Chapter 120: The Third Fine-Tuning (Extra Chapter 2/10 for the Fifth Resident of Wuliang Mountain Dormitory, the Alliance Leader)

He had no time to ponder further and immediately attempted to continue circulating the Azure Wood Heart Method. Suddenly, he felt a faint vibration from the jade cicada artifact in his hand. One after another, strands of green silk flew from the vegetable garden, continuous and unending; at a glance, one might have mistaken him for Spider-Man.

However, the efficacy of this cultivation was exceptional. In just one hour, as the unidentified vegetable withered completely, the Azure Wood internal energy within Wei Cheng’s body increased by a full fifth.

Good heavens.

Wei Cheng was simultaneously awestruck by the magical effect of the jade cicada artifact and curious about what kind of vegetable it was. He did not believe for a moment that an ordinary tree, flower, or grass could produce such results. Back in the cave-heaven, it had taken him nearly twelve hours to cultivate even a small wisp of Azure Wood internal energy. Now, he had gained a fifth of that amount in a single stroke.

It was practically like using a cheat code.

Without hesitation, Wei Cheng set aside all other concerns and devoted himself entirely to the Azure Wood Heart Method. With the help of the jade cicada, he extracted strands of green silk from the nameless vegetables and converted them into Azure Wood internal energy. Once both patches of vegetables had withered, Wei Cheng had successfully accumulated sufficient internal energy. He then used his mental power to guide it, following the requirements of the Heart Method, and easily opened the first congenital meridian belonging solely to the Azure Wood energy.

At that moment, a green aura suffused Wei Cheng’s body, flowing like morning mist in a mountain valley, with the faint, undulating shapes of lush trees visible within it—much like a visualization painting.

However, this Azure Wood energy did not seem to possess other special qualities; its primary characteristic was an extremely vigorous vitality. Moreover, it circulated automatically; Wei Cheng could neither accelerate nor halt it. It was like a river, or a great tree, possessing its own rhythm of circulation and growth.

He attempted to channel the Azure Wood energy into the jade cicada. The artifact glowed with a dense green mist, suddenly spread its wings, and took flight, leaving a trail of vibrant green in its wake. Wei Cheng quickly withdrew his energy, and the jade cicada returned to his hand. The moment he switched back to the Mountain Moving Heart Method, the artifact vanished without a sound.

Yet, this time he could clearly perceive a great tree growing in solitude beyond the nine groups of mountain peaks formed by his Mountain Moving internal energy.

In reality, that was the slow circulation of the Azure Wood energy.

Wei Cheng switched back to the Azure Wood Heart Method, and the jade cicada reappeared. After a moment of contemplation, he grasped the first and second stages of the "Azure Wood Command." It was simple, for this was not an offensive or defensive technique; it was a method for condensing Azure Wood internal energy and transforming a portion of it into a green wooden needle.

This needle could be carried on one's person; when healing was needed, one could pierce it into a wound to stimulate rapid recovery. It could also be used to dispel toxins or curses when inserted into the skin. In short, it was an essential remedy for home and travel.

Wei Cheng calculated that, at his current level of one sixty-year cycle, he could produce one needle per day. It would be neither more nor less, nor would it consume his Azure Wood energy. It was like fruit on a tree: it required the passage of the four seasons to ripen, and one could neither rush the process nor delay it.

"Interesting."

Wei Cheng smiled slightly, beginning to understand why the Trial Immortal required all candidates to cultivate the Azure Wood Heart Method. Once one reached the sixty-year level, one could simply coast through retirement. It required little effort and would not hinder the development of one's primary profession.

Thinking about it, anyone who chose to specialize solely in the Azure Wood Heart Method would be at a disadvantage, unless they could persist until the very late stages. Wei Cheng had a premonition that in the late game, a profession specializing in Azure Wood would be absolutely indispensable.

"I must find a way to cultivate someone as an Azure Wood specialist. If I don't start now, they will surely fall far behind in the future."

"Sometimes I really envy that kid, Zhou Wu."

With a resigned smile, Wei Cheng climbed onto the wall and peeked at his neighbors' courtyards. As expected, among the eight of them, his was the only courtyard with two patches of vegetables; the others were completely empty.

Cheat codes were not so easily exploited.

Wei Cheng returned to his room and took out a Golden Dragon Coin; he needed to complete the fine-tuning of his ninth congenital meridian. This was his third attempt at fine-tuning, involving as many as 1.2 million variables. Although it only increased the internal energy quality by 0.5, the difficulty was unprecedented. Wei Cheng estimated that if one’s mental power were below level 6.5, and without a thousand jars of osmanthus wine, it would be impossible to achieve.

Fortunately, he had the Golden Dragon Coin.

The object looked like a gleaming gold coin, but it was actually a smooth, natural stone, showing no signs of artificial forging. It had no luster on its surface; the golden glow came from a creature resembling a dragon—or perhaps some pattern—coiled within the stone. It emitted a surging energy that could be used directly to replenish internal power, with an efficiency a hundred times greater than osmanthus wine.

