Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"It's finally here." Shen Mo thought to himself, but on his face he showed just the right amount of emotion and regret: "To be honest, Daoist Master, my cultivation technique was obtained by chance in an ancient cultivation cave deep in the mountains of the Southern Region many years ago. There is only a fragment of it, which is called 'The Primordial Qi Technique'."

"The principles behind it are indeed slightly different from the mainstream practices of cultivation today, emphasizing a unified whole and embracing all things."

"I, Shen, am dull-witted and have only managed to complete this small achievement through my own trial and error. As for its specific origins, the cave dwelling has long since collapsed and the jade slip is broken, making it impossible to verify."

He altered the "Yuanhai Daojing" and claimed it was the "Hun Yuan Yi Qi Jue" obtained from an unnamed ancient cultivator's cave. This half-truth and half-falsehood both explained the special nature of the technique and cut off any trace of its origin.

"The Primordial Qi Technique... Primordial unity, encompassing all things..." Master Qingxu repeated in a low voice, his eyes thoughtful. "No wonder. Fellow Daoist's cultivation method is upright and peaceful, yet all-encompassing, which is indeed not a common approach today."

"Your ability to repair the incomplete ancient method on your own and cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage is truly admirable."

He paused, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the surface and see deeper: "However, such ancient methods often have extremely high requirements for temperament, aptitude, and even 'fate,' and the path ahead is unpredictable. Fellow Daoist's achievement is truly a testament to great opportunity and perseverance."

"However, the path of cultivation becomes more and more arduous as you go on. If you have any questions, you may come to my Supreme Dao's 'Scripture Repository' for a visit, where you may find some points of verification and further study."

"Although our Taoist school dares not claim to encompass all methods, we have accumulated some knowledge in the collection and organization of ancient Taoist traditions and cultivation concepts."

That's a very skillful way of speaking. First, it points out the difficulties and risks of ancient practice, implying concern (or warning), and then it throws out the bait of the "scripture library," clearly showing its goodwill and trying to win people over, yet it is said in a grand and respectable way that makes it hard to refuse.

Shen Mo was wary, but his face showed gratitude: "I appreciate your kindness, Daoist. If I have any questions in the future, I will definitely bother you. However, with the conference approaching, I am busy with many matters and may not have time to attend to anything else."

He neither refused outright nor immediately agreed, but simply postponed the time.

Master Qingxu gave Shen Mo a deep look, but did not press the matter. Instead, he smiled and said, "Indeed, the Tianyuan Assembly is the most important thing. I wish you and your disciples all the best in this assembly and hope you will achieve great things and shine brightly."

The two exchanged a few more words on some minor details of cultivation. Master Qingxu was knowledgeable and spoke with integrity, always hitting the nail on the head, which greatly benefited Shen Mo.

But from beginning to end, he never inquired further about the specific details of the cultivation method or Shen Mo's origins, as if it were truly just a pure exchange arising from "discussions on the Dao".

After three rounds of tea, Shen Mo rose to take his leave. Master Qingxu did not linger and saw him off to the pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist, please proceed with caution." Daoist Qingxu bowed.

"Please wait, Daoist Master." Shen Mo returned the greeting and turned to leave along the way he came.

Only after Shen Mo's figure disappeared at the end of the path did Master Qingxu withdraw his gaze and look at the swaying pine shadows outside the pavilion. The peaceful and indifferent look in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep thought.

"Completing the ancient method myself... Thirty years of Nascent Soul... The Primordial Chaos Technique..." he muttered to himself, "Is it a coincidence, or... related to the 'Watchers' legacy recorded in those books? The aura is similar, yet it seems different..."

"Fine, let's see how he performs at this conference. If he's really involved with 'that side,' he'll eventually slip up."

He shook his head, no longer dwelling on it, and returned to the pavilion to continue brewing the unfinished pot of pine needle tea. The fragrant aroma of the tea mingled with the breeze through the pines, as if nothing had ever happened.

