After the Breakthrough, the Meridians damaged by the previous rampant spiritual energy were restored, dispelling his physical fatigue.
Although the cultivation was slow, just one complete cycle of his Cultivation Technique had allowed him to break through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, a level the original owner could only dream of reaching.
Such is fate.
Lin Zhou, as a modern person bombarded by online novels,
instantly understood what this meant.
Golden Finger!
The standard equipment for a transmigrator!
Lin Zhou concentrated his will, trying to summon a panel or something similar, but there was no response.
He tried various methods for a long time.
No System notification, no beginner's quest.
As if it had never appeared.
Lin Zhou's heart was filled with panic!
The world of cultivation was fraught with danger; how could he survive without a cheat?
However, the insights of the proficient Realm of the Blazing Fire Art were genuinely imprinted in his mind, engraved deep in his Soul, impossible to forget.
Could it be the wrong method?
Thinking of this, Lin Zhou immediately sat cross-legged on the bed.
With the proficient Realm insights, cultivating again went much smoother. It only took about four hours to complete one major cycle.
The spiritual energy in his Dantian became more refined than before.
The cultivation session ended.
Once again, lines of semi-transparent text appeared in his mind:
Blazing Fire Art Proficiency +100
Blazing Fire Art: proficient (23/1000 → 123/1000)
Cultivation: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (1/600 → 2/600)
Lin Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.
He then tried cultivating the Fireball Technique.
Fireball Technique Proficiency +100
Fireball Technique: Entry-level (17/100) → Fireball Technique: proficient (17/1000)
Another wave of insights flooded his mind. When he cast the Fireball Technique again, the casting speed was faster, the spiritual energy consumption lower, and the power increased.
Fireball Technique Proficiency +100
Fireball Technique: proficient (17/1000) → Fireball Technique: proficient (117/1000)
After several more attempts, Lin Zhou roughly determined a few points:
1. The Golden Finger only manifests during cultivation, displaying semi-transparent text prompts in the mind;
2. Completing one full cycle of cultivation for a technique or Spell increases proficiency by 100 points, representing a hundredfold increase;
3. Advancing the Realm of a technique or Spell does not grant additional proficiency; it still only increases by 100 points per completed cycle;
4. Currently known technique and Spell Realms are: Entry-level → proficient → Major Achievement → Perfection. Advancing Realms requires proficiency values that increase tenfold;
5. When a technique or Spell Realm advances, the Golden Finger automatically imprints the corresponding Realm's insights and knowledge into the mind, never to be forgotten. It's a case of 'once attained, forever retained';
6. Cultivation base does not have the hundredfold bonus effect and can only increase step by step.
At this moment, Lin Zhou was ecstatic!
A hundredfold proficiency!
No cultivation Bottlenecks, automatic promotion upon numerical overflow!
So freaking awesome!
According to the original owner's memories, it took four months of non-stop day and night cultivation to reach the 'Entry-level' in the Blazing Fire Art. Then, for over a decade, his technique Realm never broke through due to poor Comprehension Ability.
Low cultivation base, poor Comprehension Ability, depleted resources, desperate for revenge, leading to Qi Deviation.
Poor kid.
To Cultivate a technique to the proficient Realm depends on Comprehension Ability and Opportunity.
From his memories, it could also be achieved by grinding away over time. There were elders in the clan who spent decades to reach the proficient Realm.
The clan head, with the highest cultivation base at the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage, had good Spiritual Root Aptitude and high Comprehension Ability, and had cultivated the Blazing Fire Art to the Major Achievement Realm.
Yet, he, with just one cultivation cycle, could break through upon numerical overflow.
"In other words, my cultivation speed is a hundred times that of a normal Cultivator! And there are no Bottlenecks!"
In this life, he would rely on his Golden Finger to step by step reach the pinnacle!
He would become the Lin Gao of this world!
Take it slow. For now, he needed time to develop.
He continued his secluded cultivation. The original owner had taken a Fasting Pill and could fast for six more days. He still had four pills left, enough for a period of cultivation.
