Chapter 3

### Chapter 3: The凝聚剑灵 (凝聚剑灵)

Xiaotian stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him.

Even the people around him, including Xiaoyu and the other collateral descendants, stared with wide eyes. Clearly, they couldn't understand why a Heaven-level cultivation technique would be called a waste.

Everyone focused their attention on Hai Tian.

Glancing at the expectant Hai Tian, Hai Wuya sat down. Despite Hai Tian having brushed off a lot of the dust from the *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique*, a thick layer still remained.

"Legend has it that this *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique* was written by a Sword God from the past. It was later obtained by our Hai family's ancestors. At that time, the ancestors believed it was a gift from heaven to our Hai family. With this *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique*, it would definitely make our Hai family soar."

No one interrupted Hai Wuya; they all stood quietly, listening to the secrets of the Hai family.

"Although this *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique* is an incomplete cultivation technique, it can still be cultivated up to the Sword Emperor realm. At that time, the ancestors immediately gathered the young generation who had not yet started cultivation and taught them this technique. After a year, the ten young disciples, even the weakest one, reached the Eighth Rank of Sword Power!"

"What? Eighth Rank of Sword Power in a year?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Sword Power is the level before a Sword User becomes a Sword Warrior, considered a transitional stage. It is divided into First to Ninth Rank of Sword Power.

It's important to know that even the most talented of the current young generation, Hai Yun, only reached the Sixth Rank of Sword Power after three years of cultivation. Yet, at that time, the weakest of the Hai family's young disciples reached the Eighth Rank of Sword Power.

Hai Tian did not join in the exclamations but instead frowned slightly. A Heaven-level cultivation technique allowing someone to reach the Eighth Rank of Sword Power in a year was not surprising. But why was it called a waste?

"But Uncle, why is it called a waste?" Xiaoyu asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

Gently patting Xiaoyu's head, Hai Wuya raised his head and continued, "Then, something unexpected happened. Those young disciples made no further progress in the following days. Those who reached the Ninth Rank of Sword Power, not a single one could become a formal Sword User, reaching the First Star Sword Warrior."

"Not a single one?" Hai Tian asked, frowning deeply.

"Yes, not a single one," Hai Wuya nodded and continued, "At first, the ancestors thought it was a problem with the disciples' talent. But after one year, two years, three years, the disciples still made no progress. They all remained at the Ninth Rank of Sword Power."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyu and the other collateral descendants were shocked, their mouths wide open.

Even Hai Tian's frown deepened. He had never heard of such a strange thing. The *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique*, a Heaven-level cultivation technique, couldn't even make someone reach the First Star Sword Warrior. Could it be a fake?

No, if it were a fake, those ten young disciples wouldn't have had such a fast cultivation speed at the beginning. There must be a problem in the middle of the cultivation process.

"Father, I want to take this cultivation technique back and study it," Hai Tian said after a moment of contemplation.

"Have I explained it so clearly, and you still want to take it back?" Hai Wuya's voice grew cold. He had already made it clear, so why wasn't Hai Tian listening and choosing another one?

But Hai Tian had his own thoughts. He was once a Sword God, and his knowledge and experience far exceeded those of the people here. What the Hai family's ancestors couldn't figure out, he might be able to.

"Yes, I just want to study it and see what the secret is," Hai Tian said again.

Looking at Hai Tian's determined expression, Hai Wuya was somewhat taken aback but still nodded, "If that's the case, then take it back and study it. But you must choose another cultivation technique to practice now." In Hai Wuya's mind, even if Hai Tian took it back, he wouldn't be able to figure anything out.

Hearing Hai Wuya's serious tone, Hai Tian understood that if he didn't choose another cultivation technique, Hai Wuya wouldn't let him take the incomplete waste technique.

Reluctantly, Hai Tian quickly found the high-level Yellow-grade cultivation technique on the fifth shelf of the third row, as Hai Wuya had told him when he entered.

Seeing the satisfied smile on Hai Wuya's face, Hai Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After all the registration was complete, Hai Wuya stood up, "Alright, now you can start copying the techniques in the adjacent room. After you finish, return the techniques to their original places. I will come to check in the evening."