Shen Mo returned to Yunqi Garden and did not mention the details of his meeting with Daoist Qingxu to everyone, only saying that it was a normal exchange.

Su Xiao's report also confirmed that during the meeting, apart from Master Qingxu, no other suspicious persons approached, and no additional surveillance was detected.

However, shortly after Shen Mo returned, Su Xiao noticed something unusual while routinely monitoring the area around the courtyard.

That was a "meditation room" area located diagonally opposite Yunqi Garden, which was specifically for cultivators to rent for short-term cultivation.

A young swordsman, dressed in the blue and white robes of the Nine Heavens Sword Pavilion, carrying a long sword, with a cold and aloof demeanor like a drawn sword, appeared in a corner of that area at a fixed time for two consecutive days. He seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, his faint sense of sword intent would always sweep across the direction of the gate of Yunxi Garden, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

Especially when Su Xiao occasionally appears in the courtyard or goes out to carry out simple tasks assigned by Shen Mo, the duration of that sword intent perception will be noticeably extended. It does not contain hostility, but rather a kind of... pure, probing sharpness, as if assessing a sword that has never been drawn.

Su Xiao reported the matter to Shen Mo.

"A sword cultivator from the Nine Heavens Sword Pavilion? Paying attention to me?" Shen Mo was slightly surprised.

The Qingyun Sect and the Nine Heavens Sword Pavilion have no connection whatsoever, so why would the other party be interested in Su Xiao?

"Yes. This disciple can sense that the man's attention is mostly on me." A rare hint of confusion appeared on Su Xiaoqing's usually cold face. "His sword intent is pure and strong, but it lacks killing intent or malice. It's more like... a kind of 'hunting on a prey'?"

"A thrill at the sight of prey?" Shen Mo mused. Su Xiao followed the "Path of Shadow"—stealth, assassination, and speed—completely different from the upright and blatant swordsmanship of the Nine Heavens Sword Pavilion. But of the three thousand great paths, all lead to the same destination; at the highest levels, perhaps there truly are commonalities.

"That sword cultivator may have sensed a unique Daoist aura emanating from Su Xiao, which belonged to either 'extreme speed' or 'concealment,' and thus became interested."

"Ignore him, just stay vigilant," Shen Mo instructed. "As long as he doesn't cross the line, let him be. If you have the chance during the tournament, you might be able to experience firsthand just how sharp the swords of the Nine Heavens Sword Pavilion truly are."

"Yes." A faint, almost imperceptible fighting spirit flashed in Su Xiao's eyes.

Compared to Su Xiao's "refined" attention, Shi Tie's side was much more "lively" and direct.

As the conference approached, the usage rate of public cultivation facilities throughout Tianyuan increased. Shi Tie, who couldn't stay idle, spent a few days cooped up in Yunqi Garden. After obtaining Shen Mo's consent, he dragged Wang Hu to the "Chongyue Cultivation Area," a special area in the city prepared for body cultivators and those who focused on physical training.

This area is covered by a powerful array, and the internal gravity is several to dozens of times that of the outside world, and it is divided into different levels of zones.

Once inside, Shi Tie felt right at home. He punched a few times in the five times gravity zone, and then tried to lift the heavy "mysterious iron stake" and walk a few steps. His muscles were bulging and he was sweating profusely, but he was so happy that he roared with joy.

Wang Hu, on the other hand, was relatively restrained, only practicing footwork and swordsmanship in the triple gravity zone to adapt to the combat rhythm under abnormal gravity.

Just as Shi Tie put down the black iron stake, wiped his sweat, and prepared to try a higher multiplier area, a loud, clear voice with a strong foreign accent came from the side:

"Hey, kid from the south, you've got some strength! These black iron stakes are difficult for even ordinary Golden Core cultivators to lift, but you, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, can only manage a few steps. That's interesting!"