Wei Cheng had considered keeping the Golden Dragon Coin for a critical moment, but he lacked the funds to buy the necessary osmanthus wine. One jar of wine cost ten Copper Dragon Coins, and a thousand jars cost ten thousand—exactly the value of one Golden Dragon Coin. There was certainly a loophole here—the legendary "profit margin." Unless he were truly foolish, he would not waste it.

"Come!"

He cast an Immovable Golden Bell around himself, held the Golden Dragon Coin, and gave it a flick. A golden mist diffused around him, which he inhaled in a single breath. The billowing energy transformed into a massive surge of Mountain Moving internal energy.

Wei Cheng activated his Mountain Moving visualization, locked onto the ninth congenital meridian, and tapped it. Instantly, thunder roared, gale-force winds rose, and the earth shook. The nine groups of peaks and the great river connected to them trembled violently. This was the difficulty of the third fine-tuning.

It was no wonder that Cheng An, Yu Liang, and Mei Renli, despite Wei Cheng’s repeated warnings, chose the fast-track route. The process of fine-tuning was simply too perilous and arduous. Those with high mental power could oversee the whole picture, while those with slightly insufficient power could only see through a glass darkly, lost in endless confusion.

At this moment, as the fine-tuning unfolded, the nine groups of mountains and the river seemed to turn into an endless Rubik's Cube, constantly shifting and extending. A single error in detail would lead to total failure—or worse, damage to the foundation of his cultivation, forcing him to start over from scratch. Even with his current mental strength, Wei Cheng had to respond with his full focus, daring not the slightest negligence!

Rumble!

The thunderous roar never ceased. In the center of the fine-tuning, within the ninth group of mountains, the ranges rose and fell like giant dragons leaping, traversing heaven and earth to pluck the stars and grasp the moon. Every change required precise execution and an immense amount of driving force.

Wei Cheng had only lasted a moment before he was struck with dread, simultaneously feeling lucky that he had chosen the Golden Dragon Coin instead of osmanthus wine. The Mountain Moving internal energy required for this third fine-tuning was more than ten times that of the second. The energy provided by the instant consumption of osmanthus wine would have been insufficient. If the supply were cut off, he would collapse instantly—with no buffer.

Only a miraculous object like the Golden Dragon Coin could provide such a steady supply. Yet, he feared even one might not be enough to complete the entire process. In the blink of an eye, the wave of variables from the fine-tuning crossed the ninth group of mountains and extended to the eighth. The Golden Dragon Coin had already shrunk by a quarter.

"Boom!"

Amidst the thunder, the great river was the first to be enraged. The more perfect and powerful it had been, the greater the difficulty of fine-tuning it. This was like a top-down reform... truly defying heaven and courting death.

At that moment, Wei Cheng actually thought of Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng, which showed that the pressure was not yet high enough.

Ha! In the next second, he was stunned! His mental power had been whipped into a stupor by the enraged river!

Waves rose a thousand feet on flat ground, and the mountains were filled with thunder! He never expected that after completing the fine-tuning of the ninth group of mountains, a rebellion would break out in the eighth.

With his formidable mental power, he lost control and connection to the Mountain Moving visualization. His internal energy ran wild, the mountains collapsed, the river ceased to flow, the sun and moon lost their light, and the world began to sink. Everything was on the verge of ending!

Wei Cheng was terrified. The out-of-control internal energy was like a locomotive traveling at eight hundred kilometers per hour; it was not only speeding through curves but also flipping over. He was only a hair's breadth away from falling into demonic obsession.

Fortunately, he retained a shred of reason and switched to the Azure Wood Heart Method at the first opportunity. In that instant, it was like a lost wanderer finding the way home, or a weak, pitiful soul finding its sanctuary; he was so moved he almost wept. Although he only had a sixty-year cycle of Azure Wood energy, this mass of energy was truly a lifesaver.

In a calm, slow, and meticulous manner, it soothed his runaway Mountain Moving internal energy and guided the teetering visualization back onto the right track. Finally, it allowed his mental power to reconnect with the visualization, restoring control and enabling the third fine-tuning to continue.

The whole process was filled with wonder and impossibility. It was just as miraculous as how afforestation could prevent wind erosion and reduce soil loss. Wei Cheng felt a myriad of thanks in his heart, but he also had to acknowledge the brilliance of the Trial Immortal's arrangement.

It was no wonder they were required to cultivate the Azure Wood Heart Method; the effect was truly unforgettable.

To put it bluntly, anyone who wanted to complete the third fine-tuning had to choose either the fast track or a combination of fast-track and quality tuning. But if one chose quality tuning without the Azure Wood Heart Method, it would be courting death—the certain kind.

He still felt a lingering fear over the rebellion of the eighth mountain group.