kàn jiàn yòu yí gè dì zǐ tí wán wèn tí zuò xià ， lín xuān chǒu zhǔn shí jī ， qiǎng xiān zhàn le qǐ lái ， shī lǐ dào ：“ wǎn bèi bài jiàn zhǎng lǎo ， yǒu yí gè xiū liàn shàng de wèn tí xiǎng yào xiàng nín qǐng jiào 。”
看见又一个弟子提完问题坐下，林轩瞅准时机，抢先站了起来，施礼道：“晚辈拜见长老，有一个修炼上的问题想要像您请教。”
Seeing another disciple sit down after finishing his question, Lin Xuan seized the opportunity to stand up first and bowed respectfully. "Junior Lin Xuan pays homage to Elder Master. I have a question about cultivation that I would like to ask for your guidance."
“ ń ， shuō ba ！” lǎo zhě de yǎn jīng yī jiù shì bàn zhēng bàn bì ， bù guò cóng biǎo qíng kě yǐ kàn chū lái ， duì yú lín xuān de yǒu lǐ ， gǎn jué hěn mǎn yì 。
“嗯，说吧！”老者的眼睛依旧是半睁半闭，不过从表情可以看出来，对于林轩的有礼，感觉很满意。
"Eh, go ahead!" The old man's eyes were still half-closed, but from his expression, he seemed quite pleased with Lin Xuan's politeness.
“ shì zhè yàng ， dì zǐ zuì jìn zài xiū liàn líng kòng shù de shí hòu ， gǎn jué yù dào le kùn nán ， bù lùn zěn yàng nǔ lì ， zǒng shì méi yǒu jìn zhǎn ， qǐng zhǎng lǎo jǐ yǔ zhǐ diǎn 。”
“是这样，弟子最近在修炼灵控术的时候，感觉遇到了困难，不论怎样努力，总是没有进展，请长老给予指点。”
"Actually, recently when practicing the Spirit Control Technique, Junior encountered some difficulties. No matter how hard I try, there is no progress. I hope Elder Master can give me some guidance."
“ líng kòng shù ？”
“灵控术？”
"Spirit Control Technique?"
lǎo zhě zhēng kāi le yǎn jīng ， shàng shàng xià xià de dǎ liàng le lín xuān yī biàn ， qí tā jīng yīng dì zǐ de mù guāng yě bèi xī yǐn le guò lái ， biàn shì nà yún zhōng xiān zi ， yě duō chǒu le tā jǐ yǎn 。
老者睁开了眼睛，上上下下的打量了林轩一遍，其他精英弟子的目光也被吸引了过来，便是那云中仙子，也多瞅了他几眼。
The old man opened his eyes and sized up Lin Xuan from top to bottom. The other elite disciples' gazes were also drawn over, even the Cloud Fairy glanced at him several times.
yuán yīn wú tā ， kěn dìng yào yǒu líng qì cái huì xiū liàn líng kòng shù a ， ér líng qì zuò wèi jiǎn yì bǎn fǎ bǎo ， kě shì fēi cháng xī shǎo ， biàn shì zài zuò de jīng yīng dì zǐ ， yōng yǒu de yě jǐn jǐn shì shǎo shù 。
原因无他，肯定要有灵器才会修炼灵控术啊，而灵器做为简易版法宝，可是非常稀少，便是在座的精英弟子，拥有的也仅仅是少数。
There was a reason for this: only those who possessed a spirit artifact would practice Spirit Control Techniques, but as simplified versions of magical treasures, they were extremely rare. Among the present elite disciples, few had them.
“ nǐ jiào yè tiān ？”
“你叫叶天？”
"You are Ye Tian?"
