Contemplating Renouncing Cultivation to Rebuild the Foundation

With the aid of vast jade resources, Zhou Chengyuan's cultivation naturally progressed at a breakneck pace.

Utilizing the qi-harvesting methods within the Jade Rock Spirit Origin Art to extract the essence of the stones, it took him less than four months to condense his first wisp of True Essence. The gathered energy was a brilliant cyan-white, heavy and solid as granite. Under its influence, the lingering childishness gradually faded from his features, leaving him looking like a weathered crag atop a mountain peak-sharp yet profoundly grounded.

His rapid advancement was due in part to his impressive innate talent, but even more so to the boundless cultivation resources at his disposal.

Only when he began trying to condense his third wisp of True Essence would his natural talent begin to limit him. From that point on, he would have to spend months and years slowly grinding away, relying on time and patience to seek a breakthrough.

In truth, innate talent was merely a measure of how close a living being was to Heaven and Earth. Those in harmony with the world were destined for the immortal path; those distant from it remained bound to the mortal dust.

The poorer one's talent, the more isolated they were from the various energies of the world, including Spirit Qi. Naturally, their cultivation would be agonizingly slow.

In fact, the Spirit Awakening Realm was not even considered a formal realm of cultivation. It was merely a transitional phase for those of mediocre talent to accustom their bodies to Spirit Qi.

For those blessed with eight or nine inches of spiritual light, it took only a few months to clear their spiritual apertures and step into the Qi Condensation Realm. As for those rare spiritual physiques whose light exceeded nine inches, they bypassed the Spirit Awakening phase entirely. Born with open apertures, they needed only to flush away the mundane impurities within them to directly refine the pristine energy of Heaven and Earth.

At the summit of Ming Peak.

Zhou Chengyuan was currently manipulating dozens of precious beads. The spheres coalesced into massive golden orbs, shifting unpredictably in midair. They kicked up fierce gales that sent the surrounding trees swaying and howling, displaying a momentum that seemed capable of shaking mountains and overturning seas.

Suddenly, Zhou Chengyuan let out a long whistle and hurled a massive boulder into the air. Under his command, the dozen or so beads instantly formed a crushing formation, shattering the boulder into fine powder that scattered to the wind.

"What a magnificent treasure!"

Joy flooded Zhou Chengyuan's face, his fingers itching to try more.

As the saying goes, what youth is not full of pride? Having suddenly come into possession of such powerful Magical Artifacts, it was only natural that he wanted to flaunt them.

Standing below, Zhou Ping extended his divine sense, summoning a gentle breeze to disperse the cloud of dust filling the sky. However, a stray flurry still managed to land on Zhou Qianling's head, instantly drawing her ire.

"Zhou Chengyuan!"

Zhou Chengyuan, who had been gearing up for another display, shuddered at the shout. He scratched his head, offering a sheepish, apologetic smile.

"Little Sister Qianling, I didn't mean to."

"Chengyuan, how does it feel?" Zhou Ping asked with a smile.

Once Zhou Chengyuan reached the first layer of the Qi Condensation Realm, Zhou Ping had handed over the pair of copper spheres and the golden wind beads taken from Jin Yuanfeng.

Since both sets of artifacts resembled golden beads, using them in tandem could easily deceive an opponent. A foe would mistake them for a single artifact, allowing Zhou Chengyuan to catch them off guard and achieve miraculous results in battle.

"These two artifacts are incredible, Grandfather! They can attack and defend, and their transformations are completely unpredictable. I feel like even if I fought three or four versions of myself, they wouldn't be able to get anywhere near me," Zhou Chengyuan said excitedly.

Zhou Ping nodded slightly. He had observed the display just now; with these two artifacts safeguarding the boy, no one could gain an advantage over him unless Zhou Ping used his own jade seal.

"Artifacts are fine tools, but you must not neglect your mastery of techniques. Do you understand?"

If a cultivator had an obvious weakness, they were practically begging to be targeted and ambushed.

Furthermore, the Jade Rock Spirit Origin Art was fundamentally different from the other techniques preserved by the Zhou family. It was a high-grade manual capable of serving as the foundational inheritance for an entire sect, complete with over a dozen complementary techniques that covered every necessity.

However, these techniques could only be cast once a cultivator reached the Qi Condensation Realm. It was precisely for this reason that the Zhou family had been unable to harvest the jade qi in the past.

"I know, Grandfather. Look, I've already mastered the Azure Jade Spirit Armor."

As Zhou Chengyuan spoke, the Spirit Qi within his body began to circulate along a specific path. A faint green light surfaced on his skin, hardening into a protective layer of armor that looked as though it had been meticulously carved from flawless jade.

To test it, he commanded one of the golden beads to strike him. With a loud crash, the bead bounced away, its deflected momentum snapping a nearby tree as thick as a bowl. The sudden impact sent the young mountain goats in the forest scattering in a panicked frenzy.

Yet, the spirit armor over Zhou Chengyuan's chest had only sustained a few hairline fractures. As his Spirit Qi surged, the cracks mended themselves within moments, returning the armor to pristine condition.

