Chapter 45

"Wait a moment..." Suddenly, Xu Wu Piao Yan said.

Yang Dingtian's body paused, as if he were stuck in place. The world before him turned dark, and he could only see the figure of Xu Wu Piao Yan composed of white light.

"There is a method that might allow you to achieve a greater breakthrough, but I cannot guarantee its success," Xu Wu Piao Yan said.

"Please go on, Senior," Yang Dingtian replied.

"Empty body, empty meridians," Xu Wu Piao Yan said. "A martial artist practices martial arts for six periods of the day and cultivates qi for one period. Practicing martial arts can increase the capacity of the mystic meridians and the qi sea, while cultivating qi fills the increased space. Over time, this leads to a breakthrough. On the day of the Yin-Yang Festival, if the formation is large and powerful enough, it might generate a very strong and abundant mystic qi. The extent of your breakthrough will be determined by the capacity of your mystic meridians and qi sea to absorb the mystic qi. In a short time, the more mystic qi you can absorb, the greater your breakthrough will be."

"To have enough space in your qi sea and mystic meridians, you need to strengthen your body and meridians," Xu Wu Piao Yan continued. "You continuously practice sword techniques but do not cultivate qi. I will lock your pulse points to prevent any mystic qi from entering, suppressing the desire for your qi sea to break through. This will make your qi sea and mystic meridians feel extremely empty and hungry. At that time, you will be able to absorb the most mystic qi and achieve a greater breakthrough."

"Thus, the possibility of you breaking through to the Sixth Rank Mystic Warrior might be higher," Xu Wu Piao Yan said. "Of course, this is just a prediction of mine and may not necessarily come true."

Yang Dingtian thought for a moment and said, "Then let's do it. Any hope is better than none."

"Whoosh, whoosh..." Two beams of light suddenly shot into Yang Dingtian's head. He felt his mystic meridians stagnate, and his entire body felt as if it were about to float away.

"This lock on your pulse points can be undone by you at any time. If you do not undo it, the boundless mystic qi will automatically break through the lock during the total solar eclipse," Xu Wu Piao Yan said.

"Yes, Senior," Yang Dingtian replied. "Then, to what extent should I practice my sword techniques to make my mystic meridians and qi sea the most hungry?"

"The ultimate goal is to reach the highest level of the Nine Stages of Void Sword, the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique, where you can simplify and return to the essence. At that time, you will be able to unleash the full power of this sword technique," Xu Wu Piao Yan said. "But that is too difficult and would require practicing the sword technique tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of times. Given your limited time, you should practice the sword technique ten thousand times. Whatever level you reach, that will be your level. In the meantime, you need to personally hunt for the five elemental cores and find a suitable place to set up the formation."

"Yes, Senior. I will practice the sword technique ten thousand times, and whatever level I reach, that will be my level," Yang Dingtian said.

"Then, until we meet again when you reach the second stage of the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique," Xu Wu Piao Yan said, and his figure gradually faded away.

"I hope that by then, I can tell you more."

"Remember, do not reveal my secret to anyone."

Then, Xu Wu Piao Yan's figure completely disappeared.

...

Yang Dingtian slowly opened his eyes, as if waking from a dream.

He saw that Yan Yan was now sleeping on the ground, her voluptuous and attractive body curled up like a small animal lacking security. However, her curvaceous figure was even more striking when bent into a ball.

She had fallen asleep, and he did not know how much time had passed.

Yang Dingtian stepped forward and gently pushed Yan Yan's shoulder.

"Who is it?" Yan Yan was startled, her beautiful eyes opening quickly as she swiftly drew her sword and placed it at Yang Dingtian's throat.

"Why are you sleeping here?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"You were in the light circle for a whole day and night without moving. Where else could I sleep?" Yan Yan stood up and said.

"A whole day and night?" Yang Dingtian was surprised. "I felt it was just a moment."

Yan Yan's beautiful eyes were filled with both anticipation and worry as she looked at Yang Dingtian, seemingly trying to see if he had changed. "Learning a typical secret manual for the first time usually takes no more than three periods. You took a whole day and night. This Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique must be extraordinary. Did you learn it?"

"I learned the first stage of the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique, the Nine Stages of Void Sword," Yang Dingtian said.

Hearing this powerful name, Yan Yan's beautiful eyes widened. "Show me quickly. Let me see how powerful it is."

"Alright!" Yang Dingtian extended his hand. "May I borrow your sword?"

Yan Yan immediately remembered that Yang Dingtian did not have a sword and handed hers to him.

Taking the sword, Yang Dingtian slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes. He gently performed a sword flower and made a sword gesture.

Instantly, his mind and spirit entered the world of the Nine Stages of Void Sword.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

The sword light was like a rainbow, and the sword whistled like a wave.

In this abandoned secret manual room, Yang Dingtian performed the Nine Stages of Void Sword!

"First stage, Descending World Sword!"

"Second stage, All Beings Sword!"

"Third stage, Heartless Sword!"

...

"Eight stage, Nirvana Sword!"

"Ninth stage, Void Sword!"

...

Instantly, the dark room seemed to enter another world.

Endless sword shadows and endless flowing colors.

The cold and sharp sword blades wove a mysterious picture in the space.

Six minutes later, Yang Dingtian stopped and stood still.

Although it was not as perfect as in the virtual environment, he was satisfied. He felt he had performed well and looked at Yan Yan with hope.

Yan Yan's eyes were filled with confusion and amazement. "Is this the Nine Stages of Void Sword? I have never seen such a beautiful and wonderful sword technique."

