Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 81 The Mysteries of the Heavenly Pivot Hall

"This is the Dao Jing of Attaining Emptiness and Maintaining Stillness, consisting of thirty-three volumes. It must be copied and recited daily. Uncle Tu said that once it has been copied a hundred times, one can begin to cultivate the introductory mental techniques."

The young Taoist boy dragged over a wooden box containing a thick stack of Taoist books.

Lu Li stared wide-eyed, then quickly asked, "Has the sect issued any magical artifacts to its disciples?"

"The Heavenly Pivot Hall has nine supreme forbidden techniques and thirteen ninth-order flying swords guarding it. Along with the Ancestral Master Hall, it is one of the two safest places in the mountain gate. What use would Senior Brother Bai have for magic weapons? If it weren't for the Chief Uncle's primordial spirit escaping to the heavens and handing over the Heavenly Pivot Hall control jade disc to Senior Brother Tu, we wouldn't be able to enter on ordinary days."

The young Taoist priest spoke with envy, gave a long list of instructions, then rolled up his apricot-yellow flag at his waist and left.

"It seems to be a good place, but I can't cultivate immortal techniques within three years. If the difficulty of the main quest increases accordingly, my martial arts cultivation will have to improve rapidly in order to barely keep up."

With things having come to this, Lu Li casually picked up a Taoist book, glanced at it, and then felt sleepy.

One must at least break through to the Refining Spirit stage before they can exchange a few blows with a Qi Refining cultivator who has embarked on cultivation, whether they are righteous sword immortals or demonic monsters.

If one can condense a Dharma body and achieve the True Person Realm, then even in the Qingcheng World, outside of the major immortal sects, one would be considered a minor expert.

Like the swordsmith in his arms, that sword immortal practiced swordsmanship on Mount Luofu for seven years. After being expelled from the mountain, he was no different from a rogue cultivator.

He made many friends amidst famous mountains and rivers, fought swords and slew demons, and lived a carefree life.

Judging from this person's own account, his skills are clearly weaker than those of a Grandmaster in the True Person Realm, but he can protect himself without worry as long as he doesn't provoke powerful figures from major sects.

"Condensing the Dharma Body is too far off. The key is to first think about how to cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, open the Spirit Platform, and generate spiritual power in the ancestral aperture between the eyebrows."

With Lu Li's sword technique, as long as one can reach the half-step Refinement stage, one can fully unleash the true meaning of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique, and it is believed that one will not be at a disadvantage even when facing a Refinement stage expert.

Do it as soon as you think of it; don't waste a few days. Breaking through your cultivation level as soon as possible is always a good thing.

Sit up straight, begin your practice, circulate your energy throughout your body, open your eyes, and look radiant.

As he thoughtfully sensed his dantian, his internal energy grew stronger, and several acupoints related to the eyes were opened.

One session of training is equivalent to ten days of real-world practice!

"It's all thanks to this Heavenly Pivot Hall! No wonder it's a blessed land of immortals. If I could cultivate here continuously, wouldn't I be able to advance to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage very quickly?!"

Lu Li, who had initially been quite disgusted, now wished he could stay in the Qingcheng World for a few more months.

Having gained enlightenment, the next thing to open up will surely be the eye.

"This is too fast. I've only heard that those martial artists who have been at the Foundation Establishment stage for many years and are about to break through to the Refinement stage will develop a second or even a third kind of divine power. I'm only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and I'm already about to open my ear aperture, mouth aperture, and even my eye aperture."

Once the eyes are opened, one's self-reliance increases significantly, and one can see at night.

As one's cultivation level increases, one can better discern an opponent's cultivation level and the grade of their treasures at a glance.

Especially in actual combat, one can perceive the opponent's moves, intentions, and internal energy flow.

It's somewhat similar to the Insight skill of the Seven Aperture Glazed Glass Sword Heart, but it's a slightly weaker version.

