Ten Directions Sword Master

Towering buildings and verdant hills, red walls and green tiles stretch for dozens of miles, creating a solemn and dignified palace scene.

In the southwest of the imperial city, the dense locust trees cast overlapping shadows, and the palace corridors exude a sense of twilight.

The paint on the thick, golden nanmu pillars had peeled off, and heavy curtains hung down, with several white-browed spiders crawling back and forth merrily.

As a retirement home for former palace women and disgraced concubines, this place is rarely visited and is considered a death trap by those in the imperial city.

Chenjing Lake is narrow at both ends and wide in the middle. Several willow trees along the lake have grown so lush that their branches have spilled into the lake.

There is a pavilion in the middle of the lake, covered with a thick layer of withered leaves. A cold wind sweeps it up, and a few fallen leaves fall into the lake.

At this moment, the pavilion was filled with a chilling atmosphere. Along the way, there were more than a dozen corpses lying crookedly, all dressed in the clothes of eunuchs and palace maids.

Blood gushed out, and withered leaves soaked in it, turning them a deep maple color.

"Bai Wuming, a mysterious swordsman who has risen like a comet in the martial arts world in the past two years, whose master and origin are unknown... He defeated the five great swordsmen of the martial arts world, seized the treasures of more than ten sects, and destroyed several long-established families."

Holding a broadsword as thick as a door panel horizontally, the middle-aged woman in palace attire who spoke was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, her figure even more robust than that of an ordinary man.

"You trespassed into the imperial city, murdered palace servants—a capital offense punishable by the extermination of your entire clan! What brings you here?"

"A surprising fact is that a group of agile eunuchs and palace maids, with minor mastery of internal energy, were hidden in the Cold Palace. The eunuchs wielded rapiers, and the palace maids used Emei daggers. Each of them followed a treacherous, sinister, ruthless, and vicious path. They could be considered third-rate experts even in the martial arts world. It's truly unbelievable that they couldn't have been trained in less than ten years!"

The young man, called Bai Wuming, was playing with a slender sword he had stolen, ignoring the middle-aged woman's words.

Of medium height, with ordinary features, neither handsome nor ugly, no one would have guessed he was the mysterious swordsman who had made a name for himself in the martial arts world in just a few years if the woman hadn't pointed it out.

Only a pair of eyes can reveal a hint of extraordinary talent, radiant and focused, drawing the eye in.

"A lowly palace maid from the laundry department has actually unlocked all her acupoints and achieved perfect internal strength. Her internal cultivation alone is enough to rank her among the top ten in the world. Don't you think those elders from aristocratic families and sects who toil day and night in arduous training should all be ashamed and commit suicide?"

Bai Wuming tossed aside the thin sword in his hand, his expression turned serious, and he gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"A sword and a shield, unchallenged across the world! Since the sword-and-shield warriors truly exist, the legend of Shenjing Lake is very likely true. Let me witness the martial arts most prized by the Great Kang Emperor!"

The Great Kang Dynasty has been established for a hundred years and has now passed to its fifth emperor. Today, the country is filled with powerful families and rampant bandits. In addition, it has been suffering from drought for many years, and chaos is rampant. Many prefectures and counties have developed the idea of ​​becoming independent.

The emperor was weak and cowardly, staying deep within the palace and refusing to leave, while the court was controlled by the emperor's relatives and eunuchs.

The troops that remained loyal to the royal family were all scattered and sent to the border.

Emperor Taizu of the Great Kang Dynasty rose from humble origins and built his empire through sheer hard work and perseverance.

Legend has it that he received a treasure from an immortal in a dream, comprehending unparalleled martial arts from a celestial mirror. He then simplified it and taught it to his personal guards, who became invincible on the battlefield from then on.

Seven years after his uprising, he swept away all rivals, established his rule over the world, and wrote an incredible and legendary life story.

When Emperor Taizu passed away, some said that the precious mirror turned into a stream of light and flew away, others said that it was buried in the imperial mausoleum, and yet another legend says that it sank to the bottom of a lake, hence the name Chenjing Lake (Sinking Mirror Lake).

"Those who peek into the Emperor Taizu's secret treasures shall die!"

The middle-aged woman's face changed drastically. She raised her broadsword and slashed down, covering several meters in an instant.

"Well done!"