Hai Wuya soon turned and left.

The others excitedly took the paper and pens they had prepared and ran to the adjacent room to start copying their chosen cultivation techniques.

Hai Tian, however, threw the high-level Yellow-grade cultivation technique he had chosen on the table and asked Xiaoyu to watch over it. He then left with the incomplete *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique*.

"Brother Tian! Where are you going without copying?" Xiaoyu called out when he saw Hai Tian about to leave.

"I'm going back to study it and will come back in the afternoon. Xiaoyu, please watch over that cultivation technique for me and don't let anyone touch it," Hai Tian said without turning back.

Xiaoyu, who always had a good relationship with Hai Tian, naturally didn't refuse. But he really couldn't understand why Hai Tian wanted to study that waste technique.

Back in his room, Hai Tian immediately closed all the windows and doors.

Compared to the initial excitement when he first saw the *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique*, he now appeared extremely calm and puzzled.

How could a Heaven-level cultivation technique end up like this? He was confused and began to carefully read through it.

After a while, he closed the technique and stood up, frowning as he paced back and forth, "Strange, there's nothing wrong with it. Why can't it reach the First Star Sword Warrior?"

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find any issues. But once he made up his mind, he would do everything in his power to achieve it.

"It seems the only way to uncover the secret of this 'waste technique' is to try it myself!" Hai Tian said with a faint smile.

Since becoming a Sword God, he had rarely encountered such a challenging task. His long-dormant blood finally began to boil.

"Come on! Let me reveal your true nature, 'waste technique'!" Hai Tian smiled confidently and immediately sat down in a meditative posture, beginning to cultivate according to the method recorded in the incomplete *Nine Heavens Divine Sword Technique*.

Even though it wasn't his first time cultivating, he still felt excited.

The vast spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to slowly enter Hai Tian's body. A milky white mist continuously swirled above his head.

This milky white mist was the high-concentration spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This spiritual energy always existed in the air, but its concentration was very low, so people usually couldn't see it with the naked eye. However, Hai Tian used a special technique to make the spiritual energy within a ten-meter radius of his body converge, forming a high-concentration milky white mist.

Strands of milky white mist, like playful fairies in a forest, quickly entered Hai Tian's body, flowing through his meridians and eventually gathering in his lower dantian.

Feeling the increasing amount of white mist in his lower dantian, Hai Tian understood that the high-concentration spiritual energy had been converted into his own sword spirit energy.

Sword spirit energy is the energy cultivated within a Sword User's body. Almost all of a Sword User's abilities are controlled and completed by sword spirit energy.

Just as everything was proceeding smoothly, Hai Tian suddenly felt a vast amount of spiritual energy of heaven and earth uncontrollably surging into his body.

This sudden situation did not trouble Hai Tian. He had encountered it many times before during his cultivation. He tried to control the limited amount of sword spirit energy he had, slowing down the influx of spiritual energy.

If it were in the past, this method would have definitely worked.

But Hai Tian forgot one thing: he was no longer the powerful Sword God with vast sword spirit energy, but a novice who had just started cultivating.

How could his meager sword spirit energy possibly stop the vast influx of spiritual energy?

Feeling the spiritual energy surging into his body, Hai Tian's expression changed. Even he felt troubled. If the spiritual energy continued to surge in, it wouldn't take long for his body to burst!

He had finally obtained a body, a place for his soul to reside. How could he lose it so easily?

With a fierce roar in his heart, he knew the best way to control the spiritual energy was to convert it all into his own sword spirit energy. But with his current conversion speed, how could he keep up with the influx of spiritual energy?

His body would eventually burst!

What to do? What to do? Hai Tian was extremely anxious.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. Since he couldn't control the influx of spiritual energy, he might as well start forming his sword spirit!

A sword spirit is the mark of a formal Sword User and the absolute core of a Sword User. It contains the soul of the Sword User. If the soul is damaged, even the best medicines and the strongest abilities cannot prevent the user from falling.

However, a sword spirit is usually only formed when a Ninth Rank of Sword Power is trying to reach the First Star Sword Warrior.

Hai Tian knew this, but he had no other choice now.

If he wanted to do it, he would do it. That was Hai Tian's character.