I forge immortality with a pagoda.

Shen Yu stood there, holding the book of miscellaneous notes on swordsmanship, his feelings complicated.

He looked down at his Taoist robe, which was torn in many places and covered in dust, and shook his head helplessly.

He then used his remaining true qi to hurriedly descend the mountain in a rather disheveled state and return to the Sixteenth Courtyard.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I happened to run into several of my fellow students who lived there, chatting in the courtyard.

When they saw Shen Yu's tattered clothes and exhausted face, they were first taken aback, and then they all showed a few sympathetic smiles.

Seeing Shen Yu like this, Cao Yancheng shook his head and chuckled, "Senior Brother Shen, judging from your appearance, did you perhaps go to Lanxiu Peak and run into Uncle Yue?"

Liu Qing covered her mouth and chuckled: "Senior Brother Cao, why ask when you already know the answer? Judging from Senior Brother Shen's even more miserable state than we were back then, he must have been instructed by Uncle Yue."

Xu Xuancheng chimed in, "Yes, when we first entered the academy, we were all trained by Uncle Yue. The feeling... tsk tsk, unforgettable."

"However, it's rare to see someone like Senior Brother Shen being trained for several days in a row. It seems that Uncle Yue holds Senior Brother Shen in high regard!"

As they talked, their gazes swept over Shen Yu, a mixture of sympathy and a hint of relief.

Shen Yu could only offer a wry smile, exchanged a few brief pleasantries with the others, and then dragged his heavy legs straight back to his room.

Upon entering the room, he almost collapsed onto the bed.

These past few days, he has had to face Yue Jianxin's elusive sword energy every day, keeping his mind and body in a state of high tension.

At the same time, one must also activate the talisman sword and perform subtle Taoist techniques, consuming true qi like a flood.

After a few days, he felt sore all over, and every part of his body was uncomfortable, as if he had been pricked by countless fine needles and repeatedly hammered by a giant hammer.

Lying down to rest now, this extreme fatigue and pain surged up even more clearly, almost to the point of being unbearable.

He tossed and turned on the bed, unable to find a comfortable position, so he forced himself to sit up cross-legged, enduring the discomfort, and began to slowly circulate the Purple Fiend Forging Yuan Technique.

Instantly, the purple baleful energy flowed throughout his body like a dragon, repairing his damaged muscles and further tempering his physical form.

Before I knew it, the sky outside the window was already bright, and a new day had begun.

Shen Yu exhaled a long breath, finished his practice, and stood up to stretch his muscles and bones.

Although the fatigue had not completely subsided, he keenly sensed that his physical body seemed to be a bit more solid than before.

The true qi within the body also appears more refined and condensed, making it as easy to control as one's own limbs.

"It seems that this sword test has been quite helpful."

Shen Yu murmured to herself, feeling the changes in her body.

"The pain of this sword energy piercing through the skin and corroding the bones is just too intense; it's simply unbearable."

He recalled Yue Jianxin's fierce sword aura and still felt lingering fear, so he shook his head.

He took out that book of miscellaneous notes on kendo.

Yue Jianxin is right. Although he has used the sword many times and relied on the advantage of the talisman sword when fighting enemies, his true swordsmanship foundation is really shallow and full of flaws.

Now that I have nothing else to do, I might as well take this opportunity to study hard and improve my swordsmanship.

This book, "Random Talks on Kendo," is quite substantial and is divided into three parts.

The first part is the foundation chapter, which explains in detail how cultivators at the Kaiyuan and Lianqi realms can more effectively use talisman swords.

It involves subtle techniques for circulating true qi, the coordination of divine sense and sword, and the power generation techniques of different sword moves, etc.

This book is full of witty remarks and wise sayings; every word is a gem, hitting the nail on the head.

Shen Yu was completely absorbed in watching it.

Memories kept flashing through his mind, and the difficulties he had encountered when using the sword in the past frequently resurfaced.

He compared those experiences with the tips recorded in this book.

After a period of dedicated study and reflection, he found that many things he had previously been confused about had suddenly become clear, and he gained a great deal.

He couldn't help but point and summon the Zhanjin Sword, attempting to wield it according to the methods described in the book.

Sure enough, as the Zhanjin sword flew and turned in the air, it became less sluggish and more agile and smooth. Wherever the mind went, the sword light arrived.

However, Shen Yu frowned slightly.

Although this sword is much more agile than before, it still lacks a certain charm and is far inferior to Yue Jianxin's naturally formed sword energy.

With a thought, he sheathed the Zhanjin Sword.

Immediately, he imitated Yue Jianxin, pointing his fingers like a sword, concentrating his energy at his fingertips, and attempting to unleash sword energy.

A faint light flickered at his fingertips, revealing an uncertain glimmer.

But no matter how he compressed his true qi, that wisp of light could never be completely solidified, nor could it leave his body and be activated to transform into sword energy.

Shen Yu was not discouraged. Instead, he stopped practicing his cultivation and continued to calm his mind as he read through the miscellaneous writings, repeatedly pondering their essence.

After a long time, he finally mastered most of the first part and gained a deeper understanding of the way of the sword.

Feeling that he had benefited greatly, Shen Yu closed the book with satisfaction.

Just then.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

A soft knock sounded on the door.

A slightly inquiring voice came from outside the door: "Senior Brother Shen, is Senior Brother Shen here?"

"They're here."

Shen Yu responded and cast a spell, instantly restoring his tattered clothes to their original condition, making them look brand new.

He walked quickly to the door and pushed it open with a creak.

Outside the door, besides Cao Yancheng, stood two other young Taoist priests with extraordinary bearing.

One of them was handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He wore a purple robe and a jade belt around his waist, and was exceptionally dashing.

The other person had a more reserved demeanor, delicate features, bright eyes, and a calm demeanor.

The rather handsome Taoist priest spoke first, saying, "This humble Taoist priest, Gu Feizheng, greets Senior Brother Shen."

He then turned slightly to introduce the person beside him, "This is Wei Qingjun, Junior Brother Wei."

The handsome Taoist priest Wei Qingjun immediately cupped his hands and said, "This humble brother, Wei Qingjun, greets Senior Brother Shen."

Seeing the two men's friendly attitude, Shen Yu returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute and opened the door, saying, "So it's Junior Brother Gu and Junior Brother Wei. Please come in, fellow Daoists."

With a casual wave of his hand, a tea table and two futons appeared in the room.

Seeing that the three seemed to have something to discuss, Cao Yancheng tactfully bowed and took his leave, turning and leaving the room.

After the three of them sat down on the futons, Shen Yu took out a can of decent quality spiritual tea from his storage bag, lit a flame at his fingertips, and quickly brewed a pot of tea, pouring a cup for each of them.

After finishing these tasks, Shen Yu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "May I ask what brings you two junior brothers to my humble abode today?"

Gu Feizheng smiled and said, "The two of us have come to bother you for no other reason than this."

"Senior Sister Yue Ling once guided us, and we have always been grateful to her."

"Now that we've heard that Senior Brother Shen was personally introduced by Senior Sister Yue Ling, we must come and pay him a visit, get to know him, and have someone to look after us in the sect in the future."

"That's right, that's right." Wei Qingjun nodded in agreement, his tone sincere.

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