Ten Directions Sword Master

Spring swords hold life, summer swords wield slaughter.

The autumn sword governs gathering, the winter sword governs storing.

Therefore, Lu Li believed that the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique, in its later stages, possessed the supernatural power of approaching the Dao through the sword and learning from nature.

There is also the cycle of the four seasons, understanding prosperity and decline, knowing when to advance and retreat, and inheriting the profound mystery of the Dao from beginning to end with the Great Dao.

"The visions of these sages were so lofty, transcending their time, but they didn't consider the difficulty of cultivation... Perhaps choosing four people, each cultivating a different method, is a shortcut to reaching the end."

If I'm not mistaken, Dean Yu Ziqi should be practicing the Xiabu Sword Technique and is currently researching the Chunbu Sword Technique.

"My sword is concealed, its power fully revealed; Dean Yu shouldn't be able to see through my cultivation level... However, my perception of the solar terms makes it impossible for others cultivating the Twenty-Four Solar Terms to hide their progress from me."

"The Xia clan is complete, coalescing within its body into a fire god; the moment it unleashes, it will be like a volcanic eruption, with the sun blazing overhead!"

"The Spring Sword Technique has the initial stirring of Yang energy, the gentle rain nourishing all things, the hibernating insects beginning to stir, and the sword becoming clear and bright... It is still two moves away from completing the six sword techniques."

Yu Ziqi could never have imagined that with just a slight movement, his nearly twenty years of mastery of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique would be clearly seen by the disciples behind him.

It's no longer a difference in swordsmanship talent, but rather a difference in the depth of understanding of the four seasons.

The group of eleven stopped in front of an inconspicuous hill, surrounded by scorched brown marks and barren land.

"Come out! Hiding in front of us like this, do you really think you can get into Wu County if the experts from the Northern Division are watching you?"

Master Qingming gave a cold shout, and several rocks on the side of the hill were turned over, revealing two tall figures standing up.

"Kong Zhao and Zhai Xiao of Yingtian Academy pay their respects to the teachers of the three academies."

The two men were dashing and handsome, with dark complexions and dressed in smart and practical outfits; both were at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"So only the two of you came? That makes sense. Without a Spirit Refiner accompanying you, the North Room will turn a blind eye, and no radicals will cause you trouble."

Master Qingming was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening.

"Brother Yu, Senior Brother Li, why don't we start sooner... The Crimson Fire Secret Realm will last for seven days. With the end of the year approaching, the guards at the Thieves' Bureau are on edge. If we stay too long, we might irritate them."

"Hmph, the Thieves' Bureau! Last time, that Goldfish Envoy surnamed Gu's men captured one of our disciples. I went to confront them, and we fought for a hundred moves to a draw... If we meet again, I'll definitely have a proper match!"

This man had a thick beard, was bold and rugged, and spoke with some reservations about the thief-catching office, but did not object to Master Qingming's statement.

The Great Chu Privy Council had five departments.

The northern branch is in charge of the northern border defense and all matters related to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The Bureau of Thieves is in charge of apprehending thieves and awarding rewards and punishments, and maintaining order in each prefecture.

The Military Register Office is in charge of selecting, promoting, and supplementing the ranks of generals and officers in all regions.

Wu Yangfang was in charge of the coastal fleet and dealt with those notorious pirates at sea.

There was also the Martial Arts Department, which was personally overseen by the Vice Privy Councilor. The three lists of Heaven, Earth, and Man were issued by this department, and nominally all matters in the martial arts world were under its jurisdiction.

The places that people in the martial arts world come into contact with most are the martial arts training rooms and the thief-catching rooms.

The Silver-Clad Captains in the Thieves' Office are Foundation Establishment martial artists. After accumulating experience and merit, they are promoted and have cloud patterns added to their silver-clad sleeves and wear silver fish pouches. They usually need to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment cultivation. In the martial arts world, they are commonly known as Silver Fish Envoys.

The next level up is the Divine Constable, one of only four in the entire Thieves' Bureau. All of them are experts at the Refinement of Spirit level, and they are bestowed with scarlet jade pendants and gold fish pouches, and are known as the Goldfish Envoys.

Yu Ziqi nodded indifferently and took out a dark red rubbing, which was neither gold, jade, nor stone.

The same was true for Daoist Qingming and the teachers of Shigu Academy. When it was Yingtian Academy's turn, the disciple named Zhai Xiao took it out from his chest and stood in front.

The four dark red rubbings fit together at their edges, casting a soft red glow on the hill.

"This person didn't show up in the last Four Academies Competition. Judging from his posture, he must have been trained in the military... Yingtian Academy is really good at hiding talent. I guess many of their disciples have been directly sent to the army."

Nan Henshui leaned close to his ear and whispered something.

Lu Li knew he wanted to get closer, but every time he got close to that beautiful woman's face, he felt a little strange.

If I can open my mouth first in the future, that would be great. I could then obtain the wondrous ability to transmit sound into secrets, making it much easier to communicate with others.

