txolops Chapter 148 Diligent Cultivation, Mastery of Sword Technique
Chapter 148 Diligent Cultivation, Mastery of Sword Technique
The red plum blossoms in the courtyard have all fallen.
The water stains on the bluestone slab were dried by the cold wind of early spring, leaving faint grayish-white marks.
Gu Yan watched Shen Youwei's sword light disappear into the horizon, then casually dusted off non-existent dust from his shoulder and turned to walk into the inner hall.
He followed the dark, narrow stone steps down and returned to the silent underground chamber.
The luminous pearl, the size of a baby's fist, on the dome emitted a soft white light, illuminating the simply furnished room.
Gu Yan walked to the white jade cushion in the center of the secret room and sat down cross-legged, arranging the three antique jade boxes that Shen Youwei had brought in front of him.
He first closed his eyes and focused his inner energy on his dantian.
Deep within the Qi Sea, the golden elixir, the size of a longan, floated quietly.
The left half shone with divine light, while the right half was filled with demonic energy. The dark red Dao trace of the Nascent Soul rule at the boundary between black and white was like a chasm that tightly locked the two extreme forces, maintaining an extremely dangerous yet perfect balance.
After confirming that his Golden Core realm was stable, Gu Yan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
The Flowing Cloud Sect specially invited him to this Eastern Continent Grand Competition, clearly intending to mold him into a clay idol and place him on the stage of the entire Eastern Continent cultivation world, making him someone others would fear.
This was an open conspiracy, and he couldn't escape it.
Since we have to go, we need to have something impressive to show for ourselves.
His background as a cultivator of both gods and demons, as well as the strange supernatural powers he possessed when descending from the Paper Realm, could very well expose his true nature if he were to use them in front of those Nascent Soul stage monsters or even Nascent Soul stage experts.
Even if it is later explained as the inheritance of the Nascent Soul Master, it is easy to find doubts everywhere.
Moreover, Gu Yan didn't want to reveal his trump card so easily.
Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, he needed an extremely pure, powerful, and concealable direct lineage technique of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
With that thought in mind, Gu Yan reached out and opened the jade box on the far right.
A jade slip emitting a soft blue light lay on a red velvet surface.
Gu Yan extended two fingers, placed the jade slip between his eyebrows, and probed it with his divine sense.
A flood of textual and graphic information rushed into my mind.
This martial art is called the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique.
It is one of the core inner sect techniques of the Flowing Cloud Sect, and only true disciples who have made great contributions can cultivate it.
This sword technique does not emphasize the sharpness of the sword itself, but rather the ethereal nature of the clouds and the formlessness of the wind.
When mastered to a high level, sword energy can transform into countless clouds and mists, killing people invisibly.
After reading the general outline of the cultivation technique, Gu Yan put down the jade slip and smiled with satisfaction.
This sword technique is similar to his paper-world supernatural power. If he uses a paper sword to perform this Myriad Transformations Sword Technique, it can not only perfectly conceal the strangeness of the paper figure, but also increase its power many times over.
Although the cultivation methods in the world of immortality emphasize comprehension, innate talent, and opportunity.
It is common for many talented individuals to spend decades meditating in seclusion to comprehend a profound sword technique.
But Gu Yan doesn't need it.
With a thought, a semi-transparent panel that only he could see appeared before his eyes.
This proficiency panel has no fancy features, no intelligent Q&A, no lottery shop; its only purpose is to record information.
As long as Gu Yan keeps practicing, he can increase his experience points.
Once the experience points reach their maximum, the cultivation technique will automatically break through its bottleneck and advance to a higher realm.
God rewards hard work.
This is Gu Yan's greatest source of confidence in this cruel world of cultivation.
At this point, a new line of text appeared at the bottom of the panel.
【The Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique.】
Status: Beginner.
Experience points: 0/100.
Gu Yan took a deep breath and stood up.
Without any hesitation, he joined his right fingers like a sword, and a wisp of extremely pure, colorless true essence, devoid of any divine or demonic attributes, flowed along his meridians to his fingertips from the divine and demonic golden core within his body.
Following the cultivation route recorded in the jade slip in his mind, he thrust his sword straight into the void ahead.
The true essence emanated from the fingertips, extending only half an inch before vanishing into the air with a soft "poof," like a candle flame in a gentle breeze.
Failed.
The nodes in the circulation of spiritual energy have deviated significantly.
Gu Yan's eyes did not show any discouragement, because in his vision, the numbers on the panel flickered.