Then, Yan Yan seemed to think of something and her face turned pale. "Mystic qi? Why did I not feel any mystic qi when you used this sword technique? How many levels did you break through after learning this secret manual?"

Yang Dingtian was at a loss for words.

"Any secret manual will cause a breakthrough when first learned. When I first learned the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword, I broke through three levels, advancing directly from an Initiate to a Three-Star Apprentice Warrior," Yan Yan said. "I remember now, the sword technique you just performed looked good, but it was just a facade, completely lacking in power. It was like a dance, not a sword technique."

"Now, let me show you a real sword technique," Yan Yan said.

She took the sword from Yang Dingtian and quickly thrust it, the sword light like a long rainbow piercing the sky, like a meteor streaking across.

The air distorted, and a hint of red appeared on her sword, as if it were heated.

"Whoosh..." Then, the second thrust, the sword body like a surging wave, the wind rising and the clouds gathering.

The sword emitted a dragon's roar, the air turning red, wrapping around the sword. It seemed as if a fire dragon was coiling around the blade.

"Roar, roar, roar..." The third thrust, the sword body like a raging storm.

The sword roared, the fire dragon on the blade roaring loudly, igniting and tearing the air inch by inch.

The surrounding space of several dozen square meters suddenly darkened, the energy waves from the sword swallowing the entire space. A dazzling light appeared at the tip of the sword, as if it had stolen the light from the surroundings.

"Bang..." Finally, the fire dragon on the sword spat out the light.

"Boom..." The light struck the ground, tearing a five-foot crack in the hard surface.

...

Sheathing the sword, Yan Yan said, "This is the power I achieved after learning the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword for the first time, enough to tear a five-foot crack in the ground. You couldn't even tear a scroll."

Seeing Yan Yan about to lose her temper, Yang Dingtian quickly said, "Don't be anxious, don't be anxious. My sword technique is different from all others. I am not breaking through now because my pulse points are locked, making my mystic meridians and qi sea empty and hungry, to prepare for a greater breakthrough in the future."

Hearing Yang Dingtian's explanation, Yan Yan's beautiful eyes stared at him, then she shook her head. "I have never heard of such a thing."

"Because this is the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique, different from all other sword techniques," Yang Dingtian said.

"I only see that you have not broken through at all after learning this sword technique," Yan Yan said with a slight frown. "When will you break through, and how much?"

"Twelve days from now, on the thirteenth of September, the Yin-Yang Festival," Yang Dingtian said. "I don't know how much I will break through."

"Are you joking, Yang Dingtian?" Yan Yan said, clearly unhappy. "Why not break through during the major elimination on the fifteenth of September?"

"Because that day is special, the Yin-Yang Festival, and the breakthrough will happen then. I am not delaying," Yang Dingtian said firmly.

"You are my husband, and I am willing to believe you, but the reality is that I see no mystic qi in your sword technique, no breakthrough," Yan Yan said, trying to be gentle. "I am afraid you will go astray, lost in a self-created illusion. A sword technique that looks like a woman dancing, that is just a facade, and you are obsessed with it, thinking it is a supreme sword technique. If that happens, we will be truly finished."

"Husband, I am afraid because I suddenly thought of someone," Yan Yan's eyes trembled with terrifying memories.

She continued, "His name is Yang Yunchong, the eldest son of Yang Lie's grandfather. The position of City Lord of Yunxiao City was not originally meant for my father. Yang Yunchong's talent was even higher than my father's, the best in the entire northwest continent. Everyone thought he would become the most powerful City Lord in Yunxiao City's history, already a Mystic Warrior at just twenty-three years old, famous throughout the world."

"But one day, he discovered the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique and was immediately tempted. He used the Li Xuan Pill to wash away his already achieved Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword and started learning the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique from scratch."

"No one could persuade him; he seemed completely possessed. Then, he went from a top genius to a complete waste, and finally, he went mad."

"Thus, Yunxiao City lost its best successor. Since then, the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique has been considered a curse," Yan Yan said, her expression pained. "Just now, I was shocked by the secret you told me, that you are not from this world. I was stunned. Then, you input mystic qi into the Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique, and I couldn't stop you in time. Do you know how worried and regretful I am?"

Yang Dingtian took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and said, "He couldn't learn it because his mystic meridians were not strong enough. You don't know what I encountered in the world of the secret manual."

"What did you encounter?" Yan Yan asked, trying to keep her temper.

"A wonderfully mysterious world, a very white old man, who taught me this incredibly powerful Nine Stages of Void Sword," Yang Dingtian said. "I can only say so much because I need to keep the rest a secret."

Hearing this, Yan Yan's beautiful face turned pale, and she trembled. "Yang Dingtian, what you said is exactly the same as what Yang Yunchong said back then, and then he went mad..."

Yan Yan's face showed fear.

Yang Dingtian's body shook, and he shook his head. "It's impossible. The Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique has only been truly entered by me. I don't know what happened to Yang Yunchong; it might have been his illusion. I am very clear about the truth of the sword technique."

Then, she gently leaned against him, caressing his face with a gentleness she had never shown before. "Husband, don't follow the path of Yang Yunchong. Just listen to Yan Yan this once. Let's use the Li Xuan Pill to wash away this cursed Pig Slaughtering Sword Technique and learn the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword, okay? If you agree, I will listen to you no matter what you say in the future."

Yang Dingtian's body trembled.

Yan Yan thought he was considering it and said in a soft voice, "Husband, Yan Yan will depend on you in the future. Let's use the most stable