Chapter 11

There was a girl in a pink dress, about fifteen or sixteen years old, standing tall and graceful in front of the Martial Canon Pavilion. Her skin was as smooth as congealed fat, and her features were finely drawn. Zhuang Wudao had seen many beautiful women, but none had the same fresh and ethereal aura as this girl.

Struck by the beauty of the scene, Zhuang Wudao was momentarily stunned. It wasn't until a cold snort of dissatisfaction came from behind the girl that he snapped back to his senses.

Only then did he notice a middle-aged woman in a green dress standing behind the girl, staring at him with icy eyes.

The girl, however, paid him no attention, her gaze fixed on the pavilion behind her, a hint of disappointment on her face.

"Is this the Martial Canon Pavilion of Lichen Academy? It looks no better than any other. This academy is truly in a state of disrepair."

"Miss, Lichen Sect has eight hundred academies, and Yuecheng Academy ranks tenth from the bottom. The funds we receive from Lichen Sect each year are also the lowest, so the conditions are naturally worse. We will only be here for a few months, so there's no need to worry."

As the woman in the green dress spoke, she kept a cold eye on Zhuang Wudao, her gaze a warning and a hint of displeasure.

Zhuang Wudao was slightly startled and felt a chill. He had no improper thoughts or evil intentions towards the girl in the pink dress. From her attire, he could tell she was from a wealthy and noble family, and they belonged to completely different worlds.

He had been staring at the girl in a daze just because he subconsciously appreciated beauty.

However, at this moment, Zhuang Wudao felt a bit curious.

The aura the woman in the green dress had emitted was even more formidable than the academy's headmaster. From her cultivation, she was at least at the Fifth Level of the Qi Condensation Realm.

For such a powerful Qi Condensation Realm cultivator to be just a servant to this girl, who could this red-dressed girl be?

Even the girl herself was hard to fathom. From her breathing, it was clear she had achieved inner cultivation, but it was unknown what level she had reached, or if she had entered the Qi Condensation Realm.

Has it already begun? So soon—

Although Yuecheng Academy was dilapidated, it did not mean that no one was interested in the few spots for entry into Lichen Sect. On the contrary, many wealthy families and powerful figures were eyeing this academy.

They could simply be registered in the academy and receive guidance from famous teachers. They would only need to come when the triennial competition arrived.

There were about twenty to thirty such people in the academy, who were usually absent but always listed as disciples.

The girl in the red dress was likely one of them.

Zhuang Wudao felt a heavy heart, but his steps quickened as he passed by the two of them.

As he passed by, Zhuang Wudao's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the girl's right hand, which was as white as jade. Upon closer inspection, he noticed some mysterious patterns on her skin.

Zhuang Wudao raised an eyebrow in surprise. The characteristics of the girl's fingers seemed to indicate that she had already made some progress in the "Piercing Armor Sharp Finger" technique!

He had not read the content of the "Piercing Armor Sharp Finger" technique, but the "Lichen Sect Martial Canon Essentials" in the book pavilion had described the features of this top-notch external technique when fully cultivated.

He had just been thinking that there were very few people in the world who had mastered this technique, and now one had appeared before him, which was a great irony.

Not only had the girl achieved inner cultivation, but her external cultivation was also superior to his!

He wondered if she would participate in the small competition. If so, his position as the top disciple might not be secure.

At this moment, Zhuang Wudao's mind was a mix of emotions, but his face showed no signs of it. He left with a calm expression.

The spirit room in the martial hall was not far away. Ordinary disciples had to pay with Essence Stones to use it. One low-grade Essence Stone could rent a spirit room for ten days.

Ordinary disciples could hardly afford it, but as the top disciple, Zhuang Wudao had special privileges. Not only was his fee halved, but he could also choose a long-term rental of a spirit room, which was the best one after the headmaster and several instructors.

As soon as he entered, he could feel the cool air inside, which was completely different from the heat outside. This was due to the essence of the world's spiritual energy being forcibly gathered by the spirit array.

Zhuang Wudao was still thinking about the girl in the red dress, his brows furrowed. To have mastered the "Piercing Armor Sharp Finger" technique, she must have been born into a wealthy and powerful family, far surpassing Zhuang Tong.

Just this one girl had completely outshone him. How many more such people would there be in the future—

It wasn't until a sudden cool sensation penetrated his body from behind that Zhuang Wudao realized something was amiss.

Is this—Light Cloud Divine Sword?

At this moment, the old sword seemed like a small vortex, drawing in the spiritual energy gathered in the room like a whale sucking water.

Most of it disappeared, but a small part was infused into his body.

