First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

Time flies, and three years have passed quickly.

Mo Yao was considered lucky to have gained the favor of Elder Yunfu. Very few people were this lucky, and there were very few in the entire outer sect.

The truth eventually came out of the outer sect: the shortage of Foundation Establishment Pills could not be kept secret forever.

For a time, the more ambitious outer disciples, regardless of their cultivation level, all chose to leave. The disciples who remained faced an increased workload and were filled with complaints.

Even so, the sect did not take any measures, but simply continued to recruit new disciples to replenish its ranks.

After a period of turmoil, the situation stabilized again, but the number of people in the outer sect was ultimately much smaller.

Without resolving the issue of Foundation Establishment Pill benefits, we simply cannot keep up with the influx of newly recruited disciples.

You can't expect a horse to run if you don't feed it grass. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Most cultivators may not be able to establish their foundation, but you can't not even give them a chance. It's better to go to other sects to accumulate contributions as soon as possible.

"The sect's rules will inevitably have to change," Yan Qing said.

"At least the situation has been stabilized. As long as nothing happens to the inner sect, the main sect will be fine, and the rest can gradually recover."

Xu Mu nodded, offering no further comment.

He was always a good listener and never spoiled Yan Qing's mood, so Yan Qing often chatted with him.

To others, Yan Qing is a cold, taciturn sword genius, but in reality, he is a talkative young man who enjoys political commentary.

Perhaps it was because they were from the same hometown that he enjoyed talking to Xu Mu about these things.

But this time, he spoke softly, "Senior brother, I'm also getting ready to leave. I'm going out for a walk."

Yan Qing looked at him, paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Take care. I hope you can find the opportunity to establish your foundation, and that we will meet again someday."

"Okay, take care, see you later." Xu Mu smiled slightly.

During his years in the sect, Gou had gained a lot. He understood how to cultivate, learned alchemy and the cultivation of spiritual herbs, learned many spells, and even unexpectedly learned a demonic art.

There are also storage bags and talisman coins, which can be used when you are out and about.

The old secondhand storage bag had broken, so he saved up 300 coins and bought a brand new one.

"Could you do me a favor, senior brother? Escort me safely out of the sect," he said, looking at Yan Qing.

Even without Master Chen Xuan's targeting, leaving the sect was still very dangerous.

There is a high possibility that they will be intercepted and killed halfway.

Those who leave the sect are no longer under the sect's jurisdiction.

The outer disciples cannot be trusted too much; they are capable of anything for the resources they possess.

Yan Qing considered it for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, but I have one condition: I want to see the sword you've been honing for ten years."

Xu Mu said helplessly, "I've spent ten years honing this sword, and I only use it to save my life. How can I waste it here?"

"It's alright, I'll just take a look." Yan Qing smiled, looking at him intently.

Xu Mu was somewhat surprised: "So you're that curious about my sword strike?"

"Of course, there probably isn't another person in the world who can use this kind of swordsmanship, because no one is as foolish and persistent as you."

"..."

He's still the same as always; it's hard to tell if he's praising someone or scolding them.

Xu Mu thought for a moment, then raised his hand and summoned his flying sword.

Yan Qing laughed and walked to the side to get ready.

Xu Mu calmed his mind and focused his spirit, his hand loosely clenched, the sword tip raised.

A gentle breeze blew across the cliff, and the morning sun shone on the silver sword, making it gleam.

As he waved his hand down, the flying sword remained still.

Yan Qing sensed the sword intent, but shook his head regretfully: "No, you can't use this sword like that. Only when you actually draw your sword will you be able to see the mystery."

Xu Mu shrugged: "There's nothing I can do. This sword technique of mine is for self-preservation, not for swordsmanship."

"Ten years to hone a sword, not seeking the Dao, only seeking to save one's life. Only someone like you could comprehend such sword intent," Yan Qing said with a smile.

"You flatter me." Xu Mu smiled.

"Regarding the escort..."

"No problem, when do you leave?"

"Two months later, Yulongtian will distribute his salary, and then he will leave."

Yan Qing nodded in agreement.

"I hope that one day I can truly witness your sword strike."

Xu Mu smiled and said, "At that time, it might not just be a matter of ten years of honing one's skills."

"That's even better. Does this sword strike have a name?"

"Hmm... A sword suddenly appeared before my eyes."

"A good name."

……

Xu Mu arrived at the Hall of Transmission and told Master Chen Xuan the time he was leaving.

Master Chen Xuan nodded without saying anything more.

Then, Xu Mu told Senior Sister Mo Yao the news.

The senior sister was stunned.

Xu Mu smiled and said, "I have to go out and try my luck, otherwise I'd rather die in the sect."

Mo Yao looked at him with a complicated expression, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded gently: "Go, reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, don't die..."

Xu Mu nodded with a smile.

The senior sister couldn't help but urge him to cultivate diligently. She took out talisman coins from her storage bag, thought for a moment, and then took off the wooden hairpin from her hair bun and gave it to him as well.

Seeing her earnest gaze, Xu Mu felt it would be impolite to refuse, so he accepted it.

……

Two months later, I received my last paycheck.

In the end, he bought six flying swords and a sword formation technique called "Six Harmonies Imprisoning Dragon Sword Formation" from the Treasure Pavilion.

These ordinary flying swords don't even have inscriptions, so they can't be considered magic weapons at all. The only advantage is that the materials are a bit better, so they're relatively cheap, costing only 10 talismans per sword.

So many flying swords are for forming a sword formation.

Sword formations and sword techniques are fundamentally different.

Firstly, in terms of quantity, a sword formation requires at least three swords to form a complete array; sword techniques usually use only one sword, or at most two, because sword intent needs to be condensed and becomes useless if it is dispersed.

Secondly, in terms of combat style, swordsmanship emphasizes mental fortitude and sword intent, and emotional outbursts often enhance its power.

However, the sword formation must avoid being influenced by emotions and must remain calm and rational at all times in order to control multiple flying swords simultaneously and maintain the operation and changes of the formation. It should be considered the most suitable combat method for Xu Mu to cultivate.

It's very expensive, even more expensive than swordsmanship, costing 150 talismans.

Xu Mu had been studying alchemy and buying all sorts of spiritual herbs and seeds, but he had neither the money nor the time to cultivate this sword formation technique.

Now that I'm leaving the sect and becoming self-reliant, I bought this to slowly cultivate and improve my self-defense capabilities.

After all these purchases were made, only a little over sixty coins remained in the storage bag.

He was really grateful to his senior sister for giving him 100 talismans; otherwise, even if he farmed in Yulongtian, he would still be penniless after daily expenses.

Soon, he resigned from the sect and left the sect through the proper procedures.

The sect has no reason to stop a disciple like him who has poor talent and only knows how to farm.

In the end, there wasn't much of a handover process. I simply said goodbye to the people I knew, returned the Qinglan Sect Daoist robe and various identity tokens I had received when I joined, and then left the sect.

……

This was the first time he had stepped out of the sect in the twenty-six years since he joined, and this departure meant leaving the sect.

Stepping onto the beginner flying sword that he had used for twenty-six years, after taking one last look at the majestic Qinglan Mountains, he arrived at the mountain gate, where Yan Qing was already waiting.

"I hadn't seen you for a while, and I thought you weren't coming," Xu Mu said with a smile.

"How could I be a person who breaks faith and betrays trust?" Yan Qing said with a faint snort.

Upon seeing him there, the group that had been following Xu Mu quietly turned around and left.