Body Technique, A mid-tier spell from the Vast Earth Sect, faster than the basic Light Body Technique, perfect for long-distance travel or fleeing. Priced at 50 spirit stones.”
“Third Technique: Earth Burrowing Technique. a high-tier spell, It allows you to burrow underground and move swiftly through the earth. However, it is vulnerable to the Tremor Earth Technique. Priced at 100 spirit stones.”
“Fourth Technique: Heavenly Cicada Light Body Technique, a high-tier spell that allows for brief hovering in mid-air with rapid flight speeds. One of the top techniques for traveling and escaping during the Qi Refinement Realm. Priced at 100 spirit stones.”
“Fifth Technique—”
He Song methodically read through each booklet and quickly familiarized himself with the available escape techniques.
The Light Body Technique was one he had already mastered. While not slow, it lacked the extraordinary speed of more advanced spells.
As for the Continuous Mountain Light Body Technique, the booklet described it as a staple of mid-stage Qi Refinement Realm disciples of the Vast Earth Sect. Its speed was impressive. Even though it was a mid-tier spell, when fully utilized, it could rival the speed of a late-stage Qi Refinement Realm cultivator using the basic Light Body Technique.
However, if late-stage cultivators also mastered the Continuous Mountain Light Body Technique, the gap would reappear.
Due to its higher grade, the Continuous Mountain Light Body Technique was slightly slower than the Heavenly Cicada Light Body Technique but was more affordable.
Next was the Earth Burrowing Technique. This spell allowed the user to burrow underground and travel at remarkable speed. While it wasn’t quite as fast as the Continuous Mountain Light Body Technique, it came close.
More importantly, its underground nature provided a layer of concealment. Paired with a concealment spell, it offered excellent safety.
Finally, there was the Heavenly Cicada Light Body Technique. Its origins were unknown, as the booklet provided no details. However, its unique feature of brief hovering made it especially popular at the Spirit Techniques Pavilion.
For Qi Refinement Realm cultivators who hadn’t yet reached the Foundation Establishment Realm and couldn’t perform flight techniques, the allure of the sky was undeniable.
Without the ability to transform into flying light, the Heavenly Cicada Light Body Technique offered a temporary experience of flight.
This capability made it highly sought after.
Having read through all the booklets, He Song pondered for a moment before settling on the Earth Burrowing Technique.
Safety was his top priority.
To He Song, spells like the Light Body Technique, Continuous Mountain Light Body Technique, and Heavenly Cicada Light Body Technique lacked the safety that the Earth Burrowing Technique provided.
By traveling underground with the Earth Burrowing Technique and using a concealment spell, he could remain virtually undetectable. Unless someone specifically looked for him, they wouldn’t know a cultivator was traveling beneath them.
He Song knew he would need to leave the Immortal Market frequently in the future to cultivate new spirit farmlands. During these journeys, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t attract attention.
Using the Light Body Technique would draw too much attention, making him easy to track. The Earth Burrowing Technique, however, allowed him to slip into the ground unnoticed, leaving no trace of his departure or destination.
This level of concealment made the Earth Burrowing Technique his top choice.
Additionally, if someone discovered his spirit farmland, he could safely retreat using the Earth Burrowing Technique while his Five Elements Formation delayed any attackers.
Even if he had to abandon a spirit farmland, he could at least ensure his survival.
With these thoughts in mind, He Song reached out and brushed his hand across the table.
In an instant, 100 spirit stones appeared on the table before him.
“Daoist Ping’er, I’ll take the Earth Burrowing Technique,” He Song said as he picked up the jade slip containing the technique.
After Ping’er nodded and collected the spirit stones, He Song placed the jade slip against his forehead.
In the next moment, an influx of information poured into He Song’s mind.
Thankfully, He Song’s soul was more resilient than most, allowing him to quickly process and imprint the information into his memory.
Once he had committed the technique to memory, He Song set the jade slip back onto the tray.
Turning to Ping’er, he said, “Daoist Ping’er, I’d also like to purchase the Manipulate Object Technique and some other mid-tier spells. Could you help me retrieve them?”
The Manipulate Object Technique, priced at 50 spirit stones, was a mid-tier spell He Song had heard about during a previous visit to the Spirit Techniques Pavilion.
Back then, Ping’er had emphasized its versatility, but He Song couldn’t afford it at the time. He left with only two basic spells, disappointed.
Three years later, He Song’s financial situation had improved, and he wanted to acquire this versatile spell alongside others.
On the side, Ping’er’s eyes gleamed as she watched He Song purchase the Earth Burrowing Technique and express interest in additional spells. Her opinion of He Song shifted once more.
“Please wait, Daoist He. I’ll return shortly,” Ping’er said, lifting the tray as she left. Yet as she walked away, she couldn’t help but wonder about the rapid transformation of He Song’s fortunes.