Yu Lie carefully stored the spirit stones and talisman papers into his pouch, then sorted through the miscellaneous items and placed them back into the pitcher plant bag.
The spirit stones, talisman papers, and the pitcher plant bag itself had all fallen into Yu Lie's hands, making him feel as if he had struck gold in one go!
Filled with joy, Yu Lie sat cross-legged in the cave and began flipping through the books left behind by the Daoist child Ku Mu.
He skimmed through them quickly.
Among the books were a few cultivation manuals, but none of them caught Yu Lie's eye.
However, he wasn't too disappointed.
After all, the precious cultivation techniques he had obtained in Blackwater Town were mostly not written down.
They were either passed down through incense sticks, silver mirrors, or other mysterious methods.
This not only helped the town keep the techniques secret but also made it easier for cultivators to comprehend them.
Often, words or pictures alone couldn't fully convey the intricacies of a cultivation technique.
Aside from the cultivation manuals, the other books contained Ku Mu's daily expenses, miscellaneous readings, and even some records of gifts he had received—a hodgepodge of random things.
Yu Lie quickly skimmed through these until his eyes suddenly lit up.
He picked up a thick book and began reading it word by word.
This book wasn't a cultivation manual or a scripture.
Instead, it was a record of Ku Mu's personal cultivation experiences, written by the Daoist child himself.
It was about as thick as a finger and arranged by date, almost like a diary.
In the world of cultivation, it was common for cultivators to record their experiences, insights, and any anomalies they encountered during their practice.
Keeping a diary was one of the most common methods, something that was taught even during the early stages of cultivation.
Yu Lie himself had a cultivation journal where he recorded all his insights from the time he first began cultivating up to the present.
After he started alchemy, he even created a separate notebook to document each of his alchemy experiments, using both plain language and coded terms.
The reason for this was that the act of recording one's cultivation process was itself a form of cultivation.
It allowed a cultivator to reflect on their progress, identify mistakes, and gain new insights.
A well-kept cultivation journal wasn't just useful for the cultivator themselves—it could also be passed down to descendants or disciples, or even sold for a hefty price.
When Yu Lie was studying in the Yu family of Qian County, aside from the standard teachings on rituals, alchemy, artifact forging, and talisman arrays, as well as the fixed Daoist classics, the most important thing he learned was the collective cultivation experiences of his ancestors.
These were considered the "family teachings," a treasure trove of knowledge that varied from family to family and was often kept secret or sold at a high price with strict access requirements.
The records Yu Lie had read in the Blackwater Town library were compiled from the cultivation journals submitted by the town's Daoist children.
These records were considered as valuable as cultivation techniques themselves.
Therefore, when Yu Lie stumbled upon Ku Mu's cultivation journal, he was instantly thrilled!
He carefully read the first few pages, then quickly flipped to the section where Ku Mu recorded his breakthrough to the upper-level Daoist child stage.
The entries were detailed and straightforward:
"Lead blood is inferior, mercury blood is superior, but even among the superior, there are those who are superior among superiors. I must achieve the highest level of mercury blood... but alas, I cannot find a way. For now, I will settle for superior mercury blood and wait for a better opportunity."
"Haha! My blood is now as thick as mercury, each drop like a silver bead. I have achieved superior mercury blood! From this day forward, I am an upper-level Daoist child!"
...
"Ye Zhuo San and Miao Mu are nothing but scum! They only managed to cultivate 'inferior and impure blood.' How dare they look down on me and treat me with disrespect!"
...
"I regret it... I shouldn't have rushed to break through to the upper level. I should have taken my time and built a solid foundation. But is it too late to make up for it now?"
"Regret, regret, regret!!!"
The thick journal contained a lot of information, especially since Ku Mu had spent a significant portion of his life as an upper-level Daoist child.
Fortunately, Yu Lie wasn't an ordinary person.
He read through the entire upper-level cultivation record in no time, flipping through the pages at an astonishing speed.
After finishing, Yu Lie looked up, his eyes filled with a dazed expression.
Whether it was because Ku Mu was particularly skilled at writing cultivation diaries or because this was the original, firsthand account, many of the details were far more vivid and candid than the records Yu Lie had read before.
The journal even included Ku Mu's innermost thoughts, things that would never be shared with others.
Reading it felt like immersing himself in Ku Mu's nearly decade-long cultivation journey, and Yu Lie couldn't help but feel a deep sense of empathy.
He turned his head to look at Ku Mu's corpse lying nearby, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
With Ku Mu's detailed experiences in hand, Yu Lie now had a much clearer understanding of how to break through to the upper level and how to cultivate within that realm.
The journal provided detailed explanations of various taboos and rules mentioned in cultivation texts, things that were often glossed over in other books.
For example, Ku Mu's deep regret over his impatience was something that couldn't be fully conveyed in just a couple of sentences in a standard cultivation manual.
Yu Lie pondered over the journal's contents, then stood up and began pacing around Ku Mu's corpse.
With such a valuable cultivation experience in his hands, Yu Lie even felt a fleeting urge to give Ku Mu a proper burial.
But that thought was just a passing fancy.
Ku Mu's corpse still had its uses—it could be exchanged for benefits!
As he paced, Yu Lie's mind turned to another matter.
In addition to the detailed cultivation records, Ku Mu's journal also included a method called the "Bell and Cauldron Feeding Technique."
This technique was something Ku Mu had spent nearly a decade searching for after reaching the upper level.
It was the best method he had found to repair his foundation.
Unfortunately, some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever.
Ku Mu had already undergone the bone-marrow cleansing transformation and achieved mercury blood.
It was too late for him to change his foundation, even if he had the technique.
The "Bell and Cauldron Feeding Technique" was most effective during the bone-marrow cleansing transformation, increasing the chances of achieving the highest level of blood quality by 30%.
It also had significant benefits during the subsequent digestion process.
But for Ku Mu, it was too late.
By the time he obtained the technique, he had already completed the bone-marrow cleansing transformation, so he couldn't even benefit from the shortened digestion process.
Yu Lie, however, was in a different situation.
He hadn't yet undergone the bone-marrow cleansing transformation, so the "Bell and Cauldron Feeding Technique" had come into his hands at just the right time.
The only thing that gave Yu Lie pause was that the technique was a handwritten copy.
While the steps, ingredients, tools, and processes were all clearly laid out, it lacked the official certification of the Daoist Court, which meant there was a significant risk involved.
The "Bell and Cauldron Feeding Technique" was a specific cultivation method, almost like a spell, and it was different from general cultivation experiences.
Yu Lie could cross-reference Ku Mu's experiences with other texts and records to separate the useful from the useless.
But a specific method for upper-level transformation was beyond his current ability to verify.
If Ku Mu had planted any traps in the technique, Yu Lie could end up dead on the spot if he followed it blindly.
Frowning, Yu Lie thought to himself, "Ku Mu was a cautious and far-sighted individual. Even after having his skull cracked by She Shuangbai, he still managed to escape. It's entirely possible that he deliberately left behind a flawed technique in his journal, mixing truth with lies to exact revenge even in death."
Yu Lie had to be wary of this possibility.
Suddenly, he thought of She Shuangbai and narrowed his eyes.
She Shuangbai had already achieved the highest level of blood quality and seemed to have a mysterious background.
If Yu Lie could seek his advice, he might gain some unexpected insights.
Moreover, Ku Mu had been crippled by She Shuangbai, and She Shuangbai was also Yu Lie's superior...
Author's Note: Yesterday's chapter was a double update.
Today's chapter is still missing, but I'll post it in the afternoon to make up for it.
I really need to stick to a regular schedule to boost my immunity!
(End of Chapter)