This unexpected discovery made Lu Li no longer relax. He copied a few pages of the Daoist scriptures and spent the rest of his time practicing cultivation techniques and studying sword manuals.

The meal the young Taoist priest brought was just a small dish, a few pieces of fruit and snacks, which was enough to last a day, and he didn't feel hungry.

During casual conversation, it was revealed that once one reaches the Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao realm, one can consume clouds and drink water without needing to eat.

This is also the standard for outer disciples to be promoted to inner disciples.

In the vast Qingcheng, there are only a few dozen inner disciples, who are already capable of serving as hall stewards and handling various administrative affairs.

As for the higher realms, the young Taoist was unaware of them, only hearing the elders speak of something like "perfecting both form and spirit," and "transforming from mortal to immortal."

But this also pointed out a general route for Lu Li, who was completely clueless about the world of Qingcheng.

After finishing my cultivation for the day, I had just picked up a scroll of the Daoist book "Attain Emptiness and Guard Stillness" and copied two lines when a great power came from the void. Lu Li, like a nebula gathering and dispersing, disappeared from the Tian Shu Hall.

The unchanging statues of the Three Pure Ones at the very front seem to cast a glance at us, or perhaps it's just an illusion.

However, the thirteen ninth-tier flying swords on both sides trembled with light, especially the two swords at the head of the left and right sides.

The sword on the left was formed from billions of divine lightning bolts, surging and roaring, like a world-destroying thunder pool.

The sword on the right is like a galaxy, containing countless stars, and the universe rotates endlessly within its sword light.

Lu Li tried to put the items he had collected from the Qingcheng World into the Nebula Palace, but unfortunately there was no response.

It seems that in addition to the grade, the repurchase of items in the Nebula Palace also depends on the category.

Even the most advanced treasures are useless if they don't suit your needs.

On paper, this Compass World event cost nearly 2,000 merit points, but only yielded a reward of 500 merit points, resulting in a huge loss.

However, successfully opening up a cultivation path outside of martial arts and obtaining the status of an outer disciple of Qingcheng Sect was another huge profit.

As his strength rapidly increased, ordinary low-level martial arts worlds no longer served as training grounds; they simply provided him with an extra month or two for cultivation.

Of course, the fact that the Nebula Compass suddenly transported him to the Qingcheng world, which was comparable to the ancient times, was still somewhat beyond his expectations.

Back in the real world room, everything was fine, the mechanisms were intact, and no one had entered.

After spending another night in Spring Valley, I ordered a pot of green tea and eight kinds of pastries, preparing to inquire about some information from the martial arts world and see if there was any news about the Great Chu Refining God expert chasing Zhai Baishi of Yingtian Academy.

Unfortunately, after listening to half of it, there wasn't a single valuable point.

The small town is remote, news updates are slow, and people don't care about such important, high-level events.

The martial artists on the second floor of the tavern were discussing everything from the passing of the Liu family patriarch and the three patriarchs each inviting helpers to fight for the family fortune, to the arrival of the most beautiful courtesan in Danyang County at Chun Valley later this month.

At that time, two flower boats will be moored on the river outside the city, where performers will showcase their talents and flowers will bloom in competition, making it another place to spend money.

"The most beautiful courtesan in the city, wouldn't it cost several silver dollars just to get in and listen to a song?"

"Ten seats! And that's for the last seat, with just a cup of strong tea and a bowl of melon seeds—if you want to sit in the front and chat with the ladies, don't even think about it without a single gold coin!"

"Hiss—it's so expensive, how can we afford to go?"

"Hehe, Third Master Liu is recruiting like crazy. As long as you cultivate internal strength and pass the test, you'll get fifty silver dollars as a settlement allowance! You'll also have a monthly salary, and extra rewards for being wounded in battle for the family. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Such a great opportunity! Quick, bottoms up, let's sign up right away!"

Lu Li wasn't particularly concerned about the fact that the descendants of a wealthy merchant in Chungu County were fighting over the family fortune and expanding their forces; instead, he was drawn to the conversation at a table further away.

