Gao Xian opened his eyes to see the green jade slip in his hand had turned into tiny grains of sand.
The profound knowledge of the Five Elements within the green jade slip was deeply imprinted in his memory.
The Great Five Elements technique contained text, patterns, and even three-dimensional animations of the human body's internal structure, guiding individuals on how to manipulate spiritual energy correctly, open their spiritual senses, and refine their bodies with magical power.
The intricacies of this technique were so detailed that they were difficult to express through words and images alone.
They were conveyed through a more mystical form of consciousness.
It had to be said that this method of learning was very unique, with exceptionally high efficiency.
If it were taught through conventional means, it would be impossible to convey the information so clearly.
The complete Great Five Elements technique spanned over a hundred thousand words, coupled with patterns and information transmitted through consciousness, making it even more complex and mysterious.
In comparison, the Five Elements technique seemed rudimentary.
If the Great Five Elements technique was equivalent to advanced calculus, then the Five Elements technique would be akin to elementary mathematics.
At present, Gao Xian could only reproduce the text and patterns, but he couldn't articulate the essence of the Great Five Elements technique transmitted through consciousness.
In other words, even if he wanted to pass on the Great Five Elements technique to others, he could only convey about fifty to sixty percent of it.
Such a delicate and secretive technique would result in major issues with even the slightest mistake.
It was no wonder that even Yun Sect dared to give him the Great Five Elements technique, knowing that even if he learned it, he wouldn't be able to pass it on.
However, this version of the Great Five Elements technique had a significant flaw—it only contained the cultivation method up to the tenth level of Qi Refinement, lacking the Foundation Building method.
In other words, his Great Five Elements technique could only reach up to the tenth level of Qi Refinement and couldn't progress to Foundation Building.
Gao Xian was not pleased when he discovered this.
Had he spent five thousand spirit stones to purchase a castrated version?!
"Did Old Zhou deceive me?"
Gao Xian then thought it was unlikely.
Considering their cooperation in alchemy, Old Zhou had no reason to do this.
Apart from causing animosity between them, there was no benefit to such actions.
Gao Xian found Zhu Qiniang in another room and explained the situation.
"Qiniang, do you think Old Zhou did this on purpose?"
Zhu Qiniang shook her head. "Old Zhou wouldn't do that. But spending so many spirit stones and not receiving the Foundation Building method, Elder Nan Pingsong intentionally deceived us."
She sighed. "I knew Nan Pingsong was unsightly, but I didn't expect him to be so greedy. He even wanted to charge us again for the Foundation Building method."
Gao Xian was a bit angry. "The old man is really shameless! He just wants to make money out of everything."
"No need to rush. It will take you at least ten years to reach the tenth level of Qi Refinement. The Great Five Elements technique is not some peerless secret technique; we'll find a way with the sect's help."
Zhu Qiniang comforted Gao Xian. "If all else fails, we can still pay Nan Pingsong more money to get the Foundation Building method."
Gao Xian was a bit annoyed. "No, I'll go talk to Old Zhou."
A year ago, Gao Xian would have bowed and begged Zhou Ye for help in exorcising evil spirits.
But now, after killing so many cultivators, although his temper hadn't changed, his backbone had grown stronger.
Zhu Qiniang didn't stop Gao Xian.
This matter concerned Old Zhou, even if he was unaware, he was still involved.
Gao Xian was not polite this time; he directly climbed over the back wall of Zhou's house.
Zhou Ye was alert and immediately ran out of the bedroom upon hearing the commotion, holding talismans in each hand, cautiously peering outside through the window.
Seeing Gao Xian in the courtyard, Zhou Ye was both angry and surprised.
This kid was acting recklessly, jumping in without a sound in the middle of the night, truly fearless!
"Nephew Xian, why are you here?" Zhou Ye came out, still quite polite.
After all, Gao Xian still owed him twenty thousand Lu Jiao San, so he couldn't afford to offend him.
Gao Xian was not in a good mood. "Uncle Zhou, I treat you as my elder, but you treat me like a fool! That's very disrespectful."
Zhou Ye looked puzzled. "Nephew Xian, what do you mean?"
"The Great Five Elements technique you gave me only goes up to the tenth level of Qi Refinement, without the Foundation Building method. What does this mean?!"
Gao Xian was in a bad mood, so he wasn't as polite to the old man, even if he was his future father-in-law.
His tone was quite firm.
Zhou Ye was also taken aback. "No Foundation Building method? That can't be..."
The Great Five Elements technique had been passed down in Yun Sect for thousands of years, with a complete inheritance from Qi Refinement to Golden Core levels.
The version passed to outsiders naturally lacked the Golden Core level techniques and couldn't include the Foundation Building method.
But not even providing the Foundation Building method was a bit too much.
Seeing Gao Xian's anger, Zhou Ye knew he wasn't lying.
