As his Inner Breath circulated, a series of crisp CRACKS echoed from his body. An unknown power was continuously reforming his physical form. Within his once-withered Qi Sea, a light suddenly flashed, and an oval sphere materialized.
Bloodline Factor!
Circulating this Nameless Technique could actually change his innate talent and create a Bloodline Factor!
'Infinite Bloodline…'
Seeing the changes in his body and Qi Sea, Nie Yun trembled with excitement.
Any other sixteen-year-old might have been terrified by this situation, unsure of what to do. But as an old monster who had reached the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm, how could he not know the benefits of being able to create a Bloodline Factor?
'Being able to create a Bloodline Factor means I can change my talent and Bloodline through Cultivation, allowing me to train faster and become stronger!'
'Haha, it seems I not only obtained the relic from that ancient civilization, but it also followed me through my rebirth!'
Hurriedly holding his breath, Nie Yun carefully examined the Nameless Technique that had suddenly appeared in his mind. Before his rebirth, he and his sworn brothers had entered the Ten Thousand Realms Mountain in search of traces left by a Divine Spirit, hoping to find an opportunity for a breakthrough. He never expected to have found such a heaven-defying Technique for himself!
The Technique was lengthy, over three thousand characters long, and it detailed how to create Bloodline Factors through Cultivation, change one's talent, and rise above the common masses.
'Judging by the description, this Nameless Technique is extremely difficult to cultivate. Creating each Bloodline Factor requires an immense price. I only just managed to create one because I had a special opportunity right as I comprehended the Technique. Trying to create a second one will be much more troublesome!'
Nie Yun didn't let the joy go to his head and calmed himself.
'The cultivation method described in the Nameless Technique can only create Bloodline Factors and change one's talent; it can't directly increase one's strength or raise their Cultivation. And it's not that easy to practice. Being able to smoothly create a Bloodline Factor the moment I comprehended the Technique was already a stroke of immense luck.'
Although he currently had only one Bloodline Factor, which was even lower than his talent in his previous life, Nie Yun was full of confidence.
'The speed of a person's cultivation progress depends on two things: first, their Bloodline Factor, which is their innate talent, and second, the quality of their Cultivation Technique!'
Cultivation Techniques, like Bloodlines, are also divided into five levels: Emperor, King, Marquis, Noble, and Mortal. In his past life, after his family was annihilated, a chance encounter led him to obtain a Supreme Cultivation Technique. One could even say it surpassed the Royal Family level. It was precisely because of this technique and his own relentless efforts that he managed to cultivate from a Noble Top Grade Bloodline to the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm within three hundred years!
The most profound Cultivation Technique among the Four Great Families of Luoshui City was merely Noble Low Grade. Even the Empire's Imperial Family might not possess a single Royal Family's Top Grade technique. A technique that surpassed the Royal Family level was completely unheard of in the entire Empire!
This technique was called the Nine-Turn Nirvana Skill. As its name implied, it could be circulated nine times within the body. Upon achieving Great Success in all nine turns, one's strength would advance by leaps and bounds!
'When my body first accepted the Nameless Technique, it was reformed by an unknown power. My withered Qi Sea became full, which is a sign that I've already reached the Peak of the Second Layer, the Spirit Valley Realm. What I need to do now is convert this Bloodline Factor into a Dantian!'
The Qi Sea has Nine Heavens. The First Layer is Qi Introduction, which involves drawing upon the power of heaven and earth and turning it into one's own nourishment. For those who have never cultivated, this is the most difficult layer. Even with good talent, it can take three to five years to complete. The Second Layer is the Spirit Valley. The Spirit Valley is also known by many other names, such as Guon Yuan, Lower Field, Celestial Root, and Life Root. This stage involves using absorbed Spiritual Qi to expand the Qi Sea, making it full and brimming with power.
After being reformed by the Nameless Technique, Nie Yun's Qi Sea was full, which meant he had already reached the Peak of the Spirit Valley Realm. The task at hand was to convert his Bloodline Factor into a Dantian and begin nurturing his Spiritual Qi.
A Dantian is a separate region opened within the Qi Sea, like a planet suspended in the cosmos. It can automatically devour and purify Spiritual Qi. Ordinary Cultivators, who lack a Bloodline Factor, cannot form a Dantian, which makes their cultivation much more troublesome. Their promotion speed is several times slower than even the lowest-grade Mortal Top Grade cultivator who possesses a single Bloodline Factor!
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Nie Yun completely immersed his focus on the Bloodline Factor.
The unawakened Bloodline Factor resembled a giant egg. Oval-shaped, it hovered motionlessly in the center of his Qi Sea.
"Open the Bloodline, condense the Dantian!"