“ shì 。” lín xuān biǎo qíng píng jìng ， xīn zhōng què àn zì shū le kǒu qì ， suī rán jù nà xiū mó gōng fǎ jì zǎi ， cǐ yì róng shù zhǐ yǒu gāo chū liǎng gè jìng jiè de xiū zhēn zhě cái néng shí pò ， dàn shì fǒu zhēn yǒu nà me shén qí ， lín xuān xīn zhōng yě méi dǐ 。
“是。”林轩表情平静，心中却暗自舒了口气，虽然据那修魔功法记载，此易容术只有高出两个境界的修真者才能识破，但是否真有那么神奇，林轩心中也没底。
"Yes," Lin Xuan's expression remained calm, though he secretly sighed with relief. According to records from the cultivation magic arts, this disguise technique could only be recognized by cultivators two levels higher, but whether it was truly that powerful, Lin Xuan wasn't sure.
duì fāng bì jìng shì zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn de gāo shǒu ， zhàn qǐ lái de shí hòu ， lín xuān xīn zhōng yě zài dǎ gǔ ， zhǐ pàn gōng jué de jiè shào zhōng méi yǒu kuā dà chuī niú ， jiàn duì fāng guǒ rán jiāng zì jǐ cuò rèn wéi shì yè tiān ， lín xuān xīn zhōng de shí tou cái luò dì 。
对方毕竟是筑基期大圆满的高手，站起来的时候，林轩心中也在打鼓，只盼功诀的介绍中没有夸大吹牛，见对方果然将自己错认为是叶天，林轩心中的石头才落地。
The opponent was a master at the late Foundation Establishment stage. As he stood up, Lin Xuan's heart was pounding, hoping the introduction of the technique hadn't exaggerated anything. When the elder indeed mistook him for Ye Tian, his heart finally settled.
“ jiāng nǐ de líng qì gěi wǒ kàn kàn 。”
“将你的灵器给我看看。”
"Show me your spirit artifact."
zhè yī cì lín xuān méi yǒu yóu yù ， duì yú yōng yǒu zhòng duō bǎo wù de tā lái shuō ， xià pǐn líng qì bù suàn shén me ， fēi cháng gān cuì de jiāng huǒ shé ná chū lái le 。
这一次林轩没有犹豫，对于拥有众多宝物的他来说，下品灵器不算什么，非常干脆的将火蛇拿出来了。
This time, Lin Xuan didn't hesitate. For someone with many treasures, a low-grade spirit artifact wasn't much. He very frankly took out the Fire Snake.
“ xià pǐn líng qì ér yǐ 。”
“下品灵器而已。”
"Just a low-grade spirit artifact,"
lín xuān fā xiàn ， bāo kuò yún zhōng xiān zi zài nèi de sān gè dì qī céng gōng fǎ de xiū shì ， jǐn jǐn kàn le yī yǎn ， jiù zhuǎn guò le tóu ， xiǎn rán tā men yǒu gèng hǎo de bǎo wù 。
林轩发现，包括云中仙子在内的三个第七层功法的修士，仅仅看了一眼，就转过了头，显然他们有更好的宝物。
Lin Xuan noticed that three seventh-layer cultivators, including the Cloud Fairy, only glanced at it before turning away. Clearly, they had better treasures.
qí tā de jīng yīng dì zǐ ， chú le jí shǎo shù méi yǒu liú lù chū jí dù zhī wài ， qí tā de ， dōu shì mǎn liǎn xiàn mù ， yóu cǐ kě jiàn ， líng qì shì duō me de zhēn guì le 。
其他的精英弟子，除了极少数没有流露出嫉妒之外，其他的，都是满脸羡慕，由此可见，灵器是多么的珍贵了。
The other elite disciples mostly looked envious except for a few who didn't show jealousy. This showed how precious spirit artifacts were.
“ nǐ zài xiū liàn líng kòng shù ？”
“你在修炼灵控术？”
"Are you practicing Spirit Control Technique?"
