Ten Directions Sword Master

"You brat from the Luo family, how dare you obstruct my rescue of the academy's disciples!"

Granny Shen's silver hair fluttered in the wind, snowflakes fell behind her, and several plum blossoms stood proudly in the cold winter. Inside the Sword Pavilion, it felt like the dead of winter, precisely the method of refining the spirit.

"If Granny Shen points her finger down, that boy will either die or lose half his life... That's not how you save someone."

Luo Xianzhe had his hands behind his back, his palms were indigo, wisps of white smoke rose from them, and his knuckles were stiff from the cold.

"You and I can see clearly that the young man surnamed Lu's swordsmanship is superb. He can already anticipate the sword's movement and control it with ease. He will never be able to harm Shen Qing's vitals."

"If you want to save people, why use the image of a plum blossom pointing at someone's back?"

Unseen by the crowd, the two Refinement God experts had already exchanged a move.

Hanmei pointed at Qingyan's palm, striking from afar in mid-air, their true energies dissolving into each other.

"I will withdraw my actions, but your imposing manner is intimidating... The internal affairs of the academy are none of the Luo family's business! If you want to establish rules, go back to your own Guangyu Hall!"

Granny Shen glared at him, her inner energy receded from her fingertips, the strange phenomenon dissipated, and she turned to look at Shen Qing, who was being helped up.

In a moment of desperation, she rashly tried to take sides, but was stopped by Luo Xianzhi, making it seem as if she really wanted to resort to underhanded tactics.

However, she is of high seniority and old age, and is known for protecting her own. Apart from a few deans, no one else can compete with her.

Shen Qing's chest wound did indeed avoid vital organs, but the sword pierced through him with a cicada-like cry, and the chill seeped into his lungs, preventing him from using weapons for at least six months.

It can only be carefully nurtured; rushing it could easily cause the injury to recur.

I definitely won't make it to the Crimson Fire Secret Realm. The key issue is that I just advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm and was making rapid progress, so I'll be delayed.

Once you've recovered and are back on track, you won't have an advantage competing for the top spots.

The list is compiled by human judges, and in addition to solid achievements, reputation is the most important factor.

A young person from one of the five great Buddhist temples, one of the five great Taoist families, once their reputation spreads throughout the martial arts world and they receive a few words of praise from a respected elder, they will inevitably find themselves on the list of most influential people.

Disciples of second-tier forces, on the other hand, need to be verified by various parties through several public competitions to spread their fame throughout a state or prefecture.

Given Bailu Academy's standing in the martial arts world, it can only be given one spot on the Human Ranking.

Those independent cultivators without a background or origin must have a series of solid battle achievements that leave no room for criticism in order to have any hope of climbing to the bottom of the Human Ranking.

Shen Qing, despite his age, lost to his fellow disciple. Even though he learned from his mistake and worked hard to catch up, it was still a stain that could not be erased.

It's safe to say that there's no hope of making the list.

Thinking of this, Granny Shen, who had unfulfilled regrets from her youth, glared at Lu Li with increasingly hostile eyes, and at the same time, she also harbored resentment towards Luo Yunqi, who had caused the trouble.

"That old woman has cultivated for decades longer than me; her true energy is so pure and cold, I almost made a fool of myself..."

After Luo Xianzhe and the other students from the academy walked away, he shook his fingers, which were still throbbing slightly.

"Liben, invite this young man over to our home later... You may not have the talent for cultivation, but you have inherited your elder brother's eye for people."

"Who says that being the head of the Luo family means you have to personally fight on the battlefield? All you need to do is be good at recognizing and employing people."

Not to mention that Fatty Luo nodded repeatedly, Luo Xianzhi looked at Lin Ruoxu.

He and Granny Shen acted almost simultaneously, one pointing out the person from behind and the other intercepting them halfway.

But what about Lin Ruoxu, who has the highest status and the strongest strength? Shouldn't he have stepped forward to maintain the situation just now?

If he were to take action, how could Granny Shen dare to act recklessly?

The Lesser Yang Finger technique works silently and effortlessly; a single tap in mid-air can separate two people without causing them any harm.

There was no response. Could it be that the factional disputes at Bailu Academy have become this intense?

Luo Xianzhe was overjoyed; accompanying his nephew on this trip had truly been worthwhile.

Not only did he witness the rise of a new generation of leaders at Bailu Academy, but he will also inevitably become an indispensable force in Yuzhang County in the future, another sword cultivator like Dean Yu Ziqi.

They also discovered internal divisions within Bailu Academy, and it's possible that the Luo family could manipulate things to create even bigger rifts.

