Transmigrating to the Qi Cultivation Path, I became an outdated Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chapter 116 is also getting better.

"I was unaware of your arrival, and I have failed to greet you properly. I hope you will forgive me."

Upon seeing that Shuiyue Zhenren Ying Ruyue had personally arrived at the cave, He Sheng naturally rushed forward to greet her immediately.

Ying Ruyue slowly stepped into the back hall, her clear, cold eyes sweeping over the spiritual spring before she spoke, "Elder Xiang, there's no need for such formalities."

"I had nothing to do today, so I thought I'd come and see if you're settling in well here at Lake Spirit."

Her tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, but He Sheng keenly caught a hint of surprise deep in her eyes that had not yet been completely concealed.

"Thanks to the Master, the spiritual spring here is of extremely high quality, just right for water refining, and I am very comfortable staying here."

Ying Ruyue nodded slightly, and her expression finally changed. She smiled and said, "Elder Xiang is calm and composed, able to endure loneliness, and single-mindedly honing his weapon-refining skills regardless of the storms outside."

It is precisely in this way that the refined Dao artifacts can be further improved.

Ying Ruyue showered her with praise.

He Sheng immediately understood that Ying Ruyue had discovered the True Water Moon Shadow Sword he had forged, and had even tested it before.

The process of wielding this sword and testing its power was witnessed by the opponent.

"You flatter me."

He Sheng exchanged pleasantries, then took out the first-generation True Water Moon Shadow Sword and presented it to Ying Ruyue, saying, "In recent years, I have neglected the affairs of the outer sect, but have devoted all my energy to weapon forging, hoping not to fail the kindness of the True Master."

Ying Ruyue took the sword, her pale fingertips gently tracing the thin, dark silver line along its spine.

She didn't speak, but instead focused her divine sense into the sword, carefully sensing the intricate network of forbidden patterns woven from thousands of sword leaves.

A moment later, a strange light suddenly shone in her clear, cold eyes.

"This sword... is already approaching the category of a high-grade Dao artifact!"

Ying Ruyue looked surprised. Although she had overestimated the quality of the sword when she watched He Shengyu wield it, she was still taken aback when she actually got her hands on it.

With a slight thought, she channeled her magic power into the sword.

In an instant, a mist of water surged forth, hundreds of moon shadows lit up simultaneously, and countless sword lights, both real and illusory, intertwined in the rear hall, creating a scene several times more magnificent than when He Sheng had activated it earlier.

Ying Ruyue casually twirled her sword, and the countless sword lights surged back like rivers flowing into the sea, reforming into a slender, light blue sword.

She held the sword horizontally before her, her gaze lingering on the thin, dark silver line along its spine for a long time before slowly speaking: "Elder Xiang, are you aware that this sword already possesses the rudiments of a treasure?"

The so-called Dao treasure naturally refers to the treasure that carries on the Dao.

For cultivators who practice the Qi-cultivation method, the Dao treasure specifically refers to their own natal magic treasure.

The natal magic weapon of the Qi-absorbing Divine Channel is fundamentally different from the magic weapon of the Qi-refining Channel.

Simply put, the natal magic weapon of the Qi-cultivating divine channel cannot be directly crafted. Instead, one selects a high-grade Dao artifact that is extremely compatible with one's own destiny and cultivation method. Then, one uses the cultivation method to guide one's destiny to refine it. After a long period of spiritual nurturing, once it becomes a spiritual Dao artifact, it can be refined into the prototype of the natal magic weapon.

The nascent form of a natal magic weapon gradually transforms into a magic weapon as the cultivator's cultivation grows, making it an existence that intertwines with the cultivator's own life.

He Sheng originally knew nothing about Dao Treasures. It was only after entering the Moon Glow Sect and reading some related classics that he learned about these related knowledge and secrets.

Furthermore, the records of related Qi cultivation magic treasures also describe the natal magic treasures of some powerful Qi cultivation Golden Core cultivators.

It is said that some magical treasures can even influence a cultivator's own destiny, manifesting supernatural powers and allowing them to roam freely across the world.