Several young men and women, carrying weapons, sat at the table, exuding youthful energy. It was unclear which sect they belonged to for training.

"The latest list of successful candidates will be posted in a few days. Do you think there will be significant changes to this list?"

"The top ten are as solid as a rock, and I don't see anyone who can challenge them—in my opinion, there will only be slight fluctuations in the rankings in the middle and lower sections."

The young swordsmen have completely different interests, and their discussions revolve around the rankings.

Although he was far from being on the list, he could still talk about it excitedly for days whenever a familiar martial artist or a promising dark horse entered the list.

"Hey, you're wrong. The next rankings will see some unexpected big changes!"

A young man with puffy eyelids and a sallow complexion deliberately kept the conversation in suspense, only revealing half of what he was saying.

"Qin Feng, speak your mind! What did you hear from your elders this time?!"

A woman in a scarlet outfit stood to the side, her voice rising two octaves, and her bright eyes glared at him.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you—last week, Young Master Lu of the Jade Flute challenged Wang Rui of the Qu Shui Sword Sect to a duel. The two fought in Qu'a, and many people witnessed it. Isn't that shocking enough?"

"Ninth on the Human Ranking versus Third on the Human Ranking, is it for real?"

The young woman asked the question eagerly, then thought that Qin Feng's uncle was an official in the Martial Arts Department of the Privy Council, and would be able to know this kind of information firsthand, so it couldn't be false.

"Which side won? Was it Young Master Lu?"

The Langya Wang clan only migrated from the north a hundred years ago, and the martial artists from the southeast, based on their local sentiments, would definitely support the Lu clan of Wu County more.

The underdog triumphing over the strong is a plot that everyone enjoys watching.

"The two fought fiercely for a hundred rounds without a clear winner. It is said that the scene was no different from a battle between Refining Gods. This time, Young Master Lu's ranking will definitely improve. It seems that in a few years, both families will produce a young Refining God."

Qin Feng shook his head, showing off the information he had obtained from his uncle.

Anyway, it will be published in the Privy Council's official gazette in another week, so it can't be considered a leak of secrets.

"There is another matter. A newcomer will be added to the next list of people, but the officials have not yet agreed on the ranking. I heard there are quite a few disagreements."

"Finally, a newcomer! Which family's disciple is he? Hopefully, he can stay for a few more rounds and not be eliminated in the first round again."

The young man was brewing tea. He had regular features, a black mole on his left eyebrow, and unusually large knuckles on his fingers.

"Hehe, you're wrong—the adults' debate is about whether to put him in the top 30 or directly drop him into the top 20. As long as these kinds of geniuses establish themselves, they have a chance to break into the top 10. They won't be eliminated in the first round in such a humiliating way."

Qin Feng revealed the second big piece of news he had been keeping hidden, and looked triumphantly at the surprised expressions on his companions' faces.

"Is it possible that he was directly parachuted into the top two positions? What extraordinary thing did he do? Did the two temples and three monasteries have a new true disciple emerging to roam the world, or did the five great families promote another direct descendant to represent their families?"

The young man with the mole put down the teapot and guessed.

They all came from similar backgrounds, either from middle- or lower-level official families or from wealthy businessmen with substantial assets.

With money and free time, he used connections to join the most prestigious sect in the area.

Besides practicing martial arts, he spends his days traveling around, making connections, and building a reputation.

She would only accept her family's arrangement to return home, take over some business, get married, and have children when she was a few years older.

"You're wrong again! It's a disciple from the White Deer Academy, one of the four Confucian academies. He did something really big. Anyway, my uncle was gasping in shock, but he just wouldn't tell me. It's just that this person hasn't shown any achievements in the past, and some adults think that his record is shallow and his strength should be underestimated."

Qin Feng's gaze was intense, as if he were familiar with this young talent who was about to be parachuted onto the list of heroes, and felt honored to have him by his side.