"How come this Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique is so much more powerful than what's recorded in the clan? Could it be that the previous academy disciples were practicing incorrectly, and Dean Yu has recently discovered the correct method?"

……

A difference of one realm in cultivation is truly dangerous; fortunately, her swordsmanship is not yet fully developed...

Lu Li felt sore all over, but also had a kind of exhilarating pleasure. His internal energy in his dantian was renewed, and he was one step closer to the completion of the Qi Induction stage.

The Yin-Yang Reversal Technique, which combines sword and saber techniques, appears to prioritize saber skills while neglecting sword skills during training.

In this way, progress in the early stages will be faster and the results will be outstanding.

Shen Qing was like that; she felt that one person's energy was limited, and it was precisely by focusing on one thing that she was able to regain the title of second place in the Four Academies Competition.

If one's energy is evenly distributed across swordsmanship and saber techniques, both become mediocre; if one's Yin and Yang are reversed, even mastery of both swords and saber techniques becomes utterly useless.

Grandma Shen realized the problem, but thinking that none of the disciples of the same generation at Bailu Academy could threaten Shen Qing, she did not force him to correct it immediately.

But in the eyes of someone like Lu Li, who has rich practical experience and can accurately seize opportunities, that slight inconsistency is a huge flaw.

The entire battle was setting the stage for the final moment, when the long-hidden Autumn Equinox Golden Qi Slash of Cause and Effect was unleashed, and the blade's light was completely withdrawn.

Perhaps it was the light of the cicadas' chirping that made this sword even better than the most perfect one during our private rehearsals.

The six swords of the Autumn Division are almost as one, and martial artists who have not practiced the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique cannot see the transition between the solar terms at all.

Shen Qing's short sword was indeed a beat slower, allowing the exhausted Lu Li to catch his breath. His newly mastered move, "Great Heat," directly deflected the sword's momentum.

"With its sharp edge fully revealed, Zhu Rong treads on flames... The Six Swords of the Summer Tribe are completely different from the Six Swords of the Autumn Tribe. I need to frequently display my prowess in front of others to hone the sword intent within my heart."

Having resolved the two major issues of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique in one battle, Lu Li carefully experienced the Summer Division Sword Technique.

"By observing the swords of a hundred schools, one can strengthen one's sword intent through honing and competition... The stronger the sword intent, the more it will refine one's internal strength and promote the advancement of one's cultivation."

"With each additional Summer Seasonal Technique, the cultivation speed increases by one point, making it incredibly easy to break through barriers and advance beyond realms."

Lu Li was overjoyed. The Six Swords of Xiabu had such wondrous power, yet it was not mentioned in the sword manual.

Although my cultivation aptitude is below average, with the tempering of sword intent to hone my inner strength, I am able to catch up with many others.

There's no need to rely entirely on the power of elixirs; breakthroughs can also be achieved through normal cultivation.

The crowd looked at them with fear, as if they had seen a ghost, but once their eyes met, they would try to put on a friendly smile.

Before leaving, Granny Shen gave him a sharp look, probably because she had offended him badly.

However, I haven't been able to ask her for help, so I'll just have to be more careful in the future.

Dean Lin Ruoxu, on the other hand, arrived unexpectedly and left in a hurry.

It seems that they came to Guanyu Sword Pavilion purely to watch this competition, with no other purpose.

"strangeness……"

Lu Li muttered something to himself. As Dean Lin Ruoxu left, he cast a very complicated glance at Lu Li, as if he were reminiscing about something.

He thought the old man was backing up Shen Qing and returning the old man's words, "If you neglect the essentials and pursue the trivial, you'll end up with nothing."

"Senior... I am fortunate to have borrowed the sword and returned it to its rightful owner."

Upon seeing Luo Xianzhe leading Fatty Luo over, Lu Li quickly greeted them and handed over the cicada song.

"Young friend, your swordsmanship is superb. Come visit Guangyu Hall when you have time. The Luo family has also produced a swordsman who has mastered the Divine Sword. They have a few sword manuals that you might want to take a look at."

Luo Xianzhe accepted the precious weapon. In his opinion, this young man was cunning and had a superior talent for swordsmanship. After defeating the number one student of his generation in the academy, he remained calm and composed.

It's a pity that the eldest branch of the family has no legitimate daughter; otherwise, what would have happened if the two families had formed a marriage alliance and the sound of cicadas had been presented as a betrothal gift?

He moved his lips slightly, conveying two instructions in a secret way, then patted Lu Li's shoulder lightly and drifted away.