“ shì de ， qū wù shù zhǐ néng fā huī chū líng qì de bù fèn wēi lì ， suǒ yǐ dì zǐ dǒu dǎn ……”
“是的，驱物术只能发挥出灵器的部分威力，所以弟子斗胆……”
"Yes, Drive Object Technique can only unleash part of the power of a spirit artifact, so Junior dares to..."
lín xuān de huà shàng wèi shuō wán ， jiù bèi zhǎng lǎo dǎ duàn ：“ nǐ rú jīn dì liù céng de xiū wèi ， suī rán lǐ lùn shàng kě yǐ xiū liàn líng kòng shù ， dàn cǐ fǎ jué xiǎng yào zhǎng wò ， hái shì zhù jī qī de gōng lì bǐ jiào shì hé ， yù dào kùn nán ， háo wú jìn zhǎn nǎi zhèng cháng xiàn xiàng ， zàn shí fàng yī fàng ba ， děng zhù jī yǐ hòu zài xiū liàn 。”
林轩的话尚未说完，就被长老打断：“你如今第六层的修为，虽然理论上可以修炼灵控术，但此法诀想要掌握，还是筑基期的功力比较适合，遇到困难，毫无进展乃正常现象，暂时放一放吧，等筑基以后再修炼。”
Before Lin Xuan could finish his sentence, the elder interrupted: "At your current Sixth-layer cultivation, although theoretically you can practice Spirit Control Techniques, this method is best suited for Foundation Establishment stage. Encountering difficulties and making no progress is normal. Put it aside for now. Practice after reaching Foundation Establishment."
“ xiè zhǎng lǎo zhǐ diǎn 。” lín xuān zuǐ shàng kè qì ， xīn zhōng dāng rán bù yuàn yì fàng qì le ， liǎng cì zhàn dòu zhōng ， ràng tā shēn qiè tǐ huì le líng qì de jù dà wēi néng ， zì jǐ xiàn zài suī rán shì líng dòng qī dì liù céng ， dàn jù lí zhù jī ， yī rán yáo yuǎn ， shuí yuàn yì děng nà me jiǔ ， tā yóu yù le yī xià ， zhuāng zuò bù gān xīn de dào ：“ zhǎng lǎo ， nán dào méi yǒu zhù jī ， zhēn de jiù wú fǎ zhǎng wò líng kòng shù de ào mì ？”
“谢长老指点。”林轩嘴上客气，心中当然不愿意放弃了，两次战斗中，让他深切体会了灵器的巨大威能，自己现在虽然是灵动期第六层，但距离筑基，依然遥远，谁愿意等那么久，他犹豫了一下，装作不甘心的道：“长老，难道没有筑基，真的就无法掌握灵控术的奥秘？”
"Thank Elder Master for your guidance," Lin Xuan was polite on the surface but inwardly unwilling to give up. Two battles had deeply impressed upon him the power of spirit artifacts. Although he was at the Flexible Spirit Sixth-layer, there was still a long way to go before reaching Foundation Establishment. Who would be willing to wait so long? He hesitated for a moment and pretended reluctance: "Elder Master, can it really be impossible to master the secrets of Spirit Control Technique without reaching Foundation Establishment?"
“ dāng rán yǒu 。” lǎo zhě hěn kěn dìng de huí dá ：“ fǒu zé cǐ gōng fǎ yě bú huì zhù míng líng dòng hòu qī jiù kě yǐ xiū liàn ， zhǐ shì dī jiē xiū shì xiǎng yào zhǎng wò ， xū yào jī yuán 。”
“当然有。”老者很肯定的回答：“否则此功法也不会注明灵动后期就可以修炼，只是低阶修士想要掌握，需要机缘。”
"Of course not," the elder answered with certainty. "Otherwise, this cultivation technique wouldn't specify that it could be practiced in the later stages of Flexible Spirit. It just requires some luck and inspiration for low-level cultivators."
“ jī yuán ？”
“机缘？”
"Luck and inspiration?"
“ shì de ， zhè bù jǐn jǐn shì yǔ líng gēn yǒu guān ， hái xū yào yì diǎn yùn qì yǔ líng gǎn ， guāng shì kǔ liàn méi yǒu yòng de 。”
“是的，这不仅仅是与灵根有关，还需要一点运气与灵感，光是苦练没有用的。”
"Yes, this isn't just related to spirit roots; a bit of fortune and insight is needed as well. Simply practicing hard won't work."