Zhou Ping could not help but marvel at the sheer power of the Jade Rock Spirit Origin Art. A short distance away, Zhou Qianling let out a soft cry of astonishment.

Catching her amazed expression, Zhou Chengyuan raised his chin even higher, practically beaming with pride.

Watching the boy, Zhou Ping fell into deep thought, the desire to renounce his own cultivation and rebuild his foundation resurfacing in his mind.

Now that he could continuously elevate his innate talent using the Ding Fire, he knew he would likely not be stopped by the bottlenecks of the Qi Condensation Realm.

However, the Mountain Stream Clear Flow Art he currently practiced was a mediocre method with unexceptional combat strength. Worse, if he wished to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm in the future, he would have to spend immense effort searching for a higher-level manual derived from the same source to continue his path. Such a pursuit was bound to be exhausting and left him vulnerable to the schemes of others.

Cultivation was akin to erecting a grand pavilion. If the foundation was poorly laid, the structure was doomed to collapse before it could reach the heavens.

The Jade Rock Spirit Origin Art was right before him, and the family now possessed ample cultivation resources. He could easily regain his current realm within a few years. It was impossible not to be tempted.

Only by becoming stronger would he have the power to seek out longevity treasures for his parents and guide Minghu and the others into the Qi Condensation Realm.

Of course, even if he were to cripple his own cultivation to start anew, it could not be right now.

Though Zhou Chengyuan had become a Qi Condensation cultivator, he was still far too young and lacked mental maturity. Zhou Ping could not bring himself to leave the safety of the clan entirely in the boy's hands during his period of vulnerability.

He would have to wait at least a few more years until Zhou Chengyuan grew more responsible and Zhou Qianling also reached the Qi Condensation Realm before he could truly rest easy.

Furthermore, this transition could not be delayed for too long. He was already forty-six years old. If he waited until his twilight years to sever his cultivation, his physical form would instantly deteriorate into decrepit old age, posing an immense danger to his life.

This was the precise reason many powerful cultivators refused to switch to superior arts even when they found them; the moment they relinquished their strength, they might simply perish on the spot as their lifespans evaporated.

"Chengyuan, Grandfather wants to ask you something," Zhou Ping said, stepping forward.

Zhou Chengyuan hastily reverted his artifacts back into sixteen small beads, tucking them protectively into his robes as he eyed Zhou Ping warily. "Grandfather, you're not planning to take the Golden Yuan Beads back, are you?"

The 'Golden Yuan Beads' was the name he had given them, though they were actually two distinct artifacts: the Two Extremes Copper Yuan and the Golden Bead Great Illumination.

With his childish temperament, he naturally wanted to clutch any good treasure tightly to his chest, especially since Zhou Ping had only just given them to him.

Of course, if Zhou Ping truly insisted, Zhou Chengyuan would hand them over. Though he was mischievous and wild, he was ultimately a deeply obedient child.

Zhou Ping blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Of course not."

Zhou Chengyuan instantly breathed a sigh of relief, puffing out his chest to feign composure. "I've already mastered the first few techniques available to me."

However, his voice trailed off at the end, his lack of confidence painfully obvious.

"That is not what I wanted to ask either."

"Then what is it, Grandfather?" Zhou Chengyuan asked, puzzled.

Zhou Ping ruffled the boy's hair, his tone turning measured. "I heard from your Fourth Uncle that you haven't been paying attention in the clan school. He says you do nothing but sleep and play all day."

Ever since the tragedy involving Zhou Changxi, Zhou Ping had placed paramount importance on the education of the younger generation. Regardless of status or birth, every child of the Zhou family over the age of three was required to study at the clan school for fifteen years until their coming-of-age ceremony. They were taught literacy and literature to cultivate their minds, and martial arts to forge their bodies, all to ensure they grew into refined, disciplined individuals.

After all, even if they failed to become cultivators, they could still serve as officials or merchants. If the family raised nothing but worthless fools, it would not only bring zero benefit to the clan but would likely cost the children their lives out in the world.

Learning that his secret was out, Zhou Chengyuan bolted. But before he could take two steps, Zhou Ping caught him firmly by the scruff of his neck. Not daring to use his Spirit Qi to resist, the boy instantly turned into a helpless lamb awaiting the slaughter.

Zhou Ping's voice dropped to a chilling register. "Could it be that your Fourth Uncle spoke the truth?"

"It's a lie... Fourth Uncle is slandering me!" Zhou Chengyuan wailed.

Zhou Ping merely turned his gaze toward the girl standing nearby. "Qianling, has Zhou Chengyuan been studying diligently in the school?"

Ignoring Zhou Chengyuan's desperate, pleading eyes, Zhou Qianling slowly shook her head.

In the next instant, Zhou Ping's massive palm clamped down over Zhou Chengyuan's face.

"No!"

"Sister, how could you betray me!"

High atop Ming Peak, the boy's miserable shrieks echoed through the trees.

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