The movements of these silhouettes were extremely slow, and for some reason, it seemed as if they were cloaked with a layer of thin mist. Even if one were to examine the tablet closely, it would still be hard to perceive their movements distinctly.
However, Zhang Xuan didn't need to perceive their movements to learn what they were cultivating. All he really had to do was to direct a glance over at the stone tablets while muttering 'flaws!' in his mind.
Illusory Arcane Dragon Art, True Inferno Yang Formula, Xuanmin Ancestral Impact, Water Undulation Divine Art…
Books swiftly materialized in Zhang Xuan's mind.
There weren't just Grand Dominion realm cultivation technique manuals on the stone tablets; some were Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals as well. If one were to cultivate according to them, there was no doubt that one's cultivation would surely improve by leaps and bounds, granting one fighting prowess far exceeding that of their peers.
Those who were qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum were all geniuses, and those who were qualified to leave behind these cultivation technique manuals were, even more so, geniuses amongst geniuses, individuals who had stood at the top of their generation… Zhang Xuan thought as he slowly proceeded forward.
Through taking in the cultivation technique manuals into his Library of Heaven's Path, he was able to swiftly convert it into his own knowledge, thus allowing him to analyze the pros and cons of each cultivation technique swiftly.
While these cultivation techniques were far from matching up to top cultivation techniques like the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, to most 8-star master teachers, they could still be considered as invaluable treasures.
If any single one of them were to be taken out to the Master Teacher Continent, it would surely induce a massive fight over it as countless cultivators vied to lay their hands on it!
Of course, this could bring in the question of why the Inner Sanctum didn't open up the books to the public. The Sanctum of Sages did allow those whose main occupations were not master teacher to pick up a cultivation technique from the Cultivation Technique Forest as well so long as their main occupation had reached 8-star and they were qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum. Nevertheless, this didn't change the fact that it still wasn't accessible to most cultivators outside.
The reason for that was that the stronger a cultivation technique was, the more demanding it was on one's talent. If one simply didn't have the aptitude for the cultivation technique but still forcefully attempted to cultivate it, not only would one's cultivation not improve as swiftly as expected, more importantly. It could potentially leave major traumas on one's body, resulting in unpredictable consequences.
It was the same reason as why each occupation would only allow their members to view books corresponding to their current rank and below, and not those that were above their current rank. Without building up the necessary fundamental knowledge first, attempting to learn advanced content would, more likely than not, confuse one and possibly distort one's comprehension of the occupation.
There was an inherent tendency within humans to overestimate their abilities, so in order to prevent such tragedies from occurring, there was a need to regulate the flow of information and knowledge so as to ensure that they would only reach appropriate hands.
While others are spending numerous hours in here just to receive the recognition of one predecessor and obtaining his cultivation technique, I am already collecting nearly every single one of the cultivation techniques… Zhang Xuan thought gleefully.
There was a diverse range of cultivation techniques here, and most of the stone tablets here were infused with the will of the creator of the cultivation technique too. Even if Zhan shi were here, he wouldn't be able to learn all of the cultivation techniques either.
However, Zhang Xuan was different. Wherever his eye could reach, those stone tablets within his range of sight would be automatically compiled into a book within his Library of Heaven's Path, and even their corresponding flaws would become apparent to him. As such, he was able to learn the cultivation techniques even without receiving the recognition from their respective creators.
Slowly walking forward, Zhang Xuan relentlessly took in all of the cultivation techniques inscribed on the stone tablets around him.
Over several dozen millenniums, the Cultivation Technique Forest had accumulated more than a thousand cultivation techniques, so it took quite a while before Zhang Xuan finally reached the end.
Compile! Zhang Xuan willed.
Countless books quickly gathered together within the Library of Heaven's Path, fusing together to form the Grand Dominion realm and Phantasmal Space realm Heaven's Path Divine Art.
Swiftly flipping open the two books before him to take a look, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head in slight disappointment.
Just like what he had guessed, the Grand Dominion realm Heaven's Path Divine Art had been fully perfected, devoid of any flaws, but the Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique still had quite a few mistakes here and there. Clearly, he hadn't collected sufficient Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals yet.
"How could Zhang shi... not receive the recognition of even a single predecessor at all?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had walked out of the Cultivation Technique Forest without inducing the slightest bit of response from the stone tablets, Zhan shi frowned in bewilderment.
Be it in terms of talent or fighting prowess, the young man before him had already reached an astounding level. Why would he receive no recognition from the predecessors of the Cultivation Technique Forest at all?
"I haven't been driving my cultivation technique," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.
His goal was just to collect the cultivation technique manuals in the Cultivation Technique Forest, so he chose not to drive his cultivation technique. As a result of that, he hadn't received the recognition of any of the predecessors either.
Besides, the cultivation technique he practiced was the Heaven's Path Divine Art! Which predecessor's eyesight would be so bad as to dare to recognize him?
"You have to drive your cultivation technique while walking through the Cultivation Technique Forest in order to receive the recognition of the predecessors so that you can obtain their secret manuals! To simply walk through it just like that... You won't be able to obtain anything like that!" Zhan shi exclaimed anxiously.
"It's fine, I have already obtained what I wanted. May I ask if there's any silent chamber here where I can cultivate in? I would like to digest what I have just learned. I think I might be able to make a breakthrough in my cultivation." Knowing that it would be difficult for him to explain the matter to Zhan shi in a way that was acceptable to the latter, Zhang Xuan didn't bother delving too deeply into the matter either.