In short, for cultivators who practice the Qi-cultivation method, a high-grade Dao artifact that suits them is extremely important, as it can be considered an essential item for their future cultivation of both life and body.

Is the True Water Moon Shadow Sword of this high quality?

He Sheng was genuinely surprised that Ying Ruyue would give such high praise, and couldn't help but humbly express his feelings.

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be so modest. In just a few years, you've been able to generate so many ingenious ideas and create such a sword based on the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword Refinement. You can be called exceptionally talented in the art of weapon crafting."

What's even more remarkable is your exceptional character and unwavering perseverance, which I greatly admire.

Ying Ruyue kept praising He Sheng, whose progress in weapon crafting far exceeded her expectations. What surprised her even more was that He Sheng had not neglected his sword intent cultivation while crafting weapons.

When He Sheng used this sword just now, Ying Ruyue clearly sensed that He Sheng's sword intent of "Moon in the Water" had reached a state of perfection.

In this way, within ten years, Xiang Yue will definitely be able to complete the transformation of his sword intent, evolving the [Moon in the Water] into the [Mirror Flower and Moon in the Water] sword intent.

Afterwards, if he can improve his skills in array formations, he will be able to gain a basic understanding of the "Sea Moon Azure Wave Sword Formation," and then he can begin to refine that item.

This progress is much ahead of schedule than I had expected!

Thinking of this, Ying Ruyue was in a great mood and continued to praise, "Your sword has already surpassed the scope of ordinary Dao artifacts."

The wisp of dark silver thread formed from the primordial heavy water within the sword not only stabilized the entire forbidden pattern structure, but also gave the sword a spiritual quality that allowed it to absorb and release water-based spiritual energy and gradually improve its quality.

Even the most seasoned weapon-refining masters of the Hundred Arts Sect might not be able to execute such techniques better.

pass!

That's going too far!

He Sheng was alarmed. He had not yet reached the level of a third-tier weapon refiner, and was certainly not comparable to a weapon refinement master. Ying Ruyue's words were suspected of being a compliment to kill him.

But then I thought, why would Ying Ruyue, the head of a lineage, need to flatter me to death?

Moreover, he vaguely felt that the woman was genuinely happy, as if she had encountered some great good thing.

The True Water Moon Shadow Sword I forged is a completely downgraded version, specifically designed to fleece your disciple. What are you so happy about?

He Sheng repeatedly offered polite words.

Of course, he knew that Ying Ruyue's high regard for the True Water Moon Shadow Sword meant that if any of her disciples came looking for it in the future, it wouldn't be something that could be bought with fifty Great Powers.

Fifty merits was a friendly price; Lin Yuejing even whispered sweet nothings to me and fed me wine because of it.

The others... started at seventy-five major merits, all because they were disciples of Master Shuiyue.

Thinking this way, He Sheng felt much more at ease.

You can praise me all you want, I will remain unmoved.

After speaking for a long time, Ying Ruyue finally stopped and reluctantly returned the True Water Moon Shadow Sword to He Sheng.

Seeing her like this, He Sheng knew that if he were to be sensible, he should offer the gift directly.

Unfortunately... this is a high-end item that even fifty major merits would be discounted, how could He Sheng bear to part with it?

To avoid further embarrassment, He Shengmiao accepted the True Water Moon Shadow Sword and then changed the subject, saying, "Master, I was originally planning to take some leave recently to travel around."

Ying Ruyue's expression changed upon hearing this. She had come in person today for two reasons: first, to see if He Sheng was adapting well to his time in the outer sect; second, naturally, to check on his cultivation progress; and third, there was another matter...

Everything was fine before, why do we have to go on a trip?

"Fellow Daoist Xiang, I observe that your cultivation is progressing smoothly and your weapon crafting has also greatly improved. It is precisely the time to press on with your efforts and continue your vigorous advancement. Why then...?"

Ying Ruyue naturally didn't want He Sheng to run out so quickly, so she asked him repeatedly.

As He Sheng flipped his palm to put away the True Water Moon Shadow Sword, he said somewhat embarrassedly, "To be honest, I'm really short of money and need to go out and gather some resources."

