Lin Xuan then began learning the second technique, the Ice Needles spell!
Although it was only a mid-rank technique, it was rather special, because its power can even be as powerful as some of the high-rank techniques that only Foundation Building cultivators can practice.
In the world of cultivation, techniques are split into three ranks, ignoring low-rank techniques, how can one distinguish between mid and high-rank techniques?
Power?
Correct, but that is not all. In fact, the main criteria in determining them are that the techniques that Spirit Gathering stage can practice are mid rank, and techniques which require the Foundation Building stage are high-rank techniques.
Generally, high-rank techniques have higher requirements, so naturally its power was greater. But there are exceptions to everything, in the mid rank techniques, the only special technique, was the Ice Needles spell.
Spirit Gathering stage cultivators can practice it, but the Ice Needles spell’s power was no weaker than some high-rank techniques. Because of this, some of the elder generation even argued that this technique should be classified as a high-rank technique.
But for whatever reason, that proposal was not passed, and the Ice Needles spell in the Encyclopedia of techniques was still listed as mid-rank. Then, of course, Ice Needles would be the most powerful of the mid-rank techniques.
Some people even called the Ice Needles spell the “false mid-rank technique”.
It can be practised at the Spirit Gathering stage, and can even rival high-rank techniques. When first hearing about this, the Ice Needles spell would have great attraction, lower level disciples would all want to practice it. But in reality, this was not the case. There was no such miracle in the world, however much one pays, will be however much one gains. Although the power of Ice Needles spell was the highest in the mid rank techniques, its difficulty of practising was also notorious.
It did not require that much spiritual power to use, but successfully practice, it required one to have very strong spiritual sense. Because this the so-called Ice Needles spell was, in fact, using spiritual power to condense the moisture in the air into hundreds of icicles, each one hard as steel, which can then be used to harm the enemy.
Each needle might be small, but to to simultaneously control hundreds of them, required so much spiritual sense that was hard to imagine, so it was very difficult in practising.
In hundreds of years, an uncountable number of low-level disciples at the Spirit Gathering stage have attempted to learn this technique, but in the end, there were few that were able to succeed. Before the Foundation Building stage, to learn the Ice Needle spell requires a lot of tenacity.
Lin Xuan’s notes were very detailed, not only did they record the practice methods of the Ice Needles spell, they also had the above information from the lecturer.
Even with the difficult task was ahead of him, Lin Xuan was not afraid. Even if you can’t say anything else, you can say this about Lin Xuan. With regards to perseverance, Lin Xuan was extremely self-confident, only those with the cultivation of at least Foundation Building would dare step foot into Heart Refinement Road, but he still weathered their torturous illusions.
Lin Xuan was envious of the power of the Ice Needles, once he learned it, his power would only increase by leaps and bounds and would in now way decrease.
Lin Xuan started to strive hard in practice, but it was much harder than he imagined. The first few days, there was very little progress. Even though his spiritual sense was much greater than the peers of his level, and allowed the practice of the Ice Needles spell, he still suffered due to the difficulty.
For others, to accomplish a task, or to learn a technique, failing once or twice was normal; failing thrice or four times was also tolerable; but to fail seven or eight times or even more, would certainly dishearten them, and they would choose to give up.
It can’t be said that they have no patience, this can be considered to be being human. But Lin Xuan was different, he has a firm and indomitable mentality. Like in the beginning, when he did not have the purification ability, and clearly knew how difficult it was for a mortal to step on the path of cultivation, he still persevered under the taunts and the jeers.
Even when trying to break into the second layer of Spirit Gathering, Lin Xuan failed tens of times, but he still kept cultivating without complaints or regrets.
Therefore, in the previous days of practising Ice Needles, even though he made not the slightest progress, forget being discouraged, Lin Xuan wasn’t even irritated and kept on consistently practising.
The lecturer was very clear, even though in hundreds of years, Spirit Gathering disciples who have successfully learned the Ice Needles spell were rare, but there still were successes. If others can do it, why can’t I?
With this kind of not giving up until he reached his goal mindset, Lin Xuan continued to practice hard, failing over and over again. But the more he failed, the harder he tried, until finally, after two months, he made some small advancements.
Compare to learning the Spirit Shield, which only took three days, it seemed the time it took to grasp Ice Needles was very slow. But that was not the case. According to the records, not to mention Spirit Gathering disciples, even the experts in the Foundation Building stage, to want to grasp the Ice Needles spell, it would take almost two months. So Lin Xuan’s speed was already very stunning.
The reason he had such success was due to his diligence, his character of never giving up, but it was also due to the fact that he used of many Purifying Essence Pills daily.
Nine pills a day, one of which was a mid grade pill. With such strong medicinal power, it not only improved his cultivation, there were also many other benefits to practising techniques. Therefore, Lin Xuan was able to, in a relatively short period, grasp the Ice Needles spell, which was not surprising at all.
As the strongest mid-rank technique, Ice Needles was also very well known. The day he grasped it, Lin Xuan went again to that mystic canyon that only he know, to quietly test its power.
He first selected a big piece of stone weighing over 500 kilograms as the target of his attacks. Lin Xuan then started to circulate his spiritual power and held out his right hand. With a stabbing sound, in the lingering mist about his palm, hundreds of crystal clear ice needles formed.
With a wave of his hand, the ice needles flew towards the boulder like lightning. In the cold light, the hard boulder was full of holes much like a sieve.
Lin Xuan nodded, satisfied, then using the low-level Strength technique, pushed the boulder down a cliff. Although this canyon was very hidden, and even if someone did find it, they would not know it was Lin Xuan who left the holes in the stone with is Ice Needles spell; but he was always careful when doing things, as long as he could not leave a flaw, then he would, so pushing the boulder down the cliff was only foolproof.
After doing all this, Lin Xuan started to evaluate his Ice Needles spell. To be honest, according to the lecturer’s description, being able to manipulate one hundred needles was only a small achievement. At the highest level of proficiency in the technique, it is said that one can blot out the sky and cover the earth with a thousand needles, it was almost unblockable.
Although fascinating, Lin Xuan was not that kind of unrealistic person. With the cultivation of Spirit Gathering, it is impossible to achieve perfection in the Ice Needles spell. But with the one hundred ice needles he could control, its power was still comparable to some high-rank techniques.
One must have the drive to improve, but they can not be too ambitious. The current level had already reached his goal.