Pawning lifespan, starting from a low-level martial arts world to transform into a dragon.

Chapter 50: Minor Success in the Returning to Origin Technique, Extending Lifespan by Half a Year

Chen Ye felt a surge of excitement, forcibly suppressed the urge to cultivate, and decisively stopped. He didn't rush to consume his limited lifespan to improve this technique.

The lessons learned from the Gao family are still fresh in our minds.

We must learn from this experience and not repeat the same mistake.

Before practicing this technique, you should do more research.

The next day, after finishing his work, Chen Ye bought some wine out of his own pocket and also took a bowl of lotus root soup from the kitchen back with him.

Although he was nominally a follower, he was always treated like a retainer.

Cheng Defu often came to his place to eat.

As evening approached, Cheng Defu strolled leisurely into his courtyard.

He was somewhat surprised to see a pot of wine on the table.

"Hey, what's the occasion today? Why did you suddenly decide to buy alcohol?"

Cheng Defu sat down familiarly, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of lotus root from the soup, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it heartily.

Chen Ye poured him a full glass of wine and replied with a smile, "I've got nothing to do, so I'll have a drink."

Cheng Defu grinned: "Then I've come in luck today."

After exchanging a few casual words, Chen Ye gradually steered the conversation toward the events of the day.

"I saw the Second Miss today."

"Oh, what do you think?"

Chen Ye smiled and said, "I don't think she's like a girl; she acts more like a man."

"Haha, that's what everyone's saying, inside and outside the manor. The old lady is really worried about her marriage."

Cheng Defu casually uttered a gossip that everyone in the mansion already knew.

Chen Ye laughed and echoed a few times, then changed the subject with a hint of seeking advice, asking, "Manager Cheng, there's something I've been wondering about, and I'd like to ask you about it today."

Cheng Defu kept eating with his chopsticks, his mouth full of food, and mumbled, "What is it? Tell me."

Chen Ye said, "I've heard that the major families are extremely secretive about their martial arts and never pass them on to outsiders. But when I went to the training ground today, I found that the Second Miss and the others were teaching their disciples martial arts without any attempt to hide it from us. Why is that?"

"What is it?" Cheng Defu put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and said, "I'm asking you, what do you think is the most important thing in learning a martial art?"

Chen Ye hesitated for a moment before asking, "Cultivation techniques?"

Cheng Defu shook his head and scoffed, "Wrong. The most important thing is having someone to decipher the codes and show you the way. What good is just having a martial arts manual? Do you think those powerful families and martial arts sects are fools?"

Cheng Defu adopted an air of profound knowledge and continued, "To protect their own martial arts, each family has included countless secret codes in their records. There are at least ten different interpretations of just the term 'true self.' Every family's disciples cultivate martial arts with the help of techniques and guidance from their elders. Why would they just throw a manual at you and leave you to figure it out on your own?"

In other words, even if you have a divine martial arts manual placed in front of you, it's useless if no one explains it to you.

"Otherwise, how do you think the martial arts traditions of many aristocratic families were broken down?"

"The Second Miss doesn't avoid you because you can't learn anything just by watching."

Chen Ye was stunned.

He then realized that he was blinded by his own involvement.

Having a system within myself, I subconsciously felt that as long as I had the cultivation method, I could learn it, without ever thinking in that direction.

He immediately looked enlightened, and laughed as he punished himself with a drink: "I can't believe I didn't understand such a simple principle. I deserve to be punished."

"It's one thing that I can't learn it, but the other is that it's unnecessary."

Cheng Defu picked up another bite of food and said, "The martial arts initiation method used in the manor is the Guiyuan Technique, a set of balanced and peaceful introductory skills from the Cui family. This technique has no restrictions on lineage; all members of the Cui family can learn it, but its upper limit is low, and it is only used to lay the foundation. Truly talented direct descendants will move on to more advanced martial arts after learning this."

"I see."

After listening, Chen Ye couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

The Cui family's wealth and influence are indeed extraordinary.

The technique, which was dozens of times more powerful than the Peiyuan Gong, was considered nothing more than a basic skill by the Cui family.

I really don't know how advanced these so-called high-level martial arts are to the Cui family.

He took a sip of wine and asked casually, "Manager Cheng, since the Guiyuan Technique is an introductory cultivation method, it must have its unique aspects. What benefits would it bring to the bodies of those Cui family disciples who lack talent if they practiced it for many years? For example, would it regulate their qi and blood, prolong their lives, or nourish their health?"

Cheng Defu, his face already flushed with wine, chuckled and said, "As for the benefits, there are naturally some. It's said outside that the Xie family's martial arts excel in killing, the Wang family's in adaptability, and the Cui family's in nurturing. Do you think the Cui family got their reputation for nurturing from there?"

"Could it be this martial art?"

"no."

Chen Ye was speechless for a moment.

Seeing Chen Ye's embarrassed expression, Cheng Defu couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

After drinking, his speech became incoherent, but he quickly returned to his previous point, saying, "There are only a few talented people in aristocratic families. Although this basic skill has a limited upper limit, its advantage lies in its ability to regulate qi and blood. As for prolonging life, that's possible. As long as the young masters in the manor practice diligently for a year or two, they can basically achieve some success, and living a few more years is not a problem."