But there was a current problem: no Spirit Stones to pay the rent.
The rent was due in ten days.
Lin Zhou stood up, his gaze falling on the messy pile of Talisman paper in the corner.
Three months ago, to earn Spirit Stones, the original owner spent 12 Spirit Stones to buy a Compendium of Basic Talismans.
He spent 2 Spirit Stones on 200 sheets of ordinary Talisman paper, and the Talisman brush and Spiritual Ink cost 9 Spirit Stones together.
A total expenditure of 22 Spirit Stones!
He planned to go all-in.
Attempting to draw the lowest-level Cleaning Talisman.
Failed 137 times, wasted 137 sheets of Talisman paper, with no progress.
He gave up, believing he lacked the talent.
Drawing Talismans requires a calm and focused mind. The original owner was impatient and restless; it was no wonder he couldn't succeed.
63 sheets of Talisman paper remained. He could try Talisman Making to see if the Golden Finger was useful.
Lin Zhou took out a yellow Talisman paper, a small box of Spiritual Ink, and a low-quality Talisman brush from his Storage Pouch.
First, he opened the Compendium of Basic Talismans and carefully studied the first Talisman—the Dust Removal Talisman.
A common Cleaning Talisman used by low-level Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators.
When Lin Zhou finished reading the Talisman's pattern and drawing method, a prompt appeared in his mind.
Dust Removal Talisman: Entry-level (0/100)
A stream of knowledge and information about drawing the Dust Removal Talisman flooded his mind!
Heaven-Defying!
Just reading and learning once granted Entry-level proficiency.
Lin Zhou eagerly sprang into action.
Channeling spiritual energy into the brush tip, he guided it into the cinnabar ink, tracing the 'dust purification' rune on the Talisman paper.
With the Golden Finger's effect of 'once attained, forever retained', after ten minutes, a Low Grade Dust Removal Talisman was successfully drawn.
Dust Removal Talisman Proficiency +100
Dust Removal Talisman: Entry-level (0/100 → 100/100)
Whoosh! Taking off!
The second sheet also took ten minutes, and the quality was also Low Grade.
Dust Removal Talisman Proficiency +100
Dust Removal Talisman: Entry-level (100/100) → proficient (100/1000)
Another, more profound wave of insights into drawing the Dust Removal Talisman flooded his mind.
Lin Zhou closed his eyes to digest it for a moment.
He was certain that the next one he drew would be Medium Grade.
Lin Zhou didn't continue drawing. The Dust Removal Talisman had too low a cost-performance ratio.
With a cheat, to earn more Spirit Stones in the same amount of time, he must maximize profits by drawing Talismans with high market value.
After some recollection, he locked onto two targets: the first-grade fireball talisman and the first-grade golden body talisman.
One was offensive, the other defensive, both very popular among Qi Refining Cultivators.
The Compendium of Basic Talismans contained the drawing methods for both Talismans.
He read and learned them once.
fireball talisman: Entry-level (0/100)
golden body talisman: Entry-level (0/100)
Just as expected!
A single look and he mastered it.
One effort yields a hundredfold return in proficiency!
Having a cheat is just awesome!
Drawing higher-grade Talismans would earn more Spirit Stones.
The future looked promising!
Lin Zhou, mentally exhilarated, continued to grind.
First, grind both Talismans to the Major Achievement Realm, then he could stably produce High Grade ones.
The price of High Grade is double that of Medium Grade.
When his spiritual energy and Divine Sense were depleted, he rested.
As his proficiency grew higher and his Realm advanced, the consumption decreased, and his Talisman Making speed increased.
Late into the night, after a day of cultivation and Talisman Making, Lin Zhou, mentally exhausted, gazed at the rain outside. Filled with beautiful expectations for the future, he fell into a deep sleep.
That night, he had a wonderful dream. In the dream, he was surrounded by Fairies from the Hehuan Sect, each with fair skin and enchanting figures, enjoying immense pleasure...