Ten Directions Sword Master

The Shen family's backyard, Zidu Garden.

Aside from the cook who delivers meals, no one comes and goes here on weekdays, and many of the Shen family disciples don't even know which elder lives here.

All we know is that you are not allowed to approach unless absolutely necessary, and entering the park is strictly prohibited.

Shen Zhongmao, leaning on his cane, walked alone to the Laidu Garden without asking for help.

Several guards were hiding in the shadows. When they saw him arrive, they all retreated and continued to conceal themselves.

"Third brother, what do you think about the idea I mentioned last time of having the younger members of the clan learn martial arts from you?"

As Shen Zhongmao walked through the hallway, he saw the slender back of his most beloved third son, and his heart ached.

"I've already said, the cultivation method I practice is not suitable for my family, nor am I qualified to pass it on to outsiders..."

Shen Hehong didn't turn his head, his voice dry and devoid of any vitality.

"Then you should pick out the things you can teach and give more guidance to those with talent... With the world about to descend into chaos, I'm always worried about not having a Refining God at home to keep things under control."

Shen Zhongmao slammed his cane on the ground, raising his voice.

It was both to give Shen Hehong something to do and help him get out of the gloom, and also to express my true feelings.

A master of the Refinement of Spirit is as swift as the wind, and unless a specific military formation is set up, he will not take any number of soldiers seriously.

One person's strength can turn the tide of a city.

The Shen family rose to prominence through the imperial examinations, appearing noble and refined, but their family martial arts were quite ordinary, making them less effective than the other two families in times of war.

The third son, Shen Hehong, was originally the most promising candidate in the family to reach the Refining Spirit Realm. He was taught by a famous teacher and successfully established his foundation in his early twenties.

As a result, he secretly joined the Imperial City Guard. Five years ago, during a major mission, they were ambushed and nearly wiped out.

In the end, only Shen Hehong escaped with half his life.

External injuries are easy to heal, but the mental exhaustion caused by repeatedly activating the "selfless mind" completely cut off his path to spiritual refinement.

After that, she simply went back home and stayed indoors.

"I've seen a few, but they're all fickle and indecisive. If we let them go, we'd have kicked them out long ago... If we're hoping to cultivate their spiritual essence, Father should look to the younger generation."

Shen Hehong sneered, clearly looking down on the younger generation of his family.

Shen Zhongmao felt a tightness in his chest from anger. He swung his cane a couple of times to calm himself down and said, "A man has come to the city and is buying up grain on a large scale. He showed his Imperial City Guard token. Do you want to go and say hello?"

"People from the Imperial City Guard?"

Shen Hehong turned around. He was in his prime, but his face looked more weathered than his father's.

"Impossible. My colleagues always inform me when they come to Bingzhou on missions. Unless it's a secret operation, grain procurement is obviously not one of them."

"This is the mark he left in the Grey Wolf Gang. Take a look and see if it's real or fake."

Shen Zhongmao handed over a silk handkerchief, which was a copy made exactly as it appeared on the Gray Wolf Gang's table.

"How dare you!"

Shen Hehong suddenly stood up, his slender body exuding an astonishing aura, causing the surface of the pond beside him to ripple.

"Is it fake?"

Shen Zhongmao was overjoyed. This was for the best. Dealing with the Imperial City Guard always made him nervous.

"The token is real, but the person is fake... This is a captain's badge. Would such a high-ranking person personally come to Bingzhou to discuss business with a gang leader?"

Shen Hehong touched the familiar mark, and after his anger subsided, he began to think.

"But how did he get the waist token? It's impossible to make such a fine imitation. Every Eagle Platform Captain is a Refining Spirit expert. What kind of person would have the ability to snatch or steal it? Could it be that some lord died and someone picked up his waist token?"

The whole thing was strange and contradictory from beginning to end, leaving him somewhat confused.

Regardless, it piqued Shen Hehong's interest, and he decided to go and see for himself.

He believed that as long as it was fake, no matter how convincing the disguise or how thorough the preparation, it could not fool him, a former Imperial Guard Captain.

