Chapter 62

In the days that followed, Lin Xuan studied the seed of sword intent while waiting for the third test. Not long after, someone from the inner sect notified Lin Xuan to collect his reward for the second test.

The person who came was Elder Fang's servant, who led Lin Xuan to Elder Fang's courtyard and then went to inform Elder Fang.

In the serene courtyard, besides Lin Xuan, there were two others: Shangguan Liuyun and Duan Fei. They were the second and third place winners, and naturally, they also had rewards.

Lin Xuan greeted the two and then stood to one side, waiting for Elder Fang. A moment later, Elder Fang, dressed in a Taoist robe, walked out with a smile.

"Your rewards, my young friends, are handled by this old man. According to the rules, the first place winner receives a Pure Spirit Pill, an intermediate-level Mystic martial art, and a human-grade treasure weapon."

"The second place winner receives a low-level Mystic martial art and a Small Yellow Pill."

"The third place winner receives a Mystic martial art."

Elder Fang said slowly, "Lin Xuan, Shangguan Liuyun, come forward to collect your pills."

Lin Xuan and Shangguan Liuyun stepped forward, each receiving a white porcelain bottle, and then respectfully stepped back. Lin Xuan opened the bottle cap and found a pill the size of a longan, with a faint green hue. The mere scent of the medicine made him feel refreshed.

"This pill can actually enhance a minor realm! Truly extraordinary!" Lin Xuan carefully stored it and then waited for what was to come.

Elder Fang, seeing that Lin Xuan could remain calm despite the temptation of the third-grade pill, was surprised. He took out another item and tossed it to Lin Xuan.

"This is the human-grade treasure weapon, a storage ring, awarded by the sect."

Lin Xuan received the ring and happily put it on. With this, carrying things would be much more convenient. He immediately used his divine sense to activate the storage ring and placed the Pure Spirit Pill inside.

"Alright, let's head to the Martial Arts Pavilion!" Elder Fang waved his hand, enveloping the three of them, and then they flew like a gentle breeze.

The three felt a misty fog envelop their bodies, and then they were lifted off the ground, flying quickly. They couldn't see the outside, but based on their feelings, they were ascending.

After a short while, the three landed on the ground again. They circulated their spiritual energy and immediately regained their composure.

"Follow me closely, don't get lost," Elder Fang instructed, then walked in a certain direction.

The three hurriedly followed behind, afraid of getting lost, but they were all curious and looked around with interest.

The path was paved with blue stone slabs, winding and leading to the distance. On both sides of the path, there were many flowers and trees. In the distance, there were magnificent palaces shrouded in mist, making them seem unreal.

During their journey, they encountered some disciples, who all had hurried expressions and exceptionally powerful auras, far beyond what Lin Xuan and the others could match.

"Is this the inner sect?" Lin Xuan murmured.

"Yes, the inner and outer sects are on two different mountains. There is little interaction between them. Generally, outer sect disciples don't know much about the inner sect, and inner sect disciples don't return to the outer sect," Duan Fei explained.

Shangguan Liuyun took a deep breath and exhaled after a while, "The spiritual energy here is much more concentrated than in the outer sect. Cultivating here would likely be twice as fast as in the outer sect."

The three discussed in low voices, filled with longing for the inner sect. Lin Xuan, thinking about being able to cultivate here soon, felt a surge of excitement.

If everything went well, he would soon become an inner sect disciple, and his next goal would be to become a core disciple. Only then would he have the qualifications to return to his family.

The deeper they went, the fewer trees there were on both sides, replaced by buildings and pavilions. There were also more people around, and many inner sect disciples looked at the three with interest.

Elder Fang led the three through the buildings and houses, finally stopping in front of a structure.

Lin Xuan looked up and saw an octagonal pavilion with three stories, each about five or six zhang high. On the main door of the first floor, there was a black plaque with three golden characters: Martial Arts Pavilion.

The three characters were written with powerful strokes, deeply etched, exuding a grand aura that made one feel awe.

"Old Mo, an old friend has come to see you!" Elder Fang laughed.

Whoosh!

As Elder Fang spoke, Lin Xuan and the others felt a blur before their eyes, and when they blinked again, they saw a hunched old man in gray standing before them.

The three were astonished; they hadn't seen where the hunched old man had come from, as if he had appeared out of thin air. Moreover, the hunched old man looked like an ordinary person, with nothing special about him.

"Fang the Medicine Obsessive, you finally came out of your alchemy room?" the hunched old man laughed and scolded, "Why did you bring three little kids?"

"Old Mo, I'm here on official business. These three disciples are the top three in the tournament. According to the rules, they need to enter the Martial Arts Pavilion to choose Mystic martial arts. Please arrange it for them."

"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't come out unless you had a task," the hunched old man snorted, "If you don't drink with me today, I'll eat all your pills in a couple of days!"

Before Elder Fang could react, the hunched old man said to Lin Xuan and the others, "You three go to the first floor. Choose a martial art based on your rankings, and you have the time of one incense stick."

The three respectfully agreed and excitedly walked into the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Pushing open the vermilion door, Lin Xuan entered. Inside were rows of bookshelves, but no one was there. The entire first-floor hall was empty except for the three of them.

"It seems the Martial Arts Pavilion is open on certain days. Let's quickly find suitable martial arts," Duan Fei said.

The three didn't waste any time and started searching. Lin Xuan walked to a row of bookshelves and picked up a book, only to find that it contained only the name and a brief introduction, with no cultivation content.

After a moment's thought, he understood. The Martial Arts Pavilion was a crucial place in the sect, so it wouldn't easily display the cultivation content of martial arts. Instead, inner sect disciples would choose a martial art based on the introduction, and the elders would teach them the true cultivation content.

Lin Xuan briefly assessed his own situation and found that his sword technique didn't need to be changed. The Thunder Movement Sword Technique was still his strongest martial art, and he didn't need a new sword technique for the time being.

As for his footwork and body-strengthening martial arts, he had cultivated both to the intermediate level of the Yellow grade and had reached the Great Perfection stage. As his cultivation improved, these two martial arts had become somewhat outdated.

After some thought, Lin Xuan decided to choose footwork. He didn't particularly need a new body-strengthening martial art, but he was far behind in footwork. If he encountered a speed-type disciple like Duan Fei, he would have no advantage.

With a clear goal, Lin Xuan quickly began his search.