【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Beginner): 1/100.】
As long as there is progress, there is no sword in this world that cannot be mastered.
Gu Yan withdrew his finger and thrust it out again.
In the silent, secret room, a muffled sound of something cutting through the air began to echo.
Gu Yanru was like an ordinary martial artist who had just picked up a sword, repeating the most basic thrusting, parrying, chopping, and slashing techniques over and over again.
Sweat quickly soaked through his dark robe, dripping down his chin onto the bluestone slab.
The meridians were being repeatedly and forcibly circulated along unfamiliar spiritual energy routes, causing waves of tearing, stinging pain.
But his sword strikes were as fast as ever, without the slightest pause.
Ten times.
Thirty times.
Eighty times.
When Gu Yan thrust out his sword for the hundredth time, a clear sword sound suddenly rang out from his fingertips.
A wisp of cyan sword energy, almost tangible, about three feet long, steadily adhered to his two fingers, exuding the unique ethereal aura of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
A wisp of cyan sword energy, almost tangible, about three feet long, steadily adhered to his two fingers, exuding the unique ethereal aura of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
The text on the panel blurred for a moment, then refreshed.
【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Beginner): 0/200】
The moment the handwriting changed, countless insights into how spiritual energy is transformed and how to control the gathering and dispersing of sword energy appeared out of thin air in Gu Yan's mind.
The muscles in his arms also twitched continuously, as he remembered this instinctive way of exerting force.
Gu Yan did not stop.
He grabbed a handful of Qi-restoring pills from his storage ring, stuffed them into his mouth like beans, and swallowed them whole.
The potent medicinal power dissolved in the dantian, replenishing the depleted true essence.
"continue."
Gu Yan's eyes were calm and still.
He raised his right hand, and hundreds of white paper pieces, cut as thin as willow leaves, flew out of his sleeve.
These pieces of paper folded rapidly in mid-air, transforming into miniature paper swords about an inch long.
Gu Yan flicked his fingers, attaching beginner-level Myriad Transformation Sword Qi to these paper swords.
In an instant, a patch of blue mist appeared in the air above the secret chamber.
This cloud of mist was formed by hundreds of paper swords weaving and darting at high speed. It looked ethereal and harmless, but in reality, it concealed deadly intent.
"go."
Gu Yanjian used a single finger technique.
Hundreds of miniature paper swords, like a swarm of bees leaving their hive, crashed violently against the steel wall at the end of the secret chamber.
The dense clanging of metal was like a torrential downpour.
Hundreds of shallow white marks were left on the hard wall, and the paper swords shattered due to the force of the recoil.
【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Beginner): 1/200】
Gu Yan took a deep breath and threw out another handful of paper scraps.
Time slipped away amidst the monotonous swinging of swords.
Outside the secret room, Changning County experienced sunrise and sunset, and the streets went from bustling to quiet, and from quiet to bustling again.
Inside the sealed room, Gu Yan had become a tireless machine.
When hungry, swallow a fasting pill.
His spiritual energy was depleted, so he chewed up handfuls of Qi-restoring pills.
When the meridians could no longer withstand the strain, he stopped circulating the Divine Demon Golden Elixir to repair them for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and then got up to continue.
Two hundred times.
The proficiency panel flashed again.
【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Minor Success): 0/500】
Gu Yan opened his eyes and casually waved his hand. The chaotic sword energy was no longer a jumble of sword energy, but a real cloud of mist that could cover an area of about ten feet in radius.
He flicked his finger, and three extremely refined cyan sword lights instantly separated from the clouds and mist, silently disappearing into the steel wall until the hilt was gone.
With such stealth and lethality, if it were to face an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would only take one move to annihilate them in the clouds and mist.
"It can become even stronger."
Gu Yan's eyes grew brighter as he looked at the power of the Lesser Completion level.
Five hundred times.
This number isn't much for ambitious cultivators, but Gu Yan is pursuing the ultimate compression and release.
With each subsequent sword strike, he drained one-tenth of the spiritual power in his dantian to achieve the most efficient infusion of muscle memory.
Another three days and three nights of seclusion.
When Gu Yan's Taoist robe was soaked with sweat and the salt stains hardened into clumps.
A gentle breeze suddenly swept through the sealed room.
This wasn't a breeze from the outside world, but rather a turbulent flow of spiritual energy stirred up by pure sword intent.
【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Mastery): 0/2000】
Gu Yan stood in the center of the secret chamber, and with a thought, the entire chamber was filled with a thick blue fog.
