Book 1 - What Is A Genius - Chapter 69 - Withered Tree Technique

He Yiming’s agility technique although was only mediocre, as far as thickness of the Internal Energy was concerned, he could easily rank among the top three even while taking the whole Tai Cang county into account. Therefore, when he decided to make a run, even a horse paled in comparison.
He didn’t return to the manor immediately. Instead, he went to the county town. He adjusted his appearance, went to an inn, and rented a luxurious courtyard for himself.
In any case, he’d quite a bit of wealth. For an individual like him who belonged to the young generation, if he didn’t flaunt his wealth a bit, he would feel regret afterwards. Therefore, he felt that in the given situation, flaunting a bit while assuming the role of a young noble should be excusable.
Tai Cang county was not a prosperous place. Not to mention the entire Heaven Sieve country, even in the Jadeting region, it had no reputation. However, county town was after all the county’s center. (Tl: Tian Luo country –> Heaven Sieve country)
Even if a region was considered poor, some rich people would inevitably be there. In a few inn’s of the county town, there were several high-quality locations. The courtyard He Yiming had rented was precisely one such location.
In a solitary, secluded room, He Yiming opened the copied scripture.
He calmly studied, occasionally closing his eyes and occasionally frowning- as if only half-understanding some of the content. After attaining the tenth layer cultivation, his understanding of the Internal Energy had improved once again.
Currently, as he was comparing the contents of this top level primary Internal Energy technique against his understanding of Internal Energy, he felt enlightened.
Even compared to the Blaze technique, Withered Tree technique’s cultivation difficulty seemed a notch above.
Since the technique had ‘withered tree’ in the name itself, its use and effects were quite clear.
After cultivating this technique and gaining some achievements, a person’s entire being would start to become increasingly like wood. This didn’t mean only in the sense of one’s temperament. Reportedly, even one’s body would start to undergo a similar development.
When He Yiming saw this, even he became somewhat hesitant.
His original character was not one of flaunting his achievements. Even after attaining the tenth layer cultivation, he’d not tried to increase his fame.
However, at the same time, he was not a monk either. If this technique caused to him be a log of wood, it wouldn’t be to his liking either.
As for the information in the book which mentioned that his body would also become increasingly slim and eventually look like a tree-trunk, he didn’t care about it too much.
After all, his body was extraordinary. While cultivating several techniques simultaneously, even if he deliberately wished to cultivate his body to the level where it would resemble a tree, he would be hard-pressed to do so.
Of course, since transformations in character and body were the shortcoming of Withered Tree technique, its advantages were also not few.
Withered Tree technique was considered the technique that had the most healing effect among all the techniques of five-phases. After making certain accomplishments in this technique, it would be like bringing along a doctor with you- a doctor that didn’t need herbs, but could cure very many diseases.
An ordinary cultivator, after feeling a lack in his ability, would decide to venture into the outside world. As such, he would look for companions that shared his aspirations. Among these companions, the most welcomed one would definitely be a cultivator of wood type techniques. Moreover, even during a fight, wood-type cultivators would be protected by everybody.
Before the destruction of the entire force, wood-type cultivators basically didn’t need to fight on the front lines.
As one of the top level wood-type techniques, Withered Tree technique’s healing effect was far above that of the ordinary wood-type techniques. Although He Yiming had not tested it for himself, he could tell that there was not much room for exaggeration.
If this technique didn’t have such a potent effect, why else would it be crowned as one of the top-level wood type techniques?
In addition to the healing ability, Withered Tree technique was most distinguished for its defensive ability.
Among the five-phase techniques, earth-type techniques were acknowledged as the best defensive techniques. However, the other types also contained some special techniques which possessed defensive capabilities not one bit inferior to top level earth type techniques.
WIthered Tree technique was precisely one such technique. After cultivating this technique to the realm of larger success, one’s body would be tempered like a tenacious thousand-year-old tree. It would not be inferior to the earth type techniques by any means.
Of course, cultivating Withered Tree technique to such an extent was no easy matter either.
After analyzing everything, He Yiming clearly understood the merits and demerits of this technique.
He casually closed the book and carefully placed it back inside his robe. Through the day, he’d thoroughly memorized the content of this book.
It was not like that day’s mysterious realm, in which every character, every picture, every detail had been profoundly drilled into his mind. However, as far as cultivating this technique for the first time was concerned, it was more than enough.