He Sheng's words were half true and half false. In fact, he had quite a lot of resources, especially several third-tier treasure materials, with a total value of at least one million spirit stones.

But he was indeed out of money; his spirit stones and magic coins were all used up.

After all, for the past four years, he had spent 150,000 spirit stones each year to buy 3,000 drops of Lake Moonlight Water from Fang Yuelin.

Over the course of four years, the expenditure of 600,000 spirit stones naturally drained his working capital.

To put it bluntly, He Sheng's accumulated merits could not be conjured out of thin air; he had to spend spirit stones to buy materials and refine Dao artifacts in exchange for them.

Even so, He Sheng felt he had made a huge profit.

After all, the old man Tianfu spent more than 700,000 spirit stones to buy the incomplete fourth-grade cultivation technique, "Zhu Yan Yuan Xing Gong".

He Sheng calculated that it would cost about one million spirit stones to get a complete view of the fifth-grade "Water Moon Cave Void True Sword Technique".

How can I not make a fortune?

Hearing He Sheng's reason, Ying Ruyue was both amused and exasperated. She had truly overlooked this point. She hadn't expected that He Sheng would be spending his own money to refine the weapon. This was the difference between a one-legged rogue cultivator and a cultivator supported by a family.

Ying Ruyue pondered for a moment before saying, "It wouldn't hurt to travel around."

However, I have come here today to discuss something with you, fellow Daoist.

"Please speak, sir."

"I have naturally seen how Fellow Daoist has devoted himself to weapon crafting and cultivation over the years."

However, you are ultimately an outer sect elder. In the past few years, you haven't presided over a single lecture or teaching session, and you rarely appear in the sect. The outer sect disciples are now quite critical of you, causing a great deal of discussion, which even I had to intervene in.

Ying Ruyue's words seemed to be blaming He Sheng, but in reality, her tone was relaxed and showed no sign of reproach, clearly indicating that she had other intentions.

Calculate.

Upon seeing this, He Sheng cupped his hands and said, "I have indeed neglected sect affairs, focusing all my attention on weapon forging. I'm afraid it will be difficult to change in the future. I would appreciate your guidance on this matter, Master."

Ying Ruyue was quite satisfied with He Sheng's attitude and knew that he understood her intentions. So she didn't beat around the bush and said, "Regarding your matter, I asked Yue Lin and Yue Xin, and they came up with a solution for you."

At this point, Ying Ruyue paused before softening her voice and saying, "Fellow Daoist Xiang, you don't yet have a Daoist partner, do you?"

Ok?

He Sheng was taken aback. He was still waiting to see what the solution was. How did the topic get tangled up here?

Seeing Ying Ruyue staring directly at him, still waiting for an answer, He Sheng suppressed his surprise and replied, "I am devoted to the art of weapon crafting and have never been married."

Ying Ruyue nodded as if relieved upon hearing this, and then continued, "In that case, Fellow Daoist Xiang may consider finding a suitable woman within the Moon Glow Sect as his Daoist partner."

After all, your huge cave dwelling is rather desolate, with only two servants managing it.

But if you have a Daoist partner later, everything will be different. Not only can you have her help you manage all the general affairs, but you can also hand over the sect affairs that you don't want to get involved in to your Daoist partner.

In this way, you can continue to serve as an outer sect elder with peace of mind, thus fulfilling your obligations to the sect. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?

It was rare for Ying Ruyue to speak so much. She originally wanted Fang Yuelin to discuss this matter, but seeing He Sheng's growth far exceeding expectations today, she spoke up herself.

It's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

He Sheng quickly realized that finding a Daoist partner in the Moon Glow Sect and entrusting all external affairs to them would indeed, as Ying Ruyue had said, save him from a lot of trouble.

The problem is that He Sheng knows his own situation; his current identity and appearance are fake, even...

"But do I have the option to refuse?"

He Sheng shook his head inwardly. Ying Ruyue said that she wanted him to find a Daoist partner, but she would definitely not let him do whatever he wanted.

After all, who one's Daoist partner is is not important. What is most important is to form a marriage alliance with a vassal family, further internalize oneself, and become a true member of the Moon Glow Sect.