A glint flashed in Bai Wuming's eyes, and he drew his long sword. His attack was swift and deadly, the cold light flashing as he stabbed straight at the middle-aged woman's wrist.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

A series of sharp, cascading sounds, like a sudden downpour of pearls, were met by the middle-aged woman simply holding her broadsword horizontally, which, like an impenetrable wall, blocked all the attacks.

With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed pure internal energy, and the broadsword slammed down with the force of Mount Tai.

The sword and shield wielder, with a sword and a shield, the sword is the shield and the shield is the sword; the balance of offense and defense lies entirely in the mind.

With each sword strike, Bai Wuming changed his sword technique, sometimes faster than lightning, sometimes as gentle as a silken thread; sometimes wide and sweeping, sometimes as vast as the stars.

But no matter how fierce the attack, it all came to naught when faced with the broadsword.

The seemingly exquisite sword techniques, with their simple moves of horizontal, parry, strike, and sweep, left the user with nowhere to stand and even had to guard against the middle-aged woman's sudden counterattack.

Occasionally, a sword thrust, a sweep, or a reverse slash would force him to rack his brains to deflect it.

The immense force transmitted from the sword caused his arm to tremble violently, and his tiger's mouth felt like it was about to split open.

The woman seemed to possess boundless inner strength, turning her head to unleash dozens of sword strikes in a frenzied barrage, tireless and without needing to catch her breath.

Using the simplest swordsmanship, he demonstrated the most rational and effective killing techniques.

"A heavy sword has no edge, and great skill is without artifice... This sword and shield technique is not a sophisticated sword move at all, but a top-level internal energy cultivation method. It is extremely well-suited to this sword technique when practiced by those with innate superhuman strength."

Bai Wuming secretly groaned. His actual internal strength was not as good as that of the middle-aged woman. Fortunately, the other party did not have much practical combat experience, and sword and shield warriors were obviously more suitable for battlefield combat than one-on-one duels between martial artists.

"But as long as one has profound internal strength, even the most ordinary sword moves can be extremely powerful. Moreover, this sword technique was clearly created by a master, and it is extremely simple and unadorned, making it very difficult to find any flaws."

"I can't delay any longer! If this continues, after a hundred moves, my internal energy will dissipate, and I won't even be able to escape unscathed!"

With a fierce determination, Bai Wuming flicked his longsword and thrust it out at an incredible angle, forcing the middle-aged woman back a step.

In an instant, he swung his sword back, grazing her neck. Terrified, she turned pale and staggered back, brandishing her broadsword to protect her vitals.

A dazzling and dangerous sword technique created distance between the two. Bai Wuming did not press his advantage but stood still, his longsword assuming a strange starting stance.

The middle-aged woman had just escaped the relentless, venomous attacks of the snake, and her heart was at ease when she sensed an ominous feeling.

With a loud shout, he channeled all his inner strength, and a dark yellow light flashed on his broadsword as he slashed down.

Bai Wuming's ten fingers suddenly swelled up with blood, then quickly withered away. His face was noticeably paler, and he looked exhausted. He looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water, his clothes soaked with sweat.

Only his eyes remained bright and sharp, as if they were about to shoot out sword light.

Suddenly, the longsword emitted a burst of light, several feet of sword light, and the person seemed to be carried forward by the longsword in his hand.

The sword flashed, its flames blazing, and the speed of movement instantly doubled.

A phantom white tiger roared and pounced, splitting mountains and shattering rocks with terrifying power.

"The autumnal equinox, when the golden sky breaks through the mountains."

The two brushed past each other, Bai Wuming braced himself with his longsword on the ground, his chest burning with a fiery sensation.

The middle-aged woman's mouth moved as if she wanted to say something, but a thin line appeared on her neck, and blood gushed out like a fountain. She collapsed with a thud, along with the broadsword that was as big as a door panel.

"Experts cultivated in a greenhouse have almost zero experience in life-or-death battles... Their internal strength cultivation may rank among the top ten in this world, but if it really comes down to life and death, there are too many people in the world who can defeat them."

Bai Wuming took out a milky white pill from his chest, swallowed it, and circulated his internal energy. After a while, his complexion improved considerably.

After getting up, he walked around Chenjing Lake twice, then plunged into the lake, surfacing once every hundred breaths.

