Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

After hanging up the sign to refuse visitors during closed cultivation, Zhang Ze placed a tray of spiritual incense on the table.

A coil of incense that stretched out to over ten meters in length.

Bought from the night market, it was said to burn for half a month. He took it out now to keep track of time, to avoid losing track as he did last time after his closed cultivation ended.

Lighting the incense coil, Zhang Ze took a deep breath.

The scent was not bad, a hint of chrysanthemum.

Re-entering the gray and desolate trial space of the system, Zhang Ze sat cross-legged. At this point, his self-created stitch-heart method had been deduced to the realm of two hundred and thirty breaths.

Zhang Ze closed his eyes and continued deducing. After a small attempt to incorporate a flavor of Dragon Tiger Mountain, he experienced a new way to die.

It was a soul-out-of-body, a rather unique death. Zhang Ze felt half of his divine soul being pulled out, then torn into two.

At the moment his divine soul was about to be obliterated, Zhang Ze witnessed the change in his body from the perspective of the detached soul. His right half's flesh and bones dispersed, transforming into the appearance of a soul body...

After the experimental failure, Zhang Ze, who had reappeared in the trial space, did not continue deducing but stared blankly at his right hand, feeling the scene just now somewhat familiar.

Zhang Ze thought for a while, then realized it was that big tiger, the one whose half-body could transform into a soul body.

"I remember that big tiger's box seemed to have a Tao scripture..."

Exiting the trial space, Zhang Ze pushed the door open and ran out. Shortly after, he returned with a box full of books.

The box contained copies of the treasured classics of Dragon Tiger Mountain, but they were not cultivation secret manuals, rather the travel notes and biographies recorded by the Sect Leaders and Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain over the ages.

Unlike the Sword Sect, the Taoists of Dragon Tiger Mountain were more leisurely, and many hidden matters were documented and preserved by them, their own and others'.

Placing the box on the ground, Zhang Ze also fetched the big tiger's box from the Hundred Treasures Bag.

Reaching down, he pulled out a nameless Tao scripture from the bottom.

A particularly thick Tao scripture.

This Nameless Tao Scripture, after the Demon Path's death, fell into the hands of the Tiger Demon. Despite the many years, it remained undamaged, indicating it was no ordinary item.

Judging from the handwriting, the Nameless Tao Scripture had numerous owners before the big tiger.

On the first page, the first unknown Taoist wrote a passage.

[Receiving the teachings from my revered teacher, Taoist Taiyin, I shall press forward with determination.]

Zhang Ze set down the Nameless Tao Scripture and then pulled out a Taoist biography from the Dragon Tiger Mountain box.

"Taiyin's Legacy"

The Heart Methods of the Six Sects have not remained constant over millennia. Numerous geniuses continually perfected them, and many sought to innovate by standing on the shoulders of previous generations, among them the Taoist Taiyin.

According to "Taiyin's Legacy", the Taoist Taiyin was exceptionally gifted. He sought to augment the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heart Method with the Yang Spirit and Yin Soul technique, often journeying out in search of opportunities, but ultimately met with death and disappearance.

The incomplete "Taiyin Heart Method" he authored was lost externally, its whereabouts unknown. His disciples and friends once left Dragon Tiger Mountain to seek their master's teachings but failed to find them.

Zhang Ze picked up the Nameless Tao Scripture and carefully examined it page by page.

The name of the first Taoist is unknown. When his handwriting concluded, he inscribed a number at the end of the page.

One hundred eighty-seven.

Then the second, the third, each successor inscribed a number when their handwriting ended.

Two hundred thirty-six, three hundred seventy-one...

These were their lifespans, varying in length but unbroken until one owner took a dark path, halting the tracking of numbers.

From that Demon Path as a dividing point, subsequent owners did not deduce heart methods but used this "Taiyin Heart Method" as the basis to deduce demon techniques, recording them in the Tao scripture.

The Tiger Demon's refined eyeball and the half-body soul demon technique originated from this.

Zhang Ze flipped to the last page, seeing a black-brown tiger paw print stamped on it.

Amused by frustration, he guessed the big tiger had trampled on it after consuming the Demon Path, leaving the mark.

This Tao scripture had divine techniques attached by previous owners, making it resistant to damage, and it surviving through so many twists and turns was a miracle.

Despite undergoing multiple owners, the heart method recorded within, though missing parts, clearly showcased to Zhang Ze the entire process from inception to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, stopping just before Nascent Soul.

Additionally, it detailed the entire deduction process of the cultivation techniques based on the heart method.

This was a precious sample.

Zhang Ze took the Nameless Tao Scripture and "Taiyin's Legacy" and once again pushed the door open and ran out. He had some questions to ask Old Tang.

Old Tang, sitting in the courtyard picking his toes and basking in the sun, burst out laughing seeing the storming Zhang Ze.

"Weren't you going into closed cultivation? Who runs out twice within two hours of closed cultivation?"

"Taoist, can I ask you something? After Foundation Establishment, the most fundamental cultivation techniques are deduced from heart methods, right?" Zhang Ze asked.

"Nonsense, how did Li Guanqi teach you? You don't know this?" Old Tang frowned.