lín xuān zhòu qǐ le méi tóu ， yuán yīn wú tā ， suǒ wèi de líng gǎn tài xū wú piāo miǎo a ， yǒu de rén huì zài hěn ǒu rán de qíng xíng xià ， cān pò xuán guān ， yě yǒu de rén huì zài kǔ liàn hěn jiǔ hòu tū rán fú zhì xīn líng ， dàn tóng yàng de ， gèng duō de rén huì yì zhí kǎ zài píng jǐng 。
林轩皱起了眉头，原因无他，所谓的灵感太虚无缥缈啊，有的人会在很偶然的情形下，参破玄关，也有的人会在苦练很久后突然福至心灵，但同样的，更多的人会一直卡在瓶颈。
Lin Xuan frowned. The concept of inspiration was too vague and intangible. Some people might break through barriers by chance, while others might suddenly have epiphanies after much practice. But many would remain stuck at the same level.
duì yú zì jǐ de zī zhì ， lín xuān xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， tā shí zài méi yǒu tài duō de xìn xīn 。
对于自己的资质，林轩心中有数，他实在没有太多的信心。
Lin Xuan knew his own abilities; he had little confidence in himself.
“ zhǎng lǎo ， nán dào méi yǒu gèng hǎo de jīng yàn yǔ jié jìng ？”
“长老，难道没有更好的经验与捷径？”
"Elder Master, is there no better experience or shortcut?"
“ yǒu ， chú fēi nǐ xiū liàn líng kòng shù zhī shí ， dà liàng fú shí rén cān zhī jīng 。” duì yú lín xuān de yī zài zhuī wèn ， lǐ zhǎng lǎo xiǎn de yǒu xiē bù nài fán 。
“有，除非你修炼灵控术之时，大量服食人参之精。”对于林轩的一再追问，李长老显得有些不耐烦。
"Yes, unless you consume large amounts of Ginseng Essence when practicing Spirit Control Techniques," Elder Li seemed impatient with Lin Xuan's repeated questioning.
rén shēn zhī jīng ？
人参之精？
Ginseng Essence?
xià miàn de zhòng dì zǐ tīng le zhè ge míng cí ， wú bù dào xī le yī kǒu liáng qì ， gù míng sī yì ， cǐ yào cái nǎi rén shēn de jīng huá ， ér qiě zhǐ yǒu qiān nián yǐ shàng de rén shēn ， tōng guò mì fǎ ， cái néng cuì liàn chū yì diǎn 。
下面的众弟子听了这个名词，无不倒吸了一口凉气，顾名思义，此药材乃人参的精华，而且只有千年以上的人参，通过秘法，才能淬炼出一点。
The disciples below all sucked in a cold breath at the term. As its name suggested, this medicinal material was the essence of ginseng and could only be extracted from a thousand-year-old ginseng through secret methods.
dà liàng fú shí ， kāi wán xiào ， bié shuō yè tiān ， jiù suàn shì zhǎng mén yún hè zhēn rén ， yě méi yǒu nà me shē chǐ 。
大量服食，开玩笑，别说叶天，就算是掌门云鹤真人，也没有那么奢侈。
To consume large amounts? That was ridiculous; even Ye Tian wouldn't have such luxury, let alone the True Man Cloud Crane.
lín xuān lèng le yī xià ， tóng yàng liǎn rú sǐ huī ， rán ér nà jǐn jǐn shì biǎo miàn ， xīn zhōng qí shí kuáng xǐ ， zì jǐ lái qǐng jiào zhǎng lǎo zhè yī bù qí ， guǒ rán zǒu duì le ， fú shí rén cān zhī jīng ， kě yǐ yǒu zhù yú tū pò xiū liàn líng kòng shù de píng jǐng ， rú guǒ píng zì jǐ mō suǒ ， shì jué duì xiǎng bú dào de 。
林轩愣了一下，同样脸如死灰，然而那仅仅是表面，心中其实狂喜，自己来请教长老这一步棋，果然走对了，服食人参之精，可以有助于突破修炼灵控术的瓶颈，如果凭自己摸索，是绝对想不到的。
Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned but his face turned ashen. However, this was just surface-level; inside, he was overjoyed. Consulting with Elder Master on this step had indeed been a wise move. Consuming Ginseng Essence could help break through the bottleneck of Spirit Control Techniques, something he would never have discovered on his own.
