"The so-called husband is formed from the innate primal qi. Qi refinement is the refinement of the self—purifying one's own being, reversing the acquired to return to the innate, thereby forging the body and soul into wondrous unity, condensing true innate qi…"
After a long while, Lu Yang slowly opened his eyes, joy clearly visible on his face.
Compared to The Yin–Yang Grand Pleasure Scripture, the Innate Dao Scripture truly possessed the bearing of a complete and orthodox inheritance.
The entire scripture began cultivation from the mortal stage. Upon entry, practitioners first trained a set of innate body-tempering techniques, even accompanied by a matching martial art known as Innate Grand Seizing Art.
Once the physical body reached completion, cultivation would move on to "reversing the innate." First refining the five organs and six viscera, then the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones—until finally the physical form was completely dissolved, refining the body into a strand of Innate True Qi. From then on, the cultivator could disperse and gather at will, immune to ordinary spells, standing invincible in battle from the very start.
In addition, the scripture recorded many spells that could be used in conjunction with Innate True Qi.
Techniques such as Heavenly Net Dust-Shrouding Smoke, Single-Intent True Qi Sword, Spirit Breath Qi-Absorption Art…The sheer variety and versatility of these spells left Lu Yang feeling enlightened.
But just as he was reading with rapt attention, Lu Yang suddenly froze.
"...Why is it gone?"
He subconsciously looked up at Liu Xin, only then realizing that the Innate Dao Scripture in his hands contained only the first half. The contents ended abruptly.
"Junior Brother, Dao techniques are not taught lightly."
Liu Xin chuckled softly.
"The latter half of the Innate Dao Scripture involves the secrets of Foundation Establishment. It isn't included in the sect's welfare—you need contribution points to exchange for it."
Lu Yang shook his head helplessly.
"So that's how it is. Junior Brother was careless."
"No harm done. Half the scripture is more than enough for you to cultivate."
Liu Xin patted Lu Yang's shoulder warmly.
"Come, I'll take you to Butian Peak to choose a cave dwelling. Pick a good place—it'll make future interactions easier."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Half an hour later, at the foot of Butian Peak, inside a secluded cave dwelling, Lu Yang officially settled down. The original furniture and items inside were treated as trash and cleared out.
Watching this scene, Lu Yang's thoughts grew complicated.
"So even being a formal disciple isn't easy…"
Butian Peak wasn't large. Every year, the Initial Saint Sect accepted countless registered disciples. Even with only a one-in-ten-thousand promotion rate, the peak should have been packed.
Yet in reality?
Along the way, Lu Yang found Butian Peak not crowded at all—many cave dwellings were vacant, with no disciples residing in them.
Where had all the formal disciples gone?Surely it wasn't because they couldn't afford the rent?
Lu Yang shook his head and didn't dwell on it. He retrieved a meditation cushion, sat down, aligned his five centers toward the heavens, and began his first cultivation session inside the cave dwelling.
At once, Lu Yang felt nearly twice the天地灵气—heaven-and-earth spiritual energy—surging toward him compared to the outer sect. It poured into his dantian, circulated through his meridians, spread throughout his body, and finally fused into his organs, flesh, tendons, and bones.
The efficiency shocked him.
With the same time and the same cultivation method, the amount of true qi he could refine in one hour here would have taken an entire day in the outer sect.
"No wonder inner-sect cave dwellings cost money."
Once one experiences luxury, it's hard to return to simplicity. After tasting this cultivation speed, enduring cultivation elsewhere would be unbearable.
The next day, Lu Yang didn't go out. He stayed in the cave, cultivating while studying the Innate Dao Scripture.
"Cultivation in this world still depends on talent, but there's no concept of spiritual roots. As long as one has the will, anyone can step onto the path of cultivation."
Even so, cultivation wasn't any easier.
Although mortals weren't restricted by spiritual roots, the grade of true qi refined still determined a cultivator's ultimate ceiling.
This was the role of techniques.
The higher the technique, the higher the quality of true qi, and the greater the chance of reaching higher realms. Inferior techniques meant earlier bottlenecks.
