Fellow Daoist, I gladly accept this heaven-defying opportunity.

Xu Mofeng's eyes lit up. The long sword in front of him was about four feet and three inches long. The hilt was black and the blade was snow-white, exuding a cold and chilling aura. The blade was so shiny that it could reflect a person's image, and even looking at it would cause a slight stinging pain. Its sharpness was unimaginable.

"This sword is made of millennia-old cold iron and was forged by dozens of skilled craftsmen over a period of six months. Not only is it incomparably sharp, but it can also release a chilling aura, making it quite powerful."

Elder Zou explained.

Xu Mofeng couldn't help but ask, "Elder, does this sword have a name?"

Elder Zou said calmly, "It is called Ice Soul."

Ice Soul Blade!

Xu Mofeng's eyes lit up, and he immediately picked up the long sword, feeling a chilling aura emanating from his palm.

After examining it for a moment, he suddenly laughed and said, "Elder, could this sword have come from the Snow Moon Sect?"

Elder Zou's face showed a strange expression, and he nodded, saying, "You're quite clever. This knife was originally the prize prepared by the Snow Moon Sect for Shangguan Dongxue, and its grade is top-notch even among Xuan-rank supreme-grade knives. Who would have thought that Shangguan Dongxue would be defeated by you, and it would benefit you instead, kid."

Xu Mofeng smiled. The Snow Moon Sect was confident that Shangguan Dongxue would win first place, but in the end, they had only benefited themselves.

Speaking of which, Shangguan Dongxue can be considered his second lucky star, as she has already given him two rounds of benefits.

He accepted the Ice Soul Blade with satisfaction, and then asked about the last reward: a top-grade Xuan-level cultivation technique.

Xu Mofeng had already made plans in mind. He didn't lack other martial arts techniques for the time being, so he wanted to take this opportunity to exchange for a martial art that focused on physical combat.

The resolute spirit body has advanced to a high level, possessing the power of six dragons. If it has the skills to fully utilize this immense power, its combat strength can increase several times over.

Just as everyone was filled with anticipation, Elder Zou hesitated before speaking: "According to the rules, you can choose any cultivation technique from the six sects, but the Xuan-rank supreme-grade techniques are already the core inheritances of each sect. Even if they have them, they may not be willing to give them to you, and even if they do, you may not be able to cultivate them. If you choose sword techniques or Qi cultivation techniques, our sect will naturally not hold back."

Xu Mofeng was speechless for a moment. How could he not have expected this?

The six major sects hold a martial arts competition every five years, with the top-ranked sect receiving a top-grade Xuan-level martial arts technique. If they were to allow disciples from other sects to choose their core inheritances every time, the sects' resources would be completely depleted in just a few rounds.

To put it bluntly, the only option is ultimately our own lineage.

He sighed softly. It seemed that physical combat martial arts were out of the question. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Elder Zou, may I give up this opportunity to choose a martial arts technique and exchange it for something else?"

"What do you want it converted to?"

Elder Zou asked.

Xu Mofeng replied, "Spiritual herbs, and some special materials."

He had never even heard of many of the materials needed to rebuild his meridians for cultivating "Sword Qi Swallows Mountains and Rivers," so he took this opportunity to ask the sect to help him collect them.

"Make a list for me to see."

Elder Zou readily answered.

To prevent Elder Zou from noticing anything amiss, Xu Mofeng deliberately added a few unimportant materials to the list.

Elder Zou glanced at the list, his expression turning somewhat strange: "Several items on your list are Earth-grade materials, their value far exceeding that of a top-grade Profound-grade cultivation technique..."

Xu Mofeng smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Elder Zou shook his head helplessly: "Alright, you won first place in the Six Sects Martial Arts Competition this time, which has brought great honor to the sect. Consider the excess as an extra reward from the sect."

Xu Mofeng was overjoyed: "Thank you very much, Elder Zou!"

Elder Zou carefully put away the list and said solemnly, "I'll have someone send the items to you later. You should go back and prepare. The Jinliang Royal Family's secret realm will open in two months, and you should set off for the capital in the next few days."

The capital of Jin and Liang... Xu Mofeng's eyes showed a hint of contemplation.

The capital city is located in the northwest, thousands of miles away from the Biyou Sect. If you don't want to miss the opening of the secret realm, you really have to set off early.

Furthermore, his family in this life is also in that direction, not far from the capital.

It's been more than five years since he last returned to the Xu family, so this is a good opportunity for him to go home and visit.

"I understand, and I will depart soon."

Xu Mofeng bowed and accepted the order, his tone calm yet resolute.

Elder Zou nodded slightly and waved his sleeve: "Go ahead and make the preparations well."

As night falls, the Yun Jing Bie Yuan is bathed in the bright moonlight, its gentle glow spilling across the ground.

Xu Mofeng sat alone at the stone table in the courtyard, before him lay three opportunities that others could only dream of:

A storage ring containing the meridian-reshaping medicine that Elder Zou had delivered that afternoon;

A small jade bottle, containing a Spirit Fusion Pill for refining spiritual power;

And then there was that drop of ancient dragon blood essence that he hadn't bothered to investigate after acquiring it.

Xu Mofeng picked up the drop of dragon blood first.

The essence blood was sealed in an unknown transparent crystal, like solidified amber, but it was not the usual blood color. Instead, it was a deep dark green, exuding the mysterious and heavy aura unique to ancient monsters.

"The system suggests that it can be used in alchemy or swallowed directly. I'll just swallow it directly to avoid trouble."