"Understood, Taoist, carry on with your rest." Saying so, Zhang Ze was about to run back.

"Come back! What's that thing you're holding?" Old Tang called Zhang Ze back.

Since there was already a plan, Zhang Ze didn't mind the short delay. He handed the two books to Old Tang, after all, originally, they were all Dragon Tiger Mountain's things.

Old Tang glanced at "Taiyin's Legacy", "Didn't I write this?"

"Huh?" Zhang Ze was dumbfounded by Old Tang's words.

"Taoist Taiyin, my senior uncle. Why, do you have an issue?" Old Tang's tone was indifferent.

"So the person recorded in the book who went down the mountain to seek a master, but failed, is..." Zhang Ze looked at Tang and asked.

"There's me, the Taoist." Tang patted his chest.

Zhang Ze recalled the beautifully structured parallel prose in "Taiyin's Legacy", which resonated harmoniously and was poetically refined. He glanced at the currently unkempt Tang...

Forget it, don't mind the details.

"What's this?" Tang put "Taiyin's Legacy" on the table and picked up the "Nameless Tao Scripture," weighing it in his hand.

"The remaining scroll of 'Taiyin Heart Method' authored by Taoist Taiyin. Although the latter part deviated, it's still 'Taiyin Heart Method'."

Tang's hand shook, almost dropping the book. He hurriedly held it carefully like a treasure and gingerly opened the first page to read.

Zhang Ze had memorized all the content in the book, so he said to Tang, "Taoist, take your time reading it. I'll go back to seclude myself in cultivation."

Tang waved his hand, indicating Zhang Ze could proceed as he wished.

Returning to his room, hanging up the sign, Zhang Ze closed his eyes and entered the system.

Standing in a vast gray space, he first adjusted his mood.

To be honest, Zhang Ze felt a bit inflated. Ever since he met the Sect Leader, he felt he was walking a path unprecedented and unmatched.

Feeling himself awesomely excellent, like the son of destiny.

Thinking this path was a solo journey, but it now seems...

This path is not solitary.

And the gifts from those who shared this path were right in front of him, yet he was unaware.

Opening the system interface, Zhang Ze looked at those foundational cultivation techniques that he had almost forgotten.

Inspired by the "Nameless Tao Scripture," Zhang Ze planned to reverse engineer these basic techniques, confirming them with each sect's Heart Method. Attempting to understand the operation principles of those Heart Methods from another perspective.

Like navigating a maze, entering from the entrance to the exit is troublesome, but going from the exit to the entrance is much simpler.

Zhang Ze no longer recklessly experimented without purpose but strove forward, guided by the lights of predecessors.

"First resolve the issue from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core."

...

Half a month later.

Zhang Ze stood up from the ground. The system's usable space remained gray and silent, but a booklet had appeared in Zhang Ze's hand.

Zhang Ze couldn't remember how many times he died in the system during this period, nor how many difficulties he encountered. He only knew he had succeeded.

Now, this basic Heart Method was operating within him.

Operating smoothly and naturally.

The cultivation speed of the Heart Method in his hand wasn't fast and only reached Foundation Establishment, lacking one step to break through to Golden Core.

But its greatest advantage was compatibility, like how the Hundred Demons Sect's Heart Method is compatible with many demon branches.

This Heart Method can be compatible with the techniques of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Beast Taming Sect of Cang Mountain, and Sword Sect, the Three Sects.

Moreover, if one doesn't wish to continue halfway through cultivation, they can seamlessly switch to the paths of these three sects at the Golden Core.

An opportunity for regret.

This suits the current Thousand Mechanism Pavilion well.

But Zhang Ze still had doubts. Although he had experimented many times and confirmed there were no problems with the Heart Method, he didn't know how it would work for others.

It might just be that his physique was unique, and this thing was only usable by him.

If he himself was fine cultivating it, but others quickly fell into a mental disorder upon doing so, it would be quite the comedy.

Zhang Ze pondered for a long time, feeling that idling here wasn't a solution. He used the system's power of creation to print out the yet unnamed Heart Method.

He planned to discuss it with his master and Tang.

Feeling the scroll in his hand, Zhang Ze opened his eyes.

And then he saw a gray fog in front of him.

With a smell of chrysanthemum.

"Is there a fire?"

The chrysanthemum smell reminded Zhang Ze of the broken incense.

Because he'd been sitting in this room for half a month without opening the window, now it resembled Lingxiao Palace.

"Clearly, when that shop owner sold it, he promised it was smokeless incense. I'll have to deal with this seller of fake goods later."

Zhang Ze waved his hand to disperse the smoke, opened all the windows, then heard Lily's strange shout from the yard.

"Wow! Boss self-immolated from mental disorder! Come save him!"

Zhang Ze pushed the door open and tossed the Heart Method book onto Lily's head, causing her to stagger.

"Quieter, I'm fine, what's up with you?"

Lily rubbed her head while getting up from the ground, picked up the Heart Method, casually stuffed it in her pocket, and bounced over to Zhang Ze, grabbing his arm to drag him outside.

"I did it! Boss, come quickly to see!"

"Our Thousand Mechanism Cultivators won't back down in fights anymore," Lily said as she dragged him along.