"There's a silent chamber right there. A Spiritual Gathering Formation has been inscribed in it; it can help you gather the surrounding spiritual energy." Zhan shi said as he pointed toward a specific direction.
Since the Cultivation Technique Forest was a place for cultivators to pick up a cultivation technique and learn, the Inner Sanctum had also provided some silent chambers nearby for cultivators who suddenly had a sudden stroke of inspiration to sit down and ponder over it.
Zhang Xuan directed a nod at Zhan shi before walking over to the silent chamber. He pushed on its entrance lightly and walked in.
Perhaps it was due to the presence of the Spirit Gathering Formation, the spiritual energy was even more concentrated than outside. At the same time, the silent chamber seemed to be made of some kind of unique material that completely isolated the space within from the external world, keeping all noises and even Spiritual Perception at bay, thus ensuring absolute silence to the cultivator inside.
Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still swiftly took a look around the chamber, and only after ensuring that it was absolutely safe did he finally heave a sigh of relief. He flicked his wrist and took out the pinnacle spirit stones which Sun Qiang and Zhang Chun had given to him.
As his cultivation rose, the spiritual energy requirement of his Heaven's Path Divine Art had been steadily increasing too. Nevertheless, with ten pinnacle spirit stones on hand, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to push for a breakthrough straight for Grand Dominion realm pinnacle.
Grabbing the spirit stones tightly in his hand, he quickly went through the Grand Dominion realm Heaven's Path Divine Art once more as he conditioned his physical condition to his peak before finally starting his cultivation.
Gugugugu!
As if a lifted dam, spiritual energy swiftly gushed through the meridians in his body, and they were swiftly converted into Heaven's Path zhenqi, nourishing his entire body.
Kacha!
It didn't take too long for him to bash through his Half-Grand Dominion realm bottleneck, and his one-meter radius Dominion immediately began expanding, till the point that it covered a radius of ten meters around him.
Not only so, his Dominion was clearly much denser and heavier than that of ordinary Grand Dominion realm cultivators. Those who had unfortunately fallen into his Dominion would be completely frozen on the spot as if they had been shackled by heavy chains.
Even though its radius was only at ten meters, in terms of prowess, it was on par with even Grand Dominion realm pinnacle experts.
Continue!
Expecting at least this much from the Heaven's Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan wasn't surprised in the least. With a slight smile, he continued his cultivation. Under the drive of his zhenqi, his cultivation swiftly rose, becoming stronger and stronger.
Grand Dominion realm primary stage!
Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage!
Grand Dominion realm advanced stage!
Grand Dominion realm pinnacle!
In just four hours, his cultivation had already reached Saint 6-dan pinnacle, just a step away from achieving a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm.
With the breakthough in his cultivation, his Dominion had grown larger enough to cover a radius of fifty meters, more than twofold larger than that of the twenty meters radius of an average Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivator.
Not only so, he also realized that the Dominion he created was an isolated space from the rest of the world. Any external Spiritual Perception that attempted to delve into his Dominion would be completely severed, as if falling into a folded space... From this phenomenon in itself, he could tell that his Dominion was already nowhere weaker than that of Saint 7-dan cultivators.
With my current strength, I should be able to subdue even Zhang Chun easily… Zhang Xuan thought with a smile.
With his cultivation reaching Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, the Phantasmal Space realm Zhang Chun was no longer a match for him anymore.
He didn't have to take a passive stance anymore.
But again, Zhang Chun probably hadn't recovered from being pummeled by his clone yet, and at the same time, Luo Xuanqing was also eyeing him tightly. Even if he didn't make a move, Zhang Chun probably didn't have any good days ahead of him anymore.
The spiritual energy harnessed within pinnacle spirit stones sure is immense! It took me only eight of them to up my cultivation by an entire realm!
It was no wonder why Luo Xuanqing, Zhang Chun, and the others were able to achieve breakthroughs so quickly, reaching such high cultivation realms at their young age. With such resources to support their growth, it would be hard for them to not to grow so swiftly!
While Zhang Xuan was busy raising his cultivation, Zhan shi was pacing outside the silent chamber with a tight knit between his eyebrows.
Whenever other students entered the Cultivation Technique Forest, they would drive their cultivation techniques as powerfully as they could, hoping to gain the recognition of as many predecessors as possible. Yet, that fellow simply took a walk through it before heading straight for the silent chamber...
Could it be that none of the cultivation techniques in the Cultivation Technique Forest caught his interest?
But that shouldn't be. Those are all Saint high-tier and Saint pinnacle cultivation techniques! It's more likely that he had driven his cultivation technique but failed to obtain the recognition of any of the predecessors… With such doubts in mind, Zhan shi turned his sights to the stone tablets by the side.
With just a single look, he suddenly froze on the spot.
The silhouette moving on the stone tablet had all stopped displaying their cultivation techniques. As if they were faced with something deeply frightening, they were shivering at the corner of the stone tablet, not daring to move or make any noise at all.
Suppression of Cultivation Technique, Inborn Deference of the Heart... This is the cultivation technique of an Ancient Sage? Could it be that... Zhang shi is the direct disciple of an Ancient Sage?
Zhan shi narrowed his eyes in astonishment as he clenched his fists tightly together.