He hurriedly said, "Nephew Xian, please wait. Let me inquire with my teacher. Once I clarify the situation, I will give you an explanation."
"I'll wait."
Gao Xian left with these words, looking angry as he walked away over the wall.
Zhou Ye sighed in the courtyard. "What a mess."
As a middleman, he had tried to maintain good relations with both sides.
But now, he had seriously offended Gao Xian.
Zhou Yuling came out of the room and comforted Zhou Ye. "Dad, it's not like you cheated him; it's not a big deal."
She added, "But Gao Xian spent three thousand spirit stones on a technique that can't help him build his foundation. He must be very frustrated. That's three thousand spirit stones!"
For the Zhou family, three thousand spirit stones were a significant fortune.
The Zhou family mainly earned money from selling various talismans, deducting fifty percent for the sect, covering all expenses, they could save only seventy to eighty spirit stones per month.
After a year of selling Lu Jiao San without sharing with the sect, they had saved over a thousand spirit stones.
Zhou Yuling could understand Gao Xian's frustration.
Zhou Ye sighed again.
He knew it was a mistake on the teacher's part.
Nan Pingsong was his teacher; what could he do!
After some thought, Zhou Yuling said, "I think Gao Xian is really angry this time. I'll go apologize to him tomorrow and speak kindly."
"Daughter, you're in a critical stage of cultivating the Ming Yu Jue. You can't act recklessly."
Zhou Ye was worried but couldn't express his concerns clearly.
The matter with Nan Zhengxing was still unresolved.
If his daughter really got together with Gao Xian, he wouldn't be able to explain it.
Zhou Yuling gave her father a disdainful look and turned back to her room.
"Ah... What a mess," Zhou Ye felt wronged.
The teacher had caused trouble, and now he had to sacrifice his daughter to resolve it!
The next morning, Zhou Yuling went to find Gao Xian.
Since Gao Xian had moved, it was her first time visiting his house.
She was curious about everything and explored around with Gao Xian.
In the bedroom on the west side of the main house, Zhou Yuling noticed that there were bedding and other furnishings, showing signs of use.
It was evident that someone lived there.
She sniffed hard with her small nose and caught a whiff of a woman's scent.
Zhou Yuling's face darkened immediately.
She glared at Gao Xian. "Spill it. Where did this wild woman come from?"
Gao Xian was prepared and calmly replied, "Innkeeper Zhu lives here."
"Innkeeper Zhu isn't dead, Zhu Qiniang?!" Zhou Yuling realized after a moment.
Of course, she knew Zhu Qiniang; the woman's infamous deeds had spread throughout Feima Ji.
Knowing that Zhu Qiniang lived there, her expression softened a bit.
Regardless, Gao Xian couldn't possibly have an affair with Zhu Qiniang.
She was still puzzled. "Why is she living here?"
"I invited her."
Gao Xian had his reasons ready.
He said confidently, "Feima Ji is so chaotic. For my safety, what's wrong with having a skilled person stay with me!"
He was a bit unhappy. "Why do you still doubt me?"
Zhou Yuling gave Gao Xian a coquettish look. "Fine, I'll trust you this time."
Not wanting to stay in someone else's room for too long, Zhou Yuling pulled Gao Xian back to his bedroom. "You scared my dad last night, but it's good. Now I have a reason to come see you every day."
She drew circles on Gao Xian's chest, smiling mischievously. "Let's ignore the old man for a couple of days. After a few days, you can give him a way out. Don't give him the twenty thousand Lu Jiao San..."
Gao Xian was touched.
This woman was really on his side, even willing to sell out her father.
In fact, he wasn't really angry last night; he was just putting pressure on Old Zhou.
He felt a bit embarrassed. "After all, he's your father. Is it not appropriate?"
Zhou Yuling shrugged. "My father has earned quite a bit from Lu Jiao San. If things aren't handled well, he shouldn't get the Lu Jiao San for free. That's fair."
She also thought her father had handled the situation poorly.
The cultivation technique was crucial for Gao Xian's future, and such a major oversight shouldn't have happened.
Gao Xian hugged Zhou Yuling and teased, "A daughter repaying her father's debt. Little darling, today let this old man enjoy himself, consider it repaying with interest!"
Saying that, Gao Xian pushed Zhou Yuling onto the bed, and they rolled together.
Zhou Yuling didn't resist; she looked fragile and pitiful, saying, "I'm still young, please be gentle..."
Gao Xian was just joking, but Zhou Yuling's pitiful look ignited his desire.
Seeing Gao Xian's eyes gleaming and his actions becoming more intense, Zhou Yuling started to feel a bit scared. "Hey, don't be serious..."
Make a vow, three updates every day for ten days, please supervise me! Also, please support me! Subscriptions and monthly tickets are all welcome~
(End of this chapter)