Chapter 113: Origin Decree (Third Update)

Upon hearing these words from Master Yunling, Li Sibai was suddenly enlightened.

So, the reason he had taken him on as a disciple yesterday was simply to give him a helping hand. To be able to perceive his predicament at a single glance and offer assistance—this master was truly extraordinary. It seemed that his late arrival earlier had been a deliberate test of his character, and thankfully, he had not been idle.

There were only two reasons why this classroom had been devoid of students for so long: either the teacher was so incompetent that no one wished to learn from him, or his standards for accepting disciples were so rigorous that no one could qualify. Li Sibai leaned toward the latter. The thought that such an outstanding master had actually accepted him as a disciple filled him with joy.

"What? Are you reluctant?" Seeing Li Sibai standing there in a daze with a silly grin, Master Yunling couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Could it be that the only disciple he had taken in decades was a poor judge of character?

Li Sibai snapped back to reality, his face flushing with embarrassment, and he quickly knelt to pay his respects to his master once more. Master Yunling nodded, satisfied.

"Master, let me practice a bit first so you can guide me," Li Sibai said, eager to move on to the core of their training to ease his awkwardness.

"Hm? Practice first? There is no need for such trouble. I have a cultivation technique here; just practice according to it. If you have any questions, come find me here at the hour of the Rabbit every day. Of course, I may not necessarily be here, and even if I am, I may not necessarily be able to answer your questions." Master Yunling smiled faintly and retrieved a black book from his storage pouch. It bore no title, and he handed it to Li Sibai.

Li Sibai was stunned. Other teachers would usually have their students demonstrate their skills first, identify their flaws, and tailor a development path suited to them. But his master? He didn't look at anything, didn't even know what Li Sibai had practiced before, and simply tossed a book at him. Was this enough? And he was expected to practice on his own, with the master potentially absent or unable to provide answers? His master was truly carefree—or perhaps, being a master was just exceptionally easy.

Puzzled, he looked at the book in his hand. The black volume seemed to possess a life of its own; the next moment, it transformed into a stream of light and surged directly into Li Sibai’s mind.

In an instant, Li Sibai felt countless words and images flash through his consciousness. His mind grew hazy, and the figure of his master became increasingly blurred, appearing as if he were seeing double. Vaguely, he heard Master Yunling say, "Li Sibai, you and I are fated. Although I did not create this technique, it is perfectly suited for your cultivation. No one has practiced it for a long time. Practice it diligently and do not reveal it to others; even if you did, no one else could master it. Go now."

Everything before his eyes turned pitch black. Li Sibai felt the volume of information in his mind growing increasingly complex. If not for his recent use of Purple Bamboo to upgrade his cerebral fibers, his brain would have been reduced to mush.

Soon, Li Sibai fainted.

...

He did not know how much time had passed when he finally awoke. Opening his eyes, he found himself in his own room, with Caiyao asleep beside him. Li Sibai spent a long time trying to figure out how he had returned, but seeing that it was still dark outside, he decided to close his eyes and sleep a while longer.

The moment he closed his eyes, the cultivation technique immediately surfaced in his mind. He then remembered that his master had left him a manual to study. Focusing his attention, he saw that the technique was named *The Origin Canon*.

"The Origin Canon? Does it have anything to do with Origin Qi?" Li Sibai’s eyes lit up. "Could Master know that I cultivate Origin Qi? That’s impossible; I’ve been very discreet, only using it once during my duel with Fellow Daoist Zhao Kang." The more he thought, the more confused he became. Could it be that his master hadn't left that night and had witnessed his match? That would explain why his master had bypassed the diagnostic phase when he asked to practice.

Excited, Li Sibai continued to read. The technique was all-encompassing, covering internal cultivation, fist techniques, sword forms, movement arts, and more. Although it appeared chaotic, Li Sibai sensed a terrifying level of refinement within it.

The technique was divided into seven realms. The first realm alone required mastery of the internal heart method, fist techniques, sword forms, and movement arts, with each subsequent realm building upon and strengthening the foundation. The barrier to entry was staggering; no wonder his master said it hadn't been practiced in a long time—even if it were spread, no one could master it.

Any cultivation must begin with the internal heart method. Li Sibai already possessed the formidable Hunyuan Art, and if the heart method of the Origin Canon conflicted with it, he would have to start from scratch even if the new technique were superior. Whether he could bear such a cost was something he needed to consider.

Anxious, Li Sibai immediately examined the heart method, and after doing so, his expression became indescribably strange. The cultivation of the Origin Canon was incredibly difficult. After absorbing pure Qi into the body, it required splitting the Qi into two streams along the meridians. One stream had to flow with the blood, while the other was required to flow against it. This was "One Origin Generating Two Polarities," the beginning of all changes within the Origin Canon.

Li Sibai’s expression grew grave, yet he felt a thrill of excitement. This might be extremely difficult for others, but for him, possessing both True Qi and Battle Qi, it seemed to share commonalities with the Hunyuan Art he had learned previously.

Without further hesitation, Li Sibai began to cultivate according to the instructions. He circulated his True Qi and Battle Qi simultaneously. His True Qi, mild and temperate, flowed easily with the blood, while the Battle Qi, inherently cold, fierce, and filled with a killing intent, found no resistance in flowing against the current. It soon began to circulate smoothly.

Before long, both forces were pushed to their limits. His True Qi and Battle Qi surged wildly, causing his meridians to tremble. Red and white light erupted from his body, and his skin turned a deep purplish-red, as if he were on the verge of exploding. Li Sibai felt immense pain—far greater than when he had broken through to the Phoenix Beginning Realm.

Seeing that his physical body could no longer withstand the internal chaos, he suddenly felt his mind stabilize, accompanied by an indescribable sensation of comfort. He opened his eyes to see that Caiyao had woken up. Her red tail was glowing, and the seven-colored auspicious light radiating from her body was shining upon him.

Caiyao nodded at Li Sibai. She looked as though she had endured significant pain herself, to the point where she could not even speak. Li Sibai cast aside his distracting thoughts and refocused his energy. With the help of the seven-colored light, the two forces within him suddenly slowed, unexpectedly reaching a state of perfect balance.