Chapter 272: Yu Feng’s Cultivation Method

“Junior Brother.”

As soon as Yu Feng returned, he saw Third Senior Brother standing at the door waiting for him.

“Third Senior Brother, you’re here to…” Yu Feng hesitated.

Third Senior Brother looked around like a thief, left and right, then whispered to Yu Feng, “This isn’t something we should talk about out here. Can we go inside and speak privately?”

“Please come in.”

After entering the room, Third Senior Brother still didn’t dare speak loudly. He lowered his voice and said, “This is embarrassing to admit, but Junior Brother, would you teach me that talisman path you’ve mastered?”

“Third Senior Brother, Master must have told you, this can’t be passed on to outsiders.”

Third Senior Brother put on an angry face. “We’re fellow disciples under the same master. How can that count as ‘outsiders’?”

Yu Feng was torn. He thought for a while before finally saying, “Alright then. But I have a condition too.”

“What is it?”

“Fifth Senior Brother gave me a copy of the Spiritual Plant Manual, but I don’t really understand it. You’re a Golden Core Stage cultivator—could you explain it to me?”

All of Daoist Tongchen’s disciples were at the Golden Core Stage, except Yu Feng, who was like a stray they picked up, still at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

“Let me take a look.” Third Senior Brother wasn’t interested in spiritual plants and had never read Fifth Brother’s Spiritual Plant Manual, but in order to learn Yu Feng’s talisman path, he figured he could study it first and then teach Yu Feng.

“This book… is meant to be read backwards…” Third Senior Brother muttered in surprise.

“Read backwards?”

“No, nothing.”

Third Senior Brother flipped through a few chapters and discovered a hidden cultivation method embedded between the lines. He couldn’t help exclaiming in shock, then quickly composed himself when he remembered Yu Feng was still present.

“Fifth Brother, honestly… giving you such a hard-to-read book. Alright, I’ll study it thoroughly tonight and explain it to you as soon as I understand it.” As he spoke, he casually slipped the Spiritual Plant Manual into his robe, acting like it was his own book.

“Thank you, Senior Brother. I’ll explain the talisman path to you,” Yu Feng said gratefully.

“It’s nothing.”

An hour passed.

“Strange… why can’t I get the hang of it?”

Yu Feng thought to himself, Of course, it’s because I didn’t teach you properly. But he said aloud, “Senior Brother, you’re extremely gifted. Maybe you just haven’t grasped the basics yet. Once you do, your progress in the talisman path will be lightning fast.”

“That might be it. I’ll come back tomorrow to continue learning.”

“See you tomorrow, Third Senior Brother.”

After sending off the eager learner, Yu Feng lay on his bed, feeling emotional.

“Didn’t expect to have already joined the sect.”

“When were you supposed to join?” Jiang Li asked curiously. From Yu Feng’s tone, it sounded like this was very different from the future he knew.

“I’m only supposed to become Daoist Tongchen’s disciple four years from now. And four and a half years later, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Senior Brothers rebel. But this time, that meteorite brought me closer to Senior Sister, and I joined the sect right away.”

Yu Feng had joined Daoist Tongchen’s sect multiple times, always four years later, after reaching the Golden Core Stage.

With Daoist Tongchen’s discerning eye, a Foundation Establishment cultivator with only three spiritual roots wouldn’t even be worth a glance. Only reaching the Golden Core Stage would make him look again.

Yu Feng had fabricated a cultivation method, made Daoist Tongchen half-believe him, and then casually gave him a riddle. That gave Yu Feng a loophole to exploit, and left Daoist Tongchen with no way out but to accept him.

“Then that’s quite the deviation.”

Yu Feng had only lived eight years at most, and this already took him halfway through.

What Yu Feng was thinking about, though, was how each time he only got to spend six months with Senior Sister. This time, he could spend four and a half years with her.

“To reduce your death tribulations, you’d better cultivate diligently. You’re only in early Foundation Establishment now.”

Yu Feng understood that clearly and sat cross-legged to cultivate the method Jiang Li had written for him.