duì bié rén lái shuō ， rén shēn zhī jīng què shí zhēn guì ， jí shǐ zài xiū zhēn jiè ， qiān nián líng cǎo yě xī yǒu wú bǐ ， kě lín xuān bù tóng ， tǐ nèi de lán sè xīng hǎi ， ràng tā yǒu le tí chún wù pǐn de běn lǐng 。
对别人来说，人参之精确实珍贵，即使在修真界，千年灵草也稀有无比，可林轩不同，体内的蓝色星海，让他有了提纯物品的本领。
To others, Ginseng Essence was precious, even rare in the cultivation world. But Lin Xuan was different; the blue Star Sea within him gave him the ability to purify items.
cān jīng zhǐ zài qiān nián rén shēn zhōng chǎn shēng ， rán ér tōng guò tí chún ， jí shǐ shì bǎi nián ， shèn zhì shì jǐ shí nián de rén shēn ， zì jǐ yī yàng kě yǐ dé dào cān jīng 。
参精只在千年人参中产生，然而通过提纯，即使是百年，甚至是几十年的人参，自己一样可以得到参精。
Ginseng essence only appeared in a thousand-year-old ginseng, but through purification, he could obtain it from even a hundred-year-old or even several decades-old ginseng.
àn nà zhù xīng fèn ， zhuāng chū yī fù dà shòu dǎ jī de biǎo qíng ， lín xuān chōng lǐ zhǎng lǎo xíng le yī lǐ ， jiù zhuǎn shēn xiàng dà diàn wài zǒu qù 。
按捺住兴奋，装出一副大受打击的表情，林轩冲李长老行了一礼，就转身像大殿外走去。
Suppressing his excitement, Lin Xuan put on a look of great disappointment and bowed to Elder Li. He then turned to leave the grand hall.
tā de zhè ge jǔ dòng ， bìng méi yǒu ràng zhòng rén gǎn dào huái yí ， yīn wèi àn zhào piāo yún gǔ de guī jǔ ， yuàn bù yuàn yì tīng kè shǔ yú suí yì ， nǐ bù lái ， huò zhě zhōng tú tuì xí yě méi yǒu rén qiǎng qiú ， xiàng tā zhè yàng ， yīn wèi xiū liàn wèn tí méi yǒu dé dào jiě dá ， xīn qíng bù hǎo ， tuì xí de shǔ yú hěn zhèng cháng de shì 。
他的这个举动，并没有让众人感到怀疑，因为按照飘云谷的规矩，愿不愿意听课属于随意，你不来，或者中途退席也没有人强求，像他这样，因为修炼问题没有得到解答，心情不好，退席的属于很正常的事。
His actions didn't raise any suspicion among the disciples because according to Drifting Cloud Valley's rules, whether one attended was entirely voluntary; if you didn't come or left halfway through, no one would force you. His leaving due to unresolved questions was a normal occurrence.
zhòng jīng yīng dì zǐ yǒu de biǎo qíng mù rán ， yǒu de xìng zāi lè huò ， yǒu de háo bù zài yì ……
众精英弟子有的表情木然，有的幸灾乐祸，有的毫不在意……
Some of the elite disciples looked expressionless, some gloated, and others were indifferent...
wéi yǒu nà mǎ tiān xióng pāi le pāi lín xuān de jiān bǎng ：“ yè shī dì ， bù yòng zài yì ， děng zhù jī hòu màn màn xiū liàn bù chí 。”
唯有那马天雄拍了拍林轩的肩膀：“叶师弟，不用在意，等筑基后慢慢修炼不迟。”
Only Mast Elder Ma patted Lin Xuan on the shoulder: "Junior Ye, don't mind it. You can practice slowly after reaching Foundation Establishment."
