Chapter 120 - 108: Force Conflict, 2nd Layer Profound Yuan Skill, 3rd Layer Iron Cloth Shirt

Chapter 120: Chapter 108: Force Conflict, 2nd Layer Profound Yuan Skill, 3rd Layer Iron Cloth Shirt

After Steward Yu left, the four individuals had no desire to linger in the Cultivation Garden. They rose and departed, restoring their calm, unbothered expressions. To them, Su Chen was nothing but a nobody, not worth a second thought.

Returning to the main courtyard, Steward Yu announced the final assessment results to the crowd. Following a stern warning, he flicked his sleeves and departed. He headed to another courtyard and found a man, instructing him, "Find this person and cripple his martial arts."

The man nodded. He asked no questions. Taking the slip of paper from Steward Yu, he glanced at it once and tore it to pieces.

Watching the man’s receding figure head down the mountain, Steward Yu’s lips curled into a cold sneer. "Su Chen, the garden heads might not hold you accountable, but I have no intention of sparing you!"

...

[Martial Arts: ... Profound Yuan Technique (Level 1: 1%)]

[Easy Mode: ... Profound Yuan Technique 0 times (300 taels + subsequent Cultivation Techniques + 10 Profound Essence Pills / time)]

On his way down the mountain, Su Chen swept away the displeasure he had experienced at the peak. He gazed at the changes on his interface with profound satisfaction. The Profound Yuan Technique had reached the first level; although it had not yet generated any Inner Power, he could acutely sense the subtle changes within his body.

Bolstered by the Profound Yuan Technique, the circulation of Inner Power within his body seemed to have accelerated slightly. Everything flowed as naturally as water finding its course. The fact that just the first level could bring about such a transformation was an unexpected delight for Su Chen.

"Although the people from the Profound Water Sect are a bit disgusting, this trip wasn’t in vain!"

He guessed that the aptitude he displayed during the second test had likely alarmed the higher-ups of the Profound Water Sect, but in the end, he still chose to descend the mountain. For no other reason than the fact that he truly harbored no good feelings toward the sect.

He had made this decision the moment he learned the results of his first comprehension test. He opted for the second test merely to see if he could reap some benefits from them. After all, he was quite covetous of the Profound Yuan Technique. Now that he had obtained those benefits, he naturally had no intention of staying. With his innate talent, plus a little help from the interface, why would he ever need to care about a mere Profound Water Sect?

His only concern was... "If Master learns that I didn’t enter the Profound Water Sect, he might be disappointed. However, if he knew how the sect conducted itself, he probably wouldn’t force me to join them either."

Shaking his head, he dispelled the wandering thoughts from his mind. He would tell Hong Ming about this whenever he had the chance to visit Qinghe City in the future. For now, he just needed to head back.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Su Chen spotted Qin Xue’s men waiting for him. Seeing Su Chen, one of the men hurried forward to greet him. Ignoring the stares of the surrounding crowd, Su Chen boarded the carriage. The wheels rumbled, leaving nothing but a trail of dust in their wake.

Returning to Dafeng City, Su Chen originally intended to alight and head home, but the guard informed him that Qin Xue wished to see him. Left with no other choice, he followed the guard to the Sheng Mansion.

"I am already aware of the assessment results. You needn’t be disheartened," Qin Xue consoled. "The Profound Water Sect isn’t a Martial Artist’s only option. Both inside and outside Dafeng City, there are still many sects and factions with decent legacies."

When Qin Xue received the news of Su Chen’s failure, she still sighed in pity, despite having anticipated it. She knew this had been Hong Ming’s wish and worried that Su Chen might find it hard to accept, hence her comforting words.

Su Chen thanked her. No matter what, Qin Xue had indeed put a lot of effort into this matter for him; she deserved his gratitude.

Qin Xue quietly observed Su Chen, assuming he was still brooding over the assessment. She advised, "Chen, I’m already trying to figure out a solution for your Inner Power conflict. For now, do not practice any other Cultivation Techniques. Focus solely on a relatively mild technique so you don’t block your future path."

"Inner Power conflict?" Su Chen was slightly taken aback, confused by her words.

"You didn’t know?" Qin Xue asked, noticing the bewilderment in his eyes.

Su Chen shook his head. He genuinely had no idea what she meant. Seeing that he wasn’t joking, Qin Xue revealed the real reason behind his rejection. "The people of the Profound Water Sect saw that you have practiced multiple Cultivation Techniques and possess various types of Inner Power in your body. That is why they didn’t accept you."

This was the excuse the Profound Water Sect had provided, but hearing it made Su Chen curse inwardly. The people of the sect were certainly skilled at twisting the truth. However, he didn’t care about that at the moment. Instead, he focused entirely on the "Inner Power conflict" Qin Xue had mentioned.

Qin Xue didn’t keep him in suspense. After tossing out a brief complaint about Hong Ming, she explained what an Inner Power conflict was.

After the Inner Power tempering stage came the organ tempering stage. The purpose of this stage was to use Inner Power to refine the internal organs, and different types of Inner Power had different effects on the five viscera. Some ambitious individuals wished to cultivate multiple types of Inner Power to temper their five viscera evenly. But having too many types of Inner Power in the body could easily lead to a conflict with the slightest misstep, causing a loss of control. In minor cases, it would damage the body and cause one’s cultivation to regress; in severe cases, one would lose their cultivation entirely and their life would be in peril.

Therefore, many sects with established legacies generally forbade their disciples from recklessly practicing more than two Cultivation Techniques. Even if they did, those techniques had to share the same root and origin within the sect. Even so, many disciples would carefully deliberate and consider all angles before making such a decision. Unless they truly had no other choice, they were absolutely unwilling to practice an additional Cultivation Technique.

Not to mention the immense drain on time, effort, and resources—even if problems didn’t surface in the short term, over time, a hidden conflict could unexpectedly erupt one day, completely backfiring and costing them dearly! Furthermore, internal organs were extremely fragile by nature. If one could control their Inner Power, it was manageable. But the moment they lost control, it would inevitably damage their organs and halt their progress permanently.