Concentrating his spirit and mind, He Yiming immediately entered a mystical realm.
As his Internal Energy aroused, he sunk deeper into the cultivation state, and the speed of his cultivation also increased correspondingly.
During these two years, by his own experience and probing his elders, he’d clarified quite a few matters. Ordinary cultivators while cultivating would rarely be able to cultivate with a completely calm mind. Although they could also cultivate Internal Energy, their speed lacked substantially compared to that of those who wholeheartedly cultivated.
He Yiming being able to make constant breakthroughs every half a year was inextricably linked to the cultivation state.
Precisely because He Yiming could enter the cultivation state with all his mind, he could always directly attain the peak of a certain layer within half a year and also touch its bottleneck.
Otherwise, after attaining the seventh layer, by only relying on slowly accumulating Internal Energy, he would have taken ten, or several ten years, to reach his current state.
Currently, as He Yiming completely sank into cultivation, the Internal Energy inside his body immediately entered an excited, berserk state and started to gradually spread throughout his body.
Slowly, his meridians, his blood, five viseras and six bowels- to his entire body, seemed as if it had received a hint.
I wish to cultivate….
It seemed to have turned into a thirst, allowing his entire being to become excited and left craving for more.
A strand of Internal Energy gushed out of his Dantian, and like flowing water, rushed towards an unknown channel.
Almost instantaneously, under the assault of his gigantic inner force, this unknown channel was completely opened.
A human body contained countless mysteries. The techniques in the five-phases although did not have completely identical channels, they didn’t have completely seperated channels either.
In fact, as Internal Energy unceasingly circulated in the body, it covered a lot of channels. Only the specific circulation routes and emphasis on them differed while cultivating different techniques.
He Yiming was not cultivating an unknown technique for the first time. The number of techniques, diversity of techniques, and even the realms attained- his peers couldn’t even dream of having such accomplishments.
Accompanied by such an abundant experience, He Yiming would naturally not make a beginner mistake.
Along with the passing of time, He Yiming’s stepped increasingly higher on the layers of Withered Tree technique.
As he reached the seventh layer, his body seemed to have already started to wither. His originally well-proportioned healthy body suddenly seemed to have lost large amounts of moisture. As if a patient with withered muscles- his skin began to lump together.
However, He Yiming seemed completely unconcerned. As if he hadn’t even noticed, he continued to cultivate with all his heart and soul, and make progress.
A day and a night passed- He Yiming cultivated non-stop.
This moment, his face seemed to have thinned a lot. Even his tightly closed two eyes seemed to have pressed towards inside. Although it was not yet to the point of being all skin and bones, others would no longer be able to guess his original features.
Although Withered Tree technique was not an appearance changing technique, the effect aroused due to it could even beat the top appearance changing techniques under the heavens.
The Internal Energy was still constantly circulating inside his body. His breath and heartbeat also seemed to have completely stopped. This wasn’t inferior to even the Breath Restraining technique.
If he went out at night assuming this appearance and played devil while being dressed up as a god, he wouldn’t require to put on any make-up at all.
Eventually….He Yiming’s two eyes opened as he gradually exhaled.
His eyeballs slowly swiveled, which didn’t fit the ingenious figure he’d a few moments ago at all. His vision suddenly fell on his skinny, withered arm, and he was instantly left gobsmacked.
After a while, realization appeared in his eyes, bringing along bits of uneasiness.
He breathed in deeply before the Internal Energy in his body suddenly switched to water-type Ripple technique. After a few moments, his muscles started to swell as if he was performing a magic trick, and before long, regained their original state.
Looking at his body, He Yiming eventually understood.
Withered Tree technique shared some similarities with the Bone Transformation technique and could alter one’s height, flesh, and other external features to a certain extent. However, after cultivating this technique to a profound level, the resultant transformation was a bit too excessive- enough to make one’s body tremble inwardly.
After a long contemplation, He Yiming discovered that although his appearance had resumed its original form, if he used this technique at all times or if it happened to be suddenly aroused to the tenth layer during combat, his external appearance would also undergo an equivalent change.
At that time, except for a blind person, anybody would be able to recognize the origins of this technique.
This was simply an even more of a trademark than the Blaze technique.
However, since he’d already grasped this technique to the tenth layer, he would naturally not discard it and could only try to be cautious with its use in future.
Moreover, other techniques could also be used as a cover up for it. Avoiding suspicions would not be hard for him at all.