lín xuān dāng rán bú shì shòu le dǎ jī ， qià qià xiāng fǎn ， tā xiàn zài xīn qíng jí hǎo ， àn zhào lín xuān de běn yì ， qí shí hái xiǎng xiāng zài zhè ér duō tīng yī huì er ， bì jìng jīng yīng diàn zhǎng lǎo de xiū wèi ， yào yuǎn yuǎn qiáng yú zhì yīng gé de jiào xí ， tīng tā jiǎng shòu yī fān ， duì yú zì jǐ rì hòu de xiū liàn ， kěn dìng shì dà dà yǒu lì 。
林轩当然不是受了打击，恰恰相反，他现在心情极好，按照林轩的本意，其实还想相在这儿多听一会儿，毕竟精英殿长老的修为，要远远强于稚鹰阁的教席，听他讲授一番，对于自己日后的修炼，肯定是大大有利。
Lin Xuan wasn't discouraged; quite the opposite, he was in high spirits. Originally, he had intended to stay a bit longer for the lecture from the elite hall elder, as his cultivation would greatly benefit from such teachings.
kě wèn tí shì ， bù zǒu bù xíng a ， zhè tiān mó nǐ róng shù suī rán jīng miào ， què yǒu shí jiān xiàn zhì ， rú guǒ zì jǐ lù chū zhēn shí de róng yán ， qǐ bù shì huì rě qǐ tiān dà de má fán ， quán héng lì bì ， lín xuān zhǐ yǒu rěn tòng lí kāi le zhè lǐ 。
可问题是，不走不行啊，这天魔拟容术虽然精妙，却有时间限制，如果自己露出真实的容颜，岂不是会惹起天大的麻烦，权衡利弊，林轩只有忍痛离开了这里。
However, he couldn't afford to leave. Although the Demonic Illusionary Face Technique was ingenious, it had time constraints. If he revealed his true appearance, it would cause major trouble. Weighing the pros and cons, Lin Xuan reluctantly left.
jīng yīng diàn fáng wèi sēn yán ， hǎo zài zhè ér de jìn zhì shǔ yú dān xiàng ， suǒ wèi dān xiàng ， shì zhǐ zhǐ yǒu yí miàn yǒu yòng ， bǐ rú shuō zhè ér shì xǔ chū bù xǔ jìn 。
精英殿防卫森严，好在这儿的禁制属于单向，所谓单向，是指只有一面有用，比如说这儿是许出不许进。
The elite hall's defenses were strict, but here the restrictions were one-way; meaning only one side mattered—this allowed entry but not exit.
jìn lái de shí hòu ， huì chù fā jìn zhì ， yàn zhèng shēn fèn ， rán ér chū qù jiù róng yì duō le ， bú huì yǒu jìn zhì zǔ lán 。
进来的时候，会触发禁制，验证身份，然而出去就容易多了，不会有禁制阻拦。
Lin Xuan safely exited the elite hall.
Seeing another disciple sit down after finishing his question, Lin Xuan seized the opportunity to stand up first and bowed respectfully. "Junior Lin Xuan pays homage to Elder Master. I have a question about cultivation that I would like to ask for your guidance."
"Eh, go ahead!" The old man's eyes were still half-closed, but from his expression, he seemed quite pleased with Lin Xuan's politeness.
"Actually, recently when practicing the Spirit Control Technique, Junior encountered some difficulties. No matter how hard I try, there is no progress. I hope Elder Master can give me some guidance."
"Spirit Control Technique?"
The old man opened his eyes and sized up Lin Xuan from top to bottom. The other elite disciples' gazes were also drawn over, even the Cloud Fairy glanced at him several times.
There was a reason for this: only those who possessed a spirit artifact would practice Spirit Control Techniques, but as simplified versions of magical treasures, they were extremely rare. Among the present elite disciples, few had them.
"You are Ye Tian?"
"Yes," Lin Xuan's expression remained calm, though he secretly sighed with relief. According to records from the cultivation magic arts, this disguise technique could only be recognized by cultivators two levels higher, but whether it was truly that powerful, Lin Xuan wasn't sure.
The opponent was a master at the late Foundation Establishment stage. As he stood up, Lin Xuan's heart was pounding, hoping the introduction of the technique hadn't exaggerated anything. When the elder indeed mistook him for Ye Tian, his heart finally settled.
"Show me your spirit artifact."
This time, Lin Xuan didn't hesitate. For someone with many treasures, a low-grade spirit artifact wasn't much. He very frankly took out the Fire Snake.
