Ten Directions Sword Master

Lu Li's daily life was extremely regular. Every morning, he would get up and follow the changes of the four seasons, sense the energy of heaven and earth, and try to practice the various sword techniques in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Manual.

So far, only the Six Swords of Autumn Division have made some progress, and it feels like they are about to master the White Dew Style.

After breakfast, I start reading—all kinds of books, travelogues, novels, I'll read anything.

This habit was formed after discovering that the Nebula Compass could transport one to a real historical dynasty.

Knowing more about anecdotes and stories might just save your life during a mission.

In the afternoon, I went to the sword hall to practice swordsmanship and hone my internal energy through the cultivation techniques. In the evening, I organized the items I had collected from the compass world and planned to exchange them for.

Occasionally, he would meet with Luo Liben for drinks and casual conversation.

Interspersed with academy courses, students also had to adjust their schedules independently, making it a very tight schedule.

An unexpected sword duel didn't linger in Lu Li's mind for long; the upcoming compass crossing was the main event.

"I hope it's a world rich in resources and where alchemy flourishes... With my aptitude, cultivating on my own is too slow!"

Back inside, Lu Li closed the doors and windows, took a deep breath, and stretched out his hands.

The back of the left hand is a compass, woven with nebulae and the Milky Way.

He deliberately showed it off several times so that outsiders couldn't see the pattern on it.

Within twelve hours of the nebula confluence, one must enter the compass world, or one will be forcibly moved out of control.

No matter the circumstances or the methods used, it cannot be stopped.

He pressed his right hand against the nebula, which swirled endlessly. After a ripple, the room was empty.

……

Amidst an inverted Milky Way, a grand, ancient palace stands eternally in the vast expanse of space.

"The Great Elixir is expensive, but it can save a life in a critical moment. It's worth exchanging one hundred merits for it."

Lu Li retrieved the Sun-Covering Sword and used his remaining merit points in the Starry Sky Hall to exchange for a jade-colored pill sealed in wax paper.

The Great Rejuvenating Pill can save both external injuries that pierce the chest and abdomen, and internal injuries that rupture the meridians. It mainly relies on releasing the essence of herbs to preserve life and prevent the injury from worsening.

As for the remaining hidden injuries, just go back to the Starry Sky Palace and exchange them for healing items.

If you have a large enough fortune, you can also choose a close-fitting inner armor to evade sharp weapons.

The eruption of lightning and fire could threaten the sophisticated hidden weapons of a Foundation Establishment expert.

A single talisman can render a body-tempered martial artist invulnerable to swords and spears, and within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, their physique will be equivalent to that of a body-tempering expert who has been immersed in the Iron Shirt technique for thirty or forty years.

Each of these items can significantly increase your chances of survival in the Compass world.

However, the merit points required for the exchange are all in the hundreds or even thousands.

There are even further categories, obscured by gray shadows, with details unavailable; these must be even more valuable.

Just after a quarter of an hour of preparation time, everything went black and then bright, the Milky Way receded into the distance, and the surrounding environment changed rapidly.

As light and darkness alternated, amidst towering mountains and a heavily fortified military camp, that emotionless, cold voice rang out.

"At the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the heavens and earth collapsed, the six garrisons of Heyin rebelled, and war broke out again. Powerful clans carved up the land, refugees swarmed like ants, and white bones covered the fields."

"In the western border of Bingzhou, there was a military officer named He Zheng who, along with his defeated soldiers, massacred villages and plundered towns, displaying cruelty and inhumanity. He cut off people's heads to build mounds of skulls, and killed women and children to feed his warhorses. The people would stop crying at the mere mention of his name."

"Main Quest: Execute He Zheng, the Colonel of the Agricultural Settlement. Limited to one month. Reward: 500 merit points. Quests will be deleted if not completed by the deadline."