With a low shout, Nie Yun directed the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea to charge swiftly toward the Bloodline Factor. As the Spiritual Qi impacted it, the once-motionless, oval-shaped giant egg began to slowly rotate, releasing a dim, gray glow.
The Bloodline Factor rotating and emitting a glow was the sign that it was about to awaken.
Without hesitation, Nie Yun's Spiritual Power instantly transformed into a massive, sharp sword and slashed at the glow. BOOM! An earth-shattering sound echoed within his Qi Sea. As if a new world was being born, the Bloodline Factor abruptly expanded into the shape of a planet, rotating as it automatically began to absorb nurturing Spiritual Qi from the outside world.
The Bloodline Factor had completely transformed into a Dantian!
'Success! Back then, it took me a full three months just to open my first Dantian!'
Seeing the Dantian in his Qi Sea absorbing Spiritual Qi with every passing minute and increasing his strength, Nie Yun's eyes shone with excitement.
Transforming the Bloodline Factor into a Dantian seemed simple now, but opening his first one back then had cost him dearly. It had required both Spiritual Medicine and external aid, taking a full three months to succeed. When awakening a Bloodline Factor, the timing of coordinating one's Spiritual Qi and Spiritual Power had to be perfect; being off by even a fraction would lead to failure!
However, for Nie Yun, who had reached the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm in his past life and was now living a second, this was nothing at all.
The transformation into a Dantian meant the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea could now be nurtured, and his strength had returned to the level it was when he was sixteen in his past life. He had once again reached the Early-Stage of the Third Layer of the Qi Nourishing Realm!
Once all the Qi in his Qi Sea was nurtured and refined, he would reach the Peak of Qi Cultivation. Then, he could purify it, discarding the false to retain the true, and break through to the Fourth Layer, the True Qi Realm!
A Cultivator with a Bloodline Factor had a Dantian that would automatically nurture and refine Spiritual Qi, whereas an ordinary Martial Artist could only rely on their own active cultivation. The difference in speed was immediately apparent! After all, no matter how hard someone worked, they couldn't possibly cultivate twenty-four hours a day without eating or drinking.
As for a Royal Family's Top Grade Cultivator like his father, Nie Xiaotian, had been back in his prime, their speed was even more terrifying. With Seven Great Dantians simultaneously absorbing and refining Spiritual Qi, the rate of cultivation was simply monstrous!
"Spare me the nonsense! Nie Yun has no manners. As an outer branch descendant, he offended an Inner Branch Descendant, which is a violation of the family rules. This is the punishment order from the family, delivered personally by the Law Enforcement Descendants. You have three days to pay 10,000 taels of silver in compensation. Otherwise, he will be expelled from the family, never to return!"
Having cultivated for only a short while, Nie Yun heard an arrogant, cold snort from the courtyard as someone spoke and walked in.
The Nie Family, like most ordinary families on the continent, assessed all its descendants once every two years. Based on their talent and strength, they were designated as either inner or outer branch. Inner Branch Descendants could remain at the family headquarters, the Nie Mansion in the heart of Luoshui City. The outer branch descendants, however, were sent out to various locations to manage the family's businesses.
The Nie Tian Branch, which Nie Yun belonged to, had once resided in the most central part of the Nie Mansion back when his father was at his peak. But after his father fell into despair, they were unable to participate in the family's grand competition. Compounded by being ostracized, they had fallen to their current state.
The outer branch and Inner Branch Descendants were like a side branch versus the direct lineage. Their statuses were different, and their rights within the family varied greatly.
"Ten thousand taels in compensation? Our Nie Tian Branch truly doesn't have that much money… C-could you please report back to the family and ask for some leniency?" his mother's voice pleaded.
After his father's fall from grace and subsequent descent into alcoholism, his mother had single-handedly managed all the affairs of the Nie Tian Branch. She was, in effect, the head of the branch.
"Leniency? Heh. If you can't pay, that's fine too. Doesn't your family have a Luoshui Golden Shield? You can hand that over as payment!" the voice sneered.
"The Luoshui Golden Shield was personally gifted by the Luoshui City Lord when Xiaotian won the Luoshui Talent Competition! It represents the supreme honor of our Nie Tian Branch. It can absolutely not be used as payment…"
"Honor? Your branch wants to talk about honor? Do you even have any?" The voice was thick with sarcasm and mockery. "You bitch. I call you 'auntie' to give you face, so don't be shameless. Let me tell you, if you can't produce the 10,000 taels, then hurry up and hand over the Luoshui Golden Shield. Piss me off, and do you believe I won't just drag Nie Yun out for another beating and *still* charge him with offending an Inner Branch Descendant?"
"Drag me out for another beating?"
The arrogant tirade hadn't even finished when the tightly shut door slowly CREAKED open. A flat voice, filled with cold indifference, suddenly thundered across the courtyard.
"I just have to ask… were you kicked in the head by a donkey?"