"Enter immediately. If anything unexpected happens, wait here for seven days. Once the time is up, the secret realm will send you out!"

As a hazy red light spread across the hills, Daoist Qingming shouted.

Several disciples crashed into the mountain wall, as if they were rushing into a curtain of water, creating ripples.

Lu Li took a deep breath and followed closely behind, stepping into the mountains.

The world spun around me, smoke swirled before my eyes, flames billowed, and lava cracked beneath my feet.

"They've all scattered, I'm the only one left..."

The air was filled with scorching heat. Lu Li stood still for a few breaths before taking out the cicada's song.

Having extensive experience in teleporting to the Compass World, he felt almost no dizziness during the transfer to the secret realm and quickly regained his footing.

In the distance, amidst the smoke and fire, pavilions and towers seemed to be hidden, and faint neighing sounds could be heard, indicating that this secret place was not a paradise on earth.

"I miscalculated. I set off immediately upon arriving in Wucheng, and the disciples of Yingtian Academy were already waiting. I activated the secret realm without any delay... If I calculate it this way, wouldn't I only be able to start activating the Nebula Compass after seven days?"

All the steps were interconnected, one after another, without stopping, as if someone was urging the four academies from behind.

This led to some misjudgments regarding timing.

"Forget it, let's stick to the original plan and try to gain as much as possible in the secret realm... It would be best to get a treasured longsword of my own, so I don't have to borrow it from others all the time."

Recalling the map of the Crimson Fire Secret Realm provided to them by White Deer Academy, including the locations of the discovered demon spirits and their preferred directions, Lu Li chose a direction and quickly moved forward.

……

"Hey, just hold out for seven days. Hopefully, these little brats will bring back some good stuff."

Master Qingming found a blue stone, sat down cross-legged, and said leisurely.

Once the passage to the Crimson Fire Secret Realm is opened, there is no need for the token to continue activating it. After all ten disciples have entered, the hill gradually returns to its previous appearance.

The four dark red rubbings will not be used again for another thirty years.

"Last time, the four academies combined only had one treasure weapon, and it was won by your Yuelu Academy. We were all just there to make up the numbers... Let's not even think about the innate qi. This time, we'll be lucky to bring back even one treasure weapon."

The burly middle-aged man smacked his lips, his eyes gleaming as he scanned the surroundings.

The four academies jointly decided that, apart from the innate qi, all the gains from the secret realm would belong to the disciples.

Disciples who come to the secret realm will have a very high chance of obtaining a treasure weapon from the academy in the future. Being able to obtain it through other means will also indirectly reduce the pressure on the academy.

In addition, some disciples felt that the treasured weapons they received were not suitable enough, or were tempted by the rewards offered by the academy, believing that the cultivation techniques and elixirs were more important, and chose to hand them over.

Even the four Confucian academies could never have enough soldiers.

"By the way, Dean Yu, my little niece told me that Bai Lu has a disciple who has made a name for himself in the Twenty-Four Sword Qi Technique. Is he your successor?"

This rugged middle-aged man was Li Xunzhen, another member of the Four Academies who became famous for his Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique. Li Wenwan, a disciple of Shigu Academy, was his niece.

"No, that kid learned his own tricks; I didn't need to teach him."

Yu Ziqi responded indifferently, showing no interest in further conversation, and turned to Daoist Qingming.

"Among those who entered the secret realm this time, Yue Lu's Jiang Linhai and Ying Tian's Zhai Xiao have the highest cultivation levels, perhaps even at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Hehe, Bai Lu has three Qi Refining disciples, including a little girl. Don't be so afraid that you won't be able to defeat even one of their spirit essences by the end of the secret realm."

Li Xunzhen clearly didn't believe Yu Ziqi's words, speaking with a provocative tone.

Master Qingming nodded and said, "The academy bestowed a Wenxin Guiyuan Pill, and Lin Hai also lived up to expectations, directly breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage... In this way, the upper limit of the strength that the most powerful spirit in the secret realm can exert is also the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, which is indeed disadvantageous to your academy's disciples."

"I just feel that Zhai Xiao from Yingtian Academy has an excessively abundant internal energy... After activating the imprint, he didn't change his expression and didn't suffer any burden at all."

Yu Ziqi shook his head; he had no interest in the specific gains of his disciples.

The reason for asking for a spot in the secret realm was simply to broaden Lu Li's horizons. Who knew that the kid would cause so much trouble after obtaining the Seventy-Two Seasonal Chart?

"Indeed, activating the imprint is quite a burden for a Foundation Establishment martial artist. When did Yingtian Academy quietly hide such a promising talent? He probably has the strength to stand firmly at the bottom of the Human Ranking."

Awakened by someone's words, Master Qingming's expression turned solemn as he realized what was happening.

"If this person were to join the Four Academies Competition, how could our academy possibly take first place? Ying Tian has been hiding his talent so well!"