With his mind made up, Xu Mofeng exerted force with his fingertips, crushing the crystal shell with a crack. The essence blood sealed inside instantly exploded, turning into a cloud of dark green blood mist that was about to dissipate.

He couldn't bear to waste even the slightest opportunity, so he immediately took a deep breath, and all the blood mist was completely absorbed into his mouth and nose.

The instant the ancient dragon's essence blood entered his body, fine blue veins appeared at the corners of Xu Mofeng's eyes, his bones crackled and popped, his face contorted slightly from the intense pain, and his expression became ferocious.

But in just a few breaths, the excruciating pain receded as quickly as the tide.

Xu Mofeng was panting heavily, his face showing lingering fear, and he subconsciously touched his forehead.

Thankfully, there were no bulges or horns, so it didn't turn into a half-human, half-demon monster.

I was really afraid that the dragon's blood essence was too ferocious and would grow a pair of dragon horns on it, so I would have to wear a headscarf whenever I went out from now on.

He focused his mind inward to examine the changes in his body, and his eyes immediately lit up with joy.

The toughness of his skin, muscles, and bones has more than doubled compared to before. In terms of physical defense alone, he would probably surpass even the Crimson Spirit Body that Tu Gang of Red Maple Valley is so proud of.

Not only his defense, but his reaction speed and sword-drawing speed have all doubled, and his strength has increased by 50,000 jin, reaching a staggering 650,000 jin. His entire body has undergone a comprehensive and flawless enhancement, and even his appearance has become more handsome, with a touch of eerie heroism.

"If I had known, I should have rebuilt my meridians before absorbing the essence blood. Now that my meridians have been strengthened, the suffering I'll have to endure after breaking down and rebuilding will be doubled."

Xu Mofeng secretly complained, but he showed no intention of backing down. With an opportunity before him, he had to endure the pain no matter how much it hurt.

Following the method described in "The Sword's Aura Swallows Mountains and Rivers," he mixed all the medicinal ingredients into a tub of medicinal bath and sat naked in it.

He then calmed his mind, mobilized the spiritual power within his body, and actually intended to actively shatter his own meridians.

No destruction, no construction; destruction precedes construction!

The pain was far greater than anything he had ever experienced before. Cold sweat instantly soaked his entire body, dripping down his chin into the medicine tub, and the medicine's effects seeped into his body through his pores.

The meridians were torn apart inch by inch, and then regenerated inch by inch under the nourishment of the medicine. The newly generated meridians were wider and more resilient than before, and their potential increased several times over.

Once all the meridians in his arms had been reshaped, a piercing pain immediately shot through his dantian.

Xu Mofeng grunted, grabbed the Fusion Spirit Pill in front of him and swallowed it in one gulp. The powerful medicinal power instantly dissolved, and the rolling spiritual energy surged into his limbs and bones. His torn dantian healed rapidly, and the originally bright golden spiritual energy in his body gradually condensed, becoming deeper and heavier in color.

The Fusion Pill has the miraculous effect of refining spiritual power. After taking one, it directly pushed his Purple-Gold True Qi to the seventh level.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Mofeng, who was sitting upright in the bathtub, suddenly opened his eyes, and two sharp glints flashed by.

boom!

The wooden barrel shattered with a crash, scattering wood chips everywhere. He stood naked in the courtyard, his aura rising steadily as he broke through to the fifth level of the Golden Core stage!

Xu Mofeng didn't rush to put on his clothes; instead, he took out the chilling Ice Soul Blade.

Draw the knife!

He swung his sword towards the window!

In an instant, hundreds of dark golden blade beams shot out, tearing through the air currents and disappearing into the distant sea of ​​clouds like weary birds returning to their nests.

"Five hundred and thirty-eight cuts!"

Xu Mofeng's eyes burned with fervor, his joy barely concealed. His sword speed increased by more than double. Now, if he were to encounter the likes of Tu Gang and Shangguan Dongxue again, he wouldn't even need to unleash his sword intent; this one move alone would be enough to chop them into mincemeat!

This is the overwhelming power of "Sword Qi Swallows Mountains and Rivers".

However, this speed is far from its limit. Once the Golden Core realm is stable, it's not impossible to break through to the realm of a thousand strikes in an instant. As cultivation progresses further in the future, the speed of the strikes can be further improved... It's just that the consumption of spiritual energy is simply too exaggerated.

Xu Mofeng frowned slightly.

The more than 500 slashes in that instant drained most of his spiritual power. He can only use this move twice at most now, and after that he will have to rely on spirit stones and pills to replenish his spiritual power.

This is after the dantian has doubled in size; in the past, a single move would have drained all the spiritual energy in the body. No wonder the method includes a recipe for a Qi-restoring pill; this sword technique is practically a bottomless pit for spiritual energy.

Compared to ordinary sword techniques, "Sword Qi Swallows Mountains and Rivers" is like a Gatling gun versus a small pistol.

The latter fires one shot at a time, slowly and steadily; the former unleashes a burst of firepower, creating overwhelming firepower.

However, both sides had roughly the same ammunition reserves, so the faster they were fired, the faster they were depleted, and they needed to be replenished in a timely manner.

"It seems that in the future, I'll have to hold a Qi-restoring pill in my mouth and secretly hold a spirit stone in my hand to be on the safe side when using this trick."

Xu Mofeng secretly planned that in future competitions, if the opponent used techniques, he would compete in terms of sword speed; if the opponent used artistic conception, he would use the Prison Sword Technique; if the opponent used brute force, he would use violent output... Hehe!

This martial arts competition among the six sects was a great success. In addition to these gains, there was also a 20% martial arts enlightenment pill that had not yet been used, but there was no rush to use it.