From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

Chapter 108: The Yan King's Heart Sutra and the Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique

After looking at more than a dozen martial arts techniques, Lin Yan still couldn't find one that gave him that spark of inspiration.

It's not that these techniques aren't good enough, but Lin Yan always felt that something was missing.

Some have overly demanding cultivation conditions, some have cultivation techniques with insufficient upper limits, and others are incompatible with their existing cultivation techniques. In short, each has its own problems.

Lin Yan stopped when he reached the very back of the second row of bookshelves.

In the far corner of the bookshelf sat a thin booklet, its cover covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly untouched for a long time. This booklet was tucked away in the bottom corner of the shelf, next to several moldy old books, as if it had been abandoned.

Lin Yan curiously pulled out the booklet and blew away the dust on the cover.

The four characters "Yan Wang Xin Jing" (燕王心经) came into view.

He flipped to the first page and quickly scanned the introduction.

This cultivation method was written by Li Jianxuan, the founding emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, in his later years. After a lifetime of fighting and establishing his empire, Li Jianxuan retired to the Wenyuan Pavilion in his later years and devoted his heart and soul to writing this body-refining cultivation method.

The Yan King's Heart Sutra has five levels. It is purely about tempering the physical body with true qi, without involving any magic or martial arts. It follows the path of proving the Dao through strength. When one cultivates to the great perfection level, the physical body is comparable to a divine weapon, and one can crush ordinary cultivators of the same level with strength alone.

Unfortunately, over the past five hundred years, many people have tried to cultivate it, and even those with exceptional talent have been stuck at the third level, unable to break through to the fourth-grade Qi Transformation Realm. Over time, this masterpiece of the founding emperor was abandoned in a corner, forgotten and gathering dust.

Lin Yan continued flipping through the remaining pages, but the more she read, the more something seemed off.

The true energy flows through the Ren meridian when sitting.

The true qi flows through the Du meridian when standing.

The true energy flows through the Chong meridian in the bow posture.

The three channels converge and return to one, and the true qi naturally sinks into the sea of ​​qi.

How come the cultivation methods of the first two levels of the "Yan King's Heart Sutra" are almost exactly the same as the incomplete breathing exercise he has been practicing?

He obtained the incomplete breathing exercise manual from a brocade pouch that fell from Zhao Yuanlang's body. The writing on the tattered book was blurry, and he had always thought it was just a rudimentary breathing exercise. But now, comparing it with the "Yan Wang Xin Jing" (King Yan's Heart Sutra), Lin Yan felt that the incomplete breathing exercise manual was obviously copied from that technique.

But the person who copied it tampered with it.

The mental techniques and breathing rhythms used in the "Yanwang Heart Sutra" have been completely removed from the breathing exercises section. The originally gentle and smooth flow of true qi has been deliberately changed to a more aggressive method. While this may have increased the speed of cultivation in the short term, it will inevitably damage the meridians in the long run.

A cold sweat broke out on Lin Yan's back. He had been practicing the incomplete breathing technique for almost two years, and his body had indeed suffered many hidden injuries. Even after mastering it, these injuries had not been displayed on his skill panel. Now he understood that the technique he had been practicing was like eating a poison coated with sugar. He had tasted the sweetness, but the toxins were slowly seeping into his bones.

He recalled the complete text of the breathing exercises that the Crown Prince had delivered to him as promised, and also thought of Gu Changshan, who had risen to the third rank in just three years but died tragically in a cave in Black Wind Ridge. This altered technique was probably the key to what the Crown Prince was planning.

Lin Yan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the unease in his heart, and carefully read through the "Yan King's Heart Sutra" from beginning to end.

The first level, the second level, the third level... He silently memorized each word, engraving the complete technique into his mind.

For a full hour, Lin Yan sat in the corner like a stone, motionless.

Because of his foundation in the Breathing Exercises, by the time he closed the book, the first three levels of the Yan King's Heart Sutra were already imprinted in his mind without missing a single word. As for the fourth and fifth levels, the cultivation methods corresponding to the Qi Transformation Realm and the Innate Realm were too profound for Lin Yan to understand for the time being.

He tried circulating the first level of the technique, and his true energy surged from his dantian, traveled through his meridians, and finally returned to his dantian.

A line of text suddenly appeared on the skill panel in my mind.

【Skill: The Heart Sutra of the King of Yan (Beginner) (1/200)】

[Effect: Body Refinement Technique, five levels in total, currently at level one, increases physical strength by 3% and power by 5%]

Lin Yan's hand trembled violently; there was indeed a problem with the breathing technique for the incomplete text!

Now he understood that it wasn't because the incomplete breathing exercises were too rudimentary that they weren't included, but because the panel wouldn't include altered techniques; it only recognized authentic and complete techniques.

Lin Yan carefully put the "Yan Wang Xin Jing" back in its original place and covered the cover with dust.

He didn't take the booklet with him; the Master of Wenyuan Pavilion said he could only choose one cultivation technique.

He has already memorized all the cultivation methods for the first three levels, so he no longer needs to take them with him.

Now that I've already gotten the "Yan King's Heart Sutra" for free, I can't waste this opportunity. I need to choose another truly useful cultivation method.

Lin Yan picked up the old book next to him, which was almost moldy, and looked at it.

The Nine Revolutions Profound Technique is not judged by rank, but by the number of revolutions. The first revolution refines the body, the second refines the spirit, the third refines the mind, the fourth returns to the origin, and the fifth merges with the Dao... Cultivating this technique requires dual cultivation of the spirit and body. Those who cultivate only one aspect should not practice it, as forcing it will sever all meridians.

Spiritual and physical cultivation! Isn't this a cultivation method tailor-made for him?

Lin Yan's heart raced as he continued reading, only to find that the first two turns were complete. The writing became fragmented in the later turns, and from the fifth turn onwards, there wasn't even a single clear character left.

Lin Yan shook his head. This cultivation technique sounded so mysterious, but he didn't expect it to be so incomplete. No wonder it was left here to gather dust.

He then picked up another old, yellowed book and opened it.

The "Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique" is a body-refining cultivation method that requires a cultivation level of Rank 2 or higher. Beginners will immediately gain the strength of an elephant. Upon mastery, the physical body will be as powerful as a demon beast. However, the cultivation process is extremely painful, and those with weak minds should not attempt to cultivate it.

This is also a pure body-refining technique, but it does not follow the same path as the "Yanwang Heart Sutra".

The "Yanwang Heart Sutra" takes a meticulous, inside-out approach, using true qi to nourish the body and bones, while the "Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique" uses brute force to overcome skill, squeezing out the body's potential through high-intensity tempering.

These two techniques do not conflict; in fact, they can complement each other.

Lin Yan flipped through the book again, becoming more and more satisfied. He clutched the old book in his hand, turned, and walked towards the stairs.

The bookshelves on the fourth floor were sparser than those on the third floor. Each cultivation manual was placed in a separate jade box, the surface of which was covered with restrictive runes. Lin Yan only glanced at them briefly before continuing to walk upstairs.

The staircase leading to the fifth floor no longer bears the portraits of emperors from past dynasties; only bare stone walls remain. At the end of the staircase is a wooden door.

Lin Yan raised his hand and gently knocked on the door three times.

"Come in."