txolops Chapter 20 The True Understanding of the Sword
Chapter 20 The True Understanding of the Sword
Qin Xiyue stood by the door for a moment, weighing her options carefully, and finally decided not to reveal her true intentions to Li Qingyi for the time being.
This matter is far too dangerous; a single misstep could have far-reaching consequences, and the entire situation could be lost if one is not careful.
"Just wait for my message."
After saying that, she pushed open the door and went out.
Back in her room, Qin Xiyue held her breath and began to carefully analyze the chances of success or failure of this plan.
The real purpose of this scheme, orchestrated by Master Zifu, was to refine a Heaven-Mending Pill for Qin Ruoxi to consume.
The Heaven-Mending Pill is a divine object that defies the laws of creation. Consuming it can enable a cultivator's aptitude, comprehension, physical constitution, and all other endowments to break through innate limitations and reach a higher level.
However, the way of Heaven is impartial, and the restrictions on this pill are extremely strict. Only cultivators in the early stage of Qi Refining can take it.
Furthermore, the person taking the elixir must be connected by blood to the sacrificial offering used as the medicinal ingredient.
The main branch of the Qin family was prepared as a sacrifice for Qin Ruoxi. The members of the various collateral branches were used as scapegoats to confuse the situation.
The Qingchi Immortal Sect used a useless Purple Mansion inheritance as bait to attract the attention of all three sects and six schools.
The Qingchi Immortal Sect secretly carried out a heaven-defying act, refining the Heaven-Mending Pill to fulfill Qin Ruoxi's wish.
At the same time, since the sacrificial offerings involved a collateral branch, Qin Xiyue also met the conditions for taking the elixir.
However, the risks are so great that it's like playing with fire.
Qin Xiyue knew perfectly well that the Qingchi Immortal Sect had not gone to such lengths to cultivate a genius disciple.
Once Qin Ruoxi successfully establishes her foundation with the help of the Heaven-Mending Pill, that will likely be the time when she is captured.
Using it as material, a "Heavenly Ascension Pill" was refined and fed to an elder of the Qingchi Immortal Sect who was nearing the end of his lifespan, to help him break through to the ethereal Golden Core Dao.
In her previous life, Qin Xiyue only learned of this secret after she ascended to the Purple Mansion and joined the ranks of the Qingchi Immortal Sect.
Now, what she has to do is snatch food from the tiger's mouth.
He had only asked Zhao Ling'er for the Blood Dragon Fruit to lull Qin Ruoxi into a false sense of security.
Whether she succeeds or fails, she's guaranteed to make a profit.
As for the Purple Mansion inheritance, Qin Xiyue scoffed at it.
A completely useless method of corpse refining.
Even after his death and the disappearance of his Dao, that Purple Mansion True Man was still criticized by his fellow Daoists for a long time, who called him a madman.
The desire to refine one's physical body into a corpse puppet is indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
His legacy naturally failed to arouse the genuine interest of other Purple Mansion True Persons of the time.
As her thoughts drifted, Qin Xiyue began to ponder how to seize the core.
After seizing the core, she had her own means to conceal her identity, making it impossible for cultivators of the Purple Mansion to trace her.
The difficulty lies in how to take the pill away under the noses of two Purple Mansion True Persons and a group of experts from the Qingchi Immortal Sect.
"If I had the cultivation of the Purple Mansion Realm right now, that would be fine. Unfortunately, I'm only at the third level of Qi Refining..."
She shook her head slightly, "However, even if one truly possesses the cultivation level of the Purple Mansion Realm, one would still be unable to consume this Heaven-Mending Pill."
Suddenly, Qin Xiyue smiled calmly.
Having endured hundreds of years of arduous cultivation and deceit in my past life, what is this current predicament compared to that?
It's nothing more than death; what's there to fear?
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered a mysterious formation she knew from her previous life.
"Yes, in my previous life, I once obtained a 'Deceiving Heaven and Concealing Secrets Formation' from an ancient ruin. Although it was incomplete, it was extremely exquisite. Once set up, it could temporarily disrupt the secrets of heaven, reverse yin and yang, and deceive the perception of high-level cultivators..."
Qin Xiyue felt much more at ease and immediately decided to use this formation as a breakthrough point.
If it weren't for a fortuitous encounter in her past life that led her to obtain that mysterious jade tablet, she would never have been able to enter the Purple Mansion through the Dao of Arrays.
And now, that jade tablet still floats quietly in the depths of her consciousness, its divine light contained within.
She once thought that the jade tablet only enhanced her understanding of the Dao of Formations and gave her a pair of ingenious array-setting skills.
Little did I expect that being reborn after death would bring me such a pleasant surprise.
"To forcibly set up the 'Deceive the Heavens and Conceal the Secrets Formation' with a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation is nothing short of a fool's dream."
But with this jade tablet as a foundation, perhaps we can give it a try...