As dusk approached, Bai Wuming climbed out of the lake, holding a box that resembled both wood and jade. He looked around and slowly uttered words:

"Regression confirmed."

The nebula reversed, swirling and dying, and a spark of light entered it, falling into the cosmic millstone, plunging the world into darkness.

Obtain the Immortal Mirror Fragment, receive 100 merit points as a reward, and unlock the next stage of the quest.

Unseal the Immortal Mirror fragments to restore their power, and you will be rewarded with 300 merit points and one basic reclusion talisman.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a room filled with books. The two bookshelves in front of the bed made the space feel even more cramped. If I stretched or raised my hand, I might hit the bamboo bonsai on both sides.

Bai Wuming, or Lu Li, stretched his limbs.

This kind of return is already familiar to them, and they can adapt to their new state very quickly.

He had grown two inches taller than before, and although his facial features had changed slightly, he now had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a handsome and dashing appearance.

"For me, the Great Kang World is no longer of much value. Even if there are a few experts left, they are nothing but withered bones in a tomb, and I can surpass them in an instant. If I obtain a seclusion talisman in the future and want to use my time to cultivate in peace, I can set my destination in the Great Kang World. With my strength, I can already roam freely in that world without worrying about anyone disturbing or destroying it."

Lu Li held a dark yellow talisman in his palm, which shattered into fragments when the wind blew it away, drifting and scattering in the air.

"We have no leads on the Immortal Mirror, so it's not worth investing more effort in it for now. We'll pursue it further once we make new discoveries. Hopefully, the Great Kang Emperor's Treasure Vault really exists."

Looking back on the past few years, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Lu Li's family, the Lu clan of Pengcheng, was considered a second-tier clan in the area. Although they did not have any powerful cultivators capable of entering and leaving the Azure Netherworld, they were a large and prosperous family that monopolized the river transport business, making them a force to be reckoned with in Pengcheng.

Born into such a family, as a direct descendant, even from the least desirable fifth branch, he was raised with the same privileges as a young master.

Martial arts training begins at age six with instruction from renowned masters, and the family possesses a wealth of martial arts knowledge, medicinal soups, and elixirs—nothing is lacking.

The Central Plains continent was divided into two countries a hundred years ago when the Chu Li Dynasty collapsed.

The southern branch of the Chu royal family inherited the throne, and the country was named Great Chu.

The Northern Kingdom was founded by the high-ranking officers of the Chu army on the border, and its name was Great Zhou.

The world is in turmoil, with frequent conflicts and skirmishes, and the law of the jungle is becoming increasingly clear.

Pengcheng was originally located in the inland heart of the Chu Li Dynasty, facing north and south. After the two dynasties separated, it was only a few hundred miles from the border.

The border scouts of the Great Zhou Dynasty could arrive at the city within a day, riding at breakneck speed.

Not to mention martial arts masters, who can shorten this time even further when using their movement techniques.

Many families of similar size and even greater prominence vanished before the Lu family, making them feel as if they were walking on thin ice, and they dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

Even the most extravagant and wealthy families will not neglect the education of their younger generations.

As the only male heir of the fifth branch of the family, Lu Li was extremely dull in martial arts, practically a stubborn rock.

Those with average talent can complete the initial stage of body tempering within a hundred days, but it took him more than half a year, even though he enjoyed dozens of times more cultivation resources than those from poor families.

Those of exceptional talent among their generation can complete the five stages of body tempering cultivation within two or three years.

Even those with mediocre talent and slow progress can reach the final stage of body tempering before adulthood, with their qi and blood as vigorous as a furnace, advancing towards the Qi-guiding realm of stimulating internal strength and drawing qi into the body.

Lu Li, however, was still only at the third stage of Body Tempering at the age of fifteen, barely able to make his bones and muscles resonate, becoming a laughing stock within the clan.

On her fifteenth birthday, the taciturn, self-conscious, and withdrawn Lu Li accidentally fell into the misty lake in the garden. By the time she was rescued by the servants, she was already on the verge of death.

He spent seven days in bed recovering, and his personality and behavior changed drastically afterward.

What made the entire Fifth Branch of the family happiest was that Lu Li's martial arts talent had finally improved from the level of rotten wood to at least the level of a piece of metasequoia wood.

It took a year to successfully reach the final step of body tempering.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Lu Li's soul underwent a dramatic transformation after he accidentally fell into the water.