"Just a low-grade spirit artifact,"
Lin Xuan noticed that three seventh-layer cultivators, including the Cloud Fairy, only glanced at it before turning away. Clearly, they had better treasures.
The other elite disciples mostly looked envious except for a few who didn't show jealousy. This showed how precious spirit artifacts were.
"Are you practicing Spirit Control Technique?"
"Yes, Drive Object Technique can only unleash part of the power of a spirit artifact, so Junior dares to..."
Before Lin Xuan could finish his sentence, the elder interrupted: "At your current Sixth-layer cultivation, although theoretically you can practice Spirit Control Techniques, this method is best suited for Foundation Establishment stage. Encountering difficulties and making no progress is normal. Put it aside for now. Practice after reaching Foundation Establishment."
"Thank Elder Master for your guidance," Lin Xuan was polite on the surface but inwardly unwilling to give up. Two battles had deeply impressed upon him the power of spirit artifacts. Although he was at the Flexible Spirit Sixth-layer, there was still a long way to go before reaching Foundation Establishment. Who would be willing to wait so long? He hesitated for a moment and pretended reluctance: "Elder Master, can it really be impossible to master the secrets of Spirit Control Technique without reaching Foundation Establishment?"
"Of course not," the elder answered with certainty. "Otherwise, this cultivation technique wouldn't specify that it could be practiced in the later stages of Flexible Spirit. It just requires some luck and inspiration for low-level cultivators."
"Luck and inspiration?"
"Yes, this isn't just related to spirit roots; a bit of fortune and insight is needed as well. Simply practicing hard won't work."
Lin Xuan frowned. The concept of inspiration was too vague and intangible. Some people might break through barriers by chance, while others might suddenly have epiphanies after much practice. But many would remain stuck at the same level.
Lin Xuan knew his own abilities; he had little confidence in himself.
"Elder Master, is there no better experience or shortcut?"
"Yes, unless you consume large amounts of Ginseng Essence when practicing Spirit Control Techniques," Elder Li seemed impatient with Lin Xuan's repeated questioning.
Ginseng Essence?
The disciples below all sucked in a cold breath at the term. As its name suggested, this medicinal material was the essence of ginseng and could only be extracted from a thousand-year-old ginseng through secret methods.
To consume large amounts? That was ridiculous; even Ye Tian wouldn't have such luxury, let alone the True Man Cloud Crane.
Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned but his face turned ashen. However, this was just surface-level; inside, he was overjoyed. Consulting with Elder Master on this step had indeed been a wise move. Consuming Ginseng Essence could help break through the bottleneck of Spirit Control Techniques, something he would never have discovered on his own.
To others, Ginseng Essence was precious, even rare in the cultivation world. But Lin Xuan was different; the blue Star Sea within him gave him the ability to purify items.
Ginseng essence only appeared in a thousand-year-old ginseng, but through purification, he could obtain it from even a hundred-year-old or even several decades-old ginseng.
Suppressing his excitement, Lin Xuan put on a look of great disappointment and bowed to Elder Li. He then turned to leave the grand hall.
His actions didn't raise any suspicion among the disciples because according to Drifting Cloud Valley's rules, whether one attended was entirely voluntary; if you didn't come or left halfway through, no one would force you. His leaving due to unresolved questions was a normal occurrence.
Some of the elite disciples looked expressionless, some gloated, and others were indifferent...
Only Mast Elder Ma patted Lin Xuan on the shoulder: "Junior Ye, don't mind it. You can practice slowly after reaching Foundation Establishment."
Lin Xuan wasn't discouraged; quite the opposite, he was in high spirits. Originally, he had intended to stay a bit longer for the lecture from the elite hall elder, as his cultivation would greatly benefit from such teachings.
However, he couldn't afford to leave. Although the Demonic Illusionary Face Technique was ingenious, it had time constraints. If he revealed his true appearance, it would cause major trouble. Weighing the pros and cons, Lin Xuan reluctantly left.
The elite hall's defenses were strict, but here the restrictions were one-way; meaning only one side mattered—this allowed entry but not exit.
Lin Xuan safely exited the elite hall.