No, it doesn't need to be fully set up; I just need to buy ten breaths! A very simplified version might be feasible.
With this in mind, Qin Xiyue didn't delay any longer and immediately set off to search for the alternative materials needed to prepare the simplified formation.
…………
Li Qingyi stood quietly in front of the table.
He held his breath and focused his mind, holding the talisman brush. With a slight thought, he quietly drew upon the fire spirit power within his body and covered it with his own magical power.
As the brush tip touched the talisman paper, divine sense unfolded, discerning even the smallest details.
An hour later, six fire serpent talismans, each radiating spiritual light and brimming with runes, were neatly arranged before him, all of superior quality.
With the talisman in hand, Li Qingyi felt somewhat at ease, finally having more to rely on.
"Unfortunately, due to the master's actions in arresting talisman masters, there's a lot of fear and uncertainty, so these talismans are probably hard to sell for spirit stones. It's better to learn some spells; that's the right path."
He sighed softly, finished tidying up, and got up to head towards the Qin family's library.
In front of the library, many disciples of the Qing lineage lingered.
Li Qingyi glanced at it only once before walking straight inside.
The interior space was more spacious than he had expected, and it was divided into three floors.
Only the core members of the clan are qualified to enter the third level.
He, on the other hand, benefited from Qin Xiyue's presence and was able to peruse the classics on the first two floors.
"It's really true, he's become a kept man..."
The younger members of the clan had many complaints about him, but Li Qingyi pretended not to see them.
His goal was clear: to find one or two techniques for self-defense, or a book recording third-grade attack talismans, or a cultivation method.
He searched carefully on the second floor for a long time, but did not find any spells that caught his eye.
Most of them were of low rank and ordinary power, and were not worth his attention.
He only realized what was happening when he reached the next floor.
With a family branch of this size, how many truly superior secret techniques could be passed down in the library?
He decided to take another quick look around the first floor, and if he still found nothing, he would return to the second floor and randomly choose a low-grade technique to practice first.
The air inside the library was filled with the faint scent of ink. Li Qingyi walked among the layers of bookshelves, her eyes quickly scanning the old and new books.
Suddenly, a martial arts manual called "The True Explanation of Swordsmanship" caught his attention.
The book has an old-fashioned cover, yellowed pages, and a thick layer of dust, indicating that it has been neglected for a long time.
"Hmm...?" Li Qingyi raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of surprise.
"What a cliché plot."
He thought to himself, "What nonsense about the dusty books in the family's library? It's actually a charade of unparalleled martial arts techniques..."
Despite this thought, he still reached out and brushed away the thick layer of dust on the cover, then opened the book.
On the homepage, several lines of bold, elegant calligraphy come into view.
Born of swordsmanship, with blood as hard as steel and a heart as clear as glass.
Using the body as a sheath, and refining the will into a sharp edge. This method does not cultivate magical power, but only tempers a single point of sword heart clarity, capable of cutting through all illusions.
"Oh? That does have some interest." Li Qingyi's mind stirred slightly, and she immediately decided that this book, "The True Explanation of Swordsmanship," was the one for her.
Although I know the "Two Elements Harmony Ode" technique, it requires two people to practice together, so I can't just go to Qin Xiyue, can I?
They might kick you out the door.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice what was ahead and bumped right into someone.
Li Qingyi steadied herself and then noticed a young man in a moon-white robe standing in front of her.
Judging from his clothing and demeanor, he was definitely not a member of the Qin clan.
Since it was her fault for being impolite, Li Qingyi immediately bowed and apologized.
The young man, with a gentle and refined appearance, returned the greeting with clasped hands, his tone calm:
"It's alright. My name is Ren Ziyu. May I ask how you should address me?"
"Qin Feng," Li Qingyi gave a false name, her heart filled with suspicion.
The other party did not reveal their aura, but gave Li Qingyi a very dangerous feeling, like a ferocious beast lurking in the abyss.
This heart-pounding sense of oppression was something I only truly experienced when facing Qin Baisheng and Zhou Chuan, both at the Foundation Establishment stage, in a simulation.
Fortunately, the other party did not seem to have any intention of making things difficult. Instead, their gaze fell on the book "True Explanation of Swordsmanship" in Li Qingyi's hand, and they stared blankly into thought.
Inside the library, people came and went, and Li Qingyi felt a chill run through her body.
"How come I run into a Foundation Establishment cultivator here?"
Ren Ziyu examined the book for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, "Does fellow Daoist know the origin of this cultivation technique in your hand?"
Li Qingyi, of course, was unaware of this, so she could only feign composure and reply with a smile, "I hope you can enlighten me, fellow Daoist."
Ren Ziyu gazed into the distance and slowly said, "Legend has it that this was the culmination of a lifetime of swordsmanship insights from a peerless and exceptionally talented swordsman..."