Jiang Li had spent half a month tailoring a unique method for Yu Feng called Seven Orifice Exquisite Heart, based on Yu Feng’s jack-of-all-trades cultivation style. It allowed multitasking, letting him use multiple cultivation techniques at once—for example, beast-taming while reinforcing the beast’s power with talismans.

He could even combine the Dao of Spiritual Plants and the Dao of Alchemy to grow a single pill into an entire tree of pills.

Though the latter was only theoretical—no successful attempt yet.

This method could take Yu Feng all the way to ascension. It was the highest-grade method Yu Feng had ever seen.

He wasn’t some battle maniac who could challenge opponents across realms. Compared to Qin Luan or the Luo siblings, he wasn’t even close.

Yu Feng’s cautious nature wasn’t suited for hot-blooded power boosts or screaming through battles with sheer willpower.

Having died repeatedly, he understood how unpredictable life was and valued it highly. He preferred to plan thoroughly before acting.

But before meeting Jiang Li, his plans never kept up with changes, and he died too quickly.

Now, with Jiang Li’s guidance, he could finally play to his strengths.

So Jiang Li didn’t give him a method for berserker battles or heaven-defying power boosts.

Yu Feng drew talismans with his left hand and set formations with his right—not very powerful, but full of tricks that made him unpredictable.

…

“This cultivation method…” Third Senior Brother kept studying the hidden method inside the Spiritual Plant Manual. The more he read, the better it seemed—easy to learn, fast to cultivate, and most importantly, it didn’t conflict with his current method.

“A real gem. Lucky I reacted quickly, or that Junior Brother would’ve snatched it.”

“Wonder where Fifth Brother got this from.”

Third Senior Brother had a high opinion of himself. All good things should be his. Even though Senior Sister Wu Lian had more talent in the talisman path, she shouldn’t have gotten Master’s favor.

Wu Lian was, after all, a woman who would marry out one day. Passing Master’s legacy to her was like handing it to an outsider. Better to keep it within the sect and give it to him.

He believed he was doing this for the good of their sect.

As for the Spiritual Plant Manual that Yu Feng received—if it contained a hidden opportunity, then the one who deserved it would be the virtuous. And who’s virtuous? Naturally, the strong.

A Golden Core Stage cultivator intercepting a Foundation Establishment Junior Brother’s opportunity—perfectly reasonable.

Blame Yu Feng for not discovering it.

…

“Fifth Senior Brother, are these spirit plants yours? They’re thriving.”

“Yeah, not bad, right?” Fifth Senior Brother beamed. More than just thriving—give it another three or four years, and once he planted them all over the sect and connected their roots into a formation, they’d see how powerful these spirit plants really were.

Two petite pink lotuses bloomed vibrantly, brimming with life and incredibly soothing to look at.

Yu Feng’s eyes lit up like he’d found a treasure. “You actually have Heartlotus here? I’ve been looking for this for ages! Can I pick two?”

Fifth Senior Brother froze. Heartlotus wasn’t worth much, but the place it grew was very important.

To ambush a Nascent Soul cultivator like Daoist Tongchen, a single formation wasn’t enough. Fifth Senior Brother had set up a linked array, and the spot with Heartlotus was one of the array’s cores.

“Junior Brother, Heartlotus isn’t useful for Foundation Establishment cultivators, and it’s not used in alchemy either, you…”

He was gently trying to refuse.

Yu Feng said innocently, “But it looks so pretty. I want to give one to Senior Sister Wu Lian to thank her for helping me join the sect, and keep one for myself.”

Fifth Senior Brother consoled himself—no big deal. If the lotus is gone, there’s still the root. With the root, the lotus would grow back sooner or later.

“Fifth Senior Brother, could you give me the root too? I heard this kind is really tasty.”

Fifth Senior Brother gritted his teeth. His public image was that of a generous and well-connected cultivator. Refusing Yu Feng might blow his cover. Sacrificing one array core wasn’t a huge loss.

“Take it. Take whatever you want.”