Chapter 97

"Four methods exist, one of which is for the sword master to hold the dragon rhinoceros crystal nucleus in his mouth while cultivating the Bull Demon Yuan Body. It will take about five years to completely refine and absorb the magnetic demon power of the dragon rhinoceros crystal nucleus, advancing the Bull Demon Yuan Body to the second level. The second method is to grind it into powder and take it with other herbs. This method is slightly faster, requiring one dose every ten days, and it will take only two years. However, during these two years, the sword master will be affected by the earth yuan power in his body, making it difficult to make progress in cultivation. The third method is the blood sacrifice ritual I mentioned—"

Yun'er paused for a moment before continuing, "If this method is used, the sword master can absorb it in one go if he can provide sufficient offerings. However, much of it will be lost, with the majority being offered to the ritual master. At most, only about thirty percent of the magnetic demon power in the dragon rhinoceros crystal nucleus can be retained, but it can still help the sword master's Bull Demon Yuan Body break through to the second level. As for the last method, it is the simplest—just chew and swallow it. It will take effect in one day. How much can be absorbed and whether it will cause a body explosion depends on your luck."

Zhuang Wudao listened quietly, gradually falling into deep thought. The four methods each had their pros and cons.

Five years, for a cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage with a lifespan of 120 years and generally free from illness, was not too long. However, to him, it seemed unbearable.

Directly consuming the powder of the dragon rhinoceros crystal nucleus was not bad, taking only two years. However, due to the strong earth yuan power in the body, he would be unable to cultivate any other methods except those related to earth.

For him, both the Sword Containment Technique and the Tianxuan Zhaoshi True Scripture were equally important as the Bull Demon Yuan Body.

As for the last method, it was simple and direct but a huge gamble. Previously, Beiting Cangkong had spent a fortune to find it, likely to take a life-risking shortcut. Now, it was no longer necessary.

Only the third method suited his heart. Although it was said that only thirty percent of the magnetic demon power could be retained, Zhuang Wudao knew that whether holding the dragon rhinoceros crystal nucleus in his mouth or grinding it into powder, a large amount of magnetic demon power would be lost. The final result would not differ much.

However, to use the blood sacrifice ritual, he first needed to construct an altar, using the flesh, blood, and essence of five late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators.

Zhuang Wudao was pondering the pros and cons when Yun'er suddenly interrupted his thoughts, "Congratulations on the Sword Containment Technique breaking through to the first level! After today, it's time for the sword master to practice the 'Sword Drawing Technique.' After the first level of the Sword Containment Technique, two pseudo spirit apertures can be opened within a year. Since it is called 'Sword Containment,' these two pseudo spirit techniques should ideally be related to the sword."

Zhuang Wudao raised an eyebrow, temporarily putting aside the matter of absorbing the dragon rhinoceros crystal nucleus. He had long been looking forward to the 'Sword Drawing Technique' that Yun'er had demonstrated.

As for the Sword Containment Technique, this auxiliary cultivation method could open two pseudo spirit apertures at the Qi Condensation stage. Yun'er had told him this before, but during the battle in Dongchuan Alley, when he condensed the 'Dragon Seizing Tiger' technique, hadn't he already opened one?

***

The cultivation of the Sword Drawing Technique was extremely simple. Zhuang Wudao only needed to practice drawing his sword from the air in his room every day, repeatedly sheathing and unsheathing it.

The key was to constantly infuse true essence into the sword, nurturing and storing it in the scabbard. Then, after drawing the sword, deliver a thunderous strike to the opponent!

Infusing true essence was not difficult; he only needed a spirit weapon capable of storing true essence. The Qingyun Sword, though severely damaged and decayed, was still a divine sword and far superior to ordinary spirit weapons. The most important part was the moment of drawing the sword, which, despite its apparent simplicity, contained boundless subtleties.

How to exert force most appropriately, how to choose the best arc for the sword, how to achieve the fastest speed, and how to spot the opponent's weaknesses were all extremely complex and intricate.

According to Yun'er, the 'Sword Drawing Technique' required a lifetime of cultivation, constant improvement, and endless variation, with no end point.

The Sword Drawing Technique could be used all the way to the Golden Core stage. At that stage, cultivators could control their swords with divine consciousness, flying them into the sky, and rarely engage in close combat. At that time, the 'Sword Drawing Technique' would transform into the 'Sheath Release Technique,' using divine consciousness to release the sword, which would still be powerful and swift, difficult to resist.

At this moment, Zhuang Wudao needed to practice Yun'er's secret sword technique to perfection, making it one of his own mystical techniques.

Previously, he thought the pseudo spirit aperture he opened in Dongchuan Alley was due to the Sword Containment Technique.

It was only now that he realized the 'Dragon Seizing Tiger' technique was actually the result of advancing the Dragon Subduing Tiger Fist to the first level, combined with the stimulation of the Sword Containment Technique, naturally opening a pseudo spirit aperture. Apart from being of the same metal element, it had no relation to the Sword Containment Technique.

Therefore, this spirit aperture was particularly compatible with the pseudo mystical technique 'Dragon Seizing Tiger,' which originated from the Dragon Subduing Tiger Fist.

Every cultivation method, as long as it was of a certain grade, could open spirit apertures in the human body. The only difference was the location and number.