"What you say is absolutely right, but I had never thought about this before."

Even in the years since joining the Moonlit Clouds Sect, I've only had a few interactions with Fairy Jingyue. I wonder where to find a Daoist partner. Surely I can't really be looking for Fairy Jingyue?

He Sheng deliberately mentioned Lin Yuejing to test her.

Sure enough, Ying Ruyue waved her hand and said, "Yuejing is also impatient with worldly affairs and focuses all her attention on cultivation. If you are truly fond of her, Fellow Daoist, you might as well give it a try and see."

Ying Ruyue didn't directly refuse, but she clearly had a lot of confidence in Lin Yuejing.

He Sheng nodded in agreement. Based on his understanding of Lin Yuejing, he knew that this woman was willing to lower herself to please him for the sake of a third-grade Dao artifact. She must have great ambitions in her heart, so how could she let mundane affairs become a stumbling block on her cultivation?

Seeing that He Sheng agreed, Ying Ruyue then said, "After Yue Lin and Yue Xin came up with this idea, they did help Xiang Daoyou find a suitable candidate."

As she spoke, Ying Ruyue took out a jade slip and handed it to He Sheng. It was clear that it contained information about the woman.

After He Sheng took it, he scanned it with his divine sense and saw a stunningly beautiful face appear amidst the rippling water.

Following that, lines of information were displayed:

Winning a pure heart.

The second daughter of the third wife of the winner.

The father is the current head of the Yingjia clan, and the mother comes from the Fang family.

He is currently 29 years old and at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Because his spiritual root and destiny are incompatible with the Moon Glow Sect's inheritance, he has been cultivating within the clan and serving as the head of the Ying Family Fireworks, participating in clan affairs.

He is skilled in formations and has inherited the secret high-level formation techniques passed down by the Winner.

After reading the information in the jade slip, He Sheng's expression seemed to remain unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil.

I was right.

I never expected that my marriage partner would be the winner!

It seems this woman was most likely chosen by Ying Ruyue; this is meant to completely bind me to the Shuiyue lineage and the Ying family.”

He Sheng asked himself honestly, Ying Suxin was definitely the best candidate for a Daoist partner. Surely her stunning beauty couldn't have been photoshopped?

Moreover, this woman is beautiful, and according to the description in the jade slip, she has a gentle and mild temperament, not the particularly assertive type.

Not to mention that he comes from a prominent family, with both his parents being important pillars of the clan.

Most importantly, the jade slip also mentions two things:

First, He Shengruo and Ying Suxin can combine their talents to learn the Ying family's secret array inheritance, which is a complete array inheritance of the fourth-order superior grade.

Secondly, the jade slip mentions that the winner will prepare a generous dowry for Ying Suxin, and also implies that the couple will receive a considerable amount of resources in the future.

In short, the son-in-law of the winner gets to eat meat and receive resources.

To be honest, He Sheng was really tempted.

These conditions are simply too good. You have to understand that the head of the Eight Views Sect, Lin, is still a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family, while he is a proper son-in-law who can live independently.

Seeing that He Sheng had come to his senses, Ying Ruyue waved her hand and handed him an exquisite calligraphy scroll, saying, "Su Xin is currently in seclusion trying to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. It will probably take about half a year before she can come out of seclusion."

Since you are preparing to travel, please go ahead without worry. When you return, you can take the calligraphy I wrote myself to my Ying clan and meet Su Xin.

We are all cultivators, unlike ordinary mortals. We come together if we agree, and part ways if we don't; there's no need for too much restraint.

Ying Ruyue's words were casual, but they also showed that she had absolute confidence in Ying Suxin.

He Sheng naturally understood as well.

He neither liked nor disliked the matter. Putting aside his inner turmoil, he still had to weigh the pros and cons before making a final decision.

Regardless of his inner thoughts, He Sheng still showed a grateful expression and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Master."

To be honest, He Sheng really felt that Ying Ruyue was quite fond of him.

Regardless of what this woman's true intentions are, her methods are indeed formidable. She bestows titles, gifts of spirit stones, and cultivation techniques upon him, and even directly provides him with a top-tier Daoist partner.