The mist was incredibly soft.
In Gu Yan's perception, every drop of water vapor in the thick fog was a tiny, incomparably sharp sword aura.
With just a thought, the thick fog could, in a tenth of a breath, slowly reduce all the living things trapped within it to skeletons.
This is the power of the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique at its peak.
After mastering the sword technique, one has grasped the essence of this skill.
Looking across the entire Flowing Cloud Sect, there are probably no more than a handful of true disciples who can master this sword technique within a mere ten years.
He, Gu Yan, only took a few days.
Gu Yan looked at the panel and saw that he needed two thousand experience points to advance to the next level. He wiped the sweat from his face and smiled, his chapped lips curving upwards.
"Go all out in one go."
This time, Gu Yan not only used his attribute-less true essence, but also began to try to subtly integrate the characteristics of his Divine Demon Golden Core into this orthodox Taoist sword technique.
Two thousand repeated simulations.
Two thousand times the sword energy dissipated and reassembled.
Under the dual tempering of the Xuanwu paper armor and the storm of sword energy, Gu Yan's physical body emitted a clanging sound similar to the striking of metal.
half a month later.
The ever-shining luminous pearl in the secret chamber suddenly dimmed.
It wasn't that it lost its spiritual power, but rather that all the light was swallowed up by an even more domineering force.
The panel's techniques have once again achieved a qualitative leap.
【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Master Level): 0/5000】
Gu Yan exhaled a long breath, and that breath of turbid air was like a sharp arrow, blowing a deep trench in the spirit lime ash on the ground.
He succeeded.
At this moment, the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique underwent an extremely terrifying transformation in his hands.
Gu Yan raised his right hand, palm facing up.
A cloud of pure white mist condensed in his palm.
At first glance, the clouds and mist appear ethereal and majestic, perfectly befitting the image of the Flowing Cloud Sect as a prestigious and righteous sect.
However, if one were to use divine sense to investigate, one would be horrified to discover that the white mist was not composed of water vapor, but rather of countless white paper scraps even smaller than dust.
These scraps of paper are imbued with the sacred power of the left half of the Divine Demon Golden Elixir.
Once this cloud of mist touches the enemy's body, the vast power of incense and vows will transform into sacred chants that purify the soul, directly dismantling the opponent's resistance from a spiritual level.
Even a Golden Core cultivator who specializes in magic would be momentarily stunned if their soul were enveloped by this white mist.
With a flick of his wrist, Gu Yan transformed the white mist in his palm into a jet-black cloud.
The dark clouds hung from the ceiling of the secret room, churning and rolling, with faint rumbles of thunder.
Within the clouds and mist lies the ultimate demonic energy and karmic burden of the right half of the Golden Core of Gods and Demons.
The scraps of paper, imbued with demonic energy, were like the most poisonous bone-dissolving liquid in the world.
It doesn't need to break through the enemy's magical artifact defenses; it will directly corrode the artifact's spiritual essence and pollute the enemy's dantian, like a persistent ailment.
On the surface, it is the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword, but in reality, it is a dual killing array of salvation and corruption.
This method of perfectly integrating one's own foundation into a disguise technique is so sophisticated that even if the founder of the Flowing Cloud Sect, who created this sword technique, were to come back to life, he would not be able to detect the slightest flaw.
Gu Yan looked at the panel and made a judgment based on the paper-making technique.
After understanding the Master level, the next level is Grandmaster level. To reach the pinnacle of the Grandmaster level, the experience requirement is as high as 50 million, and to reach the pinnacle, it requires 100 million.
Gu Yan clicked his tongue, temporarily abandoning the idea of continuing to grind, and decided to deal with the affairs of Changning County first.
After all, given his current sword-swinging speed and spiritual energy recovery rate, even if he practiced day and night for ten million swings, it would still take him several years to complete.
This doesn't align with his current time constraints.
A year later, during the Eastern Continent Grand Competition, the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique will reach the Grandmaster level. Combined with his Divine Demon Golden Core, it will be sufficient to deal with most of the unexpected events during the Eastern Continent Grand Competition.
Gu Yan dispersed the mist in his palm, removed the array restrictions from the secret chamber, pushed open the heavy steel door, and stepped onto the ground.
The snow outside had melted, and the soil in the yard smelled of earth, a unique scent of spring.
The sunlight shone on me, dispelling the chill brought on by days of seclusion.
Gu Yan changed into a clean set of casual clothes, went to the study, and rang the bell to signal the start of a meeting.