True qi was divided into nine grades and thirty-six tiers—lower grades were superior, higher tiers more powerful.
Generally speaking, below Grade Seven, Foundation Establishment was impossible. Below Grade Three, forming a Golden Core was unlikely. Without Grade One, attempting Nascent Soul was nearly certain death.
"Independent cultivators really have no way out."
Lu Yang sighed.
Compared to great sects with complete inheritances, rogue cultivators had no choice—whatever technique they found, they practiced.
Even with exceptional talent and comprehension, they lost at the starting line.
The difficulty of cultivation was evident.
Lu Yang frowned.
"The Innate Dao Scripture refines Innate True Qi at Grade Six, Tier One—it offers a chance at Foundation Establishment. Strictly speaking, it's not weak."
But it still fell short of his expectations.
If he were an ordinary cultivator, it would have been enough.
But now, possessing the Hundred Lives Book, his future was limitless. A technique that stopped at Foundation Establishment could not satisfy him.
"If only there were a supreme inheritance ranked Grade One…"
Lu Yang imagined it, then sighed.
"Forget it. One step at a time. Take too big a step and—snap—you'll tear something important."
"I'll cultivate the Innate Dao Scripture first and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator…"
Once the Dao foundation was established, one could live three hundred years—an entire mortal dynasty. In the cultivation world, that qualified as a great cultivator.
With strength, he could seek higher inheritances, obtain them, then immediately restart life.
Repeating this cycle, one day his dreams would come true.
As long as he remained patient and avoided recklessness, time would always be on his side—this was the confidence the Hundred Lives Book gave Lu Yang.
Ten days later, inside Lu Yang's cave dwelling—
White qi surged and billowed, transforming into rolling black smoke, then into formless qi swords, and finally into a graceful, immortal-like human figure.
"I succeeded."
Though profound, the Innate Dao Scripture wasn't difficult to cultivate. In just ten days, Lu Yang had dissolved his physical form and refined his body into a strand of true qi.
[Name: Lu Yang][Lifespan: 18][Cultivation: Qi Refinement Level One][Talent: Unorthodox Prodigy (White)][Techniques: Yin–Yang Grand Pleasure Scripture (Perfected), Innate Qi Refinement Transformation Art (Perfected)][Divine Abilities: None][Treasures: None][Hundred Lives Book Pages: 99]
Seeing the updated information, Lu Yang stepped through the air, feeling better than ever. Even the venereal disease of his original body had completely healed.
"…?"
Suddenly, Lu Yang frowned and stopped, staring again at the Hundred Lives Book, falling into deep thought.
"…Something's wrong."
It felt like he had overlooked something.
This life had gone too smoothly—becoming a formal disciple, receiving the Innate Dao Scripture…
Then it hit him.
[After Jade Su Zhen plundered your vital qi, she broke through to the Qi Refinement realm. However, her illness was deeply rooted, her true qi unable to expel it. She lay bedridden for months and eventually died of sickness.]
Why had Senior Sister Jade died in the previous life?
As a formal disciple, she should have received the Innate Dao Scripture. If she refined it successfully and transformed her form into qi, how could she die from a minor illness?
She failed to cultivate it?
"Impossible."
Lu Yang shook his head.
The Innate Dao Scripture wasn't difficult. If Jade Su Zhen could break into Qi Refinement, there was no way she couldn't succeed within months.
"Unless… she wasn't cultivating the Innate Dao Scripture at all."
In that instant, Lu Yang felt as if he'd fallen into an icy abyss.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears, breathing quickened, and the excitement drained from his face.
"The Innate Dao Scripture… was it prepared specifically for me by Liu Xin?"
Lu Yang recalled what he had seen in the Artifact Refinement Hall.
That registered disciple believed he had achieved the Great Dao, yet ended up destroying himself—failing to break through and instead refining himself into a magic artifact.
That moment… was identical to this one.
Just then, a familiar and warm voice suddenly came from outside the cave dwelling.
"Junior Brother Lu, are you in?"