If this weren't the world of cultivation, He Shengzhen would have immediately bowed down and prepared to follow Ying Ruyue to pursue fame and fortune.

Moreover, He Sheng had been in Qizhou for four years. Even though he lived a secluded life, he knew that the sects, large and small, in this place valued bloodline and lineage extremely highly. He knew that without Ying Ruyue's strong intervention, the Ying family would never have allowed Ying Suxin, a Foundation Establishment direct descendant, to become their Daoist partner.

What a pity...

"Alright, you can handle the matter of the meeting yourself from now on."

Ying Ruyue then changed the subject, saying, "Just now, when I sensed the sword intent when Fellow Daoist Xiang activated his sword outside the cave, he had already honed the [Moon in the Water] to its peak."

"But I wonder if Fellow Daoist Xiang has thoroughly studied the key points regarding the evolution of sword intent in the 'Sea Moon Sword Technique'?"

He Sheng was taken aback when he heard this. He hadn't expected Ying Ruyue to be so unconventional and to suddenly bring up the topic of sword intent.

But he quickly came to his senses and recalled the difficult points about the "Sea Moon Sword Technique," the most pressing of which was the issue of the evolution of sword intent.

Regarding the so-called evolution of sword intent, He Sheng did see relevant records in the "Sea Moon Sword Technique," which described the process of transforming basic sword intent into higher-level sword intent layer by layer.

He Sheng's previous understanding of "Moon in the Water" was one of the most basic sword intents, which could be evolved into various advanced sword intents. In "Sea Moon Sword Technique", it was used to advance into the "Mirror Flower Water Moon" sword intent.

If He Shengneng can successfully transform "Moon in the Water" into "Flower in the Mirror and Moon in the Water," he will have essentially completed a transformation of his sword intent.

According to the "Sea Moon Sword Technique," there is a widely circulated saying in swordsmanship: "Three turns of sword intent can break laws, six turns can destroy the Dao, and nine turns can slay the heavens."

Whether this is sword cultivators boasting or not, it shows the intensity of swordplay and its domineering nature.

At the time, I couldn't understand the mystery of Ye Shao Chen's sword that killed Piao Ge, but now it seems that Ye Shao Chen must have cultivated his sword intent to the third level or above, possessing the power of [breaking the law], which is why he could ignore the power of magic.

He Sheng now has a considerable understanding of swordsmanship, including the [Spell Breaking] that can be cultivated through the third stage of sword intent. In reality, it is not as powerful as imagined, because it only breaks magic power, not attributes!

Even so, it is extremely difficult to cultivate the third level of sword intent. For He Sheng, even the first level of sword intent is extremely difficult. The key lies in the evolution of sword intent!

"Reporting to the Master, I am currently perplexed by the path of sword intent evolution."

He Sheng knew his own situation. He had only mediocre talent in swordsmanship and relied entirely on the general training time to force-feed him sword intent.

The evolution of sword intent is one of the most difficult aspects of sword practice, and the explanation in "Sea Moon Sword Technique" is unclear, consisting of only a few mysterious words that leave people completely baffled.

Ying Ruyue was not surprised to hear this. The evolution of sword intent has always been a closely guarded secret in sword cultivation. In particular, the key points are passed down orally between master and disciple and are never written down or recorded in jade slips.

"Then you'd better listen carefully. What I'm about to say is mine to hear, and you must never let anyone else know it."

Upon hearing this, He Sheng immediately nodded solemnly, making it clear that he was listening attentively.

Ying Ruyue then patiently explained to He Sheng the key points of the evolution of sword intent, and even personally demonstrated a few things.

To He Sheng's surprise, Ying Ruyue, who was usually taciturn, was quite skilled at teaching swordsmanship, often explaining the secrets in a few simple words.

It is truly said that a true teaching can be contained in a single sentence, while false teachings can fill countless volumes.

After receiving some guidance, He Sheng became completely immersed in the cultivation of sword intent, losing himself in the process.

When they came to their senses, the moon was already high in the sky outside. Apart from the faint fragrance of dewdrops in the cave, there was no trace of Master Shuiyue.

>