Not long after.
Song Hong and Xiao Chen entered the courtyard one after the other.
Song Hong was dressed in a sharp, dark red outfit, and acted with swift and decisive action.
Xiao Chen held the Severing Karma Sword, his black clothes as dark as ink, and his aura was even colder and more restrained than it had been half a month ago.
"Junior brother, you've emerged from seclusion."
When Song Hong saw Gu Yan, a look of joy flashed in her eyes, and she quickly walked forward.
"Those spies outside have been relatively well-behaved for the past two weeks, but the prices in the city have been raised by 20% by those merchants. I'm preparing to send someone to give them a warning."
Gu Yan smiled and nodded, pointing to the stone bench in the courtyard.
"Don't worry about prices. Sister Song, Senior Brother Xiao, sit down and let's talk."
After the two were seated, Gu Yan took out the other two jade boxes that Shen Youwei had given him earlier from his sleeve and pushed them in front of them.
"I have less than a year left before I have to travel to the Liuyun Sect to participate in the Eastern Continent Grand Competition."
Gu spoke calmly, trying his best to suppress his reluctance to leave this place.
Song Hong and Xiao Chen's hearts sank.
The Eastern Continent Grand Competition is also known as the place where geniuses fall.
Gu Yan is going to face countless open and hidden attacks.
"Changning County is the foundation of my life, and it's also the home and livelihood of all of us. After I'm gone, these affairs will all have to be taken care of by the two of you."
Gu Yan reached out and opened the first jade box, revealing three crystal-clear pills inside, radiating a flawless glow.
"This is a flawless Foundation Establishment Pill bestowed upon us by the Sect Master of the Flowing Cloud Sect."
Gu Yan pushed two of the coins to Song Hong and the remaining one to Xiao Chen.
"Sister Song, you've been stuck at the late Foundation Establishment stage for quite some time now. With these two flawless Foundation Establishment Pills, breaking through to the peak Foundation Establishment stage within a year shouldn't be difficult. Senior Brother Xiao is already at the peak Foundation Establishment stage. Although these pills can't help you directly form your core, they can be used to widen your meridians and refine your sword energy, which can be considered as laying the foundation for your future cultivation."
Looking at the flawless elixir that was enough to cause a bloodbath in the outside world, Song Hong's lips moved and her eyes reddened.
She didn't refuse. She knew that with Gu Yan's current level of cultivation, he had no need for this thing at all, so she nodded heavily.
"Don't worry, junior brother. As long as I, Song Hong, have a breath left, the rules of Changning County cannot be broken."
Gu Yan smiled and then opened the second jade box.
Inside the jade box was a viscous, milky-white liquid that exuded an astonishing life force.
"Is this chalcedony? And it's a century-old piece of quality...?"
Xiao Chen's icy expression finally softened.
He was a pure sword cultivator. Sword cultivators possess immense killing power, and their physical bodies often cannot withstand the corrosive force of that backlash.
The reason he was stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage and unable to form the Core was largely because his physical body could not bear the ultimate sword intent nurtured within the Severing Karma Sword.
This century-old chalcedony is a great treasure for transforming and refining the physical body.
"Senior Brother Xiao, I don't need this jade marrow, you can take it and use it."
Gu Yan shoved the jade box directly into Xiao Chen's arms, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Within a year, I hope to see a sword cultivator who is half-step Golden Core, or even a true Core Formation, guard the city gate of Changning County for me."
Xiao Chen held the jade box tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He didn't say any words of gratitude, but simply stood up and gave Gu Yan a deep fist bump.
The sword that was held in his arms emitted a clanging sound.
This is a sword cultivator's promise, heavier than a thousand pounds.
Gu Yan looked at his two capable assistants and was very satisfied.
As long as Song Hong and Xiao Chen improve their strength, plus the control of the Xuanwu Formation and some paper puppets he left behind...
Even in his absence, Changning County remains impregnable, providing a stable source of worshippers and prayers.
The rear has been settled.
Gu Yan looked up at the outside of the courtyard wall.
Those spies hidden in every corner of the city, monitoring Changning County day and night, were as invisible to him as candlelight in the dark.
"Since the competition is still a year away..."
Gu Yan touched his chin, and that shrewish smile reappeared on his face.
"Before we leave, we have to dig out all those eyes that are watching us all day long, and squeeze every last spirit stone out of them to use as my travel expenses."
got windy.
The warm spring day in Changning County feels like a return to the harsh winter.