"Third brother, something seems amiss. Should we muster our private troops and ask the head instructor from the manor to go with you?"

Shen Zhongmao was filled with anxiety. The "master instructor" he was referring to was a Foundation Establishment Perfection expert whom the Shen family had hired at a high price.

"Haha, I'm half dead, but those country bumpkin moves can last fifty moves against me. All those years of suffering in the Imperial City Guard were for nothing!"

Shen Hehong burst into laughter, not having shown such a carefree and unrestrained expression in a long time.

"If it's really about refining the spirit, what's wrong with calling up the entire city's Foundation Establishment cultivators... Just call Tang Lie along, lest some kid with outstanding agility slip away too quickly. At least Tang Lie has seen the world."

……

Even in the world of the compass, Lu Li continued his cultivation without interruption, only skipping a few steps.

The cultivation and sword techniques gained in the Compass World will be fully inherited upon returning to the real world.

He planned to exchange for more seclusion talismans once he had enough merit points, and then use them all at once to raise his cultivation level to the peak of Qi Refining.

In this way, when fighting against peers from the academy, at least they won't be at a disadvantage in terms of internal strength.

"The White Dew Frost Technique only has the added effect of calming the mind and concentrating the spirit, and adding a trace of coldness to the internal energy after the foundation is established. It is somewhat mediocre in accumulating internal energy and strengthening the internal organs... The Nebula Hall does have a few suitable cultivation techniques, but even exchanging for just one scroll would require thousands of merits, which is a long way off."

After circulating his cultivation technique for one full cycle, Lu Li slowly exhaled a long breath, which formed a visible chill.

"The academy's signature martial art, 'The Flowing Six Voids,' combines strength and gentleness, creating a continuous and ever-renewing force. It's said to accelerate cultivation, making it perfect for someone like me with dull cultivation talent. Unfortunately, only with the dean's approval can one be taught the Flowing Six Voids; otherwise, I could try to get through Vice Dean Yu Ziqi."

"Not even one of the so-called Four Great Prodigies was awarded this title."

Another way is to obtain the cultivation techniques from the Compass World.

However, given the level he has reached so far, the martial arts techniques he can obtain are probably not as good as the White Dew Frost Technique, so there's no need to waste his time.

"It's the fifth day. Today I should go to the Gray Wolf Gang for a reply... Oh, it seems I don't need to. I've attracted two big fish."

Lu Li, who was sitting by the window, saw a group of people enter the inn. The person leading the way was Liu Zhang from the Gray Wolf Gang.

Behind them were two men with striking features: one was broad-shouldered and robust, while the other was thin and sickly, dressed in loose clothing.

It's impossible to discern their true nature at a glance; they must be a Foundation Establishment martial artist.

It's not surprising that they found a foothold. If the Gray Wolf Gang can't even handle such a small matter, then their control over the underground forces of the prefectural city is too poor.

"They came to our door on their own initiative; it seems their status as members of the Imperial City Guard is at play... I wonder if they're skeptical, or completely disbelieving?"

"Are the two Foundation Establishment experts positioned far apart, belonging to two different factions, or are they cooperating?"

"No matter which family comes, I have prepared the most tempting bait. No one knows the future of Northern Wei better than me, and these powerful families cannot resist..."

Lu Li composed himself and waited for the person to arrive, his expression gradually turning cold and inscrutable.

You can't play a role well if you don't believe in yourself.

There was a knock on the door, and only three people came in; the rest remained outside.

Lu Li clearly caught the look in the thin, sickly man's eyes: disdain, mockery, and anger.

Something is wrong!

Before he even opened his mouth, this person seemed to have already judged that he was not a secret agent of the Imperial City Guard!

"Without the Listening Rain Blade and the Eagle Beak Dagger, what kind of brat is this pretending to be a secret agent of the Imperial City Guard! A mere Qi Refining cultivator with a Captain's token, you'd better explain clearly where you got it from!"

A loud shout rang out, and the slender man's hawk-like eyes shot over. His body swayed slightly, and it seemed as if his shadow filled the entire house.