However, most cultivation methods available to the public did not record the exact locations of the spirit apertures, so whether they could be opened depended entirely on luck.

The Bull Demon Yuan Body, the Dragon Subduing Tiger Fist, and the Tianxuan Zhaoshi True Scripture were all like this. The number and location of pseudo spirit apertures were often the core secrets of prestigious sects and noble families.

This was why the Beiting family was interested in his 'Great Stone-Crushing Hand' and 'Six Harmonies Xingyi.'

Without the secrets of the spirit apertures, no matter how strong these external martial arts were, they would be of limited benefit to the Beiting family.

However, in the dream last night, Yun'er clearly pointed out the two spirit aperture locations that the Sword Containment Technique could open at the Qi Condensation stage.

By daily impacting these apertures with the sword qi he cultivated, Zhuang Wudao could open the first spirit aperture within fifty to sixty days.

He was already in the top four in the competition, and there were no other opponents who could match his strength. He had a tenfold chance of continuing to hold the position of chief disciple.

However, Zhuang Wudao's daily cultivation showed no significant changes. He continued to diligently practice several cultivation techniques. Especially after being pressured by Shen Lin, he dared not slack off in the slightest.

The only change was the addition of the 'Sword Drawing Technique' to his practice. Additionally, Yun'er's attitude towards Zhuang Wudao's practice of the 'Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Chant' had changed dramatically.

From previous cold ridicule and indifference, she now provided enthusiastic guidance. In just three days, Zhuang Wudao not only mastered the pronunciation of 'Ten years of life and death, vast and boundless,' but also successfully pronounced the subsequent six characters, 'Without thought, never forgotten.' He had completed nearly half of the entire verse.

The cost was that every night, Zhuang Wudao would suffer excruciating pain, his entire body feeling as if it were being torn apart, making it difficult to sleep.

However, the effects were astonishing. After practicing the 'Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Chant,' the efficacy of the Bone-Strengthening and Sinew-Exercising Pill he took would always be eight to ten times greater than usual.

The effect of strengthening his sinews and bones was equivalent to ten days of work for an ordinary cultivator in just one day.

Additionally, his control over his true essence improved significantly each time he practiced the 'Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Chant.' Especially after he completed the six characters 'Without thought, never forgotten,' the improvement was particularly noticeable.

This made him believe Yun'er's words in the dream that even if his true essence and cultivation increased dramatically, it would not be a problem.

He could only practice the 'Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Chant' up to the three characters 'Never forgotten' at the first level. The subsequent characters could only be completed if his cultivation increased again.

However, just these thirteen syllables, practiced for one hour each day, allowed Zhuang Wudao to fully control his cultivation at the fifth level of the Qi Condensation stage within a month.

This gave him renewed confidence in the blood sacrifice ritual Yun'er mentioned in the dream, and he began to collect the materials on the list with all his heart.

Although these materials were expensive, they were not of high grade and were still relatively common. Most could be bought from the Xuan Yuan Pavilion and several merchants specializing in cultivators' goods in the city. Some rarer ones could be entrusted to the Beiting family to collect.

Perhaps feeling guilty towards Zhuang Wudao and wanting to mend their relationship, Beiting Wan'er was particularly attentive to this matter, using the Beiting family's channels to provide full assistance.

Yu Cheng was a mining city, surrounded by a large number of demon beasts and medicinal herbs, making it one of the largest sources of essence stones and various heavenly treasures in the southeastern cultivation world. There was no need to seek them elsewhere. In just five days, Zhuang Wudao had collected all the materials for the altar. Naturally, the nearly ten thousand gold notes he had just received were already mostly spent.

The competition of the Lichen Sect was now only one day away. The four-strong round-robin matches were held daily, and both Xia Miao and Xiahoushu Hu had been defeated by him without any doubt.

These two had chosen to conserve their strength in front of Zhuang Wudao, using only about thirty percent of their full strength. Zhuang Wudao won easily, virtually securing the position of chief disciple. Even if he lost to Lui Hui, it would not affect his position, as it was not significant.

As long as the Beiting family kept their promise to help him withstand the pressure from the Imperial Eunuch's Mansion, Zhuang Wudao could easily push Xiahoushu Hu to the third place.

As for Lui Hui and Xia Miao, they received the news too late. Neither had the qualifications of a previous chief disciple, so even if they won first place, it would be useless. They would not put in their full effort to compete with him.

However, the final match against Lui Hui, being the last one, saw Lui Hui putting in his full effort, continuously using three mystical techniques, engaging in a fierce battle for half an hour. It was not until the 230th move that he was defeated by Zhuang Wudao, who used the 'Great Stone-Crushing' technique with the power of 28 elephants to force him off the stage.

This made Zhuang Wudao secretly admire the talent of these noble families while also feeling puzzled. Shen Lin had boasted that night that he would make Zhuang Wudao regret and obediently follow him back to the northern region, but why had he taken no action yet?

He said it would be in half a month, but by then, the Wu Jing Dao Hall would have already determined the rankings and officially enrolled the winning disciples.

What could Shen Lin do then?

Although puzzled and uneasy, Zhuang Wudao had no time to worry about it. With all the materials collected and the competition ending today, Yun'er had