Side Quest: The Great Wei Imperial Family forges the Yuanlong Seal, inviting masters from across the land to gather in the capital to select the strongest martial artist. You will receive an invitation and a basic Retreat Talisman as a reward.

The Nebula Compass issues two types of missions: main missions are mandatory and will be erased if they fail.

Given the incredible power displayed by the compass, there's no doubt that it can achieve this.

Side quests are like the previous Fairy Mirror Chain quests in the Great Kang World; they are optional.

Lu Li steadied himself, not in a hurry to act, and observed his surroundings.

A desolate forest, devoid of any human presence.

His face and figure automatically adjusted to his usual appearance, the nameless white figure who had visited the Northern Wei world several times.

The Northern Wei world was his favorite world. Firstly, its overall level was similar to the real world, so he wouldn't gain little or be unable to participate at all.

The other, being a dynasty that once existed in Middle-earth, possessed knowledge of past history that amounted to being a prophet.

Of course, at his current level, he is not involved in major historical events at all; he is still stuck at the grassroots level.

"Two tasks, killing the captain, and only five hundred merit points are awarded?"

Lu Li discerned the location; the Heyin Prefecture of later generations was within the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, almost two thousand miles away from the Yuzhang Prefecture.

At this time, there were still about thirty years left before the complete demise of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was the darkest period when the people were suffering and even resorting to cannibalism.

It wasn't until the last emperor of the Great Wei indulged in sensual pleasures and died young that the powerful Xiong clan in the south rose to prominence.

He swept across the Central Plains, pacified all the powerful warlords, and established the Great Chu Dynasty.

According to ancient records of military positions in the Northern Wei Dynasty, a captain could initially lead three thousand men, and only members of the royal family or those who had reached the Refinement of Spirit level could hold the position.

Later, due to the corruption of the bureaucracy, the number of employees working without working reached 70%, so the requirements for the officers' qualifications were lowered.

However, the local military commander must be a seasoned Foundation Establishment martial artist.

With a thousand subordinates and a time limit, this mission was absolutely impossible for Lu Li.

The Nebula Compass is the fairest, with rewards matching the difficulty of the task; 500 merits are definitely not enough to justify the difficulty of the mandatory task.

This suggests that there's more to the mission than meets the eye; it's not as simple as him forcing his way into the military camp and killing He Zheng.

"Information is key. We need to ask the locals about the situation before making any further plans."

He unleashed the Vast Void Step, his feet creating a gust of wind, and quickly found a path worn smooth by wheels.

This movement technique excels at long-distance travel. With old strength undiminished and new strength already generated, running a hundred miles in one breath is a piece of cake.

However, in close combat and maneuvering, it is not as good as agile and versatile movement techniques.

After running for thirty miles, they came to a low earthen wall with several fine horses tethered there, behind which lay the ruins of a desolate village.

A few tables and chairs were set up to form a teahouse, where a young waiter served tea and water, while an older waiter tended the fire to brew the tea.

It's obvious that this used to be a village, but it fell into disrepair and the villagers moved away. I wonder how this teahouse is still in business.

"Brew a pot of loose tea."

Lu Li quickly looked around and chose a seat on the edge.

There were two tables of customers in the teahouse. One table was occupied by three burly men in dusty gray battle coats, and their horses must have been theirs.

The other table was occupied by a couple carrying several packages; they were probably visiting relatives.

Squeezed onto the bench, looking timid, they just kept drinking tea in big gulps.

"Sir, the tea costs five coins, and the rice cakes are complimentary."

The waiter carried a wooden tray with a pot of tea, a cup, and a small bowl containing a yellow rice cake.

"How far is it from here to Bingzhou Prefecture?"

Lu Li took out five coins and placed them on the wooden plate.

Knowing that he would inevitably have to visit the Northern Wei world in the future, he had already made preparations and exchanged a lot of Great Wei Tongbao coins at the antique shop.

Even martial arts masters can't move an inch without money.

You can't expect to dine and dash at a restaurant.