At first, Zhuang Wudao was puzzled, but gradually he began to notice that the spiritual energy being forcibly infused into his body was seeping into his bones and marrow, causing a tingling and swelling sensation throughout his body.

Could this be the benefit of carrying the sword, as Yun'er mentioned?

Zhuang Wudao's heart stirred, and he immediately put aside all his thoughts, swallowed a Bone Nourishing Pill, and began to practice the Tiger Subduing Fist.

The fist technique was the same as yesterday, but after the battle last night, Zhuang Wudao's movements were much smoother. The wind from his punches roared like a tiger's attack.

The sword spirit had controlled his body for only a few dozen breaths, but with his photographic memory, Zhuang Wudao had gained many insights. Many of his previous doubts and unresolved issues in cultivation were now clear.

This door had just been opened, and he could not yet fully apply his insights to the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Subduing Fist techniques. Over time, he would integrate them, and the effectiveness of the Tiger Subduing Fist would increase significantly.

After half an hour, the Bone Nourishing Pill dissolved, and Zhuang Wudao felt a fine stream of clear water being drawn into his body by his fist movements, nourishing his meridians and marrow.

The combination of the Bone Nourishing Pill and the spiritual energy from the Light Cloud Sword was nearly 40% more effective than using the pill alone!

Zhuang Wudao was overjoyed. If he could continue like this every day, with the help of the pills, he could enter the Qi Condensation Realm in just a month, not three. Strengthening his foundation would make his blood and qi robust!

Fortunately, Qin Feng had raided Shi Hu's base yesterday, providing him with enough Bone Nourishing Pills.

This sword is truly divine—

Zhuang Wudao was amazed, and his doubts about the 'Yun'er' he had seen in his dream were dispelled.

Regardless of whether the 'Immortal' existed or whether the ancient Great Stone Hand and Six Harmonies Form were supreme techniques, the ability to aid cultivation alone made this divine sword a unique treasure in the world!

Following the routine, after three sets of the Tiger Subduing Fist, Zhuang Wudao began practicing the Dragon Subduing Strike. He stopped only when he was almost exhausted.

Sweat poured down his body, but his face was filled with uncontrollable joy.

Indeed, he had benefited greatly! He could now make a dragon's roar with each of the twelve Dragon Subduing Strikes, and the accompanying 'Dragon Walk Tiger Step' was noticeably more agile.

This was the sign of having initially mastered the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Subduing techniques, indicating a significant increase in strength. If he were to face the battle from last night again, he would not be afraid. Even if he could not kill Shi Hu like the sword spirit, he would have enough strength to escape!

After the twelve dragon roars, he would reach the first level of the Dragon Roar Tiger Roar realm. Zhuang Wudao began to carefully reflect and tried to integrate the Tiger Subduing Fist into the Dragon Subduing Strike, using the Tiger Subduing as the foundation and the Dragon Subduing as the form.

However, when he executed the movement perfectly, there was no sign of the Dragon Subduing or Tiger Subduing aura. Instead, it felt weak and powerless. Zhuang Wudao felt his muscles cramping, as if a thousand ants were crawling inside him, causing great pain.

It took a full moment for him to recover, but he was unable to move and could only sit on the ground.

Zhuang Wudao was confused. He had perfectly imitated the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Subduing, so why was the result like this?

Was there some secret he didn't know? To find out, he would have to ask 'Yun'er' in the evening.

In the dream, 'Yun'er' had instructed him that the only essential practice for today was the Sword Essence Technique.

It was a special breathing and guiding method, very simple to practice, similar to inner cultivation techniques but with some differences.

Zhuang Wudao only needed to assume a specific posture, focus his mind, and imagine a sword inside his body, then breathe at a specific frequency.

After just an hour, Zhuang Wudao felt a tiny grain-sized sensation in his body.

If it were an inner cultivation technique, he would need to guide this inner breath through his meridians, gradually strengthening and nourishing it.

However, Zhuang Wudao did not do that. He continued to control his breathing rhythm, performing each movement with precision. Halfway through, he suddenly felt this inner breath begin to resonate with the sword behind him, growing rapidly like a seed sprouting. In less than ten breaths, it expanded from a 'grain' to a 'pea,' and he felt a sharp sensation, even a slight pain inside his body.

Fortunately, the expansion stopped. When Zhuang Wudao finished his practice, the inner breath had not changed.

Zhuang Wudao was uncertain. He did not know what the purpose of the Sword Essence Technique was, and the practice itself was indeed strange.

However, he had no time to investigate further. Night was approaching, and he needed to think about how to deal with Shi Hu.

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