Hearing this, Chen Ye finally felt more confident and gained a basic understanding of the Guiyuan Technique.

Cheng Defu had no idea that he had secretly learned the Guiyuan Technique, so there was no way he was lying to him.

Having achieved his goal, Chen Ye simply stopped talking and just drank with Cheng Defu.

He just didn't expect that Cheng Defu's alcohol tolerance was ridiculously low, and his behavior while drunk was even worse.

After only a few drinks, he started to let loose and let loose.

Cheng Defu looked at Chen Ye with a lewd grin and said, "Kid Chen, do you know that there are 'four hard' and 'four soft' things in this world?"

"What do you mean by 'four hard and four soft'?"

"Haha, you don't know? Let me tell you, see if I'm right about the four hard things." Cheng Defu shook his head and recited: "Hehe, the carpenter's adze, the blacksmith's anvil, the young man's scepter, and the diamond drill."

There are also the "Four Soft Things": a girl's waist wrapped in cotton, fire crystal persimmons, and pig's bladder. Oh my, how soft they are!

After Cheng Defu finished speaking, he laughed so hard he almost passed out, and he kept repeating the same thing over and over.

Chen Ye then realized that the old man was talking about things related to his crotch.

Looking down again, he saw that the old man had actually set up a tent, leaving him even more speechless.

He quickly got up and helped Cheng Defu back home.

Cheng Defu lay on the bed, tugged at Chen Ye's sleeve, and mumbled, "Hey... don't rush... if I can't get up tomorrow, I'll ask you to do it for me... you have to take good care of that red-maned horse for me, it's the Third Miss's favorite 'Red Maiden'... don't ruin it for me."

After saying that, Cheng Defu collapsed onto the bed and began snoring.

Chen Ye shook his head helplessly.

He brought this trouble upon himself, so he has no choice but to bear the consequences.

Fortunately, I've learned the process of feeding horses from Cheng Defu these past few days, so it shouldn't be a problem to deal with it for a while.

After seeing the person off, Chen Ye returned to his residence; it was already late at night.

After confirming that the Guiyuan Technique was without problems and had the ability to prolong life, he decided to pawn his lifespan in exchange for cultivation.

The items being pawned this time are all lifespans redeemed in the past, which are one-time consumption items, so he cannot afford to be careless.

Chen Ye took a deep breath and brought up the system panel.

Name: Chen Ye

Current martial arts skills: Peiyuan Gong (Perfected), Guiyuan Jue (Beginner)

[Realm: Rebirth (Part 3)]

Current remaining lifespan: 585 days.

[Pawnable lifespan: 584 days]

[Cumulative redemptions: 548 days]

[Remaining redeemable lifespan: 0 days]

Chen Ye essentially pawned a year of his lifespan.

[Deduct 365 days of lifespan, and provide 365 days of cultivation points.]

The status on the panel also changed rapidly.

[Return to Origin Technique (Beginner)] → [Return to Origin Technique (Minor Success)]

At the moment of breakthrough in the Guiyuan Technique, a strong sense of energy, like a torrent of rivers, flowed up the spine, then split into the extraordinary meridians, and returned to the dantian.

Unlike the stuffy feeling and irregular collisions experienced when practicing the Qi Cultivation Technique, the powerful Qi generated by the Returning to Origin Technique surged along a fixed path, transforming into a torrent that could be guided.

Chen Ye could clearly sense that a complete "qi pathway" had been added to his body, forming a dynamic cycle of expulsion followed by retraction, with both outward and inward flow.

What surprised him even more was that there was a considerable degree of overlap and complementarity between the Guiyuan Jue and Peiyuan Gong.

Peiyuan Gong emphasizes "cultivation," focusing on strengthening internal energy and feeling while neglecting its circulation.

The Guiyuan Technique emphasizes "returning" and focuses on the flow of Qi, rather than on strengthening Qi.

The two unexpectedly echoed each other and complemented each other.

With a thought, Chen Ye simultaneously activated two martial arts techniques.

Each time a complete cycle of Qi is completed, a subtle increase in the sensation of Qi within the body will occur.

After circulating for nine consecutive cycles, the long-awaited "sixth ray of light" broke through the flesh and blood and occupied an acupoint.

Chen Ye suspected that if he continued to cultivate like this, he might be able to cultivate all 361 acupoints to the point of radiance.

Once mastered, his physical body may undergo extraordinary changes.

He regained his composure, quickly opened the pawnshop system, checked the changes in his lifespan, and was immediately overjoyed.

Current remaining lifespan: 400 days.

[Pawnable lifespan: 399 days]

[Cumulative redemptions: 183 days]

The Guiyuan Formula truly has the effect of prolonging life.

Even a small achievement brought an extra six months of lifespan.

This path is indeed feasible!

Chen Ye sat cross-legged on the bed in the side room, feeling the vigorous life force within his body, and his mood was high.

He felt that he might be able to undergo a fourth transformation sometime in the future.